Absolute Poker Confirms Security Breach
Audit Should Answer More Questions
By Bob Pajich
Absolute Poker has confirmed that its security was breached by someone with inside knowledge of its system that enabled him to share opponents' holecard information with the eventual winner of a $1,000 buy-in tournament in September, and possibly other games. The site claims to have sealed the security breach.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC), which is commissioned by several leading online sites as a regulator, hired Gaming Associates, a company that provides accreditation and security services to casinos, to audit Absolute Poker. It will check for additional breaches and identify other possible security issues. Absolute Poker has agreed to provide Card Player with a final copy of the Gaming Associates report. A deadline for the final report has yet to be established.
Alan Pedley, a principal consultant for Gaming Associates who is directly involved in the Absolute Poker audit, said that Gaming Associates is completely independent of both the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and Absolute Poker, and has never audited Absolute Poker before.
Absolute Poker has said that once the audit is complete, every player who was affected by the cheaters would have their
money returned, with interest.
Here's the latest statement from Absolute Poker:
Absolute Poker has identified an internal security breach that compromised our systems for a limited period of time. The cause of the breach has been determined and completely resolved. In addition, all necessary resources, both internal and external, have been engaged to ensure this does not happen again. Our investigation is not fully concluded, and we wish to thank the extended poker community for any and all assistance related to the matter.
Game integrity has always and continues to be of the utmost importance at Absolute Poker. The Management of Absolute Poker is appalled by these findings, and is committed to our players and to the integrity of our site and the online poker industry.
All players affected by the security breach will be identified during the audit process that has been initiated and all funds, including interest, will be returned. Absolute Poker would like to apologize for the recent events and is committed to diligently working with outside security firms, auditing firms, the extended poker community and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission to ensure the situation is entirely resolved.
A comprehensive statement will be forthcoming shortly providing more details of the situation.
The Situation
The investigation stems from a request made by professional poker player Marco Johnson, who plays under the screen name "CrazyMarco." Immediately after the $1,000 buy-in tournament, which took place on Sept. 12, he requested the hand history for the final table from Absolute Poker after a player named POTRIPPER called his all-in bluff with a busted 9-high flush draw with just 10 high.
Instead of the hands for the final table, Absolute Poker sent Johnson a spreadsheet containing a large amount of information about the first 94 hands of the tournament.
Card Player obtained a copy of this hand-history spreadsheet from Nat Arem, the first member of the poker community to analyze the spreadsheet in depth and share his findings with a number of prominent poker forums. The document is a little more than 9 megabytes in size (very large for a spreadsheet) and contains 65,536 lines of information.
The hand history shows a pattern of unorthodox poker play, wherein POTRIPPER maximizes his profits and minimizes his losses perfectly in each hand. The entire hand history is available in a video format on
YouTube.
Unorthodox play, however, wasn't the only information that was documented in the hand-history spreadsheet. It also included e-mail addresses, IP addresses, and user ID numbers of some players and observers. An observer with a very low user ID number, 363 (an ID number likely created very early in Absolute Poker's history), was watching POTRIPPER's table for all but the first two hands of the tournament and was never documented as having left.
Questions arose when the IP addresses of that user and one other observer were scrutinized. As stated, user 363, with a Costa Rican IP address, watched POTRIPPER's table throughout the tournament. Then, an observer using a different Absolute Poker account, but from the exact same IP address (which, in this case, means using the same Internet connection as user 363, likely from the same computer or household), opened up a different table in the same tournament. That observer's registered e-mail address was
[email protected]. Riveraltd.com is a domain that is registered to Absolute Entertainment in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The person behind the e-mail address may be Scott Tom, whom Absolute Poker confirmed as being a former employee.
Absolute Poker, in its statement, says Tom "has not been involved with Absolute Poker for over a year, and to the best of our knowledge, information, and belief, has not had access to any of Absolute Poker's systems, databases, or information."
Even if it wasn't Tom, the e-mail address, the IP address from where it originated, and the odd play of POTRIPPER made it clear that something was wrong at Absolute Poker.
For the most current information on this situation, be sure to check out CardPlayer.com.
PPA Takes on Capitol Hill
Regional Members Met With Lawmakers
By Bob Pajich
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) descended on Washington, DC, recently for a "fly-in," in which PPA members met both their congressmen and several pros, and also attended a forum that was held in the Rayburn House offices.
The hour-long forum, which was titled "Poker: Public Policy, Politics, Skill and the Future of an American Tradition," lived up to its billing. The speakers touched on each of the subjects in the title while news cameras rolled and congressional aides furiously scribbled notes on large yellow legal pads.
The forum was the main event of the two-day PPA-sponsored "fly-in." Approximately 95 PPA members from states across the country showed up in Washington at their own expense to learn how they could be active for the game of poker on a local level, as well as attend the forum and meet with their congressmen face to face.
The forum's panel was made up of PPA Executive Director John Pappas, who acted as the moderator; Howard Lederer; Charles Nesson, Harvard law professor and founder of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society; Andrew Wood, Harvard
law student and executive director of the first Global Poker Thinking Society that was recently formed at Harvard; Radley Balko, a widely published columnist who often speaks out about the importance of civil liberties in America (he also testified against the online gambling bans at a congressional hearing held earlier this year); and Kenneth Adams, a longtime attorney who is one of the top minds in complex antitrust cases both here and abroad.
With a PPA banner behind them and an American flag to their right, Pappas directed questions to the assembled team members, who all answered candidly and carefully. Sometimes they agreed to disagree, but the forum shed some light on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), the lawsuits that are challenging the constitutional legality of the UIGEA, the role of banks as "deputies" who will be required by law to enforce it, the chances that Barney Frank's bill will become law, among other things.
Right from the top, Lederer defended poker after Balko referred to it as a "vice." Lederer said that he considers vices things that are unable to do any good for people, and although he noted that a small number of people become problem gamblers, he stated that poker can do good things.
"Poker is something that is good for you," Lederer said. "For a vast majority of us, it's a wonderful form of entertainment that actually massages the mind."
One of the first questions that Pappas directed to the panel was whether legal efforts challenging the UIGEA are worth it. Adams, one of the two attorneys sitting on the panel, said that he didn't have much hope that they would work.
"It takes too long, it costs too much money, and the odds are worse than drawing to an inside straight," Adams said.
But all panel members agreed that poker needs to be fought for in a court of law, particularly to get more legal rulings that poker is a game of skill and shouldn't be lumped into the games-of-chance category that so many lawmakers disdain.
Lederer also said that although the UIGEA won't go into effect until the rules that the banks have to follow have gone through a review period that could take as long as nine months from December, banks and financial institutions are already making it difficult for players to move money to and from certain sites, and warned players to expect the number of sites to grow.
He noted that Visa and MasterCard have stopped doing business with a site that provides bridge players a place to play. The reason is, the rules of the UIGEA are so broad that they essentially force banks to choose which sites they can and cannot do business with. Banks, Lederer said, will simply stop all transactions if there's any question, in order to protect themselves and their employees.
"If the banks are blocking bridge, we're all in trouble," Lederer said.
Balko said the UIGEA essentially "deputizes banks," and Harvard law professor Nesson took it even further. "This is an example of abusive law," he said.
As for the chances of Frank's bill becoming law, Adams again wasn't very optimistic. The reason is, lawmakers rarely admit their mistakes, and often would rather let their past decisions stand than change their minds and look as if they're wavering. Lawmakers probably feel that way about Frank's bill, he said. Adams said that he could count on one hand the number of times politicians have changed their minds about a policy, and he's been involved with Washington politics since graduating from law school in 1973.
After the forum, PPA members fanned out to all corners of Capitol Hill, armed with the information shared by the panelists, to talk to the people who represent them, hoping to convince them to become allies of the fight for poker.
Team Cincinnati Wins Inaugural U.S. PokerBowl
Vinny Napolitano Takes the Title, Scotty Nguyen Finishes Third
By Seth Niesen
Poker is known as an individual game, and teamwork is discouraged, if not illegal. This was not the case at the finale of the first-ever
U.S. PokerBowl, where teamwork led the self-proclaimed amateurs from Team Cincinnati to victory.
Twenty-five teams competed at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas recently, where they battled for a first-place prize of $600,000 in a team event that will be televised on
Fox Sports. Each of five conferences consisted of five six-person teams.
The conferences played down to one team by winning in a format that involved splitting up teams evenly between three tables. Two players from each team were seated at opposite sides of each table. The three 10-handed tables played independently until there were nine players left to compete at one table. The team with the last player standing was the winner. All of the teams that won their conference play competed in the finale.
The finale was comprised of the five conference winners, which included teams Detroit, Cincinnati, St. Louis, New Jersey, and Hollywood. The "playoff" portion began with Kenna James of Team Detroit singing the national anthem before play started, and it clearly hyped up the crowd. After play began, a charged team atmosphere emerged. After four levels, the final table of nine was set. All teams were already guaranteed $100,000 each for winning their conference and making it to the finale, and now it was the $600,000 for first place and the title that was up for grabs.
Card Player's own Jon Friedberg was the first to go, and he was followed shortly thereafter by Steve Kingsley, the second-to-last representative of team Cincinnati. With seven players remaining, Joe Hill was knocked out next, ending the hopes of Team New Jersey.
Team Hollywood's Brandon Adams went out in sixth place when he fell at the hands of the "Prince of Poker," Scotty Nguyen. With five players left, Detroit and St. Louis had the ability to use teamwork, with both teams having two players still competing. This was a distinct advantage over Vinny Napolitano, team Cincinnati's lone player.
Team Detroit did not have an opportunity to exploit its advantage, because Nguyen eliminated his short-stacked teammate Rick Fuller, bringing play down to fourhanded. When Napolitano knocked out John Kim of St. Louis, it was every man for himself.
Scotty Nguyen soon pushed his short stack all in with the 6
3
and Napolitano sent him, and Team Detroit's hopes, to the rail after his A
7
held up. Once play was down to heads up, Napolitano had a big chip lead over Allen Kessler, and the two wasted no time, as Napolitano open-shoved with the A
K
and Kessler called with the K
J
. A board of the A
A
8
J
8
shipped Napolitano the pot, the tournament, $600,000 for his team, and the bragging rights that go along with the
PokerBowl title.
Seven one-hour episodes of the
PokerBowl will air on
Fox Sports. It premieres on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 11 p.m., and will air every Saturday after that until March 8.
IRS Clarifies Poker Tournament Tax
Winnings Will Start Being Reported to IRS on March 4, 2008
By Special Contributor on IRS Issues, CPA Don Shelton
The IRS has advised that starting on March 4, 2008, casinos and other entities that sponsor poker tournaments must report most winnings to winners and the IRS. The guidance is designed to clear up confusion about the tax-reporting rules that apply to poker tournaments.
In IR 2007-173, the IRS clarifies that beginning on March 4, 2008 - when Rev Proc 2007-57 goes into effect - the IRS will require all tournament sponsors to report tournament winnings of more than $5,000, usually on Form W-2G, Certain Gambling Winnings. Tournament sponsors that comply with this reporting requirement will not need to withhold federal income tax at the end of a tournament. If any tournament sponsor doesn't report the tournament winnings, the IRS will enforce the reporting requirement and also require the sponsor to pay any tax that should have been withheld from the winner if the withholding requirement had been asserted. The withholding amount is normally 25 percent of any amounts that should have been reported.
For tournament sponsors to comply with these requirements, winners must provide their taxpayer identification number (usually their Social Security number) to the tournament sponsor. If a winner fails to provide this identification number, the tournament sponsor must withhold federal income tax at the rate of 28 percent.
For tournaments completed during 2007 and before March 4, 2008, casinos and other sponsors of poker tournaments aren't required to report the winnings to the IRS or withhold taxes on the winnings.
The IRS also reminds tournament winners that, by law, they must report all of their winnings on their federal income tax returns - regardless of the amount or whether they received a Form W-2G or other form. The IRS notes that this requirement applies for 2007, that it applied for earlier years, and that it will continue to apply after the reporting requirements in Rev Proc 2007-57 go into effect.
Don Shelton has more than 27 years of experience in public accounting and is a business and tax consultant for the health care industry. He is a managing member of Perry, Shelton, Walker & Associates, PLLC, in Washington State.
Asian Pacific Poker Tour to Stop in Macau
Will Be the First International Poker Tournament in China
By Kristy Arnett
PokerStars recently announced that the city of Macau will be the next stop on the PokerStars.net
Asia Pacific Poker Tour, making the
Asian Poker Open, with a $2,500 buy-in main event, the first-ever real-money no-limit hold'em poker tournament to be held in China. The event is scheduled for Nov. 22-27 at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino.
A number of players from Team PokerStars are planning to attend the event. There also will be a $15,000 high-roller event, satellites, and side events available.
"The
Asia Pacific Poker Tour is honored to be bringing the sport of tournament poker to Macau," said Jeffrey Haas, president of the
APPT, in a press release. "Macau is already the world's gaming capital and this historic event diversifies its global attraction by including the
APPT's unique brand of poker tourism. It's a significant step forward, not only for the
APPT, but for the growth of poker in Asia."
Players can qualify now for this groundbreaking event by winning an
APPT package worth $4,500 on PokerStars. Daily multitable satellites start at $22. There are also step sit-and-go satellites that start as low as a $7.50 buy-in or 500 Frequent Player Points (FPP). There are six steps in that series, with the last being a $2,100 buy-in event that awards the top four out of nine players a package. The
APPT package includes the $2,500 buy-in, six nights of hotel accommodations, and $1,400 for travel expenses.
PokerStars also is providing a way for players to register in advance to guarantee themselves a seat. To receive instructions on how to pay for the buy-in by wire transfer or bank draft, e-mail
[email protected].
Deadline Again Extended in WTO Compensatory Ruling
Ruling to Come Second Week of December
By Shawn Patrick Green
The U.S. now has until Dec. 14, 2007, to conclude negotiations with countries in the World Trade Organization (WTO) that are filing monetary-damage claims against it, largely in response to the ruling the WTO made in favor of Antigua and Barbuda versus the U.S. regarding Internet gambling in 2005. This is a WTO-sanctioned extension, as the previous deadline had passed on Monday, Oct. 22.
The ruling made by the WTO stated that the U.S. could not restrict the cross-border supply of Internet gambling and betting services if the U.S. was not entirely consistent in that respect within its own borders. The U.S. still disagrees with the ruling, and instead of complying by opening up its market to online casinos, it revised the agreement that the WTO states the U.S. is violating.
Because the U.S. revised a portion of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), by WTO rule, member countries are entitled to file damage suits against the U.S., asking for compensation for any potential loss derived from U.S. noncompliance with the ruling. This could be troublesome for the U.S., considering that the gambling market here is valued at around $100 billion.
The U.S. has yet to come to a settlement deal with any of the countries that have filed claims, which include, among others, Antigua and Barbuda, the European Union, Macao, Japan, Australia, and Canada.
2007 Holiday Buyers Guide
Lucky Fool Poker
Superior-quality, super-soft, 100 percent cotton T-shirt. This just might be the softest T-shirt you have ever owned! Item No. 76100; Special Price: $24.99
Lucky Fool Poker is dedicated to providing poker enthusiasts with a comprehensive selection of superior-quality poker gifts and accessories. Lucky Fool Poker is an expert at custom design work, and exclusive designs are available.
For more information, visit www.luckyfoolpoker.com or see the ad on Page 115.
Great Poker Hands
Treat yourself to a set of pocket-sized hold'em strategy cards this holiday season
from GreatPokerHands.com. These unique cards show you the strengths of all possible starting hands, and how the strengths change depending on the number of players at the table. The cards are priced at just $20 for a complete set (free shipping and handling) and, if they teach you how to play better poker, will probably save you their purchase price in a single well-played hand. As an added bonus, you can get a second set with your order for just $5 more; give one set to a friend and keep one for yourself! For more information, visit www.GreatPokerHands.com.
Copag Cards
Copag's 100 percent plastic playing cards are generally accepted as the standard of excellence in the playing card and poker industries. They have stood
up to the ultimate tests of World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour events, performing admirably in both venues and gaining legions of fans in the process.
Found in countless casinos and poker rooms worldwide, Copag cards comply with the most demanding standards in gaming. Along with its superior quality, Copag offers the most attractive prices in the playing card market today.
Copag is now launching in the North American market its Copag Peek Dual Index 100 percent plastic, poker-size cards, with small corner pip and jumbo index in the middle of the card. This face design is very popular among poker players, as it offers more privacy to individual players when they are "peeking" at the cards they receive.
For more information, visit www.copagusa.com.
Poker Faces
What was the first thing you were asked when playing Monopoly? The question was, "Which piece are you going to be?"
Was your lucky piece the dog, the shoe, the top hat, or the car? Now you can bring the same fun to your home poker game.
Are you "The Rock," "The Joker," or "The Nutz" of your home game? You certainly must have a "Donkey" and a person who chases "The River." Now your group can have some fun and attitude by adding Poker Faces to your home game. Poker Faces Card Protectors are a not-so-serious must-have for every serious and not-so-serious poker player. Poker Faces is the official "Shark" card protector of Humberto Brenes, and the "Screaming Eagle," used by Kenna James.
So, whether you need "Lady Luck" or "The Flush," go to www.pokerfaces.tv to order online or to find a retailer in your area. Poker Faces card protectors start at $9.95 each. Online, there is a "Pick Your 8 Pack," eight different faces of your choice for your home game or Christmas shopping all at one time for only $59.95. For additional discounts, please see the Poker Faces ad in
Card Player.
BMP World
Put more fun in your gaming this holiday season. Whether it's a gift for someone special - or for yourself - BMP World has searched the world for the best in poker supplies, so you don't have to. Visit www.BMPokerworld.com and choose from a wide variety of casino-quality chips, the best-quality cards - including collectibles from your favorite casino - tables, card shufflers, and dice. Or, order a complete package of table, cards, chips, timer, and dice, from as low as $199.99 plus shipping and handling.
Whether you or that special someone in your life is just getting started in the sport or is a seasoned player, BMPokerworld.com has everything to make your gaming experience rock.
Lady luck is on your side. All of the accessories you need to light up the holidays are waiting for you at www.BMPokerworld.com. All are high-quality, competitively priced, and just a click away!
$180,000 Poker Giveaway at Two Station Casinos
Red Rock Casino and Green Valley Ranch Team Up to Reward Poker Players With Big Prizes
By Kristy Arnett
Two Station Casinos, Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch, are partners in the
$180,000 Poker Giveaway, wherein players can win expensive prizes for as little as 10 minutes of play.
Cash-game players must register at one of the Station Casinos Reward Centers to receive a Boarding Pass. This card is used to log in and out of cash games. The computer tallies up tickets for every 10 minutes of play earned.
Every Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday at 6 p.m., there is a computerized drawing for 10 winners at both Green Valley Ranch and Red Rock. Players need to activate their tickets earned by swiping the Boarding Pass at the Rewards Center before the drawing begins. All tickets accumulated before 5:30 p.m. count toward that night's drawing. Players must be present in the poker room within one minute of their name being drawn to win and claim their prize.
The following are the prizes awarded on each of the three nights a week:
RR=Red Rock, GVR=Green Valley Ranch. Prizes are dependent upon the casino in which the drawing takes place.
If a prize is not claimed, another name is drawn until all 10 prizes are given away. This promotion will continue until the end of December.
Hilton Poker Room Closes its Doors
Casino Calls it Quits Two Years After Reopening
By Kristy Arnett
Known as the "Home of Barry Manilow," the Las Vegas Hilton was executing the title of one of Manilow's most popular
songs, Ready to Take a Chance Again, when it reopened its poker room on Sept. 2, 2005, after years of being closed. However, because of disappointing interest, the poker room officially closed its doors on Oct. 17, just over two years after it reopened.
"We had to look at the overall picture and consider the utilization of space. Profit from the poker room was not as expected," said Ira Sternberg, vice president of communications. "We now plan to expand our slot product."
The Las Vegas Hilton is located just off the famous Las Vegas Boulevard on Paradise Road. Its poker room is the first to close on or near the Strip since the poker boom began a few years ago.
Card Player Player of the Year
In the Homestretch, a Champion Will Emerge
We are entering the homestretch of tournaments in 2007, and the Player of the Year (POY) race is as tight as it ever has
been in its 10-year history. David Pham is clinging to the lead, but he's only 952 points ahead of J.C. Tran, who now sits in third place. Bill Edler is only 714 points away from tying Pham at the top. But that's not all, because most everyone in the top 10 could take the lead by winning one of the many events yet to take place in which Player of the Year points can be earned.
They include the
World Poker Tour Bellagio Five-Diamond World Poker Classic (Dec. 12-18), the
European Poker Tour Prague event (Dec. 10-14), several events at both the
Winter Pot of Gold (Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Dec. 7-16) and the
Turkey Shootout/Ho-Ho Hold'em series at The Bicycle Casino (Nov. 22-Dec. 9), the
B.C. Poker Championships (now taking place), and two
World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit events (New Orleans, Nov. 26-Dec. 5, and Atlantic City, Dec. 8-18).
It may just come down to whoever wins a random $300 buy-in event at The Bicycle Casino. The players know that not all the points are earned in big events, and several past Player of the Year champions got to the top by winning smaller events and earning the few hundred points that came along with them. Another incentive for these players to play in these events is the sheer size of the fields that the $300-$500 buy-in events are attracting everywhere. For example, in October, a $300 shootout at Foxwoods attracted 1,369 players. The winner received 480 POY points.
So, if you find yourself in a smaller buy-in tournament and look up to see Edler, Ted Lawson, James Van Alstyne, Jared Hamby, or Scott Clements, don't be surprised. They've got points to earn and a title to win - and it's all within their reach.
Sing a Sung
Speaking of players who could come out of nowhere to win the POY award, it's time to mention Steve Sung, another player under the age of 25 who has had a breakout year. He's cashed 14 times in 2007, and made it to the final table five times. His biggest payday recently came in October, when he finished fourth in the
WPT Spanish Championship, earning $166,708. He also has cashes of $71,000, $52,000, $51,000, and $50,000. He currently sits in 36th place with 2,197 points.
Grinding
Don't feel too bad for Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, the 2006 Player of the Year winner, even though at press time he sat in 88th place in this year's standings. He still has won $404,000 playing tournament poker this year, but that's well short of what he won in 2006 ($2.3 million). This year, the Grinder has won two tournaments, with $1,000 and $2,000 buy-ins. He has made two other final tables, and finished seventh in the $10,000
Wynn Classic championship event in March. He cashed three times at this year's
World Series of Poker, but never finished higher than 56th. His largest cash this year was for his sixth-place finish in the $5,000
WSOP Tournament Circuit event in Tunica, where he won $90,873.
Online Hand-to-Hand Combat: Gboro780 Leads Into the
Preflop Reraiser For Deception
By Craig Tapscott
Want to study real poker hands with the Internet's most successful players? In this series,
Card Player offers hand analysis with online poker's leading talent.
Event: $150 Full Tilt Poker $55,000-guaranteed no-limit hold'em tournament
Players: 481
First Place: $18,038
Stacks: gboro780 - $3,010; Villain - $2,641
Blinds: $15-$30
Player A calls $30. Gboro780 raises to $120, holding the 9
8
. The Villain reraises to $370. Player A folds and gboro780 calls the additional $250.
Craig Tapscott: Why raise initially with this hand?
Steven "gboro780" Gross: I realized how strong a play raising limpers can be. Basically, instead of limping in and hoping
to hit your hand, you can raise with a wider range and make your opponent have to hit his. You're taking control and have the ability to dictate which way the action will go. It also helps to define your opponents' hand ranges when they are forced to call your bets before and after the flop after you've shown strength.
CT: Then, you call a reraise from a player who has position on you.
SG: Now I'm faced with a decision. Oftentimes, I will fold to this third player entering the pot, as it's usually a sign of extreme strength. Here, I decide to make the call with more than 75 big blinds behind and will proceed only if I flop big.
CT: Does your style lend itself to trying to see a lot of flops?
SG: I do like to see flops. But usually I play just a tight, solid, relatively boring game in the early stages, trying to find good spots. Once the antes kick in, I'll tend to open up and get a little more creative.
Flop: 10
9
9
($815 pot)
CT: You've flopped a huge hand. What's the best play here?
SG: For a very long time, my first instinct was to trap if I was first to act. Then one day a light bulb lit up in my head and I realized that leading out could be a great way to get all of the money into the pot, and not just one or two bets. Instead of checking to induce action, now I like to lead out to induce action.
CT: So, you're reversing the power of position by leading out?
SG: Kind of. Despite being out of position, I've found that it can be to your advantage to be first to act in heads-up pots after the flop. I may be out of position, but I'm in "betting position." I'm the one who acts first and has control of how the hand should play out.
Gboro780 bets $395. The Villain raises to $2,271 and is all in. Gboro780 calls. The Villain shows the A
K
.
Turn: 3
($5,357)
River: Q
($5,357 pot)
CT: Obviously, this is a strategy that has worked well for you in the past.
SG: For sure. This hand was in the early stages, but I would say that nine out of 10 times when I use this play, it's deep in a tournament. I also like to use the play against strong players. The reason is that better players tend to be more stubborn after the flop and are less willing to give up to a small lead-out bet. And that's the main point of the play. Hands that you would have been hard-pressed to get more out of are now paid off in full by playing them deceptively.
CT: And players who are paying attention will notice this type of play and be more careful in the future.
SG: That, too. By working this play into your game - leading out to trap - you can set up your future leads when you don't want a call. It also will give more credit to your stop-and-gos and help merge your range.
Steve Gross, 22, is one of the top-ranked online players in the world. He is a senior at Rowan University in New Jersey and has won more than $1 million in online tournaments.
Online Player of the Year Race to be a Photo Finish?
By Shawn Patrick Green
Matt "ch0ppy" Kay and Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron are playing to win, there's no doubt about that. It seems that as soon as one of the two makes a big score in the
Card Player Online Player of the Year (OPOY) race, the other is right behind him, making a big score himself.
Both Kay and Baron earned more than 200 OPOY points in the two weeks since the results were published in the last issue. Kay, currently in the top spot on the OPOY leader board, made four OPOY-qualified finishes, earning 230 points. Baron is right behind Kay on the leader board, and he kept up with Kay's pace by earning 218 points, himself with two OPOY-qualified finishes.
DuckU and SlippyJacks: Separated at Birth?
Greg "DuckU" Hobson accomplished an unprecedented feat when he took down the major Sunday tournament on Full Tilt twice in a row in April of this year. Chris "SlippyJacks" Vaughn, however, just may have outdone him.
Vaughn took down the PokerStars
Sunday Million tournament on Oct. 28. While that's an impressive accomplishment in its own right, it becomes even more so when considering the fact that he had just taken down the $1 million-guaranteed tournament on Full Tilt the weekend before. Vaughn collected almost $439,000 from the wins, along with enough OPOY points to change him from completely unlisted to the new owner of the No. 22 seat in the standings.
Chatbox Cunning
Strategy from top online pros
Scott "SCTrojans" Freeman
On what the most underrated quality of a poker player is:
"Fearless aggression. The ability to move all in with nothing, and the ability to fire multiple bluffs with nothing. I see so many players - especially the weaker, lower-stakes players who don't know much about the game - ridiculing top players, saying things like, 'He went all in with 7 high,' or, 'How do you put all of your chips in on a draw?' These people on the rail have no clue. That ability to put all of your chips in with nothing in a spot like that, the aggression … . When you believe that your opponent is weak or you have some evidence that your opponent is going to fold, you have to be willing to bite the bullet and put all of your chips in. I can't tell you the number of times I've been all in with 8 high in the last week. You have to be able to have that relentless aggression in you somewhere. You can't play that really, really, really passive game anymore."
On what the most overrated type of poker player is:
"Players who win."
Jonathan "FieryJustice" Little
On the biggest mistake low-stakes sit-and-go players make:
"People don't push around on the bubble nearly as much as they should. Most people think that they're trying to just barely squeak into the money, whereas usually if you just take the initiative, you can get in the money with the chip lead. It's very important to do that; that'll increase your ROI [return on investment] hugely if you can just double up every single time you get on the bubble. And that's very doable in the lower buy-in games, because people fold way too often on the bubble."
On how to play a turbo sit-and-go compared to a normal-speed sit-and-go:
"It magnifies the way you play a sit-and-go in general. So, usually you should play tighter early and much more loose late, because in the early levels of [turbo] sit-and-gos, the blinds are still very low, so you should be playing only premium hands so that you have chips to push around when the tournament gets late, when everyone has five or six big blinds. Usually, people fold way too much later in the game. In the late levels, you should be pushing a lot more than you think you should."
Tournament Schedule
The PokerStars tournament lineup is one of the most robust of any online poker site, and is getting even more jam-packed every day. Here are some tournaments to look out for:
Those interested in signing up for these tournaments can follow this link to see a complete schedule: http://www.CardPlayer.com/link/ot.
Alex Kamberis: Taking Care of Business
By Craig Tapscott
Alex Kamberis in one of the best online players in the world, plain and simple. Believe it or not, he's never read a poker strategy book or hired a coach, preferring to stumble and learn from his mistakes. At the table, Kamberis chooses to fly under
the radar, a quiet predator who takes care of business. No fuss, no muss; no flashy plays or hyperaggressive shoves. And before you know it, he's sitting on a ton of chips.
"Of all the ranked online players, I'm probably one of the tighter ones," said Kamberis, aka AJKHoosier1. "But I pay attention, know when to switch gears, and pick my spots well. I used to play my cards more than the situation, but now I play the situation more than the cards. To be successful, you can't be results-based in your thinking."
The Indiana University student hopes to add some live-tournament success to an already impressive online resume. With rock-solid play, he's won more than $1 million, including two PokerStars Sunday $200 rebuy events for more than $104,000 combined. In the coming months, he'll enter many of the big buy-in events leading up to the 2008
World Series of Poker. He plans to accomplish his lofty goals one step at a time, simply business as usual for an unusually talented player.
Craig Tapscott: How did you build a bankroll online?
Alex Kamberis: During my freshman year in college, I put a ton of $50 deposits online and then finally got it going. I began with the micro sit-and-gos, and built it up from there. Then I started to play some smaller tournaments and made a few small scores. I entered a Stars $160 multitable tournament and chopped it for about $10,000. I was able to move up off that win.
CT: How did you climb the levels in regard to your skill set?
AK: Making the jump from bad to decent wasn't hard. But the leap from that to what I consider a good player came from reading the forums, absorbing info online, and sharing hands with better players.
CT: Does your game still have leaks that you need to plug?
AK: Of course. There are many times that I know what the right play is, but I still hesitate to pull the trigger, to four-bet with air, and so on. For some reason, I'm not willing to risk the chips. In my head I'm thinking I could get my money in better. In an online multitable tournament, you really need to try to take advantage of every +EV (expected value) play that comes along. I need to be less hesitant about going with my reads.
CT: As a tournament progresses, what are you looking for?
AK: I look at stack sizes and situations, whether or not I should raise/fold, whether I have fold equity when I resteal, things like that. Also, table dynamics is very important. If I'm getting played back at a ton, I don't think I have to keep raising and playing or winning every pot. I won't be reraising a player who hasn't raised much or folding to a guy with a ton of chips who's been raising every hand.
CT: What hands do you stay away from early on in an multitable tournament?
AK: During the first hour or so, I'm instantly folding A-J from most positions. You can't play that hand and make good money unless you flop a straight, or hit top two pair or miracle trips. And calling reraises with A-J or A-Q offsuit during the early levels is beyond terrible.
CT: You have a reputation for great short-stack play.
AK: I will grind a short stack like nobody else. I'm very patient. I'm usually able to rebuild a small stack up to being a threat in a tournament.
CT: What's the key? Ten big blinds seems to be the magic number to be ready to shove.
AK: Yes, but I play the table dynamics. I won't shove 7-6 suited from early or middle position if the big blind has a ton of chips or is a loose player. Even when shoving with A-X from early position, you usually will get called by a better ace. I try to wait for the best spot. I pay attention to the players behind me, as their tendencies and stack sizes are so important. If the table is tight or the big blind is scared, or possibly if it's a bubble situation, I will be more tempted to shove with hands like the 7-6 suited.
CT: Thanks, Alex, for taking the time to sit down with
Card Player.
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 the 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.
Dave: I was playing in a low buy-in tournament, and a dealer who would not be quiet rotated into the box. One comment he kept making really drove me nuts, and I want to know if he is allowed to make it. On a rainbow flop, with four people in the hand and action pending, he announced, "Flush draw!" He proceeded to say it again when the fourth suit fell on the turn. He said it again on the river, even when there was no flush possible. I think that even though there was no flush draw, his comments were out of line, because he could have influenced a very inexperienced player. I told this to the dealer, and he said I was wrong, since there was obviously no flush draw. I still think his comments were inappropriate and could have caused someone to misread the board. What do you think, Jack?
Jack: The golden rule of
dealing is that the dealer should not become a part of the action. The comments were very inappropriate.
Bill: This questionable situation occurred in my home game when only the blinds were left in the hand. The small blind moved all in, and the big blind flipped over his cards. As the dealer, I announced that we had a call. The big blind said that he was merely thinking of calling and that he had pulled this type of move in the past. After this fiasco, we made a rule stating that any hand exposed is dead. Is our rule correct?
Jack: The player is trying to obtain information without committing to his hand. To stop this in a live game, your ruling is a fair one. The player had not called yet, either verbally or by pushing his chips into the pot. In a tournament, the player could receive a penalty. In a live game, I like your ruling.
Card Player Digital
Card Player TV provided exclusive videos from both the
Caesars Palace Classic and the
U.S. PokerBowl at the Palms, which can be viewed at www.CardPlayer.com/TV. As a reminder,
Card Player TV provides more than just tournament coverage; check out some recent videos with players outside the poker room.
Todd Brunson's Halloween Party
Todd Brunson's annual Halloween party always attracts a number of high-profile poker celebrities, and this year was no different.
Card Player TV secured a special invitation.
High-Stakes Living: "Miami" John Cernuto
"Miami" John Cernuto recently showed
Card Player TV around his newly renovated Las Vegas home.
Joe Cassidy: Limit Hold'em
Joe Cassidy is one of the most successful limit hold'em players in the world. He shared some insight on limit hold'em strategy with
Card Player TV recently.
On-the-Go Chip Counts
The
Five-Diamond World Poker Classic at Bellagio is one of the most popular stops on the
World Poker Tour, and it is right around the corner. As the exclusive media partner of the
WPT, Card Player will be the only tournament reporting team to release comprehensive updates, chip counts, and final-table hand-by-hand coverage.
Card Player knows that players are on the go but still want their updates. Card Player Digital enables poker players to have chip counts sent directly to their phones. Just visit CPmobile.com to sign up for this feature and you won't have to wait another minute to know what is going on during the biggest poker events of the year.
Is A-K a Drawing Hand?
By David Apostolico
Perhaps no hand initiates more debate in Texas hold'em than A-K. Everyone has his own theory, and these theories tend to span the entire spectrum. At one end of the spectrum are those players who believe it is omnipotent and worth committing your entire stack preflop. At the other end are those who believe it is nothing but a drawing hand. These naysayers point out that you don't have anything yet. In other words, A-K isn't any sort of made hand yet. I've heard it referred to as the most overrated hand in poker to "just air," from various sources.
So, where does the truth lie? I believe somewhere in the middle, but closer to the stronger end of the spectrum. I certainly believe that it is worth playing with strength preflop for a number of reasons, which I will touch on in this column. Finally, I believe that many of the naysayers prove themselves right by not playing A-K correctly preflop. What do I mean by that? Well, let's take a look.
First, I think a hand's value is greatly determined by how you play it. If you don't play A-K with strength, you devalue its worth. Play it like a drawing hand and it becomes a drawing hand. Play it like a small pair, hoping to hit a flop, and you're not going to win a lot of pots. Invite too many people in and even if you hit a flop, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble. Let's take a look at a sample hand. Let's say that there are two limpers in front of you and you find A-K in the cutoff position. You decide to limp, since A-K is just a drawing hand, after all. The button and both blinds now limp, as well, with just about any two cards. The flop comes K-6-5 with two spades. You don't have a spade. This is a hand that could get you in a lot of trouble. There are straight and flush possibilities aplenty. Since you slow-played your hand, it's unlikely that any of your opponents will put you on A-K. So, yes, you could get action from a hand like K-Q or K-J. The problem is that you've put yourself in a situation in which it will be very difficult to know what your opponents have. If someone is playing aggressively, is he on a draw or does he have two pair? It's very hard to determine.
Now, if you had played your hand aggressively preflop, you would have greatly whittled the field down. Most likely, you'd have won the pot preflop or be up against one or two opponents maximum. In that case, you'd have a better idea of what kind of hand you are up against and could feel much better about your chances of success.
Don't think of your hand as a drawing hand. Think of it as the best hand preflop until someone tells you otherwise. That is, raise with it until you face resistance, and then you'll know what you are up against. By raising, you weed out all of the drawing hands, such as suited connectors, and marginal hands such as small pairs. You are more likely to get called by hands that you dominate, such as A-Q, A-J, and even A-10. Now, if you do hit an ace, you are in excellent shape to win a big pot. Furthermore, don't be afraid to win a pot preflop with A-K. Where I draw the line is when I face resistance. If someone is going to raise into me or reraise me, I am likely to just call. I'm not willing to reraise in the majority of situations. There is a good chance that I'm behind, the field will probably already be thinned out, and I want to see a flop and what develops.
The bottom line is, if you treat A-K like air, that's all that hand is going to be worth to you. Treat it with respect, play it with strength, and watch its value go way up.
David Apostolico is the author of numerous philosophical poker books that help the reader develop the right mindset to make correct decisions, including Tournament Poker and The Art of War and Machiavellian Poker Strategy.
J.C. Tran and the Art of Power Poker
By Mike Sexton, the 'Ambassador of Poker' and Commentator for the World Poker Tour
The
World Poker Challenge in Reno, Nevada, is a very popular event on the
World Poker Tour. It could be because it's the "most affordable" event on the
WPT, as the buy-in is $5,000 rather than $10,000 or higher. It also could be because many players from the Northwest enjoy this opportunity to play in a
WPT tournament. But even though many new players entered this event, when it came down to the final three players, it was three experienced tournament pros going at it: the self-proclaimed best player from Mexico, Juan Carlos Alvarado; David "The Dragon" Pham; and J.C. Tran.
With the ante at $5,000 and the blinds at $20,000-$40,000, Juan Carlos folded on the button and J.C. (the chip leader with $2.1 million), in an effort to steal the blinds and antes with 10-5 offsuit, made it $140,000 to go. But David "The Dragon" Pham (with $1.6 million) doesn't give up easily. He made the call with 9-7 offsuit. The flop came J-9-4 rainbow, and J.C. made a continuation-bet of $220,000, hoping to win the pot right there. David had flopped second pair and made the call.
The turn card was the A
and J.C. didn't slow down. He fired again, this time betting $400,000! The Dragon, sensing that J.C. was up to some mischief, called again. The river brought another ace, and this time J.C. moved all in! With his tournament life on the line, The Dragon finally let his hand go. Talk about earning a pot - phew!
This hand reminded me of one of my favorite poker stories. Twenty-two years ago at the
World Series of Poker, I was walking by a $100-$200 blinds no-limit hold'em cash game. Everybody had a good amount of money in from of him - at least $20,000. Stu Ungar was playing in the game and saw me walking by. He said, "Sexton, come sweat me for a while." That was always fun for me, so I pulled up a chair. Pretty soon, he picked up the 6
4
in the big blind. The first few players folded and the cutoff man (a fairly tight player) made it $800 to go. The button and small blind folded, and Stuey made the call.
The flop came J-10-2 rainbow. Stuey led out and bet $1,500. His opponent called. A 7 came on the turn and Stuey fired again, this time betting $2,500. His opponent called again. On the river, another deuce came. Stuey now bet $8,000! After long deliberation, his opponent showed the A
10
and mucked his hand. As Stuey was raking in the pot, he turned to me and whispered, "Sexton, a lot of guys will bluff at a pot and some will fire two shells, but there's not many who will fire three." Trust me, it takes a lot of heart to do that.
Like Stuey, J.C. Tran fired three shells into this pot and took it down. He went on to capture his first
WPT title and became the
WPT Player of the Year. Congratulations to J.C. Tran. As you can see, he certainly has the heart of a champion.
