Announcing the first-ever evilbilly freerolls

I wrote some time back about a new poker site opening up called Spades Lounge. Their motto is "By players, for players." Well, since they're not yet open, I don't know how seriously they take that motto. However, judging by the way they are treating their affiliates during this start-up period, we should be in store for one sweet ride.

I have been speaking with my affiliate manager and Spades Lounge has agreed to let me host a series of tournaments, exclusively for my players. There will be three tournaments in all, and best of all the first two are freerolls!

We haven't yet worked out all the details, but the tournaments should begin in April. I have asked that they be played on three consecutive Friday nights, but that isn't firm yet. Two of the events (I have asked that they be the first two) will be absolutely free to enter, while the third will have a $5 entry fee to hopefully juice the pot a little. To be eligible to play in these events, however, you must sign up through me. No one else is allowed.

These freerolls will not have a whole lot in the way of cash. Right now, they are tentatively scheduled to have $50 prize pools, but that number will go up if we can get some more players. The good thing, though, is that I don't have that many players under me, so you won't have to work your way through a huge field. Right now, we only have enough players for a two-table tournament, with a few seats left over. I am hoping to add some more players between now and then, but I still don't see there being more than five tables at the maximum.

If my little rinky-dink freerolls aren't enough to entice to sign up, just read on. Spades Lounge is supposed to hold their grand opening in April. And what a grand opening they are planning. They will start the first 10 days with a $3,000 freeroll each day. There is no deposit required to participate in these freerolls, but you do have to satisfy play requirements in order to cash out your winnings, and those play requirements are cut in half if you do make a deposit. Finally, the top 10 players in those $3,000 freerolls will be invited to a play in a special $10,000 freeroll, paying only the top three spots ($5,000, $3,000 and $2,000) with no play requirements to cash out.

Spades Lounge currently has a beta version of their software out, and it's still rough around the edges. There are apparently still some problems, most notably with lags and freezes. And, to be honest, it's a little plain looking. Definitely not next-gen graphics. However, the software runs on both PC and Mac (Yes, a Mac download client!). I've downloaded it and tried it out. So far, there aren't a lot of players, but this is just beta testing.

There are some things about it I really like. First of all, Spades Lounge offers the usual games -- hold'em, Omaha, stud, SNGs and multis -- but they also offer razz, that damnable game I can't get enough of.

And Spades Lounge offers one more game I haven't seen anywhere else -- Double Flop Hold'em. The name is a little misleading, because you actually have two flops, two turns and two rivers. Basically, it's played just like hold'em. You're dealt two hole cards and there's a round of betting. Then, the flop is dealt, except with six cards, three on top and three on bottom, followed by a round of betting. What happens is that there are two boards dealt and the pot is split, with half going to the high hand of one board and half going to the high hand of the other board. In essence, it's pretty much like when they "run it twice" on High Stakes Poker. You can win one or both pots, or, if you're like me when I played it the first time, you can lose both pots or get quartered (Splitting one pot, for those of you not familiar with split-pot games, meaning you get only half your money back if it's heads up. However, if there are enough people in the pot, you can get quartered and still make a profit, but I wouldn't advise trying for that. It's generally bad to get quartered).

This game has me intrigued. I think it's only offered as a limit game, and since there are so many possibilities and opportunities to make draws, I would think it will generate huge pots. Can you see having an open-ended straight draw on one board and a flush draw on the other? There's no way you could fold. I would think that the value of suited connectors and one- and two-gappers goes way, way up in this kind of game.

Anyway, if you're interested in getting in on the evilbilly freerolls or the Grand Opening Freerolls, you need to get pre-registered soon. You can do that by going here:

http://www.spadeslounge.com/Cashier/NickAvailable.aspx?aff=00268

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Poker Headlines - TGIF, March 31

Celebrity poker may have new ace - Kansas City Star

Whiskey Company Lets Lucky Winner Face Off with Canadian Poker Pro Gavin Smith - Online Poker News

InterPoker.com's Arctic Circle Extreme Poker Tournament Won by Robert Varkonyi Who Fought Frostbite and Frigid Conditions - SYS-CON Media

The Host of Texas' First TV Poker Tournament Takes Third Place and Wins Over a Quarter Million Dollars - PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

Lipscomb to Deliver Keynote Speech at Poker Congress - Rolling Good Times

National League of Poker Web Site Launched - SYS-CON Media

Swedish Government-Controlled Online Poker Room Launches - Online Poker News

Poker Players Should Join the Poker Players Alliance - Rolling Good Times

Poker Superstars 3 Off And Running On FSN - PokerNews.com

ONLINE POKER ROOM POKERSHARE - BACK FROM THE ASHES - Online-Casinos.com

World Poker Challenge Final Table Is Set - CardPlayer.com

National Deaf Poker Tour A Reality - PokerNews.com

New Poker Movie Starts Filming Next Week - Poker 777

Poker Nations Cup - Unison.ie

Looking for online poker's soft spots

There's been a lot of talk lately about how the best bet for making money in online poker is now at the limit tables. The reasoning goes that since so much attention is paid to no-limit games, the limit tables are exceptionally week. That may very well be the case, and I really have no clue, since it's been forever and a day since I've played limit. However, I could see an argument for the converse, in that since the unskilled masses are flocking to no-limit, all that's left in limit would be those who specialize in the game and that it would be tougher. Then again, I don't know. I've just always thought you go where the masses go, because that's where you'll find a higher concentration of idiots.

Then again, I've heard that Omaha is the true money-making opportunity right now. Since all of today's attention is on hold'em, there is a lot less opportunity for the average player to pick up enough base instruction in Omaha, and thus a lot of people giving it a try really have no clue how to play. Again, that may be true, but I'm an Omaha idiot myself, so it really does me no good to give it a go.

However, if you're primarily a no-limit hold'em player, particularly in tournaments, I think I might have found a soft spot for you. If you play at Poker Room (or at any of the other sites on the same network, such as Hollywood Poker), you know they have short-handed SNGs (five people) of two stripes. First is the regular variety, in which blinds go up every eight minutes, and then there are the "Turbo" SNGs, where levels increase every three minutes. The turbo SNGs are seven-card crack, in that they are quick, full of action, and you can play three of them an hour, playing just one table at a time. And, oh yeah, they are extremely addictive. Once you've played one, it's hard to sit down at a regular full-table SNG, knowing it will take you at least an hour to play.

In fact, the short-handed Turbo SNGs are so attractive to players, that the regular short-handed SNGs are relatively ignored. After bubbling several turbo games in a row, I decided to give the slower ones a try, figuring they would allow me more time to make some plays that are useless in the turbos.

What I've found is that the slower games attract a large number of players who are seemingly allergic to action. Lots of checks, calls and minimum bets/raises, not to mention lots of folds to big bets/raises. You can play lots of speculative hands cheaply. Then, when you do run into an aggressive player in the slower games, they usually haven't figured out how to use aggression properly, so they end up moving all-in to win just the blinds. Really, you couldn't ask for a better set-up. You just bully the runts and sit back and wait to trap the maniacs. I've played a number of these the past couple of days have been amazed at how easy they are.

Well, now that I've given away my favorite fishing hole, let me try to distract you into forgetting it with the latest poker news:

Poker Headlines - Thursday, March 30

Poker Series wrapping up first round - Zanesville Times Recorder

Chuck Blount: Poker: Using rebuy structures to map play - San Antonio Express News

Publishers cashing in on Internet poker craze - Boston Herald

Poker Powers Converge at World Poker Congress - SYS-CON Media

CryptoLogic's New Poker Tournament Software Delivers High-Speed Action, Online Qualifying For Top Poker Events Worldwide - Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance

‘Mad Genius’ of Poker Visits Ireland - PR Web

Police Raid Auction House, Close Poker Game - NBC 4 Columbus

Poker pays off - Great Falls Tribune

Poker night: For card sharks, no messy hands will be dealt - Inside Bay Area

Leisure & Gaming Results Boosted By Online Poker - Online-Casinos.com

A Poker Movie? Brilliant! - Cinematical

A Quarter Century of Poker: Dangerous Dave, Amarillo Slim, and Me - PokerNews.com

Poker Powers Converge at World Poker Congress - PR Newswire (press release)

Poker Gets Dramatic - Broward New Times

Risk of robbery can raise the stakes at private poker parties - Decatur Daily Democrat

Leaders Say They Will Raise Poker Issue Again - PokerMag.com

I broke the cardinal rule

Never, ever talk about your wins, no matter how insignificant. You would think that I would have learned this rule the many other times I've broken it and been deftly punished by the poker gods for my transgressions. But, oh no. I make a comment in my last post about making a small profit, not even enough to pay my freaking water bill, for crying out loud, and WHAM! it is taken from me the very next time I sit at the table.

Oh well, I've been hovering around the break-even point the past few days, although a lot of that is due to me trying, and failing, to make a mark in the multi scene again. The first tournament I played, it was just a matter of holding KK against an ace-high board and refusing to believe my opponent held an ace. Serves me right. Then again, I thought I had made a pretty good move by making a smallish bet on the flop when the A appeared, but then moving all-in when the flush draw hit on the turn, hoping he would give me credit for the making the flush. He cared squat for the possible flush and shit all over my "brilliant" move.

Sigh ... that's what I get, tossing pearls before swine.

ASIDE: Oh, just beautiful. I have a game going in the background right now. I flop top two pair, I'm betting it and getting called by a guy -- we'll call him "Dildo," which is short for "Dude, I LuckeD Out!" -- who is holding a pocket pair lower than anything on the board. So he's calling all the way to the river, when he finally makes his set. Good job, Dildo!

ASIDE TO THE ASIDE: I'm actually kind of tickled at myself for the pseudo-acronym I just created. I'm now picturing a new poker rule which requires each person who sucks out really, really bad during a hand to stand up and yell, "I'm a dildo!"

Moving on, it's Wednesday, so that means a new episode of the World Poker Tour tonight. This week is the Grand Prix de Paris, which is the one tournament I have enjoyed least in its previous incarnations. Even loud, drunken Tony G wasn't enough to spice it up for me. The only thing I really know about tonight's episode is that Alan Gohring is one of the chip leaders, and there's a guy at the table who looks like the lost Allman Brother.

But I still maintain that the best poker on TV right now is High Stakes Poker on GSN, and that felling grows stronger with each successive show. Of course, due to my previous commitment of helping Jack Bauer save the world every Monday night at 9, I am a week behind everyone else, since I have to settle for watching the previous week's episode at 10.

Still, you have to admit that there's nothing better than watching Phil Hellmuth lose $100,000 in the space of three or four hands (TV time). There's something reassuring about looking at Daniel Negreanu's face after he's lost $750,000 and realizing, "Hey, I've felt exactly the way he looks, except it only took me $50 to get there." And it's like watching a slow-motion train wreck to see Antonio Esfandiari make a tough, but smart, laydown holding pocket rockets, only to see him get them a few hands later and get his ass handed to him once again.

Well, I seem to be all over the place, which is the way my chips are also behaving -- a few in his stack, a few in her stack, etc. Best call it a day, but not before the news:

Poker Headlines - Wednesday, March 29

Liz Lieu Takes Control at the World Poker Challenge - CardPlayer.com

World Poker Association Drives To Unite Poker - PokerNews.com

Poker Takes Its Toll In Atlantic City - CBS News

The Sopranos Poker - IGN

Hypnotherapist Puts Poker Players in the Zone - Poker 777

The Poker Player of the Year in 2005? - Poker Player Online

Online Poker Room Purple Lounge Joins with Quintessentially to Launch New Loyalty Rewards Program - Online Poker News

World Poker Tour WPTonline.com Affiliate Program Hits Record New Depositing Players with Income Access - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Absolute Poker Endorses Affiliates to Attend the 2006 Casino Affiliate Conference - PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

How One Person Beat Online Poker For Thousands Of Dollars - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Junior gambles on poker sweepstakes in Sin City - Daily Orange

Poker Continues to Set Records With Best February Ever in 2006-PokerPages.com Industry Index - SYS-CON Media

Online Poker Room PlatinumPoker.com Gives Away Free Stuff - Big OC News

One for the Ladies at Online Poker Room - Online Casino News

Casino Affiliate Program Adds Poker and Sportsbooks to Product Offerings - PR.com

Paradise Poker Tournament Series Starting - Online-Casinos.com

Back at the tables

Well, my break from poker didn't last much longer after writing Friday's post. In fact, I felt so good after writing, I felt I had worked the funk out of my system. Then again, as I mentioned Friday, I wasn't feeling too good, which leads to not playing well. As a result, my return wasn't exactly glorious, and I ended up losing about $25.

Then again, I'm not sure how much me being sick had to do with me holding KK and getting called all-in by a player holding an unpaired A8 on the turn, only to have the inevitable A fall on the river, which is how most of my loss disappeared.

That's poker, dammit.

I didn't play anymore the entire weekend, being busy with other things when I wasn't unconscious. Somehow, despite feeling like death warmed over, I was still able to go out to see two movies, eat out a couple of times, catch the second half of a fantastic spoken-word performance by Henry Rollins on IFC and adopt a dog from the animal shelter. This weekend being my wife's birthday, which explains most of what we ended up doing, especially the whole dog thing. We are not exactly in possession of said dog yet, as it still needs to be fixed, but that's supposed to change tomorrow afternoon.

The movies we ended up seeing were "Nanny McPhee" at the local second-run theater (actually, more like "last-run"), which was surprisingly good for a kids' movie, and "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," which is funny if you like nonstop fart humor, which, since I'm a guy, I thought was hilarious.

I didn't actually make it back to the tables until earlier this morning, where I got back the $25 I'd lost Friday, plus another $25 for my troubles. It might be small change, but that certainly qualifies for "not bad" in my book.

In the larger poker world, the poker site ownership shuffle continues and has produced a pretty big opportunity for players. OnGame Network, which bought Poker Room not too long ago, has itself been bought by BetandWin. Then, right after that announcement came another that the company would hold a $5 million guaranteed tournament, with $1 million guaranteed to the winner. The event will begin online, but the final 45 players will play live in Barcelona, Spain, from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1. Qualifying events for this tournament begin at $1.

I also need to make an addendum to last week's post about upcoming poker books, as there appears to be one I missed. I just got this press release this morning concerning a book that covers the professional life on the other side of the pond:

British poker world awaits first-ever book on the pros and their lives

The British poker community is eagerly-awaiting the publication by Macmillan on June 16 of the first-ever book on the unique world and colourful lives of the country’s top professionals.

Swimming With The Devilfish - Under The Surface Of Professional Poker
will be available in all bookstores and from Internet retailers.

Its author – Des Wilson – spent over half a year following the professionals around the European circuit and to Las Vegas for the World Series.

He has in-depth profiles of all the well-known names – Dave Colclough, Willie Tann, the Hendon mob, and some 30 others – and the book contains a powerful and revealing 20,000-words biography of David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott.

He describes life on the tour circuit…the cash game professional world of the Vic and other casino card rooms… and the rise of poker via the back alley clubs and speilers to the big tournaments and internet poker of today.

And he sets the stage for the “battle to the last chip” between the old school pro’s and the internet young guns.

Advance readers have been enthusiastic. Tony Holden, author of “Big Deal”, says: “Des Wilson has done what no-one has attempted before and got under the surface of British professional poker. He tells the players’ stories with humour and uncompromising honesty. Damon Runyan’s characters are alive and kicking and apparently living in Britain.”

Praise also comes from former Poker Million winner and director of the EPT, John Duthie, who describes it as “a wonderful insight into the multi-layered life of the professional poker player” and top Irish player and tournament director ‘Gentleman’ Liam Flood who says “it is the best book on British poker ever written.”

And, finally, it's time to take a look at what's news in the poker world this morning:

Poker Headlines: Monday, March 27

Online Poker Powerhouse PokerStars Leans Towards IPO - Online Poker News

World Poker Association Dawns a New Era in Tournament Poker - PrimeZone via Yahoo! Finance

Foxwoods Poker Classic Starts Tomorrow in New WPT-Branded Poker Room - Online Poker News

Poker on the minds of Dixon City Council - The Reporter

Leaders say they will raise poker issue again - The Herald-Tribune

The real deal behind poker's biggest myths - NorthJersey.com

iPod From Orbit - Gizmodo
Online Poker Player Blogs His Rags to Riches Story - Online Casino News

Texas Group Aims to Change Poker Laws - PokerNews.com

Haber Showcases World Poker Tour - World Screen News

Denying the addiction

Not much to talk about today (so, what else is new?). I have been miserable for the past couple of days, thanks to some micro-organism that has set up shop in my body. This has been "one of those" winters. I can usually go two or three years without so much as a sniffle, but then I'll run into a stretch where I seem to catch something every other week. Yesterday had me feeling every bit as bad as when I had walking pneumonia three years ago, but I'm feeling somewhat better today. The major problem today is a terribly sore throat, which, I know, makes me sound like I'm about 5.

I've still played no poker since deciding to take a break, which makes nearly a week now. I've decided to not return to playing until I no longer think of playing every moment. It's strange what poker does to a person. I know I used to have interests before, but it's hard to remember what they were. Frankly, that scares me. You can't play poker without being aware that you are playing with fire.

That phrase, "gambling addiction," always stays in the back of my mind. I tell myself that I'm not addicted to gambling because I have no desire to gamble in other ways. I care nothing for the lottery, horse races, other casino games or even the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. But I readily admit to an obsession with poker, to the point that I want to learn everything about it. Does that make it an addiction? Then again, if you're able to play cards and win enough to make a living, is that an addiction, or just a way to make a living? Of course, I know my game is not to the point of sustainable profitability yet, but that is one of my goals. I just wonder if it is a healthy goal.

Then again, if you are "addicted" to poker, is it even possible to play it profitably? It would seem to me that if you are addicted to gambling, you would chase the high-risk plays for the thrill they provide, and that would make you a long-term loser. I have seen that creep into my own play from time to time, mostly when I'm forcing myself to play, even though I know I am bored with the game at the moment. That is probably a very dangerous sign, which is all the more reason that it's probably a good idea for me to take a break from the game.

To my way of thinking, there is an absurbly miniscule line between playing poker because it is an enjoyable/profitable way to pass the time and playing because you are addicted. I can't deny feeling myself being pulled closer to that line, or even over it. It's something I would think that most people have to fight, if they want to try to make or supplement an income with a game like poker. There are a few people who are and always will be degenerate gamblers, just as there are people who do and always will approach the game from a completely healthy perspective. The bulk of us, however, will have to fight to stay on the right side of the line.
It is frustrating, though. If you're someone like me who wants to learn the game, become good at it and eventually make a living from it, you know that you have to study and analyze, but the one thing that is most important to becoming a better player is experience. The only way to get experience is to play. And yet, if you're forcing yourself to play, you risk burning out or crossing that line into problem gambling. I often find myself forcing myself to play, even if I don't feel like it. That's dumb for a variety of reasons, but maybe it's also dangerous.

I know I've probably raised more questions than I've answered with this post, but I think that all right. I think these are questions that anyone who wants to play poker seriously has to keep in mind. There probably aren't any universal right or wrong answers, but you have to constantly ask yourself the questions to keep yourself in check.

Wow, that just kind of poured out. I had no idea what I was going to write when I sat down, but it just rushed out of me. Maybe it's something I've needed to confront for some time.

But that's enough introspection for one day. Let's take a look at poker news.

Poker Headlines - Friday, March 24

$5 MILLION ONLINE POKER TOURNAMENT - Online-Casinos.com

Double Trouble: Mizrachi twins finish 1st and 2nd in Limit Hold 'em poker tourney - Online Poker News

Builder chases poker millions - South London Press

Phil Hellmuth to Host Celeb Poker Showdown in New Orleans - All In

World Poker Tour Season IV Wraps Up in Las Vegas - CardPlayer.com

Online Poker Room Giving Away HORSE Tournament Seat - Online Gambling Insider

He wasn't all at sea at this poker tournament - Pretoria News (subscription)

Poker firm's new ace - Manchester Evening News

Foxwoods Opens New Poker Room - WFSB

Former World Series of Poker Champ Gets Slap on the Wrist - Poker 777

Ant and Dec sell poker game show idea to ITV - Independent

Exclusive Poker News Freeroll - PokerNews.com

An Introduction to Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker - Rolling Good Times

Absolute Poker Signs with CheckFree - Rolling Good Times

GameAccount Unleashes P2P 3-Card Poker - Rolling Good Times

Hansen Gray & Company's Subsidiary North American Poker Tour Adds Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel to 2006-2007 Tournament - PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

Prosecution witness refuses to testify in poker trial - Baltimore Sun

Reading time

As I mentioned last week, I didn't get to play any cards during my recent trip to Louisville, but I did manage to get to a Borders to pick up a couple new books.

I've only managed to read one of the books so far, but it was a good one. Despite the fact that I've bought a virtual library of poker books over the past few years, I had never bought a book on tournaments until I picked up Erick Lindgren's Making the Final Table, and I'm glad I decided to get this one.

Lindgren has written a very good book describing his aggressive style of play. I find the book to be very good at explaining not only why aggressiveness works, but also when and how to do it. However, overdoing it certainly possible, and very dangerous. One thing to remember is that Lindgren's advice isn't going to show you a "safe" way to play. Instead, he shows you how to accumulate chips when things are going right for you. Following his advice won't get you in the money more often, but he says you will finish higher and make more in the long run by adopting his style.

However, I'm not certain that his approach will be quite as effective in the low buy-in events I generally play, where someone is always going to call you, no matter what. There is probably a very good argument to be made that some more caution is required in those instances. However, I can see the book being very applicable to the big buy-in events he typically plays.

The other book I picked up is Kill Phil, by Blair Rodman and Lee Nelson. This book has received a lot of attention, as its premise is to teach you how to play a game that will take down the pros by taking advantage of their tendencies. I cannot comment much on it, since I haven't actually begun reading it yet. From what I gather, however, it involves moving all-in a lot.

Other than hitting Borders, I also found a bookstore that was having a going out of business sale, where every paperback was $1 and every hardcover was $2. Unfortunately, I could not find a single poker book in the place. However, I did pick up one book that, so far, has been an absolute delight to read.

Jennifer Government, by Max Barry, is a dark but absolutely hilarious satire of big business. I've only managed to read the first 50 pages so far, but it only took me four or five pages to laugh out loud the first time. It is set at some point in the future, when taxation has been abolished, government has been neutered and corporations pretty much run the show. It begins with a schlub named Hack Nike (people take their last names from the companies they work for) who is contracted to shoot customers who buy Nike's newest line, a marketing ploy to build "street cred" for the shoes. Things get a little more complicated from there, but the title character is the agent who is trying to solve the killings. This isn't highbrow literature, folks, but it's great mind candy, especially if you're a fan of "Dilbert"-type humor, and especially if you're sick to death of the corporate culture in your workplace.

Back to poker, but sticking with books, it's been a slow time for poker books lately, but that's about to change with the release of several noteworthy titles on the horizon. In March, we've seen a handful of books come out, including:

Secrets the Pros Won't Tell You About Winning Hold'em Poker, by Lou Krieger.

In the Money, by Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari.

Dirty Poker: The Poker Underworld Exposed, by Richard Marcus.

April is not much better, with only one new release planned, and May only brings a few more, but the floodgates really open in June. Here are some of the titles coming out, many of which are available for preorder:

Poker and Philosophy, by Eric Bronson, April 28.

1,000 Best Poker Strategies and Secrets, by Susie Isaacs, May 17.

Maran Illustrated Poker, by maranGraphics Development Group, May 18.

Ultimate Guide to Poker Tells: Devastate Opponents by Reading Body Language, Table Talk, Chip Moves and Much More, by Randy Burgess and Carl Baldassare, May 30.

Master Hold'em and Omaha Poker, by Mike Caro and Mike Capelletti, June 1.

Powerful Profits from Tournament Poker: Tournament Poker Strategy by Victor H. Royer, June 6.

Online King: A World Series Poker Champion's Guide to Mastering Internet Poker, by Scott Fischman, June 13.

The Penultimate Dictionary of Poker, by Michael Wiesenberg, June 25.

Get the Edge at Online Poker, by Ace Spaulding Jr., June 25.

The Only Poker Book You'll Ever Need: Bet, Play and Bluff Like a Pro -- From Five-Card Draw to Texas Hold'em, by John Wenzel, June 30.

Personally, I'm most looking forward to the books by Mike Caro and Scott Fischman. However, even later in the year, there are a couple other books coming that will bear checking out. One is Read 'em and Reap: The Killer Guide to Becoming a Poker Polygraph and Decoding Poker Tells, which could be described as Phil Hellmuth's "book of tells" and is expected Nov. 1, while the other is called Hunting Fish: A Cross-Country Search for America's Worst Poker Players, due out in August. I don't even know why I want to read the second, except maybe to make sure I'm not in it.

Well, I'm not sure how I got started looking at upcoming poker books, but that should be enough reading for anybody. On the off-chance that it isn't however, (clever seque coming) you can always check out today's poker news:

Poker Headlines - Wednesday, March 22

Poker lobbyists want state to shuffle up, deal with it - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Contributions to Black tied to video poker - The Charlotte Observer

Garland hosting poker tourney - Gaylord Herald Times

Witness detail video poker contributions - Greensboro News-Record

Poker game picks up where it left off - Rocky Mountain News

Jeff Gordon -- The Newest Poker Philanthropist - All In

Poker People - Larry Smith of the Stratosphere - PokerNews.com

Product: World Championship Poker™ 2 - ActiveWin.com

EMI Offers Music To Accompany Beer Drinking And Poker Playing - Chart Attack

California Poker Radio: Where the Nuts Tune In - PokerNews.com

Video poker hearing spawns accusations - Charlotte Observer

Young Poker Guns Sign Up For Championship - Online-Casinos.com

PPT is a winner

If you were fortunate, you remembered to watch the Professional Poker Tour sneak preview this past Saturday on the Travel Channel. If not, you'll have to wait until sometime this summer.

My impressions were overwhelmingly positive. It is a bit different from what you may be accustomed to after watching the World Poker Tour or World Series of Poker coverage on ESPN. But, while I enjoy both of those shows, the PPT could very well become my second favorite, behind only High Stakes Poker on GSN.

The broadcast team of Matt Corboy and poker pro Mark Seif are more subtle than their counterparts on the WPT. You won't hear them yelling after a particularly nasty card sends someone home on the river. Their analysis is also a lot meatier, providing useful insight as to why a player might have made a particular play. However, they're not shy about criticizing a dumb play, either.

Best of all, the episodes are not just the final six. We actually get to see the very beginning of the tournament. They've divided the entire tournament into "quarters," showing the earlier rounds in four two-hour episodes. That is then followed by the traditional six-person final table.

Saturday's broadcast was the first quarter of the Foxwoods PPT event, and it was a pretty good one. I particularly enjoyed getting a chance to see one of the true legends of the game, Amarillo Slim, play.

Speaking of slim, GSN will be airing a special about him this Sunday night as part of their "Legends of the Game" series.

Poker Headlines - Tuesday, March 21

Continued Legislation Attacking Online Gaming and Poker - PokerNews.com

Poker the Safe Way with Poker-Themed Condoms - Poker 777

Playing Poker For Charity - CBS News

UK Student Poker Championship to Give Away WSOP Prize Package - Online Poker News

Poker Strategy Website Now Offers $200 in Free Roll Tournaments Each Week To New Players and Members - PR Web

Student wins $1 million playing poker over spring break - The Arizona Republic

The Fight Is On: Poker Superstars Invitational Returns - CardPlayer.com

Record Prize on offer at World Poker Tour - Online Casino News

UK Student Poker Championship To Take Place Early April - CardPlayer.com

Poker Strategy XII - Stud Poker – Do not Make the Auto Call - casinos.ch

Inside the Poker Tour (43) - PokerNews.com

THE ComeOnBoro.com 888 PACIFIC POKER TOURNAMENT - ComeOnBoro.com

The Cthulhu of card games

Sorry to have disappeared for the past few days. I started off not posting because I was just exhausted from my trip, but then couldn't post after I became thoroughly disgusted with the game.

It's break time for me, folks. I've just spent too much time lately beating my head against a wall to feel that I can play my best game right now. No point in throwing good money after bad.

The most frustrating thing is that I went on a little run and was feeling good about my game before my latest crash-and-burn. I played a lot of razz and was doing well -- watching my good hands remain good hands, finding lots of players who seemingly just threw as much money as it took to get to showdown -- when suddenly everything turned around in an instant. Someday, I might actually look back and view this run with the painful fondness other war stories engender, but right now it just sucks really bad. In fact, the predominate feeling I have is one of betrayal, as if the game itself intentionally turned against me.

Had I not been the one playing, it would have been a truly amazing thing to watch. Razz seems to be a game of streaks anyway, and you can spend hours folding before you finally pick up three good cards, get your money in, only to watch three face cards destroy any hope you had of finally winning a hand. I can deal with that. I can be patient and wait my turn. But this recent streak just had me feeling that poker hates me.

Over and over it would happen. I would be showing A23 with a 56 in the hole, my opponent would be showing J46. I'd catch an inconsequential bad card, such as another deuce and he'd catch a K and start raising and reraising me. I'm gladly capping the action. And then he'd river the damned perfect card he needed to make a A2346 to beat my A2356.

Or I'd have four cards to a wheel, only to watch the last three cards all be jacks.

Or I'd have a wheel after five cards with a clueless opponent showing two face cards calling or even raising me all the way to river and catching three runners to tie me.

To be sure, there was a fair amount of me trying to bluff the unbluffable thrown in, as well as a healthy dose of the "If they can play shit cards and win, I'm going to do it too!" attitude, but that only came later, as a consequence of the run more than a factor behind it.

Razz must be the most despicable game on the planet. If games can be said to be alive, then razz is a sadistic beast, beating you down, toying with you, then beating you down again. You are the mouse; razz is the cat playing with your entrails while you scream.

Razz is the Cthulhu of card games, slowly driving you to madness before destroying you. Russian roulette has better EV.

Razz is psychologically and emotionally destructive, and those who play it should be locked away and forgotten, their names never whispered again.

Unfortunately, it also happens to be a game I'm good at. God help me.

And, once again, apologies are in order, since I have returned from an extended absence only to rant and wail. Sorry, razz just does that to you. If you feel like you are just too happy with your life, like you need blistering pain and bottomless despair to be complete, then I highly recommend it.

Let's just end this post and move on to the news. We'll just chalk today up as a day of soul-cleansing. I'll be back tomorrow with a real post.

Poker Headlines - Monday, March 20

Read All About It! Journalism Student Becomes Youngest Winner in History of PartyPoker.com Million - SYS-CON Media

PEPSI'S POKER AD DOOMS FAD - New York Post

Online Poker Championship's Third Car Won, One Left to Go - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Online Poker Powerhouse PartyGaming Ready to Sign New CEO - Online Poker News

Poker giant places a bet on new boss - The Sunday Times

Legal worries cloud PartyGaming poker float - Tiscali

WPT and WSP Winner Joins Golden Spirit - Market Wire via Yahoo! Finance

Excapsa Poker Network Gives Dave 'Devilfish' Ulliott His Own Online Poker Site - Online Poker News

Poker Limits a Flop; Appeals Panel Says State Has No Reason to Regulate Pot Sizes - RedNova

Chips can still fly in Dixon poker tournament - The Reporter

Inside Poker - Lowell Sun

Ed McMahon Helps Open New Indiana Poker Room - PokerNews.com

Frogs playing poker - Edmonton Sun

Online Poker Affiliate Network Gears Up for Huge Player Acquisition Marketing Campaign - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Las Vegas Poker Room Grand Opening - CardPlayer.com

Sports club ousts its directors - The Taunton Gazette

FastWin Games Uncovers Best Casinos Online for Game Players - Big OC News

Catching up, but not here

I made it back from my weekend trip, but I'm exhausted and desperately behind at work. I will have to wait before I can get back to blogging seriously until at least tomorrow.

But, short summary of the trip: No poker played, but I did pick up some related reading material that has me excited.

Instead, let's reserve today for catching up on poker news from around the web:

Poker Headlines - Tuesday, March 14

Phil Gordon's Done With Celebrity Poker Showdown - CardPlayer.com

Student beats pros in poker tournament - UPI

23-Year-Old Claims Victory at First Canadian Open Poker Championship - Online Poker News

Stakes could be high for online poker fans - Sun-Sentinel

BetandWin Buys Online Poker Company Ongame - Online Gambling Insider

Absolute Poker Records 300 Million Hands Dealt, Adds Customizable Online Poker Tables - Online Poker News

Herhold: Poker's allure gives false aura to card clubs - San Jose Mercury News

Costa Rica raids house of Canadian billionaire on suspicion of gambling - Canadian Press via Yahoo! News

Hold 'Em Up on a Pedestal - Washington Post

WSOPSeat.com Adds 2006 World Series of Poker Insight - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Poker Strategy: "I'm a Poker Pro Making Over $50,000 Monthly" - PR Web

Absolute Poker to Sponsor the Beach Olympics At CAP Spring Break 2006 - PR Web

Eurobet Poker Offers Chance at WSOP Seats - Rolling Good Times

Poker champ ‘flying high’ - Whitehorse Star Daily
Pacific Poker Satellite - Launchpoker.com

Poker Strategy XI - Talking Omaha Poker - You Must be Nuts! - casinos.ch

Swede Wins Fort Knox Poker Tournament - Online-Casinos.com

Inside the Poker Tour (42) - PokerNews.com

Outrage over toy pokies - The Advertiser

Pay attention to gambling 'class' at Native American casinos - The Times of Northwest Indiana

Online Poker - Richmond Times Dispatch

Poker In Italy On The Rise - PokerMag.com

'Battleship Poker' Returns At EPT Grand Final - PokerNews.com

Inside Poker - Lowell Sun

Poker: Seats you sir - Sunday Life

Online Poker - Richmond Times-Dispatch

Online Poker: Here's the deal on how it works - Richmond Times-Dispatch

Are Online Poker Bots Taking Human Players to The Cleaners? - The Poker Press

'Sopranos' Star Silvio Dante's Poker Etiquette - Washington Post

$3 Motor Oil Brings Chance of World Series of Poker Qualification - Poker 777

PokerTek and Aristocrat Set Out to Bring Dealer-less Poker Table - Poker 777

ON POKER Savvy players know how to manage bankroll - Houston Chronicle

Let the paranoia begin

Like anybody who puts up a personal website, I enjoy looking through the logs and seeing where people are coming from, what brings them to the site, what they look at, etc. But this morning I have to say I was a bit surprised to see that one of last night's visitors was on a computer at none other than the U.S. Department of Justice.

OK, OK, no need to panic. Even though that kooky Virginia senator is trying to ram an internet gambling ban down our throats. Even though the Bush administration has been most unfriendly to internet poker (just ask Antigua). There's no reason to think it was anything more than some poker-playing staffer goofing off when he should have been working.

Right?

Well, the referring page was All-In Magazine's website, so there is some reason to think that it was indeed a card-playing kindred spirit who just so happens to be trapped in neo-con hell. Keep the faith, brother.

But that does bring me to the fact that All-In Magazine links to my site. How cool is that? Sure, they link to a lot of poker blogs in their blog monitor. As the site says, it has "real-time updates of the top 200 poker blogs." Fancy that. I'm in the top 200. I'm going to ignore the fact that there are probably only something like 205 poker blogs, and I'm probably number 200. In fact, yesterday I pseudo-bragged to my friend, coworker and poker compatriot Sheldon that All-In Magazine had named my blog one of the top 200 poker blogs. I could tell by the look on his face that he was unsure whether that was some sort of achievement or not, so I just looked at him with a grin and said, "It is what it is."

But I would be remiss if I didn't say thanks to the folks at All-In for making me feel a just a wee bit special, and for giving folks another way to find my site.
My time at the tables last night was a mixed bag. I started off the evening by finding and taking advantage of another new site's free-money offer. Pitbull Poker is offering new players $10 free, no deposit required, to try out their site. Plus, if you take the deal, you also get a 200 percent bonus if and when you do make a deposit later on, up to $200. If you're looking to try a new site, you can't go wrong with this deal. Use the $10 to see if you like the site, then, if you do, deposit and get a good bonus. The site is Flash-based, meaning it is playable by both Mac and PC users. There's not a lot of traffic there yet, but there are enough players to pretty much have a low-limit table going, plus freerolls every hour on the half-hour.

No sooner had I signed up for Pitbull Poker though, I got an email from Party Poker saying they had given me $20 to come back and try the new software. Yippee! Without playing a hand, I was already up $30!

So, I played awhile at Pitbull and managed to double my meager holdings there. Then I went to Party, registered for a $1 tournament that ended up with 885 players and sat at a no-limit table with the rest of my money. Unfortunately, I lost the entire stack at the ring game, but I was running pretty fair in the tournament and was well situated to finish pretty high in the money. The top 90 got paid and we were getting close to the bubble when I looked down, saw pocket 6s and figured it was time to change gears. The blinds and antes were high enough that I felt it would be good deal if I just won them. There were a few people who limped in for 600, so I raised to 3,000 from the button. I was shocked and a bit distressed when two people flat-called. The flop came 10-10-4. I couldn't imagine that board helping anybody, so I led out with a continuation bet of about 6,000. I was immediately reraised all-in, without thinking, I immediately called. Man, I hate it when I do that. I was probably pot-committed at that point anyway, but it seems I always end up pulling some donkey move near the bubble and finish out of the money. And it's especially upsetting when I've played very damn well for several hours and then end up losing everything I've scraped to build in one stupid call. Anyway, the other guy had pocket 4s and had flopped a full house. I was out in 129th, just 39 away from the money.

So, my return to Party was notable only for its brevity. However, I did manage to offset my loss there with my wins at Party and Titan last night, so I can't really complain.

I'll be taking several days off from the blog starting tomorrow, as I'll be heading to Louisville for an academic competition my son is in. It will be nice to get away for a few days, but I'm sorry to say that it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to get out to Caesars this time around. I should be back this Tuesday or Wednesday. Until then, here's what's shaking in poker from around the web:

Poker Headlines - Friday, March 10

PokerTek Automated Poker Tables to be Distributed Worldwide - Online Poker News

Cindy Margolis Launches VIP Lounge at Her Online Poker Room at CindysPoker.com - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Canadian Ironworker All Set to Take On Pros At WSOP Thanks To PokerListings.com And Pacific Poker - PR Web via Yahoo! News

O' Shea's Casino Takes Poker to the Streets, Literally - Online Poker News

Third version of World Championship Poker comes to 360, PS2 and PSP - IGN PS2

Poker-night food: More than just delivery pizza - The Biloxi Sun

PartyPoker.com and Lavalife Offer Freeroll Poker Tournament - Rolling Good Time

Shark Poker Tour Launches March Events - Rolling Good Times

PokerXFactor: Top Online Poker Pros Participate In Toll-Free ... - Eworldwire (press release)

Poker and roast for charity - Berkshire Eagle

Totally Hip Technologies Inc.: Poker Website to be Developed - CCNMatthews (press release)

Delta Zeta to hold poker tournament for charity - SFA The Pine Log Online

Police Bust Illegal Poker Game - PokerMag.com

Official Poker Launches Online Store - Casino City Times

Blog will be a forum for all things poker - Cherry Hill Courier Post

24h Poker WSOP Deal - Launchpoker.com

Davenport Wins 'Become A Poker Pro' Tournament - Online-Casinos.com

Monte Carlo or bust - The Sun

Second London Poker Open Announced - PokerNews.com

Hold’em Inspired This Drink Holder - CardPlayer.com

Poker.com Satellite - Launchpoker.com

Dealing With Poker Information Overload - PokerNews.com

Party Poker Million V-Cash In The Caribbean - UK Casino Times

A good show and more good news for Mac users

I don't know about the rest of you, but I truly enjoyed the World Poker Tour last night. With some exceptions, it seemed that smart play was rewarded and dumb play was punished. It also seemed there was quite a bit more gamesmanship in the play last night.

Watching Gavin Smith kind of gave me hope for my own game. It didn't seem to me that he did anything I wouldn't do when I'm playing, including his almost-blunder in moving all-in with AJ and getting lucky. If he can play that way and be successful, then maybe there's hope for me. However, one difference was his propensity to limp with pocket queens. I did not like that move either time he pulled it.

And watching Kido Pham implode was like watching myself on tilt. Oh, I've been there so many times -- feeling like you're on your way to taking over the table, losing a big pot and then trying too hard too fast to make the money back, and finally doing something stupid like calling all-in with KQ. I really need to get a copy of this show and watch his meltdown, so that I can more easily recognize the same things in my own game.

Moving on, there is more good news for Mac users. Of course, Full Tilt Poker released a Mac version of their software a little while back, making them the first major site to do so (other than, of course, the no-download version from Poker Room). Now another site is getting ready to launch, and they plan to have Mac support from day one.

The site is called Spades Lounge and, while details are a little hard to come by, what is known looks interesting. For one, as noted above, they are supposed to open with support for Macs and PCs on April 1. Secondly, their opening special is looking pretty good. If you pre-register now, you can get into a series of freerolls worth $40,000. The first 10 days they are open they are supposed to have a $3,000 freeroll each day. Then, for the top 10 finishers from each of the $3,000 freerolls will get to play in a $10,000 freeroll that pays the top three. But in order to be eligible for the freerolls, you've got to pre-register now.

Well, I need to cut things short today. Jury duty has me running behind. But, as always, here's a look at poker news:

Poker Headlines - Thursday, March 9

Another Heads-Up Champ to be Crowned at Canadian Open Poker Championship - Online Poker News

Chuck Blount: Simple poker formula can lead to winning decisions - San Antonio Express News

The 'Ace' of this poker group - Gloucester County Times

Shark Poker Tour Announces 25 Freerolls and Low Limit Buy-ins for March - PR Web via Yahoo! News

First iPod and Digital Download Source for Texas Hold’em Poker Players and Magicians is Released - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Hansen Gray & Company Subsidiary NAPPTour, Inc. Engages B|W|R Public Relations for the North American Poker Tour - PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

Poker Academy Announces Customer Appreciation Reception in Las Vegas on March 13 - PR Web

Mac Online Poker Software Rated Top Site to Make Money - PR Web

PokerHeaven.com’s Televised “Online Series of Poker” Brings Internet Poker Tournaments to Prime Time Television - PR Web

Resident’s poker company gives a hand to charities - Town Online

Merry WPT Day! (But is the party over?)

Today is the day! Finally, the new weekly poker programming returns to TV tonight with the premiere of season 4 of the World Poker Tour. Tonight's episode is the Mirage Poker Showdown, with the final table including Ted Forrest, Mark Ellerbe, Gene Todd, Chris Bell, Gavin Smith and Thang Pham.

This tournament was actually played last May, and therein lies a problem with televised poker. I realize WPT wants to maintain the semblance of a "season," but waiting 10 months to televise an event? Your most interested fan base already knows the outcome of the tournament, thanks to increased media and internet coverage. By the time the event finally makes it to air, it's old news to the most rabid fans. I have long said that WPT should work to get these tournaments to air sooner, and by sooner I mean two weeks max, and provide year-round coverage by showing earlier rounds and preliminary events, much the way the WSOP does.

But I don't think we're going to see that happen, or anything remotely close, anytime soon. I hate to be the prophet of gloom and doom, but the numbers from the WSOP Circuit Rincon event have me concerned. From one year to the next, the size of the main event was cut in half. This is not good.

Is poker's popularity plummeting? I think it is safe to say that there has been somewhat of a dropoff over the past year or 18 months, but I think there may be some external factors at play. For one, the poker explosion brought with it an increase in the number of events, so there is obviously some overlap now which forces players to choose one event over another. The National Heads-Up Championship was held this year at the same time, so that obviously kept some of the bigger names away, but that doesn't account for the entire drop of 99 players.

Then again, without some of those bigger names in the field, there might have been less interest from the general public. Part of the appeal of these events with John Q. Public is the opportunity to sit at a table with a poker legend and have a chance to beat him. But if those players are not going to be at the tables, then John Q. Public's interest will be somewhat less. But that would still be a relatively small number.

I do not think we can avoid coming to the conclusion that the American public has had its fill of poker. The masses are extremely fickle, and once they tire of one pasttime, they quickly abandon it and move on to something else. Poker is due for some shrinkage. It just could not continue to maintain the record-high levels that it has enjoyed the past few years. I do not believe that it will reduce to pre-boom levels, but I do think it will be some time before it rises to the same heights. I am no longer certain that this year's World Series will produce as big a field as it did last year. It would not surprise me to see the number of players fall by 1,000, but it would also not surprise me to see it grow once again, since it remains the premier event and as such will maintain greater interest.

Which, I realize, isn't saying much. Enough of that, let's look at what actually happened yesterday:

“Gigabet” wins 13-Hour WSOP Circuit final table

Poker tournaments are as much a test of mental and physical endurance as playing as skill. Sure, the best players typically have an edge. But after hours and hours of forgettable hands and mundane decisions, everything can become a big blur. In a sense, time is an adversary of experience, since younger players enjoy certain advantages. This point was demonstrated in the seventh World Series of Poker Circuit championship event of the 2005-06 season, held at the Harrah’s Casino-Resort near San Diego. The winner, 28-year-old Darrell “Gigabet” Dicken quite simply outlasted the competition, which included some very battle-seasoned foes. In fact, the two heads-up finalists happened to be the two youngest players at the final table. Clocking in at over 13 hours, this was no accident.

This was the second consecutive year that Harrah’s Rincon hosted a WSOP Circuit event. Harrah’s Rincon is located on the Rincon Tribal Nation Reservation, nestled high in the mountains about 60 miles northeast of San Diego. Last year’s champion, Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson was conspicuously absent from the starting field of 109 players, opting instead to play in the NBC “Heads-Up Challenge” held simultaneously at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Indeed, tournament poker is now so popular that some major events unavoidably overlap.

Nevertheless, the championship event generated a million-dollar prize pool -- $1,035,500 to be exact. It took 22 hours to eliminate the first 100 players, leaving the final nine in the money. They returned for the final table which was held inside Rincon’s Pavilion Ballroom. No one could have possibly predicted the marathon finale that would take place -- as day phased into night, which became the next morning. When play commenced on the third and final day of play, savvy tournament veteran Kathy Liebert had a slight chip lead over her closest two competitors – Adam Kagin and Darrell Dicksen. In what could only be characterized as an atypical event for the final table, it didn’t take long for the first player to be eliminated:

9th Place – Just three hands into play, Tom McCormick, a.k.a. “The Shamrock Kid,” moved all-in with his last 18,000 in chips with 6-6. Desperately short stacked, he hoped to double-up and jump into contention. But McCormick might as well have been standing on the railroad tracks staring up at a roaring freight train. His sixes were steamrolled by Gary Lent’s K-K. When two kings flopped, good for quad-kings, McCormick stood up and walked away. McCormick, who has 19 cashes and 10 final tables in his illustrious poker career, lasted just eight minutes at the final table. But he did manage to collect $31,065.

8th Place – Yosh Nakano, a longtime professional poker player, was the next player to exit. He took a bad beat when he was all-in pre-flop with K-K against Darrell Dicken’s 10-10. When a 10 flopped, Nakano went from big favorite to big underdog. Nakano failed to catch one of two remaining kings in the deck and went out in eighth place. Nakano, a high-limit casino host at the Bicycle Club in Bell Gardens, CA, earned $41,420 in prize money.

7th Place – Then, the unexpected happened. Proving that poker tournaments are impossible to predict, widely-respected tournament pro Andy Bloch went from second in chips to the rail within a devastating 30-minute span. He lost about half of his stack to Gary Lent when he folded to an all-in river bet by Lent (the hands were not shown). Then, about ten hands later, Bloch tried to steal the blinds with an all-in raise with 4-4. Bloch’s nemesis, Lent woke up in the big blind with A-A. Wham! Bloch was hammered when an ace fell on the turn, ending any hope of a miracle. Lent, who was low on chips from the start, rocketed up close to the chip lead. Meanwhile, Bloch walked off the gang plank and drowned in 7th place, receiving for a $51,775 consolation prize.

With six players left, Darrell Dicken had the chip lead with about 370,000 to Lent’s 300,000. Liebert, who had played relatively few hands up to that point, was in third place with 180,000. The remaining three players were all under 100,000 in chips.

6th Place – The next key hand brought the crowd to its feet. Adam Kagin was low on chips and moved all-in with A-9. Kathy Liebert was delighted to call the raise holding K-K. Kagin needed lots of help and caught a few extra outs when a 9 flopped. The board showed 9-6-5. Then, Kagin became a big favorite when an ace rained down on the turn, good for two pair. Liebert was drawing to just two outs. There were more than a few gasps of disbelief and screams of joy when a king fell on the river, giving Liebert trip-kings. All Kagin could do was smile and extend a congratulatory handshake to the smiling Liebert, who had reversed the tables one final time. Adam Kagin, making his third-final table appearance in his relatively short poker career, picked up $62,130 for 6th place.

5th Place – If Jim Pechac was a cat, he used up half of his lives at this final table. Pechac, was short on chips from the start. He arrived with only 18,000 – outchipped 13-1 by the big stack when play began. But Pechac survived four all-ins before finally succumbing to a mixed blessing – a 5th-place finish. On his final hand, Pechac made a very tough all-in call holding A-9 after the flop came Q-9-6 (two hearts). He also had a flush draw (two hearts), to go along with second pair. Kathy Liebert, holding Q-J, had top pair. Two black blanks fell on the turn and river, eliminating Pechac who had become a crowd favorite as the underdog. Jim Pechac, who almost did not play in this event due to being plagued by back problems a few days earlier, was pleased with his decision to enter this tournament. He received $72,485 in prize money.

4th Place – Then, the long wait began. It took seven hours for the next player to go out. Darrell Dicken seemed to be well in command until he lost 100,000 from his stack when Gary Lent made a straight and seized the chip lead. The four remaining players traded off blinds and antes for what seemed like an eternity. Then, WeiKai Chang was struck by a bolt of lightning. Low on chips for the first eight hours of play, Chang moved from the shortest stack up to near the chip lead when he was dealt 6-6 and won a 260,000 pot. Chang moved all-in with the pair and was involved in three-way action against Liebert’s A-Q and Lent’s K-J. Any face card would doom Chang to a fourth-place finish. Incredibly, the pocket sixes survived five scary board cards and Chang went from pretender to contender.

Chang’s rise in chips changed everything. Forced to play more hands rather than wait for the lowest player’s elimination, the four finalists got more aggressive. But the changes in strategy failed to remove anyone from play. On the next decisive hand, Kathy Liebert re-raised all-in pre-flop with A-J suited and was called instantly by Darrell Dicken with 10-10. The flop came Q-Q-2 and it looked like Liebert might go out. But she spiked a jack on the turn (good for a higher pair), which catapulted her into the chip lead with nearly 400,000. Meanwhile, Dicken fell to the shortest stack.

Then, Dicken extracted his revenge. He was all-in with A-Q against Liebert’s A-K. An ace flopped and both players were committed. Dicken caught a queen and Dicken was back to about 300,000 in chips. The merry-go-round continued to spin.

Eleven hours into the finale, and well past midnight, fourth-place was finally settled when Gary Lent moved all-in with A-K and was called by Darrell Dicken holding 4-4. With 400,000 in the pot and the chip lead at stake, Lent hoped to catch a pair. He missed. That eliminated Lent, who collected $82,840. “I could have waited around longer and tried to move up (into a higher money finish), but I don’t play for second,” Lent said afterward. “I play to win.” Considering Lent’s perilously low chip stack at the start, he could claim a moral victory – having survived 11 hours of play.

3-rd Place – That big hand gave Dicken a decisive chip lead. With blinds escalating, WeiKai Chang moved all-in with K-7, which was called by both Dicken (J-10) and Liebert (K-J). The final board showed 7-5-2-2-Q, which tripled up Chang. But Liebert was eliminated and had to settle for third place. She collected $113,905. “I was proud of the way I played tonight,” Liebert said afterward. Who could argue? She rarely had the worst of it each time she was all-in. But the cards did not fall her way.

When heads-up play began, Darrell Dicken enjoyed a decisive 11-1 chip lead over WeiKai Chang. The end seemed near. But those expecting to see Chang bowing out gracefully were in for a very rude awakening. The comeback began. Chang became the aggressor and quite simply, made the correct play just about every time he was faced with a tough decision. He managed to double-up early in heads up play, putting him at a 5-1 disadvantage. Then, he got lucky when his A-5 outdrew Dicken’s A-8, resulting in another giant leap forward. Chang took a few blows before he managed to double up on another big hand, and after about a half-our duel, he was outchipped by only 2-1. A few hands later, Chang won another hand, and for the first time in the tournament – he held the chip lead. What remained of the audience braced themselves for what appeared to be another epic duel.

Dicken was accustomed to adversity by this time. Showing absolutely no emotion during the unfortunate turn of events, Dicken continued to play his best game. After three hands, Dicken regained the chip lead. Then, he began to pull away with a series of over-the-top moves intended to put Chang to the test for all of his chips. Nearly an hour after heads-up play started, the final decisive hand of the tournament took place when Chang was dealt 10-10. Chang raised. Dicken, holding J-J, re-raised all-in. Chang thought for a moment, and called. He instinctively knew he was in trouble, a fact confirmed when the hole cards were revealed. Chang needed one last miracle, a ten, which did not come. The pocket jacks held up and Dicken was the champion.

2nd Place – WeiKai Chang played superbly. Even Dicken, the winner, acknowledged Chang’s exceptional survival skills. The crowd gave Chang a well-deserved ovation for many exciting moments. Chang’s payday as the runner-up amounted to $207,100.

1st Place – Darrell “Gigabet” Dicken, from Waterloo, IA gets his unusual nickname from playing online poker. “Gigabet” is well-known in Internet poker circles, having won a considerable amount of money in recent years. Dicken acknowledged that online poker helped to sharpen his real-life tournament skills.

“We played a lot longer than I thought we would,” Dicken said in a post-tournament interview. “We were four handed for something like seven hours. That has to be some kind of record.”

When asked about keys to surviving a marathon finale, Dicken replied: “I was just playing good cards and position, waiting for the right moments. I got lucky once in a big pot, and also got unlucky once. So, it balanced out.”

Dicken received the coveted WSOP gold and diamond ring presented to each Circuit winner. He also collected $372,780 in first-place prize money. A reporter asked Dicken what he plans to do with all the cash. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Put it in the bank?”

Oddly enough, after such a grueling emotional and physical experience the last thing on the new champion’s mind was the prize money. It was an afterthought. Perhaps Dicken was more motivated by the ultimate thrill of victory and having vanquished some very tough competition. Indeed, to the greatest of champions such accomplishments are priceless.

Written by Nolan Dalla, WSOP Media Director
Tournament Director – Jimmy Sommerfeld

Poker Headlines - Wednesday, March 8

A Quarter Century of Poker - Freddy Deeb - PokerNews.com

Shooting begins on Bodog.com poker reality series - Sports911.com

Upgrade At Ultimate Bet Poker Causes Hassles - Online-Casinos.com

Poker game ends with one dead, one arrested - Athens Review Online

Pregnant woman gets 4th arrest for leaving kids to play poker - Saipan Tribune

Online Poker Room Goalpoker.com to Send 10 to Champions League Soccer Final - Online Poker News

Recap of the Final Rounds of the 2006 NBC National Heads Up Championship - CardPlayer.com

Kiwi Casino Poker Gives Away 'Another' Luxury Vacation for Two to the 2006 New Zealand Poker Champs - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Poker room wish list a doable deal - Palm Springs and Coachella Valley Local News and Guides

Online Poker Room TeenPatti.com Targets Poker-Playing Indians - Online Poker News

State aiming to help student gamble-aholics - The Register-Guard

State to deal clubs a lemon - Sydney Morning Herald

Cops shut down poker scam - The Citizen.com

Defense Rests in Campbell Trial - First Coast News

UFC/'King of Queens', Liddell & Celebrity Poker, UFN On Spike TV - ProWrestling.com

Police Bust Illegal Poker Game - WTKR Your NewsChannel 3

Poker Room Announces Enhanced Technology and Services for Players and Mac Users - Market Wire

Live and Breathe Poker at Online Casino - Online Casino News

The perils of technology

I've felt pretty lazy the past couple of days, hence no posts. I could maintain my slothful ways, but there's a quite bit going on and I don't want the backlog to get too huge.

Several sites right now appear to be suffering some fairly monumental technical problems. Ultimate Bet recently upgraded their software, if by upgrade you mean "screwed everything up." I haven't been playing there for quite some time, but from I've seen posted on the message boards, the big problem appears to be when players leave a table, their money stays locked at the table. Funny, I've had this problem quite a bit myself lately -- I leave the table, my money stays behind ... in other players' stacks. But that's not all that's wrong with UB. Their affiliates are also waiting to see how they're doing, because the statistics are down and have been for over a week now.

I've always liked UB, but I'm wondering if this is the beginning of the end? It seems they've not been keeping up with competition as far as promotions the past couple of years, and a protracted outage such as this one can't help business. And then this weekend Phil Hellmuth, one of their main draws, appears on Full Tilt's Poker with the Pros show, and you've got to wonder if he's about to jump ship.

Don't get me wrong, I don't wish ill on UB (hell, I get too much affiliate revenue from them for that). And they still have several features that have never been duplicated at other sites which make them attractive. But someone needs to fix some problems there, and not just the technical glitches they've got going on now. Updated promotions, more flexibility with affiliates and 21st century software would be a good start.

And then there's another favorite site of mine, RecPoker, which is also hamstrung by technical troubles right now. Since Saturday, it seems they've lost a stable connection to rec.gambling.poker, the newsgroup that pretty much IS RecPoker. Some of the messages posted at RecPoker appear to be getting out to RGP, and some of the messages posted at RGP appear to be getting to RecPoker, but nowhere near all or most or even a respectable fair-to-middlin' in either direction. What's more, no word from the folks at RecPoker on what the hell the problem is.

The National Heads-Up Championship wrapped up yesterday, and Chris "Jesus" Fergugson has got to be thinking "always the bridesmaid ..." Once again, his holiness finished second in the event, but it wasn't Phil Hellmuth at the final table this year. Instead, Ted Forrest took the crown. (Oops, I forgot to say, "Spoiler alert.") You know, it's kind of nice seeing Ted pick up the half-million first prize, especially after he blew something to the tune of $11 million against Texas banker Andy Beal a few weeks back.

I'm sorry, I'm being mean again. I can't help it. I don't like the heads-up tournament and, while I admire what Ted Forrest has been able to accomplish in his career (well, other than that whole blowing $11 million thing), something about him just irritates me.

But I know quite a few other people like the tournament, so it should provide some interesting matchups. The final four put Forrest against, god help us, Sean "That prick from the World Series" Sheikhan in a battle that can only be described as "Smug and Smugger," while the other table pits walking anachronisms Jesus and Huck Seed against each other.

Over in San Diego, the final table of the WSOP Circuit event at Harrah's Rincon gets underway today, with the interesting wrinkle that Kathy Liebert comes into today with a narrow chip lead. That should be a big boost for all those people who write those stupid TV bits about how, aw shucks, those little ladies really can play cards after all (eyes rolling). Here's a look at the final table:

WSOP Circuit Rincon - Final Table

Seat 1: Adam Ragin
Hometown: Henderson, NV
Chip Count: 225,200
Adam Ragin is from Henderson, NV. Although he has been playing poker for about two years, he is a newcomer to the tournament scene. This is Ragin’s first major tournament final table. Ragin won a big pot at the end of Day Two and was the chip leader for a short time. He is currently second in chips with 225,000.

Seat 2: Darrell “Gigabet” Dicken
Hometown: Waterloo, IA
Chip Count: 214,700
Darrell “Gigabet” Dicken is from Waterloo, IA. He is a professional poker player with over 20 years of experience. Dicken’s best tournament finish, to date, was 5th place at the Five Diamond Classic at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas. He arrives a very close third in the chip count at the start of today’s final table.

Seat 3: Yosh Nakano
Hometown: Long Beach, CA
Chip Count: 57,400
Yosh Nakano is one of poker’s top cash-game players. He has played professionally for over 20 years. Nakano is a high-limit poker host at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. He has made dozens of final tables at major events and has cashed numerous times. Nakano is sixth in chips, with 57,400.

Seat 4: Tom McCormick
Hometown: Fargo, ND
Chip Count: 26,000
Tom McCormick, a.k.a. “The Shamrock Kid,” is from Fargo, ND. He has the highest number of WSOP cashes of any player at today’s final table. McCormick has cashed 19 times and has made ten final table appearances. The Shamrock Kid will need a four-leaf clover to win today’s finale, as he arrives eighth in chips, with 26,000.

Seat 5: Jim Pechac
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Chip Count: 18,100
Jim Pechac, from Phoenix, AZ is a regular on the tournament scene. He has many cashes and final table appearances. Pechac won his way into today’s championship via a satellite. He almost did not play in this event, but made a last-minute decision to stay. He is certainly happy with that decision now, as he is guaranteed at least $37,719 in prize money. Despite his poker accomplishments, Pechac faces the biggest challenge of anyone today as the shortest stack. He arrives with 18,100.

Seat 6: Kathy Liebert
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Chip Count: 230,000
Kathy Liebert is no stranger to final tables. She has won over $2 million in tournament poker and was the first woman in history ever to win a million-dollar prize. Liebert also won her first WSOP gold bracelet a few years ago. Liebert will be tough today, as she arrives as the chip leader – with 230,000.

Seat 7: Andy Bloch
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Chip Count: 181,200
What do you do with a degree in engineering from MIT and a law degree from Harvard? If you’re Andy Bloch, you become a professional poker player. Bloch abandoned conventional wisdom and has supported himself as a professional gambler and poker player for nearly ten years. Bloch has been the subject of numerous newspaper and television features on his unique experiences. His poker accomplishments include several tournament final tables, and a victory at the Rio at last year’s WSOP Circuit event. Bloch has been the chip leader much of this tournament, but is now in fourth place with 181,200.

Seat 8: Gary Lent
Hometown: Riverside, CA
Chip Count: 81,400
Gary Lent lives in Riverside, CA. He is the Vice President of an engineering firm, although he plays frequently in tournaments. Lent has six WSOP cashes, including a 10th place finish in the main event in 1999. Lent is about average in chips, with 81,400 at the start of play.

Seat 9: WeiKai Chang
Hometown: Albany, NY
Chip Count: 56,000
WeiKai Chang is from Albany, NY. He is new to the tournament scene. Chang has been playing poker for about two years and this is his highest finish, so far. He was all-in a few times yesterday and was able to survive long enough to make it into the money. Now, we will see if Chang has what it takes to move up the money ladder and pull off an upset victory. He arrives at the final table with 56,000 in chips.

Finally, let's take a look at poker news around the web:

Poker Headlines - Tuesday, March 7

Forrest wins National Heads-Up Poker Championship - KRON 4

Heads-Up Poker Championship Witnesses 2nd Second-Coming of Jesus - Online Poker News

The Inside Story of the $20 Million Poker Game at Wynn Las Vegas - PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

WPT returning with a new look - NorthJersey.com

Courtney Friel Maxim-izes Her Exposure as New Hostess of World Poker Tour - Online Poker News

Recap of Day Two of the NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship - CardPlayer.com

Bodog, FSN Look for Next Poker Star - Casino City Times

Jennifer Tilly Chooses Poker Over Oscars - AP via Yahoo! News

Board postpones video poker hearings - News 14 Charlotte

Ladbrokes Poker Million V - Europe's biggest and richest poker tournament! - 4thegame.com

Drawdead.com Announces Ladies Only Online Poker Freeroll Forum - PR Web via Yahoo! News

NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon Enlists Celebrities for Charity Poker Tournament and Online Auction - PR Web via Yahoo! News

Jury Finds for Coach in Little Leaguer Strip Poker Case - Online Poker News

Poker-lovin' vets forced to fold 'em - Calgary Sun

Irish Poker Easter Feast Live on Sky Sports - PokerNews.com

A lesson in poker recycling - NorthJersey.com

Everest Poker Announces The First Everest Poker European ... - Send2Press

House backs full payment of poker license - Saipan Tribune

Bay Area gets dealt a hand in poker craze - Contra Costa Times

State's poker rules no bluff - Pioneer Press

Poker Series Returns To Binions Horseshoe In Vegas - GamblingMagazine.com

Poker Tourney Raided, $8,000 Seized - PokerMag.com

Poker, Texas Hold'Em Continue Campus Popularity - GamblingMagazine.com

Poker Tour Plans More Casino Tilts - PokerMag.com

Paul Phillips Levitates for Jennifer Tilly at National Heads-Up ... - Las Vegas and Poker Blog

Cashing in when the chips are down: Charities, nonprofits ride the wave of poker popularity - Daily News Transcript

PartyGaming CEO Gets Job Offer from Online Poker Site Doylesroom.com - Online Poker News

Poker Headlines - Saturday, March 4

‘Poker Brat' out to defend Heads Up poker title - MSNBC

Excitement Brewing For Heads Up Poker Championship - PokerNews.com

ON POKER: Trash hands can yield returns if played right - Houston Chronicle

Party Poker Pair Presents Plans for Poker-Playing Progeny - Online Poker News

Poker face-off - Times Union

Foxwoods poker room doubles up, but is the market drawing dead? - WFSB 3

Card Player Chosen as Exclusive Poker Magazine for the 2006 NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship - SYS-CON Media

Celebrity-Hailed Western-Style Clothing Company to Produce Poker Apparel - Online Poker News

Two employees of video poker casino killed - Times Picayune

Poker Plans for Florida Inmates - 6abc.com

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