POKER-ARCADE

What comes first in your mind when you see posters with dogs gathered around in a table with card in hand or a typical Western scene wherein cowboys smoke while playing cards at a saloon?

These kinds of scenario only points to one classic game of cards, nothing else but the poker game. No game could be visually described as that of a poker game. It is almost everywhere. In the United States, it’s like it is already a part of the American way of living.

Poker game is one game everybody loves. It is played in every card rooms across the world. And with its growing popularity, it even invaded the Internet.

Basically, a poker game is the most popular in a class of games known as the vying game wherein players who fully conceal or partially conceal their cards then make bets into a central pot. Poker game ends when the player with the best combination of cards wins.

Like any typical vying game, one or more players are asked to put a primary amount of money into the pot before the cards are dealt. And like most card games, the cards are shuffled, and then cut, and the correct number of cards are dealt facing down to the players.

The rotation of the players is usually done on a clockwise manner with a button marking the next player who will have to deal and bet next. It is usually after the initial deal that several rounds of betting will commence.

However, the poker game players will be able to develop a strategy in some way in between rounds, by being dealt additional cards or replacing cards that were previously dealt. During every betting rounds in a poker game, a current bet amount will always be present. This refers to the total amount of money bet in a particular round by the player who bet last on that same round. For some tracking reason, the players are required to not place their stakes directly into the pot. This is known as slashing the pot. The poker game players are asked to place the stakes in front of them instead. When the betting round is over, the stakes will be gathered and placed into the pot.

At the end of the last betting round of a certain poker game, in the event that there remains one player, there will be a showdown. This means that all the players will disclose their previously hidden cards and evaluate their “hands” or card combinations. The player with the best combination wins the pot. Though, this rule depends on the poker game variant being played.

In a poker game, the combination of cards are the essential part of the game. This will determine if you can win the pot or not.

The highest card combination in a poker game is the straight flush. This means that you have five cards in suit and sequence in your hand. Next to that is the four of a kind combination wherein you have four cards of the same rank and one idler.

The third highest card combination in a poker game is the full house. Here you must have three cards of one rank and two of another. Flush card combination comes next having five cards in suit but not necessarily in sequence. Then the straight card combination with five cards in sequence but not in suit.

The three of a kind combination, threes, triplet, trips, or in any way you want to call it as long as it is a combination of three cards of the same rank plus two of two different ranks are considered the next highest card combination in a poker game.

Two pair, one pair, and a high card, meaning no combination, ranks the lowest in a poker game.

As much as the poker game has its variety of card combinations, it has also its variety of poker games. The most common of these poker game variations is the Draw Poker variations. Here, the players receive a full hand during an initial deal but eventually discards some of those cards and will be replaced with new cards from the deck.

Stud Poker variations differs from the draw poker game in terms of card dealing and betting. In this variety of poker game, after the players are dealt with initial amount of cards, they are given one more card on each completed betting round until seven cards are dealt. This, however, varies when playing a five stud poker game variation.

On the other hand, Shared-card Poker Game variations deals with small amount cards on each player. After which, the cards are placed in the center of the table that are common to every players.

The last two poker game variations are the miscellaneous poker variation and the non-poker game variation. Miscellaneous poker game variations are poker games that use the standard ranking of card combinations though not being dealt in the same way as the other poker game variations. While the non-poker game variation does not use the standard ranking of poker hands so as to verify the winner.

Whatever poker game you play, it is still a poker game, so addicting yet so gratifying. It just takes a combination of skills and luck to outwit the other players. As most veterans in poker game contends, if you cannot spot the lose within the first hour at the table, then, with outmost probability that you are the loser. So better be equipped with money and skills in playing a poker game than to have money without even a single skill about poker games.

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Game Tweaks For Online Poker.
You might be to annoyed and too exhausted to read tips for winning poker. For all you know, they may not even be true. But these hints are just some of the tips that you certainly should follow as these are not just any kind of poker tip, but they are hints specifically tailored for online poker. [...]

Home-Style Poker versus Pro Poker: What Works
Home-Style Poker versus Pro Poker: What Works If you have been very good at playing poker with your buddies at home, this does not guarantee that you will be very good when you play with the pros in a casino. Home-style poker and pro poker have significant differences and a different strategy is called for in [...]

Online poker is a billion dollar business. The thrill of sitting at home and playing poker has become an everyday event for millions of people all over the world. The World Poker Tour and similar tournaments have made people rich playing poker and they opened the door for online poker sites to start their own version of poker tournaments. Beginners, as well as seasoned players are spending money and a lot of time to win jackpots worth millions.

Poker playing is a combination of skill, focus and intuition, blended with an initial stake and a desire to win. Age, race, education and economic status are not as important as taking the first step and learning how to play the game the right way. Thanks to relatively new poker technology any player can become a seasoned winning veteran quickly by purchasing software called a poker robot, which is better known as a poker bot. The poker bot hooks up to any online poker site and is programmed to bet, raise, call, bluff or fold at the appropriate time during a game. The player can adjust the program to suit playing styles and the style of other players. Everything a player needs has been programmed into the bot, all the player needs to do is pick the online site and start winning.

Winning is not guaranteed by poker bot companies, although some poker bot makers strongly advertise their winning capabilities. Poker bots are legal, but there are some poker sites that don’t allow players to use them. If a poker bot is detected on a site that does not allow their use, the site will confiscate all winnings, as well as any money deposited in the account and will ban the player from the site There are new poker sites popping up daily and many of them condone the use of bots and even pay companies a commission to sell them to players. Some poker sites use poker bots to keep the tables in play during slow times or to fill a table when there are just a couple of real players playing.

Most poker players who invest in a poker bot want to win and make money. Marketing companies that sell bots claim a player can go from rags to riches using a poker bot, but most of the inexpensive bots on the market are not worth the investment. In order to find the right bot to win money, the first step is to do some research. All poker bots are not created equal, after all, they are software programs and they are only as good as the information that was used to program them. Most programmers understand the game, but if they knew how to win big money consistently, they would be playing, not building programs. There are other programs that are worth the investment because they have been designed by groups of University students who have share knowledge about different aspects of the game. Those groups, as well as others are creating great poker bots that keep getting better every year. Poker bots are not far behind new backgammon and chess bots that are designed to win every game and are almost unbeatable.

Poker bots that think and reason have not been created yet, but a big advantage of a poker bot is it can not be intimidated. Players will back off from aggressive players, bots will not. The good poker bots are programmed to do whatever it takes to win. In order to win money using a poker bot, a player must be able to identify where and who to play. Veteran players and big money games are use to poker bots and can hold there own playing against them. Low limit games and new players don’t have the experience or the focus to play against a poker bot and that is where a player has the best chance of winning consistently.

It’s better to win 10 small pots of $20 over an extended period of play than it is to play in a big game. Winning small pots on a daily basis in low limit games is the best strategy when using a bot, especially if you’re new to a site or have just started to play. As long as a poker bot is not undermining the confidence of other players or winning becomes too obvious and causes the site to investigate, a player can develop a money making strategy using a bot. In fact if a player finds four or five low limit games on different online sites, the bot can play for a good portion of each day and the winnings increase substantially.

People are winning big when they develop a system that works for them. Any player can win money consistently using a poker bot if a strategy is developed that contains research, patience, knowledge and a strong desire to win. Poker bots are changing the way poker is being played on online poker sites. It’s not people vs people vs computer anymore, it’s computer vs computer vs people and it may even come down to computer vs computers unless the online sites develop new guidelines, terms and conditions. Until that happens the poker bot is man’s new best poker friend and winning partner.

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Six Characteristics of a Great Poker Player
First off Id like to express that I do not think I am a great poker player. I have been outplayed thousand of times, some of my opponents constantly outplay me. I tilt, play in bad games, gamble too much, drink too much and make countless other…

In online poker, there is no doubt that the Texas hold-em poker is still considered the most popular. But it probably would not hold that spot for long, as Omaha hold-em is steadily gaining ground in the poker popularity contest. You’ll find many respectable poker rooms and other live dealer casinos offering the Omaha Poker version.Omaha hold-em, or simply Omaha, is the game of choice of a lot of poker players because it is perceived that the mathematical probabilities that poker nerds look forward to computing are more obvious there. Also, because these probabilities are more apparent, Omaha is said to be more of a game of wits than a game of chance.Another characteristic that makes Omaha distinct from the other kinds of poker games is that in Omaha, it is not always the player with the highest hand who wins the pot. The object of Omaha is to come up with both the highest and the lowest hand. The two players who got the highest and the lowest hand respectively get to split the pot. In some cases, two or more players tie in having the highest and lowest hand, and so they split the pot amongst themselves. Of course it is entirely possible for just the player with the highest hand to get the whole pot to him/herself.There are, however, restrictions as to how a hand of cards can be considered a low hand. First, the highest card in the hand should have a value not bigger than eight. Second, the five cards making up the hand should all be unpaired.In addition, in Omaha, a player makes up his/her hand, be it the highest or the lowest, using exactly two of his/her four hole cards and exactly three of the five community cards.Here is how Omaha is played, step by step:1. The dealer deals out the four hole cards to each player one at a time. Once all the players have their cards, an initial round of betting is made. The person to the left of the dealer makes the small blind and the one to his/her left makes the big blind. The other players can then check the big blind, raise it, or fold.2. After this first betting round is done, the dealer draws out the first three community cards, also called the flop. Another betting round happens, with players raising, checking or folding. Afterwards, the dealer draws the fourth community card, called the turn, which is then followed by another betting round with the subsequent raising, checking or folding. The same happens with the fifth community card, also known as the river.3. The showdown happens among the players who have not folded after the river is placed down. Again, the players use exactly two of the hole cards and exactly three of the community cards. The players with the highest and the lowest hand win the pot and split it among themselves. If there are no hands that qualified for the lowest hand, then the player who got the highest hand gets to have the pot entirely to him/herself.

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Titan Introduces New Poker Squad
Titan Poker has a newly formed poker team, with each player hailing from a different country. These seven stars are some of Titan's best players. Each player received a six-month long sponsorship, which includes $25,000 to cover the buy-ins for land-based tournament play. read more

An online type of poker training is the poker aides. These aides help you to get better in the online poker games. With the help of the online type of poker training, you can get to learn lots of lessons that are useful for improving your poker game online.

These poker aides online can not help you into transforming into a professional players at poker as for that you need a hell lot of experience and massive amount of studying. The poker aides online help give you the self-esteem and confidence which is required to start playing the low limit poker in exchange for real cash and also to enjoy an interesting online poker game.

Poker aides on the net can also be taken as poker schools. Most of the discussions are about mass hysteria the online poker can cause.

Lots of tips for playing and many types of poker strategies can be found in the online poker aides. It’s just like learning ABCs in school. So, go now and avail the online poker aides to get your online poker started.

As soon as you have finished that course, later, like a normal school, you jump of to the following level. The aides will later tell you about the various differences that are there between playing poker in real and playing poker online. You can also learn the possibilities of losses or winnings you are likely to get when you are playing online poker. The trick of bluffing also becomes different when playing online poker from when you’re playing real poker with actual people.

Actually, there aren’t many differences between playing poker online and playing poker in real. Many people do not realize that they are not just losing the small dollar sign symbols that are there on their monitors but they are also losing real money. Due to this a number of the poker rooms available on the net make some big bucks and will continue to make more big bucks.

So remember that when you’re playing online, it doesn’t mean it’s not real. It is so easy to withdraw money for playing at tables such that it makes you ask yourself whether playing poker in real world is less real than playing poker online.

To forget about bluffing is one of the things that the poker aide teaches you about. Bluffing is definitely one thing that should be struck out of your list of strategies. Speaking strategically, playing poker tournaments in real is more different than playing poker online.

Traditionally, online poker is being called a game of skill as you can call bluffs and also bluff your self. It requires a very high amount of skill to act as well as see bluffs and it is also necessary to learn and complete a lesson that needs a lot of courage. The skill of bluffing is very important when you are going to play a game of poker in real as you will be taking on real people with stamina and thinking, face to face.

Unlike that, it doesn’t make much of a difference with playing poker online. The poker aides also include teaching you how to perform a bluff before entering into a game of poker online. Don’t forget that, although bluffing is a low level act, you have no option but to use it at times.

But make sure you make only small buffs. With the fact that most of the bluffs you call are also small, there can be a huge chance of an opponent calling out your bluffs.

Not only do these poker aides teach you, they also help when you are stuck up with some really tough poker trouble.

You have a high probability of winning the jackpot as the last person standing in the games at casinos when there is an unsuited seven and two. Try to tighten up the game to its maximum. When you are playing with only suited picture cards and in a state at which a mistake committed doesn’t turn the tables of the game then you know the game is really tight.

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High Heels Poker Tour Acquires Huge Sponsor
PokerStars doing it’s bit for women’s poker. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_07092009_305.html

New Bill May Legalise Online Poker In The USA
Senator Menendez introduces the Internet Skill Game Licensing and Control Act which if passed into law will legitimise and regulate online poker. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_02102008_47.html

Titan Poker Sending Players to Grand Final of the GUKPT
The chance to compete at GUKPT Main Event in London this month is welcomed by dedicated players, courtesy of online poker innovators Titan Poker. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_05112008_77.html

So, you have decided that you want to play poker Online, and your hunt for the perfect site has begun. But alas, there are literally hundreds of poker sites on the Internet. How do you discriminate between all of these available sites, to find that desired site ? There are several key criteria that you should be aware of, in your quest to find the poker site that is perfect for you. Understanding these criteria, and being able to use them as a basis for comparison, will significantly simplify your selection process:

Free Poker – If you are looking to play online poker for pure recreation, and not for money, ensure that the site you are interested in accommodates “free” players. Most online poker sites do cater to free players.

Software Download vs. Web-based – Most, if not all, online poker sites require you to download their poker client software onto your computer system to run. If you are adverse to downloading such software onto your system, then you might want to check to see if the poker site alternatively has a web-based poker interface, which allows you to play poker on the site from within your browser. Software installs run the potential risk of viruses and/or adware being loaded onto your system (although most of the reputable firms would never do that), but software installs on your computer generally run a lot faster than web-based sessions. Software installations harness the power of your local PC’s CPU, whereas web-based interfaces rely on downloading any screen real estate updates over the Internet during play. This can be slow, particularly, if you are running over a slow internet connection (e.g., a dialup line). Hence, if you are after speed, select local software installations; if you are concerned about your computer’s safety or cannot afford the disk space used by a software installation, select a web-based poker site.

Methods of Deposit/Withdrawal – If you are planning to play poker for money over the Internet, it is very important to consider the methods of deposit and withdrawal that a poker site supports. Many of these sites permit major credit cards to be used, which seem to be the universal deposit mechanism of choice. Others permit the use of bank transfer, ACH transfer, checks, and wire transfer from banks. Most poker sites also support some form of 3rd party eWallets, which provide an intermediary between banking institutions and the poker site itself. The main criteria to look at are: 1) What methods of deposit/withdrawal are supported by the poker site, and how many of these methods are supported by the locale that you live in ?; 2) Is it legal to fund/withdraw to/from a poker site, from the jurisdiction that you are playing in ?; 3) What are the fees associated with the 3rd party eWallet companies that you are able to use, and how reliable are they (this latter question can be researched on some of the poker message forum boards) ?

Locale Restrictions – Some poker sites restrict the playing for money (and even free play sometimes), based on your locale, and the laws governing gambling in your locale. You should check with the laws of your local jurisdiction and check with the poker site, to see if there are any imposed restrictions on play, based on your locale.

Support – You should definitely look at the methods of support that a poker site offers. Poker sites generally provide one (or more) methods of support that include: telephone support, fax support, Email support, and live chat support. The more of these that a poker site offers, the better. For telephone support, check and see if the poker site offers toll-free support from your playing jurisdiction or not.

Game Variety – Depending on your level of poker playing expertise and your interest in variety, it is important to determine which game types the poker site supports. Almost all of the sites offer Texas Holdem, but depending on your level of interest, you should check to see if they offer games like Five and Seven Card Stud, Omaha Poker (and all of its variations), Blackjack (not poker, but often included as a game option), Stud (and its variations), Draw poker, Tournament support, and limit and pot limit games. Tournaments in particular are very popular with online poker sites, and some site tournaments offer very large prize pools.

Bonuses – Most, but not all, of the poker sites offer some form of bonus to the player, when you initially sign up with the site. Each site’s bonus is somewhat different, but of the one’s that offer first time bonus, it is usually predicated on a minimum initial deposit. Many bonuses are also calculated based on the amount of money deposited and spent on the site. Additionally, many sites offer reload bonuses, which are bonuses that are offered to existing customers, beyond their initial deposit bonus, and as an incentive to keep you as a customer.

Graphics and Useability – This is a very important consideration. Every poker site has a different look and feel to it. If you are going to be playing poker for money, it is important that you feel comfortable with the screen graphics and your ability to navigate (via mouse or keyboard clicks) through the poker program. If you feel uncomfortable at all with the poker site, you should definitely not consider playing at it for money. You should always test a poker site out in “free” mode first, before actually considering it for real-money wagering.

Game Features – You should always consider the game features that are available with a given poker site. Game features such as hand history, multiple simultaneous playing windows, player notes, audible and visual indicators, player statistics, connection status indicator, player chat, turbo games, and screen options should always be considered.

Rake – Rake is the amount of the pot that the poker site takes (as part of its fee for doing business), from each hand. You should always be aware of how much rake a poker site takes (compared to another site). Poker sites usually use a Weighted Contribution rake method or an Average Contribution method, when calculating rake. Obviously, the lower the rake, the more money you will take home on hand wins, but this criteria by itself should not dictate which poker site you use, since all of the above factors need to be taken into consideration as well. In summary, the aforementioned criteria should always be used, when deciding which Poker site is best for you. Depending on your preferences, some of these criteria should be given more weight than others. Happy Poker site hunting !!

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Poker Skill Debate Goes Mainstream
The debate around whether poker is a game of skill or chance breaks into the mainstream press. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_08042009_198.html

Ante Up For Africa Draws The Stars
Charity poker tournament features major international celebrities. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_28062009_254.html

Welcome to the site for in-person free to enter poker tournaments in the Harrisburg area!

Do your really need an excuse to go to The Coliseum?  Now you have one.  Come on by and play Poker. . Directions click here

Your invited to to poker league tryouts every Tuesday & Wednesday at 8PM.

Points are based on the number of players entered in each weekly game, so come on in and make a name for yourself

Welcome to the site for in-person free to enter poker tournaments in the Harrisburg area!

Do your really need an excuse to go to The Coliseum?  Now you have one.  Come on by and play Poker. . Directions click here

Your invited to to poker league tryouts every Tuesday & Wednesday at 8PM.

Points are based on the number of players entered in each weekly game, so come on in and make a name for yourself

Points can be earned each week and are posted on our leader board page.

This your guide to the cities best public poker games and tournaments in the greater Harrisburg area! We pride ourselves on having the most accurate and complete listings available.

Harrisburg Poker was started when a few local poker players were having a hard time finding schedules for tournaments located in the Harrisburg area. After calling business after business to get their schedule, they decided to put the information they had collected to good use.

The founders of HarrisburgPoker.com still enjoy playing in local poker tournaments. Who knows, you might be sitting across from one of them right now!

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Aussie Millions 2010 – Qualify at Ladbrokes Poker
Join some of the biggest names in poker by qualifying with Ladbrokes for as little as 4. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/Poker_Promotions/Aussie_Millions_2010_Qualify_at_Ladbrokes_Poker.html

UltimateBet’s Epic 9 Poker Tournament
UltimateBet’s Epic 9 is a 9-player online poker tournament featuring Phil Hellmuth, a $50k prize pool AND two leaderboard competitions that will award $2,000 a day leading up to it. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/Poker_Promotions/UltimateBet_Epic_9.html

ECPokerTour Barcelona Satellite Tournaments
Online poker players will compete for representing Titan Poker at the 500,000 Guaranteed Prize tournament, part of Europes most exclusive live poker series. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/Poker_Promotions/ECPokerTour_Barcelona_Satellite_Tournaments.html

Lawmakers In Alabama Contradictory Over Gambling Laws In State – Casino Gambling Web
Casino watch dog, known as eCOGRA regulates online casinos and even flash casino site where no download and no deposit is required to play online casino. al.com Lawmakers In Alabama Contradictory Over Gambling Laws In StateCasino Gambling Web, FLIf lawmakers in the state of Alabama cannot come to a unified conclusion as to the legality of electronic gambling [...]Click here to play

Texas Poker Bill Update – RecentPoker.com
PokerNews.com Texas Poker Bill UpdateRecentPoker.comJose Menendez’ proposal to legalise poker in the Lone Star state remained on track this week, successfully passing through the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee on a 6-3 vote, conditional on a referendum among local communities that …Texas Pro-Poker Bill Passes House Committee Bluff MagazineTexas House Committee Passes Poker Bill CardPlayer.comPoker bill [...]

Another Bad Beat Poker Jackpot Won: Second Time for NC Resident – Gambling911.com
Gambling911.com Another Bad Beat Poker Jackpot Won: Second Time for NC ResidentGambling911.com, FLOnline poker player DOOSA777 is convinced that lightning really can strike twice, as she celebrates winning not just one, but two Bad Beat Jackpots at Absolute Poker in as many months. Today at 18:20ET DOOSA777 pocketed $161837.59 of the $487169.53 Bad … More: continued here [...]Click here to play

From the Big Screen to the Final Table: Year in Review, Part 1
To help poker players with their games, PokerNews has been using quotes from movies to explain key concepts. Although we featured a number of flicks in the process of helping our readers develop, there are ten quotes that stick out from…

888day: The BIG payday!
Go all in for a monster stack on 888day with some awesome poker offers Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/Poker_Promotions/888day_The_BIG_payday.html

Win Your Way to Kandy Vegas
Play your poker cards right at Absolute Poker and you could be heading to Las-Vegas for a lip-smacking weekend of candy-coated bliss beginning July 24th. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/Poker_Promotions/Win_Your_Way_to_Kandy_Vegas.html

Doyles Room Free Poker Bankroll
PokerSourceOnline.com have extended their free poker bankroll offer at Doyles Room to now include players from Canada. Prior to this the instant bankroll was only available to American Players. This is a $50 free poker bankroll offer, and the free $50 is deposited directly into your Doyles Room poker account by PokerSourceOnline when you have [...]

Gambling operations shutdown in Friday night raid – KHOU
eCOGRA regulates all casino games. Visit casino in flash where no download and no deposit is required to play online casino games. KHOU Gambling operations shutdown in Friday night raidKHOU, TXA Friday evening raid on suspected illegal gambling operations in Comal County resulted in sixty citations and six arrests. A task force of officers from the Comal County [...]Click here to play

US Poker Show To Feature UK Player
The new series of High Stakes Poker will feature British poker pro Andrew Feldman.

Sheffield Casino To Get New Poker Room
New poker facilities are on the way for Sheffield’s Napoleons Casino in the new year.

Full Tilt Poker introduces two unique features
Full Tilt Poker has released a new update to its software that includes two unique features. From now on, players on the online gambling Web site will be able to take advantage of Cashout Tournaments and Run it Twice to enhance the playing experience.read more

WSOPE History and Information
World Series of Poker Europe The World Series of Poker Europe is held in London each year and attracts all of the top international talent. It is also the only poker series outside of the U. S. that offers WSOP bracelets. The WSOPE Main Event 2009 was held from September 19th to October 2nd at which time Barry Shulman was declared the winner.read more

Shoutbox & Chat
I installed a 'Shoutbox' at the top of the main forum page.I installed a 'Chat' page here … http://forums.homepokertourney.com/chat/index.php.I will test these new features for a day or two before I modify the colors and location on the page. …

Lucky Dog Poker Art Giveaway!
LuckyDogPokerArt.com will be giving away two pieces of poker art work valued at up to $80 each! Please visit the Lucky Dog Poker Art Giveaway thread to register.

PokerNews Playlist: Volume #13
For both serious and casual online poker players, Sundays are (hopefully) a long grind. For those who don’t want to play in a meditative state, music can be the perfect middle ground between total silence and the distraction of television. Don’t…

888.com Is Most Visible Poker Brand
Internet search engine data shows that 888.com is leading the way for online poker portals.

CelebPoker Sponsored Players
CelebPoker’s sponsored players for the forthcoming EPT San Remo were decided last night after a gruelling six-hour final.Having established themselves as the crème de la crème of online poker all eyes will be watching to see how Team CelebPoker performs on the live circuit.

CelebPoker Moves to I Poker Network
On August 12th, leading online poker room CelebPoker.com will move its poker operations from Boss Media to Playtech’s iPoker network, boosting monthly guaranteed online poker tournaments to well over $20 million.

Poker Tournament CelebPoker Team
Leading online poker room CelebPoker.com has launched an online competition that will give six of its members the opportunity to play against big international names, such as Phil Ivy and Daniel Negreanu, at the prestigious Seefeld Poker Masters tournament in Austria.

Casino shooter found guilty
53-year-old Steven Zegrean has been found guilty on more than 50 felony charges after shooting inside a Las Vegas Strip casino two years ago. read more

Poker legalization hearing in Greenville, SC
The Poker Players Alliance has just sent out notice of a poker legalization hearing in Charleston and Greenville, SC this month. From the e-mail: Playing poker in the privacy of your own home is a crime in South Carolina thanks to a ridiculous outdated state law signed 209 years ago. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell will be holding two public hearings to discuss S535 a bill that would legalize home poker games and also expand charity gaming (including charity poker tournaments) in the state. The first public hearing will be March 23rd in North Charleston City Hall and the second on March 30th in the Greenville County Council Chambers, both start at 5:30pm. I plan to attend the March 30 hearing in Greenville. The PPA is looking for a large turn-out of pro-poker folks. Details: Monday, March 30th 5:30-7:30 pm Greenville County Council Chambers 301 University Ridge Greenville, SC 29601 I’ll likely have more on the subject in the coming days. In the meantime, if you’d like to RSVP for the hearing, you can do so HERE. To read the full text of the bill, click HERE.

Tink, F%$#!
It’s the first lesson I taught my wife when she joined me for a round on the frolf course. She’d never seen disc golf before so I figured I’d start easy. **TINK** “F%$#!!!” It’s the sound of a disc hitting the basket, but not staying in, and the subsequent reaction of the player. It only took about 5 minutes before we heard it happen the first time to a player in a group behind us. It’s been more than a year since I’ve been on the disc golf course, and it felt good to be back! The course in E-Vegas is amazing. All 18 holes have nice concrete tee pads and pictures of the hole at each tee. In fact, a number of the longer holes have alternate tee pads for women, amateurs and G-Rob. There’s a lot to like about the set-up of the course, too. There are mandatory openings through which you must throw the discs. There are lots of places where a bad throw could land you out of bounds or in the water. And the holes offer lots of opportunities for a variety of shots. It’s a longer course than Timmons Park back in Greenville, but it also doesn’t have as many Death Star trench-like shots either. On this day, I managed just one birdie (despite what the course suggests, regular frolfers consider all holes to be a Par 3). But I was happy with how I threw considering it had been so long since I was on a course. And I can’t wait to get back out and do it again! Plus, this gives the guys from G-Vegas just one more reason to visit. 1) Free place to stay. 2) Casino boat with poker room. 3) Disc golf course. 4) And for Bad Blood… some adult establishments.

Grading the South Carolina poker legalization hearing
I showed up early for Monday’s South Carolina Senate subcommittee hearing. Up for debate and public input were two bills that would effectively make legal home poker games and charitable raffles. South Carolina is one of two states in the country that bars raffles (thanks to Utah for making us seem less antiquated and ridiculous). The Palmetto State also makes any game with cards or dice illegal (read: poker, Monopoly, bridge) etc. With that in mind, you might expect the decriminalization hearing on the 200 year old law to be ridiculous. You would be right, you just don’t know how right you are. By the end of it, I was so frustrated I couldn’t even speak clearly. So, after the jump, I grade the major players’ effectiveness (Note: this is for more than South Carolina poker players, as the national Poker Players Alliance had big role in the hearing). Poker Players Alliance: The PPA, the most legitimate of all the poker advocacy groups in America, has spent a great deal of time and effort in South Carolina recently. It supported the Mt. Pleasant Five in a February trial (see your April issue of Bluff Magazine for my article on the subject) and has been exceptionally vocal about legislative efforts here. The PPA surprised me by pulling on board one the state’s most respected legal minds. Billy Wilkins, former chief judge of the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, spoke on behalf of the PPA. While Wilkins could’ve been briefed a little better on the subject matter, he was expectedly well-spoken. It was was a coup for poker players to have Wilkins on their side. I would never have guessed the poker industry could’ve pulled such a big name from the local pool. The PPA also did a great job of rallying the troops to the meeting. Its online outreach was hard to miss. All of that said, the PPA still has some issues it need to address if it wants to be a serious force. It could have done a much better job lining up and briefing people who planned to testify. One of the better parts of organizing grass roots efforts like this is making sure your people are all on the same page and are well-educated on the subject matter. The PPA needs people who know how to do more than send out e-mails. It needs to be pushing hard in the media, rallying larger groups of people, and educating the masses. A media campaign couldn’t hurt either. Finally, the PPA’s social media strategy was either badly conceived or badly executed. Here are a few examples of the Twitter messages sent out to more than 1,200 Twitter followers during the meeting. “at the Greenville NC poker hearing which just started.” “Greenville, opposition just said that no one has every been arrested for playn poker n SC! Read the paper much?” “Greenville, opposition sweating bullets right now.” “opposition doesn’t support charities that save lives w/ funds received from raffles.” “opposition does not support the burn center thats supported by charity events.” “Franky’s Fun Park is full of games of skill not chance! LOL” “opposition doesn’t support personal responsibility. ” “opp doesn’t support Sheriners.” “looks like were rapping up.” There were a ton more like that. From misstating where we were geopgraphically, to rampant spelling mistakes, to out-of-context immaturity, the Twitter feed was embarrassing. I couldn’t figure out who was sending the messages. He might be a really good guy, but he needs a better understanding of both social media and reasonable, mature ways to win hearts and minds. If the Twitter feed was the PPA’s only voice, I would not associate myself with the group. Said B.J. Nemeth, top poker writer, “These tweets sound absurd. You’re making it sound like anti-poker people hate children, charities, and puppies. Clearly untrue.” The PPA has come a long way recently and I still wholeheartedly support the group’s mission. It’s clearly on the right track. It just needs some good counsel on how to handle some of its outeach efforts. Grade: B- A few poker and raffle proponents, including your humble correspondent in the background and on the edge of a mental breakdown The legislators: Several legislators from around South Carolina came to Greenville. It started about as badly as you might expect. Committee Chairman Robert Ford is from the Low Country. He likes to party and is a laid back guy. He’s obviously from the coast. The problem is that his brand of humor doesn’t play here. He knew coming into the Upstate that he was going to be facing a very conservative crowd. Rather than respect it, Ford started the meeting by saying, “I guess since we’re in Greenville, we need to start with a short prayer. We didn’t do that in Charleston.” There is no greater way to tick off a group of praying people than saying, “I guess we’ll do it since we’re in your house, but we wouldn’t do it we were home.” Ford is a fun guy, but he is not one to sway hearts and minds. He seemed more intent on debating that convincing. Bad play, sir. Senator Jake Knotts, a retired cop from Lexington County (around the state capital), is no better. While obviously being in favor of the bill, he spent more than half his time arguing on tangential subjects such as whether the stock market was gambling and whether a local arcade contains games of chance or skill. He also left before the hearing was over (I know, because I left two and half hours into it and he was ahead of me in the parking lot). Knotts is a fierce advocate for whatever he believes in. Sadly, most of the time he throws a punch, he misses his target and hits the referee. Senator Brad Hutto is yet another Democrat from the coast. He is seemingly a smart guy. He also listens very well. Unfortunately, he stayed too quiet through most of the meeting. He could’ve used what seemed to be his openmindedness to convince the opposition. Instead, he sat and looked annoyed. I don’t blame him. I looked annoyed, too. Senator Phillip Shoopman is actually from the Greenville area. Despite apparently being opposed to the law change, he was also level headed. He seemed to imply he could handle a poker home game decriminalization measure as long as it didn’t involve opening up the state to new raffles. Of all the opponents in the room, he was the most reasonable. I appreciated his ability to disagree with me without resorting to name calling and being judgmental. Senator Mick Mulvaney from York County won the day. If there was an eye-on-the-ball legislator Monday night, it was Senator Mulvaney. Erudite, polite, and mature, Mulvaney was exactly what the conversation needed. If the entire legislature was made up of people like the York Co. senator, there might be a little more confidence in the intelligence of the body. Mulvaney is a Republican and we disagree on many subjects. That said, I can respect his style and his ability to allow me to disagree with him without resorting to tired and childish forms of debate. I’m quite pleased the lawmakers are taking the time to deal with this thorny issue. I’m less impressed with their way of handling their detractors. I covered lawmakers from 1996 to 2005. I’d forgotten how disenchanted I was with the people and the politics. I got a quick reminder Monday night. Grade: C- The Anti-Gambling lobby: Wow. I mean, wow. I know I live in the conservative part of a state that is one of the most conservative of the nation. I’ve seen the huge anti-gambling forces fill gymnasiums to fight against video poker. I know there are people who don’t like gambling around here. I get that part. That said, the folks who came out of the woodwork to fight the possibility of raffles and legalized poker home games were just…impressive. Chief among the detractors was Tony Beam, a conservative radio host and bigwig at a Southern Baptist university in the north part of Greenville County. Well-spoken and persuasive, Beam is a debater of the first order and has all the charisma of Rush Limbaugh. He is also the king of the straw man. He and Bob Jones University professor Dr. Bob Taylor (a doctor of math, if you can believe it) both rallied the troops by stating that allowing raffles and home games would open the door to casino gambling in South Carolina. They state this despite the fact the bills clearly state that such gambling would be strictly forbidden. They state it because the only way to really rally the anti-gambling crew is to offend their sense of morality. They would get nowhere if they said, “Fight against people’s rights to play cards in their own home! People playing poker in their home could turn your children into sinners. Charitable raffles in churches are the agents of Satan.” Even the most fervent of gambling haters would have a hard time getting a rise out of that. So, the detractors create the king of the straw men: home poker games and church raffles will mean MGM and Harrah’s will set up shop in Mauldin next week. It doesn’t follow, it’s silly, and it’s just wrong. Here’s the best part. The most vocal of the opponents at the hearing were from Bob Jones University and North Greenville University. Both are privately funded schools and take no state money. Fair enough. That said, their student body is made up of students who are there on scholarships. Many of those scholarships are funded by…wait for it…the South Carolina lottery. Later Monday night (yes, at a poker game) a graduate of Bob Jones University (who financed his way through school gambling on backgammon) asked why I thought his alma mater was so fervently against home poker games and raffles. Without understanding the motivation fully, I answered. First, they want to impose their morality on as many people as possible. Second, it’s an opportunity to be heard. They are an interest group and an interest group is nothing without an issue to fight for or against. And so, the stickers that say “No new gambling” on their chests. And so the tear-filled speeches about lost families. And so the wavering voice of a radio host who talks about the people he has brought back from the brink of video poker addiction. This is all because the American Legion wants to run a raffle to support its charities. This is all because I want to check-raise my friends in a cheap game of poker. Right. In short, the opposition is a lot like the proponents of the bill. They are so morally offended by the other side, they can’t bring themselves to make a legitimate argument. They are exceptionally devoted and charismatic, but they need to read a book by Dale Carnegie. Grade: C- Poker players: Despite a massive turnout in favor of the bill, a good portion of the people in the audience were there in support of charitable raffles. The local poker community is huge. Not enough of the players cared enough to show up. I knew going in that my presence wasn’t going to make much difference. I was going anyway, but felt better about it when G-Rob said, “Nothing ever got changed by people doing nothing.” I was disappointed by how few of my fellow poker players showed up. Grade: D It’s clear I’m frustrated. I’d hoped to write something a little more positive about the hearing. Sadly, nothing positive came from the hearing. The people on my side were unfocused, tangential, and irrational. The people on the other side were unfocused, tangential, and irrational. It was an act of legislative and advocacy masturbation and I am sad that I wasted nearly three hours of my life in the middle of it. Because I’ve converted to Optimism, I look forward to what’s to come. Because I still have latent fatalist tendencies, things don’t look too good–for other side. Photo courtesy GreenvilleOnline.com