The Risk of Underground Poker...

If you’ve been paying attention to poker news over the last couple of years then you have probably noticed that more and more people have been getting busted for their home poker games.  And no I’m not talking about the rinky dink games where buddies get together and throw a couple of dollars in the pool to play.  Rather I’m talking about bigger games where several hundred to several thousand dollars are exchanged back and forth on a regular basis.

It is these types of games where the participants take a real risk in playing since courts don’t exactly look favorably on poker - especially if rake is taken by the home owner.  In fact, in states like Oklahoma, a person can go to prison for a couple of years if they are caught operating a rake-based poker game from their home.  Even the players themselves can wind up in jail for a few months if they’re just caught playing in the games.

So obviously, choosing to have a big home game is definitely a risk in many states.  Still, some people love the feel of big home poker games so much that they choose to take this risk - sometimes to the detriment of themselves.  Some recent busts have been made in Colorado and South Carolina where people will be facing jail time as well as some hefty fines.

On the other hand, some judges side with the game of poker such as the Pennsylvania judge who ruled that the men busted in a Colombia County poker game were innocent because poker is a game of skill.  Even so, there are still plenty of problems facing those who choose to participate in these underground poker games.  And, unlike the UIGEA, I don’t see a whole lot of people fighting to lift these sanctions any time soon.

Can Poker really be Taught?...

There are hundreds of poker coaches and training sites that would have you believe the game is definitely teachable.  And why wouldn’t the game be teachable since it all seems to be a matter of learning percentages, odds, starting hand requirements, reading opponents, and using similar skills.  But the more and more I think about it, there are just some things that a coach or training site can’t teach.

Sure it’s easy to teach players not to play hands like K-9 in early position or what you should do based on the implied odds you’re given, but we all know that there’s plenty more to online poker than just this.  For one thing, you have to be very disciplined to be a good poker player.  And many poker coaches do their best to teach this in preaching to players not to make foolish raises or play out of position.  But in the end, there are some people who just can’t remain disciplined whether it is with their bankroll, their raises, or any of the other hundred factors that go into making a great poker player.

There are also people who don’t want to learn the game of poker because they are so stuck in their own ways.  No matter what an experienced coach or training site tells them, they shrug off this advice in favor of their gut feeling or misguided intuitions.  So in the end, there are just some people who are incapable of learning the game due to their own personality flaws.  And it doesn’t matter whether that flaw is being bull-headed or a lack of discipline because it’s all going to prevent you from reaching your full potential as a player.

MMA Stars and Poker team up for American...

It’s now been almost 8 years since we sent lots of troops to the Middle East in order to do god knows what by now (at first it was obviously to find the culprits for 9/11).  Unfortunately, while many of us are still puzzled as to why troops are still in the Middle East, it doesn’t look like they will be coming home any time soon.  However, there are still plenty of people who want to provide support for the troops including mixed martial arts star Randy Couture.

And the way in which Couture is looking to provide support for the troops is through a poker tournament called Operation All In.  Couture, who has already been involved with the poker world before and is sponsored by Full Tilt Poker, will be holding Operation All In for the second time.  The tournament will be held on August 22nd at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas and the proceeds will go to the Xtreme Couture G.I. foundation.

The buy-in for the tournament is $330 and $100 re-buys are offered as well.  All of the money that is made in Operation All In will go to helping out soldiers who have been wounded in action as well as their families. 

Some of the notable fighters who will be in attendance at Operation All In include Dan Henderson, Stephan Bonnar, Phil Baroni, and Frank Trigg.  Noted professional poker players that will be attending include David Williams, Chip Jett, Lee Watkinson, Todd Brunson, and Adam Schoenfeld.  I think this sounds like it will be an incredible event and it is a great way for Couture, who is also a veteran himself, to keep a real good tradition going.

What ESPN has done for Poker...

When people speak of the rise of poker over the last few years, they often point to the impact that the Chris Moneymaker effect had in 2003 where a small-time accountant with little previous poker playing experience won his way into $2.5 million.  But I definitely don’t think that you can attribute all of this solely to the Chris Moneymaker effect.

Because, without ESPN there to catch all of the action at the WSOP Main Event in ‘03, we wouldn’t have the footage of Moneymaker’s intense (and  stupid) staredowns along with the proof that any no-talent player can have at least one glory day in poker. 

Now as we get set for the biggest poker event in the world once again, the ESPN cameras will be rolling and looking to catch all of the special moments from the Main Event.  And this time, ESPN will be increasing its coverage from 20 hours to 32 hours because of the demand by fans.

The fact that people are demanding to see more of the WSOP Main Event just goes to show how popular poker really is today.  And it’s only going to grow more popular due to the increased TV coverage that the Main Event will be receiving. 

Of course, ESPN also helps poker’s cause by showing a few non-Main Event tournaments too which shows that there are other options for people to strike it rich with poker.  When people can see others winning hundreds of thousands of dollars (or even millions) on television in just a single poker tournament it really helps draw more people to the game.

Ever been beat by a Grandma?...

In the poker world, players come in all shapes, ages, and sizes.  From old legends like Doyle Brunson to the slick, classy players like Phil Ivey, poker is filled with all types of people.  However, one thing that you rarely see anywhere is an old grandma tearing up the poker scene. 

That’s why the story of Judyth Tinch of Summit County, Colorado caught my attention.  Though she doesn’t admit her age to anyone, it’s clear that she is no spring chicken due to the fact that she’s been retired for two years and is indeed a grandmother.  Seeing as how poker is already a male-dominated game with a few young women sprinkling the scene here and there, you can only imagine what players think when they see Tinch.

But anybody who underestimates Tinch will no doubt pay for it later since she is a very experienced player who claims to have been in “hundreds of thousands” of hands over the past few years.  Plus Tinch has been playing since she was in her 20’s so a lifetime of experience is under her belt too.

Players in the Denver area say that Tinch is one of the best around, and she has several wins to her credit as well.  She has yet to enter the WSOP though, but I’m sure it would make a great story if she does build the bankroll to hang with the big boys out in Las Vegas.  In fact, she’s currently playing in a tournament right now that will award the winner with a free seat in this year’s Main Event.

Even if she doesn’t ever go mainstream, Judyth Tinch can still make a good living hustling all those in the Denver area who doubt her skills based on appearance.