Annie Duke may not have won her first World Series of Poker Bracelet until 2004 but she is still one of the most feared poker players around the ring games at The Bellagio in Las Vegas. Annie's long-overdue WSOP bracelet came with a win at the "forgotten game" of Omaha Hi-Lo.
While player from the "younger generation" of poker run wild after a big win at the tables, Annie heads home to be "mom" to her four children. She was born in New Hampshire and raised into a family of card players. If you don't believe that, watch her brother, Howard Lederer, in action who taught her how to play the game.
However, Annie Duke is no small-potatoes girl and has won her share of difficult tables, including eliminating Howard along the way on several occasions. They are both players that have the ability to win the big bucks and do it with a smile.
Annie is extremely intelligent and graduated from Columbia University where she double majored in Psychology and English. When you sit across from her at the poker table you know she is there to play the game and she begins "summing" you up from the time you join the table. If you can't play like a Champion, then don't bother.
Winning over three million dollars in tournament play, Annie became a consultant to both UltimateBet.com and Hollywood actor Ben Affleck, who wanted to sharpen his skills and become a force at the poker table.
You may see her at the Bellagio, you'll see her on TV and you may even play against her in an online poker game, but don't expect an easy win. Unless you are a champion-in-the-making, you will not beat her. However, it would be fun to say you sat at the same table as "The Duke".
The casino in the United States has a long and often illustrious history. Gambling plays a part in American history from the beginning of the colonies, in the lore of the Wild West, in the history of the underground bars during prohibition, and more. Laws concerning gambling have changed over time, with growing prohibitions against gambling followed by a relaxing of laws.
Attitudes toward gambling varied in the early American colonies. Puritan-founded colonies, not surprisingly, disapproved most strongly of all forms of dice, cards and gaming. Colonies founded by the English were quite tolerant of gambling, and it was treated as an innocent pastime. By the early 1800's, gambling, and even gaming houses, or casinos, had evolved in the newly founded United States. New Orleans, in particular, was a center for gambling, and casinos and saloons in New Orleans evolved games we still link with the old west, including poker and blackjack.
During the California gold rush, gambling was both legal and widespread, as government offices regulated and licensed the saloon and the casino. Faro, bluff, and dice games were popular. While New Orleans had been the gambling capital of America forty years earlier, San Francisco replaced it as the main site for gambling and casinos due to the free flowing gold of the California gold rush.
During the period between the late 1850's and early 1900's, California progressively criminalized gambling. It remained legal in Nevada until 1910; however, the casino never reached the glory in Nevada that it had in San Francisco. Gambling was also criminalized elsewhere in the country during this period. Needless to say, gambling did continue, but it was a phenomenon kept behind closed doors. During the era when gambling was widely illegal, casinos remained in operation in speakeasies, private clubs, and more.
Gambling once again began to be legalized in 1931, starting with Nevada. During the 1930's, some 21 states legalized racetrack gambling. Gambling continued in Nevada, and with low stakes bingo elsewhere. Casinos began to spring up in Atlantic City, NJ in the late 70's. In 1987, the Supreme Court made a fundamental decision allowing gambling on Native American reservations, and in the years since, casino gambling has spread throughout the country with modern and thriving casinos in many states. Riverboat casinos began to spring up on major rivers in many states during the same period, bringing gambling full circle to its early roots with riverboat gamblers on the mighty Mississippi in the early 1800's.
If you’ve found this article it hopefully means you’re looking to make some extra income from playing poker online, you may even be looking to quit the rat-race for good and go full-time. I run a small website and poker school and have been a full-time online poker player for 4 years, playing part-time whilst working a regular job for 4 years prior to this. If you are considering playing poker online for a living you might benefit from reading the following.
In many ways playing poker online for a living really is one of the best jobs in the world:
1. You will have no Boss. No one to tell you what to do, no one to increase your workload because others are incompetent, no one to suck up to just because they’ve been at the company longer than you so they’re ‘in charge’. As you can probably tell, I don’t like bosses. Never have, never will.
2. You work when you want. No getting up at 6.30am to make it to the office on time. If you want a day off you take a day off; if you want a week off you take a week off. You have no boss, you can do what the hell you like!
3. You don’t necessarily have to pay tax on your earnings. If you are from the UK, for example, income from playing poker is tax-free. (For many of you outside the UK this isn’t the case, your profits are fully taxable by law. Make sure you are fully informed about your tax obligations with regards to professional gambling).
4. You can work anywhere in the world. Have laptop: will travel! Good invention this internet thing isn’t it? Personally, I have travelled a lot over the past four years, lucky me gets to go to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada to name but a few. At the time of writing I’m in Buenos Aires. If you have the desire to see the world, playing poker online really does fit the lifestyle like a glove. An added bonus here is that you’ll be earning in US dollars (GBPs or Euros too) if you choose to live anywhere where this currency is stronger than the local currency you’ll feel that much richer!
5. You can enjoy what you do. Poker is a great game, it’s always throwing up new situations, a new set of challenges to overcome and new opportunities to learn. Sure, there will be times when you won’t enjoy playing, you’d rather be out socialising with the ‘regular 9-5ers’ but I can honestly say that after all this time I still have a passion for the game. It’s not such a bad way to meet people too. You can forge strong links with fellow online players from all over the world. You have a common interest, you’re bound to get along!
Convinced? Thinking of how you’ll be telling your boss what you really think of him, or her, as you hand over your letter of resignation? Wait just a minute, life as a full-time poker player isn’t all a bed of roses, playing for a living isn’t for everyone. Read on and you will find out why.
1. Say goodbye to most weekends and evenings. In fact, if you’re in the UK or Europe you might well become nocturnal. The truth is it’s much easier to find profitable games during the night and at weekends. This is when a lot of casual players will sit down for an hour or two, many seem to just hate their money and are eager to give it away. Even the biggest poker room online has far fewer, and far tighter tables during the USA day time than during the evenings.
2. Your income is unstable. Even the best players experience long losing streaks, it’s unavoidable. These streaks can last weeks, or even over a month in extreme cases. It’s entirely possible you’ll play near-perfect poker for a week yet still end up losing money. Not only do you need the bankroll to withstand this you also need the temperament to cope with these swings of fortune, they do happen and it’s not fun when they do. It’s important therefore to keep your living expenses separate from your bankroll, this helps ease the pressure when the fish are feeding on you. Stick to your solid game and you will experience the correction in fortune. Poker is a game of skill, in the long-term luck plays no part in your profits. Providing you are adequately bankrolled you will win back any loses, in fact you’ll win even more.
3. ″Dear Mr Bank Manager, I would like a loan to buy my dream house/car/holiday/bride. I am a professional poker player and my annual income is $(insert crazy figure here!)″. See how your lender reacts to that! You won’t convince too many people to lend you any money if they find out what you do. If you’ll be needing to borrow money to make a significant purchase in the near future think long and hard. For advice on securing loans for pro-gamblers seek a qualified Independent Financial Advisor.
There’s a lot to consider if you’re thinking of relying on poker for your source of income. Without doubt the wisest way to proceed is to keep your steady job; play poker as your hobby at first, it’s probably best if you give it at least one year, probably more. Perhaps you can only manage 10hrs play a week? Over the weeks and months you will learn advanced skills that will increase your profits significantly. At the same time you’ll still have the security of a regular salary.
If you have any comments or questions please feel free to contact the author at: http://www.thepokerprof.com
Poker has now become the game that everyone wants to learn to play. Poker itself has a long history but, only recently, and since the increase in availability of online games, has poker become more acceptable in main stream culture.
Gone are the days when poker was seen as played by those with a shady character; when cowboys frequented saloons, looking to hustle and use their guile to win money from anyone brave enough to enter a game against them! Then poker, gun-slinging and hustling used to go hand in hand. Now things are slightly different.
Around 2 million people play poker online every month across some 250 online poker sites. Around $2.8 billion is spent on online gambling itself in America alone; though this figure will soon drop drastically as the new laws prohibiting banks and credit card companies from making payments to online gambling sites is now in place.
The Poker World Series is now riding high amongst other sporting events, with prize money to equal that of the biggest sporting occasions. With the many TV poker channels that are available in America and Europe, it seems that poker is now becoming more acceptable in main stream society. Perhaps this is because poker is seen more as a skill game and not so much the gambling game of old. Attempting to read an opponents play and strategy is all part of the game and an element that makes poker great to play and watch.
Poker has also been a great subject for films to centre a plot or character around. Many a scene has graced our TVs and cinemas where poker has been the backdrop of a murder scene, scheming criminals, or introduction to an on-screen hero. Poker requires a cool head, a controlling of emotions and expressions, and the ability to understand the same traits in the opponents. Perhaps this is why poker has been a great catalyst to help characterise an on-screen actor.
The list of films or TV programs where poker was played and how it was used to define a character is way too long to list in an article. However, below is a list of my top ten great TV or film moments that have involved the game of poker. Not everyone will remember or agree with the order of the list, but I am sure you will all agree they are all worth a mention.
1. Cool Hand Luke (1965). Luke beating an inmate at poker with a hand of nothing typifies the cool head required for a game of poker.
2. The poker scene from The Sting (1973). Still one of the best acted and directed poker games ever filmed – even if the two main players were cheating.
3. The opening card game in David Mamet's House of Games (1987). The whole film itself is a sequence of bluffs, tells and cons and has the audience hooked from start to finish.
4. Casino (1995). When Joe Pesci's character Tommy shoots Spider during a poker game. A violent scene, but worth mentioning for the comedy element.
5. "The" poker game in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (2000). A slick and direct approach to the filming of a game of brag. The dialogue as Eddie goes from smelling victory to tasting defeat is worth a mention in any poker list.
6. Maverick (1994). Maverick losing for an hour and then proceeding to win every game with his ability to read poker tells. Not the greatest poker film but a good adage to poker nonetheless.
7. Big Hand for a Little Lady (1966). When the Mary takes her winning hand to ask the bank manager for a loan… excellent.
8. The final showdown in Cincinnati Kid (1965). Well directed filming of a poker game and renowned for that famous line… "making the wrong move at the right time".
9. Rounders (1998). This film is noted for its many goofs and gaffs, but also worth a mention for re-introducing viewers to the world of poker in its many forms and, how the main character is drawn in and out of the world of poker gambling. The final poker game is true Holywood.
10. Stephen Hawking's cameo role during a poker game in episode "Second Chances" of Star Trek next Generation.
New York is world famous and really needs no introduction. The state is home to the Hamptons, Broadway, and 42nd Street, as well as many historical sites including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Empire State Building. New York State has a population well above 18,976,000 and is one of the world’s premiere hubs for the arts, entertainment and theatre. The New York art scene alone has influenced aspiring artists from all over the world; in addition the state is one of the major releasing areas for Hollywood and indie films alike. The size and volume of tourists visiting the state each year is staggering.
New York Casinos are part of the excitement that is New York. There are a good number of Native American-owned New York Casinos, ranging from ″table-games-only″ Class Three style operations to the New York Casinos, which offer high stakes poker, video bingo and other types of gaming. You can find New York Casinos in many different areas; Irving, Seneca Falls, Union Springs, Hogansburg and Salamanca just to name a few. Many New York Casinos are planning expanded offerings in the electronic gambling arena as state legislation allows. Don’t be discouraged if your first visit to New York Casinos doesn’t offer your favorite game, it could be just a matter of time before that favorite is a regular attraction!
In addition to the land-based casinos, New York has casino boat gaming. This operation entails getting a ride on a boat which travels three miles into international waters. This is where all sorts of varieties of gambling is allowed, gambling which may not be permitted in shore-based New York Casinos. On your boat ride you may encounter blackjack, craps, video poker, roulette, Caribbean stud poker, let it ride, and slot machines. The advantage to boat-based gambling includes a great scenic ride to accompany the thrills of playing casino games. A buffet is often included in the service, but let the rider beware. You must be twenty-one years of age or older to play casino games on the boat. Tickets are quite reasonable, often around fifteen dollars to ride.
New York Casinos offer an interesting diversion many people forget to consider in their travel plans. When you plan your next excursion to New York, search online for the nearest New York Casinos on your route and give them a try. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much fun such an outing can be! Remember to plan your trip to New York Casinos carefully. Make a budget and stick to it, gamble responsibly and above all, have fun.
So, you play online poker, you have invested some time and a little bit of money. Now you find yourself wondering "How can I increase my poker winnings?" I mean realistically, isn't this what we all want? I, too, am an online poker player. I started out slow, would get lucky, win a bit of money, lose it, and then start again. Then I started to take it seriously. It was then that I realized that there was a lot of money there for the taking, if only I "played my cards right". And that is what I have done. Now, poker is my life I am able to nicely supplement my income ( I could actually quit my job, but I like it, so I only play in the evenings). Here are some of the steps I have taken to get my poker game to the point where I am confident that at the end of the month, I will see only gains in my bankroll:
1) Read…Read…Read…I have read any poker book that I can find. Every one of them has provided me with some snippet of important information. If I could recommend one or two, it would be Dan Harrington's series on No Limit Tournament Holdem. Even though the material is geared towards tournament play, these books have improved all aspects of my game.
2) Get Yourself an Odds Calculator. There are various places online where you can find these. They are incredible tools that will provide you with almost instant calculations of your pot odds, outs and percentage of winning the pot. They allow you to make educated decisions based on numbers.
3) Watch your opponents. Make notes on them. Make sure that you have a very good grasp of their betting patterns. Are they Tight/Aggressive? Loose/Passive?, Tight Passive?, Loose/Aggressive? Once you have determined their playing style, you can take advantage of their weaknesses. Create a game plan on how to beat each of these styles of playing. Cater your bets not only to your cards, but also to your opponents.
4) When you see lots of people limping into a pot, you should do the same if your hand allows. With each player who enters the pot, your pot odds improve and it becomes easier to make a cheap call to see the flop. How many times have you folded a hand that looked terrible pre-flop, only to become the nuts after the flop comes out? If the pot odds allow it, play those mediocre hands in late position. (Need to calculate you pot odds fast? Get an odds calculator to do it for you and save your brain for watching your opponents)
5) If you are playing ring games, always try to play at a full table. The reason for this is obvious. It will cost you less money to wait for a good hand. A good poker player will play only the best hands (most of the time-they bluff too!!) and will be patient enough to wait for them. The longer it takes for the blinds to come around, the less it costs to wait. So, always, always, always play in full, ten person ring games, and play tight. When you do get a hand worth playing, raise it aggressively and you will still enter the pot with only one or two players.
This is a good start. Stay tuned and I will provide you with even more bankroll saving, money building techniques to increase your online poker winnings!
One of the biggest problems that I encountered when I first got into Texas Holdem' was figuring out what cards to play in what Position. Often I would get burned on a hand that I thought was a good starting hand. Come to find out they were good hands, just not in the position I was playing them from. Here is a pretty basic list of what type of hands to play and what position it is suitable to play them in. Keep in mind this chart does not factor in raises or suits.
Play From Any Position
AA KK QQ JJ TT 99 88 AK AQ AJ AT KQ KJ
Play Mid to Late Position
66 55 KT QJ QT JT
Play in Late Position Only
A9 A8 A7 K9 K8 Q9 J9 J8 T9 T8 98 97
If you are just beginning to play poker, playing these hands at the recommended positions will help you always be in a safe position before the flop. As your game progresses, you will be able to add more hands to this list and know how to play them in specific situations. If you are just beginning to play cards, I would suggest playing for nickels and dimes at home or for free at an online poker site. Poker websites are nice because you get to see many more hands per hour than you do at home. Some goods sites to play for free are UltimateBet and PartyPoker.com. If you would like to join follow the link in my bio for added signup bonuses. Remember, the more you practice at anything, the better you get.
Successfully stealing blinds in Texas Holdem poker is a secret weapon of many poker pros. However, like anything else this is a learned skill and one that takes as much know-how as it does experience.
To be able to consistently steal blinds from your poker opponents you must master these five insider poker secrets.
1. Be Aggressive
First and foremost you can not win and steal blinds if you're not an aggressive player. If you are overly conservative and wait for only the best hands and monsters to play you'll never be able to steal blinds.
On the flip side, if you're too aggressive and try to steal blinds every time you will get called and risk losing your chip stack. Choose your spots.
2. Reading Your Opponents
You also must have a read on your opponents. When I play it only takes a few hands before I can get a read on my opponents. Sometimes I misread but that is rare.
Once you understand what your opponents do a on a consistent basis you can choose the right time to go over the top or place a big enough bet to get them to fold and steal their blinds.
3. Understanding Your Position
If you're playing at a full table it is best to steal blinds when you're on the button. Typically later in a tournament when the blinds are getting larger and more expensive for people to get into the hand they will fold to you. When that happens lay a bet 3-7 times the big blind and watch them fold their blinds to you all day long.
4. What is Your Chip Stack
If you're the short stack stealing blinds can be your saving grace. At the same time, however, it can be your death.
If you raise big or go all in for five hands in a row someone is bound to call you. So you better have something to play with. However, if you do it periodically chances are you will steal the blinds on a consistent basis.
When you're the chip leader go nuts! You will be able to bully people around and steal their blinds almost at will. Sure every now and then you'll get called and beat but you'll have the chips to gamble with.
5. Are the Blinds Worth Stealing?
Early in a tournament or a sit-n-go game the blinds are so small that they aren't worth stealing. Wait until the blinds grown larger and can actually make a difference to your chip stake.
Finally, remember if you steal the blinds one time around on a full table you'll be in good shape. When the blinds start to rise you can start to steal more and really make it beneficial to your chip stack.
Sometimes weekly games can get boring. You've become the best Omaha poker player at the table. You always win no matter what the odds are. You are winning so much that your weekly poker buddies don't want to play Omaha poker with you. Now what are you going to do? How about play Omaha poker online?
When you play Omaha poker online you don't have to worry about making your buddies mad, setting up the table, putting out the snacks, buying the beer, unless it's for you of course. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection. Now instead of being stuck playing the same ole version of Omaha poker that your buddies play you can learn all sorts of other versions as well, in the comfort of your own home. There are games called Omaha8, Omaha holdem, Omaha Hilo, Omaha Split and the list goes on.
Finding Internet sites where you can play Omaha poker online is easy. Perform a search in any Internet search engine using play Omaha poker online as the search terms. You will be surprised at how many matches you get. Take some time to explore the different casino sites and options to decide which site is best for you to play Omaha poker online. Some offer free sign up, others require a registration fee, and almost all offer some type of payout if you win.
What do you have to lose? Forget about those boring weekly poker buddies who only want to play Texas holdem. Join the online poker revolution and sign up to play Omaha poker online.
India has a very limited amount of legal gambling. Five cities in the country of India allow gambling. In these five cities, there are six gaming operations currently running. There are casinos and other gaming facilities available in India. Casinos and cruise-based casinos are the only legal forms of gambling.
Salcette, a city in India, currently has the most casinos with two. The largest one in the country is Winners Casino and Hacienda de Ora. This casino only has slots machines and video poker games.
Goa is going to be India’s future casino capital. The Indian government is now going to allow ten more floating casinos. Previously, only one floating casino has been allowed and a lot of upscale hotels only have slot machines.
Indian culture really looks down upon gambling. The only form of gambling that is considered acceptable is horse racing. The main reason they are relaxing the country’s rules is because the gaming industry brings in significant income for India.
The floating casino in Goa is a cruise-based casino. It is called Caravela and can comfortably accommodate 300 people. Caravela starts its adventure from Panaji which is the capital of Goa. On the top floor of the cruise ship, travelers can see the sights and sounds of the Indian coastline on the Arabian Sea. On the floors that have gaming sessions, travelers can play blackjack, rummy, poker, baccarat, pontoon, and flash. There are also a host of slot machines available to play. Besides gaming facilities on floating casinos in Goa, there are also fine restaurants and relaxing swimming pools.
A popular poker tournament, hosted by the Maharajah Club, will be coming to India called the Asian Poker Classic. The prize for the tournament is $1 million and this is true history in the making for Indian culture. There has never been a tournament of this nature previous to this one. The Asian Poker Classic will be held in Goa at the International Grand Resort from March1 - 4, 2007. This is definitely going to attract tons of visitors looking to win the grand prize. It is very likely that professional poker players, celebrities, and people from all over the world will come to play.
In addition to trying their skills and luck in the Asian Poker Classic, players will get to enjoy the awesome sights and sounds at the International Grand Resort Hotel in Goa. It really is gorgeous! Visitors will also be treated to wonderful parties and delicious food.