First 2007 WSOP Event Kicks off Tomorrow

The first 2007 World Series of Poker tournament is scheduled to kick off tomorrow and the mere thought about it gets me really excited. It's not as if I'm going to actually participate or anything (I'm not that good of a player), but as a staunch poker enthusiast I definitely will follow the reports on the strongest players and the most exciting tournaments.

In my opinion, last year's WSOP final table event was among the most titillating poker events ever. Who could have thought that it would be Jamie Gold who's going to land the first place prize. And, what an impressive prize it was - $12,000,000! This sure is a lot of money for a middle-class TV producer who was relatively unknown in the poker industry. Later, however, I read in the news that he had a fight with some other guy who claimed that Gold had promised him to split the jackpot and later refused. Eventually, they went to court and the 2006 WSOP champion was ultimately ordered to share half of his winnings with the plaintiff. Anyway, despite Gold's immense luck there is absolutely no chance of him grabbing the first place for the second time...

Yet, although winning a WSOP champion title for the second time is certainly a highly challenging goal (on the verge of the impossible almost), there are poker players who've done it. Take, for instance, Stu Ungar. He took the title twice in 1980 and 1981 and also made a hell of a comeback in 1990. What can be more amazing than becoming a three-time WSOP winner?

I've been talking to some friends of mine and they tried to convince me that, this year, we are going to crown Carlos 'El Matador' Mortensen as the fortunate winner. He won the title for the first time in 2005. That year he finished in the money three times in the WSOP and also managed to win the Season Five WPT championship. Last year, Mortensen placed in the money five times and that's why my friends believe that he has the best chances of winning this year.

Personally, however, I believe that there are other gifted (or plain lucky) candidates as well. The likes of Phil Hellmuth, Greg Raymer, Joseph Hachem and Cris Moneymaker. All of the above have proved their amazing poker abilities and talents. On the other hand, there are plenty other skillful players that we haven't heard about it just yet. And, they sure have a chance to make it to the top as well.

So, who is it going to be?

Chauvinist: No room for women in poker!

Allow me to state the obvious: there are lots of chauvinistic pigs among today's poker players. I was playing poker at this local gaming club we have in my neighborhood. The game itself was actually quite exciting. I had an excellent hand (A-K) and could already see myself scooping the jackpot when this guy sitting next to me started making obnoxious jokes about female poker players. First, I thought 'what do I care if the guy is an idiot and has no appreciation for women,' but then I started thinking about it seriously...

Throughout its impressively long history, poker has seen a long procession of amazing female poker players, especially in the recent years. With the invention of the Internet poker has become as accessible to women as it has always been to men. After their initial exposure to this exciting game, female players started honing their poker skills and eventually became worthy rivals of their male counterparts. Indeed, today's female poker players play as successfully, if not more successfully, as male ones.

Take, for example, Annie Duke. In my humble opinion, she's just amazing. It was Duke's brother top poker pro Howard Lederer who encouraged Duke to get into poker in the first place. He also trained her and taught her her first poker strategies. In 2004, Duke collected $2,000,000 in the inaugural World Series of Poker Tournaments of Champions, an exclusive winner-take-all event. In 2006, Duke has won one WSOP bracelet and currently boasts over $3.1 million in tournament play winnings. Eventually, as it often happens, the student surpassed the master. Duke has long since beaten lots of prominent poker pros, including her brother. (by the way, this info comes from onlinepokereport.com)

In fact, the list of brilliant female poker players is very long. It includes the likes of Kathy Liebert, Jennifer Harman, Barbara Enright, Jennifer Tilly, Evelyn Ng and others. All of these incredible women have earned their place among top poker pros by working very hard on their gaming abilities. They have all proved that women are as bright poker players as men! So, who has the right to ridicule them so viciously?

I guess that I got so angry with that joking buddy I had at my table because I felt that he has no right of doing what he did. That just makes him a disgusting chauvinistic pig! Luckily, his inappropriate jokes infuriated some of my other opponents as well and so after realizing that he has the wrong audience he left the game.

A Murderous Poker Case...

Can poker eventually lead to a cold-blooded murder? Well, apparently it can. Shockingly enough, a Californian woman mad at her husband for losing money in poker games (and maybe other marriage-related stuff too) stabbed her husband to death and later tried to commit suicide. The stabbing incident took place in a luxurious condominium near the Las Vegas Strip and the suicide attempt in another state altogether, California, several days after the murder.


If you're reading this blog, you probably think that I'm hallucinating, but no! This is actually part of a news item that I just read and left me thinking. The article actually said that the murderous wife had lots of reasons to be furious at her husband, poker was just one of them. The hubby, as it turned out, was quite a maniac, deceiving his family, friends and business partners by taking their money and never paying them back. The wife probably decided that the scumbag didn't deserve to live anymore (this is, however, my assumption!).


Regardless, the reasons (whether the murder was justified or not), the wife is very likely to spend the rest of her life behind bars. I guess she'd have lots of time to ponder upon her wrongdoing. In the meantime, in my opinion, poker has nothing to do with such cruelty!

WPT's Gadecki Indeed Replaced

Well, it turned out that the vicious rumors regarding Sabina Gadecki's departure from the World Poker Tour show were true. I just read a news article that said that the svelte model will no longer be hosting the show. The reasons behind such a decision were not disclosed. They just said that Gadecki was unable to sweep poker fans worldwide off their feet.


Gadecki will be replaced by 23-year-old Layla Kayleigh. Personally, I never heard her name but, apparently, she is highly experienced in celebrity interviews and even played in some film due for release in 2008. I wonder what she knows about professional poker.


Somehow, I'm quite positive that, just like Gadecki, Kayleigh will not last for more than one season. Actually, it's just a gut feeling...

Is Mike Really Addicted to Poker?

Yesterday, a childhood friend of mine asked me a question that got me thinking quite seriously. He said, “how do I know if my gambling behavior has become compulsive?”. To be honest, his question truly freaked me out. First, I turned to humor. I said, “No way, Mike. What is this a joke?” But, there was no humor in Mike's eyes or anywhere on his face, for that matter... It didn't take me too long to figure that Mike wasn't kidding at all...


So after the initial shock was over (I was so amazed by his sudden confession, because I know Mike from preschool and, believe me, he does not have an addictive personality), I started searching the web for answers. How can you recognize the symptoms, how do you know if you've become addicted to poker?


Well, fortunately enough this is a very common issue among poker players. I found several other gaming blogs and poker websites discussing this very same problem: compulsive gamblers. I was relieved to know that it can happen to the very best of us, poker enthusiasts, and there are organizations willing and able to assist problem gamblers seeking for help.


First and foremost, compulsive gambling habits are indeed very destructive. It can force the sanest people do the craziest things that, in a normal situation, would sure make them very ashamed. Such antics include spending one's entire paycheck on a single game. Or, when you find yourself losing game after game unable to detach from the table, then, buddy, you have a serious problem and should definitely ask for help! Playing in such a condition involves great risks, monetary and medical alike.


After combing the net very rigorously, I learned that a compulsive gambler's best chance of getting rid of this malady, is first admitting that the problem does exist. Actually admitting the addiction is a hell of a challenge. Most compulsive gamblers choose to deny everything and anything. Saying stuff like “So what if I spent all my money on poker, so what if I had to borrow from someone else (most probably a loan shark), so what if I lied to my family about the money, so what if I'm willing to do anything for an extra buck...” is very common among addicts.


The next step after admitting having a problem is to look for professional help. Such help may come in the form of a counselor or support group. Many gambling addicts maintain that talking to someone helps a lot when trying to overcome the habit. According to what they say at onlinepokereport.com, turning to gamblersanonymous.org is a great start. Membership is free and all you need is determination!


I'll be following Mike's battle very closely and hope that makes it unharmed...

Poker Pro Joe Hachem the Next Hollywood Star?

Hi, folks. Check out the scandalous news item I recently read at this poker portal, onlinepokereport.com. It's been reported that the mighty poker pro Joe Hachem is expected to appear in a new Australian horror movie, called 'Prey.' To tell you the truth, I'm quite surprised. It seems that Hachem we'll not be having a leading role, so I figure that he is not going to make as much money as he's used to in poker tournaments. Just to remind you, he left the 2005 WSOP final table with $7,500,000 in his pocket!

So, what? It's like charity work for Hachem or is he determined to pursue a career in acting? Who said that the guy has any acting skills at all? Nevertheless, a fact is a fact and, when the movie hits theaters we'd be the judges of Hachem's acting talent.


Anyway, the movie is set in Western Australia and follows a group of six friends traveling through the desert. Since it's a horror flick then lots of horrific incidents are simply a 'must.' Somehow the group manages to awaken some sort of a dormant mythological creature, whose sole purpose is to either kill or possess his unsuspecting victims. As an ardent horror movie fan I must admit that the plot sounds promising...Or, is it?


But, again, what does Hachem have to do with all of this? Unless the movie's characters entertain themselves with an occasional poker game just to alleviate their growing fear, I don't really see how Hachem fits the plot. By the way, the poker wizard is going to appear opposite popular Australian actress Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Other film participants haven't been officially named yet.


I'll try to keep up with the news to find out how Hachem will be integrated in the cast. This should be good, trust me...

Can't Cash out My Winnings!

I'm seriously mad and have no idea what to do. I've been playing poker at this online website, lets call it pokerforidiots.com (obviously not its real name because I'm not interested in trashing it), and somehow even managed to win some money. That's a really special occasion because winning does not come easy to me. So, naturally, I was very excited. Imagine how disappointed I was when I found out they won't pay me. Their excessively long list of 'Terms&Conditions' determines that for a certain reason I'm not entitled to the prize. Online entertainment at its best, right?

I am not a dummy and, before investing my cash, I actually did some investigation work to figure out if they were to be trusted. I read some poker room reviews and even asked a buddy of mine for advice. To my satisfaction, everything seemed to be Ok. However, when it came to payout time, all of a sudden all these obstacles appeared. First, I totally disregarded the fact that there was no live chat support. So, the only way to communicate with these people is via e-mail. And, it sure took them a long while to respond. Second, I should have noticed that the First Deposit bonus can't be cashed out at all!

Anyway, when they finally did respond to my withdrawal request, they said that that I can't cash out my profits just yet, but needed to play some more games before I' m allowed to collect . Too bad they never mentioned this cashing-out condition on their home page. I sure would have thought twice before playing there!

So, what am I to do? I still hope that they'll come around...

WPT Says Bye Bye to Sabina Gadecki?

I just bumped into a certain news item that left me virtually speechless. I read that the gorgeous super model Sabina Gadecki is very unlikely to come back to host the sixth season of the WPT show. Ok, so its still regarded a rumor and the WPT has not yet made an official statement about Gadecki's unexpected departure, but it seems that she is indeed not coming back.

Interestingly enough, if these rumors eventually become reality and Gadecki is replaced by some other hostess, she would share the fate of her predecessor Courtney Friel, who was hosting the show for a single season as well. A friend of mine, who loves the game as much as I do if not more, said that somehow neither Gadecki nor Friel were successful in hitting it off with the global poker community.

Another friend said that it was Shanna Hiatt, who hosted the show for three seasons, was the one to gain the sympathy of poker players worldwide. Its' too bad that she left the series on really bad terms. I heard that Hiatt sued WPT producers claiming that they tried to prevent her from participating in NBC's rival poker show, 'Poker After Dark.'

Anyone has any information on the reasons behind Gadecki's possible retirement?

Don't Cry for Me, Cry for Yourselves

I want to share my frustration with someone. As we all know following the recently enacted UIGEA, banks and other financial organizations are no longer allowed to process online gambling-related transactions. This means online poker's death. At least, for U.S. players like me. Personally, I love playing the game. It's a sexy and challenging pastime. I like taking chances and going all the way. It does not matter whether I play poker over the Internet or in a real casino in Vegas, the adrenaline rush just makes my day.

However, with so many online poker rooms now pulling out of the U.S., it becomes increasingly difficult to find an online website that is still willing to accept wagers for U.S.-based poker enthusiasts.

In my opinion, the anti-online gambling legislation is going to hit the U.S. where it hurts the most. I predict a significant surge in illegal gambling activities. Because, let's face it, people are still going to play poker. It's going to be unregulated play and the state will not even enjoy taxation. So, dear lawmakers do you still believe that it's smart to ban online gambling?

Give me one, just one good reason, why online poker should be prohibited for U.S. players. And, if you're going to bring up that moral nonsense, just remember that land-based casinos are still allowed to offer gambling entertainment. It makes no sense, because if you seek to eradicate poker as a phenomena, wouldn't it be more logical to ban live games as well? But, it isn't so in reality. It's only the online gambling industry that takes the blow.

Maybe, some people occupying higher positions in our esteemed government are interested in keeping things the way they are. For all I know, maybe some of our lawmakers are even profiting from the current situation...(If you know what I mean!)

Anyhow, what's a poker lover like me to do? Move closer to Las Vegas? Perhaps, I really should! Naaaaa, I'm just kidding. I'm not about to relocate my entire family for an occasional visit to a land-based gambling establishment. That would definitely be ridiculous!

Surprise, Surprise: Tony G Poker

Here goes something I do not tend to do often. But feeling the need to do so, I'm not going to restrain myself. I must confess that I love playing poker. I'm always looking for great poker rooms to play at. And, just recently I came across this relatively new poker room called Tony G Poker (sometimes spelled TonyGPoker or TonyG Poker). As many other poker enthusiasts out there, I typically play at the bigger and more popular poker websites, like Titan Poker or Full Tilt, because they have already proved themselves as reliable. In addition, the traffic there is great so you can play poker virtually at any table day or night (you don't need to wait until the table is full).

I was cruising the net for no particular reason, and somehow (and kill me if I do remember how) I found myself checking out Tony G. The first impression was not WOW! I think that the graphical design is mediocre and the game range is not that great either. With these downsides in mind, I was about to close this website and totally forget about it, but then at the very last minute I decided to try out their software. And, there was the greatest surprise.

They've just recently switched to a new gaming platform and now use software provided by Playtech. This should be a major advantage for the poker room and its regular players. So, I downloaded the software (which surprisingly was a fast and trouble-free process) and started playing. Their first deposit bonus, up to $300, is not too bad either. The play goes very smoothly and the competition is very soft. I made an extra buck without any effort. I had a lot of fun making my opponents pay real cash for their mistakes.

I just wanted to let people know that easy money is not a fantasy. Things like that do happen at Tony G. The poker room is virtually a fish tank!

'Lucky You' is Short on Luck

Has anyone already seen Drew Barrymore's just recently released poker flick “Lucky You”? 'Cuz I haven't, but sure am curious. The plot sounds pretty romantic to me. She (Barrymore) is an innocent young woman coming to the big city to pursue a singing career and he is a hotshot player seeking to play some killer poker. Although the two characters are portrayed as sharing nothing in common, the film makers somehow make them fall in love.

My friends went to see the movie and, to be sincere, were not that impressed. They told me that the love story was completely unconvincing. Since the two protagonists lead such different lives the chances of somebody like them falling in love are really modest (to say the least). Ok, so both Drew Barrymore and Eric Banna are gorgeous, but beyond the initial physical attraction could there be anything else? Somehow I real doubt that...

Also, I was told that 'Lucky You's subplot is really shallow. My friends said that the didn't buy all this father-son conflict. So, Banna is not in touch with his feelings. So, what does it have to do with his poker playing daddio? According to the movie, Banna is first supposed to resolve his personal issues and only then can he become successful in poker. Maybe an encounter with a seasoned psychiatrist is in place. After all, psychiatrists make it their goal to help others get in touch with their inner emotions.

The bottom line? I consider both Banna and Barrymore fairly talented actors. The movie also features other esteemed actors, including four-time Golden Globe winning actor Rubert Duval and 'Will & Grace' actress Debra Messing in supporting roles. The director is Curtis Hanson, the man behind the successful "L.A. Confidential” film. The script was written by Eric Roth, another celebrated figure in the movie industry. So many right people invested so much effort in something that turned out somehow wrong...

One thing I'm happy about is the accent on poker made throughout the film. I am a true poker fan. So, the more poker play I see, the merrier...