Choosing the Ideal Starting Poker Hands Guide

A simple online search on the keyword 'starting poker hands guide' reveals that there are a number of such basic poker guides; which is just as well, as there are so many different forms of poker. Moreover, poker is a highly dynamic game, a game in which new developments are coming up by almost every passing half a decade (although the fundamentals, of course, never seem to change); so that basic poker guides that might have looked great in the early 90s might not really provide the information a person getting introduced to poker in today's age of online poker would be looking for.

The journey towards choosing the ideal starting poker hands guide has to begin with the (potential) player working out what type of poker they are really keen on playing - as there are different types of poker, from the popular Texas Holdem rules poker to the lesser known forms of the game like 'carbon poker.' As it turns out then, the ideal starting poker hands guide for someone who is keen on Texas Holdem rules poker might not be the ideal starting poker hands guide for someone who is keen on say, carbon poker.

Indeed, the more specific a potential poker player can be about the type of poker they are considering playing, the better their chances of getting the ideal guide for their purposes. Someone who is really keen on Texas Holdem rules poker, for instance, will tend to discover that there is still a variety of Texas Holdem rules varieties they can specialize in, an example of which is for instance the preflop strategy; which is considered by many authorities to be the best way to get introduced to Texas Holdem poker.

Should one start out looking for a starting poker hands guide, then narrow down their search to a particular variety of poker (say poker starting hands guide for Texas Holdem), and then further narrow down their search to a particular strategy in Texas Holdem - say to a guide on the preflop poker strategy, then they have chances of getting a highly specialized poker starting hands guide that can provide them with highly specialized information, which if well practiced, can turn them into poker specialists on that particular type of poker they happen to have so gotten inducted into.

The fact that there exists highly specialized poker guides (like the preflop poker strategy guide mentioned earlier, which deals with one particular strategy in one particular form of poker) means that the starting poker hands guides are not a preserve of novices looking to learn and try their very first hands in poker, but also experienced poker players seeking to enhance their knowledge of poker - since poker is a very extensive and 'quite brainy' game; of which no one can honestly say they know everything about.

So the next time you see someone searching online for, or reading through a poker starting hands guide, don't assume that they are absolute novices at the game, as they could be world champions on the game - just seeking to learn one more form of poker.

Article Source: Ezine Articles

A Look at the Nevada Gaming Commission's Online Poker Regulations

The Nevada Gaming Commission's approval of online poker regulations Dec. 22 sets the stage for legal, licensed and regulated Internet poker to debut in the United States in the next year. However, the scope of the performance is still very much in question.

Whether the regulations are used under a national network, intrastate within only Nevada, or interstate between states under a Nevada umbrella, will depend on the progress of a federal bill and state efforts in 2012.

Whatever the future of online poker is, Nevada wants to be at the center just as it is in the world of bricks-and-mortar gambling. These regulations, which were asked for by legislation passed earlier this year in the state legislature, give Nevada a head start at establishing the framework for regulating online poker no matter what form it takes.

The Nevada Gaming Commission already has begun accepting applications for companies to operate Internet poker sites, including from Caesars Entertainment and Boyd Gaming. The companies that receive licenses will be free to begin offering play to people living in Nevada.

For companies that already own regular Nevada gaming licenses, the approval process is expected to be less than 90 days. It may take a little longer to form the internal controls necessary to implement the regulations. The first sites could begin serving people inside Nevada during the second half of 2012.

If a federal bill does pass, it is expected that states and Indian territories will be the regulators. That is the plan currently laid out in Rep. Joe Barton's bill. Once a federal law is in place, Nevada will be ready to go and have companies pre-approved. Some states, like New Jersey and California, may want to handle their own regulation. Others may want to let Nevada oversee online poker in their state.

"Nevada is essentially moving ahead without a federal law," said John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance. "Should it become federal law, I think Nevada will be in the position to be one of the first states certified to issue licenses. I think a lot of states would rather not take the regulatory burden upon themselves and would say what's good enough for Nevada is good enough for us."

Liquidity is an issue with intrastate poker in Nevada, which has a population of about three million with additional people always in the state as tourists. However, with the popularity of live poker in places like Las Vegas, it might be the case that a higher percentage of people in Nevada are interested in playing poker than in other states.

If a federal law does not come along in the next couple of years, other states could end up officially legalizing online poker and joining Nevada to combine player pools across states. This option was made possible by the Justice Department's recent announcement that the Wire Act, which prevents wagers across state lines, applies only to sports betting.

The approved regulations are important because many of them could end up being the rules used by the largest regulatory agency after federal legislation.

Some noteworthy aspects of the regulations:

• Player fund transfers are not allowed
• Affiliates are allowed.
• Operators must ensure that players have only one account.
• Operators may pay a fixed sum to celebrity players for marketing purposes as long as the operator does not profit beyond the rake.
• Promotional credits or bonus credits offered by the operator are allowed.
• An operator must maintain a reserve of cash, cash equivalents, an irrevocable letter of credit, bond, or combination thereof, equal to the sum of all players' funds.
• Any compensation received by an operator for conducting any game in which the operator is not party to a wager shall be no more than 10 percent of all funds wagered in each hand.

The regulations aren't final. The Nevada Gaming Commission may decide to add or amend the rules at any time. Pappas said the PPA had not yet looked deeply enough into the regulations to determine if the organization had any concerns from a player standpoint.

Nevada having regulations in place to govern online poker could help with congressmen who remain on the fence regarding the issue.

"I think it shows Congress that the most prominent gaming state in the country is ready to regulate this activity and believes it can be regulated," Pappas said. "I think that gives lawmakers some comfort that this can be appropriately regulated by an accredited regulating body."

News Source: Poker News

Ben Lamb Makes His Mark

Making millions at the World Series of Poker.

It's the thing that every young, aspiring poker player daydreams about. Every year, a handful of players manage to find the right combination of skill, luck, and timing to make that American Poker Dream a reality. For 2011, the dreams of Ben Lamb came true in a big way, and his remarkable summer secured him a spot on our Top 10 of 2011 list.

Lamb — better known as "Benba" in his social circle — is a 26-year-old poker pro who was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While he was grinding his way up into seven figures of profit playing online, Lamb came of age in 2006 and took up the live game professionally.Just a couple of months into his career, he tasted sweet tournament success when he won the $1,000 Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge in his hometown. Ten days later, he was on a flight to Las Vegas to take a stab at the WSOP. And the rest, as the say, is history.

Beginner's luck? Not so fast!

Lamb parlayed that early win into a 12th-place run in the 2006 WSOP $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event, and he ran all the way to 156th place in the 2007 Main Event. Two years later, he almost pulled off a miracle when he ran all the way to the final two tables of the Main Event before being bounced out in 14th place by Jeff Shulman. Even a $600,000 check didn't mitigate the disappointment, but Lamb was building up some serious momentum, and there would be plenty more big paychecks to come.

That Main Event performance introduced Lamb to the televised poker audience, and he'd become a household name before long. He racked up three more WSOP cashes in 2010, making it to the final table in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event. He had to settle for a fifth-place showing there, but it did give him a chance to play at a WSOP final table, a place he'd spend a considerable bit of time the following year.

Now relocated to Las Vegas more permanently, Lamb had a big crowd of friends and poker pros on the rail for him as he took his seat in the $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event at the 2011 WSOP. Three days later, he was back at another final table, and this time he made it all the way to heads-up play before ultimately falling to Sam Stein. After being so close to WSOP history, Lamb was hungry for another chance, and he didn't have to wait long — about a week, in fact.

The $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship is the place you'll find the best PLO players in the world, and Ben Lamb was still one of the lesser-known among the 361 entrants. That all changed by the end of the week as he once again tore his way to the final table. Lamb ended up squaring off with Sami "LarsLuzak" Kelopuro for all the marbles, and this time, Benba got his gold. The $814,436 that came with it was nice, but it was likely secondary by that point. Lamb was finally a WSOP champion, and he was suddenly in hot contention for Player of the Year honors, too.

Lamb's heater wasn't over yet, and he continued to display his all-around poker acumen by picking up a 12th-place cash in the $10,000 Six-Max, followed by another final table — eighth place in the $50,000 Poker Players' Championship. That big final table led right into the Main Event, and Lamb was still riding the rush.

Despite his monstrous series to that point, Lamb still trailed Phil Hellmuth in the WSOP Player of the Year race. After one day of Main Event play, though, it became clear that he had every intention of swapping places. Lamb crushed the Day 1b flight to bag up the biggest stack in the room, and he held that top spot through Day 2. The pack caught up to him a bit during Day 3, but he was right back among the leaders when things started to get serious on Day 4.

There was no stopping him. After five days, he was in fifth place.

After six?

Second.

On Day 7, the field was trimmed all the way to 22 players, and Lamb was still perched in the top five and looking to put a big exclamation point on his summer. A seat with the November Nine had narrowly eluded him in 2009, but this time, Lamb came ready to play. After a long session on Day 8, the final table was set, and Lamb had four months off to prepare for the biggest final table of his life.

When the finalists recommenced, Lamb was able to stave off the first five eliminations to return for the final three-handed battle. In the end, though, his run at poker immortality came up just that short, and he'd have to settle for the $4 million third-place consolation prize.

Despite his inability to snatch the title, Lamb's 2011 WSOP will go down in the books as one of the most impressive performances the Rio has seen. And he's earned a place in its halls, claiming the 2011 WSOP Player of the Year honors to put his portrait in the rafters.

Lamb's 2011 WSOP

Event	Place	Prize
Event #31 $3,000 PLO	2nd	$259,918
Event #42 $10,000 PLO Championship	1st	$814,436
Event #46 $10,000 NLHE Six-Handed Championship	12th	$56,140
Event #55 $50,000 Poker Players' Championship	8th	$201,338
Event #58 $10,000 NLHE Championship	3rd	$4,021,138

That's five cashes, four final tables, and $5,352,970 in the bank. It's a remarkable line for a five-month period. In total, Lamb has racked up more than $6.5 million in career tournament cashes, one gold bracelet, and a spot among poker's elite. Not to mention the number six spot on our top 10 list for 2011.

Reason Why And Why Not To Play Poker

Why play poker? It seems like a simple question, but the answer is both complex and personal. There are many different reasons to play or not to play poker. Often, the reasons a person has for playing poker will shed light on what type of player that person is and what limits and games he should play.

Reasons to Play Poker

Social rewards. This is a major reason behind the traditional home game. Many friends like to hang out and play cards, and many people become friends over the card table. If this is one of the major reasons you wish to play, stick with low stakes, where the games are more fun and friendly.

Entertainment. Poker is a competitive game. To win, one needs the skills and the bit of luck the game necessitates. Many find this enjoyable and compare poker to playing a sport. Make sure you don't get swept up in the 'entertainment' nature of poker, because it is possible to lose a lot of money at the game.

Education. The skills necessary to become a good poker player apply well to other aspects of life. Poker will help you to improve your judgment skills (reading people) and sharpen your logical and strategic skills (how to play your hand).


To make money. Most people play poker for fun, but some make considerable money at it. Of course, these people are few and far between. Not everyone can make a lot of money from poker. Nevertheless, the desire to win more is definitely a reason to improve your poker skills.

Poker is one of the few forms of wagering where you can actually win. Casino-style betting is rigged against you (it is impossible to win in the long run at craps, roulette, etc., no matter what anyone says. The only exception is blackjack if you count cards, which is extremely difficult). Sports betting is also nearly impossible to beat without insider information. Thus, poker is one of the few forms of gambling where one can actually win money in the long run simply by being good at the game.

Reasons NOT to Play Poker

You have a gambling problem. When anyone plays poker, he or she risks losing money. One should never play poker with money that he or she cannot afford to lose. Poker winnings should not be viewed as a method to 'strike it rich,' and losses should not be viewed as money that needs to be 'won back.' If you are prone to a gambling problem, do not play poker.

Forming the Epic Poker League

In 2009, the exit of the Commissioner of the World Series of Poker put Jeffrey Pollack on our list as the fifth biggest headline maker of the year. Soon thereafter, he took on the role of executive chairman for Professional Bull Riders (PBR), but it seemed a relative certainty that we'd seem him return to the felt in good time.

Two years after his departure from the game, Pollack finds himself back on our list and surrounded by a cast that contains a few familiar characters from the poker's elite. During the course of 2010, Pollack was busy co-founding Federated Sports + Gaming with a big focus on poker. According to its website, FS+G strives "to develop, establish and grow proprietary world-class sports and gaming brands through the thoughtful integration of traditional and digital media."

To be honest, that mission statement didn't exactly set us astir, but reading on raised our eyebrows a bit. "Our first initiative launches in the first half 2011," FS+G announced, "with the premiere of a revolutionary professional poker league and online gaming experience that breaks new ground and provides a superior live tournament and television experience." The "online gaming experience" has since been partially derailed by Black Friday, but the other half of the initiative was still a go.

In January 2011, FS+G announced that it had partnered with Palms Casino Resort to form its new poker league and give it a permanent home. Then in February, FS+G made its plans for live poker official by releasing a schedule of events for the first season of the still-nameless series.

Annie Duke was added as the commissioner and Matt Savage as tournament director, and a couple of months later, the tour was slapped with the moniker Epic Poker League. Major television deals with CBS and the Velocity Network brought the vision to the masses.

Season 1 is comprised of four events held monthly at the Palms, and a Championship Event will close things out in the spring of 2012. As far as format goes, the decision makers exercised both restraint and innovation by scheduling a tidy, three-event set that includes a Pro/Am Event, a Charity Event, and the League Main Event during a two-week stretch.

The Pro/Am carries a modest $1,500 buy-in, and the final nine players all earn entries into the $20,000 Main Event. Those main events are to be dealt in four disciplines of no-limit hold'em: six-max, eight-max, mix-max, and shot clock. EPL also added $400,000 to the prize pools for each of those Main Events, but they weren't done giving money away just yet. The top 27 money earners from the first four events will be entered into the $1 million freeroll League Championship Event.

The new Epic Poker League is not for everyone, though. In fact, only a small group of players were invited to the first season by being awarded one of three levels of membership cards. Admittance to the club is based on a combination of a player's lifetime earnings, major poker titles, and recent success on the felt. Rankings for the players were based on a proprietary system dubbed the Global Poker Index (GPI), and 218 players were given cards in the initial round of recruiting. Those on the bubble scurried to rack up the requisite results to qualify over the summer, and the list has since grown to 252 active cards — though two of them have been suspended indefinitely.

Wait, what?

There's plenty to talk about with the EPL, and its Standards and Conducts Committee generated good discourse within the poker community. To ensure the integrity of the league, the EPL formed a ten-member committee and charged it with "ensuring fair play, good character, and integrity in every aspect of the league's operations."

What's more, they were entrusted with disciplinary powers including the authority to revoke a player's tournament card in extreme cases. The EPL can't escape the notion that poker and ethics are an inherently bad mix, but having well-respected players like Joe Hachem, Chad Brown, and Mike McDonald on the staff does add instant credibility.

The committee's first official action came in August when Chino Rheem was placed on probation for personal matters regarding the repayment of debts. A month later, the league took the second most severe action it could have taken when it indefinitely suspended the cards of Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson. In the meantime, a third disciplinary issue raised the eyebrows of many both inside and outside of the game.

Michael DiVita

Michael DiVita, a middle-aged amateur from California, finished in eighth place at the second Pro/Am event, earning a $20,000 seat in the Main Event. During the information gathering, though, it was learned that DiVita was a convicted sex offender, and the committee was called upon once again. Although they never took a formal action, DiVita forfeited his entry ticket and took to the poker forums and media to share his side of the story. The reactions to the way the EPL handled the situation were divided, but if any publicity is good publicity, then the league got its fair share thanks to Michael DiVita.

The inaugural EPL Main Event kicked off on Aug. 19, and the opener did not disappoint. Four days later, Chino Rheem escaped a brutally talented final table to claim the first championship ring and the $1 million top prize. A month later, the second Main Event title went to Mike McDonald, and Chris Klodnicki won the third Champion's Ring earlier in December. There's still one more Main Event plus the Championship Event freeroll to get to before the books are closed on Season 1.

Criticism has been widespread, but it's still too early to tell whether the Epic Poker League has been (or will be a) a success. It's noteworthy, though, that the vast majority of the complaints have come from those on the outside, and their opinions should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt.

From those on the inside, the remarks are almost universally favorable. And what's not to love? EPL hand picks the best dealers in the business, provides food vouchers for the players and media, and adds money to the prize pool, while taking no rake. The EPL's tag line, "For the players," seems to be guiding it in the right direction.

McLean Karr referred to the league as "a nice reward for having success in other live events," and Matt Glantz called the team "top-rate from top to bottom." Glantz went on to highlight some of the refreshing and unique elements and EPL event presents. "There is rarely any unnecessary tanking and not much sunglass-wearing. Most refreshing, though, is the strong aura of mutual respect between all of the players."

Long before he was slipping the Champion's Ring on his finger, Klodnicki was another of the supporters. "The overall vibe from the players the players was great," he said in August. "It was definitely a tougher field than most of the tournaments I play in, but the added money and no rake helps compensate for that."

Even the curmudgeonly Allen Bari brought himself to compliment the league. "There is just a more peaceful feeling at the table because there is a mutual respect for everyone," he told us.

Whether or not it's here to stay remains to be seen, but the Epic Poker League certainly made a splash in 2011.

Source: Poker News Website

Global Poker Index: Mercier Mashes His Way Back to the Top

Each week, the Global Poker Index releases a list of the top 300 tournament poker players in the world using a formula that takes a player's results over six half-year periods. Jason Mercier reclaimed the top spot this week, back at the top for the first time since mid-October. For a look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website.

The Top 10 as of December 19, 2011

Rank	Player	Total Score	Change in Rank from Last Week
1	Jason Mercier	2,554.65	+2
2	Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier	2,477.48	-1
3	Erik Seidel	2,470.40	-1
4	Eugene Katchalov	2,436.92	0
5	Sam Trickett	2,320.02	0
6	Shawn Buchanan	2,310.72	+1
7	Sam Stein	2,268.33	-1
8	Sorel Mizzi	2,207.49	+1
9	Chris Moorman	2,207.28	-1
10	Matt Marafioti	2,069.71	0

For the third time in four weeks, the top spot on the GPI is occupied by a new, yet familiar, name. Jason Mercier is leading the way once again following his win in the High Roller Event at the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic. No end in sight.

Welcome to the GPI

Thirteen new names are on this week's GPI, and they are led by Nicolas Levi. With EPT Prague's results from earlier this month coming into play this week, Levi's third-place finish brought him back into the GPI at the No. 113 spot.

New Additions

Player	Total GPI Score	GPI Rank
Nicolas Levi	1,400.72	113th
Nicolas Chouity	1,177.76	210th
Mads Wissing	1,167.54	218th
Joe Serock	1,160.42	221st
Amnon Filippi	1,149.72	225th
Brian Hawkins	1,132.43	238th
Andrea Dato	1,130.84	241st
Cornel Cimpan	1,108.07	257th
Joe Elpayaa	1,103.43	259th
Vojtech Ruzicka	1,097	265th
Taylor Paur	1,096.86	267th
Casey Kastle	1,078.14	275th
Denys Drobyna	1,058.52	286th

Those who fell from the GPI this week were Adam Junglen, Ali Eslami, Eric Buchman, Brock Parker, Faraz Jaka, Frank Calo, Greg Dyer, Josh Brikis, Kevin Vandersmissen, Tom Dwan, Jeff Papola, Mohsin Charania, and Ted Forrest.

Ups and Downs

The biggest rise of the week belonged to Andrey Pateychuk, who had a 183-point jump up the GPI. Along with his EPT Prague finish, is his WPT Prague win, giving him three scores of more than a half million dollars in Period 1.

Biggest Gains

Rank	Player	Total Score	Change in Rank From Last Week
59th	Dan O'Brien	1,587.21	+82
89th	Andrey Pateychuk	1,478.08	+183
108th	Antony Lellouche	1,410.18	+98
129th	Russell Carson	1,357.72	+151
138th	Jean-Philippe Rohr	1,337.37	+121
168th	Kristijonas Andrulis	1,259.22	+117
176th	Cristiano Guerra	1,235.66	+84
186th	Dan Smith	1,218.95	+88
189th	Juan Manuel Pastor	1,215.42	+109
213th	Isaac Haxton	1,173.26	+84

Max Lykov and Chris Bell took the biggest hits. Even though Lykov has a bracelet win from this summer, it doesn't count toward the GPI because it was a $1,000 buy-in and needs to be at least a $1,500 to count. That aside, Lykov's only other WSOP cash dropped into Period 2, thus leaving his Period 1 empty. As for Bell, his win at the WSOPC Regional Championship in Atlantic City last December fell from Period 2 to Period 3.

Biggest Drops

Rank	Player	Total Score	Change in Rank From Last Week
193rd	Dan Heimiller	1,210.99	-88
229th	Daniel Idema	1,145.04	-120
231st	Timothy Finne	1,142,76	-99
233rd	Andy Frankenberger	1,137.23	-111
242nd	Marc Inizan	1,130.45	-99
264th	Max Lykov	1,098.74	-147
272nd	Joe Hachem	1,089.22	-88
294th	Georges Yazbeck	1,044.75	-92
297th	Chris Bell	1,039.77	-139
300th	Chris Tryba	1,032.66	-129

What's In Store?

Tournament wise, the schedule is light over the holidays until early January when the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure begins. Until then, WSOP scores aging into Period 2 will be the main reason for ups and downs in the GPI. Jason Mercier's bracelet win this summer will be among those aging scores, so expect to see his score drop, but will it knock him out of the top spot?

Source: Poker News Asia