Hi Guys,
I feel as though I’ve become a sucker for aces. Whenever I get one, it affects my judgement as I automatically assume I’m on the road to riches. I appreciate that this is incongruous behaviour, but is there a simple way of eradicating it from my game?
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Lou Krieger is a prolific author whose name is now closely associated with poker thanks to books such as Hold’em Excellence and its follow-up, More Hold’em Excellence. Here, he has joined (once again) with Sheree Bykofsky to create a definitive guide to poker’s rules.
Players would be foolish to assume they know every one of poker’s rules and the beauty of this particular tome is it’s small enough to fit inside a jacket pocket. This means it may be produced with a flourish just as arguments are becoming heated. It helps enormously that many of the book’s examples are based upon real situations recreated by experienced players and dealers.
Any serious poker player should familiarise himself with the game’s minutiae – and this includes a number of rather archaic rules and procedures. Conduct and etiquette are well covered by Krieger, together with general card-room rules, all of which are useful to understand, especially when competing in tournaments.
Many readers will be familiar with most of these rules, but clarification comes on matters such as handling side pots or dealing with exposed cards with action pending. Krieger also explains the ‘English-only’ rule (a new one to your reviewer), why chips must be kept visible and the range of penalties that can be imposed for a variety of infractions. As befits an occasionally controversial soul, Krieger includes a section in which he and his co-author would prefer to see changed.
Unusually for a book dealing with poker, the authors have ensured theirs is comprehensively indexed, making it a useful, convenient, tome which should be carried around by poker players at all times.
They might protest that Euro 2008, which kicks off next Saturday, will be much poorer for the home nations' absence, but are those crocodile tears being wept by the Germans, Croats, Portuguese and supporters of several other countries besides? One thing is certain: no-one appears prepared to give up their place in return for some British involvement in Austria and Switzerland.
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Las Vegas is famed for its virtually limitless supply of moderately-priced hotel rooms, but at this time of the year rates invariably surge as thousands of players, together with their families and sponsors, assemble for the WSOP*.
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I'm indebted to a company called PanPoker Consulting for forwarding details of public figures they have "assessed" (although I'm not quite sure how scientific this assessment actually is) who they believe would make ideal poker players. Of course it's possible that several of them are already accomplished poker experts, but PP's main criteria for making it onto their list are as follows:
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Observant poker players who happen also to be football fans (the vast majority in our experience) may have noticed something a little disconcerting during the recent 'play-off weekend' broadcasts.
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As poker has gone mainstream, so one of the game’s most rewarding aspects (apart from winning of course) is the constant opportunity it provides to meet people who have enjoyed a career at the very top of their chosen profession.
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It's not quite the Arctic Monkeys, but news arrives of a debut single scheduled for release next week by a band called SitNGO. The song, entitled Flush Draw is described in a colourful press release as "a poker parody".
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Next Wednesday, as part of a three year deal signed in 2006, the "Official beer of the WSOP*" will launch to coincide with the opening day of the first 2008 WSOP* event. In case you didn't know, Milwaukee's Best Light, Milwaukee's Best, and Milwaukee's Best Ice are the said beers, although there are no plans to have the company's special poker cans on sale on this side of the Atlantic.
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