Do Not Party To Hard This New Years Eve

Ladies and Gentlemen: The New Year is upon us, just wanted to remind you all not to do anything “stupid” here is a video to remind you what will happen to you if you do something stupid.

Omaha Hi/Lo Strategies by Perry Friedman

The big difference between big-bet (Pot-Limit or No-Limit) Omaha Hi/Lo and Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is that the former plays much more like Omaha High. Low hands become much less valuable because of how often they get quartered.

If you get quartered in Limit games, you may not lose too much of your overall chip stack because the action is capped on every street. In Pot-Limit games, however, getting quartered can be much more expensive because you may have had to call big bets on both the turn and river before the hand ended. Losing half your stack in this situation could be your best-case scenario – and getting completely felted if your hand is counterfeited on the river is a real possibility.

Because the high end of the pot is often more valuable in big-bet games, I recommend looking for hands that play well both ways or for hands like J-J-T-9 that just play high. Hands that are going to scoop or get ¾ of the pot are true monsters. While scooping is the best-case scenario in Omaha Hi/Lo, it’s much more important to lock up the high portion of the hand in Pot-Limit games because of how expensive playing for the low can be.

While something like a naked A-2 can be a very strong PLO hand before the flop, I see a lot of people get in trouble with this hand on later streets when they feel committed to put their chips in the middle in hope of hitting their low. Without any potential for hitting the high, these players are putting themselves in situations where they can easily go broke.

In PLO, the best A-2 hands are either suited or have good connectors like 3-4 or 5-6 that will give you straight draws. If you flop something like 4-5-9 with a hand like A-2-3-6, any Ace, 2, 3 or 6 gives you a straight, as well as the nut low. However, even if you have the A-2-3-6 on a flop of Q-9-5, you have to fold if someone else makes a big bet as it’s likely they’ve already made their high hand. Putting your chips in the pot in hope of chopping is not a worthwhile play.

Pot-Limit and No-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo are all about the nuts. If you’re not holding them, you should be looking to draw to them. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t commit your chips to a hand – especially when your best result may only be winning half the pot. If you’re in a hand and are just playing for the low, my advice is to muck your cards and wait for a more profitable situation.

Isildur1 Wants His Money Back Full Tilt

Not long ago, Brian Townsend got his red pro status at Full Tilt removed after that the poker site found out that he had been using a non-allowed poker program to collect hand history against Isildur1. Townsend had also shared the information he had collected using this program with Brian Hastings and Cole South. However, neither of them got any kind of penalty from Full Tilt poker. This made Isildur1 really upset, and now he wants his money back, or at least some of it according to what he said in a recent interview.

"I do feel like I deserve to get something back. I feel that Hastings had a big edge over me due to the hand history database. They were able to dissect the exact way I was playing because they analyzed the hands so precisely, and it was impossible for me to adjust, as I had no idea they were doing it.
Even though this information is not out there, since they admitted to sharing hand histories, how can I be sure that all three of them did not have input on the hands while we were playing?"

Isildur1 about the future and if he will continue playing at Full Tilt poker after the scandal.

"Well, honestly I am going to stay quiet for a while now. I am planning on putting in the request to Full Tilt to look into this further, and until I hear back, I don't plan on playing much poker on the site."

Tony G Comments On The Isildur1 Scandal

Brian Townsend has been in the center of the storm since last week when he got his red pro status removed (for a month) by Full Tilt after that they found out he had been using a non-allowed program to save hand history against Isildur1, and also discussed and shared this information with Brian Hastings and Cole South.

After this, Brian Townsend wrote in his blog that he was the sole one to break Full Tilt's terms & conditions and that Hastings and South had nothing to do with it. Brian Townsend probably thought that he would get some peace and quite after writing this. Unfortunately, for him, this "scandal" has now been taken to another level as many other pros now have started giving their opinions and thoughts on the Brian Townsend scandal. One of these pros are Tony G.

"The world of poker is a very complex structure built around players, the online poker sites and casinos that provide the games, the limits and games played, rake, backers, and a lot more, and in the end, trying to provide the best game possible that helps everyone.  The entire situation with Townsend, Hastings, and Cole involving their combined knowledge and play against Ilsuldur1 leaves a bad smell in the air for everyone, especially for Full Tilt since Townsend is one of their Red Pros. As a player, I would like to see Townsend be more committed to giving his attention to doing what being a Red Pro demands at Full Tilt."

Tony G continues....

"The bad part of it all is that there appears to be no answer to help Isildur1.  A Red Pro getting a penalty doesn't change the matter of his poker losses and the fact that he was at a disadvantage with all of it.  I believe he can come back because he is a young kid and lots of talent.  It has to be a huge learning tool for him. Let's all hope that with each step we take in the poker world, we leave a clean footprint and the game improves for all of us."

Isildur1 Was Cheated By Full Tilt Red Pro

Last week rumors that Brian Townsend, Brian Hastings & Cole South had been cheating against Isildur1 started circulate on the web. It all started after that someone got to know that Brian Townsend, Brian Hastings & Cole South had been going through thousands of hands Isildur1 had played and also discussed different strategies on how to beat the Swede. They could do this thanks to that Townsend had been using a program that is not allowed at Full Tilt poker. Full Tilt took action straight away after getting to know this and they punished Townsend by giving him warning and removing his red pro status for a 1 month. However, Brian Hastings and Cole South didn't get punished as Full Tilt couldn't see that they had broken any of their rules.

This is not the first time Brian Townsend has been breaking the rules at Full Tilt poker. Back in August 2008, Townsend got his red pro status removed for 6 months after that Full Tilt found out that he had been using multiple accounts playing cash games. After this, he apologized in his blog. It will be interesting to see what he writes this time. It will also be interesting to hear what Isildur1 has to say about all this.

Ken And I Did Not Do It…

A scene straight out of the Old West went down this morning outside Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas. Pointing a semi-auto shotgun at a Garda armored car service guard a robber demanded he drop the four bags just picked up at Palace Station. Realizing his disadvantage the armed guard quickly responded, the crook scooped up the bags and fled to a waiting auto which roared out of the parking and disappeared on the conveniently located I-15 expressway.

It was initially reported that the thieves got away with $1 million in cash; but, the figure was later revised to a more modest $36,000 in cash and a bunch of canceled checks. The gun-toting suspect was described as a white male and his get away car was thought to be a gold colored compact Chrysler model.

Police are investigating a car fire in the parking garage that may have been set by additional suspects to draw the attention of Palace Station's security officers. Video tapes of the crime are being gathered and expected to reveal more details of the crime.

Life Is Not Good For Vegas Hotels

This is a scary time to be running a Las Vegas hotel-casino.

The 90-plus percent occupancy rate of just a couple years ago is a distant memory, as hotel-casinos are now closing hundreds of rooms or even towers.

Already announced is the indefinite closure of the Binion's hotel.

Now comes Sahara, stating that they will close two towers over the holidays, with no reopen date set. It's conceivable the towers could remain closed until business picks up.

Recently Vdara (at CityCenter) opened at a claimed 80 percent occupancy. At over 1400 rooms, that appeared to be good business and a sign of hope for tourism. But Vdara actually only made 400 of those rooms available. Not that difficult to have an 80 percent occupancy on 400, when over 1400, occupancy would be less than 30 percent

Sky Poker New TV Program

Online poker room Sky Poker has announced a new poker TV program, the Total Player. This show will include pro player mentors and online qualifiers. Sky Poker, which is also a poker TV channel, will allow the public to chose the ultimate winner by vote. The winner will get a number of prizes a £100 buy-in Sky Poker Tour event, a £1,000 buy-in to a pro event and, a $10,000 buy-in to the World Series of Poker Main Event.. The three poker pro mentors on the show will be David Tuckman, Matt Broughton and Ed Giddens.

Merge Ahead?

Online poker company PartyGaming may be merging with online gaming group bwin. Both groups are based out of Europe and operate online poker rooms as well as other online gaming sites. PartyGaming Chief Executive Officer Jim Ryan is attempting to broker a deal to merge the two companies. While PartyGaming focuses primarily on poker and casino, bwin is known most for sports betting, so a merger between the two would result in a very powerful online poker and online gaming institution. The merger could boost the PartyGaming reputation as well, which has seen some blemishes as its poker site, Party Poker, has dropped in profitability in recent years.

Tony Korfman Chokes Another Poker Player

A poker player reportedly choked another poker player recently at a Las Vegas casino. The incident occurred at the Bellagio when Tony Korfman put his hands on a player that annoyed him. A $1,000 re-buy second chance tournament at the Bellagio was in session when Korfman busted out and grabbed another player by the neck and started to choke him. After being separated by security guards Korfman, who later admitted and defended his actions in an online poker post, was kicked out of the casino and banned indefinitely. The victim did not press charges.

California Online Poker Hearing Scheduled

A hearing to discuss the possibility of Intrastate Online Poker in California has been scheduled for February. California State Sen. Roderick Wright informed the LA Times this week about the upcoming hearing. A number of entities are calling for regulation, and the state would stand to benefit from the tax revenue generated by the Intrastate Online Poker. According to the reports an estimated one million Californians are playing online poker. While exact figures of tax revenue have not been forthcoming, the LA Times compared possible poker revenue to Indian-run slot machines at $250 million a year.

The Three Ps To Playing a Maniac

You’ve settled into your chair at your favorite poker room or online and are ready to play some world-class, A-game poker. After a short time, however, a player comes to the table who starts to get, for lack of a better term, “crazy.” Pumping up pots with straddle bets, raises from out of position, and other action-garnering devices, the maniac asserts his table presence. To make matters worse, he is winning from players you were taking the chips from with your A-game.

I have seen many players go on tilt from playing against such maniacs and it is easy to see how they fall into that hole. The mindset of some players becomes “I’m going to get that sucker” rather than playing excellent poker and using the game to get the chips. There are three P’s that a player has to learn to be able to prevent from becoming one who spews chips to the maniac.

Position

The first way to have some power over the maniac at the table is to have position. If, for most of the hands, you can have the advantage of having him act before you, you can at the minimum gauge his actions and, when he either shows or goes to showdown, get an idea of the cards he is playing. If he is a true maniac, he is winning with some less than desirable hands, while occasionally showing down a monster.

Having this positional advantage will make it possible, if you have acquired a solid table image, to 3bet and, on some occasions, force him to leave the hand. Be mindful, though, that the maniac player is one who doesn’t fold something unless it is complete junk; you have to be prepared to play your hand, no matter how bad, if you get called on your 3bet bluff.

If you are out of position, you options are limited. You can wait until you have one of the few plays in position to decide to attack but, once again, you are probably going to head to the river. Thus, you are going to have to execute the second of the three P’s.

Power

There are two ways to use power to defeat the table maniac. The first, through a dominance of chips, is pretty easy to execute. Sometimes, the table maniac is there for the quick hit and run, to get a good score, or to make enough to get into a tournament. By having a larger chip stack than the maniac, you can thwart his indiscriminate play by coming over the top of him. After a few timely re-raises - remember, you can’t go overboard or you will just encourage him - the maniac will realize that when you’re in a hand, it is probably best that he doesn’t engage you.

The second method, and the one that most players will try to use to combat the maniac, is through the power of the cards. If a maniac is coming with questionable offerings, coming back at them with strong hole cards - and, yes, making some hands - will either slow him down or eliminate him from the table quickly. Strong hole cards, in this case, are big pocket pairs, A-K, or A-Q.

If you hit your set on the flop or make top pair, then let the maniac drive the car to the turn. If nothing comes there to change your dominant situation, spring upon the maniac with a re-raise and see if he is willing to give you even more of his chips. If he continues on, the opportunity to cripple and/or crush the maniac is yours.

Of course, to get the power cards, you have to execute the final part of the three P’s plan.

Patience

Perhaps this is the most important of the three P’s because you don’t want to become like the maniac himself. If you begin to enter more hands, play loosely, and show weak offerings, then you have set yourself up to be targeted as the maniac. A full exercise of poker skills is necessary to remain patient at the table and let a situation set itself up.

You must have the patience to wait for a strong starting hand to take on the maniac and you must be patient and wait for the time when you are in position. As you see, without the patience factor, the three P’s becomes ineffective.

Some Final Thoughts

Battling a maniac at the poker table can be exhausting work not only for your bankroll, but also for your mentality. It is critical that you don’t fall into the trap of trying to be the one who busts the maniac from the game because this will tremendously affect your play and could cause a significant financial loss. You must stay inside your strengths to be able to engage the maniac fully when the situation is in your favor.

And, finally, who said you have to break the maniac? By not falling into this mental trap of trying to be the table sheriff, you are able to take advantage of the other players at the table who are dropping the level of their game in response to the maniac’s plays. Through a proper usage of the three P’s, you should be able to get the chips from all of your opponents and not jut the maniac.

Six $1,000 WSOP Events

Without further adieu, here is the schedule of events for the 2010 WSOP. All times are local:

Fri, May 28th at 12:00pm
Event #1: Casino Employees No Limit Hold'em
$500 buy-in

Fri, May 28th at 5:00pm
Event #2: The Player's Championship
$50,000 buy-in

Sat, May 29th at 12:00pm
Event #3: No Limit Hold'em
$1,000 buy-in

Sun, May 30th at 5:00pm
Event #4: Omaha High-Low Split-8 or Better
$1,500 buy-in

Mon, May 31st at 12:00pm
Event #5: No Limit Hold'em
$1,500 buy-in

Tue, Jun 1st at 12:00pm
Event #6: No Limit Hold'em Shootout (2,000 players max)
$5,000 buy-in

Tue, Jun 1st at 5:00pm
Event #7: 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit)
$2,500 buy-in

Wed, Jun 2nd at 12:00pm
Event #8: No Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in

Thu, Jun 3rd at 12:00pm
Event #9: Pot Limit Hold'em
$1,500 buy-in

Thu, Jun 3rd at 5:00pm
Event #10: Seven Card Stud Championship
$10,000 buy-in

Fri, Jun 4th at 11:00am
Event #11: No Limit Hold'em
$1,500 buy-in

Fri, Jun 4th at 11:00am
Event #12: Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in

Sat, Jun 5th at 11:00am
Event #13: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in

Sat, Jun 5th at 5:00pm
Event #14: 2-7 Draw Lowball (No Limit)
$1,500 buy-in

Sun, Jun 6th at 5:00pm
Event #15: Seven Card Stud High-Low Split-8 or Better Championship
$10,000 buy-in

Mon, Jun 7th at 12:00pm
Event #16: No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed
$1,500 buy-in

Tue, Jun 8th at 12:00pm
Event #17: No Limit Hold'em
$5,000 buy-in

Wed, Jun 9th at 12:00pm
Event #18: Limit Hold'em
$2,000 buy-in

Wed, Jun 9th at 5:00pm
Event #19: 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship (No Limit)
$10,000 buy-in

Thu, Jun 10th at 12:00pm
Event #20: Pot Limit Omaha
$1,500 buy-in

Thu, Jun 10th at 5:00pm
Event #21: Seven Card Stud
$1,500 buy-in

Fri, Jun 11th at 12:00pm
Event #22: Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship
$1,000 buy-in

Fri, Jun 11th at 5:00pm
Event #23: Limit Hold'em Six-Handed
$2,500 buy-in

Sat, Jun 12th at 12:00pm
Event #24: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in

Sat, Jun 12th at 5:00pm
Event #25: Omaha High-Low Split-8 or Better Championship
$10,000 buy-in

Mon, Jun 14th at 12:00pm
Event #26: No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed
$2,500 buy-in

Mon, Jun 14th at 5:00pm
Event #27: Seven Card Stud High-Low-8 or Better
$1,500 buy-in

Tue, Jun 15th at 12:00pm
Event #28: Pot Limit Omaha
$2,500 buy-in

Tue, Jun 15th at 5:00pm
Event #29: Limit Hold'em Championship
$10,000 buy-in

Wed, Jun 16th at 12:00pm
Event #30: No Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in

Wed, Jun 16th at 5:00pm
Event #31: HORSE
$1,500 buy-in

Thu, Jun 17th at 12:00pm
Event #32: No Limit Hold'em Six-Handed
$5,000 buy-in

Thu, Jun 17th at 5:00pm
Event #33: Pot Limit Hold'em/Omaha
$2,500 buy-in

Fri, Jun 18th at 12:00pm
Event #34: Seniors No Limit Hold’em Championship
$1,000 buy-in

Fri, Jun 18th at 5:00pm
Event #35: Heads-Up No Limit Hold'em Championship (256 player max)
$10,000 buy-in

Sat, Jun 19th at 12:00pm
Event #36: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in

Sat, Jun 19th at 5:00pm
Event #37: HORSE
$3,000 buy-in

Sun, Jun 20th at 5:00pm
Event #38: Pot Limit Hold'em Championship
$10,000 buy-in

Mon, Jun 21st at 12:00pm
Event #39: No Limit Hold'em Shootout (2,000 player max)
$1,500 buy-in

Mon, Jun 21st at 5:00pm
Event #40: Seven Card Razz
$2,500 buy-in

Tue, Jun 22nd at 12:00pm
Event #41: Pot Limit Omaha High-Low Split-8 or Better
$1,500 buy-in

Wed, Jun 23rd at 12:00pm
Event #42: No Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in

Wed, Jun 23rd at 5:00pm
Event #43: HORSE Championship
$10,000 buy-in

Thu, Jun 24th at 12:00pm
Event #44: Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No Limit)
$2,500 buy-in

Fri, Jun 25th at 12:00pm
Event #45: No Limit Hold’em
$1,500 buy-in

Fri, Jun 25th at 5:00pm
Event #46: Pot Limit Omaha High-Low Split-8 or Better
$5,000 buy-in

Sat, Jun 26th at 12:00pm
Event #47: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in

Sat, Jun 26th at 5:00pm
Event #48: Mixed Event
$2,500 buy-in

Mon, Jun 28th at 12:00pm
Event #49: No Limit Hold'em
$1,500 buy-in

Mon, Jun 28th at 5:00pm
Event #50: Pot Limit Omaha
$5,000 buy-in

Tue, Jun 29th at 12:00pm
Event #51: Triple Chance No Limit Hold’em
$3,000 buy-in

Wed, Jun 30th at 12:00pm
Event #52: No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed
$25,000 buy-in

Wed, Jun 30th at 5:00pm
Event #53: Limit Hold’em Shootout
$1,500 buy-in

Thu, Jul 1st at 12:00pm
Event #54: No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 buy-in

Thu, Jul 1st at 5:00pm
Event #55: Pot Limit Omaha Championship
$10,000 buy-in

Fri, Jul 2nd at 5:00pm
Event #56: No Limit Hold’em
$2,500 buy-in

Sat, Jul 3rd at 2:00pm
Ante Up For Africa Poker Tournament
$5,000 buy-in

2010 WSOP Main Event:
July 5th: Day 1A
July 6th: Day 1B
July 7th: Day 1C
July 8th: Day 1D
July 9th: Day 2A
July 10th: Day 2B
July 11th: Media Event
July 12th: Day 3
July 13th: Day 4
July 14th: Day 5
July 15th: Day 6
July 16th: Day 7
July 17th: Day 8
November 6th to 9th: Final Table

You Think You Have A Bad Beat Story

Think your bad beat story belongs in the book? This might not be as bad as the time you went all-in within ten minutes of hitting town and came in third after two one-outers caught a miraculous river and chopped up your entire play bank; but, it's the biggest money bad beat. The spiral down lasted a year and cost Terrance Watanabe $127 million. The 52 years old Watanabe spent most of 2007 at Harrah's Caesars Palace and Rio casinos drinking and gambling and losing enough money to buy a couple of hundred condos at CityCenter.

When his sister finally came to town and rescued Mr. Wanatabe from himself he had gone through almost 127 million dollars. Apparently, he still has millions but not nearly as many. He's paid close to $112 million to Harrah's, but, has now decided to renege on the remaining $14.7 million in markers. The law here in Las Vegas considers unpaid markers to be the same as a bad check and if you don't pay you might be spending a few years in Nevada in a comped small room far away from the bright lights of the strip. In Mr. Watanabe's case the stay could drag out to 28 years.

In his defense, Mr. Wanatabe filed a civil suit in Clark County District that seeks to place some of the responsibility for his record setting loss on Harrah's. He is claiming he was supplied with alcohol, drugs, and encouraged to gamble in a drunken state for hours on end. Unfortunately for Mr. Watanabe, this line of reasoning hasn't worked well with Nevada juries. After all, the casino didn't make you drink the booze. His trial on the criminal charges is set for Summer 2010.

Read a detailed account of Mr. Watanabe's bad beat story according to Alexandra Berzon for the Wall Street Journal.

Next time you're in Las Vegas thinking about to go on tilt because some soccermom commandeered a case deuce to beat your quads!...just remember Mr. Watanabe's Vegas story.

BetClic Signs Isabelle Mercier

Isabelle Mercier officially joined online gaming giant BetClic today, ending months of speculation about where she would sign after leaving PokerStars in September.

Mercier will act as a consultant for the site, which is a part of the Mangas Gaming group, and will be involved with developing a strategy for BetClic Poker.

“I am delighted to be working with BetClic and the Mangas group,” Mercier said.

“I am super impressed by the energy and ambition of this young company which is really going places. As with poker I’ve always made decisions based on both analysis and instinct, and this project has a great feel to it. I know it will be really exciting.”

Mercier brings years of experience from the poker industry, where she originally started as a poker room manager at the Aviation Club de France.

She was also a successful player and her big break came in 2004 when she won the WPT Ladies Night Out II event. Since then she has won over $1 million on the tournament circuit including a final table in the 2006 WSOP where she finished fifth for $175,404.

“We are proud to welcome Isabelle to our team as an ambassador and advisor,” said BetClic managing director Nicolas Béraud. “She will give us new vision and excitement in this fast growing sector.”

Although Mercier will be a consultant for the company she will also continue to play poker, joining the rest of the sporting ambassadors at BetClic including footballers Marcel Desailly, Deco, Arrigo Sacchi, Mateusz Borek and Stefan Effenberg.

BetClic was created in 2005 and has grown from a start-up to a major player in the online gaming world. The company operates across 15 countries with over 1.5 million customers.

Although the site is known primarily for sports betting it has started to push its poker offering. BetClic also recently acquired Bet-At-Home and Expekt, both of which offer online poker rooms.

Mercier was rumored to have joined BetClic back in September, but she denied the claims at the time.

Million Dollar Challenge Poker Show Is A Joke

The Million Dollar Challenge Poker Show has proven to be the most popular poker television show in the US. One reason for this might be the celebrities the show brings on to play. In the latest episode UFC champion Tito Ortiz opened up about a troubled childhood in the middle of a hand and won the hearts of the viewers. Describing his parents as young and with a drug problem, Ortiz turned to wrestling to stay out of trouble himself, which lead to his career in the UFC. The show pits poker players against these celebrities and pro poker players after they qualify via online poker tournaments.

THE POKER DONKEYS PODCAST IS BACK!

That's right its that time of year again when we do a new show! This weekend go ahead an re-subscribe to the poker donkeys podcast on Itunes and I promise you'll get an early Christmas Gift. The wonderful tones of Ken and Slade burning a never ending hole in your ears! The Poker Donkeys! We're back, we're bad and we're fat! Check us out on Talkshoe.com and Itunes!

POKER DONKEYS: ONLINE POKER BLOG!

Bursting the SNG Bubble

One of the keys to becoming a successful Sit & Go player is learning to master bubble play. The last thing anybody wants is to be the Bubble Boy, which means you need to get the most out of every hand you play during this critical stage. If you make solid moves from good positions and manage your chip stack wisely, you’ll find yourself in the money before you know it.

Let’s say that you’re short-stacked with just five or six big blinds. How you play your hand in this situation depends less on your cards and more on your position and the size of the other short stacks at the table. For example, you’re in the small blind and the hand is folded around to you. If the big blind doesn’t have you covered by very much, it’s time to jam. This play makes it really hard for him to call because he’s risking his tournament in a very tenuous spot. You put him in a position where he’s the one who has to call you, and that’s a big advantage.

Now let’s change things up a little. Say you’re sitting on about eight big bets on the button and the chip leader is in the big blind. If the action is folded to you in this situation, you can be much more selective about the hands you play. You still have plenty of chips to work with before the blinds come back around, which means you can afford to try and pick your spots. Personally, I’d fold hands worse than Q-10 here, but I’d probably play KJ, KQ, any Ace, and all pocket pairs.

If you’re sitting on just four or five big blinds in this same situation, you’ll have to open up your game a little and play more hands. You’ve got to take some chances here and get your chips in, even if you may be no better than 50-50. Waiting isn’t an option because the blinds will eat you alive if you let them.

If you’re playing a medium-size stack, you have more room to play, but still have to be careful about when – and from where – you put your chips in the middle. Making a standard 3x or 4x raise with 15 or 16 blinds can still be risky because there’s a good chance a bigger stack will re-raise and try to force you all-in before the flop. You really can’t afford to make that call without a premium hand like Aces or Kings.

You definitely don’t want to call with something like AK or AQ because you’re just a coin-flip against any pair and are dominated by pocket Aces or Kings. Folding here is a smarter move, especially if there’s a short stack left to play behind you who is likely to call with a much wider range of hands and give you a better shot of making the money.

Of course, nothing is more comforting than having the big stack when you’re sitting on the bubble. As the chip leader, you can practice selective aggression and apply pressure to the smaller stacks. You especially want to focus on the players in second and third place, as they aren’t going to want to put their chips at unnecessary risk.

Because the shorter stacks are going to try to double up through you, you need to be careful about making loose calls just because you think you can afford them. For example, let’s say the small stack raises 5x the big blind from the button and the small blind folds. You’re in the big blind and it’s only four more bets for you to call, which means your odds are slightly less than 2-1. While calling here may in fact be the right decision, it’s not automatic as far as I’m concerned.

I recommend taking a few seconds to really think through the situation, even if you’re holding a pretty strong hand like A-8 or up, KQ, KJ, or any pocket pair. Think about your opponent and how he’s been playing. If he raises every time he’s in that spot, widen your calling range. But if he’s a particularly good Sit & Go player or playing tight, he may not play many hands and you shouldn’t call as frequently.

More often than not when I’m the big stack in this situation, I’m not just flat calling here. Instead, I’m moving all-in. This is particularly effective because it puts all of the other players at the table to a tough decision. Again, the players in second and third aren’t likely to get involved without huge hands, which lets me isolate the smaller stack.

In the end, winning a SNG is about using whatever edge you’ve got. When you’re down to the final four, take advantage of position and play your stack aggressively. Know when to back off and when to go for it. You’ll still be at the table – and in the money – when the bubble bursts.

Bodog is Adding Money to Tournaments

Bodog Poker’s $100,000 Guaranteed has developed a reputation for being one of the best tournament values in the industry.  That’s because the $100k Guaranteed offers the best overlays with at least $30,000 being added to the prize pool by Bodog every week.  And since Bodog is adding so much of their own money to the prize pool, it essentially means Bodog is giving players free cash.  This is why the Bodog $100,000 Guaranteed is consistently considered the best tourney value in online poker.

Old Ladies Booked for Poker Playing

A number of elderly women were arrested in Cyrpus for playing poker recently. The Cypriot movement says poker playing for cash is illegal and they enforced that law on women up to 95 years old. The group of women were playing for cash and were causing enough commotion that a neighbor complained. When police arrived they found the women ranged in age from 50 to 95 and arrested the lot for breaking the law. The women were arrested and booked. No word yet on what the punishment will be for this group of elderly poker players.

Binion's Still Sending Free Hotel Offers

Just how sudden and surprising was the announcement that Binion's would close their hotel tower and all 365 rooms Dec. 14?

So much so, that not even casino marketing knew.

I just received in the mail a postcard that says, "This winter brings magic to Binion's."

On the other side: "Magic is in the brisk winter air and we invite you to stay at Binion's for a season of enchantment."

We are then invited to stay 2 free nights at Binion's through Jan. 31, 2010.

Seems like this winter, we'll more need a warm bundle of blankets than magic to stay at a hotel that no longer exists...

Binion's To Close Hotel Rooms

The hotel-casino that launched the World Series of Poker is closing its hotel part of the casino.

All 365 rooms of Binion's Gambling Hall will be shuttered as of Dec. 14.

Along with the hotel closure, 100 workers will be laid off, keno will be shut down, and the coffee shop will be closed.

The remaining part of the casino will remain open, including the poker room and steakhouse.

Binion's opened in 1951 and was purchased last year by TLC Enterprises, owners of Four Queens. No word whether the Four Queens' 690 rooms will be affected.

Golden Nugget, located across the street from Binion's, opened a 500-room tower last Monday at a cost of $150 million. It was the first new hotel rooms in downtown Las Vegas in 20 years.

We popped by Binion's last night and not only was the casino pretty much empty, there were 0 poker tables running. A sad sign of the times, particularly since we enjoyed staying at the hotel which felt more like little apartments than hotel rooms.

Clothing Brand KSINO Signs Female Poker Players

Clothing apparel company KSINO announced Monday that it has signed exclusive agreements with two of poker’s up-and-coming female players, Lacey Jones and Leo Margets. The brand, which is building a reputation as the top clothing line for those living and loving a fast-paced lifestyle, chose Jones and Margets as two players who speak to that standard of living.

“To say that I am thrilled to have Lacey and Leo as brand ambassadors is an understatement,” said Alex That, President of KSINO. “They are two very beautiful women who are also very talented poker players. They turn heads at the tables not only for how they look, but also for how they play. That’s what KSINO is about, playing great and looking hot while doing it.”

“I really love being part of the KSINO family,” Jones said about her new role with the company. “It’s about more than just great looking clothes; it’s a fun lifestyle. It’s my lifestyle.”

“I’m excited about being a part of KSINO,” said Margets. “I feel like I identify with the brand and can now sit down at a poker table and compete in style… I love it! KSINO is not only a clothing line. They are creating and redefining the game… It’s a whole new lifestyle!”

The KSINO clothing brand was created by Anthony Tuozzo to provide premium designer apparel to the multi-billion dollar gaming industry. The brand’s styles include graphic t-shirts, hoodies, button-downs, jackets, and accessories. KSINO clothing is now available at D.Fine at the Bellagio, The Men’s Store at the Mirage, and at KSINO.com.

On November 24th, KSINO entered into a merchandise distribution agreement with HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc., operators of the Canadian Poker Tour and Canadian Poker Player Magazine. KSINO apparel will be marketed throughout Canada in Canadian Poker Player Magazine, on all upcoming Canadian Poker Tour television broadcasts, and into the websites, social communities, and player databases from coast to coast.

Greed no longer just good, it's legal in 'Wall Street 2'

Oliver Stone is a prickly pear. He'd be easy to imagine at a family's holiday dinner table, standing up halfway through the feast, a nearly empty glass of wine in his hand, launching into a paranoia-ridden diatribe about government conspiracies, secret assassinations and maybe even unreported alien encounters.

It'd be comic, if we didn't know deep down inside that Uncle Oliver is possibly right.

Stone has just finished filming Wall Street 2 and took some time off to speak to students at American University in Washington, who can actually take a course called "Oliver Stone's America." (If that means getting to watch Charlie Sheen movies for credit, sign us up.)

"The individual Gekko would no longer exist in this new Wall Street," Stone said, referring to Oscar-winning role played by Michael Douglas in 1987. "The big players now are major banks and hedge funds ... the money's too big."

In the just-completed sequel, Stone said, "greed is now legal." (Whoa. It's too close to Christmas for that sort of perspective.)

According to the Associated Press, Stone also blasted the mainstream media (who doesn't?), the defense industry, the war in Afghanistan and President Barack Obama.

FIVE MORE LINES ABOUT GREED IN 'WALL STREET':

5. "There's no nobility in poverty."

4. "When you've had money and lost it, it can be much worse than never having had it at all."

3. "What's worth doing is worth doing for money."

2. "It's all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation."

1. "The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don't want to do."

Celebrity Burglar arrest made in Las Vegas

 

A member of the "Burglar Bunch" was tracked to the Las Vegas home of Rachel Lee.

The Burglar Bunch is a group of young burglars - most in their late teens - who target young celebrities to the tune of $3 million. Lee is 18 years old.

Found inside her home was $20,000 in cash, a pair of actress Rachel Bilson's jeans, a hat of Lindsay Lohan, and partially nude photos of Paris Hilton.

Additional celebrity victims include Megan Fox, Orlando Bloom, Ashley Tisdale, Brian Austin Green, and Audrina Partridge.

Planet Hollywood offers 10 nights for $599

Planet Hollywood, which by the way is currently hurting for revenue as its lenders are now controlling the property, is selling a new kind of hotel offer for their 2,500+ rooms.

Purchase the Phanatic Pass for $599, and you'll get 10 nights, but those nights do not have to be consecutive or used all at once You can use any number of them anytime between now and March 15, 2010.

Even better, there are no blackout dates, so you can book for weekends such as New Year's Eve and the Super Bowl. Try finding a room on the Las Vegas Strip for less than $200, not to mention $60 that the average rate comes to. By New Year's, PH's across-the-street-neighbor CityCenter will be open, competing for the same customers.

The Phanatic Pass also comes with one free bottle of liquor of your choice.

The hotel-casino is counting on the upfront payment but also that you probably won't actually use all 10 nights.

Planet Hollywood's debt of $870 million was paid down by Harrah's, and it's rumored that Harrah's is interested in taking over the property, which is right next to Harrah's-owned casinos Bally's and Paris.

Dejà Vu: Stripper Truck

 

Dejà Vu gentlemen's club in Las Vegas decided to remain a good neighbor and park the Stripper Mobile. Instead of cruising up and down the Las Vegas strip the see-through truck now sits in front of the club on Industrial Blvd behind the Trump Tower. Instead of one of their voluptuous dancers hanging onto the pole we found a skeleton wearing a bikini (maybe it was a very skinny dancer).

All of the attention surrounding this marketing ploy has the County Commission debating the removal of the sign trucks that plow the strip nightly with their promises of hot babes delivered direct to your hotel room. We liked the truck with the live pole dancer and we hate the sign trucks that create traffic jams and block the views of the billion dollar resorts.

Fontainebleau on auction

Want to buy a multi-billion-dollar casino for cheap?

Keep in mind you will most likely need to spend another couple billion in order to finish building.

The casino on the auction block is the $3 billion, 4,000-room Fontainebleau, and the first bid was placed by Penn National Gaming, which has been trying for years to enter the Las Vegas market. Two years ago, Penn made a failed bid for Harrah's.

Penn offered $50 million with a promise to fork out another $1.46 billion to see it through. Already $2 billion has been spent on the bankrupt project.

The deadline for bids is Jan. 15, 2010.

Assuming that Penn gets the bid, construction wouldn't begin until the following year.

See The Flood

Here are some photos of the water that has been on the rise around the basement I live in. All pictures are of the road that I live on. Now you can see I live in the middle of nowhere.

Here is the road that is starting to go under its blow us, we are still safe.

Here is a photo of our field being flooded by all the rain we have been having still about a mile or so from the house. See the tree line there should no water at all. Were you see water there should not be water.

Another photo of the field.

The next two pictures are of the road that is above the house and if it starts to go under we have to move out. You can see how close the water is to the edge of the road.

Just a photo of the other side of the road to just show all of you more water… :-) All that is usually dry, not flooded like that.

Laptop Is Up And Running

My part for my laptop came in today. After a few hours I got it to work… YEA I’m back up and running. Need to get back in the grove of playing some poker its been long… 

Unofficial Poker Donkeys Podcast Blog

I’m In Poker News Shutdown For WSOP

I’m not visiting any poker news sites, no twitters, no ESPN, no Face Book and no poker or poker podcasts. I do not want to be spoiled for the main event of WSOP. I know that they played down to the finial two this weekend but I do not want to know anything, I’m waiting to watch it on ESPN. I still have 11 hours of WSOP to watch on my DVR before Tuesday and if I do not finish by then my shutdown stays in effect. Other news my laptop is dead, on Saturday night was getting ready (you can tell I’m from the south) to write Big Joker back on Skype and the laptop turned it self off and that was it…  I hope all you “Poker Degenerates” are doing you best to bust them donkeys.

The Poker Star: Episode 6 - Endurance

Don’t miss this shocking episode which sees two contestants eliminated from the competition.

Bicycle Guardians Playing Cards

Looking for the classic poker playing cards? How about Bicycle? Bicycle delivers classic playing cards and memorable experiences that players can trust based on its longstanding tradition of producing quality, fun and family-friendly products that bring people together. Shuffle up and deal!

At Bicycle Guardians Playing Cards

Full Tilt Poker Releases New Software - Run It Twice

Online poker room Full Tilt has released two new features in its latest software update - Run It Twice and Cashout Tournaments.

The Run It Twice feature allows ring game players the option of seeing two outcomes for one hand, providing both players consent to it. The feature can be enabled when one or both of the remaining two players are all in: the remaining community cards are dealt twice, meaning the winner of each of the two outcomes wins half of the prize pool.

I Love Halloween

My friend Izzy the one I talked about on the podcast. Nice bunny…!

New Poker Donkeys Podcast

EPISODE53 - Announcements and More Announcements

The greatest version of Poker Face ever.....

[CONTENT WARNING] Poker Donkeys Podcast features harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Listener discretion is advised.

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Please send us your comments to: PokerDonkeys@gmail.com

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The Poker Star - Episode 5 - Recall

This week the contestant's must recall a series of events they witnessed including a car accident.

Running Bad

In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart tried to define what may or may not be considered obscene under US law. In the end, he determined that no definition existed, but that when it comes to obscenity, "I know it when I see it."

The same holds true when you're talking about running badly at the poker table. You may not be able to identify what's going wrong, but you know its happening. As far as I'm concerned, there's no single definition or criteria for "running bad" because it means something different to everyone. For some players, it's posting 10 or 12 losing sessions in a row. For others, it's losing a dozen coin-flips during a single session. "Running badly" depends on the individual and on the metrics they're using to judge their performance.

Whatever the definition is, the fact remains that everyone runs bad at one time or another. What separates successful players from those who go bust is how they handle themselves and their bankrolls when their cards go dead. For me, running bad doesn't mean having a few losing nights or taking a few bad beats over the course of a session. That's variance and it's an inevitable part of the game. In my mind, running bad is something bigger that happens over the long term.

If you're not sure whether you're really running bad or not, start by stepping back and analyzing your results over a statistically significant timeframe. If you see a consistent pattern of losing sessions over a matter of weeks or months, then it's likely that you're having some real problems with your game. The key to getting back on track is figure out what's actually going wrong.

For many players, running badly is a vicious circle; they suffer a few losing sessions and begin to tilt, which leads them to alter their playing styles in order to change things up. Soon, they do actually start playing badly, which leads to more losing sessions, and a continuation of their downward spiral. They lose because they're running badly and they're running badly because they're losing.

If you look at your game and believe that you're actually playing well but are just getting unlucky, then maybe you are. Aces get cracked by lower pairs. Sets get beaten by flushes, and hands get drowned on the river more often than you might think. My advice in these situations is to walk away from the game for a while. Take a break, regroup, and come back when you're mentally refreshed and are ready to start playing again. Don't, however, begin changing your game to compensate for bad luck. Focus on the fundamentals, look for good starting hands, and try to play the most solid poker you can. In time, your luck will change.

Whatever you do, however, don't try to step up in levels in order to try and recoup your losses. I've seen many players go bust at times like these because they're too focused on trying to rebuild their bankrolls by gambling rather than by playing smart poker and moving down to play at a lower level. Think about it; if you've been losing, chances are that you're playing on a smaller bankroll than normal, which means that you'll be risking a higher percentage of your remaining funds by playing at higher stakes. With a smaller cushion behind you and more of your bankroll at risk, it doesn't take long for things to go from bad to worse and for you to lose everything you had left.

On the other hand, by moving down a level or two, you'll be risking less in the short term while you try to rebuild your bankroll. Sure, the pots you win may not be as big as those you win at higher levels, but weighed against the odds of going broke, it's a trade-off I'm willing to make. What's more, by moving down, I may only have to play at a lower level for a month or two to recover my losses whereas if I go broke after moving up, it could take me a year or more until I've recovered. That's a pretty persuasive argument if you really value your time.

While I can't tell you whether you're really running badly or not, I can tell you that your mental state does impact your game. If you're feeling good, chances are you'll play well and, if you're not, chances are you won't. Rough patches are part of the game and learning how to handle short-term adversity without losing your confidence or your bankroll will make you a better player in the long run.

Your A Bot No Your Bot I Sue You Full Tilt

A lawsuit has been filed against Full Tilt Poker, claiming that they use bots to keep games running longer and to employ more luck than skill. And that the bots were created by Chris Ferguson and Andy Bloch.

The suit was filed in California by poker player Lary Kennedy, whose account at Full Tilt was closed a couple years ago because they claimed Kennedy used a bot herself, which is against the terms and conditions for the online poker site.

Kennedy's account was locked along with over $80,000 confiscated.

Kennedy, who goes by the name sillysal in poker forums, had the 2+2 community up in arms over her case, until they found out that she also multi-accounted -- playing under a different name on the same site simultaneously. That's also a Full Tilt no-no. She used the accounts "pokergirl_z" and "greggo777."

The story even made its rounds to TMZ.com, stating in their normal exaggerated way that "poker legends [are] sued for robot fraud."

Kennedy's website shows videos of her playing to prove she isn't a bot, photos of her with poker pros (including those affiliated with Full Tilt), threads from poker forums about the situation, and the complaint.

We're skeptical about how far this lawsuit will go, what with a sample of its 13 pages stating "a skilled player would start on-line jihads against the successful player."

But if it does go to trial, it will be interesting to find out some of the inner workings of Full Tilt.

Watch And Learn Online Video Poker Tips For FREE

Get ready to sharpen your skills at the felt! Bodog now offers free online poker tips on video that are easy to learn and available at the click of your mouse. Now you can improve your game by watching video poker tips made by Team Bodog Professionals.

These video poker tips are for beginner poker players who want to elevate their game to an intermediate level. The strategies are designed to give new players a fighting chance against skilled players who use these strategies often.

Evelyn Ng and Team Bodog narrate short video clips explaining basic poker strategy tips. The videos are five minutes long or less, and each one covers a common topic that every player should learn about.

There are videos on cash games vs. tournaments and poker hand rankings as well as the rules of Texas Holdem and table position. Future videos from Justin Bonomo and David Williams are also a work in progress.

Most video poker tools are in the form of a DVD and come with a hefty price tag. Why pay hard-earned money for this information when you can get it online for free from experienced poker professionals?

Learn how to play poker the smart way, for free and online at Bodog Poker.

New Poker Game I Do Not Know About This

Online poker room Ladbrokes Poker recently released a new type of online poker game. The game is called Survivor Poker, and it offers a new kind of poker strategy to challenge online poker players. The Survivor Poker tournament plays much like a normal freeze out multi table holdem tournament, but there are two ways to lose. Running out of chips is the normal way, but also if a player ends the round in the bottom 10 percent, he or she is also done. So far the online poker room has been running two new poker games each day

Robbed And Pepper Sprayed

In the city of Cleveland a home poker game was hit by robbers. The masked men walked away with $11,000 from the poker game. The men were also armed with assault rifles, entering the apartment where the home poker game was taking place and robbing the players. The poker players were told to take off their pants and pass over the wallets. The wallets and all the poker money on the table were taken and the players were sprayed with pepper spray as the robbers took off. The poker game, which had been organized and advertised online, is considered legal as long as the house doesn’t take a cut.

Introduction to Seven Card Stud

I know you 20-somethings might not believe this, but even though Texas Hold’em has been around for a long time, it has only recently become the insanely popular poker game that it is today. For ages, Seven Card Stud was the game of choice. Perhaps because of its simplicity, perhaps because it is the game that determines the champion at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), Hold’em has left Stud in the dust. Seven Card Stud is a great game, though, and deserves a second look by those who have ignored it, believing it is a game for old men. In this article, I would like to provide you with a quick, basic introduction to Seven Card Stud.

In Seven Card Stud, each player (a maximum of eight at a table) must put up an ante before they are dealt two down cards and one up card, also called the “door card.” Play begins with the player with the lowest door card, who is required to pay the “bring-in”, which is another ante of sorts. Play proceeds to the left, which each player deciding whether they want to call (also called “completing” the bet), raise, or fold.

There is then another card dealt to each player, face up, followed by another betting round. The player who starts the action is now the one who has the highest ranking up cards. Three more rounds of cards and bets follow, with the seventh and final card being the only other one aside from the initial two hole cards to be dealt face down. If there is more than one person remaining in the hand after the final betting round, the player with the best five-card hand, pieced together from the seven total cards, wins.

Each betting round is typically referred to as a “street”, numbered by how many cards each player has. For example, the first betting round, the one where all the players have two down cards and one up card, is third street.

In some ways, the game is similar to Texas Hold’em. Each player gets hole cards, there are cards dealt face up, there are multiple betting rounds, and each player must use five out of the seven cards to make a hand. However, that is essentially where the similarities end. Let’s look at some of the key differences.

Extra Betting Round

In Hold’em, there are four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn, and river. In Stud, there are five: third through seventh streets. That extra betting round gets tricky because not only is it another opportunity to put yet more money in the pot, but also seventh street is the third face down card, resulting in more hidden cards in Stud than in Hold’em.

No Community Cards

Yes, there are face up cards in Seven Card Stud, but they are not shared by the players (except in the rare instances when the deck runs short on cards) and are therefore not community cards. Each player’s hand is unique.  It is extremely rare for two players to split a pot in Stud. In Seven Card Stud High-Low, pots are frequently split by definition, but in Stud High, it almost never happens.

More Information

In Hold’em, you only know your own cards and three to five community cards to determine outs and probabilities. In Seven Card Stud, you not only know your cards, but also everybody else’s up cards. Think about it: If four opponents are still in the hand when fifth street is dealt, that’s 12 cards in addition to your five that you know are in play. In that sense, it’s easier to make a more accurate calculation of your outs in Stud than in Hold’em.

However, once seventh street rolls around, you have less information about your opponent’s specific holdings than you do in Hold’em since three of their cards are face down instead of just two. Obviously, if you were observant, you will remember the other players’ folded up cards and will thus have an idea of what your opponent doesn’t have in the hole.

Random Position

Because the face up cards determine who acts first, there is no way to know what positional advantage you will have before each hand. During the hand, things will become a little more predictable, but the first player to act can still change on every street. The player to your left will always be on your left and the player to your right will always be on your right, but you won’t know who acts when until each round is dealt.

No Avoiding It

In Seven Card Stud, you cannot avoid putting money into the pot because you must contribute an ante every hand. Everyone has something at stake every time. This makes the game a fantastic one for earning bonuses at online poker rooms, which require you to contribute money to the pot in order to get credit for a raked hand.

These were just a few tidbits to teach you a little something about Seven Card Stud. If you are new to the game, try it out at some low-stakes tables. I suspect you may like it.

Not Poker But I Watch Poker On Hulu

Oh Internet, say it ain’t so!

Hulu - my utopia of free TV online - may soon become another run-of-the-buck paid subscription site (see header image)! (Sigh) It was only a matter of time, really…

Broadcasting & Cable brings us this chilling news, which supposedly originated from the mouth of News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey, who said during the Onscreen Media Summit that:

“It’s time to start getting paid for broadcast content online…I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.”

Aw heck, we all knew this day was coming when we’d hear those words spoken about our beloved Hulu - doesn’t it always happen that way with our favorite sites?

However… In my vast Internet experience our favorite sites stop being “our favorite sites” pretty soon after they start asking for membership fees. I know that more than a few of you out there have woken up one day to find your favorite online pop-in spot suddenly requiring you provide them a credit card number, sending you back to the search engine nexus typing in the words “free, streaming…”

…Aaaand I suspect that tradition won’t be changing for the small pool of TV shows and movies that  Hulu currently offers. Despite all those clever commercials with celebrities posing as aliens using Hulu to mush our brains, there’s still enough solid cerebral material left in this guy’s skull to determine that Hulu would need to expand its range of content much, much, wider for me to consider buying into the service. I’m talking:

• More popular cable series (even some premium channel shows for “platinum” members who pay extra).
• Every network primetime show of the current season.
• More GOOD movies (Better picks of old films; same-day and direct-to-video releases (at discounted cost); premium channel releases for platinum members).
• Same-day airings of primetime TV shows (with ads, if necessary).
• Bigger TV show archives (for when I go on an Arrested Development or It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia binge).
• Exclusive “first looks” for movie trailers and making of featurettes.
• Music videos and Popular news clips added to the lineup.
• Embed and sharing capabilities on all shows/movies (at least clips).
• Everything in HD.

Now THAT - combined with Hulu’s great interface - would be a service I would pay for.

While I agree with Carey in the sense that it’s time for companies to have a fair shot at pursuing profits in the online market, I do think said companies are still floating  archaic ideas about how to convert their “digital dimes” into digital-dollars.

The Internet has always been based on one fundamental principle: Accomplish a lot with little effort. So, if I can have access to a bunch of movies and shows I watch; get sneak peeks on the hottest music videos or movie trailers; keep up with reports on the latest news clips everyone is talking about; spend my rainy weekends marathoning through old favorites; see everything in crisp HD and share it all with my friends… Why not fork out a reasonable fee to accomplish all that?

Try selling me Hulu as it stands now, and I’m going to tell you the names of all the TV network sites where you can watch the same shows for free (hint: just throw a “.com” behind the name of your favorite network) - or maybe the names of sites that will stream old movie favorites, legally, for free. Basically, I’m going to tell you that I really don’t need Hulu all that much after all…

What about you - is Hulu something you’d pay to keep? Or does the notion of shelling out for it make you say “Thanks  but no thanks!”

The Poker Star Episode 4 - Composure

Competing in teams this week contestants must maintain their composure as the person who looses their cool will earn a seat at the elimination.

The Poker Star Episode 3 - Bluffing

The contestants think they know all about bluffing, but can they bluff their way through a job interview with human lie detector Steven Van Aperen?

The Poker Star - Episode 2 - Focus

The contestants arrive at the Melbourne Aquarium for their second challenge that requires them to “maintain their focus”.

Is It To Early For Halloween Even In Vegas?

I Did Not See This On EBay…

Dinosaurs in Las Vegas?

Yes, but only for sale.

Yesterday, the Venetian attempted to auction off 170 bones of a 66 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton called Samson.

Samson, discovered in the 1980s in South Dakota, is one of just three near-complete T. rex sets of bones in the world.

The reserve by Bonhams & Butterfields wasn't disclosed, but when bidding began at $2.5 million and ended at $3.7 million, it wasn't enough. In 1997, a T. rex sold for $8.3 million, and there was hope for Samson going to at least $6 million.

About 50 other fossils were also on the bidding block, with better success at selling (to the tune of $1.7 million).

As for Samson, he will continue to be shown at The Venetian until sold.

Wynn bought Brooks a jet plane.

When Garth Brooks comes out of retirement beginning Dec. 11 at Wynn Encore, will he and wife Trisha Yearwood move to Las Vegas?

Not likely, since he went into retirement in 2000 to take care of his three young daughters (who at the time were 4, 6, and 8).

So how does Steve Wynn get him to Vegas?

Wynn bought Brooks a jet plane.

The brand new 11-seater Challenger jet will transport Brooks from Oklahoma to Vegas Friday afternoon, where he'll perform that night, two shows on Saturday, one on Sunday, then return back in time to drive his daughters to and from school every day.

He will commit to shows a quarter at a time, to see how he and his family are handling the schedule. Ultimately the long-term plan is to play at Encore for the next 5 years.

The amount that Wynn is paying Brooks is being kept secret, but it's similar to adding an item to your Amazon shopping bag -- only instead of being too low to advertise, it's too high for the Wynn stockholders to be comfortable with.

Brooks will perform in the 1,500-seat Encore Theater for $125 per ticket.

Bluffing in Pot-Limit Omaha

Bluffing can be one of the most profitable plays in poker. However, its success is often blunted by the fact that it's also one of the most misunderstood and over-used plays in the game.

In Omaha, players may find even more reasons to bluff - and to get themselves into trouble - than they do in Hold 'em because four starting cards can lead to huge draws and present almost irresistible opportunities to try and steal pots from opponents. The key to bluffing successfully in this game comes from knowing when to make the play and who to make it against.

One of the best bluffing opportunities in Omaha comes on paired boards, but to pull this off, you have to know what kinds of paired boards to look for. Let's say you're involved in a hand with two other players. You're in late position and have called a pre-flop raise only to completely miss on a flop of K-K-8 rainbow. The flop is checked around to you, and you consider bluffing to see if you can steal the pot. My advice - don't do it.

If your opponents are experienced and knowledgeable players who generally play premium starting hands, one of them probably connected with the board and is likely slow-playing a monster. Bluffing here gives him a chance to come over the top or just flat call and let you keep throwing chips into his made hand.

Now, let's take the same scenario and change the flop to something like 3-3-7 rainbow. Bluffing on this board makes much more sense because it's likely that opponents who are playing strong starting hands failed to connect on this board. Experienced players may read your bet here as being credible because you could have very easily called a pre-flop raise with a small hand and hit the board hard.

If you happen to connect with trips or a full house on a board like 3-3-7, you should bet your monster in hope of getting called by someone with a worse hand or to induce a bluff re-steal into your made hand. Conversely, you should be wary about betting this kind of board if you have a mediocre hand like T-T-9-9, as your bet will give your opponent the chance to play perfectly against you; he'll call or raise when ahead, fold when behind, and occasionally bluff you with a worse hand. My advice is to check this type of hand and reassess on the turn.

As a rule of thumb in Omaha (and in Hold 'em, for that matter), I find that low and messy flops are easier to bluff at than bigger boards because most players are looking to play more premium hands that are more likely to connect with higher cards. Sure, you may get called by over-pairs or big draws on occasion, but you'll also win the hand often enough to make this play worthwhile.

While paired boards provide some of the best bluffing opportunities, flush boards can also offer some interesting opportunities. For example, let's say you're just holding the Ah and the flop comes with three other hearts. You can't make your heart flush to win the pot outright, but you can still steal it away from an opponent who has a lower flush since they'll be wary about betting or calling into the possible nuts.

This play takes some courage as you may have to bet each street in order to win the pot, but it can also be very profitable against solid opponents because it's unlikely that they'll call on the river if you've represented the Ace-high flush throughout the entire hand. Be careful about betting your naked Ace too often though as seasoned opponents will eventually read your bluffs and counter-play by calling more often. Of course, this also means that you'll likely get paid off when you make the same kind of bets and really are holding the nut flush.

Picking the right boards and situations is just one part of successfully bluffing in Omaha and in other games. Equally important is picking the right players to bluff against. If you're in a hand with a calling station who's unlikely to ever lay down a hand, your chances of bluffing them off a pot are pretty slim. On the other hand, if you're facing a solid opponent who may reasonably believe he's behind in a hand, your bluff is much more likely earn you some valuable chips.

Bluffing is an important part of any player's arsenal and keeping these thoughts in mind the next time you sit down for a game of PLO can help you out-gun the competition.

The Best Damn Poker Show crosses the Pond

Season 2 of the popular Fox Sports Network show, which pits Phil Hellmuth against Annie Duke to see who is the better Texas Hold'em teacher, will debut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays on The Poker Channel Europe beginning Oct. 20 at 22:00 CET.

After auditioning or qualifying for the show on UltimateBet, contestants join Team Hellmuth or Team Duke to train and compete against one another throughout the seven-episode series.

Players are eliminated each episode as Duke and Hellmuth highlight card play and analyze the competition leading up to a final showdown where a champion is crowned.

The series will also be repeated on Thursdays and Saturdays at 16:00 CET.

The Poker Channel Europe is Europe's largest dedicated gaming TV network, available online to a global audience and to more than 18 million cable and satellite homes in Europe.

I should Have Done Better

I was a head two times and got out drawled with a all in money in… That is the way it goes sometimes.

PokerStars Tournament #204421088, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $1.00/$0.20 USD
9 players
Total Prize Pool: $9.00 USD
Tournament started 2009/10/17 2:33:01 CT [2009/10/17 3:33:01 ET]

Dear PokerDonkeys,

You finished the tournament in 3rd place. A USD 1.80 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

You earned 18 Sit & Go Leader Board Points for the Mercury Division in this tournament. For more information about our Sit & Go Leader Boards, see our website at http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/

Congratulations!

Thank you for participating.