Odds and Ends

Today is a good time to clean off my desk and throw away all the little scraps of paper I have been saving of things to write about when I do one of my odds and ends columns. Here goes …

World Poker Tour Tapings … Season two has begun and the reviews are great on the newest episodes. It appears that people from all walks of life are watching the WPT. There is more player interaction this season, as well as more human-interest features on the players themselves. Recently we have filmed some terrific episodes that I can't wait to see as completed products on television. I don't want to spoil anything yet by talking about some of the winners, but trust me, there are some exciting shows coming up.

Heard at the table … I've had some time to play poker lately, and it seems that there always are funny incidents that happen over the green felt. Here are some stories that gave me a chuckle:

Recently I was playing in a low-limit game in a small cardroom when a lady went on a terrific rush. One of the players was getting frustrated with the terrible cards with which she was winning, and said, "Remind me not to play when you are in the pot. On second thought, you play every hand … table change, please!"

Anyone who knows Paul Wolfe knows that he is never at a loss for words. Paul is very entertaining, so I wasn't surprised when he told me that he had tried to register the name "Crime" as his online screen name at a major poker site. I fell for it and asked why he wanted to be called Crime. His reply: "Because Crime doesn't pay!"

You may have read the recent cover story about Barry Greenstein, who donates his tournament winnings to charity. Robert Turner recently was telling players that he does the same thing with his winnings. After seeing the perplexed look on their faces, he explained that his wife's name is Charity. I guess he means it when he says, "I give my winnings to Charity."

Poker celebrities … I recently heard that several well-known celebrities, including Ben Affleck, Paris Hilton, and Larry Flynt, were all in the poker room at Bellagio when Gus Hansen walked in. Immediately, four different people approached Gus for an autograph, while ignoring the other celebrities. I love it!

You are missed … Billie Brown, former marketing director for Ocean's Eleven Casino, recently passed away. Billie was instrumental in establishing the California Ladies State Championship tournament, as well as countless other successful poker events. I was fortunate to have known Billie for almost 30 years, and will miss her smiling face and passion for poker.

No-limit hold'em … Due to the ever-increasing popularity of no-limit hold'em tournaments, Card Player Cruises has added several no-limit events on each of its domestic cruises. The buy-ins will be in the $100-$200 range. This is a great way to practice your skills in preparation for the World Poker Tour.

Card Player Cruises has added an exotic Western Caribbean cruise to its 2004 schedule. Prices start at just $599 per person for a seven-day adventure to Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Half Moon Cay on one of Holland America's newest ships, the Zuiderdam.

Happy Anniversary! Our Wednesday Poker Discussion Group (WPDG) just celebrated its third anniversary. The WPDG has about 25 regular members who meet weekly to discuss poker-related topics and to improve their poker skills. I can't wait to get back to the meetings, since I have been out of town the past six Wednesdays and miss this wonderful group.

Now, let's play poker!

Editor's note: Linda can be contacted through her website at www.cardplayercruises.com. She is available to host seminars and poker events.