Given the same strategy for 8-5 Bonus Poker and 8-5 ACES Bonus Poker, four aces or any other winning hand will occur with the same frequency, regardless of pay table. Expert players will make some strategy adjustments that will cause four-ace hands to come up more often - not less - in ACES than in regular Bonus Poker.
The random number generator program that determines the cards that are dealt is the same program whether we're playing Bonus Poker, ACES, Triple Double Bonus Poker or any other 52-card variation of five-card draw video poker. The pay table has nothing to do with which cards we see; it just determines how much we're paid once we have our final hand.
In ACES Bonus Poker, each ace has a letter displayed on the card - "A," "C," "E" or "S." If a four-ace hand spells out "ACES" in the proper order on consecutive cards - the fifth, non-ace card may not appear in the middle of the hand - the payoff for a five-coin wager is 4,000 coins instead of the usual 400 on four Aces.
Drawing the four Aces in the proper order is a fairly rare event - less common than even a royal flush. In the 8-5 version, where full houses pay 8-for-1 and flushes pay 5-for-1, Bonus Poker returns 99.2 percent in the long run with expert play. The ACES bonus raises that theoretical return only to 99.4 percent.
Strategy for Bonus Poker and ACES Bonus Poker is nearly identical. There are a few situations in which we might alter our play to chase the bonus. For example, if we have a full house in which the first three cards are aces that spell out "ACE," or the last three are aces that spell out "CES," we'll discard the other pair. If the three aces are in any other order, we keep the full house instead.
Because we chase the aces more often, they will come up more often. Similarly, when we adapt our strategy for games such as Super Aces, the effect is to increase the number of four-ace hands. In Super Aces, which pays 2,000 coins for a five-coin bet on any four-ace hand, we'll break up two pair that includes a pair of aces, and just hold the aces, while in many other games (Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Jacks or Better), we'll hold both pair.
The effect of the Super Aces strategy adjustment is to increase the number of four-ace and three-of-a-kind hands, while decreasing the number of full houses. It's our strategy that makes the difference, not any change in the way cards are dealt.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Chipleaders, the largest online social network dedicated to poker and poker players, has announced that it will be presenting the "MBA Poker Challenge"(tm), beginning in Los Angeles on December 11th at Hollywood Park Casino. Sponsors of the event will include Bodog.com, Aces.com, Bluff Magazine, 12 Threads, and Flop Gear. The tournament will be chaired by four schools (Kellogg, University of Chicago, Columbia, and Darden), while other participating schools will include players from Wharton, Stanford, Berkeley, Duke, Yale, Cornell, MIT, NYU, Michigan, and UCLA. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the various school foundations.
The MBA Poker Challenge will be in a Texas No Limit Hold'em format, and is open to current MBA students, alumni, faculty, and their families and friends. The event will be run monthly, and will combine poker with a networking opportunity to meet colleagues from other business schools. Player rankings will be tallied, and a national final will be held in late 2005. Everyone with an interest in networking and poker is invited to register at www.chipleaders.com. Participants can enjoy the thrill of competition while vying for prizes and cash which will benefit their alumni associations. The winner of December's event will win a custom-tailored suit courtesy of 12 Threads, an autographed poker hockey jersey signed by Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, and will be featured in Bluff Magazine's "Joe Poker" section.
"We thought this would be an interesting format in which business majors could test their skills, while providing a fun networking opportunity", says Chipleaders co-founder and Kellogg alumnus, Jake Steele. "This is just one of many specialty poker events planned by Chipleaders over the coming months. We're also in discussions with a number of charities to offer them our expertise in brand leveraging through poker channel extensions."
About Chipleaders, Inc.
Chipleaders is the premier online social network dedicated to poker. Founded in 2003, Chipleaders specializes in web-based brand development and marketing through poker-related social and entertainment events. Members use the Chipleaders website to manage their social networks and stay informed about poker news and events. Features include poker industry news, reviews of players and venues, tournament updates, and deals on poker accessories.

MASSILLON, Ohio -- A Texas hold' em poker tournament in Stark County came up snake eyes, NewsChannel5 partner WQMX reported.
Stark County sheriff's deputies executed two search warrants Sunday in Massillon in connection with the tournament.
The first was served on Millersburg Road, where the tournament was allegedly held. The second was executed on Lincoln Way East for evidence related to the tournament.
No arrests were made, but evidence was seized.

By RYAN LaFONTAINETHE SUN HERALD
Shortly after the Vietnam War, Billy Elrod retired from the U.S. Air Force and bought his own trucking company, driving tractor-trailers for nearly three decades, before setting it all aside to spend more time with his true love: poker.
"His true love was playing poker at the President Casino," his daughter Tonya said. "He played in a bunch of tournaments, and if he won money he wouldn't tell us about it. But I think, a few times, he won big."
She said it was easy to tell whether her father had won money during his night at the casino by the way he acted the next morning.
"He would come home and give us some money, and say 'why don't you go shopping or get your hair done,'
" she said.
The one time that her father really did "win big," Elrod said he could no longer keep it a secret and his cover was finally blown.
"A few years ago he won $10,000 at Boomtown (Casino) and he didn't tell me," she said. "But a few weeks later, somebody told me that they heard about my dad winning 10 grand. I said, 'What? He won how much?'
Elrod died Friday. He was 74. Funeral services are 7 p.m. today at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home in Ocean Springs.

NASHUA, N.H. -- Charity groups are taking advantage of the increasing popularity of poker to raise money, but now the state wants a piece of the action. Over the last year, poker nights have cropped up across the state where players can win big, and so can the group organizing the game.
"We started with various games of chance, but now it's mainly poker, with a few things additionally," said Joseph Ross, of the New England Fundraising Co.
The events are technically charity fundraisers, but State Rep. Neal Kurk said the charity isn't the big winner -- the promoter is. Kurk said a loophole in state law lets promoters set up charity poker nights and then take the biggest chunk of chips.
"We need to make sure the state gets a fair share, the charity gets a fair share, and the promoter, who's getting a big share -- too big -- does not get away with that," Kurk said.
The total take for the state may not be much, but other gambling supporters see a chance for bigger jackpots with video gaming. For the state, that would mean millions of new dollars.
"Although the revenue picture looks good right now, it's not in the back of the budget," Sen. Lou D'Allesandro said. "We'll need more money."
But promoters said the poker tax would get passed along to charities and will ultimately hurt the games.
"I think the Legislature should save money, instead of trying to tax it," Ross said.
New Hampshire is already in the gambling business. The state raises millions of dollars for education from the lottery, and anyone can go to Salem to bet on horse racing. But any expansion remains controversial.
The Legislature officially begins its budget work in January.

He had a real job. Once. That's when Daniel Negreanu decided he'd rather play poker for a living. "I worked as a telemarketer for precisely one afternoon," the Toronto native chuckled over the phone from his Las Vegas home.
"That's when I realized this whole job thing, that's just not for me."
Negreanu, 30, is considered one of the best young poker players in the world. At 23, he became the youngest world championship event winner in history. So far this year he estimates he's won around $3 million US.
Ask what makes a good poker player and Negreanu sounds like a psychology major, not someone who started playing as a 17-year-old at charity casinos in Toronto.
"My biggest strength is the ability to read people," he said. "If I sat down with you for 15 to 20 minutes I would have a pretty good idea of your personality type, your makeup, what you're capable of. When you have a good feel for people, a good understanding of human behaviour, that will translate into an ability to get into people's heads at the poker table.
"If I'm in your head and I know what you're thinking, then the cards don't even matter. I just know what you're going to do and I know how you think."
Poker has dealt television a new winning hand. The World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker attract huge audiences in the U.S. and Canada.
Poker players have gone from shadowy figures in smoke-filled backrooms to instant celebrities.
There's Phil Laak, noted for his Unabomber look of wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up and Jennifer Harman, a five-foot-two blonde some people call the best poker player on the planet and a person Negreanu considers one of his best friends.
"Today the poker player is the modern day rock star," boasted Negreanu. "There are guys that work nine to five in a cubical and go home to an empty apartment. I'm certain their dream would be 'wouldn't it be cool to have that lifestyle."'
Poker's cruel reality is its biggest attraction, Negreanu said
"It's the purest form of reality TV," said the strict vegetarian. "Nothing is staged, nothing is scripted. Everyone is putting up their own hard-earned money to play. Also, it's a sport that is every man's sport. You can be fat and out of shape and you're not going to be an NHL star. But you have a shot in poker."
Negreanu rarely plays tournaments in Canada, saying the pots are too small. He still manages to show his Canadian roots at the table, often choosing from one of the 25 NHL jerseys he owns. The collection stems from a fantasy hockey pool he's been involved with since 1996.
"I used to just buy a jersey of a guy I have on my team," he explained.
Negreanu has been photographed wearing Detroit, Toronto and Pittsburgh sweaters, but doesn't own a Vancouver Canuck jersey.
"I just never had a good Canuck yet," he laughed.
Poker players make money either at tournaments, or playing at casinos or in online games.
At this year's World Series of Poker, 2,756 players anted up $10,000 US each. Winner Greg Raymer, a patent lawyer from Stonington, Conn, walked away with $5 million US. The top five players won over $1 US million each.
When not at a tournament, Negreanu will head to a Vegas casino.
On his website, Negreanu writes not only about poker but about his life away from cards.
"The media puts a spin on this whole poker thing like everybody is successful, everybody makes a billion dollars and lives in a mansion," he said.
"That's the farthest thing from the truth. There are a lot of people that have been in this lifestyle for a long time and are just living from tournament to tournament."
For him, a night at the table is just a day at the office.
"If I show up at 6 p.m. I say I'm working for six hours and then I quit at midnight," he explained.
"I don't care how much I'm up or down. I see it as a job. Other poker players don't have it down to a science."
Negreanu knows he's defied the odds and become a winner. He offers some sobering advice to anyone thinking about trying to earn a living playing cards.
"One out of a 1,000 people who attempt to play poker for a living actually make it," he said.
"If a kid is still intent on doing it, then I would give him some guidelines about making sure he's disciplined and stays within his financial limits. Take a very scientific approach and a serious business approach."

While going to law school, I joined an organization called World Peace Through World Law, which primarily lobbied for an international code of laws that would apply to all countries. Many of us also promulgated having a world government (a real government as opposed to a gathering of nations). From what we see happening in the world around us today, would it not be better to have an international police force to clamp down on terrorist activity?
I once wrote a thesis that stated that in order to have a world government, we would need a world capital city. I then idealistically proposed to build a world capital city on some centrally located island, such as the Azores, where world leaders from each country would have an embassy and reside. Not only would these world leaders meet for governmental activities, but they would also meet socially and get to know each other — and become friends. Through the bonds of friendship, many of the cultural differences in the societies of the world could be addressed and resolved.
Note that world leaders who play tennis and/or golf together in the afternoon and perhaps bridge and/or poker after cocktails and dinner would probably get friendly with each other. Many of my present friends are people with whom I have played poker or bridge.
A good example of this occurred last year when I went to China on business and found myself playing in a small no-limit hold’em tournament in Beijing (see “Cappelletti in China,” Card Player, April 9, 2004). With three players left, I called a small raise from the big blind with pocket threes. The flop came 6-4-2. I knew that if I checked, the raiser would make a sizable bet and I would be calling with most of my remaining chips (since she might well have just two overcards).
Since I had the least amount of chips, I chose to push in my stack, giving me the extra chance that she would fold. However, she chose to call me with her A-K and, unfortunately for me, caught a king on the river. Thus, I finished in third place. As I rose to leave, the other finalist, a Chinese businessman from Hong Kong who spoke excellent English, politely advised me that I had been overly aggressive with only a pair of threes. I explained that the blind and the raise had taken more than one-fourth of my chips and that I was essentially forced to take what I considered a good gamble.
He was a tight, aggressive player and he won the tournament just a few hands later. He then mentioned that he had read several of my columns, and we had a drink together at the bar. He asked me several very perceptive questions about the importance of very high cards versus very low cards when playing heads-up Omaha high-low.
Essentially, he asked me if an Omaha high-low starting hand containing A-K-3 was better or worse than a hand containing A-Q-2 when heads up. Otherwise put, is the king versus queen advantage more or less significant than the deuce versus 3 advantage.
The answer is that both of these “slick-low” hands play about the same against a random hand. But, if the two were matched against each other, the hand with the king would have a small advantage over the hand with the deuce. For example, an A-K-6-3 would be a slight favorite over an A-Q-5-2 heads up, but against several opponents, the A-Q-5-2 hand would be significantly better.
At some point in the conversation, he mentioned that most Americans he previously had met were “arrogant and acted like they owned the world.” He had dealt mostly with American businessmen who were shrewd bargainers.
After playing poker and having a drink together, we were “friends,” and therefore I probably could have negotiated or resolved some international problem or crisis with him much better than the American businessmen with whom he usually dealt. The power of friendship between men of goodwill might well end up saving the world.
In this new century, automation will probably continue to reduce the size of the work force, whereas the world’s population will probably continue to grow (even if the rate of the growth is reduced). More humans will have more leisure time, so the importance of athletics, games, and international competitions will continue to increase.
Although poker’s recent phenomenal growth and popularity will eventually peak, the game nonetheless has attained a place on the world stage, where just the television ratings and revenue alone justify the creation of an international poker administration — and well-organized annual international championship events. It is only a matter of time until poker and perhaps bridge and chess become “intellectual” Olympic games.

FRESNO, Calif., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Tickets to the Dwight Yoakam concert at Table Mountain Casino are officially sold out. The Grammy Award winning country musician will perform in the Table Mountain Casino Entertainment Center on Sunday, December 5, 2004 at 6 p.m.
Host to some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, Table Mountain Casino's Entertainment Center houses 1,200 seats ensuring that every seat in the house is a great one. Guests will enjoy an intimate performance with Dwight Yoakam as he shares his take on regret and loneliness, remaining the truest soul old-style jukebox country music has ever had.
Located just 15 minutes outside of Fresno on Friant Road, Table Mountain Casino features bingo, over 35 table games including Blackjack, Fortune Pai Gow, No Limit Hold'em Poker, Spanish 21, 3-Card Poker, and Let it Ride, as well as over 1,650 slot machines. Two award-winning restaurants featuring international and regional choices are available to guests.
Casino patrons can visit the Table Mountain gift shop, The Trading Post, for a wide variety of authentic Native American collectible artwork, handmade crafts and more.
Table Mountain Casino is owned and operated by the Chukchansi-Mono Band of Indians.

While poker has grown by leaps and bounds in the last two years, in January it will really be taking off. And by “taking off,” I mean clothes as well as poker. That’s when the first of three National Lampoon’s Strip Poker productions is scheduled to be released on video, DVD, and pay-per-view.

These productions were shot at the fittingly named “Hedonism II,” a lush nude beach pleasure resort in Jamaica. And, as the world’s premier tournament reporter, it became my duty to cover (uncover?) these strip poker tournaments during their week of filming.

Antes and panties.
I know what you’re thinking: another of Max’s stupid fantasy stories. Fantasy-like, perhaps, but all true. Here’s how it came about.

It starts with two millionaires who traveled the country to major sports events, where they staged their own promotions to raise money for cancer research. Their final stop was the Super Bowl in Houston. Publicizing these events were Jack Glasure and Scott Pinsker of the Glasure Group, a national PR firm specializing in celebrity poker promotions. In Houston, the Glasure people staged a celebrity/sports poker tournament, enlisting such names as Howard Lederer, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Yanni, Eddie George, Jerome Bettis, Clyde Drexler, and Marcus Allen. It was hosted by Phil Gordon, and one of the players was Kato Kaelin. His O.J. days long behind him, Kaelin has been using his outgoing personality to build an entertainment career, largely as a television host, as well as working in comedy development for Lampoon. His latest project will be hosting a TV show called An Eye for an Eye, a courtroom comedy he describes as Judge Judy meets Truth or Consequences.

A dedicated poker player, Kaelin has also played in two other celebrity poker events (World Poker Tour and Harrah’s), and is a regular in a weekly game at the home of his friend Jimmy Van Patten, the brother of Vince.

While flying home, Glasure and Pinsker dreamed up the idea of a strip poker world championship. Kaelin then pitched execs at National Lampoon. They loved the idea. Getting the multimedia entertainment company to do these programs (in conjunction with Tri-Crown Productions) automatically gave it a comedy spin. The scope widened as the rock band Metal Skool and comedian Fred Stoller were signed on, and other personalities were lined up for post-production and publicity appearances.

Jamaica was chosen because the Glasure Group also represented Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum, which sponsored Phil Gordon and Rafe Furst’s “Ultimate Sports Adventure,” and the brand provided additional support on the island.

Some 16 magazine models were hired as strip poker competitors, Hedonism II comped more than 40 rooms in exchange for the attendant publicity, negotiations got under way with poker venues for possible sponsorship or tie-ins, and things were off and running.

The Lampoon then hired Barbara Enright as technical adviser (on poker, not stripping). Enright has three World Series bracelets and is the only woman to make the final table in the WSOP championship event. But, she is most famous for being my sweetie. She broke the news that I was invited to come along.

“A nude resort?” I asked, trying to sound reluctant. “Will I have to take my clothes off?”
“In your case, that won’t be any big thing,” she responded. Ignoring the crack, I asked what I needed to pack. “Just a blindfold and leash,” she informed me. Before leaving for Jamaica, we met with Mick Betancourt, the movie’s scriptwriter, and Suzy, a young woman who would be playing the dealer. Betancourt explained that each strip poker game would have six girls, each of whom would be wearing five items of clothing. OK — so far, so good. But then we learned the games were to be played with chips, and Barbara had to devise the rules. How the hell do you play with chips? Strip poker has always been simple: lose a pot and take off something. We scanned the Tournament Directors Association rulebook, but there was nothing about strip poker.

Finally, a novel concept was devised that will revolutionize the game. Playing no-limit hold’em with escalating blinds, each player would start with $1,500 in chips and could rebuy — not with money, but by giving up an article of clothing, even in the middle of a hand. Different articles would be worth differing amounts. A bra, for example, could be exchanged for a lot more chips than a pair of sandals. The winner of the cash prize in each of the three tournaments would be the girl who ended up with all the chips. Therefore, it would be possible to have several girls completely au naturel, but still in action, which is exactly what eventually happened. And any girl losing all of her chips would then have to remove any and all items she still had left. After losing all of her chips and clothes, each girl would then dive into a pool and swim to Kato’s “guest house” to be interviewed.

While I’m sure these productions will get a rise out of its male audience, I doubt that the concept will be adopted at major poker tournaments. Who, after all, would pay to see Chris Moneymaker or Eskimo Clark strip naked and dive into a pool?

As Betancourt fleshed out the script, he made Stoller a fish out of water enjoying guilty pleasures at Hedonism II, desperately trying to hide his true destination from his mother. In one sequence, he leaves her an answering machine message saying he’s in Cleveland for a gig, at the library doing research, only to have a crowd yell out, “Show us your boobs.” After several such mishaps, Stoller’s character is mortified to have his recently widowed mother show up as a guest at Hedonism II, where she introduces him to his “new father,” a muscular Jamaican she calls “Secretariat,” because parts of him are of equine caliber.

Anyway, with cast and crew and 12 cameras lined up for this poker/comedy/musical extravaganza, we’re ready to fly to Jamaica.

Here is a great new Poker related News Site with the most recent national and international Poker news.

The Poker Web

GL
Z

CHESTER - When Devan Downey says he is the best high school point guard in the country, he's not bluffing.
Or is he?
Downey, a Chester (S.C.) High standout who will sign scholarship papers with Cincinnati on Wednesday, says he has no peers on the basketball court or in the weekend poker games played at his house since he was a kid.
"We'll have two or three tables going at a time every weekend," Downey said. "We've never played for money. Just for bragging rights."
Downey spends lots of time bragging.
He's a two-time all-state basketball player in South Carolina.
He's a gym rat who lists just two hobbies. "If I'm not playing basketball, I'm either breaking down film of games, or I'm playing cards," Downey said.
His friends gather weekly at his house to watch the World Series of Poker on ESPN.
The sleight of hand exhibited in the games intrigues the 5-foot-9, 165-pound point guard.
His coach says it is instinct that guides his star player.
"He reads people so well," said Deandre Scott, now in his fourth season coaching the Cyclones. "Whether he's at a card game or on the basketball court, he has a great sense for the way things are flowing."

Yevgeny Kafelnikov is giving up tennis to become a professional poker player.
"I have retired," the former No. 1 player said in yesterday's Independent newspaper. "But I have not officially announced it yet. Some people still think I am just taking a break, but I believe that my time in tennis has gone by. Even if I came back, I would have no chance to play at the level I was." The 30-year-old Russian hasn't played since losing in the second round of the St. Petersburg Open in October 2003. Kafelnikov won the 1996 French Open, the 1999 Australian Open, a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics, the 2002 Davis Cup and 26 ATP titles. He held the top ranking during 1999.
Kafelnikov is competing in a poker tournament in Maidstone, south of London.
"I find it very exciting," he said. "Because you win not with the cards but with your skills. You need guts in poker, as in tennis."

(Georgetown-AP) Nov. 16, 2004 - Two former video gambling partners are leading the fight to bring casino boats to Georgetown County.
Wallace Cheves, a former Greenville real estate salesman, and Fred Collins, his former employer, are separately fighting laws passed to keep casino boats out.
Cheves has sued over a Georgetown County ordinance regulating the boats and keeping them 1000-feet away from churches, schools and day-care centers. He wants to dock the Palmetto Princess at Captain Dick's Marina in Murrells Inlet.
Cheves planned to begin operating the 300-passenger boat from Murrells Inlet later this month, but he won't be allowed to dock there under the regulation as the berth would be next to Belin Mehodist Church.
Cheves wanted to run midnight cruises in Murrells Inlet, but the ordinance prohibits him from operating from 1:00am to 7:00am. Cheves says the new rules are unfair.
Collins wants to dock his boat about 20 miles south in Georgetown but faces a city ordinance banning casino boats and a law that prohibits him from docking at State Ports Authority facilities.
Cheves says it is ironic that his former employee Collins is now his competitor.

With the incredible interest in all things poker-related on television, it’s no surprise that big-time tournament players are getting recognition similar to what’s accorded professional athletes. Even Hollywood stars like James Woods, Mimi Rogers, and Ben Affleck can be found playing poker tournaments when they’re between movies. Finding a game is easy. It’s no further away than your neighborhood casino or the Internet, so it’s no wonder that many new players are shouting out to anyone willing to listen that they plan to become professional poker players after the few short months they figure it will take them to master the game. Few of them, however, have really taken stock of what the life of a professional poker player is like, and fewer still have done the math necessary to assess just how their chance of success pans out based on nothing more than the numbers alone.
Try as one may, the top of the food chain is extremely competitive, and not just anyone can elbow his or her way in there. It takes more than most players realize.
It’s easy to get excited about the upside to playing poker for a living. Work for yourself. Set your own hours. Play when and where you want, and the earning potential is incredible if you can work your way up to the top echelon of the game.
I don’t think a single reader needs prodding about the upside of this business. It’s the downside that so many refuse to examine logically. So, let’s take off our rose-colored glasses and in this two-part series we’ll look at some of professional poker’s downsides and examine the differences between playing tournament poker versus specializing in cash games as a way to make a living.
One major deterrent to playing poker for a living is that professional poker is one of the few jobs where you can go to work and lose money. Even commissioned salespeople, who earn money only if they make a sale, don’t really suffer financial losses if they fail to close a deal. While commissions aren’t earned without making a sale, at least no one reaches into the salesperson’s pocket and takes money away if he or she is not successful. But that’s just what happens in poker. You can go to work and lose money. It happens all the time.
Professional poker players are also responsible for their own health insurance, as well as for squirreling money away for the future. Playing poker is not like holding down a job in corporate America. There’s no health insurance, no deferred compensation, and no stock options available. If you don’t create your own benefits, you won’t have any. Many players ignore these safety-net factors. When first starting out, especially when relatively young, the thought of saving for one’s retirement is often too remote for consideration, and health insurance seems a redundancy when one is fit and healthy. Still, no one is more than a single misstep away from catastrophe, and saving for the future is something everyone ought to do. If you’re wise enough to pay yourself first by living a bit below your means and saving a dime out of every dollar earned, and began doing this at age 20, you’ll be financially secure by middle age. The secret is investing and reaping the benefits of compound interest, the eighth wonder of the world.
Life as a tournament poker player can be difficult even under the best of circumstances. Let’s do the math and see why. Using the 2004 World Series of Poker as a guide, an event with 400-500 players paid 45 participants, which works out to somewhere between 9 percent and 11 percent of the field. While that might sound good to you, it’s important to realize that all tournaments are front-loaded. In a WSOP event with 450 players, more than 50 percent of the prize pool is paid to the first three places, and a staggering 81 percent of the prize pool goes to those making the final table. Finishing anywhere from 11th to 45th earns you bubkes, which is Yiddish for not very much, but it sounds better.
Once you figure that you really have to make the top three for a decent payday, it’s important to figure out the cost of entering tournaments. Once you begin adding up the cost of buy-ins, you’ll quickly find that you’ll need to earn at least $200,000 annually, and possibly more, to pay your way into most of the big tournaments. On top of that, you have all the expenses of traveling and living on the road. With fields so large, it’s entirely possible for even the very best players to go a year or two without cashing in any meaningful way. When you consider this, it’s no wonder that many well-known poker players seem to take turns being broke, living a constant cycle of borrowing when things aren’t going well and then staking others when they’re flush with cash.
If you’re not one of the very best, but only a marginally successful tournament player, you might find yourself clinging to one of the bottom rungs of the ladder. Many marginal tournament professionals eventually slip off the ladder entirely and find themselves forced to earn a living outside of poker. Other professionals have outside sources of income. Regardless of whether it’s a trust fund or the result of a stunning business success, many poker players have a steady income stream to smooth out the incredible fluctuations endemic to playing poker for a living. That’s not to be sniffed at, either. It’s a lot easier to take a big loss or suffer a protracted losing streak when you know that a check is coming in at month’s end.
Because of this, it’s difficult to assess whether a player is successful at poker or not. With outside sources of money to buoy them up, players can go for a long time without anyone else — and sometimes not even the players themselves — realizing they’re losing at poker but surviving through other sources of income.
Top-notch players realize the implications of this, and the majority of the best pros invest some of their winnings in order to diversify their income stream. I probably qualify as a poster child for this kind of behavior. I’ve never earned more than 40 percent of my income from poker, and created diversity by investing winnings, earning money by writing, and for too long a time, had a (gulp) real job. Thankfully, the job is long gone, but the other sources of income are still there, and because of the current poker feeding frenzy, my books sell so well that the percentage of money earned by playing poker has dropped way down by comparison.
To all of you who aspire to play tournament poker for a living, my advice is to have a backup source of earning a living — a “Plan B” — firmly in hand. Just in case all goes south, you won’t find yourself destitute and on the rail, looking to put the touch on friends who probably will begin avoiding you like the plague anyway.
Next time, we’ll look at some of the issues related to playing cash-game poker for a livelihood.
Raise your game with Lou Krieger. His newest book, Winning Omaha/8 Poker, is available at www.Cardplayer.com.

The 'Professor of Poker' Gives You the Tools of the Trade and the Secrets of the Game Just in Time for Christmas

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Professional poker player Howard Lederer's new Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament set goes on sale just in time for Christmas. Known as the "Professor of Poker," and a member of Team Full Tilt, Howard Lederer gives you the tools of the trade in this deluxe, professional poker set.
The winner of ten major poker titles including the World Series of Poker and The World Poker Tour championships, Howard Lederer is one of the best known and most successful poker players today.

Retailing elsewhere for $149.00, Howard's Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament Set can be purchased for $94.99 online at www.costco.com from November 13, 2004 to November 30, 2004. Howard's Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament Set includes:
300 11.5 Gram Poker Chips -- 100 White Chips, 100 Red Chips, 75 Green Chips and 25 Black Chips 2 Decks of Playing Cards -- Actually used at a Las Vegas Casino Howard's Tournament Timer -- Stage your own home tournament Professional Weight Aluminum Chip Case -- Take your tournament wherever you go Dealer Button -- Hold a tournament with the same tools as you see on televised poker tournaments

SECRETS OF NO-LIMIT HOLD'EM and MORE SECRETS OF NO-LIMIT HOLD'EM DVDS -- Learn Howard's Secrets of how to play the poker game that has captured the attention of millions of television viewers

Howard's Pre-Flop Strategy Chart -- The ultimate guide to how to play your hand before the flop

Team Full Tilt is comprised of ten of the finest players in the world who helped design Fulltiltpoker.com, the newest and most advance site in online gaming. Users have an opportunity to log on and see how they stack up against these famed superstars who, as a group, have 23 World Series of Poker bracelets, including the World Championship event and five World Poker Tour titles. These champions include: Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, Phil Gordon (Co-host, Celebrity Poker Showdown,) Clonie Gowen, Jennifer Harman, and John Juanda.

About Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker(TM) software was developed by TiltWare LLC, a software development company based in Los Angeles, California. With innovative graphics, superior customer service and a safe, secure interface, the software is geared to enhance and personalize the online poker experience. Users of all skill levels can download the software at www.fulltiltpoker.com and can play for fun or for real money where online games of skill are permitted by law.

Fans are turning out in record numbers to watch "The World Series of Poker" on ESPN along with Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown" and the "World Poker Tour" on the Travel Channel making poker (#8) one of this week's biggest gainers on The Lycos 50. This year's $6,765,000 prize pool ranks fourth in the history of $10K No Limit Texas Hold'Em tournament poker, as The World Poker Tour continues to average a "poker millionaire a month" in its 16- tournament season. The most popular poker search queries include: poker chips, Texas hold'em, poker strategy, celebrity poker players, poker books, video poker, and play free poker online.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia says he has given up tennis to become a professional poker player. "I have retired," Kafelnikov, a former No. 1 player, said in Monday's Independent newspaper. "But I have not officially announced it yet. Some people still think I am just taking a break, but I believe that my time in tennis has gone by." Kafelnikov hasn't played since losing in the second round of the St. Petersburg Open in October 2003. "I began at 19, and now it is mpossible to compete with guys 10 years younger," Kafelnikov, 30, said. Kafelnikov, known for his love of roulette while on the tennis circuit, is competing in a poker tournament in Maidstone, south of London. "I find it very exciting," he said. "Because you win not with the cards but with your skills. With body language you can win a game, but also you can lose a game. You need guts in poker, as in tennis."

(CP) - He had a real job. Once. That's when Daniel Negreanu decided he'd rather play poker for a living. "I worked as a telemarketer for precisely one afternoon," the Toronto native chuckled over the phone from his Las Vegas home. "That's when I realized this whole job thing, that's just not for me."
Negreanu, 30, is considered one of the best young poker players in the world. At 23 he became the youngest world championship event winner in history. So far this year he estimates he's won around $3 million US.
Ask what makes a good poker player and Negreanu sounds like a psychology major, not someone who started playing as a 17-year-old at charity casinos in Toronto.
"My biggest strength is the ability to read people," he said. "If I sat down with you for 15 to 20 minutes I would have a pretty good idea of your personality type, your makeup, what you're capable of. When you have a good feel for people, a good understanding of human behaviour, that will translate into an ability to get into people's heads at the poker table.
"If I'm in your head and I know what you're thinking, then the cards don't even matter. I just know what you're going to do and I know how you think."
Poker has dealt television a new winning hand. The World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker attract huge audiences in the U.S. and Canada.
Poker players have gone from shadowy figures in smoke-filled backrooms to instant celebrities.
There's Phil Laak, noted for his Unabomber look of wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up and Jennifer Harman, a five-foot-two blonde some people call the best poker player on the planet and a person Negreanu considers one of his best friends.
"Today the poker player is the modern day rock star," boasted Negreanu. "There are guys that work nine to five in a cubical and go home to an empty apartment. I'm certain their dream would be 'wouldn't it be cool to have that lifestyle."'
Poker's cruel reality is its biggest attraction, Negreanu said
"It's the purest form of reality TV," said the strict vegetarian. "Nothing is staged, nothing is scripted. Everyone is putting up their own hard-earned money to play. Also, it's a sport that is every man's sport. You can be fat and out of shape and you're not going to be an NHL star. But you have a shot in poker."
Negreanu rarely plays tournaments in Canada, saying the pots are too small. He still manages to show his Canadian roots at the table, often choosing from one of the 25 NHL jerseys he owns. The collection stems from a fantasy hockey pool he's been involved with since 1996.
"I used to just buy a jersey of a guy I have on my team," he explained.
Negreanu has been photographed wearing Detroit, Toronto and Pittsburgh sweaters, but doesn't own a Vancouver Canuck jersey.
"I just never had a good Canuck yet," he laughed.
more...