David Chiu had one of the least-popular tasks in poker sitting before him when the final heads-up battle began at the 2008 World Poker Tour Championship at Bellagio. He was facing Gus Hansen for the title and $3,389,140 in prize money, and was starting this task at a major disadvantage. Hansen ...
World Series of Poker Main Event Won't Be Over Until November Delay Will Keep Poker Fans in Suspense By Bob Pajich Harrah's and ESPN will attempt to interject hype, curiosity, and suspense into the World Series of Poker main event this year by ...continued
Patrik Antonius is one of the most aggressive cash-game players in the world, and his onslaught of betting has helped him to scoop his share of pots. He is a regular player in the "big game" at Bellagio in Bobby's Room, and he also has ...continued
This hand took place in the 2007 Five-Diamond World Poker Classic main event. Most players know Hevad Khan, after he finished in sixth place in the 2007 World Series of Poker main event, taking home almost a cool million. He also is a strong online ...continued
At only 27 years old, Gavin Griffin already holds one of the most impressive collections of poker's most prestigious titles: World Series of Poker, European Poker Tour, and World Poker Tour championships. Now, Card Player is giving its readers a ...continued
While it may not be the media circus that is the World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour Championship event remains as one of the lone remaining true tests of skill for tournament professionals. The hefty $25,000 buy-in accomplishes two goals: It ...continued
Charlie don't surf! — Col. William Kilgore American soldiers certainly played poker in Vietnam — in jungle hooches, Hanoi prison cells, air-conditioned offices in Saigon — as they have in every conflict since the Civil War. A ...continued
This is the time of year when it's easy to get excited about poker. The $25,000 2008 World Poker Tour Championship at Bellagio just wrapped up, and Vegas is abuzz with World Series of Poker preparation. More and more tournaments are being ...continued
Phil Hellmuth note: About 18 months ago, Sully Erna, the charismatic lead singer of the rock group Godsmack, took a bad beat so upsetting to him that he went out and got a huge tattoo on his back that read, "No Justice." Erna tells his story ...continued
I first visited Ireland a full 20 years ago, and loved it. After playing in the European Championship on the Isle of Man and finishing second, I was ready to take on the Irish in Terry Rogers' Eccentric Tournament, now known as the Irish Open. ...continued
In the next couple of columns, I will comment on a few of the crucial hands I played during the World Poker Tour Championship. I finished in second place, and as I am writing this, the disappointment of not winning my fourth WPT title, despite having ...continued
When I was 22, I won significantly more money playing poker than my dad, an engineer with a master's degree who died in his 50s when I was 15, earned in any year of his life. It was not much money by today's multimillion-dollar tournament ...continued
You write a poker book and everybody gets the wrong impression. You see, I don't actually advocate gambling; I just figure that if you are going to do it anyway, you might as well do it right. I also figure that you might as well play Omaha, the ...continued
Because they know that information is critically important, winners probe much more frequently and effectively than most players. A "probe" is any action taken primarily to get information. It can be a bet, raise, question, statement, and so ...continued
I hope you read Part I of this column. If not, let me review the origin of the title and some key questions. In the aftermath of a shootout in one of the Dirty Harry films, Clint Eastwood has his gun pointed at a robber who is reaching for his gun. ...continued
People ask me questions about talking tells all the time. "While I was thinking about calling a big bet, my opponent kept saying, 'You should fold.' Should I have believed him or not?" It's a difficult question to answer, because ...continued
I start the no-limit hold'em hand in late position with A-8 and face a raise from a middle-position bettor. Since I know this player to be capable of raising with all premium hands and some sub-premium holdings like K-J offsuit or Q-J suited, I ...continued
In my last column, I gave a few pros and cons regarding two important -- and related -- tournament concepts: overbetting and shoving. I explained that the big reraise has become an integral part of my poker-weapons arsenal, especially in the later ...continued
You almost certainly have not been counting, but this is the 100th column that I have written for Card Player. This is by no means a record, as stalwarts like Roy Cooke and Roy West have produced hundreds more, but for me, it represents a milestone. ...continued
Hi. Come on in. I ordered us a big platter of beef and chicken kabobs -- and baklava for dessert. Dig in. "If I don't have time to prepare mentally, I don't have time to play." That's just one of Roy's Rules, by which I guide ...continued
In the fall of 2005, there was a police raid made on a group of people who were playing poker in an apartment-complex recreation room near Greenville, South Carolina. After several discussions with some of the busted players and their lawyer, I ...continued
Dave Brown, from the Chicago area, e-mailed me recently to ask my opinion on a ruling that came up in an Illinois casino. This was the situation: It was a $2-$5 blinds no-limit hold'em cash game on the late shift. A new supervisor had just started ...continued
For this column, I asked a group of women the following question: Do you think being a woman at the poker table is an advantage or disadvantage, and why? Here's some food for thought from the answers I received: Estie Peiper: Being a female poker ...continued
Many new players are coming into brick-and-mortar (B&M) cardrooms for the first time. They have played online and in home games, but may not know the rules and conventions of live cardroom play, and might get tripped up. As a public service, this ...continued
Michael Gracz has been traveling the tournament circuit for only four years, but he has amassed an impressive $2.89 million in career earnings. The 27-year-old player's first big score came at the 2004 Trump Classic, and for that win, he made ...continued