Card Player Magazine, Flying,

I am happy to report that Card Player magazine has given me a feature piece in each issue which will discuss an interesting or controversial hand from a tournament or cash game. The format will be one or more of the players in the hand will give their read on how and why they played it. Michael Binger and I will give our analysis, followed by a last word from the player(s). It will hopefully give insight into the thinking that goes on inside the mind of a poker player. I guess that could be scary for some of us.

As a disclaimer, if you are a huge Hillary Clinton fan, are easily offended by opinions other than your own, or don't want to hear my thoughts on politics and a variety of other topics and want only to hear about poker: STOP READING HERE. wait for my next blog, if you continue, you do so at your own risk.

Now that I have been spending a good portion of my time traveling, I wanted to share some experiences and thoughts as well as suggestions for TSA workers. You know who they are; they work the airport security check points. They take away your tube of toothpaste in your carryon bag, make you feel like a criminal as you go through the metal detector, and generally have just enough power that it goes to their heads. They were the ones who got picked last for dodge ball in school and were the favorite targets. Now don't get me wrong, in this crazy world you need to screen for weapons and explosives, but give me a break, the process is horrendous. In other countries, it is much smoother and less intrusive. My guess is that it provides a false sense of security and if you were a terrorist, TSA would not stand a chance. Like in Iraq a few weeks ago when terrorists strapped a bomb on a timer onto a mentally challenged person and sent them into a pet store where kids were looking at and playing with puppies and the like. Anyone with that type of resolve will be hard to stop with our current processes.

While I'm on the Airline industry, how about we stop including the seat belt operation as part of the onboard safety demonstration. If in 2008 one cannot operate a seat belt, perhaps an injury while onboard an aircraft, or in fact anything with a seatbelt, might remove the person from the gene pool, which in the long run would be beneficial to society as a whole. I believe Charles Darwin called this evolution.

What does all this have to do with poker, Well, quite frankly nothing. From time to time I like to share my opinions on various topics with the readers. If you would prefer me to stick only to poker, as some readers have suggested (particularly when I criticized Hillary Clinton) too bad. This is my blog which means my opinions, thoughts, and observations. If you don't like them feel free to disagree, but don't hate the player. I feel that as an individual who has completed many years of higher education, served in uniform in this country's armed forces, provided medical care to the poor and indigent, and worked with several state and federal agencies to help improve health care, I am certainly entitled to an opinion. That's one of the great things about this country; everyone is allowed to voice their opinion, whether good, bad or indifferent, even if it is completely opposite to what you've spent your life fighting for.

The Oracle

For more information on Roy Winston you can visit his website: www.oraclepoker.net or send him an email: [email protected]