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Card Player College Magazine Volume 2, Number 9
The Inside Straight
195 Show Up for Paddy Power Strip Poker
John Young Wins, but Bares All Anyway
By Bob Pajich
John Young recently won the world's largest strip poker tournament. Young, of Slough, London, beat out 194 other hopefuls at the Paddy Power World Strip Poker Championship that was held at London's Cafe Royal. He walked away with £10,000, a specially commissioned Golden Fig Leaf trophy, and entry in the Paddy Power Irish Open, where up to £2 million will be up for grabs.
In addition, Paddy Power promised to donate an additional £10,000 to the charity of the winner's choice, Cancer Research, if Young, who was the last player to have any clothes, revealed all to the crowd - and he did.
The tournament kicked off when 195 hopefuls from more than 12 countries set out to keep their clothes on and carve themselves a place in history as part of a new official Guinness world record for the biggest strip poker tournament ever.
The event originally had been an April Fools' Day story by Paddy Power earlier this year, but after receiving requests from people all over the world to take part, the bookie decided to run the tournament for real.
Each player was given five items of clothing, which they used to buy chips. As they lost their chips, they cashed in their clothes for more. Some even opted to strip from the bottom up, and sat playing naked except for a cap. The tournament was so successful and generated so much worldwide buzz for the online gaming site that it may become an annual event. 
Daniel Negreanu Looking for Another Protégé
Tournaments Now Running at FullContactPoker
By Bob Pajich
Daniel Negreanu is looking for another protégé.
His first protégé, Brian Fidler, has already had some success on the tournament trail, finishing second in the World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit event at Harrah's Lake Tahoe in June after he won the position of Negreanu's protégé in a promotion offered by Negreanu's FullContactPoker website.
Now, Negreanu's looking for someone else to mentor, and the next five months at FullContactPoker are filled with chances to lock up one of the nine remaining seats in the single-table tournament that will determine who will be Negreanu's next protégé.
The winner will receive four months of mentoring from Negreanu, four $10,000 buy-ins to major tournaments (FCP will pay for travel expenses), a watch valued at $2,000, introduction into the FullContactPoker Hall of Fame, and as a bonus, if the protégé wins any of the tournaments in which he's entered, he will be given an opportunity to sign with Poker Royalty, an agency that represents some of the world's top poker players.
There are still nine different ways to lock up one of the remaining seats. The first seat has already been won by Michael Giardina, who won the drawing that took place at the Gaming Life Expo, which was held in conjunction with the World Series of Poker main event.
The rest of the seats will be given away through freerolls, tournaments made up of leader board leaders, tournaments made up of charter members, and so forth. Each of the remaining nine seats will be given away in a different manner, through different types of tournaments.
One of the seats will even be won by a player participating in weekly free bar tournaments in Canada, sponsored by a company called the Red Hot Poker Tour. Players standing on top of area leader boards will play for the seat later this year.
More details about the different ways to qualify can be found at FullContactPoker.com.
The tournament to determine Negreanu's next protégé will take place either in December or early next year.
InterPoker.Com Signs Online Poker Wiz University Student and Poker Player Jordan Morgan Goes Extreme
By Michael Friedman
InterPoker.com, the home of the Extreme Poker Championships, has added another player to its already impressive roster of professional player representatives. Joining Juha Helppi, Kathy Liebert, Pete Giordano, Robert Varkonyi, and Scott Fischman is online poker sensation Jordan "iMsoLucky0" Morgan.
Starting his poker career while attending the University of Oklahoma, Morgan quickly realized that he much preferred the poker felt to the physics classroom. If Morgan's four cashes at this year's World Series of Poker are any indication of what's to come from this rising online star, the poker world could be in for a big surprise from InterPoker.com's youngest superstar.
"Jordan is one of the best players of his generation. He bets wisely, and plays very aggressively when the odds are in his favor. Jordan is the perfect addition to the InterPoker.com Extreme Team as he is young, energetic, and has a wonderful rapport with the online community," said InterPoker.com spokesperson Peter Marcus.
According to a recent InterPoker.com press release, Morgan is currently one of the top 10 online players worldwide and has a large online fan base. Mentored by fellow teammate Scott Fischman, Morgan has his sights set on moving up the professional ranks.
"I am delighted to be part of one of the most respected online poke rooms in the world., especially since most of my success has come within the online world. With InterPoker, it is apparent that they truly care about providing players with a safe, exciting, and above all, genuine poker experience on the Web, and I am extremely pleased to be associated with them," Morgan said.
Playboy Club Opens at Palms Las Vegas Casino
Hugh Hefner Sky Villa Offers Private Poker Table
By Lisa Wheeler
When the Palms Las Vegas opened its Fantasy Tower with a celebrity-studded, press-packed ceremony last May, it unveiled several themed hotel rooms to the public, including the Erotic Suite, the Kingpin Suite (with a two-lane bowling alley) and the Pink Suite. However, its owners, the Maloof brothers, were saving the best for last as the tower remained under construction, and the first new Playboy Club opened during the first week in October. It's the first club that Playboy has introduced in 25 years.
The Playboy experience -- Vegas style -- includes the Playboy Club and Casino, the Moon nightclub with a retractable roof, and the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa. Hefner's personally designed 9,000-square-foot, two-story digs features a media room, a fully equipped gym, a sauna, an outdoor terrace, and -- of course -- a private poker table. The buy-in for this night of luxury is $40,000.
University of Richmond Has Poker Mania
By Shawn Patrick Green
It's always nice to see poker getting respect as the game of skill it is within the public sphere. What better way to show off the deep psychological strategies and mathematical complexities of our favorite game than with a university-level course on the subject? One thing's for sure, you won't see "The Psychology of PowerBall" or "Intermediate Beat the Odds at Slots" at a college anytime soon.
The University of Richmond, Virginia, held a course called "Poker Mania" for a second time this fall after a successful run earlier this year. The noncredit course is taught by Scott Redmond, a chartered financial analyst (CFA) from the area who has been playing and studying poker since 1992.
The class is a three-day crash course on poker, geared toward teaching the skills and strategies needed to increase a player's edge. As far as how qualified he is to teach a poker course, Redmond responded that he has a unique outlook on poker wrought from his academic majors and CFA experience.
Here's the breakdown of what was taught:
Day 1: Poker formulas and pot odds; commonly missed observations; avoiding tilt; and mock play using Monopoly money to review math and evaluate situations.
Day 2: Tells, especially with regard to the brain, nervous system, and muscle groups; behavioral finance errors; and the four general investor profiles - Redmond is a financial analyst, after all - for poker players.
Day 3: All of the above combined to form strategies; major types of bets; strategies against each investor profile; seat position and its importance; and how to assess one's own skills and results.
It's obvious from the syllabus that Redmond's course fully embraces the skill aspect of poker.
"Basically, in the short run anything can happen," Redmond explained. "But in the long run it's 99 percent skill and 1 percent luck. Anyone who thinks poker is a game of luck can have a standing invitation to my home game, and they certainly shouldn't object to sitting to my immediate right."
AbsolutePoker Says "Stay in School"
By Shawn Patrick Green
AbsolutePoker just launched the 2006 Win Your Tuition campaign, offering college poker players a chance to win a full year's tuition and other prizes without risking a dime. After successful runs for the past three semesters, Absolute says it's already on track to exceed 10,000 entrants this fall.
Absolute is running 24 qualifiers, which began Aug. 22 and will run until Nov. 8. The winner of each tournament will get $100 and the top 50 receive a seat at the final tournament. That equates to 1,200 players in the main event, each vying for scholarships, laptops, or the full-year tuition grand prize. Keep in mind, all this is for a buy-in of $0.
The final six players will be flown out to play a live final table filmed for future broadcast. Last year, the final table was held in New York and each player was treated to dinners and tours around the city with all expenses paid, providing for quite a unique experience.
David Wood, of Purdue University, was the winner of the spring 2006 tournament, held on Aug. 9. He received a full year's tuition, while the runner up, Justin Rausch of Penn State, got a semester fully paid for.
AbsolutePoker shows its appreciation of college students in other ways, as well. Absolute also offers quarterly marketing internships for college students at headquarters in Costa Rica and on-campus fund-raising for college clubs, groups, charities, and sports teams.
Information on the tournaments, internships, and fundraising can all be found at www.WinYourTuition.com.
New Site Mixes MySpace and Poker
By Shawn Patrick Green
Both poker and social networking sites have been all over the news lately, what with MySpace's speculated $15 billion net worth and Jamie Gold's $12 million World Series of Poker win. What's the next logical step? You guessed it: a social networking site strictly for poker players.
Enter CardsLife.com. The 18-year-old creator of the site, Jeremy Miller, took inspiration from both MySpace and Facebook to create CardsLife. The look and feel harken to the simplicity of Facebook but the site also offers a bit of leeway to personalize your profile with graphics, à la MySpace. Also like MySpace, your first friend is creator Miller himself, ready to be deleted to make way for your true friends.
The site also offers photo galleries, blogs, and groups for users, much like other social networking sites. The major differences between this site and others are the profile information and, most important, the company you keep. Profiles show information like "favorite poker site," "favorite poker game," and "limits played," and the site's focus guarantees that users will find like-minded friends online.
However, a networking site is nothing without members. Miller has some creative ideas for promoting the fledgling site. New signups currently receive a "professionally written" sit-and-go strategy guide in a PDF file and entry into a special CardsLife freeroll tournament. The site also offers a refer-a-friend program that allows you to "earn some free cash," although it does not specify how much.
Feel free to visit my profile at www.CardsLife.com/Ragaboo. Who knows, maybe we'll get a local game set up in Las Vegas. God knows it's hard enough to find one.
Ante Up For College Charity
By Shawn Patrick Green
The Peppermill Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada, is giving poker players an opportunity to play poker and feel good about helping their fellow man. More specifically, it's hosting a charity poker tournament with all of the proceeds going toward Western Nevada Community College athletics.
On Nov. 9, players can pay $200 to enter the tournament and compete for 10 prizes, including a one-year golf club membership valued at $4,000. Players who sign up before November will get $1,250 in chips while late registrants get $1,000. Play will start at 7 p.m. and blinds increase in 20-minute intervals. Participants are encouraged to bring friends and family.
The funds brought in by the tournament will benefit the Western Nevada Community College Wildcats baseball team, which has its 2007 season opener in January.
More information is available by calling (775) 445-3240.
Monthly Online Recap
By Shawn Patrick Green
WCOOP Breaks Records and Shatters Guarantees
PokerStars doesn't know its own strength. At least, that's the impression one gets while watching its annual World Championship of Online Poker this year. Every event in the series rendered its guaranteed prize pool moot, some by as much as 875 percent. The 18 events in the series, spanned 16 days from Sept. 16 through Oct. 1, offered more than $18.5 million in prizes for participants. Even more jaw-dropping was that the $6,275,000 prize pool for the main event as it secured its place as the biggest online poker tournament in history.
While all that is impressive, the real stories are in the historic wins and star-studded final tables the Championship produced.
The likes of Humberto Brenes, Chad Brown, Todd Brunson, Isabelle Mercier, Kyle Bowker, Jason Strasser, and J.C. Tran all had seats at this year's final tables. In fact, four of those pros would be sporting some new jewelry by their event's end, one of whom would take down the main event and the top prize.
History in the Making
"Spawng" was the first player to make history this series when he became the first two-time WCOOP winner with his victory in the $215 no-limit hold'em match play event. "Spawng" bested 2,047 entrants by taking down 11 heads-up tables to land his win in the tournament. He took home $58,248 and a 14-karat gold WCOOP bracelet for his efforts. His previous win was in the $530 pot-limit Omaha event of last year's series.
Not to be outdone, poker pro Kyle "kwob20" Bowker went on to win two bracelets in this series alone. Bowker took his first bracelet in the $530 Omaha eight-or-better event where he defeated 952 other entrants. Bowker then put his diverse poker skills on display by winning the seven-card stud eight-or-better tournament just eight days later. Bowker would pocket more than $170,000 for his two wins this year.
Poker Pros Make Big Cashes
The next poker pro to take down an event was young gun Jason "strassa2" Strasser, who won the $1,050 no-limit hold'em tournament. Strasser ended up raking in the second-largest first-prize payout in the tournament with his win, behind only the main event, at $442,440. Strasser outlasted almost 2,500 others to nab the top prize.
Humberto "Humberto B." Brenes also made a very respectable second place in the $530 pot-limit Omaha event. Brenes avoided elimination multiple times during the final table as a short stack to outlast the other seven competitors. His luck finally ran out against eventual winner "Trabelsi" and Brenes took home $58,089 for his finish. Trabelsi brought home a $93,852 payday for first in the event.
Care for a Game of H.O.R.S.E.?
Two H.O.R.S.E. events were introduced during this year's WCOOP, and both blew away organizers' expectations. Both events had a guarantee of $100,000, but ended up with prize pools of $359,000 (for the $215 buy-in) and $875,000 (for the $5,200 buy-in). It was obvious that PokerStars would have to reevaluate its H.O.R.S.E. guarantees for future WCOOPs.
The H.O.R.S.E. tournaments also had the power to attract fewer poker neophytes and more star talent. This became especially apparent with their final tables, which both had their fair share of poker pros. The $215 buy-in tournament's final table was graced by Gary "p10ker" Jones and Shirley "Siren" Rosario, who placed third ($30,566) and seventh ($10,788), respectively. "F.Briatore" was the eventual winner of the event.
The high buy-in for the $5,200 H.O.R.S.E. event wasn't enough to dissuade the 175 entrants for the tournament, but it was good for stacking the final table with pros. The tournament generated the biggest prize pool for an event that didn't already guarantee more than $1 million. Upon first glance, the final table had only one notable player, Isabelle "NoMercy" Mercier.
Another player, "Sam Grizzle," was confirmed not to be the pro of the same name. However, a source later divulged to Card Player that "Sam Grizzle" was, in fact, Todd Brunson. Brunson finished in eighth ($22,312), while Mercier nabbed $41,125 for her sixth-place finish.
The ultimate surprise was yet to come in the final H.O.R.S.E. tournament. Once the chip leader, "stelladora," was just a few hands away from taking the title in the event, he sent a text message to Barry Greenstein, who was announcing on the WCOOP radio show at the time. Stelladora's message gave a knowing Greenstein permission to reveal his identity as poker pro Chad Brown. Brown proceeded to take down the tournament and $223,125.
Main-Event Bracelet Goes to a Pro
Despite all of the excitement preceding it, the WCOOP main event was still a sight to be seen. And seen it was, as PokerStars announced that 3,000 people were observing the event's final table. The final table was also heard by the 2,500-plus people listening to the live streaming radio broadcast hosted by Greg "Fossilman" Raymer. The fervor was undoubtedly due to the historic, record-breaking $6,275,000 prize pool and the $1,157,737 first prize for the tournament; not bad for a $2,600 buy-in online tournament.
The excitement didn't stop there, as poker pros Joe Hachem, Victor Ramdin, Tom McEvoy, and Katja Thater rushed the final two tables to offer comments and congratulations in the chat box. Hachem gave particular kudos to his friend "area23JC," who was doing well at the final two tables and was later revealed to be none other than J.C. Tran.
Raymer vocalized his dismay when the final six decided to do a by-the-chips chop for the prize money, which reduced the top prize to less than $1 million. Tran would receive the lion's share of the chop at $620,194, and the six players would duke it out for the remaining $50,000 and the WCOOP bracelet, per the PokerStars chop rules.
Tran eventually took down the tournament, the extra prize money, and the bracelet, but second-place finisher "hannibalrex" put up a good fight throughout. Despite the chop, Tran left the tournament with a sizable $670,194 and the main-event title. Tran's win proved that pros could still win big events with nonprohibitive entry fees, regardless of the number of poker amateurs who enter.
List of Events:
Event No. 1 - Razz
Winner: "Nabokov"
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $58,365
Buy-in: $215
Entrants: 1,297
Prize pool: $259,400
Event No. 2 - No-limit hold'em
Winner: "Rambo5"
Home Country: Sweden
Winnings: $320,865 *
Buy-in: $530
Entrants: 4,495
Prize pool: $2,247,500
Event No. 3 - Pot-limit Omaha
Winner: "thegiant"
Home Country: Sweden
Winnings: $151,260.90
Buy-in: $320
Entrants: 773
Prize pool: $678,300
Event No. 4 - No-limit hold'em match play
Winner: "spawng"
Home Country: Canada
Winnings: $58,248 *
Buy-in: $215
Entrants: 2,048
Prize pool: $409,600
Event No. 5 - Limit Omaha 8/OB
Winner: Kyle "kwob20" Bowker
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $103,162.25
Buy-in: $530
Entrants: 953
Prize pool: $476,500
Event No. 6 - No-limit hold'em with Rebuys
Winner: austinlewis
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $199,509 *
Buy-in: $215
Entrants: 2,081
Prize pool: $1,184,200
Event No. 7 - Limit hold'em
Winner: yaaaflow
Home Country: Canada
Winnings: $60,419 *
Buy-in: $215
Entrants: 1,872
Prize pool: $374,400
Event No. 8 - H.O.R.S.E.
Winner: F.Briatore
Home Country: Germany
Winnings: $79,112
Buy-in: $215
Entrants: 1,798
Prize pool: $359,600
Event No. 9 - Pot-limit hold'em
Winner: uncforte
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $105,329 *
Buy-in: $530
Entrants: 1,095
Prize pool: $547,500
Event No. 10 - No-limit hold'em
Winner: Jason "strassa2" Strasser
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $442,440
Buy-in: $1,050
Entrants: 2,458
Prize pool: $2,458,000
Event No. 11 - Seven-card stud
Winner: nikstar
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $39,548 *
Buy-in: $320
Entrants: 657
Prize pool: $197,100
Event No. 12 - Pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better
Winner: Mr. Shhhhhhh
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $56,080 *
Buy-in: $320
Entrants: 1,303
Prize pool: $390,900
Event No. 13 - Pot-limit hold'em
Winner: dnKid
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $87,560 *
Buy-in: $320
Entrants: 1,741
Prize pool: $522,300
Event No. 14 - Seven-card stud eight-or-better
Winner: Kyle "kwob20" Bowker
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $68,267.50
Buy-in: $530
Entrants: 581
Prize pool: $290,500
Event No. 15 - Pot-limit Omaha
Winner: Trabelsi
Home Country: Finland
Winnings: $93,852.75
Buy-in: $530
Entrants: 867
Prize pool: $433,500
Event No. 16 - H.O.R.S.E.
Winner: Chad "stelladora" Brown
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $223,125
Buy-in: $5,200
Entrants: 175
Prize pool: $875,000
Event No. 17 - Limit hold'em
Winner: laurentia
Home Country: Hungary
Winnings: $145,200 *
Buy-in: $1,050
Entrants: 695
Prize pool: $695,000
Event No. 18 - Main event
Winner: J.C. "area23JC" Tran
Home Country: United States
Winnings: $670,194 *
Buy-in: $2,600
Entrants: 2,510
Prize pool: $6,275,000
* Indicates a payout reflecting a chop deal made at the final table.
Shannon Shorr
Duke of Hazards
By Craig Tapscott
Don't let Shannon Shorr's soft-spoken Southern charm fool you for one dang second. This Alabama native will accelerate action preflop, maneuver around the curves of a hazardous flop, and intuitively slam on the brakes or go pedal to the metal on the turn or river. The kid's got game.
Shorr had yet to turn 21 when he ventured down under in January of this year to compete in the Aussie Millions. His bold play was rewarded with a fourth-place finish for a cool $203,000. After turning 21 in June, Shorr competed in 22 events at the World Series of Poker with disappointing results: He had only two minor cashes, but this was no indication of the days to come.
Simultaneous to the WSOP, Bellagio held a series of tournaments called the Bellagio Cup II. Shorr would soon claim the luxurious casino as his home turf, and deservedly so. He would cash in four Bellagio Cup events and win two, including the $10,000 main event, taking home more than $1 million.
These fortuitous results led to Shorr postponing his return to the University of Alabama, where he was a civil engineering student. "I'm going to play a full schedule," he explained. "It's going to be hard to catch Mizrachi; I'll have to final table two events at least. I'm going to play as many events as possible and give myself a shot at it. I may never be this close again."
I caught up with Shorr recently at the Legends of Poker tournament at The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles.
Craig Tapscott: When were you first introduced to poker?
Shannon Shorr: During the big Chris Moneymaker boom. I started playing $5 home games. Soon, I started moving up in stakes from there and made my first online deposit. I was actually a losing online player for about eight months, but then I turned it around and haven't looked back.
CT: What turned it around for you?
SS: It was eight months of experience of learning how to play against opponents online. I've never really read strategy books.
CT: When did you think you could compete with the top online players?
SS: When I started playing stakes that I could really make a living from. For me it was the $215 sit-and-gos and beating that game pretty badly. I realized that if I could master the concept of sit-and-gos, why couldn't I master the concept of any type of poker? That was the turning point for me.
CT: What's your personality at the table?
SS: I'm rather quiet at the table and not very flashy. I'm a big advocate of respecting the game, not berating players, or ever going crazy when I win or lose a hand. I'm constantly picking up on stuff when people talk in a hand, so it makes me think that if I talk, I might be giving away something.
CT: Any suggestions on the transition from online to live play?
SS: You have to study the opponents. There will be online players in the live events who will be so bored because they can't 12-table, and they just go off in their own world. You have to exploit their weaknesses.
CT: What's your strategy for beating huge fields?
SS: I'm all about building a stack and wielding that big stack all the way through, to put pressure on people. There are players who will sit and just blind off for the first five or six hours. You have to give yourself the opportunity to flop two pair against aces or something similar. Put some money in the pot. If you play so robotic that you're going to fold to every reraise, it's just not going to work. You have to take some chances.
CT: How did your parents react to your decision to delay school?
SS: I'm very lucky. I've got very supportive parents, and family in general. It's pretty ironic, as I'm from conservative Alabama. I know guys who hide it from their parents if they play. My parents think I'm a smart kid, and I've put a lot of thought into this decision.
CT: Any advice for up-and-coming young players?
SS: First, you need to be extremely conservative with your bankroll. I learned that the hard way. It's extremely important, especially if you're playing for a living. Second, stay focused. Third, have fun, and don't play above your head.
Shannon Shorr's a hazard to any opponent in his way. He possesses a level head, a thirst to learn, a gentleman's demeanor, and a sacred respect for the game that will serve him well. The kid's got a future.
Dennis: I know that in a tournament you don't have a choice of where you sit, but if you are playing in a cash game at a table where one guy is on a huge rush and hitting everything, should you change tables?
Scott: Luck is a huge part of poker. If you see that a player is on a rush, I suppose that it's not a terrible idea to stay away, although this may force you to make bad decisions and prevent you from going on a similar rush. Granted, in a cash game, you can easily change tables, but you will face this in tournaments, so you might as well learn how to deal with it in a cash game. Everyone has his own views on superstitions and luck, but the bottom line is, you must make the best decisions possible at the poker table. If you avoid the player who is on the rush, his rush will likely continue, when playing correctly against him will eventually end that rush. Some days, everything will just go your way, and you'll win every coin flip and crack big hands. But, you won't get there by letting something like another person's apparent luckiness dictate your play.
Bill: I have a recurring problem in no-limit hold'em tournaments. I play what I would consider a typical tight-aggressive style.
When I have good starting cards, I can usually grab a few chips. When I flop a good hand, I can usually make some chips. And because of my tight play, I can usually steal a few pots or see a few flops cheaply with ragged cards. In general, I maintain forward momentum and accumulate chips at a steady rate.
Here's the problem: I almost always find myself in the final 10 percent of a tournament. And I always find myself the short stack. As I'm plugging away, everyone else seems to be bombing away. And while most of the people are busting out, the remaining folks are building giant piles of chips. In the end, I'm forced to do nothing better than flip coins in order to try to survive with the handful of chips, relatively speaking, that I have.
I know it's a broad question, but what can be done? Should I be playing marginal hands more often and more aggressively?
Should I become one of the bombers? Or, should I be satisfied with finishing near the top and be happy with the handful of times I win my coin flips?
Scott: Try to stop looking at your cards and start paying more attention to position and stack sizes. The sooner you come to realize and believe that the cards really don't matter, the sooner you will begin to play real poker - because poker in its truest form has nothing to do with the cards. The middle to late stages of a tournament is when I am playing the tightest. If my stack is large enough (15 big blinds or more), I am waiting for a strong hand or a good spot to steal. If I am in a position where I feel like I am "forced" to steal, there wouldn't be a hand with which I would raise and fold to a reraise. I would either push all in or be committed to call all in after my raise. It's not that you need to play marginal hands more often or more aggressively; it's that you need to pick spots to make your move regardless of the cards you hold.
For comments or questions, please email Scott at inthetank@gmail.com
CardPlayer.com's hit radio show The Circuit brings you updates, interviews, and strategy from the biggest names in poker.
The Circuit broadcasts from all World Poker Tour events.
The following is a discussion between hosts Scott Huff and Joe Sebok and guest Layne Flack on bluffing, as broadcast on The Circuit from Bellagio during the 2006 World Series of Poker:
Scott Huff: I want to get that Layne Flack tip before you leave the studio.
Layne Flack: A big tip is, when bluffing, bet small; when not, bet big. Make your small bets when you're bluffing and your bigger bets when you're not.
Joe Sebok: It's actually a really good point. I've talked with Barry (Greenstein) about this. Players just starting out - and I used to do this - you think that when bluffing, if they just bet more, it looks more menacing, but it doesn't. (A), it looks weaker, and (B), the first mistake you make will knock you out of the tournament lots of times.
LF: People want to win that money, and they'll take more chances.
JS: Exactly.
LF: So, once you put that bait on that hook, you're going to get a fish.
JS: Somebody's going to go for it, yeah. When I first started playing, the first time I made a mistake, it would knock me out of the tournament or cripple me, because I would bet so much (on a bluff) that I just couldn't get away.
Scott, Joe, and Gavin: I listen to all the shows and want to say that I loved the shows during the World Series. The lineup of guests was awesome, unlike any other poker show that I listen to. Listening to the stories from Chip Reese, Dan Harrington, Joe Hachem, and the rest of the guests was the greatest. Thank you for bringing the WSOP experience to those of us who weren't lucky enough to be there firsthand.
Good luck to all of you, and thanks again.
Andy, from Nebraska - where the poker chips are outnumbered by the cow chips.
Display Name: Mike "The Mouth" Matusow
Headline: "The Official Mike Matusow MySpace"
BASIC INFO: Male, 38 years old, Henderson, Nevada
Last Login: 9/27/2006 (or, more appropriately, the mag's publication date)
My MYSPACE URL: http://www.myspace.com/mouthpoker
Music Player: NWP Rap - Wong's Happy Ending [MusicPlayer.jpg]
MIKE "THE MOUTH" MATUSOW'S INTERESTS
General: Poker, Poker, and more Poker!!(hahah), traveling ,skiing, and well, I'll pretty much try anything
Music: All but country. But I will even try that if I have to
Movies: Shawshank Redemption, Rounders, Titanic
Television: Don't watch TV all that much. Just SportsCenter and ESPN
Heroes: All of The Armed Forces on the frontlines in Iraq who are grossly under paid!!
DETAILS:
Status: Single
Here for: Dating, Serious Relationships, Friends
Orientation: Straight
Hometown: Las Vegas
Body Type: 6'0"
Religion: Jewish
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Smoke/Drink: No/No
Children: Someday
Education: Some college
Occupation: Professional Poker Player
Income: $250,000 and Higher
Latest Blog: "The Real MikeTheMouth is here"
Current mood: cheerful
Well all, if you have not heard, a MikeTheMouth imposter has been on MySpace pretending to be me. Well, those days are over as I have finally have my own site!!
The WSOP is coming up next week and I'm looking forward to having a great run this year. I hope the next 6 weeks become the best poker of my life and I'm able to share a lot of success with all my fans.
Thank you for being so supportive and I'll see everyone at the Rio, GL!!
Mike Matusow
10:31 AM - 8 Comments - 6 Kudos
About Me: Drop me a line here and I usually will get back to you if you're not a stalker. I'm a 38 year old professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada. I love to meet new people that love life as much as I do. I truly believe in life that you have to treat others the way you want to be treated, and that means showing them the same respect that you expect. Even though a lot people know who I am, for those of you who don't, I still would like to meet all of you because this is who I am. I never think I'm better then anyone no matter what I have or do not have, and those are the people I want in my life ...
Friends: Mike "The Mouth" Matusow has 767 friends.
Friends Comments:
Card Player College [Insert date of publication here in place of comment post date]
[Recent CPC Cover for user photo]
hey mike! how'd the wsop go for you? you should update your blog and let us know … i like the mini mike clip from cardplayer.com. dude looks just like you!
Jessica Lee 9/27/2006
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Tiffany Michelle 9/25/2006
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Mike... you've proven that you're a PRO at poker, charming women, and receiving myspace comments... but how about sharing the love and becoming a PRO myspace message leaver?!?!?!? ;0) xxx
Gadgets
Dead Hand Chaos Poker
A Dead Hand Chaos Poker deck can be played as a normal deck or one with a twist. After a showdown, flip up the top card and a read the secret message telling you which hand is dead (for instance, all full houses). It only comes into play 20 percent of the time, which is the perfect proportion to avoid getting ridiculous. It's not recommended for hold'em (too many people's hands will be declared dead), so nab it if you regularly play dealer's choice.
$9.95, Smirk & Dagger Games, www.smirkanddagger.com
Rating:
Ultimate Dealer Button
A microwave should not be on the list of things you need to run a poker tournament. The Ultimate Dealer Button makes sure it isn't by sticking a timer into something already on the list. The button also keeps track of the current blind level, although this function is arguably less critical. It's doubtful you'll ever hear, "Could someone grab the button and tell me what blinds we've been playing at for the past 10 minutes?"
$29.95, Cooper Design & Concepts, www.UltimateDealerButton.com
Rating: Two pair, jacks and sixes
Hold'em Tabletop Saver
The Hold'em Tabletop Saver is the perfect way to prevent spills on your poker table, especially if you have a bunch of drunks as friends. It fastens securely to any table or desk's edge and is adjustable for cans or bottles. The only problem with the device is the unsightly mounting hardware on the back, but that, for the most part, is hidden away from view.
$14.99 (discounted rates for multiple), Gentech Products, www.DrinkHoldem.com
Rating:
FitDeck
FitDeck is a simple but cool idea for those of you who'd like to exercise more but loathe the fact that it doesn't involve shuffling cards. Shuffle the deck and draw the same number of cards as minutes you want to work out. Each card is an equipment-free exercise or a wild card to mix things up. FitDeck basically makes exercise a game. Comes with a carrying case and optional instructional DVD.
$18.95 ($24.95 with DVD), FitDeck, Inc., www.fitdeck.com
Rating:
Books
Hot Off the Press
"Phil Gordon's Little Blue Book: More Lessons and Hand Analysis in No Limit Texas Hold'em" - By Phil Gordon
In the third book in his series, Phil Gordon takes the strategies and philosophies of his previous books and shows them at work. This book poses actual hands from cash games, sit-and-gos, and tournaments as examples. Gordon breaks down his thought process in each hand to show readers what are good plays and what he considers poor decisions. A boxed set of all three books will be available later this month.
$21; 416 pages; Simon Spotlight Entertainment
Instructional
"Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play" - By Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie
Still relatively new, but quickly becoming a classic, this is the first book in a three volume series. Dan Harrington unveils his secrets to successful tournament play in a very down to earth, easy to digest manner. First a lesson is taught, then the reader is given a hand quiz to apply the lesson, and finally Harrington gives what considers the correct play for that scenario.
$29.95; 381 pages; 2 + 2 Publications; Orig. Pub. November 2004
Stories/Lifestyles
"Positively Fifth Street" - By James McManus
The granddaddy of poker non-fiction stories, this novel chronicles Jim McManus' journey to the World Series of Poker to write an article for Harper's magazine. McManus ends up putting his advance on the line and wins a seat in the main event. McManus takes a cue from Hunter S. Thompson's style in this first-person narrative and makes it hard to believe you're reading a true story.
$15; 432 pages; Picador USA; Orig. Pub. April 2003
Music
What's on Pros' iPods
Jennifer "Jennicide" Leigh: Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist
Jennicide's got the Deftones' classic "Digital Bath" playing on her MySpace profile, meaning she's no doubt anxiously awaiting the release of their new album Saturday Night Wrist. The album hits stores on Oct. 31, but you can hear the first single "Hole in the Earth" on the radio now.
Russ "Dutch" Boyd: The Killers - Sam's Town
According to Russ "Dutch" Boyd, "I loves my iPod." He counts The Killers among one of the bands that fit his eclectic taste. The Killers recently put out a new album, Sam's Town, a new single, "When You Were Young," and grew some facial hair. The new album retreads similar ground as the first album, successfully putting 80s infused rock on the airwaves.
Joe Sebok: Damien Rice - 9
Joe Sebok is listening to Damien Rice, who's single, "Cannonball" got some intense radio play in 2004. His acoustic guitar and emotive voice elicited comparisons to Jack Johnson and Daniel Powter. Rice has got a new album coming out in November titled 9.
Video Games
World Championship Poker Featuring Howard Lederer: All In
This is actually a step back for the three game series by Crave Entertainment. Its attempts to make poker "wacky" are just boring, the graphics (at least for the PS2 version) are sub par, and the artificial "intelligence" deserves the quotation marks. The second game in the series is more focused, playable, and fun. Skip this one.
Rating: "The Doyle Brunson," 10-2
