WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack Appears on "Keep Flopping Aces" This Thursday at 6 p.m., Pacific Time

Commissioner of the World Series of Poker, Jeffrey Pollack, will be my guest this Thursday on Keep Flopping Aces, which is webcast on http://www.roundersradio.com/ at 6 p.m. Pacific Time (9 p.m. Eastern Time).

The show can be heard live, worldwide, in real time, as well as in repeat on Friday afternoon. It is also downloadable as a podcast a few days after airing live.

Pollack worked hard to grow the WSOP to its current size during his relatively short tenure with Harrah’s. I want to ask him about what’s new for this year’s WSOP, plans for the future of the event, and check out some of the rumors that have been swirling about—particularly those concerning plans to bring the final nine players back in November to play the final table, which can then be televised in near real time.

This rumor seems to have a life of its own, and is just one of the things I want to chat about with Jeffrey Pollack.

Next year will be the 40th anniversary of the WSOP, and I’m also interested in learning what special plans are afoot to celebrate that.

This should be a terrific show, and you can call in and ask Jeffrey Pollock your own questions. I’ll give out the call-in numbers at the top of the show and again after we return from our commercial break at about 6:30 p.m.

Hope you can all tune in and listen.

What's New at This Year's World Series of Poker

By now everyone is buzzing about the decision to play the WSOP main event’s final table in November, which creates a long time period in which to generate buzz about the event, create viewership for ESPN, and allow the final table to be broadcast in near real time.

But last Thursday, when Jeffrey Pollack, the World Series of Poker’s commissioner appeared on my radio show, Keep Flopping Aces—it aired originally at 6 p.m. Pacific Time (9 Eastern Time) on http://www.roundersradio/, and can now be heard as a podcast by going to the station and downloading the broadcast—he outlined a number of other changes we can expect at the 2008 WSOP. Here are some of the major changes for 2008:

A Dozen Changes, Straight From the Horses Mouth

1. No tent for poker this year. While it might be used to house a food court, no one will have to play poker in the hot, windy, uncomfortable tent.
2. There’ll be a separate room for satellites
3. They are separating the casino cage from the tournament area in order to allow for better processing and keep crowds from interfering with the play.
4. There’ll be a strong effort to reduce unsportsmanlike conduct, with significant discretion given floor supervisors in rendering decisions.
5. No cellphones or other voice enabled devices can be used at the table.
6. Event registration opens May 28.
7. There’ll be more space between tables in the Amazon room.
8. A concierge service will be established to help players with room reservation, dinner reservations, and other sorts of arrangements.
9. There’ll be more food choices.
10. There’ll be more restrooms too.
11. When the final table is established, all players will receive ninth place prize money. The remainder of the prize pool will be invested with interest accruing to the players when the final table is played out in November.
12. Players can wear sponsor logs, but no single company name can be represented more than once on a single clothing item. There’s a maximum size limit of 12 square inches per logo. The 16 week period between the time the final table is established and November, when the final table is actually played, will give the nine finalists a chance to secure all the sponsorship they can.

Will There be a Tournament of Champions?

When I asked whether there’ll be another Tournament of Champions, I was told that they are “… working on it,” and an announcement will be made at some unspecified future date.

Will the WSOP Move From the Rio? Don't Count on It!

When I asked whether the WSOP has any plans to abandon the Rio and move the event to Caesars Palace, or some other Harrah’s property, Pollack was adamant in telling me that they were happy with the Rio and intend to stay there

Any Special Plans for 2009, the WSOP's 40th Birthday?

Since 2009 will mark the WSOP’s 40th birthday, I asked whether they had any special plans in place yet to celebrate it. I was told that they are working on that, but no details will be released until plans are finalized—at which time they’ll hold a press conference.

The WSOP: In for a dime, in for a dollar.

In for a dime, in for a dollar. That's what I’m thinking as I stare at a schedule of events for this year’s World Series of Poker (2007 main event winner Jerry Yang pictured left) that came in the mail last week.

It’s tough to make sense of 54 events, but if you stop and stare at the schedule long enough, some things start to pop out at you.

For instance, if you are on a budget, and can only play weekends, you’ve got it a WSOP that’s just made for you. On Saturday, May 31 there’s a $1,500 4-day, no-limit hold’em tournament. On Friday, June 6 you’ll find a 3-day limit hold’em event. Seven days later you’ll find a 3-day razz tournament and the next day, June 14, a 3-day, no-limit hold’em event is scheduled.

One week later, on June 21, another $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em event is set, and they yet another will be contested on June 28.

So you can play in five events, or six—if you bust out of the razz event on June 13 and opt to play the no-limit hold’em tournament the following day. At $1,500 each, that makes a grand total of $9,000—one thousand less than you’d spend to enter the main event. If you allot that additional grand to travel, you can get six times the play—though far less glory if you win—than you can by playing in the main event.

If you’ve got the jack, there’s a high-rollers WSOP with your name on it. There are eight, $10,000 buy-in events scheduled (pot-limit hold’em on May 30; mixed event on June 4; 7-card stud on June 7; heads-up no-limit hold’em June 13; limit hold’em June 15; Omaha/8 June 19; pot-limit Omaha June 29; and the main event, no-limit Texas hold’em on July 3. You can enjoy a bigger, more expensive trip to the WSOP for $80,000. But if you really want to spice things up a bit, you can play in the world championship HORSE event on June 25. That will set you back $50,000 and make the cost of your high-rollers WSOP trip a cool $130,000 just for entry fees, never mind the travel and lodging.

There’s more than a little something for everyone here, and we’re not

Rally Against Washington State's Draconian Online Poker Law May 15

Legislation signed into law by Washington’s Governor Chris Gregorie makes felons of anyone playing poker online. The law puts online poker on par with child pornography and heroin possession.

Lee Rousso, the Poker Players Alliance’s (PPA) Washington State Director, presents his case to the King County Superior Court on May 15, and the PPA will hold a rally and press conference outside the courthouse immediately following the hearing. Russo challenges the law’s constitutionality, arguing that it violates the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, which reserves the right to regulate interstate and international commerce for congress. Most state attempts to regulate the Internet run afoul of the Commerce Clause, and Washington's law should be no exception.

Poker luminaries Andy Bloch and Barry Greenstein (pictured) will join Washington State members of the PPA at the rally to show their support for Rousso's efforts to keep poker legal. The rally will be held at the Maleng Regional Justice Center, 401 – 4th Ave. North, Kent, WA 98032.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The World Poker Association: Taking it to the (No) Limit

The World Poker Association announced the launch of its first educational event for members—63 Money Making Tips to Win a Bundle at the WSOP—to be held during the WPA Inaugural Conference at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino May 28 - 29, 2008.

Three experienced poker coaches—author, radio host, and a LIPS Tour champion Lisa Adams, lawyer, accomplished player, and Washington Poker School founder Ken Adams, and Francois Montmirel, principal of the acclaimed French School of Poker—will tutor the audience as part of a panel moderated by poker legend Mike Caro.

The panel will tackle issues such as building successful strategies against rising tournament players, differences in styles of play between Americans and Europeans, and tips for improving your game against any woman at your table.

WPA Chairman, Wendeen H. Eolis says, "The Conference is a winning trifecta ticket, allowing members to sharpen their tournament skills, network at the must-be-seen opening cocktail party, May 28 and then prove their bragging rights in the WPA Mega Satellite, May 29."

The Conference will open with the WPA's Inaugural Membership Meeting where the election of Directors of the World Poker Association will be completed for the new membership year (June, 2008 through May 2009).The officer slate s is headed by Eolis as Chairman, with Ken Adams as Vice Chair, Roy Winston as Secretary, and Rhett Butler as Treasurer.

Additional Director nominees are Lisa Adams, Michael Binger, Doyle Brunson, Joe Hachem, Jesse Jones, Thomas Kremser, J.J. Liu, Victor Ramdin, Blair Rodman, Roger Saad, and Harry Thomas, Jr. The slate was enthusiastically endorsed by the current Board, which also tipped its hat to Jesse Jones supporting his nomination as a director with the title of Chairman Emeritus, in recognition of him as the founder of the WPA.

I’ve been a member of the Board of Directors for the past year and have seen this organization build steam and begin evolving from just a dream and a vision to a direction that’s supportive of increased professionalism in poker. Commenting on her anticipated role as the Association's chief elected officer, Eolis says: "I am the short-term steward for the evolving vision of the WPA." Of her colleagues, she adds, "The new Board slate reflects the best in diversity and a group of doers with an abundance of smarts at the poker table.”

Online Casinos: How to Separate the Safe From the Unsafe

Here are some tips to help you to determine if an online casino is honest or if there is a good chance they are just going to steal your money.

Online Casino Technology:
Even though there are thousands of online casinos there are only a few companies that write the online casino programs. These are the online casinos you want to risk your money, the other online casinos may be legitimate, but all the most reputable online casinos use these programs. You can find out who wrote the online casino software by checking out the website. If it is not mentioned on the homepage you can find it in the about us or the FAQ sections of the online casino site. If it is not mentioned on the site you can always send the casino an email asking them. If they do not reply you should not gamble your money there.

Judging a Casino by its Cover:
Online casinos and poker rooms bring in millions of dollars a year. If you go t a casinos website and the site itself looks cheap and poorly designed or if the different menus do not work properly if may be a sign that the casino is less then the best and maybe this is a fly by night operation and after you deposit your money with them they may disappear. This may just be a new online casino, and they do not have the money for a good web designer, but I recommend only playing in a well established online casino or poker rooms. This will ensure that the casino you play in will be honest and all you have to worry about is collusion and web hackers, but that is a different story completely.

Chat Rooms and Forums:
Before playing in any online casino or poker room I recommend that you go to some chat rooms and forums that talk about online casino gambling; look for posts talking about the online casino you are thinking about opening a player account with and see what other players have to say about that casino. Chances are you will find some good posts about any online casino and poker room no matter how dishonest they are just because the people who work for that casino probably spam the forums with good reviews for their casino, but if most of the comments are bad or if you can not find any posts at all about a particular online casino or poker room then I recommend you pick a different online casino and poker room.

Google It:
Type in the name of the online casino and the word review after it; most online casinos have been reviewed at least a dozen times and you should be able to read some reviews immediately if it is a legitimate online casino or poker room.

Security:
Most reputable online casinos will offer their customers the best and most up to date security possible. This is to ensure that the online casino is safe from hackers that would want to break in and drain money from the casino, and to make sure the casino is safe from collusion. This is when two or more players work together to win money from the casino or from the other players in the poker rooms.

The best way to ensure your self a safe online gambling experience is to fully investigate the online casino or poker room you are thinking about depositing your money into before you even open your account. This will save you from most problems down the road.

Poker News

Poker News has this to say has about the River Card Room in Milford, New Hampshire, if you're looking for some entertainment around the Boston area.

Further reviews are here, along with a map providing directions to the poker room and details of other New Hampshire card rooms. Looks like one for the novices and intermediates rather than the ultra serious card players.

Roulette Strategy Tips

Despite its growing popularity, many people still play roulette the wrong way. For example, I have seen many players start with a set bankroll, then keep playing until it's all used up. Of course, this isn't what they planned, but usually it's how their game ends up. If you want to play roulette seriously, the first thing you should do is to be aware of what you are doing and not doing properly.

Sometimes it's hard to believe, but there are people who instantly flood the table with chips the moment they arrive at the roulette table. They place a small amount here, a bigger amount there; just to satisfy that inner voice inside them that's always telling them where to bet and how. What they don't know is that they are just playing with the poorest value of bets that the table has. So even if they win, the amount they get is just a little more – or even less – than what they originally wagered.

This may be an exciting way to play, but if you're playing for money, you will ultimately find that you're at the losing end of the stick. Have you taken note of all the winnings and losses you've had while playing this way? If you have, then you would discover that you have just been betting against yourself. You should play the game in a way that maximizes your odds of winning, and winning big. It's not a good idea to bet more than what is needed to win the same amount. If you get carried away and start placing more and more bets on more numbers, you will lose a growing amount every round without you knowing it.

You have to expect that you'll lose the value of your average bet for every round over 37 games. So if you're betting $10 each spin of the wheel, you should expect to lose $10 after 37 spins, if the odds are running accurately. Yes, the odds aren't the same for each and every game, but this should give you an idea of what you are up against. This is the house's advantage over the players. Putting it simply, the more you bet, the more you should expect to lose over a certain period of time.

If you want to walk away a winner, remember to drag yourself away from the table when you've won a reasonable amount. However, this is also the most difficult time to walk away, because you're feeling great and you feel like you could win a lot more if you stay for only a couple more spins. Sadly, it doesn't work like that at all. You could win more, but there's always the chance of losing on the next spin, and you will just end up chasing your winnings. You should always set yourself a cut-off point, win or lose. When you reach it, walk away from the table.

Try to place a bet on red or black, and bet 5% of the total amount you're prepared to lose. Keep placing the same bet, whether you win or lose, until you win at least half the amount you started with, or lose the whole bankroll. Playing red/black or odd/even slightly cuts the house advantage to your favor, since you stand to lose only half your bet when the ball lands on a zero.

Another good strategy for you to try is to place a bet on red, two bets on row 1-36, and another two bets on row 2-35. Take note that the table is divided into three rows – 1-34, 2-35, and 3-36. Further note that row 3-36 has eight red numbers and only four black numbers. The strategy I just gave you takes advantage of this fact.

Using this strategy, you will win most of the time. If the ball lands on a number within row 3-36, the odds increase in our favor because there are more red numbers there than black. And even if the ball lands within one of the three rows over the next several rounds (as it most likely will), we have already covered two out of three rows, so our chances are also good on this one. And of course, we're also hoping that the ball keeps landing on red more than black, too.

Whatever strategy you use, remember to think ahead and plan for the long term. Take into account that the ball has no memory, and that the chances of getting a number is always the same, even after a torrid streak. But also remember that you are gambling, so you're in a situation where you stand to lose your money in the hopes of winning some, but there are no guarantees.

How Players Lose Their Money to Casinos

Most casino games are game of chance where both casinos and players have equal chance of winning. But, the fact shows that the casinos are the winner in the long runs. Most players will lose their money back to casino no matter how much he/she wins previously. What actually make the players lose their money to casinos in the long runs? Here are the 3 key factors that cause most players lose their money at the end: house edge, maximum limit and psychology factor.

The House Edge

Like other business, casinos need to ensure they make sufficient profit from their gambling business. That's why casinos need to have slightly better winning edge compare to players. The mathematical advantage of casino against its players is known as "the house edge". Casinos place the house edge on each type of games, for example in European Roulette game: it adds a "0" on the wheel making the betting on Big/Small, Odd/Even and Black/Red have a house edge of 2.78%, which means in the long run, the casino will win the 2.78% of the money bet on Big/Small, Odd/Even and Black/Red in Roulette game. If you play on game which has house edge of 5.56% versus 2.78%, meaning that you will lose your money twice as fast as in the second one. Now you know why you lose the money faster in certain games than others?

Maximum Limit

In any casino games, it is very common to have runs of 5, 6 or even 15 consecutive outcomes of black or red, high or low, even or odd; but it does not happen in any casino in the earth to have 50 consecutive equal outcomes. This means that if the casino did not place a maximum betting limit and the player has sufficient money to double his/her betting every time he/she lose, the player will wins back his/her money plus one chip. That's why the casino protects itself from rich players who play with this strategy by introducing maximum limit on all casino games. If the player keeps double up the betting, he/she will lose money if the outcomes continue turn up to the opposite results and finally hit the maximum limit.

Psychology Factor

Do you notice that most players who win money want to win more; they will continue to stay at table until they lose all their money. The same situation happen on the players who lose money, they will try to cover the money lost by betting more until they lose all money they have in hand. This is the psychology factor that makes the casinos continue to be the winner at long run. The casino won't fear even you win big money because they know they will get back your winnings plus your money in the long run.

There are many betting strategies that published on various e-books that teach the player how to win money from casino. Theoretically the strategies will work if the player smartly implements the strategies. But the fact shows that most players will turn greedy when they win and forget about their strategies; what they want is continue win and win big. That's why they forget about the strategies, and bet based on their greedy behavior. This is how most players lose money to casino in the long runs.

Summary

Players lose their money to casinos due to the 3 key factors: house edge, maximum limit and psychology factor. The "house edge" and "maximum limit" are preset by casinos to protect their advantage and you can't change them. But, if you want to make some winnings from casinos, then you need to work on "psychology factor" by staying with your betting strategies and controlling your greedy behavior

Playing Online Bingo is Easy

Tired of fighting the crowded Bingo Halls for your chance at winning the BIG jackpot? Want to have a comfortable night in the comfort of your home playing Bingo for money? Well, the World Wide Web has opened possibilities like this to everyone.

You no longer have to go out in the dark and drive to a Bingo Hall just to play bingo. All you have to do is turn on your computer and find a site that has the games you enjoy. This may be easier said than done. There are literally hundreds of online bingo sites to choose from and each one is different, they all have unique features and each one looks tempting.

Research is the key to finding a bingo site you can call home. Online bingo sites are open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. It is like having a little piece of Vegas right in your living room. Each bingo site offers different gimmicks or specials to make you think they are the best.

Online bingo can be just as fun and rewarding as going to a Bingo Hall and many sites offer deposit bonuses to new players as a way of encouraging them to play bingo at their site. Deposit bonuses of anywhere from one hundred to three hundred percent are the most common. This means if you deposit one hundred dollars than you have between two and four hundred dollars to play bingo with. Real cash bingo players also have to be over a certain age to meet legal requirements no matter how much you are playing online bingo for. When making you first deposit you should thoroughly read the bingo sites rules as well as the Terms and Conditions page, this will ensure you understand all of the sites rules. You can then begin your bingo playing adventure and hope for that chance at winning big!

regulation generally leads

Many jurisdictions, local as well as national, either ban or Gambling-clubs. Such regulation generally leads to gambling tourism and illegal gambling. The involvement of governments, through regulation and taxation, has led to a close connection between many governments and gaming organizations, where legal gambling provides significant government revenue, such as in Monaco or Macau. Under US federal law, gambling is legal in the United States, and states are free to regulate or prohibit the practice. Gambling has been legal in Nevada since 1931, forming the backbone of the state's economy, Las Vegas is perhaps the best known gambling destination in the world. In 1976, gambling was legalized in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and in 1990, it was legalized in Tunica, Mississippi; both of those cities have developed extensive casino and resort areas since then. Since a favorable US Supreme Court decision in 1987, many Native American tribes have built their own casinos on tribal lands as a way to provide revenue for the tribe. Because the tribes are considered sovereign nations, they are often exempt from state laws banning gambling, and are instead regulated under federal law. Additionally almost all states have legalized gambling in the form of a lottery. Because contracts of insurance have many features in common with wagers, insurance contracts are often distinguished under law as agreements in which either party has an interest in the "bet-upon" outcome beyond the specific financial terms. E.g.: a “bet” with an insurer on whether one's house will burn down is not gambling, but rather insurance — as the homeowner has an obvious interest in the continued existence of his/her home independent of the purely financial aspects of the "bet" (i.e., the insurance policy).