The Inside Straight

Harrah's Hits Marketing Jackpot With World Series of Poker
In Only Two Years, Harrah's Takes WSOP Worldwide
By BOB PAJICH

In January of 2004, U.S. marshals came in with a court order, seized $2 million that was owed to a union, and closed Binion's Horseshoe. It took Harrah's less than a week to buy Binion's for about $50 million in mostly debts and liabilities. Harrah's already owned Jack Binion's Horseshoe Gaming Holdings ($1.45 billion), a company that owns riverboat casinos in several states. The purchase of Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas gave Harrah's complete control of the Binion's brand, and perhaps even more important, control of the popular World Series of Poker name.

That year, Harrah's reopened Binion's in Las Vegas a few weeks before the 2004 WSOP, just in time for Greg Raymer to come in and beat a field of 2,576 players. The year before, 839 players competed in the main event. In 2004, ESPN broadcast 22 hours of tournament action, and each segment started with a promo by Harrah's Entertainment, giving it arguably more national exposure than the casino chain had ever received in its 67 years.

Before the 2004 WSOP even began, Harrah's had already sold Binion's to MTR Gaming Group for about $15 million. Although MTR Gaming owns the buildings on Fremont Street, Harrah's still manages the hotel and casino. It's clear that Harrah's bought Binion's Horseshoe specifically for its name (which was made popular by both the larger-than-life personality of founder Jack Binion and his WSOP). It's a purchase that Harrah's is taking full advantage of through marketing partnerships tied in to the WSOP.

In only two years, Harrah's has taken the WSOP brand to a whole new level. About once a month, WSOP Tournament Circuit events are held at its casinos around the country. At all of these casinos, the red, white, and black WSOP logo can be found everywhere, and Harrah's does its best to feed the WSOP dream, holding satellites at all of the cardrooms to give its players a chance to get into the big events on the cheap.

It also seems that every other week, Harrah's announces that it has signed a deal with another company that wants to be part of the WSOP. Most of the news comes through Card Player magazine, which is the official magazine and Internet content provider of this year's WSOP, a partnership that was just announced in June.

Some of the other companies that utilize the WSOP brand are ExxonMobil, Quizno's, Miller Brewing, America Online, video-game publisher Activision, jewelry company Fredrick Goldman, cellphone game developer Glu Mobil, and watch company Corum.

Helping market the WSOP brand is global sports and lifestyles marketing firm IMG, which signed a deal with Harrah's in February of this year. IMG's job is to work closely with Harrah's across all areas of the WSOP business, including global sponsorship sales, global product licensing, official website development, international event development, and international television representation.

Having IMG working for a company is a big deal. Its clients include everyone from sports figures Tiger Woods and Eli Manning to Cindy Crawford and Ari Fleischer. IMG knows what it's doing when it comes to marketing.

IMG has been very busy. The company is responsible for helping make Milwaukee's Best Light the "presenting sponsor" of the WSOP until at least 2009, it landed Swiss watchmaker Corum as "The Official Timepiece of the World Series of Poker," and it helped get the WSOP bracelets redesigned by Fredrick Goldman. All of these companies have a global reach. For example, SABMiller, the brewer of Milwaukee's Best Light, has a presence in 60 countries across five continents with its 150 brands.

This year, it's conceivable that close to 10,000 players will play in the main event. When Chris Moneymaker won in 2003, the number of players totaled 839. It's been only a decade since the top prize of the main event reached $1 million. This year, it will exceed $10 million.

ESPN will broadcast the WSOP until at least 2010, and this year will make the final table of the main event available to pay-per-view customers. That's how popular the WSOP has become. Harrah's seemed to know what the WSOP would become when it bought Binion's in 2004, and it seems determined to make sure the world knows what's going on this summer at the Rio, when the biggest poker tournament the universe has ever seen is going on.

And just think, it cost Harrah's only $50 million, a drop in the bucket for a company that's first-quarter revenues for 2006 topped
$2.4 billion.

California Plumber Wins World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit Event in Lake Tahoe
Daniel Negreanu's 'Protégé' Finishes Second
By BOB PAJICH

The first season of the World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit series wrapped up at Harveys Casino and Resort in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, last month, concluding a season of a dozen tournaments held at Harrah's properties all around the country. With a field of 110 players, including one official "protégé," the Lake Tahoe event capped the season with another large prize pool.

After more than 10 hours of final-table play, Clint Baskin of Stockton, California, had all of the chips in front of him and a pile of cash totaling $372,240. It was Baskin's first major tournament. The 32-year-old is a plumber by trade. Baskin came to the final table third in chips behind Tony Le and Brian Fidler, who not only came to the final table with a 2-to-1 chip advantage, but also the support and coaching of Daniel Negreanu.

Fidler won a promotional event at FullContactPoker.net to become Negreanu's protégé. It seems that some of Negreanu's skills rubbed off. Fidler's been working with Negreanu only since April. Maybe if he had worked a little longer, he would've won the ring that came with the first prize. Instead, Fidler finished second and won $206,800 after Baskin caught a straight on the river and trapped Fidler, who held top pair. Once all of the chips were in the middle of the table, Baskin raised his arms and his cheering section went crazy.

Le finished third in the event, winning $113,740. With only $150,000 in chips when play was down to three players (at that point, Baskin had about $1.2 million), Le needed to double up, and then do it again, to have any kind of chance of winning. After about 20 hands, he went out with J-10 against Baskin's two black aces.

Finishing fourth was Robert "RCW" Cheung of Vancouver, Canada. He won $82,720 for his efforts. He wasn't able to catch any cards at the final table (it seemed that he used up all of his luck early in the tournament; he was the chip leader after day one), and went out with Q-J against Baskin's A-8. Cheung got into this event via a $200 buy-in satellite at Harveys Lake Tahoe.
Justin Scott of Detroit finished fifth and made $72,380. He got bumped when he ran up against Fidler's pocket aces and pushed in with an open-end straight draw on the flop. His miss gave Fidler the chip lead with about $800,000.

Although J.C. Tran didn't bring a lot of chips to the final table, he brought plenty of experience: three WSOP final tables, and three WSOP Tournament Circuit final tables with one win. But victory wasn't in the cards for Tran. His pocket queens got outdrawn by Scott's pocket fours, and he had to walk away in sixth place with $62,040.

Joe DuBois was knocked out in seventh place after about five hours of play. His A-Q was outdrawn by Baskin's A-9. He earned $51,700. Matt Russell finished eighth, winning $41,360. He lost a race with 9-9 against Baskin's A-K.

Jamin Stokes started the trend of weird beats when he was the first player eliminated from the final table, earning $31,020. He went all in holding A-10, and it looked like he would double up when Cheung called with A-9, but a 9 on the flop sent the 25-year-old Stokes home.

For the 11th time in the Circuit series, the prize pool topped $1 million. The only time a Circuit event attracted fewer than 100 players was at the Showboat Atlantic City event in December. The Circuit tournaments attracted as many as 241 players (Grand Casino Tunica in January), and drew more than 200 players once more at the event held in the new Caesars Palace poker room in May.

Negreanu's Protégé Shines
Less Than Three Months Ago, Brian Fidler Was Playing $50 Multitable Tournaments
By BOB PAJICH

At the end of April, Brian Fidler became Daniel Negreanu's "protégé" by winning FullContactPoker.com's promotional tournament, which hundreds of players tried to qualify for in the first several months of this year.

It seems like the lessons are paying off. Fidler recently finished second at the World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit event that took place at Harrah's Lake Tahoe. Fidler won $206,800 for his play. He came to the final table as the chip leader, but Clint Baskin won the event and $372,240 in first-place prize money.

Before the final table began, Negreanu had this to say about Fidler: "Brian has shown steady improvement ever since he became my protégé. He's got the skills and the confidence to win today's final table, and with the right cards, there's no doubt that he can take down this tournament."

Fidler, a 27-year-old hedge fund manager from Derby, Connecticut, usually played $2-$4 no-limit and $5-$10 limit hold'em ring games, and $20 to $50 multitable tournaments. In less than two months, he went from playing these online games to being at the final table of an event that was filmed for broadcast by ESPN. He'd been working with Negreanu for only seven weeks.

The protégé package that Fidler won included four $10,000 buy-ins to major tournaments, travel expenses, a four-month tenure with personal instruction from Negreanu (which includes a private e-mail address to Negreanu for poker questions), and being staked by FullContactPoker.com in cash ring games to test his skills (at Negreanu's sole discretion), among other things.

Carmen Electra Hosts Head to Hollywood Charity Poker Tournament
Harley-Davidson and Hard Rock Casino Bring Out the Stars
By LISA WHEELER

It was a star-studded weekend in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Casino as Carmen Electra hosted the Head to Hollywood Charity Poker Tournament and silent auction recently. Annie Duke, Gavin Smith, Laura Prepon, Shannon Elizabeth, and a number of A-list Hollywood and poker celebrities joined forces with Carmen Electra to raise money for a worthy cause. The event that featured a poker tournament, a dinner party for participants and generous donors, and a silent auction was a huge hit, as spectators and fans crowded the sidelines just to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars.

The poker tournament was held in the Joint, and several tables were lined with actors, comedians, and celebrity poker players. And if that wasn't exciting enough, there were a few Playboy bunnies and fashion models added to the roster to get everyone's blood pumping. When the action started, players put their money on the felt and bantered aimlessly back and forth with each other until it was finally time for dinner. Tournament Director Matt Savage convinced finalists to throw in the towel and call it a wrap as he exited the festivities in order to host another televised event going on at the Tropicana. Gavin Smith and others simply donated their winnings to the worthwhile charity.

After the comical poker tournament, everyone moved to the Body English lounge for fine food and drinks at the Helio Bar. A first-class buffet was carefully prepared and provided by executive chefs at the Hard Rock Hotel. Guests rubbed elbows, ate, and drank while looking over dozens of valuable items presented at the silent auction. The total value of those items was estimated at close to $100,000.

April Lassiter - marketing executive for the Harley-Davidson Love Ride Foundation, the largest motorcycle charity event in the world - was there to present a tricked-out Fatboy motorcycle for bidders. She also donated his and hers matching leather Harley-Davidson jackets. The minimum bid for the autographed Heritage Edition motorcycle was $20,000. Other gifts included a two-day World Poker Tour (WPT) Boot Camp package, various paintings, a tour of the Playboy mansion for a party of four, a bathrobe donated by Hugh Hefner, several bottles of fine wine, a $25,000 seat in a WPT main event in Los Angeles, two jerseys autographed by Shaquille O'Neal, a skydiving package for two, several cosmetic and dental whitening treatments, three spa gift certificates, a gift basket donated by Brittany Murphy, and a pair of Larry King's pink suspenders.

Head to Hollywood is nonprofit program of the Pituitary Network Association. It provides comfort and escape to survivors of cancerous and noncancerous brain tumors by giving them an all-access pass inside a world usually reserved for celebrities. Benefits include attendance at Hollywood events and parties, VIP access to television and movie sets, personal meetings with stars, and access to celebrity spa and beauty treatments.

Us Weekly Editor Ken Baker, a pituitary brain tumor survivor, co-founded Head to Hollywood with the help and support of actress/model Carmen Electra. Electra's mother died of a malignant brain tumor in 1998, and she spoke from experience when she said, "We're going to make a difference in so many people's lives."

Professional Poker Tour Hits the Air, but Needs to Find New Home
Travel Channel Declines Continuing With PPT Beyond First Season
By BOB PAJICH

The schedule of tournaments that will be filmed for the second season of the Professional Poker Tour (PPT) has been set, but it remains a mystery which channel will air the show since the Travel Channel has decided not to exercise its option to continue with the PPT beyond season one.

The tournaments that will played in the second season are published below.

Season one of the 24 two-hour episodes of the PPT season started on July 5, but after they conclude, World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE), the parent company of the PPT, will have to find a new home.

The decision comes as somewhat of a surprise after what the two parties have gone through in order to have the show aired on the Travel Channel.

In September, WPTE filed suit against the Travel Channel, accusing it of interfering with a developmental deal with a third-party network to air the PPT.

The suit alleged that after WPTE entered discussions with a third party for the PPT, the Travel Channel sent letters to the third party and WPTE offices warning each of them that WPTE broke the broadcasting contract by entering into negotiations with a party other than the Travel Channel.

The suit, filed in California Superior Court in September, sought to keep the Travel Channel from interfering with negotiations with the other broadcaster. But in December, the two parties finally came to an agreement and WPTE dropped the suit. Now, WPTE again finds itself shopping for a new network for the PPT.

Season two of the PPT features 265 players. Like the PGA, players had to qualify for a tour card in the PPT by winning WPT and World Series of Poker events, being ranked in Card Player magazine's Player of the Year race, and other factors.

The players will be fighting for a prize pool of $2.5 million.

Card-carrying members of the PPT are basically the most successful and dynamic poker players currently in the game. Name a successful player and he's probably on the PPT.

The dates of upcoming PPT tournaments are as follows: Borgata, Sept. 11-12, final table takes place Sept. 20; Foxwoods, Nov. 7-8, final table takes place Nov. 15; Bellagio, Nov. 29-30, final table takes place Dec. 20; Commerce Casino, Feb. 12-13, final table takes place March 6.

FullTiltPoker.Net Changes How to Find Its Feeder Satellites
New Software Puts All Satellite Info Right at the Fingertips
By BOB PAJICH

With FullTiltPoker.net's release of its new software, hunting for satellites has just gotten easier. FullTilt's new software lets players see exactly the path that's in front of them to get into the larger tournaments on the cheap.

For example, let's say players want to play in the $216 World Series of Poker main-event supersatellite that's held at FullTiltPoker.net about every three days. Of course, there are lower direct buy-in satellites to get into this event (players can get into this event for as little as $6.60), but previously, finding which satellites fed which qualifiers sometimes required quite a bit of web browsing.

Now, players can find out exactly how to get into this tournament for less than the listed buy-in simply by opening the $216 window that players use to register for the event. When they do, they'll see an information box listing every feeder tournament that's available for this particular satellite. The box is built right into the registration screen and can be organized by buy-in, dates, and tournament types.

Still using the $216 qualifier as an example, players will see that direct qualifiers for this event range from $6.60 to $75. But it gets better. Click on any of these listed feeder satellites, and a new registration box opens up that also describes that satellite. Listed in the new box are all of the smaller qualifying feeder events that players can play to get into that particular feeder.

Click on the $26 feeder tourney in the $216 tournament box, and a new box opens up where players can register and also see what feeder satellites are offered to get into that one for less than the $26 buy-in. Also in the window is a box that tells players the event into which the winner receives entry. Click on this box and another window opens up to the higher satellite, putting all the information just clicks apart.

Savvy players can take advantage of the ease of use of the software and figure out the best path possible to get into the higher buy-in events. The software is somewhat of a map that enables players to navigate easily between the satellite tiers and find the path of least resistance and poker glory.

The new system is not exclusive to WSOP events. Players can find out nearly instantaneously just how cheaply they can get into the biggest buy-in tournaments that FullTiltPoker.net offers without ever having to visit the actual web page.

FullTiltPoker.com spreads an extensive WSOP satellite schedule and qualifiers for its other events that are going on all summer. Players can literally win an entry into the WSOP main event and the $200,000-guaranteed tournaments for as little as $4.40.

Visit FullTiltPoker.com for more information.

A Lesson From Sky Masterson
By DAVID APOSTOLICO

There's a scene in the classic musical Guy and Dolls in which Nathan Detroit offers to bet Sky Masterson as to whether Mindy's (their New York hangout) serves more cheesecake or strudel during the course of the day. Sky wisely declines the bet. Rather than accuse Nathan of setting him up, Sky recalls the advice his father gave him:

"Son," his father said, "no matter how far you travel, or how smart you get, always remember this: Someday, somewhere, a guy is going to come to you and show you a nice brand-new deck of cards on which the seal is not broken, and this guy is going to offer to bet you that the jack of spades will jump out of this deck and squirt cider in your ear. But, son, do not bet him, for as sure as you do, you are going to get an ear full of cider."

I was reminded of this scene recently when a colleague of mine bet me that I couldn't do 75 push-ups. Now, this guy has never seen me work out or even attempt a push-up. So, between me and him, who is in better position to know if I can do it? I have much better information about my capabilities than him. He never should have bet me, and, of course, I won the bet.

The reason people enter into losing proposition bets is that they falsely believe that there is a real uncertainty to the outcome.

In fact, that is almost never the case. You should never enter into a prop bet if you are not fairly certain of the outcome. If you are not certain, I'm willing to bet that the other guy is, and I'll take his side, especially if he initiated the bet. He's not going to initiate that bet if he doesn't know the outcome.

Now, what does this have to do with poker? Poker is a game of incomplete information. However, if you have the nuts, you have perfect information. If you have an extremely strong hand, you have very good information. When you have a marginal hand, things get much fuzzier. In no-limit, when players are willing to make big bets, think about Sky's father's advice about prop bets. Why are they willing to make that bet? What information do they have that you don't? You always have to proceed with extreme caution when someone is willing to make a big bet. It doesn't pay to be cynical or unduly optimistic about the outcome.

If an overweight stranger came up to me and wanted to bet me that he could do 200 push-ups, I'm not going to take that bet. He is in much better position than I am to know if he can do it, and I don't want to end up with an ear full of cider.

David Apostolico is the author of Tournament Poker and The Art of War and Machiavellian Poker Strategy.

CARD PLAYER'S
POKER BY THE NUMBERS

Bob Stupak - Raising the Ante in Las Vegas for Nevada

One of Las Vegas' most engaging characters, Bob Stupak, is campaigning to become the next Nevada lieutenant governor. This visionary creator and developer of the Stratosphere Tower has already changed the skyline of Las Vegas, and in early May, he set his sights even higher. With his first campaign contribution in the bank, Stupak is out to prove how serious he takes this challenge by drafting a $1 million donation from his own personal account.

Stupak, as lieutenant governor, would assume the duties of chairman of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, whose job it is to promote tourism and advocate economic development in all 17 counties statewide. Stupak, a natural-born promoter, says he'll make it his mission to champion Nevada.

The position would also include a seat on the Nevada Commission of Economic Development, where Stupak would oversee operations of the Nevada Film Office. The goal of the NFO is to ensure that the production experience for members in the film industry is a positive one, thus encouraging them to return to create even more films in Nevada.

Bob Stupak - The Poker Player
Over the years, Stupak has been a staunch supporter of poker, cashing in at the high-stakes tables and along the tournament circuit. In the World Series of Poker $5,000 deuce-to-seven draw event, Stupak won a bracelet in 1989, then placed fourth in the same event in 1991 and again in 1993, but against a significantly larger field. Since then, he's cashed in 17 major tournaments and made nine final tables, including a televised event.

Today, Stupak continues to mingle with the elite in poker and Hollywood, like Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire, and James Woods. Stupak also ensures that his name remains in the spotlight, as he made a recent appearance on the Game Show Network series High Stakes Poker.

Stupak's reputation as a professional poker player spans several decades. In the early days of his very successful Strip hotel and casino Vegas World, Stupak made any poker player a standing offer: For a $10,000 minimum buy-in, the player could play him heads up in the poker game of his choice. This lured many a gambler, and Stupak's name became synonymous with high-stakes action, attracting some of the biggest names in the poker industry. Even in today's young poker player climate, just about every poker player recognizes the name Bob Stupak, and the young guns of the high-stakes tables - like Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, and Gus Hansen - can tell you he's a fierce competitor.

Stupak invites poker players everywhere to partake in making history by supporting the first professional poker player to run for public office. Any contribution, no matter how small, will be recorded and filed in the permanent office records of the secretary of state of Nevada. Contributors will also have an opportunity to visit Stupak personally, after the election, in the official office of Nevada's new lieutenant governor.

Go to www.StupakPoker.com, or contribute by mailing a check to: Bob Stupak for Lt. Governor, P.O. Box 1130, Las Vegas, NV 89125. For more information, call (800) 690-0260.

INHD Introduces National Poker League (NPL) Vegas Open
By LISA WHEELER

The inaugural National Poker League Vegas Open commenced on June 2 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; it was the first in a series of NPL events to hit the international circuit. Gone are the days when a televised poker competition required a huge buy-in to compete. The NPL offers players with lots of game and smaller bankrolls a chance to become television stars, as the tournament was open to the public and attracted hundreds of players to Caesars' new, luxurious 14,500-square-foot poker room.

INHD Network, one of the most widely distributed HD (high definition) networks on cable TV today, recorded the action from start to finish, and, with quick editing, began broadcasting the 13-episode series in high definition on July 2. Tournament directors and developers Rob Huxley and Kyle Morris, along with INHD executives, gave the press a sneak preview of an impressively slick production; the NPL Vegas Open promises television viewers fast-paced action and sleek graphics.

The winners from each of the 10 daily $1,000 preliminary tournaments went on to compete in the semifinals, where the tournament took on an unusual twist. Those 10 winners were entered in a random draw to determine who would compete against whom in a series of $25,000 heads-up freeroll matches. In the end, five players advanced to the winner-take-all one-table freeroll competition, and the last man standing was crowned NPL Vegas Open champion and awarded the first-ever NPL trophy, and took home $100,000 in prize money.

NPL television broadcasts will feature entertainment and fresh poker analysis, as commentator Oliver Nejad provides his own brand of solid poker advice and World Series of Poker champion Scott Fischman offers his "In the Tank" poker tips. These taped segments will be integrated into each televised episode, along with feature segments about Caesars Palace, profiles and interviews with the players, a poker pro "Tip of the Day," a tournament "Play of the Day," and an introductory INHD segment called "Las Vegas: High Rolling and High Living Mojo Style."

Howard Lederer Joins Poker Players Alliance (PPA)
Defends Poker From Attacks by Congress
By LISA WHEELER

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), a grassroots organization of 27,000 American poker players, recently announced that Howard Lederer, world-renowned poker all-star, will join the PPA board of directors.

"I am thrilled that Howard has agreed to join our board," said Michael Bolcerek, president of the Poker Players Alliance.

"Howard's reputation within the poker community and his ongoing efforts on behalf of our organization and poker players to defend the game from attacks by Congress and others make him a great addition to the board."

In April of this year, Lederer teamed up with the PPA and fellow poker players Chris Ferguson and Greg Raymer, meeting with members of Congress and educating them about the game of poker and why attempts to ban the game online are misguided.

In accepting his position on the board, Lederer said, "The Poker Players Alliance's mission is critically important, as the game has increasingly come under attack. The challenge of promoting and protecting poker is the reason I joined the PPA as a member, and I wanted to get personally involved by joining the PPA board of directors.

"Poker is under attack by Congress, and I believe that all poker players should join the PPA and tell Capitol Hill that we do not want the federal government to ban an American tradition that we love."

The Poker Players Alliance (www.pokerplayersalliance.org) is a nonprofit organization advocating on behalf of American poker players.

Meet 2006 World Series of Poker Tournament Director Robert Daily
By LISA WHEELER

Harrah's Entertainment has named Robert Daily tournament director for the 2006 World Series of Poker. The soft-spoken and charismatic Daily will manage and direct operations for the world's largest poker extravaganza, taking place June 25 through Aug. 10. His job is to ensure that tournament operations run smoothly and seamlessly.

Daily is a people person who has proven himself through more than 30 years of gaming experience. He has spent the past decade with the Harrah's corporate body, which runs nearly 40 properties across the country, 10 of which are located in Las Vegas. During his tenure, Daily has worked closely with his staff in creating a cohesiveness that translates into a more positive experience for players.

"We [Harrah's Entertainment] have learned a lot over the past two years," said Daily, "and we intend to make the 2006 World Series of Poker the best ever for our guests."

Daily's Nontraditional Road to Las Vegas

After serving in the U.S. military during the Vietnam era, Daily was a pilot for Air America, the airline owned and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

During his travels, he developed a passion for gaming, but rather than moving to Las Vegas, he started his career in the least likely of places - the Middle East. Tehran Club and Casino was so impressed by the multilingual Daily that he was sent to a London casino to be trained in every table-game variation before reporting back to Tehran. The casino housed 3,000 slot machines and 100 tables games, and Daily spent the next decade as gaming and general manager, training hundreds of employees and dozens of management personnel in proper gaming etiquette and procedures.

In the 1980s, he accepted a position as director of gaming operations for The Greater Asian Casino Management Company, consulting within the Pacific Rim. His travels took him to exotic locations like Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and Egypt. During these travels, Daily honed his poker skills by playing in tournaments and high-stakes games.

His next stop was Russia, where he helped to establish a new gaming facility within the former Soviet state of Kazakhstan. As the liaison to local officials, he worked with them to develop gaming regulations and design gaming-commission internal controls.

In 1994, he returned to the U.S., briefly working at Harvey's before moving on to the Rio in Las Vegas, where he was promoted to manager of tournament poker. After 10 years of service, his deep knowledge and knack for diplomacy made him the natural choice for Harrah's 2005 WSOP manager of tournament poker operations. He currently manages operations for six of Harrah's Las Vegas properties, including the Rio, and recently directed two World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit events and the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions.

After a lifetime of adventure, the world traveler settled down, fell in love, and married a Brazilian beauty queen. But he never gave up his passion for flying, and recently purchased a plane, which he plans to pilot along the Caribbean after the WSOP.

"Being a pilot," said Daily, "is just like being a tournament director. It requires one to multitask and make correct decisions under pressure."

So, what would Daily like to see players and fans take away from the WSOP? "We want to 'wow' every poker player and enhance his or her experience at this year's event," he said. "I would be totally satisfied if they returned home and spoke about the 2006 WSOP in wonderment. I want them to dream of coming back. Therefore, we have to enhance the entertainment factor. That's the kind of enthusiasm we're bringing to the table."

Tim: I know this is a precise situation, but I've been faced with it many, many times, and I'm never quite sure if I'm doing the right thing. You built your bankroll on sit-and-gos, so you understand the psychology behind them. Here's my situation: It's a single-table sit-an-go and the top three get paid. There are four or five players left. I'm short-stacked, or not far off. The big blind is 20 percent - 25 percent of my stack. I'm dealt pocket tens or pocket jacks in the big blind, and someone raises to three times the big blind from early position. Everyone folds to me. The bet screams of A-Q or A-K. I know I'm about 56 percent or 57 percent to win, a slight advantage. I also know that sit-and-gos are about working larger margins than this. My question is this: When I'm behind in chips, should I raise all in or fold? If I call, I'm pot-committed, so it's not really an option. I know it depends on the opponent, but assuming I'm facing A-Q or A-K every time (I usually am), what is the right thing to do in this situation? Is this a big enough margin to push, considering the circumstances?

Scott: I think this is a perfect example of how to use my sit-and-go strategy, which I cover in depth in my new book, Online Ace. As much as I'd like to say that it's not an all-in lottery when the blinds get huge and there are only a few players left, that's essentially what it is. However, there is some skill advantage that you will have over your opponents in the long run if you play perfectly, but that's easier said than done, since the blinds are so high and the stacks are so low. My suggestion to you would be this: The next time you get down to three players, regardless of your stack size, push all in every hand if no one else has pushed all in before you. Analyze exactly what happens and pay attention to what your results are, and adjust accordingly. Once you are comfortable and feel like you can gauge when to push in, you won't need to do it every time; but at first, pushing in every hand will help you learn this. You can scale back accordingly in the future for optimal results.

Marcus: I know you are the perfect person to ask this question, since you play a lot of tournaments. I do well at one- and three-table sit-and-gos, cashing about 30 percent of the time, but I really want to be successful in tournaments with 100-plus players and always find myself in the middle of these tournaments with maybe six times the big blind. I play well, but it gets to that point where I don't see flops and there are huge raises preflop and blinds stealing. I do my part to steal from good position, and I push hard when I do get a monster, but I get to the point where I have to push or get blinded off, and I end up busting out a little bit before bubble time starts. I know there isn't a secret formula, but should I take more risks early in the tourney? The propensity of players online to play hands like A-9 and call all the way to the river until they are saved by an ace is horrendous; they call huge bets hoping for the ace, and they get it lots of times. Any advice you may have is appreciated.

Scott: First of all, you really shouldn't let yourself get down to six times the big blind. When you are near the bubble with seven-10 big blinds, in my opinion, you have two choices. You can pick up a monster, which is the same as getting lucky, or play no hands from any position, being very patient and waiting for premium hands. However, if you are on the button or in the small blind and everyone folds to you, push all in without looking at your cards. This strategy essentially enables you to play round by round, waiting to pick up a monster but not losing any ground if you are able to pick up the blinds with one or two others in the pot. In the long run, the math is with you when you push all in blind in that situation, because a player has to have a hand to call you and win at showdown. So, mathematically, you will win most of the time and keep your stack large enough to still have fold equity (meaning you have enough chips to induce another player to fold). This brings me to my next point. If you fall below seven big blinds, the math is not with you, because your chance of getting called is much higher. That is why you must push all in regardless of what cards you have when your stack is still large enough to steal the blinds.

Justin Bragg: Here's a quick question to help me fine-tune my game. I've been playing poker for about a solid year now, just part time, as a way to earn some extra spending money and keep my mind sharp. However, there are times when I am sitting at the table and find myself not concentrating on the play, like I'm not "feeling it" that particular day. Is this normal? What are some things to do to help overcome this lack of concentration?

Scott: Everyone has his own strategies for staying focused, and the ability to do so successfully is one of the single most important factors in tournament play. You really just need to find whatever works for you, and if you aren't "feeling it" that day, you shouldn't be playing. Not everyone can sustain his concentration over what can sometimes be 14-hour days, and that is often the difference between good tournament players and great tournament players. If you find that you are unable to play for long periods of time, you should opt for cash games or small single-table tournaments, where the time investment is smaller.

ASK CHIP & KARINA

My boyfriend recently got into online poker and I can't pull him away for anything, not even sex. How can I steal his attention from the computer and keep it on me?

Chip: Scientists have concluded that Internet poker is more addictive than crack cocaine, so you can't hope to steal his attention. However, you can learn to share his attention by rewarding his good play with a neck and back massage while he's playing.
Karina: When your boyfriend is asleep, transfer money out of his account and into NETELLER. Then, go to eBay and find a nice pair of shoes or a purse, and buy it. That should get his attention.

With the World Series of Poker right around the corner, how do you deal with the long hours and intense schedule of the six-week event?

Chip: I have a routine that I use to stay in tip-top shape in order to deal with the pressure and strain of playing a full schedule. It involves sitting in my Jacuzzi every morning and devouring at least three Snickers bars and a box of Fruit Roll-Ups.
Karina: Due to the recent arrival of our son, Apollo Peter Jett, my WSOP schedule will not be as hectic as usual. Instead of six weeks of bad beats and buy-ins, I will be primarily focused on breast-feeding and dirty diapers.

There do not seem to be many poker-playing couples who can make a marriage work. What is your secret?

Chip: I agree that most poker couples don't last, but then again, most non-poker couples don't last, either. Karina and I were fortunate to have squeezed an entire lifetime of arguments into the first five years of our marriage. Now we can't think of anything new to fight about, so we get along great.
Karina: The key to success in marriage is the same as the key to success in poker. Discipline! And remember, discipline is just like Christmas: It's better to give than to receive.

Send your questions to poker's top prophetic couple at askjett@cardplayer.

ASK JACK

Want to know how a multimillion-dollar poker tournament is run? Have a question about a specific tournament poker rule or past ruling you've encountered?

Card Player is giving you a chance to pick the mind of one of the game's finest - Bellagio Tournament Director Jack McClelland. You can send your questions to [email protected], and McClelland will share his 25-plus years of industry experience with you.

Tyler: I have had problems with players showing their cards after I make a big bluff or move in on the river to get them off a hand when I think I can take a pot down. This has happened to me several times and has cost me lots of money in tourneys and cash games.

The player shows his cards to get a read on me, and then makes the call. I don't see how this can be fair, for he has information that I did not get to have: the information from showing me his cards, getting a read on me, and then making up his mind based on my reaction. I was in shock two of the times that it was allowed.

I played in the main event of the 2005 World Series of Poker and saw Sam Farha at another table show his cards many times in hands against opponents to do this. What do you think about this?

Jack McClelland: In my tournaments, the first time a player intentionally exposes his cards to get a read on another player, he receives a 20-minute penalty. He must leave his seat and is blinded off. The second time is a 40-minute penalty. The third time is disqualification. So far, I've never had to disqualify anyone for this offense. A 20-minute penalty usually makes the point.

Tyler: I think you should be the first to say that there should be no more protection in tournaments. I know that it takes away from the poker game. Why not expose players to their enemies? I hate it when players wear sunglasses in tourneys. If you sit inside a box and push, raise, call, or fold and no one can see you, how is this any different from Phil Laak covering up with a hoodie and sunglasses so that no one can see him at all? One of the key elements of poker is the sport-like aspect that tells provide. I think they should all be out there to see, read, and so on.

For example, here's a World Series of Poker dress code.

1. No sunglasses or eye-masking devices of any kind. Prescription glasses must be see-through, and if glasses are tinted, they must be below an XYZ level.

2. No hoodies or clothes that cover up the face, forehead, eyes, or upper neck.

What do you think?

JM: I agree. Players have been pushing the envelope, and soon action will need to be taken. That day is coming.

Clayton: When dealing in a home game of ours, sometimes a card gets exposed on the deal. What is the ruling on this? We usually just declare a misdeal and reshuffle the cards. This is happening a lot and is slowing the game down. Is there anything else we can do? Thank you.

JM: In a button game such as hold'em, if one of the first two cards off the deck is exposed, it is a misdeal. If a subsequent card is exposed, continue the deal and replace the exposed card with the burn card. Two exposed cards is an automatic misdeal.

Ernie Fong (jogsxyz on the CardPlayer.com forum): Have you or the poker community ever considered seeding the field? Past World Poker Tour champions would all be awarded a top seed. Also, top seeds would go to a few notables. Top seeds would never be seated at the same table in the early levels of play. Is poker ready for seeding in place of the totally random draw in seating? Thank you.

JM: I believe seeding is an unworkable idea. Should the Yankees be in the playoffs automatically since they won the most titles? In poker, as in most sports, the hard facts are, what have you done recently? Who should be seeded higher, Phil Hellmuth with nine World Series of Poker bracelets or Joe Bartholdi, the leading money winner in World Poker Tour history? Annie Duke, WSOP Tournament of Champions winner and the first lady to win $2 million, or Greg Raymer, the first player to win $5 million? Russ Hamilton, the WSOP Silver Anniversary winner, or Joseph Hachem, the 2005 WSOP winner? That's why we play the game - to find out who is the best right now. Champions from several years ago, like Tom McEvoy and Phil Hellmuth, should be respected and honored, but a seeding system is going to take away from the game.

Phillip Johnson, Redmond, Washington: As one of the most respected tournament directors in the industry, what advice would you give someone who aspires to break into the tournament-directing field?

JM: Learn the rules thoroughly of all the games you will be directing. Have a lot of patience with the players and staff. In order, look out for your employees, players, and staff, and worry about yourself last. Learn all aspects - playing, dealing, floorperson, and tournament floorperson.

TJ "Nole91" Barchie, Roswell, Georgia: With the amount of money involved in the premier poker events, why have no tourneys found a way to provide instant chip-count updates? The technology exists, and I'm sure a sponsor (maybe Card Player) would be easy to find.

JM: We are looking into this technology. So far, the imbedded chips and the tables to read them are still being developed. But in the near future, it is coming.

SHARK ATTACK

More bad beats seem to happen in online poker than in live poker. If you play both types, I'm sure you agree. But exactly why would it be this way?

There are two popular theories:

Theory No. 1: Online poker is rigged.

Theory No. 2: There are more hands per hour dealt, therefore it's an illusion that there are more bad beats.

Both of these theories are wrong. Here's why: First, online poker is not rigged. I mean, c'mon … do you really think these multibillion dollar casinos would need to rig hands? They make their money from tournament entry fees and rakes, and trust me, they're making plenty.

So, what about the second theory? Well, I agree there are more hands per hour dealt in online poker than live poker. There's no disputing that. But I don't think that's a good enough reason - because bad beats seem to occur in a higher percentage of hands online.

OK, here's my theory on this: The reason more bad beats happen online is because the very nature of online poker leads people to play differently. The cards and odds are the same, but the players aren't the same.

In online poker, a large portion of players adopt the style of loose-aggressive. They act irrationally, play hands they shouldn't, and bet too aggressively. Why? Because online poker isn't as "real." The money isn't as real. Heck, the casinos give you so much "free" money when you sign up, how could it feel real? The cards aren't real. The chips aren't real. The table isn't real. None of that stuff even exists. All you see when you play online poker are some silly little animations. And you hear some "click, click" sounds of fake chips. That's it!

It's a different world, my friend.

Now, let's get back to the bad beats.

The fact that players are loose-aggressive is what leads to the situations in which bad beats happen. Here's why:

1. Players bet their draws more or call large bets with draws and low-strength hands (for example, bottom pair).

2. More players are involved in every pot.

3. The pots are bigger, since players are more aggressive.

When these conditions combine, it creates an environment in which there are a lot of big pots and bad beats. It's not that the cards are "rigged." It's that the betting patterns and playing styles are different from what you're used to.

So, is there any way to prevent bad beats? Yes and no. Ultimately, bad beats will occur no matter what, if you're playing good poker, because to win, you've got to take risks - and most risks have a minimum 20 percent chance of not working out.

With that said, there are still ways to prevent most bad beats online. Not only can you prevent them, but you can literally turn them around and make them your ultimate advantage. The key is to use the fact that players are so loose and aggressive to help you win more pots. This is achieved by adopting a special playing style designed specifically for online poker. I call this style tight-aggressive squared.

The concept of tight-aggressive squared is simple. It starts with the logic that tight-aggressive is the most effective poker-playing style. In online poker, more players see each flop, so you must play even tighter with your hand selection. You should play only monsters! There's absolutely no reason to get involved with "decent" hands (at a full table), because the odds are against you. You'll run into players who are chasing or who just caught a lucky flop.

When you do get involved in a hand, you must be extremely aggressive. The pot size will be bigger, so you can't lose many hands or you'll be out of the game in a hurry. You must strike hard and risk virtually all of your chips - frequently - in order to win. The goals are simple:

1. Force out all but one (preferably) or two players for any pot in which you get involved.

2. Have the odds so insanely stacked in your favor that you win far more pots than you lose.

And when you win lots of big pots, you become the chip leader very quickly. That's how you take control of a poker table.

The reason you want to force people out of the hand is simple mathematics. Let's say, for instance, that you get pocket aces. Here's what t