There are a number of nervous poker players out there that have benefited from the advent of online poker, because by going online they rid themselves of numerous tells given off by their eyes, their hands and other shaking parts of their body.
However, just because you’ve taken your game online does not mean you’ve escaped from all forms of poker tells. Believe it or not there are a number of tells that only exist online, and poker pros have memorized them and can spot them like a science.
The most common poker tells are caused by using the automated checkboxes. For any true beginners that don’t have their online poker glossary next to them, the automated checkboxes are those boxes that appear on your screen after the cards have been dealt and you’re waiting for your turn to act. There’s a box for fold, check, and bet, and this allows you to pick your next move in advance. When you use the checkbox to call or check, it does so right away when it’s your turn to act. This immediate action is what causes the tell, because when you make the move yourself it cannot respond as quickly.
The most common tells are a quick check and a quick call. When a player makes a quick check an experienced player looking for tells will see this as a sign of weakness. The reason is why would a player plan on checking if they had cards worth betting? Unless they’re going for a check-raise or a slow-play, an auto-check almost always means their hand is junk. After picking up this tell you can use it by betting and stealing the pot even if you’re also holding a junk hand. If you know you’re up against a player who looks for tells, you can also use the checkbox to your own advantage the next time you’re planning a check-raise.
On the other side of the coin, a player who makes quick bets or calls usually has a strong hand. It’s not hard to see that anyone who plans on making a bet or calling any bet in advance must have either a great hand or at least a great draw. Whenever you catch a player making a quick call or a quick bet, be cautious because they’re likely holding something big.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Zambrano shines again as Cubs club Padres
Carlos Zambrano (6-1) made another quality start for Chicago, hurling seven
innings and giving up three runs on six hits and two walks while fanning five.
He had been scheduled to pitch Sunday, but was pushed back to Monday after
rain delayed the start of the game for nearly an hour.
Geovany Soto and Mark DeRosa also drove in two runs apiece for the Cubs, who
have triumphed in four straight. Derrek Lee went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and
Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome each scored twice and knocked in one
apiece.
"We've been swinging the bats very well at home, putting runs on the board,"
said Chicago manager Lou Piniella. "When you do that, it makes it much easier
on your pitching. We put together two big innings. When we (hit) like tonight,
our offense really looks potent and good."
Randy Wolf (2-3) lasted only four innings for San Diego, surrendering seven
runs on eight hits and five walks. The southpaw slipped to 0-3 over his last
four starts, and 2-6 in his career against the Cubs. Sean Henn fared no better
in relief, yielding five runs on three hits and three walks over just 1 2/3
innings.
"(Wolf) pitched all right early," said San Diego manager Bud Black. "In the
fifth inning, he started to get his fastball up. The ball was up to Zambrano
and the ball was up to Soriano when he hit his home run. That started it for
them."
Jody Gerut went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two walks for the Padres, who
have dropped six of their last eight outings. Tadahito Iguchi and Edgar
Gonzalez -- who made his MLB debut -- each added an RBI, as San Diego fell to
12-4 in the last 16 meetings with Chicago.
San Diego deadlocked the duel in the third when Iguchi delivered a base hit to
right that scored Wolf, and then took a 2-1 edge in the fifth on Gerut's two-
out solo shot to right.
Chicago responded immediately, though, erupting for six runs in the bottom of
the inning. Zambrano began the offensive outburst with a double to right, and
Soriano followed with a blast over the ivy in center field.
"I feel very comfortable at home plate," explained Soriano. "I'm swinging at
strikes and being more patient at home plate -- that's what I want to do to
help the team win. I'm being more aggressive, but at the same time being
selective at home plate. When I swing at strikes, I know I hit the ball very
hard."
After Ryan Theriot walked and Lee singled to left, Ramirez swatted a single to
right that brought Theriot around to score. Fukudome then drew a walk to load
the bases, and Soto and DeRosa belted back-to-back base hits that plated three
more runs. Soto's single to center drove in Lee and Ramirez, while DeRosa beat
out an infield single that allowed Fukudome to cross the plate, and the Cubs
surged ahead, 7-2.
The onslaught continued in the sixth, as Chicago stretched its advantage with
another five runs. Ramirez worked a four-pitch walk to fill the bases, and
Fukudome then walked as well, enabling Soriano to trot home. After a Soto fly
out to center, DeRosa slapped another infield single, plating Theriot. On the
play, San Diego third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff threw the ball away, and
Ramirez and Fukudome both came in to score. Reed Johnson then connected on a
base hit up the middle, and DeRosa circled the diamond to give the Cubs a
comfortable 12-2 cushion.
The Pads trimmed the margin to 12-3 in the seventh, when Gonzalez singled home
Scott Hairston, who had reached base on a fielder's choice. However, that was
the only additional firepower San Diego could muster.
The Cubs got on the board in the home half of the first frame. Theriot smacked
a one-out base hit to right, and Lee knocked him in when he laced a double to
right.
Game Notes
Tuesday is slated for Chicago's Jason Marquis (1-2) to battle San Diego's
Shawn Estes (0-0)...Prior to Monday's game, the Padres purchased the contract
of Gonzalez from Triple-A Portland. To make room for him on the 25-man roster,
infielder Callix Crabbe was designated for assignment. Gonzalez, who made his
MLB debut as a defensive replacement at third base in the sixth inning, is the
older brother of San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
innings and giving up three runs on six hits and two walks while fanning five.
He had been scheduled to pitch Sunday, but was pushed back to Monday after
rain delayed the start of the game for nearly an hour.
Geovany Soto and Mark DeRosa also drove in two runs apiece for the Cubs, who
have triumphed in four straight. Derrek Lee went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and
Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome each scored twice and knocked in one
apiece.
"We've been swinging the bats very well at home, putting runs on the board,"
said Chicago manager Lou Piniella. "When you do that, it makes it much easier
on your pitching. We put together two big innings. When we (hit) like tonight,
our offense really looks potent and good."
Randy Wolf (2-3) lasted only four innings for San Diego, surrendering seven
runs on eight hits and five walks. The southpaw slipped to 0-3 over his last
four starts, and 2-6 in his career against the Cubs. Sean Henn fared no better
in relief, yielding five runs on three hits and three walks over just 1 2/3
innings.
"(Wolf) pitched all right early," said San Diego manager Bud Black. "In the
fifth inning, he started to get his fastball up. The ball was up to Zambrano
and the ball was up to Soriano when he hit his home run. That started it for
them."
Jody Gerut went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two walks for the Padres, who
have dropped six of their last eight outings. Tadahito Iguchi and Edgar
Gonzalez -- who made his MLB debut -- each added an RBI, as San Diego fell to
12-4 in the last 16 meetings with Chicago.
San Diego deadlocked the duel in the third when Iguchi delivered a base hit to
right that scored Wolf, and then took a 2-1 edge in the fifth on Gerut's two-
out solo shot to right.
Chicago responded immediately, though, erupting for six runs in the bottom of
the inning. Zambrano began the offensive outburst with a double to right, and
Soriano followed with a blast over the ivy in center field.
"I feel very comfortable at home plate," explained Soriano. "I'm swinging at
strikes and being more patient at home plate -- that's what I want to do to
help the team win. I'm being more aggressive, but at the same time being
selective at home plate. When I swing at strikes, I know I hit the ball very
hard."
After Ryan Theriot walked and Lee singled to left, Ramirez swatted a single to
right that brought Theriot around to score. Fukudome then drew a walk to load
the bases, and Soto and DeRosa belted back-to-back base hits that plated three
more runs. Soto's single to center drove in Lee and Ramirez, while DeRosa beat
out an infield single that allowed Fukudome to cross the plate, and the Cubs
surged ahead, 7-2.
The onslaught continued in the sixth, as Chicago stretched its advantage with
another five runs. Ramirez worked a four-pitch walk to fill the bases, and
Fukudome then walked as well, enabling Soriano to trot home. After a Soto fly
out to center, DeRosa slapped another infield single, plating Theriot. On the
play, San Diego third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff threw the ball away, and
Ramirez and Fukudome both came in to score. Reed Johnson then connected on a
base hit up the middle, and DeRosa circled the diamond to give the Cubs a
comfortable 12-2 cushion.
The Pads trimmed the margin to 12-3 in the seventh, when Gonzalez singled home
Scott Hairston, who had reached base on a fielder's choice. However, that was
the only additional firepower San Diego could muster.
The Cubs got on the board in the home half of the first frame. Theriot smacked
a one-out base hit to right, and Lee knocked him in when he laced a double to
right.
Game Notes
Tuesday is slated for Chicago's Jason Marquis (1-2) to battle San Diego's
Shawn Estes (0-0)...Prior to Monday's game, the Padres purchased the contract
of Gonzalez from Triple-A Portland. To make room for him on the 25-man roster,
infielder Callix Crabbe was designated for assignment. Gonzalez, who made his
MLB debut as a defensive replacement at third base in the sixth inning, is the
older brother of San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
Who Will Lose Their Undies Tonight? Strip Poker - History and Rules
Walking through the streets of Las Vegas after a rough night at the casino, you may hear the screams and laughter of some other down-on-their luck folks, or even a pack of broke college kids, through the window of some rundown cheap hotel. Seeing that their luck was anywhere else but the casino floor during that night, this rowdy bunch most likely decided to cut their losses and partake in some good wholesome fun with one of the most popular and x-rated gambling games known to man- strip poker.
It has been suggested the strip poker originated around the same time in New Orleans as original poker (circa 1830). Around that time and place, gambling, drinking and womanizing- the main ingredients to a good strip poker game, went hand in hand at the popular bars and brothels of Louisiana. With the same spread of the popularity of poker to the neighboring states and beyond, its mischievous cousin tagged along and made its way to the hearts of gamblers nationwide and eventually to the world.
Admit It, You’ve Thought About It
Studies show that the most active strip poker crowd is generally between the ages of 18-30. Be it college students organizing a strip poker night in the dorm rooms, or a young couple hosting a night of fun for their friends, the game has made its way into the home. However, the game has gained a vast popularity on the internet through different software that allows players at home to compete against a model on the other end and attempt to win by stripping the other side of their garments. This should not be confused with online casinos , for the online strip poker rooms are usually created independent of any other casino games. Because of the virtual nature of a significant part of the game’s popularity, it is difficult to determine whether it has spread intensively throughout the other age groups.
For those still unable to organize their own event of the erotic game, National Lampoon’s took care of them. In 2004, the comedic group organized its first filmed strip poker match. It all took place in Negril, Jamaica at Hedonism II. Sixteen magazine supermodels participated in the competition and came-“dressed casually”, and showed their Texas Hold’emskills in front of the crowd and the camera lens. Veteran playboy model Taylor Kennedy walked away after “stripping” five other girls of their “assets”. The event was hosted by Carmen Electra and the DVD still sells nicely today on amazon .
How It’s Done
So you’ve convinced a few friends to try out this latest idea of yours and invited them for a night of drinks and fun. How do you present the rules? Well, first make sure that everyone knows the basic rules of poker. This will prevent any arguments once the game reaches the hot and heavy stages when most of the clothes are on the floor already and one player is about to re-acquaint himself with the group in a way he’s never before imagined.
The game is quite self-explanatory through its title. Players remove articles of clothing according to events that occur on the poker table. The loser at the end of the evening is usually the one who will be most sensitive to the cool breeze coming in through the window.
The game itself will go on in certain variations. Depending on how long you can allow the game to go on into the night, you should choose the pace of strip poker you want to introduce:
If you’re pressed for time, then fast strip poker is the solution. Here every hand goes to a showdown among all players involved and every player but the winner takes off an article of clothing. In this version of the game, each hand promises to cause a large number of players to remove their clothes on each round. It shouldn’t be too long until a winner is declared while the rest are trying to find their other sock from the pile on the floor.
With a bit more time on your hands, you can choose to suggest medium strip poker. Here, the end of each round brings only the player with the worst hand to remove an article of clothing.
If the whole night is ahead of you and there’s no work the next day, then an element of real poker can be added by playing slow strip poker. Here, each player is given a set of chips to play with like he would in a regular game of poker. The player who runs out of chips at any point in the game will remove one article of clothing. As you can imagine, at this pace, it won’t be before the sun comes when someone is finally found in their birthday suit.
For Your Consideration
Strip Poker can be good ("wholesome"?) fun if played in good spirit and with the consent of everyone involved. As long as it is played within a confined and private setting, the game is legal in most places in the world, though you should certainly check if you harbor any doubt.
Drinking and alcohol have undoubtedly become a part of our culture and there is no doubt that with this often come regrettable results. Guys, be careful not to fall to the temptation of inviting those cute blonde poker rookies just to try and exploit their ignorance. It is often suggested not to involve money in strip poker and by that, separate it completely from the casino, which contains its own stresses. Enjoy, have fun, go a bit wild, but most importantly, remain friends afterwards.
21 The Movie– Bringing Down The House
21 is a film adaptation of the book Bringing Down the House
The main character in the book is Kevin Lewis, who graduated from MIT with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1994. Lewis was recruited into the MIT Blackjack Team in 1993 by Steve Fisher and Andre Martinez, two of the top players in the team. The film version is not totally faithful to the book, but tells a similar story of the students who trained to become expert card counters, and went on to win millions in Vegas casinos.
21 was filmed in Las Vegas, with many scenes filmed in actual casinos such as the Red Rock Casino Restort. Filming took a long time, as many scenes, such as blackjack hands, needed to be captured from several angles and repeated several times.
The film differs from the book in several ways – including the choice to set the film in a slightly different era, and use an all white cast – many of the team members involved in the actual MIT blackjack team were American-Asian. This casting choice has caused some controversy, however the on-screen chemistry of the cast that was chosen for the film means that it is still interesting viewing.
The story has a 'Hollywood touch' to it, with a little more glamour and some different cultural references and innuendos. The makers wanted to keep the same feel as the book, but having set the film in a different era, certain things needed to be changed to keep them relevant to that era.
There is a lot of similarity between 21 and an older Canadian film called 'Last Casino' – the Canadian film is not as well known, but many people feel that the films are very similar, as Last Casino was inspired by Bringing Down The House.
The main cast of the film is:Kevin Spacey (as Mickey Rosa)
Jim Sturgess (as Ben Campbell)
Kate Bosworth (as Jill Taylor)
Laurence Fishburne (as Cole Williams)
Liza Lapira (as Kianna)
Aaron Yoo (as Choi)
Jacob Pitts (as Jason Fisher)
Ben Campbell, the character played by Jim Sturgess is based on a real person – Jeffrey Ma – a water-polo playing MIT fraternity member who went on to co-found a stock-trading like sports site called Protrade. During his active blackjack playing days he was banned from most casinos, and even now runs in to problems attempting to play at newly opened casinos. Ben Mezrich, in a recent interview, said that when he and Ma went to play at 'The Playboy Club' in Vegas he only got to play three hands before security guards told him he was not welcome. Apparently when he went in to the casino, and gave his real name 'bells and whistlers practically started flashing in the security room'. Jeff Ma makes a small appearance in the film.
Another character in the film, Jason Fisher, is based on Michael Aponte, who a card counting school – the Blackjack Institute, along with David Irvine – another MIT card counting team member. The Blackjack institute offers blackjack training seminars and home training sessions, along with books and other merchandise, including training software.
Mickey Rosa is a character that is based on an amalgamation of two real people – the original managers of the MIT team during the early 90s. One of them, Johnny Chang, is a recent Blackjack Hall of Fame inductee. The other is 'Mr M.', also known as J.P. Massar.
Semyon Dukach, a Computer Science student and member of the MIT blackjack team told The Tech – the MIT news journal, about his experiences “At one point I had a casino convinced that I was an arms dealer”, he said relating stories of his high rolling games. The team set up corporations and paid taxes to avoid problems with the IRS. They racked up winnings of around 5 million dollars over a period of two years.
Dukach still plays casually from time to time – he is recognized on sight at most casinos in the country, but can often find a table at hotel casinos – just before the interview with The Tech he had been staying at a South American hotel and won a few thousand dollars playing some casual blackjack. When asked about his techniques, and his time with the team, he said “It definitely wasn't wrong. We were taking money away from casinos.”
Dukach is quite open in his dislike of casinos – pointing out that they spread an illusion that a casual player has a good chance of walking away a winner, when in reality even a good blackjack player in mathematically more likely to be a loser. He dislikes the techniques that casinos employ to keep people gambling – techniques that include keeping gamblers drunk, and even using aromatherapy to make them more relaxed and inclined to gamble. Dukach likened the actions of casinos to date rape, saying 'They get you in there, and you don't remember what happened'.
The MIT Blackjack Team included Andy Block, who was a poker pro in the early 90's, and joined the team at around the same time as Jeff Ma. The team split into two groups – the 'Amphibian' team and the 'Reptile' team. Jeff joined the Reptiles, which was the team that was most focussed on in the book 'Bringing Down the House'. Andy joined the Amphibian team, so does not get mentioned in this particular telling of the MIT Blackjack Team story.
The MIT team were eventually closed down after Griffin Investigations tailed them around the country to try to prove that they were involved in team play. It took years for the company to get enough evidence, but once they did they informed all the major casino companies, making it impossible for the team to continue to operate.
One of their most interesting ventures was a trip to the Mohegan Sun casino just after it opened. The story goes that the first weekend, the 'Amphibians' went to the casino, taking home $250,000. The next weekend, the Reptiles, lead by Kevin Lewis, went to the casino and won $330,000. After that weekend the casino changed how Blackjack hands were dealt. When asked in an interview about the MIT team's winnings, the Vice President of the Mohegan Sun casino was unwilling to comment, except to say that the weekend they visited the casino was the least profitable weekend for Blackjack in the history of the Mohegan Sun casino.
The techniques used by the team were more than just normal card counting – they tracked cards in the discount rack, with different players at the table watching the cards and the shuffle, to direct known cards to create a winning hand, or to bust the dealer. While Mezrich makes the technique seem easy, it actually requires months or years of practice. It is easy to believe that if they can do it, anyone can, especially as Hollywood is glamorising casinos and gambling in so many films these days. The reality, however, is that the team members possessed mathematical skill, keen eyes, and strong nerves. They trained together for a long time, and while their feat could be duplicated, it would take similar practice and patience.
21 is the third film in which Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth have stared together. They have previously worked with each other in Beyond the Sea, and Superman Returns. They will also be working together for the sequel to Superman Returns, which is titled Superman: The Man of Steel.
MIT would not allow filming on the campus, so the scenes in the MIT bar were instead filmed in the Boston University pub across the Charles River. Some other scenes were filmed in the Christian Science Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
As well as the book which this film is based on, Ben Mezrich has written another book on MIT card counting teams – titled 'Busting Vegas: The MIT Whiz Kid Who Brought The Casinos To Their Knees'. This book has been optioned for a movie, but it is unknown when, or if, this will be made. The Busting Vegas book focuses on the Amphibian team, so pro poker player Andy Bloch will be featured quite heavily should the film conversion be made.
The budget for the production of 21 was $75 million. The film was originally scheduled for a summer 2007 release, but the purchase of MGM by Sony meant that a lot of projects were put on hold, including this film. It is now due to be released at the end of March 2008. The soundtrack includes sons such as 'My Mathematical Mind' by Spoon, 'Break on Through (To The Other Side)' by The Doors, and 'Jukebox' by Bent Fabric.
Duel To The Finish
By Will Veda
Oh, the glorious game of Baccarat, the casino pastime of choice by many high rollers including Bond, James Bond. Well, Mr. Bond actually played chemin de fer, a version of Baccarat banked by the players. Baccarat is pronounced bock-err-rah (the word is even more impressive if you roll the r’s off your tongue) and is by far the easiest casino game to play, but the glamour and extreme wagers intimidate many people.
The only decisions players have to make are what to bet on and how much. There are just three bets that can be made: Bank Hand (has nothing to do with the casino—it could easily be called “heads”), Player Hand (has nothing to do with any players—and could be called “tails”), or the long-shot Tie Hand. Heads/Tails? This game is just that: a coin flip; you either win or lose (unless the hands tie, which results in a push except when betting on that rare tie). You can’t double down or split or for that matter make any decisions on the cards that are dealt. There are stringent and non-modifying rules that must be followed and the dealer(s) do all the work.
The players do not receive any cards; instead the card hands are laid out on the table. Each hand receives two initial cards, one first for the player hand, then one for the bank, one for player, and finally one for the bank. In Baccarat, a player (the one with the largest wager) actually deals the cards and gives them to the “caller,” who is the dealer running the game. There are two other dealers, one at each end, that pay off winning wagers, collect losing wagers, and keep track of commissions.
The card values are: 2 through 9 equal face value, an Ace equals the value of one, 10 through Kings equal the value of 0. After the cards are dealt the caller announces the two card totals and decides if one or the other hand gets a third card based on pre-determined rules (listed below). Three cards are the most that can be dealt to a given hand. Each card value is only equal to one digit (the second of the total), meaning if a hand receives card values of 5 and 9 the total is 4, not 14.
Wagers are paid at even money, except for the Tie bet, which is usually paid 8 to 1. If you bet on the Bank Hand and win you will be charged a 5% commission (which is a tax—where’s the Boston Tea Party when you need them?) Commission is usually collected after the eight-deck shoe runs out or if the player is getting ready to depart. A dealer will keep track of the due commission by placing coins and value markers in a numbered box for each player.
UFC 84 Odds and Betting Lines
The UFC returns to Las Vegas with one of most anticipated fight cards in months, J.D Driscoll brings you the latest UFC 84 odds. The card is headlined by a lightweight title fight featuring champion BJ Penn and contender Sean Sherk. Two other bouts should prove just as interesting and could have easily headlined a card on their own. Tito Ortiz will take on the undefeated Lyoto Machida in what is will most likely be Tito’s last fight for the organization. "The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva will face Keith Jardine, a battle between two of the best strikers in the light heavyweight division . A very sold line-up to say the least. Below are the current UFC 84 odds and lines.
Current Betting Lines: B.J. Penn (-225) vs. Sean Sherk (+190)
BJ Penn opened around -190 months ago but quickly was bet down even lower. His odds continued to drift and is now no lower available at -225 at bodog. Penn is considered the best lightweight by most MMA pundits and one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world at the moment. Sean Sherk is an excellent wrestler with world class cardio, he has never been submitted. Sherk strategy will be very simple. Survive for the first two rounds and use his superior cardio to dictate the rest of the fight.
Latest Lines: Lyoto Machida (-220) vs. Tito Ortiz (+190)
Lyoto Machida is another favorite on the main card who’s line has been bet quite heavily . Currently you can bet him at -220 . Like Dana White, odds makers aren’t showing Tito Ortiz any respect. He’s the underdog at +190. He remains a fan favorite and with a respectable record. He has only lost to 2 men in the last 9 years, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture. His motivation will be at an all time high, this is last fight under his current contract the result of which will greatly influence his bargaining power with other promotions. Should Machida stop Ortiz there is very good chance of him getting the next title shot.
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