Archive for February, 2008
by Simon Dexter Thursday, February 21st, 2008
The move to establish a Womens Hall of Fame of Poker was probably done with the best of intentions, although the predictable backlash against the decision has kicked in early and frankly, it’s hard to argue with some of the points being made by those who are against the new tribute.
A separate Poker Hall of Fame is hardly the sort of thing that suffragettes railed against, but the introduction of this new accolade was meant to be an attempt to increase awareness of the amount of the number of female poker players flying the flag for their gender and proving that the game had no barriers.
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by Simon Dexter Thursday, February 21st, 2008
On the flight out to Nice for our mid-February ‘fact-finding’ trip to Monaco, one newspaper headline advised that, like a good many of the indgenous UK population, a growing number of Poles are leaving the UK, forced out by high taxes and still exhorbitant house prices. And who can blame them?
We’re hoping their numbers will be given a further boost in a few weeks when poker players head east to Warsaw for the Polish Open, scheduled to take place between 11th-15th March.
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by Simon Dexter Thursday, February 21st, 2008
Talking of football (although there was only one side playing the game last Sunday evening), you may have recently caught the African Cup of Nations on TV. It seems strange that Egypt’s dominance of the tournament has not been matched in the World Cup, nor has any other African nation managed to perform as well on the international stage as many obserevers may have imagned when one considers the calibre of players such as Drogba, Essien and Yakubu regularly on show in the Premier League.
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by Simon Dexter Thursday, February 21st, 2008
The SFTW team arrived in Monaco last Sunday morning (tough gig, we know), ostensibly to undertake a recce prior to the EPT Grand Final, but as it happened, in plenty of time to take the French League match involving the local favourites and championship-cashing Bordeaux.
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by Simon Dexter Thursday, February 21st, 2008
Those of us who wondered what it would be like to be a full-time professional poker player, if only for twelve months need wonder no longer as ‘Big Deal’, subtitled as ‘one year as a professional poker player’ is Anthony Holden’s compelling tale of ayear t the poker tables.
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by Simon Dexter Friday, February 15th, 2008
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by Simon Dexter Thursday, February 14th, 2008
Caro’s Book of Poker Tells, by Mike Caro
For many poker players, this book really is the daddy of them all, a compelling, thought-provoking read from the “Mad Genius of Poker” himself, Mike Caro.
I saw Caro speak at Trinity College in Dublin a few years ago when the way he explained his psychological concepts and intricate ideas ensured he had his audience in the palm of his hand. Having heard him talk ‘live’ makes this book a much easier read (if you’ll excuse the pun) as the focal point of his scientific concepts is the rather difficult notion of interpreting what an opponent is actually saying without him uttering a word. Even if science was not your thing at school, stick with this book because when Caro says he teaches us how to “use the science of tells – and win”, he’s not kidding.
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by Simon Dexter Thursday, February 14th, 2008
Hi Guys,
Could you explain to me why so many people make such a fuss about slowrolling? Some of the comments I’ve seen would have you believe it’s cheating, but I can’t see that it’s illegal, so why make so much of it?
GN
London
GN,
While you’re right to say it’s not illegal, we think the main reason slowrolling is frowned upon is this: it’s incredibly annoying.
Think about it: you’ve turned over your cards at the showdown and appear to have won. You know this because opponents mutter unpleasant things about you, muck their cards and generally adopt a grumpy demeanour, but then just as you reach for the dosh, bang! The one guy you were ignoring turns over a killer hand and trousers the pot. We reckon it’s a play practiced mostly by greenhorns who consider a bit of drama is what the game requires, so when it next happens, perhaps you could remind them that it’s not quite the done thing.
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by Simon Dexter Thursday, February 14th, 2008
You may have read recently about club owner who insisted that because poker was a game of skill, his establishment would not require a licence under the 1968 Gaming Act, legislation which applies solely to games of chance.
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by Simon Dexter Thursday, February 14th, 2008
Poker fans in March, Cambridge, may soon be able to indulge their hobby in public if the plans outlined by the new owners of town’s Hippodrome theatre come to fruition, although there may be a musical catch.
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