60 Minutes will be doing a feature covering online poker Sunday, November 30th. This feature will include the conclusion of a four month joint investigation by the Washing Post along with CBS News into the goings on with Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. This is must see TV if you play online poker!
With Ultimate Bet back in the spotlite again for cheating it does not bode well for the online gaming industry.
The show will air Sunday, November 30th, on the 60 Minutes program at 7pm ET/PT.
Phil Hellmuth just coudn’t stay away from the lure of having his own clothing line. Yes, Phil has started the Poker Brat clothing line. If you have been paying any kind of attention to Phil over the years he has steadily increased his visibility and always seems to have some attention grabbing logo or new apparel to wear to an event. Phil has astutely branded himself as the king of poker player marketing and continues to create yet another opportunity for himself.
Poker Brat clothing is yet another in the line of poker ventures that continue to provide significant revenue outside the game of poker.
Looks like there is another cheating scandal brewing. This time it’s Ultimate Bet poker. This is the second time around for this room in a little more than 12 months. I am not sure how much more of this kind of thing online poker can stand but it needs to stop.
Again, I would urge both Annie Duke and Phil Hellmuth to leave this poker room post haste. Hellmuth would be a prime target for sponsorship from the two big players at Full Tilt or Pokerstars as well as Annie Duke. It’s just not worth ruining your reputation over.
Do you know when it’s time to stop? Do you know when your poker ego is out of line? If you don’t then you need to. So many times we have all seen situations, particularly after losing a big pot, when players tend to lose focus and are unable to maintain their focus.
One thing I take pride in is my ability to remain focused while playing tournament or cash games. Even when I lose to a bad beat or I have been out played I am usually able to maintain my composure. Both of these scenarios are situations when your ego can easily get you and your bankroll in a whole lot of trouble. There are a couple of things that I like to do when I feel that I am not in control. Perhaps these things will help your game too.
Step away from the table and think through the hand one last time. You may have made a mistake where you thought you had played correctly.
Give your opponent credit for out playing you if it is warranted.
If you are getting bad beats consistently it may be time for you to pack it up and try again another time. Sometimes it is just not in the cards for you no matter how well you play.
Any of the above are reasons for you to evaluate and re-evaluate your game. At any rate keep your pipe dreams in check and your ego at home. Your bankroll will appreciate it.
I never thought it would come to this but the World Poker Tour is on the verge of a collapse if something doesn’t change fast. The poker show that put poker on the map is now in serious danger of becoming extinct. That would not bode well for poker at all. Is it a sign of the times? With all of the economic issues on Wall Street maybe it was just a matter of time before it finally hit the WPT.
What ever the case this is not good when pokers flagship show is taking on water so fast.
Looking back on the WPT we have to take a few things into consideration. First, they had a really difficult time keeping the show stable after Shauna Hiatt left. I know this didn’t necessarily affect their stock but it sure did make a huge difference in the production of the show. Every single replacement they put in had absolutely no knowledge of the game and had very poor interview skills as a result.
Second, the branding issue and the contract the players had to sign to play a WPT poker tournament. The WPT had complete control over the players images and prohibited logos causing a rift between the players and the WPT resulting in a very public law suite.
Third, you had the opening and closing of ClubWPT and WPTOnline poker rooms all within a few months of each other. Just about the time that the contractual issue was worked out and the law suite was settled their online venture fell through the floor as well.
Lastly, the WPT stock has dropped and they continue to lose millions of dollars each year. Revenues have dropped from $7.8 million last year to $5.1 in 2008. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the WPT is fighting for its financial life. Recently the WPT partnered with Full Tilt Poker. This partnership will give the WPT access to Full Tilts top Pro players like Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer and the like for advertising and promotion purposes.
All I can say is that Steve Lipscomb had better pull a rabbit out of his hat or the WPT won’t be around for much longer.
The idiocy has been put on hold as the Kentucky court of appeals has granted a stay to the domain name seizure as of November 16th. The motion was successfully filed by the IMEGA (Interactive Media and Gaming Association) in response to the original decision to allow the domain seizure to move forward. This effectively would have prohibited Kentucky residents from playing online poker.
As I stated in my podcast this is a complete joke and wreaks of arrogance. Seizing a domain is childish and substantiates the fact that the folks that are governing and acting as over lords have no idea what this great game is all about.
The Poke Players Alliance, Interactive Gaming Council and Kentucky American Civil Liberties Union have also joined forces to help fight against the initial case.
“Will the cards ever turn?” That is the question I have been asking myself for the past two weeks. Lately it has been hand after hand after hand late in the tournament with the best hand and I end up sent to the rail. You would think my hand would hold up at some point before the end of 2008.
lol
Seriously, it is what it is. I am playing very good poker but right now my hands are not holding up worth anything. I have been run down after all the money goes in five out of eight times this week alone. The other times I have lost on one outers and two outers. These things happen in poker but it sure is tough medicine to take sometimes. On the other hand I have been very pleased that despite having to endure some tough beats that my game has not change one inch. I have stayed with my principles and kept my head on straight throughout this bumpy ride and still reaped the benefits of good solid aggressive play.
That’s what you are supposed to do. Play your game and get your chips in good! So, although a bit bruised I am far from discouraged and as I have stated before I wear my bad beats as a badge of honor. Remember, bad players don’t get bad beats.
Many times I have experienced playing bottom two pair. Back when I first began playing Holdem I would slow play this kind of hand like a complete neophyte. I got away with it a few times for some big pots and then all of the sudden I started getting burned over and over and over again. It was only after I had reviewed my hand histories and read a few books that I realized how poorly I was playing this hand.
Bottom two pair should never be a hand you get married to and certainly not one worthy of going broke with. Even in a cash game playing bottom two pair can get you in a heep of trouble. Having said all that it is inevitable that you will hit this hand from time to time. Most often I tend to hit this hand while in the blinds. Here is my take on how to handle bottom two pair from any situation.
1. First and foremost I flat refuse to go broke with this hand in a tournament or cash game format. It just is not strong enough to withstand any serious pressure after you bet out.
2. The hand is extremely vulnerable when your opponent has top pair so you want to play the hand aggressively. I do not want my opponent to see another card after the flop so I am going to bet out hard holding this hand.
3. Despite holding a decent hand I still may be beat no matter what position I am playing it from. Again, I need to know where I am at in the hand and if I get some serious pressure be willing to fold the hand with minimal damage to my stack.
No, I do not encourage flaunting this hand with slow plays trying to milk the pot. This is a hit and run type of hand in a cash game or tournament format. Make your move and get outta there!
Sure, there are exceptions to every rule but you need to know where you’re at and with whom you are playing with. So when playing bottom two pair proceed with extreme caution.
Looks like Clonie Gowen is unhappy with her deal with Full Tilt Poker. Apparently she believes she was jilted when the revenue was distributed to Full Tilt full members earlier in the year and she is now seeking retribution. I find this rather odd to say the least. The reason being is that most people know that full Full Tilt members are comprised of the founders of Full Tilt plus Patrick Antonious. Most everyone else is a Friend of Full Tilt professional or Full Tilt friend. The founding members of Full Tilt each have a 1% stake in ownership.
Full Tilt poker is estimated to be worth approximately $2 Billion dollars.
Gowen believes that when she was being courted by Full Tilt that a verbal commitment was made assuring her of being a full Full Tilt member. Again, if you take notice to the founders and full Full Tilt members you will see that they are all upper echelon poker professionals like Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Gus Hanson, Andy Bloch etc. Clonie is indeed a good poker player and successful cash game player but she is nowhere near the top echelon of tournament or cash game players. I don’t see this law suit going anywhere especially since she has nothing in writing other than her being a Full Tilt Pro.
Here are the claims made in the case filed in Nevada on November 14th:
• Breach of Contract
• Breach of Fiduciary Duties
• Breach of Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing
• Unjust Enrichment
• Fraud/Intentional Misrepresentation
The first Do or Die Poker podcast is now online and ready for downloading. It took me a while to get to it but I am pleased with it and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. In my haste I left out the “or” in the URL but it is easily read throughout the entire podcast or by simply searching Do or Die Poker.
Hey I’m new to pod casting so I figure one mistake on the first one won’t kill me.
lol
Anyhow, we would love to hear your feedback so that we can continue to improve the podcast moving forward. Thanks for your patience and enjoy the show.
Now you can play poker with your MySpace and Facebook friends on your Apple iPhone. Live Poker by Zynga software is now available for the iPhone. Here are some of the features available:
FEATURES:
- Receive 1,000 free chips every day you play!
- Play LIVE with real people over your 3G network or Wifi
- Friend finder to help you connect with friends
- Chat with others at your table
- Celebrate a great hand by buying beers for the table
- Come and go from poker tables
- Easy to learn for beginners
Harrah’s Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman has indicated that online poker is on the upswing and that it will be legal in the short term. This is fantastic news after the last round of legislation under the Bush regime that basically legitimized the UIGEA. The puzzling thing is why the Bush administration would wait two years after it was signed to all of the sudden try and push it over the top?
Again, with all of the XXX video on the internet you would think that would be more harmful to the kids and the moral decline of our society but somehow poker is the main contributor to the moral decline of society?
Are you serious?
Anyhow, here is the complete article and statement that Loveman gave about online poker.
22 year old Peter Eastgate has won the 2008 World Series of Poker No Limit Championship event! Eastgate was heads-up against 27-year-old Russian Ivan Demidov. Demidov was favored to pull out the victory but the poker gods had other things in mind.
The final hand had Demidov going all in holding two pair while Eastgate had an Ace to Five straight. With no help on the turn or river Demodov was done as the final card hit the felt handing the victory to Eastgate.
Peter Eastgate is now the youngest WSOP Main Event winner in history.
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