PokerStars NHLPA Charity Poker Shootout

Its on TSN and commentated by
our good friend Sonny Rattan
(from Elite Poker).

If you missed the first episode, it will
re-air Tonight (technically sunday) 1:00 AM

Seven episodes in total over the next week.
Episodes 2 & 3 will air Sunday afternoon
between 2 - 4 pm.

Repeated until the cows come home.

2008 WSOP Schedule

LAS VEGAS – December 11, 2007 – Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:HET) said today the 2008 World Series of Poker Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light and televised exclusively on ESPN will – for the first time ever – begin and end with $10,000 buy-in World Championship events and feature a total of eight $10,000 championships.

In addition, the 55-event schedule for 2008 includes a total of eight $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournaments, which traditionally draw the largest fields except for the Main Event. The WSOP has also added a second start day for the first of the $1,500 no-limit competitions to accommodate the expected number of entrants.

“This is our most exciting schedule yet,” said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the WSOP. “Both amateur and professional poker players will have new opportunities to compete for a WSOP bracelet and can choose from the widest variety of games and buy-ins ever offered in one poker tournament and certainly at the WSOP.

“We’re holding steady at 55 events this year,” said Pollack. “But, we’ve mixed it up a bit to keep it interesting for our players and fans.”

The 2008 WSOP starts May 30 with the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot-Limit Hold’Em and ends July 16 with the Final Table of the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em – best known as the WSOP Main Event.

The six other $10,000 buy-in events – all World Championship competitions – include: Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’Em; Seven-Card Stud; Limit Hold’Em; Omaha Hi-Low Split Eight or Better; Pot-Limit Omaha; and a new Mixed Event. The Mixed Event will feature eight variations of poker: Limit and No-Limit Hold’Em; Omaha Hi-Low and Pot-Limit Omaha; Seven Card Stud; Razz; Seven Card Hi-Low Split; and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball.

The second event of the 2008 WSOP is a $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament with two starting days – May 31 and June 1.

Pre-registration for the 2008 WSOP can be made beginning in February on-site at the Main Cage of the Rio® All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas or at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

In addition to the largest cash prizes in poker, winners of each of the 55 events will receive an exclusive World Series of Poker gold bracelet crafted by the luxury Swiss watchmaker CORUM. Last year, 54,288 entrants who ranged in age from 21 (bracelet winner Steve Billirakis) to 94 (Main Event contestant Jack Ury) competed for the poker world’s largest total prize pool of nearly $160 million.

The 2008 WSOP will be staged inside the Rio Convention Center from May 30 through July 16. WSOP officials plan a “soft opening” of the tournament room on May 28 and 29 for players to register early and play in satellite tournaments and cash games.

“The poker tent is gone,” said Pollack. “We heard folks loud and clear last year, and there will be no tents used for tournament play at the 2008 WSOP.”

On July 2, and in conjunction with the WSOP, Oscar nominee Don Cheadle and poker professional Annie Duke will host the second annual Ante Up For Africa charity tournament at the Rio.

Last year’s AUFA event featured dozens of Hollywood celebrities and poker professionals and raised more than $700,000 for charity. Ante Up For Africa is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Cheadle, Duke and Norman Epstein and is dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need.

July 3 is the first of four start days for the 2008 Main Event. Last year, a total of 6,358 entrants competed for a Main Event prize pool of $59.8 million. Players may choose their Main Event start dates as long as seats are available on the selected dates.

More information about the World Series of Poker is available at the Web site www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

Schedule of 2008 World Series of Poker events:

Date ...........Day........ Time......EV# ......................... Buy-In

5/28/2008 Wednesday 9:00 AM Registration Opens, Live Action & Satellites Begin

5/29/2008 Thursday Registration, Live Action & Satellites

5/30/2008 Friday 12 noon 1 World Championship Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $10,000

5/31/2008 Saturday 12 noon 2A No-Limit Hold'em (4 day event) Day 1A $1,500

6/1/2008 Sunday 12 noon 2B No-Limit Hold'em Day 1B

6/2/2008 Monday 12 noon 3 Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500

6/2/2008 Monday 5:00 PM 4 Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No-Limit) (3 Day event) $5,000

6/3/2008 Tuesday 12 noon 5 No-Limit Hold'em w/Re-Buys (3 day event) $1,000

6/3/2008 Tuesday 5:00 PM 6 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) $1,500

6/4/2008 Wednesday 12 noon 7 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,000

6/4/2008 Wednesday 5:00 PM 8 World Championship Mixed Event (3 day event)
Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz , Seven Card Stud,
Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, No-Limit Holdem, Pot-Limit Omaha, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball $10,000

6/5/2008 Thursday 12 noon 9 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (3 day event) $1,500

6/5/2008 Thursday 5:00 PM 10 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better (3 days) $2,500

6/6/2008 Friday 12 noon 11 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (3 day event) $5,000

6/6/2008 Friday 5:00 PM 12 Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500

6/7/2008 Saturday 12 noon 13 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,500

6/7/2008 Saturday 5:00 PM 14 World Championship Seven Card Stud (3 day event) $10,000

6/8/2008 Sunday 12 noon 15 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em World Championship (3 day event) $1,000

6/8/2008 Sunday 5:00 PM 16 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) $2,000

6/9/2008 Monday 12 noon 17 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout (3 day event) $1,500

6/9/2008 Monday 5:00 PM 18 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/Re-Buys (3 day event) $5,000

6/10/2008 Tuesday 12 noon 19 Pot-Limit Omaha (3 day event) $1,500

6/10/2008 Tuesday 5:00 PM 20 Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,000

6/11/2008 Wednesday 12 noon 21 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $5,000

6/11/2008 Wednesday 5:00 PM 22 H.O.R.S.E. (3 day event)
Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz,
Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better $3,000

6/12/2008 Thursday 12 noon 23 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,000

6/12/2008 Thursday 5:00 PM 24 Pot-Limit Holdem/Omaha (3 day event) $2,500

6/13/2008 Friday 12 noon 25 World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em (256 player max) (3 day event) $10,000

6/13/2008 Friday 5:00 PM 26 Seven Card Razz (3 day event) $1,500

6/14/2008 Saturday 12 noon 27 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500

6/14/2008 Saturday 5PM 28 Pot-Limit Omaha W/Rebuys (3 day event) $5,000

6/15/2008 Sunday 12 noon 29 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $3,000

6/15/2008 Sunday 5:00 PM 30 World Championship Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $10,000

6/16/2008 Monday 12 noon 31 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (3 day event) $2,500

6/17/2008 Tuesday 12 noon 32 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500

6/17/2008 Tuesday 5:00 PM 33 World Championship Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) $5,000

6/18/2008 Wednesday 12 noon 34 Pot-Limit Omaha W/Re-Buys (3 day event) $1,500

6/18/2008 Wednesday 5:00 PM 35 Seven Card Stud (3 day event) $1,500

6/19/2008 Thursday 12 noon 36 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500

6/19/2008 Thursday 5:00 PM 37 World Championship Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) $10,000

6/20/2008 Friday 12 noon 38 Pot-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,000

6/21/2008 Saturday 12 noon 39 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500

6/22/2008 Sunday 12 noon 40 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. (5 day event)
Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz,
Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better $50,000

6/22/2008 Sunday 5:00 PM 41 Mixed Hold'em (limit/no-limit) (3 Day event) $1,500

6/23/2008 Monday 12 noon 42 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em World Championship (3 day event) $1,000

6/24/2008 Tuesday 12 noon 43 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better (3 day event) $1,500

6/25/2008 Wednesday 12 noon 44 No-Limit Hold'em w/Re-Buys (3 day event) $1,000

6/25/2008 Wednesday 5:00 PM 45 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit) (3 day event) $2,500

6/26/2008 Thursday 12 noon 46 No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed (3 day event) $5,000

6/26/2008 Thursday 5:00 PM 47 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better (3 day event) $1,500

6/27/2008 Friday 12 noon 48 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $2,000

6/28/2008 Saturday 12 noon 49 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500

6/29/2008 Sunday 12 noon 50 World Championship Pot Limit Omaha (3 day event) $10,000

6/29/2008 Sunday 5:00 PM 51 H.O.R.S.E. (3 day event)
Limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz,
Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better $1,500

6/30/2008 Monday 12 noon 52 No-Limit Hold'em (3 day event) $1,500

7/1/2008 Tuesday 12 noon 53 Limit Hold'em Shootout (2 day event) $1,500

7/2/2008 Wednesday 10:00 AM Media Event

7/2/2008 Wednesday Satellite Day

7/2/2008 Wednesday 2:00 PM Ante Up For Africa Charity Event (1 day event) $5,000

7/3/2008 Thursday 12 noon 54A World Championship No-Limit Texas Hold'em Day 1A 2,500 Players $10,000

7/4/2008 Friday 12 noon 54B Day 1B 2,500 Players

7/5/2008 Saturday 12 noon 54C Day 1C 2,500 Players

7/6/2008 Sunday 12 noon 54D Day 1D 2,500 Players

7/7/2008 Monday OFF

7/7/2008 Monday 12 noon 55 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em (2 day event) $500

7/8/2008 Tuesday 12 noon Day 2A

7/9/2008 Wednesday 12 noon Day 2B

7/10/2008 Thursday 12 noon Day 3

7/11/2008 Friday 12 noon Day 4

7/12/2008 Saturday 12 noon Day 5

7/13/2008 Sunday 12 noon Day 6

7/14/2008 Monday 12 noon Day 7

7/15/2008 Tuesday OFF

7/16/2008 Wednesday 12 noon Final Table

General Information:
For events 2 & 54, you may request your first day of play based on seating availability.
For vendor information please call 702-777-2310
Single Table Satellites, Mega Satellites and Live Action begin on May 28, 2008
Mega Satellite Schedule:
$330 Mega Satellites Monday - Thursday at 3 PM.
$550 Mega Satellites Friday - Sunday at 3 PM.
$1060 Mega Satellites Daily at 9 PM.
Mega Satellite Days July 2 - 5:
$330 Mega Satellites at 6 PM.
$550 Buy-In Mega Satellites at 10 AM and 4 PM.
$1060 Buy-In Mega Satellites at 1 PM and 9 PM.

Turbo Mega Satellite July 6:
$1060 Turbo Mega Satellite at 8AM

$50k H.O.R.S.E. Mega Satellite Days May 31, June 1, 16, 20, and 21 :
$2250 Mega Satellites at 5 PM.

Nightly Tournaments From May 29 - July 15:
$340 Buy-In No-Limit Hold'em tournaments nightly at 7 PM.

For Tournament Info:
Visit our web site at www.worldseriesofpoker.com or call us at 1-877-FOR-WSOP (1-877-367-9767)
For Room Reservation Info:
1-877-746-8342

The Following Take-Out Percentages Will Be Withheld From the Buy-In for House Fees and Dealer/Staff Tokes
Buy-In Take-Out
$500.00 - 10%
$1,000.00 - 9%
$1,500.00 - 9%
$2,000.00 - 9%
$2,500.00 - 8%
$3,000.00 - 8%
$5,000.00 - 6%
$10,000.00 - 6%
$50,000.00 - 4%

All winners will be required to provide a valid picture ID.
Tax forms will be completed for those with winnings in excess of $5,000 net of event buy-in.
Players without a Tax Identification Number and Foreign Players from Non-Tax Treaty Countries are subject to up to 30% tax withholding.

Premier Tour News

SPECIAL EVENT:
Join us this Monday December 10th 7pm
at the Bradley Roadhouse for
BATTLE OF THE SEXES !

It's shoot-out style tournament.
Men against Men, Women against Women.
Then it's the Top 4 Men VS. the Top 4 Women
at the Final Table to determine the Ultimate
Battle of the Sexes Winner.

WEATHER: The time of year for
snow squalls and tricky driving has arrived,
but poker rolls on despite the snow.
All events will run as scheduled as long as
the bars remain open.

HOLIDAYS:
Poker will be off for the holidays on
Monday Dec 24th, Tuesday Dec 25th,
Monday Dec 31st.

CHIP REESE PASSES AWAY

Poker Legend David 'Chip' Reese Dead at 56
December 04, 2007 by Amy Calistri

The poker world erupted with shock and

condolences this morning as news spread

that three-time WSOP bracelet winner and

legendary cash-game player David "Chip"

Reese died early today, at the age of 56.

His dominance in poker was so pronounced

that in 1991 he was the youngest player ever

inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, an

honor usually bestowed on those after a

lifetime of achievement.

After graduating from Dartmouth College,

Reese headed for Las Vegas with plans to

attend Stanford Business School in the fall.

But during that summer, Reese won a tournament

for $40,000 and continued to grow his bankroll

to over $100,000 and never went on to graduate

school.

In 1978, Chip Reese won his first

WSOP bracelet

in the Seven Card Stud Split event. In 1982,

Reese scored another WSOP bracelet in the

$5000 Seven Card Stud event. In Super/System,

Doyle Brunson called Reese "the best Seven Card

stud player I've ever played with."

Reese devoted less time to tournament play

in deference to cash games and was a regular

in the "Big Game" at the Bellagio. He was also

a renowned sports bettor, considered to be a

preeminent baseball handicapper.

In 2006, the World Series of Poker featured

a $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event for the first time.

For professional players, the event represented

the ultimate test of all-around poker skill and

its bracelet was more coveted by high-stakes

pros than even that of the Championship event.

After an epic seven-hour, heads-up battle against

Andy Bloch, Chip Reese prevailed to win

$1.7 million and his third, and now final,

WSOP bracelet.

Mike Sexton had this to say upon learning of

Reese's untimely passing: "Chip Reese was

probably the most successful poker player in

history. He was also the youngest player ever

inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, and

deservedly so. For years, most players

considered Chip to be the best all-around

poker player and by winning the inaugural

$50,000 buy-in HORSE tournament at the

2006 WSOP, he cemented that status.

Chip has always been admired by players

for his success, his demeanor at the table,

and that he never steamed or went on tilt."

Continued Sexton, "When you mention poker

'greats', put Chip Reese on the top of the list."

Niagara Falls Deal

If you cant afford to take off to Vegas
for a week right now, here's a cheap deal
to go to the Falls.

The Courtyard by Marriott Niagara Falls is
offering a 1-night package worth over $140
for only $89 per night this November!

With most of your meals pretty much
taken care of, you can spend more time
playing poker and less time worrying about
where you're going to eat!

Package includes the following:
1 night Standard Guestroom accommodation
at the Courtyard by Marriott Niagara Falls

1 dinner voucher to The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
or TGI Fridays ($45 value)

2 buffet breakfast vouchers for the
Courtyard Cafe ($24.97 value)

Unlimited use of the Casino & Attractions
shuttle for 2 ($24 value)

This deal is valid Sunday-Thursday Nov. 7-29.
For only $10 more, you can stay in a room with a hot tub!

Must book by Nov. 19:
Call 1-800-771-1123 to book this deal
directly with Courtyard by Marriott

FTOPS VI Kicks Off Today

The Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS)
returns today, kicking off a 12-day run featuring
16 different events offering over $9 million
in guaranteed prize money.

The quarterly FTOPS series have established
themselves as online poker's second-largest
ongoing series, with plenty of poker pros on hand
to host and/or take part in the action.

Play begins this evening with a $200+16
No-Limit Hold'em 6-max event with a $750,000
guarantee and runs with at least one event
each day through Sunday, November 18th,
when the Main Event, a $500+35 event with
a $2 million guarantee, gets underway.

All four weekend dates within the FTOPS schedule
offer two events each, including the Main Event
on the closing Sunday, and other big events include
a two-day No-Limit Hold'em event beginning on
Nov. 17th, with a $1.5 million guarantee, and
million-dollar-guarantee events on both
Sunday, Nov. 12th and Monday, Nov. 13th.

The two-day event spanning the final weekend
also features the highest buy-in of FTOPS VI
at $2,500+120 and is likely to draw a star-stuffed
field to the proceedings.

The complete schedule for the Full Tilt Online
Poker Series VI (November 7-18, 2007):
Event Date/Time Buy-In Game Details Guarantee (Host)

#1 11/7 21:00 ET $200+16 NLH 6-Max $750,000 (Brad "Yukon" Booth)
#2 11/8 21:00 ET $300+22 Razz $100,000 (David Oppenheim)
#3 11/9 21:00 ET $200+16 PLH $300,000 (Jon "PearlJammed" Turner)
#4 11/10 15:00 ET $500+35 PLO 6-max $300,000 (David Benyamine)
#5 11/10 16:30 ET $100+9 NLH Rebuy $400,000 (Andrew Black)
#6 11/11 14:00 ET $100+9 Stud Hi/Lo $25,000 ("Miami" John Cernuto)
#7 11/11 18:00 ET $300+22 NL Hold 'em $1,000,000 (Paul Wolfe)
#8 11/12 21:00 ET $1,000+60 NL Hold 'em $1,000,000 (Jared "TheWacoKidd" Hamby)
#9 11/13 21:00 ET $200+16 PLO Hi/Lo $150,000 (Chris "Jesus" Ferguson)
#10 11/14 21:00 ET $300+22 NL Hold 'em 6-max Rebuy $750,000 (Jordan "iMsoLucky0" Morgan)
#11 11/15 21:00 ET $500+35 HORSE $250,000 (Jennifer Harman)
#12 11/16 21:00 ET $200+16 LHE 6-Max $200,000 (Kenny Tran)
#13 11/17 15:00 ET $2,500+120 NLH 2-Day $1,500,000 (John Juanda)
#14 11/17 16:30 ET $100+9 PLO Rebuy $300,000 (Eddy Scharf)
#15 11/18 14:00 ET $150+13 NL Hold 'em Knockout $100,000 (Erik Seidel)

Main Event (#16)
11/18 18:00 ET $500+35 NL Hold 'em $2,000,000 (Lee Watkinson)


Sign up for a new FULL TILT POKER account
using one of the banner ads on the side.

GBH Poker Room

Finally !!

Phone in reservations are now allowed
at the Great Blue Heron Casino Poker Room.

You can phone in and reserve your spot
on the list, (You have 1 hr to arrive and
check in or you'll get bumped)

1-888-29HERON EXT. 263

The GBH Poker Pit Offers:
3-4 tables of 5/10
3-4 tables of 10/20
2 tables of 20/40
1 table of 20/40 Omaha Hi

Mon-Wed
$100 mini tourneys

Thurs $200 mini tourneys

Starting October 15th
Satellites for this Decembers
$2000+$100 TOC - CPT Tournament

www.UWOpoker.com

Kevin, a student attending UWO
has created a website called
UWO Poker (http://www.uwopoker.com/).

His site gives local London players
a place to connect with other poker players
through home games, public tournaments,
and online poker. Its in the beginning stages,
but i'm sure it'll really take off soon once
a few more people find out about it and
start post home games, tournaments, etc.

He was kind enough to give Premier Poker
a listing, so be sure to check out his
site on a regular basis.

Seneca Poker Tournaments

Seneca Casino's October PokerFest

Five days of Deep Stack Events
Seneca Poker at Niagara Falls
October 27 – October 31, 2007

-----------------------------
Saturday, October 27 Noon
No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em Tournament
$300+$30 Buy-In = $5,000 in tournament chips
30-minute rounds
Located on the Casino Mezzanine
5 p.m. Dinner Break
Complimentary dinner available in
Poker Room and tournament area

----------------------------
Sunday, October 28 Noon
No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em Tournament
$500+$40 = $7,000 in tournament chips.
30-minute rounds.
Located on the Casino Mezzanine.
5 p.m. Dinner Break.
Complimentary dinner available
in Poker Room and tournament area.

----------------------------
Monday, October 29 Noon
October Pokerfest Championship
No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em Tournament
$1,000+$70 Buy-In = $10,000 in tournament chips.
60-minute rounds.
Located in Events Center Quadrants C&D.
5 p.m. Dinner Break.
Complimentary dinner available in
Poker Room and Tournament area.

-----------------------------

Tuesday, October 30 Noon
October Pokerfest Day Two.
Located in Events Center Quadrants C&D.
5 p.m. Dinner Break.
Complimentary dinner available
in Poker Room and Tournament area.

-----------------------------
Wednesday, October 31 Noon
October Pokerfest Championship Day Three
Located in Events Center Quadrants C&D
Tournament to take place only if necessary
5 p.m. Dinner Break
Complimentary dinner available in
Poker Room and Tournament area.


Registration for these main events taken
at any time at the poker room cage.
Satellites available daily based on interest.
Call the poker rooms at 877-8-SENECA
for more details.

http://www.senecapokerrooms.com/tournaments/pokerfest.php

Travis Rice Wins Aruba Poker Classic

by Gene Bromberg

In contrast to the small turnout at the
Turks and Caicos WPT event held the
previous week, the UltimateBet Aruba
Poker Classic boasted a field of 546,
including top pros such as Phil Hellmuth,
Mike Matusow, Freddy Deeb, Annie Duke
and Joe Sebok.

The fact that the age requirement to play
in Aruba is 18 attracted some of the top
online players in the world, including
Annette "Annette_15" Obrestad, who
recently won the World Series of Poker
- Europe Main Event. Obrestad didn't make
it past Day 2, and the other big names in
the field fell by the wayside as we reached
the final table.

Perhaps the best-known player among
the final six was Travis "TravestyFund" Rice,
and the online superstar dominated the
final table on his way to the victory and
the $800,000 first prize.

As with previous Aruba Classics the final
table was held outside, and the players
had to deal with the heat (both from the
sun and the TV lights) as well as a stiff
breeze that threatened to blow the cards
off the table.

After the sun went down it cooled off,
but the TV lights attracted swarms of
insects, including a gigantic dragonfly
that repeatedly buzzed Rice's head.

Labyrinth of Avarice

by: Paul McGuire

After spending a substantial amount of time within the milieu of Las Vegas, I've come to the conclusion that partying and gambling as a temporary visitor in Sin City is a million times more enjoyable than living there for work, particularly during the two months in the middle of summer when the World Series of Poker is underway. I understand the plight of the unfortunate souls who have to toil in resort towns or other holiday hotspots as the resentment builds against those they have to serve and be around daily... tourists.

I travel frequently for both work and pleasure and spent the last three years on the road following the poker tournament circuit. I prefer hanging out with travelers more than tourists. There's a vast difference between a traveler and tourist and if you have to ask me to clarify that gap, then I'm afraid that you're a tourist in life.

Sadly, after living in Las Vegas on and off over the last three years, I have grown frustrated with the... Continue reading Labyrinth of Avarice

SPORTS BETTING COMING TO ONT ?

SPORTS BETTING FOR ONTARIO?

21 September 2007

ISW negotiating a contract to provide
sports betting software to Canadian
provincial gaming operator


The embattled Ontario Lottery and
Gaming Corporation seems to be
expanding its activities, according
to a press release from New Jersey
based Interactive Systems Worldwide Inc.
which reports that the company is in
negotiations to supply the Canadian
provincial authority with its sports
wagering product.

Recently at the centre of a retail
outlet ticket scandal which resulted
in widespread executive changes in
the top echelons, the OLG has a new
CEO and a firm commitment to fair
and safe gambling on its facilities.

The organisation generates revenues
of $6 billion and employs more than
20 000 employees and associates,
and is one of North America's leading
gaming enterprises.

ISW's announcement confirmed that
the company has received a purchase
order, and shortly expects to receive
an initial deposit of $35 000 from the
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

The purchase order authorises the
spending of up to $175 000 for software
development and other services.
This software development is required
for the modification of ISW's SportXction
sports wagering product to add certain
features, including the offering of parley
wagering, required by OLG.

OLG is authorised under Canadian and
provincial law to operate gaming and
wagering businesses within the province
of Ontario.

The companies are currently negotiating
a development/licensing agreement,
which would allow OLG to conduct a
six-month field trial of the modified
SportXction product, after its completion,
for use in up to two casinos. ISW is optimistic
that this field trial will lead to a broader
implementation in multiple casinos and
other on-site gaming venues throughout
Ontario, Canada.

If successful, the system will have
applicability in other Canadian provinces.

The purpose of the purchase order
at this time is to kickstart software
development without waiting for the
completion and signing of the more
definitive licensing agreement.
Actual delivery of the modified software
will not occur until after signing the
licensing agreement.

Bernard Albanese, CEO at Interactive
Systems Worldwide stated, "We are
very pleased with this arrangement.
The purchase order initially provides
the company with some short-term
software development revenue, but
more importantly, we are excited by
the longer-term prospects of a broad
based deployment of the SportXction
product throughout Canada."

SHAWN SHEIKHAN FACES DEPORTATION

Sheikhan Faces Deportation
Hearing Over 1995 Conviction

September 20, 2007
PokerNews Staff

A breaking report in today's Las Vegas
Review-Journal details a pending
deportation hearing for Las Vegas
high-stakes regular Shahram "Shawn"
Sheikhan, based on a decade-old
misdemeanor conviction in a California
case.

Sheikhan, an Iranian citizen who
immigrated to the U.S. in 1983,
has an American-born wife, and
maintains full legal resident status,
received five years of probation
and served nine months in jail after
the 1995 conviction for 'sexual battery
and annoyance or molestation of a
child,' according to the LVRJ report.

Immigration officials arrested
Sheikhan August 30th, holding him
for more than a week before releasing
him after Sheikhan posted a $10,000 bond.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement spokesperson, Virginia Kice,
noted in a release that Sheikhan " was
targeted for ICE arrest because of his
criminal history." Kice later added,
"We want to see him removed from the
United States." The arrest was made as
part of ICE's ongoing 'Operation Predator'
program.

Sheikhan first garnered significant
poker-world attention when he made
a deep run in the 2005 WSOP Main Event,
where he served as a verbal sparring
partner for Mike 'The Mouth' Matusow.

He is represented in the current matter
by noted Vegas attorney David Chesnoff,
who received high poker visibility after
representing Bruce Crispin Leyser in
Leyser's dispute with 2006 WSOP ME
winner Jamie Gold.

Regarding the Sheikhan matter,
Chesnoff noted, "We're going to do
everything in our power to prevent this,"
and also raised the possibility that Sheikhan
may have received inadequate counsel
in the 1995 case.

Vegas Withholding Tax

Lots of misinformation floating around
out there about the 30% tax on winnings
if you happen to get lucky in the USA.
Some say you cant get it back, others
say those Refund companies will get it
ALL back.

Here's the Short Truthiness Version:


The US charges a flat 30%
withholding tax on any US
source income. You can only
get back 100% of the taxes on
certain types of gambling income
(bingo, keno, slots).
Poker is not one of them.

If you’re planning on playing in a
big US tournament, you should
apply to the IRS for an Individual
Taxpayer Identification Number
(ITIN) using a W-7 form. This MAY
get your withholding tax reduced
to $0 on the spot, but (most) casinos
aren’t entirely familiar with these
procedures and may still withhold
the full amount. Then again, this
ignorance on their part MAY allow
you to avoid the Withholding Tax
simply by showing this piece of paper.

More likely though, to get your
withholding tax back you will have to
file a U.S. tax return and reduce
your taxable income sufficiently
so that you do not owe any taxes.
Then you will get a tax refund in the
amount of the original withholding.
So keep all your receipts so you can
claim the expenses you incurred
during the fiscal year of your winnings.
So basically you can claim flights, meals,
gas, hotel rooms, tournament buyins, etc
and get back a good chunk of what
was withheld.

More poker TV news

If you've watched the WPT and WSOP

on tv, you'll probably recognize the very brash

and aggressive Jean-Robert Bellande .
He will be appearing on the 15th Season of

SURVIVOR. The show starts on Thursday,

September 20th at 8:00 pm

Set your VCR / Tivo

For those lucky enough to get ESPN,
you can see a great night of poker on tv,
Tuesday 8pm - 10pm. They're showing
2007 World Series of Poker Main Event
Day 2A. 1034 players, about half the
remaining total continue playing for the
winner's share $8.5 million in cash and
poker immortality.

By the end of the day, 350 survived to
move on to Day 3.

CRAZY PINEAPPLE

Here's a quick run-down of
crazy pineapple for all those
who are coming out to the
PREMIER POKER TOUR's
Mixed Cards Night on Saturday
Sept 22nd 7pm at Deacons.


CRAZY PINEAPPLE is played exactly the same
as Hold 'em, with one difference, players are
dealt 3 hole cards instead of 2.

It is usually played Hi-Lo in casinos
(all cards must be less than 8 for the Lo).

Its popularity is rapidly growing, with
California's Bicycle and Commerce Casino's
being the hotspots. It is also spread live in
low & mid-limit mixed games at the Wynn,
MGM Grand, and Treasure Island in Las Vegas.

Pineapple is typically played in casinos as a
limit game ($3-6, $5-10, etc.), but it easily
translates to a no-limit or pot-limit structure.
You can even try it out for play money at
UltimateBet.net or UB offers real money
at every conceivable limit.

HOW ITS PLAYED:
- Everyone is dealt 3 cards. (Instead of 2 for holdem)

- There is a round of betting.

- A Flop of three community cards is dealt.
There is a round of betting.
- Everyone remaining in the pot DISCARDS
one of their cards. Note: In regular pineapple,
one card is discarded before the flop)

- A Turn card is dealt. There is another round
of betting.

- A River card is dealt. There is another
round of betting.

- Then the hands are shown down.
Players may use any combination of the
two cards in their hand and the five cards
on the board

HAND SELECTION / STRATEGY:
The more cards you get in a flop game
the fewer hands you should play
(ie: more in holdem, less in omaha).

Since Pineapple is in between, you should
play fewer hands than Holdem, but more
hands than Omaha.

Pineapple is definitely an "action game"
and pots are almost always contested
multi-way. As the three hole cards
create many more hand possibilities,
even conservative players will tend to
see a lot more flops.

Like in Omaha, hand values increase significantly.
While one or two pair is usually enough to take
down a hold'em pot, one needs a much stronger
hand to survive the showdown in pineapple,
typically the nut straight or nut flush.
Someone will almost always flop a flush draw
in a multi-way pineapple pot, and the odds
to chase it are usually there. Hands like top pair
top kicker, or a pair slightly smaller than top pair
(J-J-X on a K-8-9 flop) are therefore much more
vulnerable than they would be in hold'em.

A quality starting hand in pineapple contains
a big pair as well as a big suited draw.
Ah-Ad-Qd, Jd-Jh-Kh, and Tc-Th-Jc are all
excellent hole card combinations as they give
players flush and straight possibilities to go
along with the pair. Three suited connectors
with a two-flush such as Jd-Qd-Kh are also
valuable as well as suited aces with straight
possibilities such as Ac-Jc-Td.

Small pairs can be playable if they come
with other draws (6c-6d-Ac), but do not fare
well on their own (4s-4h-Qd). Big offsuit aces,
like A-K, A-Q and A-J might be premium
hands in hold'em, but they are marginal at
best in pineapple without another draw for
backup. Three cards from the same suit can
also be a trouble hand, as one of your all
-important flush outs is already gone.

The Best and Worst part of Pineapple
is the Discard , It creates a dramatic
strategic adjustment. Players often face
a decision whether or not to keep a made
(but vulnerable) hand or to draw to an
even stronger hand like a straight or a flush.

For example, if I have the Kh-Kc-Qh on a
flop of Tc-Jh-6h, I need to decide whether
to keep my pair of kings intact and discard
the Qh, or go for the possible straight or
flush by discarding the Kc.

In a heads-up pot, it might feel safer to keep
the kings, but facing multi-way action, the
combination draw holds much more value.

Pot Limit Omaha

POT LIMIT OMAHA (Hi): is dealt exactly
like hold'em, except for the fact that
players receive 4 hole cards to start with
instead of two.

Two and ONLY 2 of those hole cards
are used to combine with three and
ONLY 3 of the five board cards to form
a player's best five card poker hand,
with the best high hand taking the pot.

All bets and raises are capped at the
size of the current pot. Pot sizes in
PLO tend to be larger than in NLHE.
Most players make their bets and
raises the size of the pot in PLO,
the number of chips in the middle
can grow very quickly.

Some Omaha Basics:

-Fold pre-flop unless you have a strong starting hand: Omaha is a waiting game

-After the flop, fold a hand that doesn’t include the top2 pair or a draw to the best possible hand

-Bet strongly at the turn if you hit a flush/straight. Don’t give free cards to potential winning draws

-Bet hard at the river if you have the nuts and bet as strongly as are comfortable with if you think you’re ahead. Otherwise, check.

The #1 rule of PLO pre-flop hand selection
is Always make sure your four cards
are working together.

Omaha is a game of drawing to the nuts.
In hold'em you have exactly 1 two-card
combination your hole cards can make.

In PLO, you have 6. Always keep in mind
that Omaha is played with nine cards
per player, which can throw up a huge
range of possible hands. This dramatically
increases the possibility that the nuts
are out there, so when considering
whether or not to play a starting hand,
it is crucial to examine what "nut potential"
it has.

The two best starting hands in PLO
are A-A-K-K double-suited or A-A-J-T
double-suited. Both hands have the potential to
(a) flop high sets that can develop into full houses
(b) make the nut flush and
(c) make the nut straight;
all things you want to do in PLO
where hand values are much higher
than in hold'em. So, be on the lookout
for big pairs, big suited aces,
suited/connected broadway straight cards,
and suited aces with three connecting straight cards.

Having said that...the reason that action
junkies love omaha, is that no four-card
hand is a significant favorite over another
before the flop.

Even the mighty A-A-J-T double-suited
is only a 2-1 favorite pre-flop over a
junk hand like the 2-4-6-8 offsuit.

Take two playable hands and stack them
against each other and the edges are
even slimmer. Take the Kh-Qd-Jh-Th
against the As-9s-8h-7d and the K-Q-J-T
is actually a 53% favorite over the ace high.

Therefore, when it comes to pre-flop raising,
well, there isn't a whole lot of it in PLO.
When dealt premium hands, players
should certainly raise, if only to thin
the field, but otherwise it's fine to limp in
with your playable hands.

Whatever edge you have or do not have
in the hand will develop almost entirely
on the flop. If you get a chance to watch it
on tv, you'll see 2 or 3 players battling
to the river, the favourite changing on
every street, and nothing decided until
that river card is dealt.

On the flop, you're looking to hit it hard,
or be prepared to dump your hand.
The best flops will give you both a made
hand with one or two re-draws to the nuts.

For example, if I'm holding the Ad-Kh-Qd-Th
and the flop is Td-8d-Ks , I've flopped
top two pair, a gutshot to the nut straight,
and the nut flush draw. A monster indeed,
and it's those re-draws that make it so.

In Omaha, vulnerable made hands,
like bottom two pair are frequently
underdogs to strong drawing hands
on the flop. If I have a hand like the
Ac-9c-8h-7s on a flop of 8s-9h-Qh,
the two pair has very little hope of
holding up to the bigger drawing hands
that will be out there.

So, play for the nuts, get ready to jam
with your monster draws and get ready
for a wild ride and lots of variance
in pot-limit Omaha.

7 card Stud

Each player must put in ante in
before receiving any cards.
Players then receive two (2) Downcards
& one (1) Upcard.
(Players must be able to see all upcards.)

The player with the lowest upcard
by suit is required to place a forced bet
or a "bring-in" to begin the first round of betting.


This player may bring in for half of the
small bet or the complete the small bet,
which is called a "completion" and
does not count as a raise.
(There may be up to three raises allowed
in a three raise fixed limit 7 card stud game.)


For all betting rounds after the first,
the Highest Hand Showing initiates the action.
If there is a tie on the board, then the action
is determined by position. In other words
the player who received cards first acts first.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth cards are dealt
to each player face up so that other players
may see it. The seventh and final card is dealt down.

The winner is determined at the showdown
by making the best 5-card poker hand
out of their 7 card hand.

Summary:
*Betting is clockwise, the player with the
highest poker hand showing starts ( 2-2 beats K-Q).
*2 cards dealt face down to each player, 1 card dealt face up
*upcard to each player
*upcard to each player
*upcard to each player
*downcard to each player
*showdown

Remember, a Good Deal is 2 for 1
(2 Down, 4 Up, 1 Down.)

You may note that seven cards to
eight players plus four burn cards
makes 60 cards, and there are only
52 in the deck. In most games this
is not a problem because several
players will have folded in early
betting rounds. But there are certainly
low-stakes home games where few
if any players fold. If this is the case
in your game, you may want to limit
the game to seven players. If the deck does
become exhausted during play,
previously-dealt burn cards can be used
when only a few cards are needed to
complete the deal. If even those are not
sufficient, then on the final round instead
of dealing a downcard to each player,
a single community card is dealt to the
center of the table, and is shared by everyone
(that is, each player treats it as his seventh card).

Under no circumstances can any discarded
card from a folded hand be "recycled"
for later use. Unlike draw poker, where
no cards are ever seen before showdown,
stud poker players use the information
they get from face-up cards to make
strategic decisions, and so a player who
sees a certain card folded is entitled to
make decisions knowing that the card
will never appear in another opponent's hand

Common problems:
What do you do if a player's first or
second hole card is accidentally turned up
by the dealer?
If a player's first or second hole card
is accidentally turned up by the dealer
the dealer should deal that player's third
card face down and keep the turned card face up.

What happens if the dealer accidentally
turns up both of your hole cards?
If the dealer accidentally turns up both
of your hole cards then your hand is
considered to be a dead hand and you will
receive your ante back for that particular hand.
If the first card turned up would have
been the lowest card, then the player
to that player's left would bring-in,
no matter their cards.


General Strategy:
Seven Card Stud is a HIGH card game.
More winning hands are decided by the
highest pair of two pair or just the highest pair,
than by straights, flushes and other big hands.
So if you start with a straight or flush draw,
it should have at least two high cards or at least
one card that is higher than anything up on the board.
These draw hands and low pair starting hands need
to improve or turn a high pair quickly to justify
continued play.

Any time your high hand is beaten on the board,
fold, unless you think you still have the best draw hand.
Fast play early high hands ( that could win without
improvement) to thin out the competition.
Slow play draw hands to keep other players in
to increase the pot odds in case you hit.


Definitions:
HIGH CARDS - 10 thru A

LOW CARDS - 2 thru 9

SPLIT PAIR - Starting hand with one of your pair cards down and the other up.

CONCEALED PAIR - Starting hand with both of your pair cards in the hole and your side card kicker up.

DOOR CARD - The exposed upcard of a starting hand.

DEAD CARDS - Cards that have been revealed and no longer in the deck.

FAST PLAY - Bet, raise and re-raise to get as many other players out as possible.

SLOW PLAY - Just check and call along to keep other players in the game and increase the pot odds.

CHECK-FOLD - Check when you cna and fold if you are bet into. Gladly accept free cards.


Playable Starting Hands:

HIGH TRIPS - (AAA down to 101010). Fast play these. Your opponents will put you on a high pair.

LOW TRIPS - (999 down to 222). Slow play until your 5th street bet. Keep 'em guessing.

HIGH PAIR - (AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010). Fast play these, split or concealed, if they are not overcarded on the board. Try to narrow the field and play fast until threatened by a higher hand.

LOW PAIR/ High Kicker - Slow play split or concealed low pairs with a kicker that is higher than any upcard on the board. Fold this hand if two or more of your key cards are dead. Check-fold if you don't get trips or two pair on the next card.

CONCEALED LOW PAIR/ No High Kicker - Slow play for trips on 4th street. Fold if one or both of your pair cards are dead. Check-fold if you don't make trips or two pair on the next card.

HIGH OVERCARDS - Two or three high cards that are higher than anything on the board. Slow play and check-fold if they don't make a high pair on the next card.

HIGH 3 CARD FLUSH - (2h 10h Kh). Must have at least two high cards. Fold if three or more cards of your suit are dead. Slow play and check-fold if you don't make a four card flush or a high pair on the next card.

HIGH 3 CARD STRAIGHT - (9 10 J ) to Q K A). Slow play and check-fold if you don't make a four card straight or a high pair on the next card.

ANY 3 CARDS TO A STRAIGHT FLUSH - (5d 7d 9d). Fold if four or more of your key straight and flush cards are dead. Slow play and check-fold if you don't make any four cards to a straight or a four card flush.

Strategy Tips:
- When you start with a high pair,
fast play to eliminate as many players as possible.

- Slow play starting draw hands like three to a straight or a flush. You want to keep other players in to build the pot odds.

- Slow play starting trips until the fifth card. You want some players around with this powerful starting hand.

- Usually don't begin with a small pair unless they are concealed or your sidecard can beat the board.

- Don't play three to a low straight or a low flush.

- Watch the board closely for key cards that can seriously diminish your chances of making a good hand and for opponents hands that look dangerous. Play cautiously and fold out early if it looks like the tide is turning against you.

- Beware of the paired door card. If an opponent is playing a pair in his starting hand, and pairs his door card (first upcard), the odds are two out of three that the door card is part of his pair. A paired door card presents a strong possibility that the holder has a dangerous set of trips.

- Unless you are playing a strong draw hand, usually fold if your complete hand is beaten on the board by an opponent's upcards.

- Try to find reasons to fold both your starting hands and those that develop on the later streets. Look for a dead card in the denomination that you need and for two or three dead cards in the suit that you are drawing to. Look for too much strong competition developing for the winning hand. When you can't find reasons to fold, you can then proceed aggressively..

- Beware of multiple "check-arounds" on 7th St.

- Straight and flush draws often hit on the last card and there is usually so little in the pot that yor last card pair of Aces etc. is not a very good bet.

- Study your opponents, especially when you are not playing hands and can pay careful attention. Do they find more hands to play than they fold? Do they bluff? Can they be bluffed? Do they have any "tells" (give away mannerisms) that disclose information about their hands etc.

- Get caught bluffing once in a while. It is a way to vary your play and not be too predictable. You win pots that you don't deserve when your bluff works. You lose a few chips when it doesn't work but it will get you calls from weaker hands down the line when you are really strong and need the action.

- The first four cards are the major key to winning at Seven Card Stud games. If your starting hands develop according to plan, you can be a strong favorite to win. If they don't, you get out early and escape the expensive second best experience. The three card starting hands recommended above are those with the best chance of producing a dominant four card hand. Good four card hands that are carefully played don't always win but they win a lot more than the others

Sept 7th Online Results

Here are the results for Fridays
Premier Tour Online tournament
at full tilt. If you missed it, be sure
to sign up for next weeks tournament
before Friday at 7pm. You can get
started by clicking on the Full Tilt
banner to the right or use one of the
banners on PremierPokerTour.ca.
Here's a link to a blog post with
full sign up instructions.

http://premierpokertour.blogspot.com/2007/08/premier-tour-online.html

Sept 7th Online Results

1 Warren - polka warrior - 160 pts, $40
2 Gloria -glo681 - 140pts, $23
3 Craig - bones83 - (staff) 0 pts, $16
4 Sylvia - nomonitoni - 130pts, $12
5 Rick - dss401 -120pts, $9
6 Linda - jessiemabob - 110pts
7 Lesli - brandipooch - 100pts
8 Neil - nedder - 90pts
9 Will - WillTheHammer - (staff) 0 pts
10 Erik - mymoneypls - 80 pts
11 Adam - kurbed - 60pts
12 Mark W - ArchAngel-50pts

Fridays Online Results

1st -- WillTheHammer $36

2nd -- RyansBro (Chris M.) $27 -- 160pts

3rd -- Jessiemabob (Linda) $18 -- 140pts

4th -- Glo681 (Gloria) $9 -- 130 pts

5th -- nomonitoni(Sylvia) -- 120 pts

6th -- Bobweiser (Rob W) -- 110 pts

7th -- Jannirose (Janice) -- 100 pts

8th -- Adama1 (Randy) -- 90 pts

9th -- g-didi (Gina) -- 80 pts

10th -- TheFalcon (Ray) -- 60 pts

11th -- chev64 (Chevy) -- 50 pts

Premier/Tilt Tournament Payout Structure

I set us up with a generous payout structure for our
online tournaments (one of the best one that full tilt offers).


......................................NUMBER OF PLAYERS

PLACE:_________(5-12) _(13-18)_ (19-27)_(28-36)_(37-50)

1st______________50%___40%____40%____33%___29%

2nd _____________30%___30%____23%____20%___18%

3rd______________20%___20%____16%____15%___13%

4th ____________________10%____12%____11%___10%

5th_____________________________9% ____8% ____8%

6th____________________________________7%____7%

7th____________________________________6%____6%

8th___________________________________________5%

9th___________________________________________4%