CP The Inside Straight

On the Cheap: Getting Into the World Series of Poker for a Nickel

Satellites Are Running Around-the-Clock at Several Online Poker Sites

BY BOB PAJICH

Harrah's is making plans to accommodate 8,000 players at this year's World Series of Poker main event, and a majority of those players will have gotten into the $10,000 buy-in event for much less than that.



Everyone knows the story of Chris Moneymaker, who, in 2003, turned a $40 satellite win at PokerStars.com into more money than he could carry at one time. Greg Raymer did the same thing at the same site in 2004, but that cost him $160.



There's a chance that this year's winner will have gotten into the main event for as little as a nickel. The following is an aphabetical list of online poker rooms that are giving their players ways to get into "the big one" for less than what a fast-food meal costs.



AbsolutePoker

This site isn't giving away a big package to the main event. Instead, winners of qualifiers at AbsolutePoker.com will each receive a $5,000 prize that can be used to enter any WSOP event they wish. The rest of the money goes toward the player's trip and expenses.



The prize package is given away in a $108 tournament that takes place every two weeks. Multitable daily qualifiers for this tourney start at as little as $1.10. The winners advance to another level, where entry into the $108 satellite is awarded.



Single-table qualifiers into the $108 biweekly event cost $13. A $39 single-table qualifier also is offered, in which the top three finishers advance.



ActionPoker
ActionPoker.com is running the cheapest cash qualifiers into the WSOP. Players can win its WSOP tournament package for as little as a nickel. Five cents will buy entry into a five-person sit-and-go. The winner wins entry into a six-player, 20-cent sit-and-go. Come in first or second, and it's off to a 10-player, 96-cent sit-and-go to win entry into an $8 sit-and-go.



Win the $8 tourney, and face eight other players in a $63 sit-and-go. The winner of that can enter a six-person, $503 sit-and-go. That winner advances to a six-player, $2,760 sit-and-go, where the WSOP seat is awarded.



BetFred
This site is holding five $315 supersatellite tourneys in the next several months in which their $12,000 prize packages will be won. The dates are May 5, May 26, June 30, and July 21.



Players can get into these tourneys for as little as $2.30. Winners then can enter daily $23 multitable tourneys, in which one seat to the $315 satellites will be awarded for every 15 players.



Single-table tourneys for the $315 satellite cost $34.50 for 10-player tables and $57.50 for six-player tables. The winners at these tables advance.



Bodog
Bodog.com plans on sending several players to the WSOP. Its main-event package is worth $12,500, and players can win it for as little as $1.10.



Win the $1.10 tourney, and advance to Stage Two, an $8.80 table. Come in second, and repeat the level. Win that, and it's on to Stage Three, where the top two finishers advance to Stage Four.



The top two players advance to Stage Five, where the winner receives the $12,500 package. The runner-up receives entry back into the final stage, which is worth $1,500.



Players can qualify for the WSOP prize package through multitable tourneys, too.



Bodog.com's Cheap Seats qualifier costs $1.50. For every 20 players who enter, one player will receive a seat in the $5.50 qualifier. For every six players who enter that multitable tourney, one player will be sent to the quarterfinals, which costs $29 to enter.



For every 10 players who enter the quarterfinals, one player will advance to the $270 finals. For every 50 players playing in that tourney, an event prize package will be given away.



In addition to the main event, players can use the tournament dollars earned in the multitable qualifiers to play for WSOP seats in $1,500, $2,000, and $2,500 events.



The tournaments will run until June.



DoylesRoom
Every day at DoylesRoom.com, players are trying to get into the WSOP for $3.15 by playing in a multitable tourney that awards as many seats as possible to a $207.90 rebuy tourney that's held every Saturday. This is where its WSOP package worth $12,500 is awarded.



Players also can get into this tourney by playing in sit-and-go tournaments that cost $25.41.



FullTiltPoker

Each week until July 13, FullTiltPoker.com will hold at least two $216 multitable tournaments that will award at least one WSOP main-event package in each. Although some players will buy into it directly, most will take the harder – but cheaper – path.



Qualifying tournaments for the weekly WSOP multitables start at $6.60. For every 36 players who enter, one will advance to the $216 event.



Players who want to put up $26 to try to win an entry can do so through either single-table sit-and-gos or multitable tournaments that are held throughout the day.



Besides the two weekly WSOP-package tournaments, FullTiltPoker.com is gearing up for its big one on July 16, in which a minimum of 100 people will win WSOP packages. A direct buy-in for this event is $535, but you can bet that a majority of the participants will get in on the cheap.



Players can win their way directly into this event for as little as $8.80 in multitable tourneys that run daily. Players also can win their way directly into the guaranteed event by playing in a $26 multitable qualifier, or by winning a $26 sit-and-go that awards entry into a $75 sit-and-go, in which the winner advances to July's tourney.



If the winner of the WSOP main event qualified for the tourney at FullTiltPoker.com, the site will award the winner a $10 million bonus.



InterPoker.com
At $15,500, this site has the biggest prize package available, and players can win one for as little as $1.20. InterPoker.com holds a $1.20 multitable tourney that, for every 750 people registered, awards an entry into the $750 buy-in tourney that awards the prize package each Saturday.



Players also can get into the big tourney daily by entering $10 or $18.70 single-table qualifiers into an $81 daily multitable tourney that awards seats to the weekly $750 event. InterPoker.com also holds $109 and $170 single-table tourneys into the big tourney.



ParadisePoker

Multitable qualifying tourneys at ParadisePoker.com are taking place every day for as little as $15. For every 33 people entered, one player advances to a $500 satellite, in which at least one $12,500 WSOP package is awarded.



PartyPoker

Players at PartyPoker.com can win a seat into the WSOP main event for as little as $2. That will buy players into a multitable qualifier that awards seats to a $55 multitable qualifier. The winner is awarded a seat into a daily $215 tournament in which at least one WSOP main-event package worth $11,000 is awarded.



Players also can win their way into the daily event by playing in multitable tourneys for $6, $11, $22, and $55. PartyPoker.com is also offering sit-and-gos into the $215 daily event for $27, $33, and $55. Players can qualify for the $33 and $55 sit-and-gos through an $11 single-table qualifier (for the $33 tourneys) or a $2 multitable qualifier (for the $55 tourneys).



PartyPoker.com's Steps tourneys are also a way to get into the main event cheaply. Players can enter Step One for $11. Win that, and they'll advance to Step Two. Make it to the fifth table, and a WSOP package is up for grabs. But players don't have to win five in a row. Each step is different, and players who finish in the top four get a freeroll in the same step or a step lower. It's a good structure for people who like to try, try again.



PokerStars

Two out of the last three WSOP champs qualified at PokerStars.com. Last year, 1,116 main-event participants qualified at PokerStars.com. Qualifying satellites for this year's main event are now under way.



Players can win a $12,000 WSOP package for as little as $2 in multitable turbo/rebuy qualifiers that send as many people as possible into the site's daily multitable $33 rebuy satellite, in which WSOP prize packages are given away. Multitable turbo/rebuy shootout qualifiers that cost $5.50 send as many players as possible into the site's daily $155 shootout satellites.



Each week, PokerStars.com holds its $650 multitable satellite, and players can get into it for as little as $3 in multitable rebuy tourneys. Players also can play in $11 multitable rebuys, $16 double shootouts, $27 (with or without rebuys) multitable qualifiers, and $80 qualifiers to get into the $650 weekly event.



TitanPoker
Online single-table and multitable qualifiers are taking place daily at TitanPoker.com, and players can enter for as little as $2.50. Players play in these qualifiers to try to get into the $23 tourney, and advance to the weekly $300 tourney, where WSOP packages worth $12,000 are awarded to as many players as possible.



TitanPoker.com also is holding satellites specifically to send women to the $1,000 WSOP ladies event. Multitable satellites in which a $2,000 ladies prize package is awarded cost $6 and $11, and run throughout the week.



UltimateBet

Players at UltimateBet.com can win a $12,000 WSOP main-event prize package for as little as $3.30 (plus rebuys) in multitable tourneys that award as many seats as possible to the site's $215 tournaments, where the prize packages are won.



Satellites for other tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $320 to $1,000 are running around-the-clock. They also start at $3.30 with rebuys. For players who don't like rebuy tourneys, $27.50 and $55 multitable tourneys are held for tourneys in which WSOP packages are offered.

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Jeff Williams

University of Georgia Student Wins EPT Grand Finale

Amateur Wins €900,000

BY BOB PAJICH



Jeff Williams, an American college student, recently won the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Finale and the €900,000 that came with it.



He outlasted a field of 298 that included 2005 World Series of Poker Champion Joe Hachem, tough Russian poker pro Kirill Gerasimov, Marcel Luske, Liz Lieu, 2001 WSOP and World Poker Tour Champion Carlos Mortensen, and 2004 WSOP Champ Greg Raymer.



Williams got into the tournament through cash qualifiers at PokerStars.com, and his parents caught a red-eye to watch their son play at the final table of the five-day event. They got to see the University of Georgia student win enough cash to pay his tuition and the tuition of everyone he knows, too.



The top prize translates into about $1 million.



Williams faced a tough final table, which included Luske and British poker pro Ross Boatman. He started the final table fourth out of eight in chips with €495,700, but built his stack to more than €1 million right before the dinner break and never looked back.



Arshad Hussain finished second and won €492,000. Norwegian Aleksander Strandli finished in third place for €251,000, and Marc Karam (€195,000), Thierry Cazals (€168,000), Boatman (€140,000), Luske (€112,000), and Fraser Dunphy (€84,000) finished fourth through eighth, respectively.



Although Dunphy was the first player to go out at the final table, he helped determine the tournament's final outcome on the hand he was unlucky enough to lose. He moved all in for about €240,000 with pocket aces, and Williams, who had about €400,000, called him with pocket tens.



A 10 on the flop gave Williams close to €1 million in chips, and about six hours of tough poker later, the EPT Grand Finale title was his.



Karam and Hussain both qualified for this event for free at PokerStars.com. They got in by playing in tournaments using their frequent player points. Strandli joined Williams as a PokerStars.com cash qualifier.

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Darrel Dicken

Darrell 'Gigabet' Dicken Wins Grueling 13-Hour Final Table in WSOP Tournament Circuit Championship at Harrah's Rincon
BY NOLAN DALLA



Poker tournaments are as much a test of mental and physical endurance as playing skill. This point was demonstrated in the World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit championship event at Harrah's Rincon Casino Resort. The winner, 28-year-old Darrell "Gigabet" Dicken, quite simply outlasted the competition.



The championship event paid $1,035,500 in prize money. It took 22 hours to eliminate the first 100 players, leaving the final nine in the money.



When play commenced on the final day, Kathy Liebert had a slight chip lead over her closest two competitors – Adam Kagin and Dicken.



It didn't take long for the first player to be eliminated:



Ninth Place - Three hands into play, Tom McCormick, aka "The Shamrock Kid," moved all in with his last $18,000 with 6-6. His sixes were steamrolled by Gary Lent's K-K. McCormick, who has 19 cashes and 10 final tables, lasted eight minutes. But, he did manage to collect $31,065.



Eighth Place - Yosh Nakano took a bad beat when all in preflop with K-K against Dicken's 10-10. Dicken flopped a 10, Nakano failed to catch one of the remaining kings, and went out in eighth place. Nakano, a high-limit casino host at The Bicycle Casino, earned $41,420.



Seventh Place - Tournament pro Andy Bloch went from second in chips to the rail within a 30-minute span. He lost half of his stack to Gary Lent when he folded to an all-in river bet. About 10 hands later, Bloch tried to steal the blinds with an all-in raise with 4-4. Lent woke up in the big blind with A-A. Lent, who was low on chips from the start, rocketed close to the chip lead. Meanwhile, Bloch drowned in seventh place, receiving $51,775.



With six players left, Dicken had the chip lead with about $370,000 to Lent's $300,000. Liebert, who had played few hands, was in third place with $180,000. The remaining players were all under $100,000 in chips.



Sixth Place - Kagin moved all in with A-9. Liebert called the raise with K-K. The flop came 9-6-5. Then, an ace rained down on the turn, good for two pair for Kagin. A king fell on the river, giving Liebert a set of kings. Kagin picked up $62,130 for sixth place.



Fifth Place - Jim Pechac arrived with only $18,000 – outchipped 13-1 by the big stack when play began. But he survived four all ins before succumbing in fifth place. On his final hand, Pechac made an all-in call with A-9 after the flop came Q-9-6. Liebert, holding Q-J, had top pair. Pechac received $72,485 in prize money.



Fourth Place - It took seven hours for the next player to go out. Dicken seemed to be in command until he lost $100,000 when Lent made a straight and seized the chip lead. WeiKai Chang moved from the shortest stack up to near the chip lead when he was dealt 6-6 and won a $260,000 pot. Chang moved all in with the pair and was involved in three-way action against Liebert's A-Q and Lent's K-J. The pocket sixes survived.



On the next decisive hand, Liebert reraised all in preflop with A-J suited and was called instantly by Dicken with 10-10. The flop came Q-Q-2, but she spiked a jack on the turn, which catapulted her into the chip lead with nearly $400,000. Dicken fell to the shortest stack.



Then, Dicken extracted his revenge. He was all in with A-Q against Liebert's A-K. An ace flopped. Then, Dicken caught a queen and was back to about $300,000 in chips.



Eleven hours into the finale, fourth place was settled when Lent moved all in with A-K and was called by Dicken with 4-4. Lent collected $82,840.



Third Place - That big hand gave Dicken a decisive chip lead. Chang moved all in with K-7, which was called by both Dicken (J-10) and Liebert (K-J). The final board showed 7-5-2-2-Q, which tripled up Chang. Liebert was eliminated and collected $113,905.



When heads-up play began, Dicken enjoyed an 11-1 chip lead over Chang. Chang managed to double up early, putting him at a 5-1 disadvantage. Then, he got lucky when his A-5 outdrew Dicken's A-8. A few hands later, Chang won another hand, and for the first time, he held the chip lead.



Dicken continued to play his best game. After three hands, Dicken regained the chip lead. An hour after heads-up play started, the final hand of the tournament took place when Chang was dealt 10-10 and raised. Dicken, holding J-J, reraised all in. Chang thought for a moment, and called. The pocket jacks held up and Dicken was the champion.



Second Place - Chang played superbly. His payday as the runner-up amounted to $207,100.



First Place - Dicken is well-known in Internet poker circles, having won a considerable amount of money in recent years.



He acknowledged that online poker helped to sharpen his real-life tournament skills.



Dicken received the WSOP gold and diamond ring presented to each Circuit winner. He also collected $372,780 in first-place prize money.



Nolan Dalla is the WSOP media director; Jimmy Sommerfeld was the tournament director of this event.

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NBC National Heads-Up Pairings Party Celebrates a Full House at Caesars Palace

BY LISA WHEELER



On Friday, March 7, Caesars Palace kicked off the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship with an extraordinary affair. The much anticipated pairings party, sponsored by Gentleman's Quarterly magazine and Outback Steakhouse, had Caesars dishing up good cheer and edibles to several hundred guests.

The party established how the 64 players would be grouped and paired into four "brackets" (Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds) by a random drawing of names from a drum.



The high-limit poker area was open exclusively to VIPs and their guests, and was closely guarded by Herculean watchmen, standing cross-armed and stationary. Beyond the sentries, celebrities and their guests indulged in tasty hors d'oeuvres and beverages from an open bar that featured Hypnotiq-based drinks.



Caesars Palace Poker Manager Michael Matts exclaimed, "This is amazing. Look what's happened to poker! Who would have thought there would be such a turnout? This is a tremendous opportunity for Caesars."



Following an hour of party favors and elbow rubbing, participants were directed toward the feature room for the official pairings ceremony. The stands were chock-full of spectators and a crowd of onlookers stood along the ropes to witness the hullabaloo. The largest poker room in Las Vegas, housing a separate tournament area, had barely enough space to house the mass of fans.



Throughout the pairings of the Clubs bracket, it was all kicks and giggles until Phil Hellmuth picked Chip Reese's name out of the drum. "This is going to be an interesting match," said Hellmuth. Reese was a formidable pick for the 2005 champion, who was returning to defend his title.



The Diamonds bracket was the last to be assembled. Doyle Brunson (from the Hearts bracket) tallied the players and determined the last 16 names. Suddenly, he spoke out: "I'll bet $100,000 against any other bracket, to win." Howard Lederer accepted the side bet, adding yet another level of excitement and value to the $1.5 million prize pool.



NBC and Caesars Palace had a winner on their hands, and this gala affair further proved how popular NBC's innovative event has become. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tips From 'The Circuit"

Smooth-Calling With Big Slick


CardPlayer.com's hit radio show The Circuit brings you updates, interviews, and strategy from the biggest names in poker. The show broadcasts live from all World Poker Tour events.



The following discussion regarding smooth-calling with A-K took place between co-host Mike Matusow and guest Todd Arnold on The Circuit at the Bay 101 Shooting Star tournament:



Mike Matusow: I love smooth-calling with ace-king in position.



Todd Arnold: Me too, absolutely.



MM: Who the heck likes to reraise? I reraise only when they raise like one off the button.



TA: To find out where you're at, sure.



MM: And you want to pick up the blinds and antes. This is a hand that you want to smash people with.



TA: Exactly, because if you hit it, they don't believe you have ace-king. I totally agree with Mike on that.



MM: That's why I tell people all the time, ace-king is the worst-played hand in poker.



TA: Overplayed, completely.



MM: They wouldn't throw an ace-king away online if it was 10 bets to 'em. Ace-king is like flopping quads.



TA: Absolutely, and they play it at the wrong time. And as we were saying before, it's about equity. You don't wait until somebody's already raised a third of his stack before you try to push him out.



MM: Let me tell you something. If there's a raise and a reraise …



TA: Muck!



MM: You never put a chip in with ace-king when you're the third one into a pot.



TA: Ever.



MM: Never. Ever. Ever. Never. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Put The Circuit to work for your game
Robert Dudek of Toronto, Canada, has:

Hi, Mike and Scott (Huff),



Recently I started playing no-limit hold'em cash games at the six-max tables at FullTiltPoker.com.



The discussions on your show about flat-calling in position have been gold for me. It never ceases to amaze me how far people push hands after opening for a raise from early position.



For example, in one hand, a player raised four times the big blind from under the gun and I flat-called with pocket nines from one off the button. The big blind also called, and we saw a K-9-rag flop with two hearts. The preflop raiser led out with nearly a pot-sized bet, I called with my set of nines, and the big blind folded. The turn was a nonheart rag. He led out again with a bet of half the size of the pot, and I raised the rest of my chips, which was two and a half times his turn bet.



He thought for a long time and finally called with pocket tens! He had two outs with one card to come and missed.

I'd like to thank Mike personally for providing insight into flat-calling in position.



Thanks! _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gavin Smith	Joe Sebok

Sebok Vs. Smith
"The Battle of the Century"
Live From the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino

The World Series of Poker
June 26-Aug. 10, 2006
BY SCOTT HUFF



Poker professionals Joe Sebok and Gavin Smith both had breakout years in 2005. They earned tournament success and respect from the poker community while fattening their bankrolls. And they even became friends.



But at the 2006 World Series of Poker, best friends will become mortal enemies, as these two burgeoning titans of the felt battle it out in a proposition bet that could change the course of their lives and careers.



The Challenge

Sebok and Smith will compete to see who can earn the most player points in hold'em events from event No. 2 to event No. 37 at the 2006 World Series of Poker.



All events count toward the point total, regardless of whether both players compete. Does that leave the room open for sabotage? Sure. Is sabotage likely? If the old adage, "Never trust a Canadian, or guys named Joe Sebok," remains true, all bets are off.



Once the points have been tallied and a winner determined, the real fun begins.



The Wager

1. On the first day of the 2006 WSOP main event, the losing player will be forced to dress up as anything the winning player chooses. You read that correctly – anything!



2. On all subsequent days of the 2006 main event that the losing player is still alive with chips, he must dress up as different superheroes that have been preapproved by both parties and picked out of a hat. Each superhero will be revealed the night before each day's play on both players' separate blogs. The loser will not be forced to wear a costume on the last three days of the main event (Aug. 8-10) for possible marketing purposes.



3. The losing player must appear each day as a new superhero until he is knocked out of the main event or until play begins on Aug. 8.



Look for continuing coverage of this epic battle in Card Player and on CardPlayer.com.

Tale of the Tape

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Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon Foundation Poker Classic Rolls Into Caesars Palace

BY LISA WHEELER

Four-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon teamed up with 2003 World Series of Poker Champion Chris Moneymaker to put on the inaugural Jeff Gordon Foundation Poker Classic recently at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Moneymaker, Michael Matts (Caesars Palace poker manager), and Robert Williamson III co-hosted the event.

Robert Williamson

The Jeff Gordon Foundation was established in 1999 and is the official charity of the 2006 World Series of Poker. It is dedicated to helping support the physical, social, and intellectual needs of children and their families throughout the United States, and benefits organizations that reflect the values and concerns of Jeff Gordon.



The no-limit hold'em shootout featured poker professionals and NASCAR celebrities who competed against other well-known personalities. Some of the players included Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Chris Moneymaker, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Scotty Nguyen, Robert Williamson III, Steve Dannenmann, ESPN personality Kenny Mayne, WWE personality Eric Bischoff, former NFL star George Rogers, actor Jason Hervey, and professional bull riders J.W. Hart and Matt Bohon.



Robert Williamson III served as master of ceremonies of the opening festivities of the celebrity poker program with his usual wit and charm. Anna Bravo sent Jeff Gordon to the rail, Chris Moneymaker placed fifth, and Ali Nejad, master of ceremonies of the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship, finished in second place to take home more than $12,000.



The champion was Mike Sugg, a 59-year-old sales manager for L.A. Car Connection Inc. in Moorpark, California, who took home $17,500 in prize money and a $10,000 seat in the WSOP championship event.



For more information, please visit http://www.jeffgordonfoundation.com/.

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Jeff Gordon

Teaming Up for Charity
BY LISA WHEELER



For four-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon, hard work, determination, and experience have resulted in an amazing number of appearances on victory lane.



2003 World Series of Poker Champion Chris Moneymaker found a way to turn an accounting degree and a lifetime of gambling into the biggest payout of his life when he entered a $39 PokerStars.com satellite and parlayed it into $2.5 million.



Together, Gordon and Moneymaker created the Jeff Gordon Foundation Poker Classic.

Chris Moneymaker

Card Player recently spoke with the duo at the charity's inaugural event.



Lisa Wheeler: Jeff, how did you get involved in poker?



Jeff Gordon: Just from watching poker on TV. My friends and I wanted to kill some time one day, and we decided to give it a try. Eventually, it turned into a celebrity match on Bravo, and I decided to apply the idea to charity.



LW: What inspired you to dedicate so much time and energy to charity work?



JG: I was invited to visit kids in hospitals to help lift their spirits. It broke my heart to see them in these hospitals with physical, social, and intellectual needs. More has to be done to benefit these organizations that are dedicated to curing and treating patients with diseases.



LW: How did the two of you meet?



Chris Moneymaker: Jeff and I met on my way to Aruba last year. He was going to a wedding, and I was headed to another tournament.



JG: I already knew who he was, and followed him during the 2003 World Series of Poker. I was a big fan of the World Series, in general. It came about when I introduced myself and thought we should do this kind of tournament. He agreed to be involved, and I said, "Man, that would be awesome," and here we are.



LW: Jeff, are you involved in other poker charity tournaments?



JG: Yes. This is hopefully the first of many tournaments named after the Jeff Gordon Foundation, but I was also involved in the NASCAR charity event last year, and another was Celebrity Poker on Bravo. We also had the Victory Junction Game Camp, which was on the Speed channel, but it wasn't my tournament.



LW: Chris, how is Jeff Gordon standing up as a poker player?



CM: We've played twice now. Once, we played two hands as a spoof, and he killed me in both of them. We played a little cash game last night and he did pretty well. He calls off a little bit too much, but with a little more time, he'll be all right. He might be too busy for poker, though.



JG: Well, a girl knocked me out. But she knocked out a lot of other guys, too. Anna Bravo made it to the final table. Still, if I were going to make any predictions, I would bet on Chris to win tonight.



CM: I just looked like a winner with four tens in that last shootout. We'll see how I do at the final table after I take a power nap. This tournament started a little early for me today.



JG: I just want to say that it's an honor to be involved with Caesars and Chris Moneymaker. We had a lot of great players today, and if it wasn't for their dedication and the competent staff at the Jeff Gordon Foundation, this never could have been possible. This really is for a great cause, and everyone here is a part of it. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

All In With a Diamond
BY CRAIG TAPSCOTT



How would you play this hand? It's the first Saturday in February during the third round of the daily no-limit hold'em tournament at Harrah's in Las Vegas. You have an average stack. The blinds are $100-$200 and a strong player in early position raises to $600. Everyone folds around to you in the big blind and you look down at 9-7 suited. Most players not named Gus Hansen muck this hand. But Jack "All In On a Draw" Thomas knew the raiser pretty well. The curvy beauty in seat No. 7 was his girlfriend, Jill Anthony. Without hesitation, he pushed all in and added a little bonus atop his chip stack – a diamond engagement ring.



"Jill, I guess I'm all in. Will you marry me?" asked Jack.



She replied, after a moment of disbelief, "Yes … and I call." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pushed all in and turned over K-J offsuit. Good call.



Jack fell for Jill over many weeks at a home poker game in Los Angeles, and Jill came tumbling after. They plan to raise and reraise each other till death do they part. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IN THE TANK with Scott Fischman



Alex: Scott, I need you to settle a debate between a buddy of mine and me.



The hand was down to just him and some other guy. He went all in, and the other guy hemmed and hawed and then showed him his cards to try to get a read from him. Then, he called the all-in bet and won the hand. Is it OK for him to show his cards to get a read on a person who is all in? I say yes, and he says no.



Judge Scott, I ask for your verdict as to who's right and who's wrong.



Scott: Alex, I have to agree with both of you; let me explain. In a cash game with only two players left in a hand, I believe that cards should be allowed to be exposed, because any action taken thereafter affects only those two players. However, in tournament poker, decisions made by two players even if they are heads up in a pot can affect other players left in the tourney. Let me give you an easy example. Let's say there are four players left in a tourney, and two of the four fold their hands, leaving a heads-up pot between the other two players. One of the players exposes his hand to the other player, inducing a reaction and/or a decision that may have been different from the decision the player would have made if he hadn't seen his opponent's cards. Now the decision he makes after seeing the cards may cause the entire standings of the tourney to have a different outcome.

Michael: Hey, Scott, I e-mailed you a while back and you told me about the WPT Boot Camp. Well, I finally signed up for the Feb. 25 class at the Borgata in Atlantic City. I wanted to stay close to home, since I live in New Jersey. I think T.J. Cloutier is the instructor. I was hoping to get you, but I'm excited about having T.J., as well. Anyway, I have a question that I hope you have the time to answer. I am planning on making the switch from online play to live play, mostly tournies in Atlantic City. I'm pretty serious about my game. I play every day and am always thinking about the game and trying to improve, but up until this point, all of my play except for two times has been online. My question is about the size of the pot. As you know, in online play, the pot size is laid out for you, but is there a certain way that you keep track of the pot yourself? I was thinking about what to do, count each bet and raise that goes in? If I do that, I was thinking that I might lose track of other things of which I should be aware. It has been on my mind because I do base a lot of my decisions on pot odds. It's easy online, but I don't want to look like a fool when I play live and make bad decisions. Thanks in advance, Scott. I hope you can help, and good luck in future events.



Scott: Hey, Michael, this is a case in which practice makes perfect. One thing that I preach most often to players is that they need to be comfortable and relaxed at the poker table. I think you should go to the casino and log some hours. I definitely agree with your choice of keeping track of the pot at all times, and this can be done only the old-fashioned way, by paying attention. I think that tracking all of the bets and raises with your own mental calculator will not make you lose track of other things. In my opinion, it will do the opposite. You should practice adding up the pot even in hands in which you are not involved, along with reading the other players. This is a skill that I learned from my dealing days, when I had to know the pot size at all times in order to take the rake. It is not that hard to do after you get used to it. Once you become a master of tracking the size of the pot, you most certainly will have an edge on your opponents. One of the most common tells in poker that I use is "bet size compared to pot size." One other thing that should calm you down for the time being is, you usually can take as much time as you need in brick-and-mortar casinos. If you lose track of the pot in the middle of a hand, you have two choices: ask the dealer how much is in there, because he might tell you, or call for time and retrack the way the hand played out as best you can, adding up all of the previous bets.

Lisa: Scott, you didn't answer the guy's question about people playing 9-2 suited in a very loose game and how to play it … what kind of answer is the one you gave? Are you not supposed to be helping people play here? That was a question for which I wanted a detailed answer and explanation. Thanks.



Scott: Lisa, I don't have the exact question or answer in front of me right now, but I do remember it. I think what I was trying to say was, playing hands like that can be right or wrong, and it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish in your session. If you don't mind taking a high-variance approach, calling with pretty much any two cards in a ram 'em, jam 'em type of game could be correct as long as you evaluate the pot odds you are getting on a draw that you may flop. However, if you are trying to earn a steady living without much risk, you should not be playing these types of hands or in these types of games.

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Venetian Poker Room Review

BY LISA WHEELER

On April 2, the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino unveiled one of the most posh poker rooms in the world. With nearly 10,500 square feet of space, the room has 39 tables spreading a wide array of games suited to both the recreational poker player and the seasoned veteran. The room has a high-class feel with its rich leather and wood décor accents. State-of-the-art technology, including 21 42-inch plasma televisions throughout the room, complimentary valet parking, tableside dining, and a separate high-stakes area offering butler service and gourmet dining are amenities that make it outstanding.



The room has low-hanging chandeliers and smoked etched glass separating the poker area from the casino. Its $2.5 million cost is perceivable without appearing ostentatious. The room is the largest of its kind in Las Vegas, yet remains intimate and full of ambience.



A large, luxurious separate lounge area is located near the sportsbook. This private parlor features alcove seating with six full-sized sofas, several loveseats and upholstered chairs, seven studio tables with seating, exquisite artwork, television monitors, lamp lighting, and private reading nooks.



The poker room is located just inside the front entrance, providing easy access for Strip pedestrians. Local players can utilize the parking garage or valet service, located only a short distance from the poker room.



Daily and evening tournaments will be hosted and managed by Tim Mix, a familiar name in the poker industry.

A food court, coffee shop, Noodles Asia, and other fine restaurants are easily accessible from the poker room.



Poker management considers the room "the new face of poker." With its competent staff, palatial room, impressive service, and countless amenities, the new Venetian poker has the tools to make it happen.

Address	3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone Number – General	(702) 414-7111
Phone Number – Poker Room	(702) 414-7657
Hotel URL	www.venetian.com
Poker Room Manager	Lee Vinocur
Number of Tables	39
Most Popular Games	Limit hold'em: $4-$8, $8-$16, $15-$30, $30-$60, $60-$120, and higher No-limit hold'em: $2-$5, $5-$10, $10-$20 Stud: $1-$5 and $20-$40
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