CPC The Inside Straight

PHIL IVEY VERSUS ANDY BEAL
Ivey Proves His Heads-Up Mastery, Wins $16.6 million
BY LISA WHEELER

On Feb. 1, Andy Beal returned to Las Vegas to face off against members of "The Corporation" in another heads-up high-stakes hold'em match. He initially challenged the pros to play on his turf in Texas, but on their insistence, Beal found himself flying back-and-forth from Dallas to Las Vegas. The Corporation was looking to erase the net $7 million loss suffered in previous February matches.

This time, it would be Phil Ivey against Andy Beal. When Ivey and Beal sat face to face, the limits were set at $30,000-$60,000, lower than the previous $50,000-$100,000 of weeks past. Ivey held the lead throughout the day's match, and spectators witnessed him taking an aggressive approach. In typical fashion, Ivey sat blank-faced, focused, and with his mouth agape. It was the same expression that won Ivey the ESPN "Flushies" award, for best poker face, during the 2005 World Series of Poker. Ivey has an intense and intimidating nature at any table, and the one-on-one competition with Beal only seemed to magnify that trait.

Play ended at around 7 p.m. PST and Ivey was up $2 million.

First thing next morning, Ivey and Beal were again heads up at the felt on table No. 3 at Wynn Las Vegas. The limits remained at $30,000-$60,000 and Ivey appeared to have Beal on the defensive. In less than eight hours of heightened competition, Ivey ended the day with another monetary gain of $4.6 million, putting The Corporation up $6.6 million for the two days of play.

Ivey and Beal left the poker room together while conversing amongst themselves. Who knows what Ivey was able to learn about Beal during dinner that evening, but he turned an amazing feat into one of mythical proportions the following morning.

At 9 a.m., the two met for their third and final session. Ivey was in seat No. 2, at the long end of the table, with his back against the wall. Beal sat in seat No. 6, at an angle facing Ivey. To Beal's left (in seat No. 7) sat his longtime friend and representative, Craig Singer, and next to him in seat No. 9 was Michael Craig (author of the book The Professor, The Banker and the Suicide King). The two players discussed the possibility of raising the stakes, and it took only moments for them to come to an agreement that the limits would indeed be raised to the original level of $50,000-$100,000.
At one point, Beal was up about $2 million, but after a short lunch break, Beal took a turn for the worst. After lunch, it seemed that someone had sprinkled poker pixie dust on Ivey. From the rail, one could see Beal reaching repeatedly into his rack for chips, and within a few hands it appeared that Ivey had reversed his deficit and was back to even. The dealer, who was tapped out of the down (a dealer's half-hour round), shook his head in disbelief while walking away from the table. The already intense face-off had become an action-packed, raise-to-the-river spectacle.

Members of The Corporation began to arrive and were seen along the rail talking discreetly amongst themselves. They were careful to maintain a respectful distance from the table, so as not to distract the players. It was just after 1 p.m. when Ivey and Beal rose to shake hands. Most believed that play would continue until after dinner, but after four short hours, the game had suddenly ended. Ivey had not only recovered The Corporation's net $7 million loss from the previous weeks in February, but he won an additional $9.6 million for his team. His personal tally was a $16.6 million score over the three days of matches.

Ivey, a resident of Las Vegas, proved that when it comes to poker, there's no place like home. And the man who recently won the Best No-Limit Player, Best Heads-Up Player, and Most Feared Player awards at the Card Player 2005 Player of the Year awards ceremony sealed his position as a true heads-up poker legend.

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Snoop Dogg

RAPPER SNOOP DOGG HOSTING A $2 MILLION-GUARANTEED TOURNAMENT
Winner Will Receive $1 Million
by Bob Pajich

Benny Binion and the other founding fathers of tournament poker probably never envisioned this.

Rapper Snoop Dogg will host the $2 Million Rappers' Challenge Texas Hold'em Tournament on The Big Easy, a casino boat that's set to depart from Miami on Friday, May 5. The buy-in for the event, which is being organized by Hold'em Productions, is $15,000, and a prize pool of $2 million is guaranteed.

The winner will receive $1 million. Included in the entry fee are round-trip airline tickets and a four-day, three-night stay in a hotel. Players are also guaranteed to have at least two seats at their first table filled by a celebrity or a rapper.

The entry fee also includes entrance into a pre-tournament party, an open bar, food, entertainment throughout the day, a ticket to an after-party, and a ticket to the Rappers' Challenge, a rap battle in which the winner will receive $15,000.

Those who just want to go to the parties can purchase a VIP ticket for $2,000.

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WORLD POKER TOUR'S SEASON FIVE SCHEDULE RELEASED
For the Second Year in a Row, 17 Tournaments Will Be Aired
by Bob Pajich

In season five, like members of the Starship Enterprise, the World Poker Tour is going to a place it never has been before. In doing so, two familiar tournaments have been axed.

The WPT will visit Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas for the first time in the fifth season of the show to cover the Mandalay Bay Poker Championship in June, and is ending its working relationship with online poker sites PartyPoker and UltimateBet.
In a press release, Steve Lipscomb, the founder of the WPT, stated: "We've had a great run with both companies, but the circumstances have changed since we elected to launch WPTonline.com, our own international gaming website. Although they will no longer be on the tour, we continue to explore future opportunities with both of these organizations."

The PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure remains on the schedule.

Remaining season-four tournaments include the WPT Invitational at Commerce Casino, Feb. 22-24; the Bay 101 Shooting Star at Bay 101 Casino, Feb. 27-March 3; the World Poker Challenge at the Reno Hilton, March 27-30; the Foxwoods Poker Classic at Foxwoods Resort Casino, April 6-9; and the WPT World Championship at Bellagio, April 18-24.

The schedule for season five is as follows, minus two events that will soon be announced:

Mirage Poker Showdown, The Mirage	May 14-17
Mandalay Bay Poker Championship, Mandalay Bay	June 4-8
Grand Prix de Paris, Aviation Club de France	June 12-16
Legends of Poker, The Bicycle Casino	Aug. 26-30
Borgata Poker Open, Borgata	Sept. 15-19
North American Poker Championship, to be announced	Oct. 23-27
World Poker Finals, Foxwoods Resort Casino	Nov 11-14
Bellagio Five-Diamond World Poker Classic, Bellagio	Dec. 15-19
PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure, Atlantis Casino, Bahamas	Jan. 6-13, 2007
World Poker Open, Gold Strike Casino, Tunica	Jan. 21-25, 2007
L.A. Poker Classic, Commerce Casino	Feb. 15-20, 2007
WPT Invitational, Commerce Casino	Feb. 21-23, 2007
Shooting Star, Bay 101 Casino	Feb. 27-March 3, 2007
World Poker Challenge, Reno Hilton	March 26-29, 2007
WPT World Championship, Bellagio	April 21-27, 2007

Steve Dannenmann

'THE NEW CUT CREW'
Cashin' In and Talkin' Smack at the Winter Poker Open
by Scott Huff

The poker home game is not just tequila and wild cards anymore.

That should be the slogan for "The New Cut Crew." They may sound like a boy band, or a hip-hop barbershop quartet, but The New Cut Crew is actually a group of about 28 guys who play in a home poker game in Severn, Maryland - a home game that's a lot tougher than yours.

How do I know? Think about the fourth-best player in your home game. How likely is he to make it to the final table at the World Series of Poker? The fourth-best player in my home game is a guy named Bob, who changes his hair color more often than the second-best player in our home game, Joe, changes his underwear.

The New Cut Crew, on the other hand, boasts Steve Dannenmann, 2005 WSOP runner-up, as a faithful participant, and he claims he isn't the best player in the game.

Dannenmann's improbable run at the 2005 WSOP is the dream of dreams for home-game heroes everywhere, although it seemed less like a fluke when I got to talk with Dannenmann and his buddies. We had some beers after fellow Crew member Mark Schaech cashed for the first time in a World Poker Tour event. Schaech placed 45th out of 381 at the Borgata Winter Poker Open, and pocketed $14,783 for his efforts. Both he and Dannenmann also cashed in a $1,500 preliminary event that saw Dannenmann make the final table and two other members of The New Cut Crew find their way into the top 60.

So, if Dannenmann is the guy, Schaech is the guy behind the guy, and apparently the best player in the game. Schaech acted as a call-in coach for Dannenmann during his WSOP run, and their conversations amounted to more than just pep talks. Schaech actually discussed strategy with Dannenmann. In fact, one of his conversations with Schaech was the impetus behind the now famous hand in which he bluffed Howard Lederer out of a pot with just an 8 high.

So, what did Schaech get from Dannenmann and friends after his first major poker accomplishment? A lecture about his less than ideal bubble play. Tough love is another strategy The New Cut Crew adopted when they traded tequila shots and wild cards for the WSOP tournament structure and a seriously competitive home game.

When you're around The New Cut Crew, it feels like you're hanging with a lovable group of underdogs from some '80s movie. They don't profess to be on the level with the best in the world. In fact, even though he pocketed nearly $5 million in 2005, Dannenmann kept his job as a CPA. They're just determined to stick together, have fun, and try to get good enough to get some shots in on the bullies.

How many times have you, or someone you know, after just bludgeoning your Sunday afternoon game, thought, "I can beat Sammy, Billy, Danny, Joey, Jimmy, Timmy, and Rick, so why not Howard, Phil, Phil, Phil, Greg, Scotty, and Grinder?"

Well, The New Cut Crew is living proof that you can do more than think it; you can do it.

Log on to http://www.cardplayer.com and tune in. You don't want to miss the interviews, analysis, and antics of Card Player's The Circuit.

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IN THE TANK WITH SCOTT FISCHMAN

WIL: Please let me know what you would have done here, as I obviously misplayed this hand.

I was playing a no-limit hold'em sit-and-go tourney with $25-$50 blinds. I was in the big blind with black deuces; three players and the small blind limped in. There were five players and $250 in the pot. The flop was 9-2-2. I checked, and so did everyone else.

The turn was an ace, and again I checked, thinking someone would definitely bet here. Again, everyone checked. The river was a jack.

I bet $150, and to my horror, everyone folded to the small blind, who thought and then mucked. (I've since put him on a 9 and think he would have called a flop bet.)

The question is, I know I misplayed the hand, but what's your advice when flopping a monster to get paid off?

SCOTT: When they say there is a lot of luck in poker, sometimes they are referring to situations like this. Obviously, when you flop quads, there aren't a whole lot of combinations of cards for your opponent to be holding that would make him want to pay you off. After a huge flop like this, I would consider it luck for you to make a lot of money. One of the most common ways for you to do this is to induce a big bluff by someone in the pot with you. Since you have pretty much everything out there, the only way to make a ton of money is by inducing the bluff. Personally, I usually just bet right out. If the pot was $250, I would probably bet out $175. Since you were in the blind, you want to represent that you have a deuce. It is very common for a player in the blinds to lead out on a rag flop like this. If you lead out big, it narrows the chances of your having a deuce in an opponent's mind, and he might try to bluff you!!

ORVILLE: Hey, Scott, I just want to start out by saying I think you are a great poker player, and that is why I am taking the time to ask you this question. Would you ever bet into a preflop raiser after the flop if you have action before the raiser? I have never done this, and when I see people do so, it really baffles me. I just wanted to know if you do this or think it's a good idea. Please tell me what hands you would bet if you do this, so that when I see it happen again, I might have a clue what someone might hold. Keep doing what you're doing, it's great.

SCOTT: Leading out into a raiser is one tool in a box full of many. Yes, I do it, as do others, but the question is how often and with what type of hand. Quite often, when I bet into a raiser, my hand is very strong. Let's say I call a raise with 8-8 and the flop comes 10-8-2; if I put my opponent on a strong hand like A-A, K-K, or Q-Q, I will bet into him, hoping to induce a raise. In other instances, I might lead into him with a bluff and take the pot away from him. Let's say I am pretty sure he has a middle pair and the flop comes ace high. I often like to lead out in a spot like this to take the pot away. If I get raised after this bet, but I still trust my read that he has a middle pair, I will reraise him. Oftentimes, when a preflop raiser gets bet into on an ace-high board, he will raise to represent A-K or A-Q. To summarize, betting is a tool used to gather information. In poker, you must gather as much info as possible and determine the holdings of the other players. Once you do that, you must trust yourself and follow up with any action necessary to win the pot!

GENERATION NEXT
Adam Levy: Roothlus Magic Man
By Craig Tapscott

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry wasn't an option when Adam Levy chose a high school in Coral Springs, Florida. Despite this early handicap, he became quite proficient at casting spells and creatures to defeat all challengers. It was a simple task. Adam used Magic.

Magic is a card game that combines elements of chess, poker, and Tolkien. The players assume the roles of various wizards and mages, forging into battle by casting playing card spells, attempting to pummel their adversaries' strength down to zero for a conquest. The game's worldwide popularity eventually spawned a professional tour and competitions awarding cash prizes to the winners.

Many of poker's youth vanguard began their gaming careers by competing in the Magic: The Gathering tournaments, including 2005 WSOP bracelet winner Eric Froehlich, Internet phenom Noah Boaken (aka Exclusive), and 2004 WSOP main event runner-up David Williams.

The game of Magic also initiated Adam Levy into the subtleties and variances of poker. "There is a randomness to the game and you learn how to deal with luck," said Adam. "Also, you learn to read your opponent and figure out just what his plans are. Another reason is because every situation is unique so you are prepped for those really tough decisions in poker. Also, Magic players are pretty hard on each other as far as making the right play. So that motivates everyone to get better."

In 2000, Adam enrolled at the University of Central Florida but left to pursue other opportunities that came his way, poker eventually being one of them. At most sites, he plays and entertains the table under the alias Roothlus. At PokerStars his avatar's picture is a smirking puppet from Crank Yankers, Special Ed. "Special Ed was this loud, really obnoxious, and really hilarious retard character. Obviously, I like to be the guy making jokes and lightening the mood at the table," smiled Adam.

Recently Adam decided to play poker for a living and is slowly gaining on his well-known Magic brethren as a player to watch in 2006.

Card Player College: What was your first introduction to poker?

Adam Levy: In high school, I picked up Magic cards and never let the hobby go. In the summer of 2003, my group of friends from Magic had heard about the movie Rounders and immediately they were hooked. Soon after I decided to follow suit. At first I was the ultimate sucker, but at some point things just clicked.

CPC: What were the first stakes you waded into?

AL: $1-$2 limit

CPC: Why poker?

AL: I was always a gamer: Magic cards, video games, whatever. And when I found a game that I could make a living off of, I was instantaneously hooked. I also wanted to prove everyone wrong, that I wasn't your local house game fish.

CPC: What elevated your game to compete with the best?

AL: Well, the group of kids I played with really helped me progress. All we ever did was play Magic 24/7, so converting to poker was easy. Reading Advanced Theory for Tournaments by David Sklansky helped me understand the game a little better. On my own I had sort of figured them out, but reading it really put into words my thought processes.

CPC: You quickly competed with some of the best online and had some decent wins under your belt.

AL: Early on, I managed to win a $100 buy-in on PartyPoker for $6,000. Even though I got extremely lucky, I was surprised that I was able to get myself into position to actually win the tourney. I really didn't know anything about anything. I barely knew percentages, so the fact that I could get there on instinct alone was pretty impressive.

CPC: Share your struggles with a poker bankroll?

AL: I had many, many stumbles along the way. Bankroll management was for the longest time my biggest problem. Multiple times I quit my job to play poker and a few months later, I'd be back at work after I busted. Eventually, I hit a big score and was able to stop working for good. Recently, I had another up-and-comer, Corey Cheresnick, help me out by staking me for all tourneys. It's helped me out a lot.

CPC: What's your style of play on the felt?

AL: Recently, I've learned to change gears, but give me chips and I'll be a maniac. I'm all about putting the pressure on someone else.

CPC: Can you list any achievements in poker that you would like to share?

AL: I won the Super Tuesday for $31,000 where I was down 3-to-1 heads up after getting two-outed on the turn threehanded. I'm pretty proud of my success in the $750,000 on Stars. I got fourth in it for $48,000 even after I went out on a bad beat. I also got 23rd in the $500 buy-in WCOOP event No. 1 for $6,000. That tourney had the toughest field of them all and I got to play with the likes of David Williams and T.J. Cloutier.

CPC: Where are you looking to improve?

AL: I have to learn when to make a play based on my reads and when to make a play based on my current situation within the tourney.

CPC: Do you ever leave the monitor and venture into the outside world?

AL: I like to go clubbing and hanging out with friends. But ultimately, I'm a gamer - Magic, Madden 2006, Xbox360.

CPC: What are the main differences in your live vs. online play?

AL: I'm much more comfortable live and definitely a better player. I'm forced to concentrate on one table as opposed to as many as four to six tables online. Also, it's much easier to click buttons online than to physically fold your hand. I don't think I'm amazing at live reads but I always seem to make the correct decision at the right time.

CPC: Do you play cash games and how do you approach that as compared to tourneys?

AL: I occasionally play cash games but what I really dig about tourneys is that there is an eventual winner. That feeling of winning is the best feeling in poker. When I do play cash games, I'm pretty aggressive, sometimes too aggressive. But, it's a lot of fun playing lots of rag hands and playing with real cash. I'm just not nearly as good at them.

CPC: Can you share your thoughts during a hand? What you are looking for at the table?

AL: I like to train my mind for certain situations before the situation arises so I'm prepared for it. At the PCA [PokerStars Caribbean Adventure], the first hand of the tourney, I get K-K under the gun and raise to $175. The guy directly across from me says he's all in for all $10,000 chips. I pause for a second and decide to fold K-K faceup and he shows A-A. I felt I was prepped for that situation because of this.

The things I look for at a table are any signs of weakness. Also, whom I know and whom I don't. The rule of thumb I like to use is, if I know them then they aren't a donk.

CPC: Replay one of your favorite hands for us?

AL: It was a hand in a $2,000 buy-in side event at this year's PCA. About four hours into the tourney, we are down to 16 people, just inside the money. Seven of the 10 people at the table were top-notch online players, so it wasn't by any means an easy table. I had just doubled up with A-J vs A-K vs. Gene Todd, who's a great cash-game player and has done well in a number of big buy-in events. I was caught in a tight spot and sucked out.

So the very next hand I have about $20K in chips and I decide to mix it up a little. I raise K-J offsuit under the gun at a relatively tight table. Blinds are $400-$800 and I make it $1,800 to go. Gene Todd calls me on the button. The flop comes K-K-9. I'm like, wow; did I really just get that lucky? So, I decide to use the more tricky approach and fire out a continuation bet to throw him off. He calls my flop bet and now I'm stoked that I'm actually getting action. The turn brings a 7. I decide to check and make it look like I was letting my hand go after the flop continuation bet failed.
He then bets about three-fourths of the pot and now I'm thinking could he really have the case king? He definitely doesn't have A-K because he would've reraised but it's a possibility he has K-Q. Well, if he does, he does. I can't fold now. So I pause for a moment and push all in for another $6K and his face turned pale. It was that moment that I knew I had him crushed. He ended up calling my all in and flipped over Q-9 (dead to runners on the flop).

After I scooped the $40K pot, I went on to chop the tourney for $31K which was second-place money. Even though it wasn't my biggest win, it was in the biggest buy-in, which I felt gained me a bit of respect.

CPC: Thanks for the insight into a "roothlus" player's mind.

CARD PLAYER 2006 PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Grinding Out of the Gate
BY SCOTT HUFF

The 2005 Card Player Player of the Year (POY) race came down to a literal "final table" between runner-up John Phan and champion Men "The Master" Nguyen. Their showdown at the last event of the year, the Trump Classic, was reminiscent of the photo finish between Daniel Negreanu and David "The Dragon" Pham in 2004, and proved that in the case of the fight for poker's MVP award, history really does repeat itself - and it is written by the winners.

"The Master" was number one, so his accomplishments are most fresh in poker fans' minds as we enter the 2006 tournament season. However, it was Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi - although it now may seem like a distant memory - who jumped out to a fast start in 2005 and led the POY charge with a fifth-place finish at the Gold Strike World Poker Open and a victory in his very next start at the L.A. Poker Classic.

Ultimately, Mizrachi fell short, ending the season with 3,801 points - good for fifth place overall. But now, only a month and a half into the 2006 race, he has surpassed that mark, and his season total stands at a commanding 3,954 points.

It's not that anyone has given up. The rest of the top five and beyond certainly hope to catch him. Early in the season, the names atop the list are generally those of the major tournament winners. Alan Goehring (second place) and Scotty Nguyen (third place) both have captured World Poker Tour titles this year and are hovering around the 2,000-point mark. Perennial tournament grinder An Tran (fourth place) and high-stakes California cash-game player Michael Woo (fifth place) round out the top five. But the Player of the Year race is a marathon, not a sprint, a fact of which Mizrachi is well aware.

History repeating borders on eerie in the case of Mizrachi's start this year. Once again, he fell short in Tunica, finishing second to Scotty Nguyen at the Gold Strike World Poker Open, only to rebound and claim victory at the very next tournament, the Borgata Winter Poker Open. Along with his 3,954 POY points, Grinder also has banked almost $2 million.

So now the question is: Can "The Grinder" hang on? Or, will he fall victim to a fate that seems almost preordained, given the mirror images of past Player of the Year results? The 2006 Player of the Year race is just under way. Ten months still remain. But, at least he has distanced himself from the thousands of players who will try to surpass him throughout another exciting season of tournament poker.

FULL TILT POKER DESCENDS ON THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
BY RICH BELSKY

Once a year in January, the small, exclusive resort town of Park City, Utah, goes through a monstrous transformation. The population balloons from the 7,000-person permanent residency to a 50,000-person orgy of lights, cameras, and action. The city's bars and hotels fill up with famous actors, directors, musicians, and onlookers. And this year, thanks to FullTiltPoker, the Sundance scene had more than just 200 films to get excited about.

From Jan. 20 to Jan. 23, online poker giant FullTiltPoker partnered with Premiere magazine to host the celebrity-studded FullTiltPoker room. The poker room was a revolving door of the who's who of the film and music worlds, all there to take their shot at each other and pros Jennifer Harman and Phil Gordon. Over the four-day FullTilt extravaganza, more than 1,000 people passed through the poker room, including celebrities Dennis Quaid, Dave Navarro, Eve, Chazz Palminteri, and Tommy Lee.

The only online poker site at the festival, FullTilt represented the poker world like the pros they are. The FullTiltPoker Celebrity/Charity Poker Tournament took place on Jan. 23, and Samantha Daniels took home first prize and a sweet FullTiltPoker table. Daniels is the producer of and inspiration for the NBC show Miss Match, starring Alicia Silverstone, and is a regular commentator for Access Hollywood.

The FullTiltPoker room experienced its hottest night when it moved the operation to O'Harry's Nightclub for the premiere party of The Darwin Awards, starring Winona Ryder, Joseph Fiennes, Wilmer Valderrama, and Julianna Margulies. The poker room was packed, and the night was highlighted by a live performance from the legendary Metallica. The FullTiltPoker room was perfectly positioned with a view right over the stage, and the venerable rockers had the entire room energized all night.

The Sundance Film Festival has come and gone, but FullTiltPoker took another huge step to advance the game of poker further into the mainstream. Future events have not been unveiled as of yet, but after the success of this year's extravaganza, one thing is almost certain: FullTilt will see you at Sundance again next year.

LAWMAKERS REINTRODUCE HOUSE BILL ATTEMPTING TO STOP ONLINE GAMING
Same Bill Failed in 2000
By ALLYN JAFFREY SHULMAN

Since 1995, when the first online gambling site opened its virtual doors, our legislators have introduced a myriad of bills attempting to ban Internet gambling. The legislators cannot seem to get their arms around a proper methodology. The reason online gambling cannot be proscribed is because gambling sites are housed outside the boundaries of the United States, where our government has no jurisdiction.

Therefore, any proposed law can control activities only within the boundaries of the United States.

Recently, U.S. Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.) reintroduced proposed legislation titled the "Internet Gambling Prohibition Act." In 16 pages of complicated legal meandering, the bill prohibits the use of a credit card, electronic fund transfer, or bank instrument to pay for Internet gambling. Of course, offshore sites already offer ways around this to get money into their sites.

The bill also provides a vehicle requiring U.S. Internet service providers to block hyperlinks in certain situations. That will be awkward to enforce. The bill also amends the 1961 Wire Act to include the Internet and to prohibit games of "chance." This will raise the issue of whether poker is a game of skill or chance. The bill also allows states to pass their own rules with regard to online gaming in their own state.

Even though online gambling revenues have reached $12 billion, congressmen such as Goodlatte are still attempting to ban it rather than regulate it. Goodlatte claims the economy is suffering by draining billions of dollars from the United States.

On the other side of the fence sits Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), first elected in 1964, who says that trying to prohibit online gambling is "ill-conceived":

"You might remember a failed experiment the U.S. government tried in the 1920s called Prohibition. Today, Congress is rushing to pass a similar ill-conceived prohibition of Internet gambling. Gaming prohibitionists believe they can stop the millions of Americans who gamble online by prohibiting the use of credit cards to gamble on the Internet. Just as outlawing alcohol did not work in the 1920s, current attempts to prohibit online gaming will not work, either.
Instead of a prohibition that will drive gambling underground, into the hands of unscrupulous merchants, Congress should examine the feasibility of strictly licensing and regulating the online gaming industry. State regulation will ensure that gaming companies play fair and drive out dishonest operators. It also provides potential tax revenue for financially strapped states."

FIGHT TO PROTECT POKER

Card Player encourages readers to get involved with this issue, either by contacting their local representatives or by exploring and supporting organizations, leagues, and websites that promise to fight for poker players' rights. The following is a list of several of those organizations:

Poker Players Alliance can be found at pokerplayersalliance.org. It's a nonprofit organization that is committed to defending the right to play poker legally in this country by lobbying politicians. Players are encouraged to become members in order to show politicians that they are serious about the hobby.

Poker Players of America can be found at keeppokerlegal.net. It's another organization that vows to fight for poker players' rights. Players can sign a petition at the site to encourage lawmakers to keep poker legal. The site also outlines laws and players' rights, and will soon have a message board dedicated to this subject.

GamblingLicenses.com is a website made for entrepreneurs, suppliers, regulators, and consultants who are interested in the online gaming industry. The site contains industry articles and documents that online players might find interesting.

'I'M ALL IN': HOW DEAD MONEY CAN MAKE IT TO THE FINAL TABLE
BY TIM PETERS

KILL PHIL: THE FAST TRACK TO SUCCESS IN NO-LIMIT HOLD'EM POKER TOURNAMENTS, by Blair Rodman and Lee Nelson (Huntington Press, $24.95 in paperback).

If you've played online, you've seen it happen: In the very first hand of a sit-and-go or even a multitable tournament, with the blinds at $10-$20, someone moves in for his entire starting stack of $1,500. Inevitably, you'll read some derisive chat ("Is that how it's going to be?" or, "Idiot"), but generally the bettor gets no callers and takes down the $30 pot. (Occasionally, of course, someone will call him - and then one of them doubles up.)

Is that poker? I always thought the answer must be "no" until I read this provocative new book by Blair Rodman and Lee Nelson, two solid poker professionals. (As you will readily surmise, the "Phil" of the title refers to poker brat Phil Hellmuth, whose picture adorns the cover and who contributed a foreword to the book, but the authors also use the name as shorthand for "any accomplished tournament player.")

In fact, I felt almost offended by the basic strategy the authors call "Kill Phil Rookie": You move in, preflop, regardless of what's in the pot, using three simple factors: a short list of 10 hand groupings, your stack size, and whether someone has raised the pot. Here's an example: If you have a "big stack," which they define as 10 times the cost per round, and are in either blind, you move in with hands as modest as a two-gap suited connector, from Q-9 to 6-3!

Actually, Kill Phil Basic is the second level of the strategy outlined in Kill Phil. The authors' most basic approach to tournament poker, "Kill Phil Rookie," is a slight modification of the bare-bones system devised for rank amateurs by David Sklansky plus a couple of thoughts on how to play from the blinds in unraised pots.

They also recognize, thankfully, that both of these basic Kill Phil approaches are high-risk - and that neither comes close to the sophistication of expert players. I'm nowhere near to becoming an expert player, but I can admire expert play - hence my initial negative reaction to the book. I was offended because Kill Phil Rookie and Kill Phil Basic reduce poker to a simple game of chicken: Do you dare call my all-in bet for all your chips? It essentially eliminates thought from the game. But that, of course, is exactly why they propose the Kill Phil strategy for neophytes. It eliminates the need for decision-making: If you're all in, you are going to see all five community cards no matter what happens; you cannot be pushed off the pot. You're going to steal lots of blinds. And when you do get called, you'll rarely be a huge underdog.

Obviously, if you have 6-3 suited and your opponent limped in with aces, you're in trouble. But a lot of seemingly modest hands are simply not that bad (a fact that great players know and novices need to learn). Here's one example: "A pair is a favorite against two unsuited overcards. For example, the 8 8 is about a 12.5-10 favorite over the A K. But trade in that A-K for the J 10 and you're almost exactly even money against those two red eights." Significantly, the hand groupings they outline differ from a lot of "standard" starting hands; they rank suited connectors higher than A-J, A-10, and K-Q, so that if you do get called, both cards in your hand will most likely be live.

I actually tried the Kill Phil Basic strategy in a couple of inexpensive sit-and-go tournaments; I won one (every time I got called, I had the best hand going in, like pocket eights versus pocket sevens) and lost the other (when my pocket nines got crushed by two aces). But even that very unscientific sample demonstrates that the strategy has some power; I was rarely called and stole an incredible number of pots, including several raised pots. The strategy is particularly valuable if you increase your stack early through a couple of double-ups; then your all-in moves really put opponents to the test.

At the same time, it's a deeply unsatisfying way to play poker - virtually thoughtless and rote. You aren't factoring in how others are playing, the texture of the flop, your stack versus an opponent's, or where the tournament is in relation to the money. You just move in, and hope you get no callers or survive the inevitable confrontation. And you will get called, eventually; the all-in moves frustrate other players - not a bad thing, necessarily - and people are positively eager to put you in your place.

The real value of the book is how the authors build on the core premise of Kill Phil Basic to create two more fully developed, and more effective, strategies: "Kill Phil Basic Plus" and "Kill Phil Expert." Neither has the elegant rigor of, say, Dan Harrington or David Sklansky, but they are also easier to learn and apply for tournament novices. In Basic Plus, you begin to factor your opponents' stack sizes and your assessment of their abilities into your decision-making. Kill Phil Expert adds still more nuances, including tells (reading them and supplying false ones of your own), "restealing," and making deals.

If you're an experienced player, you almost certainly won't adopt the Kill Phil strategy, though you'll learn something from reading this book. But if you're new to tournament poker, Kill Phil does offer an easy-to-learn, easy-to-apply strategy - and best of all, it will help give you a foundation for building a better, more sophisticated game of your own. Who knows? You might even take out one of the Phils in the process.

Editor's note: This and other great books are available at www.CardPlayer.com.