Poker News

This collection of amusing poker ads were deemed too racy for TV.They contain some adult language and PG-13 situations.They also contain stripteases, screaming Asian men, and extreme corking.In other words, don’t try this at home.Videos provided courtesy of PokerRoom.com

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Beauty and the Nerd

When women fight, they fight dirty.And sexy.Mostly dirty, though

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Strip Poker Roulette

How far will you go to see a beautiful woman naked?Yeah, that’s what we thought

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I am a Golden God!

Positions matter in cardrooms and bedrooms.This is not a porn clip, we swear

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Man Disappointed by Wife: News at 11

Anyone who has ever been in a relationship can appreciate this video.That is, unless you were the jerk in the relationship, then this is more of a documentary for you

(Warning: Some adult language.)

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Honey, I’ve Got Something to Tell You

The conversation you never want to have with your bedmate

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Whaddaya Looking At?

Mafia hitman deals with his inner child.Next week, on The Sopranos

(Warning: Some adult language.)

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You Wanna Piece of Me?

Gaylord Focker could learn a lot from this guy

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The Office

Looks like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays.By the way, that guy looks a lot like Steve Carell

(Warning: Some adult language.)

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The Terminal

OK, this cilp doesn’t have Tom Hanks or Catherine Zeta-Jones.But it does have a lot of screaming Asians with guns

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When are jokes more than words?Brad Garrett is best known for his Emmy-winning role as Ray Romano's older brother on Everybody Loves Raymond.Garrett is also a successful stand-up comic whose comedic style is much edgier than the comedy featured on Raymond

As the MC of the Card Player's Player of the Year Awards, Garrett unleashed a barrage of jokes that were as controversial as they were funny.Below is a sample of some of Garret's best zingers from the award ceremony:[Editor's warning:Some of these jokes contain offensive language.]

Garrett's jokes about race and sex

Scotty and Men Nguyen"Is that Scotty?Oh wait that's Men the Master, I can't fucking tell.Last name is the same... I see... anyway, try to have the shirts back by Wednesday."Amir Vahedi"Amir Vahedi is here ladies and gentlemen.How have you been?I haven't seen you since flight school."(Garrett does an exaggerated Arabic accent) "Racial profiling! Racial profiling!"(Garrett reverts back to his normal voice)"Bah.Get some curly shoes and chill...""Come on, get on the carpet, fly around the room." (Two hecklers shouted: "I don't think so!")"I don't think so?Wow, you're a great fucking heckler."Phil Ivey"What's with Phil Ivey's eyes darting around?What's going on?It's from all the years in the big house."(Garret does an impression of a coked-out prisoner and makes a stabbing motion with his hands) "I'll stick you motherfucker!"Doyle and Todd Brunson"Hey, the Civil War called, they found your diary.Wait wait.He knows I'm kidding.I just heard him in the back go 'fucking Jew!'""Am I right, am I right?All the cowboys hate the Jews...""Doyle is a great man.But how do you explain Todd?That apple fell into a different orchard.""Todd Brunsun is here tonight.I want to thank him for blowing off the Klan meeting and making the time.""He's here because all the hardware stores are out of rope."Jennifer Tilly"Some look at her and see an Academy Award-nominated actress.Some look at her and see a great player.I look at her and remember to buy milk."Jennifer Harmon"Beautiful Jennifer Harmon is here.I'd fucker her."Barry Greenstein"Barry Greenstein is here.A member of my tribe.We all know he plays for Charity.Charity works the 8 to 11 shift for the Spearmint Rhino."

Jokes about individual poker players

Mike Matusow"Mike was nominated tonight. . . which proves Darwin didn't know shit."Phil Hellmuth"We considered having the show outside so Phil can bring his ego."Greg Raymer"When he says all in, he means the buffet."

Do Garrett's jokes cross into hate speech?

Garrett's jokes come at a time when Muslims around the world are protesting, sometimes violently, over a series of Danish newspaper cartoons satirizing the Prophet Muhammad

The strong Muslim reaction begs the question:Should humor ever be censored out of respect for racial and cultural sensitivity?Undoubtedly, there are instances where racial or religious humor can be so destructive that they cross into hate speech.However, the line separating good satire and hate speech is not always clear.Many factors have to be examined, including the context in which the jokes were delivered and the motivation behind the statements.

Taking Garrett's jokes in context

The Player of the Year Awards was an intimate gathering among old friends.The award ceremony was not televised and the guest list was limited to the top poker players and industry insiders.Most of the attendees have known each other for years, and many of them have formed long-time friendships and rivalries

It is no secret that when poker players gather at the tables, they can be some of the most foul-mouthed jokers in the world.From the penny-ante home games to the pro ring games, you can hear poker players trading shockingly un-PC barbs on a regular basis

Insults are a way to relieve tension and tilt your opponents.Like the towel snaps in locker rooms, insults are also a macho way to show affection.It is part of our culture.It is part of the game

Garrett, a long-time poker player who frequently attends poker tournaments, understands that part of poker culture.He knows he was not just hosting an awards show, but also a roast of sorts.When Garrett took aim at the poker players, it was similar to college buddies ripping each other with inside jokes

The fact that Garrett's material absolutely killed is a good indication that the poker players were not offended by the material.Garrett was heckled only once, when he asked Amir Vahedi to fly around the room on a carpet.Even during that joke, "Amir was laughing right along with [Garrett]," observed Daniel Negreanu in his blog

It is clear that Garrett's jokes were delivered in the spirit of inclusion and not exclusion

Flemming Rose, the Danish newspaper editor who first published the Prophet Muhammad cartoons, defended his controversial move in a recent editorial.His explanation is quite applicable here:"[The Danish] have a tradition of satire when dealing with the royal family and other public figures, and that was reflected in the cartoons. The cartoonists treated Islam the same way they treat Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. And by treating Muslims in Denmark as equals they made a point: We are integrating you into the Danish tradition of satire because you are part of our society, not strangers. The cartoons are including, rather than excluding, Muslims."

Garrett is no bigot

If Garrett is some kind of bigot, he must be hiding it really, really well

How else could one explain the fact that he has opened shows for Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Julio Iglesias.In 1995, Garrett even played a gay lawyer on the short-lived TV show The Pursuit of Happiness

I've ran into Garrett during some media functions.While we never had any long conversations, I never got the sense that he was in any way a jerk in real life

The only "skeleton" in Garrett's closet is the widespread rumor that he is banned from the Tonight Show for telling an inappropraite joke.But even that joke is fairly tame by today's standards: "I was doing this bit about my size because I'm a large guy and Tommy Newsom is tiny," said Garrett. "He started laughing and I started riffing with the band, and I told Tommy Newsom I had sperm bigger than him. Carson liked it, but the booker had a lot of power and he said, 'I told you not to tell it.' I went, 'Well, it killed.' He said, 'It may have killed, but I told you not to do it' and he was right."It is possible that people give Garrett less leeway on his edgier material because of his popular role on a family-oriented show.As Garrett explained:"I work very loose in my act. I'm improv-oriented. I work a lot with the audience... I have a strong PG-13 show. If you're looking for Robert from Raymond it's not the show for you. It's not blue, in any sense, but it is a little edgier. I'm grateful people like Robert... but my stand-up persona couldn't be further from who Robert is."It seems Garrett is eager to distance his improv persona from his TV character.Based on the arsenal he unveiled at the POY awards, I would say his mission is definitely accomplished

In this brave new world known as the 21st century, the Sexual Revolution, like the Civil War, has long been over; brother versus brother… errr … or rather, sister versus brother caused many a metaphorical bloodshed.And from the ashes of this war, women have proven themselves as equals in everything that men can do.And sometimes, according to some feminists, women aren’t just equals, they can do things even better than men.But, the truth is that men and women are not equal.Evolution has made the two sexes distinct in their own way.And sometimes, these distinctions can actually give one sex an advantage in the most unlikely of places: Poker

Part of the game of poker is the ability to infer if your hand is better than your opponents.These inferences can be made based on your ability to “read” your opponent.Reading an opponent means that you are able to interpret your opponents’ reactions when they initially see their cards.A player who can effectively read his/her opponents’ facial reactions can easily outplay their opponents.And in this sense women were just born to play the game

Though feminists wish us to believe that women and men are all created equal, evolutionary biologists would have to disagree.Dr. Ruben Gur, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania in a television special entitled Exploring Your Brain (WETA, Washington D.C.) stated that women, through the pressures of evolution throughout the eons, have had to live in female nursing groups and have thus become more adapt at non-verbal communications. Thus, women are able to “read” facial expressions faster and more correctly than men do.Other researchers concur, such as Judee K. Burgoon, a professor of Communication at the University of Tucson, who wrote in her book Nonverbal Communication: The Unspoken Dialogue (1989), “[n]ot surprisingly, women have a general superiority over men when it comes to decoding facial expressions.”Thus, women are just faster and more adapt at correctly reading facial expressions.And if a woman applies this innate ability to interpret facial expressions to the poker table, then she will be able to “read” her opponents’ hands effectively, and win more than her share of poker hands

Furthermore, evolution has made women better listeners.Dr. Ruben Gur’s research has revealed that women’s singular gyrus, a more recently evolved region of the brain, is more developed than those of men.The singular gyrus is adjacent to the language area of the brain.What this means is that women deal with and can interpret emotions more effectively through speech.While on the other hand, men’s older limbic region is more developed than women’s.This interprets to the fact that men deal with their emotions through more primitive reactions, such as “flight or fight.”At the poker table, this translates to a female player’s ability to interpret what their male opponents are saying about their cards and, again, “read” her opponents properly and effectively

In conclusion, the Sexual Revolution may have been long over, but the winning side isn’t the one you think … at least, not when it comes to the poker table

Why did Mike Sexton host a cocktail reception for Party Poker players at a swanky West Hollwood resturant?It was a good PR move by Party Poker, of course, to have its top spokesperson schmooze with its customers

More importantly, it was also good market research.During the reception, Sexton and other Party Poker personnel asked their customers that all-important question:What do you want from an online poker room?Onlinepokercenter reporter Will Chen attended the reception, and listened in as Sexton asked the players for tips on how to improve their online poker experiece.

Who is the typical online poker player?

The first step towards finding out what online poker players want is figuring out who they are

People generally think of online gamers as geeky students whose idea of “going out” is leaving their dorm room to microwave a couple of Hot Pockets

As it turned out, such stereotypes are woefully inacurrate.The players in attendance were mostly Yuppie hipsters who look more comfortable at Frasier’s dinner party than at an online gamer’s convention

While the players came from diverse ethnic backgrounds, they are mostly young professionals who are very successful in their respective fields.Here is a sample of some of the players I interviewed at the reception:

Nikita, a young entrepreneur who owns his own jewelry business in Colorado.

Dave, a recently married paralegal with good taste in wine.

Wendy and her husband, newlyweds who both worked for the same prestigious investment banking firm.

Armin, a filmmaker working on bringing his script to the silver screen.

Dawn, a movie producer who also moonlights as a poker tutor and event planner (you can find Dawn’s services at LearnBasicHoldem.com).

Sexton was not surprised by this young, successful group of players

“Poker is a mainstream game [now] and I think any competitive, fun-loving person can appreciate online poker,” said Sexton

“I had a great time meeting our players and I hope they enjoyed themselves as well.”

What do players want from their online poker room?

Entertained by Sexton and liquored up by the free drinks, the players spoke freely about how Party Poker could be improved

Better depositing and withdrawing methodsOne of the most common complaints among players is the lack of mainstream funding options like credit cards and PayPal

“The whole depositing and withdrawing mechanism can get confusing,” said Wendy.“It took us way too much time to get our money out of Party Poker.”When asked whether they have tried Party Poker’s direct echecks deposit, some players expressed misgivings about this option

“I’m not thrilled about giving Party Poker my checking account number,” explained Dave

Incredibly bad beatsNo gathering of poker players would be complete without some bad beat stories

“There are too many card chasers on Party Poker,” said Nikita, who got tired of people beating his made hands with one-in-fifty-two miracle draws.“You can play smart for hours and lose a ton of money to one idiot who doesn’t know what he is doing.”“Now I mainly play live games where the variance is more acceptable,” said Nikita

Fear of hackers and robots

Most players at the reception believe Party Poker makes so much money from legitimate rake fees that there is little incentive for Party to cheat its players

However, hackers and robots remain a big concern among players

“I have complete faith that Party Poker is a legitimate company,” said Dawn, who once considered online poker as an additional source of income.“What I am wary of are the hackers and other players that are trying to manipulate the system.”“I think there will always be hackers capable of staying one step ahead of the system,” Dawn explained.“I used to put thousands of dollars in [Party Poker], but not anymore… now I just play smaller stakes for fun.”

Party Poker officials respond to players’ concerns

Party Poker representatives Daniel Wexler (Promotions Manager) and Michael Sebour (General Manager of Gaming) also mingled with the players and listened to their suggestions

“I listen to customers talk about security, convenience, and [game] variety …and I tell them we are leaders in all those areas,” said Wexler. Wexler assured players that Party Poker’s tables are monitored by top security teams, and explained that sustained cheating on Party Poker is “virtually impossible.”In response to funding option complaints, Wexler admitted that Party Poker can do a better job of educating players about the safety and convenience of the lesser-known funding options

Sebour, on the other hand, focused on the success of Party Poker’s recent rollout of blackjack and side bet games

“The new games are definitely well received,” said Sebour.“We think they help retain player interest and keep them coming back to Party.”As expected, Wexler and Sebour were tight-lipped about PartyGaming’s recent split with its biggest affiliate, Empire Poker

“No comment,” said Sebour in response to a question about the impact of the Party-Empire split.“Today, our focus in on finding better ways to retain our customers.”Coming next issue:Exclusive interviews with Mike Sexton and more excerpts from our conversations with Party players Dawn and Armin

World Series of Poker (WSOP) media director Nolan Dalla provides Online Poker Center with a riveting account of the final table action at the 2006 Ballys Paris WSOP tournament

Kido Pham dominated the final table action, busting out nearly the entire final table.He took out Scotty Nguyen, Lee Watkinson, Doug Lee, J.C. Tran, and John Smith

While Pham didn’t deliver the death blow to reigning WSOP champion Joe Hachem, he did cripple Hachem by beating him in one of the most memorable hands in 2005

Kido Pham wins first major tournament with stunning upset

One single poker hand can change a life.One poker hand can create a new star out of someone previously unknown.One poker hand can validate a deeply personal decision made years earlier, against the well-intended advice of parents and peers

One poker hand can be riveting to behold, and even more extraordinary to analyze. The poker hand of all poker hands took place precisely at 4:20 pm PST on a Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas.The loser of the hand was destined to walk away shell shocked in frustration as the fifth-place finisher

The winner of the hand was to ultimately soar to victory in the World Series of Poker Circuit championship held at Ballys-Paris — an event which will be nationally televised later by ESPN.The hand essentially cost one player $352,000

It was — the hand of the year

This final table promised to be a crowd-pleaser.Two World Series of Poker champions, including the reigning world champ Joe Hachem (chip leader) were present, in addition to former WSOP Circuit winners — Doug Lee and J.C. Tran.High-limit cash game player, Minh Ly was eliminated as the 9th-place finisher on the previous day

Things started off horribly for Doug Lee.If the young Canadian remembers anything from his all-too-brief ten-minute stay at the final table, it will be the terrible curse of the King-Deuce

Lee’s first tough beat occurred when he moved all-in with two pair (Kings and Deuces) when the flop showed K-8-2.J.C. Tran called with A-5 of clubs.On the turn he caught a fifth club to make a flush

Lee failed to catch one of four remaining ‘outs’ on the river and lost the 120,000 pot

Three hands later, it was deja vu all over again.Lee moved all in holding K-2 after the flop showed K-Q-9.John Smith practically beat Lee into the pot with his chips.Smith had Jack-Ten and had flopped the stone-cold nuts with a straight

Lee failed to improve and staggered away from the final table as the 8th-place finisher.Doug Lee, the winner of the WSOP Circuit championship held at the Rio Las Vegas last February, failed to become the first player to ever win two WSOP Circuit championships.Eighth place paid $50,384

The next big hand electrified the standing-room only crowd and would be a pre-curser of the excitement to come

J.C. Tran escaped final table death when he was dealt pocket Jacks and found himself drawing to only two outs when he was all-in against Kido Pham.Tran stood up preparing to exit while staring at the turn in desperation, which showed A-K-6-4.Pham (holding A-4) had two pair — aces and fours

Just when it looked as if Pham would be the next player out, the earth shook and a merry Jack rained down on the river, giving salvation to Tran.Those same Jacks would later apologize in a very big way to Kido Pham.For the moment, J.C. Tran moved into second-place behind the chip-leader, Joe Hachem

A few hands later, Steve Hudak would not be so lucky.He was dealt pocket Queens and moved his last 50,000 into the pot when the flop showed A-9-2, with three spades.Hudak had the Queen of spades and also had several outs.But Joe Hachem was the slight favorite with A-8 (no spades)

Two blanks sealed Hudak’s fate — a 7th place finish.Hudak, who finished as the runner-up in the Pot-Limit championship at this year’s WSOP, added $62,980 to his poker bankroll

John Smith was short-stacked and moved his last 40,000 into the pot with A-6.It was a case of bad timing.Kido Pham called instantly and flipped over A-K.Neither player made a pair and the Ace-King played giving Pham another big pot.John Smith, a highway contractor from Southern California hit the road with $75,576 for 6th place.

The most exciting poker hand in years

Then came — the hand

What followed next was a bombshell or an abomination, depending upon one’s perspective.The hand clearly demonstrates that poker tournaments can be either won or lost within seconds

It all started when 2005 world poker champion Joe Hachem was dealt pocket Kings.After J.C. Tran made an initial 18,000 raise, Kido Pham re-raised another 50,000.Hachem must have thought he was in final table heaven.Pondering his move, Hachem re-raised again up to 150,000.Tran immediately folded and Pham moved over the top with an all-in re-raise, for 157,000 more

Hachem later admitted that he feared his opponent having pocket Aces.But there was no way to lay down the big hand.Hachem called and Pham knew immediately he had made the wrong move at the wrong time.Pham sheepishly showed J-10, a huge underdog to Hachem’s powerhouse K-K.With 650,000 in the pot at stake (about half of the chips in play), it was to be the turning point of the final table

“I didn’t want to play a big pot,” Hachem said later.“But I made the right read and was the leader by a mile.”When three cards fell on the flop, the second floor of the Ballys Casino was rocked to its foundation.It took a few seconds for Hachem’s eyes to focus on the horror he was about to confront

Wham!J-J-2 (trip Jacks) twisted Pham from a big dog into a huge favorite and put the pocket Kings into a meat grinder

In an instant that will certainly haunt Hachem for some time, the Australian’s dreams of winning his second WSOP title were demolished.Hachem failed to catch one of two remaining Kings and was left with just 40,000 in chips.The damage has clearly been done.Hachem looked like he had been hit in the stomach with a sledgehammer

But poker champions never go out without a fight.Hachem managed to win one more pot and doubled-up to nearly 100,000 before finally running out of steam.He was dealt K-8 in the small blind and moved all-in hoping to steal a round of blinds and antes.Unfortunately, Lee Watkinson was sitting in the big blind with pocket Nines.He called the raise.A Nine on the flop effectively ended any hope of Hachem making a dramatic comeback

The reigning world poker champion walked away to a standing ovation from the crowd.Perhaps more importantly, he proved the $7.5 million win back in July was no fluke.With this impressive performance, Joe Hachem demonstrated he is a serious contender in any event he enters.Fifth-place paid. $88,172

“I came here wanting to avoid making any mistakes,” Hachem said in a post-tournament interview.“The fact is — I didn’t make a mistake.I’m proud of the way I played in this tournament, although it is very painful not to win.”When asked which emotion is more powerful in poker — joy or despair, Hachem was candid.“Despair is more powerful,” Hachem admitted.“It’s great to win, but it takes some time to get over losing.But that’s poker — you have to get over the tough beats.”

Pham, Tran, Watkinson, Nguyen at the final table

Down to four players, Kido Pham enjoyed a sizable chip advantage.He had 650,000.J.C. Tran had 280,000.Lee Watkinson had 170,000.Meanwhile, Scotty Nguyen was on life-support

Down to about 75,000, Nguyen found a playable hand with A-J and moved all-in.Kido Pham could not have been more delighted to call the raise, holding pocket Kings.This time, the normally formidable cowboys held up, and Pham dragged the last chip from Nguyen’s stack

Scotty Nguyen, the 1998 world poker champion and official host of this tournament on behalf of Harrah’s Entertainment was in top form at this final table.But the $100,768 in prize money was bittersweet

“Second, third, fourth — it’s all disappointing,” Nguyen said afterward.“First place is what it’s all about.Money is good.But there’s nothing like first-place, baby.”During his five hours spent at the final table, Lee Watkinson had been the stealth player.While other players openly talked, laughed, and cheered for themselves and each other, Watkinson sat stoically, rarely showing any emotion.Down to his last 100,000 in chips, Watkinson was dealt K-Q.He raised and was called by Kido Pham.The flop, K-K-5, was a thing of beauty to Watkinson

Unfortunately, there was danger on the horizon as two clubs were on board.Watkinson moved all-in.Kido Pham had more than enough chips to call the raise and did so with J-9 of clubs.Watkinson’s advantage was short-lived.A club on the turn brought a scowl to the emotionally-detached Watkinson.Hoping to see the board pair, all Watkinson could do was watch hopelessly as another club fell in the river.Third-place paid $138,556

Lee Watkins has enjoyed a stellar year in tournament poker that any other player would envy.He has won well in excess of a million dollars with two second-place finishes, netting over $500,000 each time.Despite financial success, Watkinson has not fared so well in tournament victories.This would prove to be another impressive showing, but less than satisfying conclusion for the poker pro from Washington State

That said — in stark contrast to Scotty Nguyen, Watkinson had a different view of his finish.“I really can’t be disappointed with this,” Watkinson said.“I was low in chips from the start and never had a big hand.I’ll take one of the top three spots (finishes) anytime I can get it.”It would be an all-Vietnamese finale.Heads-up play began with Kido Pham (894,000) holding a 2 to 1 chip lead over J.C. Tran (446,000).The two finalists played for about 20 minutes before the relatively uneventful ending

On the final hand of the tournament, Pham was dealt A-8.Tran was dealt K-8.The flop came A-K-6.Pham bet out with top pair and Tran called with second pair.When a Queen fell on the turn Pham moved all-in.Tran thought for six long minutes before announcing “call.”Everyone in the audience rose to their feet and when Tran saw Pham’s Ace, he realized the end was only seconds away.A harmless Jack fell on the river, sealing the victory for Pham.J.C. Tran, decked out in his trademark Sacramento Kings (NBA) hat and jersey, slam dunked second place — good for $251,920.

Pham: “Whatever happens… I’m a winner.”

If anyone deserved to catch a few breaks and get lucky, it was Thang ‘Kido’ Pham.His personal odyssey is one of compassion and inspiration.At the age of eight, Pham fled his native Vietnam on a wooden boat and drifted out into the South China Sea.He and his family evacuated his war-torn homeland with all of their possessions tucked inside a few knapsacks.Pham’s family eventually arrived in the United States and settled down in Dallas

Pham later married and now has two children — ages 2 and 4.One of his children is autistic and has special needs.“I could not make it this far in my life without my wife,” Pham said.“I owe everything to her.This (win) is for her.”When he started to take poker seriously, his family expressed their reservations about gambling.But Pham believed in himself and his talent.He studied and started playing in poker tournaments.Pham cashed in two major tournaments earlier this year, but this win marked his biggest win ever.First-place paid $453,456

“My nickname is ‘freeroll,’ Pham said.(The reason is because) everything for me has been a freeroll in my life.I came here and am freerolling.When I left my home country, there was shooting and was very lucky to survive.Now, I can play poker and nothing affects me because whatever happens — I’m a winner.”When asked about the hand against Hachem, Pham was brutally sincere.“I played the hand very badly,” Pham admitted.“That was very lucky.I had already committed half of my chips, so I tried to steal the pot… I caught a lot of cards today.I think after what I have been through (in my life), I deserve to get a break.”Who could possibly disagree?

2006 Ballys Paris WSOP Championship Results

1. Thang ‘Kido’ PhamDallas, TX$453,456
2. J. C. TranSacramento, CA251,920
3. Lee WatkinsonVancouver, WA 138,556
4. Scotty NguyenHenderson, NV100,768
5. Joseph HachemMelbourne, Australia88,172
6. John SmithLa Habra Heights, CA75,576
7. Steven Hudak Las Vegas, NV62,980
8. Doug Lee Calgary, Alberta50,384
9. Minh LyLas Vegas, NV37,788

“Most of the time if I thought I was ahead, even with just a slight positive expectation, I should push hard.Be aggressive, take advantage of other players’ tightness.”— Esteban Soto on his World Series of Poker strategy

Esteban got an unique behind-the-scenes look at the WSOP.Photo by Andrew LeoLike Matt Damon in Rounders, Esteban Soto is a law school student dreaming of taking the World Series of Poker (WSOP) by storm

With only a year and a half of experience playing poker online and in home games, Esteban fulfilled his dream in 2005 and bought into two $1,500 No Limit Hold’em WSOP events (events 16 & 22)

Lest you think the $1,500 tournaments are the minor leagues, know that pros like Phil Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Minh Nguyen, Annie Duke, and Ted Lawson all participated in those events

As a first timer at the WSOP, Esteban gained invaluable insights on how to play against the pros, how to avoid common rookie mistakes, and how online poker can prepare you for the WSOP.We thank him for sharing his insights in the following interview with Online Poker Center (OPC):

World Series of Poker Experience, Advice, and Memorable Moments

Rookie Mistakes to Avoid at the World Series of Poker

Can Online Poker Prepare you for the World Series of Poker?

Esteban’s Thoughts on Turning Pro, Poker History, and the Tour

World Series of Poker Experience, Advice and Memorable Moments

ESPN’s ubiquitous coverage of the WSOPgenerated massive interest in poker.Photo by Andrew LeoOPC:What inspired you to compete in the WSOP?Esteban:Like a lot of people, I started watching the poker shows on TV and got hooked.After that, it became a small dream of mine to play in the WSOP

Once I figured out you didn’t have to play in a $10,000 event, once I found events where the buy-in was lower, where you can play for $1,500, then I thought it was a good opportunity for me to take a weekend off from work and have my own little WSOP experience

OPC:How many live tournaments have you played in before you attended the WSOP?Esteban:Not many.When I was in college, during my senior year I went to Atlantic City once and played some no limit.Did awful.In January, I played in one live event.But other than that I haven’t participated in any other live tournaments

So it was all pretty new to me when I went to the WSOP

OPC:What was the most surprising thing about the WSOP?Esteban:The sheer number of people.There were over 2,000 people at my event.There are all these big time high profile players walking around like normal people

I walked into the Bellagio the first day and Johnny Chan walks right by me.And later Phil Ivey walks up right next to me.So you see all these players and many of them are really accessible like normal people

OPC:When you play against professional players do you play differently?How do you handle them?Esteban:I think you have to not be intimidated.At the same time, you kind of have to know your own skill level and give them more respect

If I got into a hand with a professional, I tried to limit the post-flop decisions I would have.I try to make the good decisions preflop and stay away from post-flop decisions.I figure they are much more experienced and better players post flop

So I tried to limit the marginal decisions I had to make, and limit my moves to before the flop

OPC:What advice would you give novices attending the WSOP for the first time?Esteban:Just go for it!Don’t be intimidated.You can see that almost anyone can win.In preparation, play as many hands as you can, play as many tournaments online as you can.Read and study up on the game.Read as many books as you can and go for it

OPC:Which books do you recommend?Esteban:Lots of 2+2 books.Harrington on Hold’em is probably the best tournament poker book that I’ve read.Small Stakes Hold’em is really good.They have a great poker library

I also have Super System and Phil Hellmuth’s book.But for a lot of the limit stuff, 2+2 is really good

OPC:What are some of your most memorable moments at the World Series?Esteban:During the shootout tournament, in a one-hour timeframe I got pocket Aces or Kings six times.I never had a rush of cards like that before.I didn’t want to admit to anyone at the time

It got a little frustrating.Because every time I was getting these great cards I was under the gun or one off the end in a very early position.I never got called preflop.I don’t know if I was being too obvious or I have some tell that I don’t know about

I was amazed that I got so many great cards and was frustrated that if I had been in a better position I could’ve capitalized on that

That’s my story.I went to the world series, got Aces and Kings six times in an hour, and didn’t win it. Return to top

Rookie Mistakes to Avoid at the World Series of Poker

OPC:As a first timer at the WSOP, did you make any rookie mistakes?Esteban:Yes, during my first hand

Esteban competed against proslike Annie Duke in the$1,500 tournaments.Photo by Andrew LeoOPC:So what exactly was the rookie mistake you made?Esteban During my first hand, I am under the gun, one off the big blind.I get pocket Kings

OPC:Just like in Rounders with Mike and KGB

Esteban:Yeah.So I wanted to put in a raise.I go to raise. The blinds are around 25.I raised for $100 by putting in $100 in chips.But I didn’t know you had to verbally announce your raise.I didn’t think of that

In my inexperience, I was just so excited, I just threw in the chips and the dealer said “Just a call.”And 3 people limped in behind me, and I thought, “Oh no this is horrible.” I have pocket Kings, out of position, I don’t really want 3 to 4 people seeing a cheap flop.No one raised so I didn’t get a chance to reraise.The flop comes down Queen high, two hearts

I bet out.You know Matt Dean, he finished in the final table in the main event in 2004… well, he was at my table.He reraised me.We got into a raising war and he went all in

All that’s going through my mind was “My god this is the first hand and you’re going to bust out because you made a mistake!”So I ended up folding.I read he was strong, but basically I just didn’t want to bust out on the first hand.Looking back, I think I’m not good enough to be folding Kings on a Queen high board

OPC:Do you think he was bullying you?Esteban:I read him as strong.Since he limped in to a multi-handed pot, I figured he could have anything.I basically didn’t want to go broke with the blinds so low, the pot was still small, and I still had a lot of chips left to play with

I noticed the professionals who sat down at the tables played a lot more aggressive than the amateur players

I got the sense he was strong, but he could’ve been strong with KQ or maybe a pair and a flush draw or a big draw.Unfortunately I didn’t know what he had

OPC:A lot of people would’ve done the same and lay down their hand.You don’t want to bust out on the first hand

Esteban:I don’t know if that is the best rationale, because you don’t want to get broke.But I didn’t want to pay $1,500 and… it wasn’t just because I didn’t want to bust out.I didn’t want to lose because of my inexperience, because I made a mistake, because I didn’t raise the pot.I didn’t want to lose to some crappy two pair

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Can Online Poker Prepare you for the World Series of Poker?

OPC:Which WSOP event do you recommend for first time online players?Esteban:Event 16 is a shootout tournament that resembles the sit-and-go tournaments you play online.In a shootout, you play at one table and the winner of that table goes on to the final table.I had played a lot of single tournament online, so I felt comfortable playing in Event 16

[Editor’s note:Event 16 is a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold’em shootout tournament.]OPC:What’s the main difference between online tournaments and live tournaments at the WSOP?Esteban:The one thing about live games is that it is a lot tighter than the Internet.I kind of tightened up my game a lot, to a point where I think it was a hindrance to me.So that was a big issue for me

I tried to overcome my nerves, become more aggressive, take risks.Most of the time if I thought I was ahead, even with just a slight positive expectation, I should push hard.Be aggressive, take advantage of other players’ tightness

OPC:Did your online experience adequately prepare you for the World Series?Esteban:I don’t know about adequately. I’ll say I evolved much faster as a player online than I did the 6 or 7 months before then when I was just playing in home games

Just by virtue of the volume of hands you get online, you get serious much faster

You can play tournaments at all times of the day online.I think it helped me evolved as a player much faster.I don’t know if it prepared me to play against top-notched players but online poker rooms definitely gives you a greater level of experience a lot faster

OPC:Which online poker rooms do you play in?Esteban:Oh, I play at all of them.Mostly at Party and PokerStars, but I have an account at just basically every one

OPC:Do you play at all of them to get the bonuses?Esteban:Yeah, when you don’t have a job and you’re trying to build up your bankroll, the bonuses are crucial to building up the bankroll

OPC:How long have you been playing online or in real life?Esteban:I just started playing poker maybe a year and half ago.I’ve been playing about a year online

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Esteban’s Thoughts on Turning Pro, Poker History, and the Tour

OPC:Have you ever considered going pro yourself?Esteban:I’ve heard professionals asked this question, people asking them whether young people should go pro.And they answer that it is a great part time job, but it is a lousy profession unless you’re one of the top players

I’d be very insecure not having that steady source of income.I’d just get burnt out if I have to play everyday, if I have to play 6-7 hours a day multi-tables online

Poker is fun for me now and I want to keep it that way.If I play professionally I’d probably get sick of it before too long.The security of having a real job, and keeping poker fun and in perspective is the way to go

Unless of course I win the next world series and then maybe…OPC:Do you consider poker a professional sport?Esteban:I don’t think of it as a sport, as compared to basketball or other athletic events.It is a game.I don’t understand why there is a rush to discredit it by not calling it a sport

I don’t consider it a sport, but at the same time it is a game that is challenging and a very intriguing, complex game.And it is as hard to master probably, as it is to be a top-notch player in an athletic event

OPC:You grew up around the Houston area.Do you think there’s something quintessentially “Texan” about Texas Hold’em?

Doyle Brunson: Poker icon.Photo by Andrew LeoEsteban:A lot of the great old time players like Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim are from Texas.TJ Cloutier played a lot of poker in Texas.You just envision the stereotypical poker player to be from Texas, you know, a cowboy.There hasn’t been a great Hold’em champion from Texas for a while, though

OPC:Who is your favorite player on the circuit?Esteban:Gus Hansen or John Juanda.It is fun to watch Gus Hansen play.You kinda envision yourself wanting to play like him.John Juanda, probably because of the way he carries himself.He looks like a great guy and a good player

OPC:If you can play poker against any historical figure, who would it be?Esteban:Whoever is the worst poker player in history, I’ll take him

OPC:Are your friends afraid of playing poker with you now that you have some WSOP experience under your belt?Esteban:(Chuckles)After they see my results, I don’t know.The great thing about my home tournaments is that there aren’t that many serious poker players there.I can take advantage of that.I think they already respect my game, though

Maybe I’ll throw in a couple of World Series of Poker stories to intimidate them a little bit more

“Yeah, in my first table I had David Sklansky sitting behind my back.I could’ve touched his shoulder… David Williams was at another table close by.Chip Reese was three tables down.”— Adrian Gavile on his 2005 World Series of Poker experience

Adrian Gavile is a University of South Florida student by day and a semi-professional poker player by night

For the last three years, Adrian has made most of his discretionary income through online poker.Adrian took his poker career to another level six months ago by winning an entry to the 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Championship event through a PokerStars freeroll tournament. In an exclusive interview with Online Poker Center (OPC), Adrian shared with us his exciting experiences at the 2005 WSOP, his advice on online poker rooms, and his description of what it was like playing against pros like Chip Reese, Paul McGrill, and Scott Fischman

Adrian’s experiences at the World Series of Poker

Adrian’s advice and insight about the World Series of Poker

Adrian on online poker and his PokerStars entry

Adrian’s memorable hands at the World Series of Poker

Final thoughts and acknowledgements

World Series of Poker Experience

OPC:What inspired you to compete at the WSOP?Adrian:Just watching it on TV really got me excited.I’m very competitive by nature

I wouldn’t mind playing in a WPT event, but the WSOP has the most tradition and history behind it, so it is the one I most wanted to play in

OPC:This was your first WSOP tournament.Were you nervous when you sat down at your first table?Adrian:Right away I was extremely nervous, because there were a few players at my table that had a lot of people taking pictures of them

I had Paul McGrill (X22) at my first table.He was on the WPT season one

As well as Joseph Grech, who recently went heads up against Tony Ma at a Bellagio Mirage showdown event; and some London pros and a self-made millionaire guy who has been playing since the 80s

My first table was very tough; ten thousand was nothing to them. I was very nervous because there were only two other players at the table who were online amateurs like myself.But after the first table I calmed down quite a bit.I was playing much tighter than I usually do

OPC:Were you in awe of seeing pros like Chris Ferguson or Doyle Brunson walking around?Adrian:Yeah, in my first table I had David Sklansky sitting behind my back.I could’ve touched his shoulder.Mimi Rogers was at a table adjacent to mine where I could see her pretty clearly.David Williams was at another table close by.Chip Reese was three tables down

I ended up playing with Chip Reese for a few hands.It was only for a few hands, the table was playing pretty tight.But he was very impressive.He was quite an intimidating presence at the table

OPC:With so many famous players around, there must’ve been a lot of railbirds (spectators).Were they a distraction for you?Adrian:Most of the time I was focusing on the game, even when I wasn’t in a hand I was watching the other players.But when I was out of a hand, like when I need to stretch or go to the bathroom, I would look around and see people taking pictures.It was kind of surreal.It was good to be in that moment.It was something to remember

OPC:Were there any weak players in the field?Adrian:Yes, there were.There were a few at my table and I tried to take advantage of them.A lot of the other pros also identified them and took advantage of them as well

When the blinds were 25-50, this online guy under the gun would go all in for $9,000.He did that once or twice at our table.Everyone was like “What the heck is he doing?”OPC:Did you visit the poker lifestyle show?Adrian:Yes, I checked it out

OPC:Did anything there catch your eye?Adrian:Definitely the free stuff.We picked up so many free shirts, free hats, mouse pads, card protectors, decks of cards that websites were giving out.I ended up giving all that stuff away at my poker game this past Saturday.We cleaned up.It was neat seeing an entire convention center dedicated to poker

OPC:How high did you place?Adrian:Approximately 1200th (out of 5,619 players)–I got knocked out the middle to the end of the second day

World Series of Poker Advice and Insight

OPC:Did you get any advice from friends before the tournament?Adrian:Not really.Not before the tournament.I did talk to a couple of friends after the first day and I told them I was playing kind of tight, that I had a fear of losing, which doesn’t really help you in poker

They told me to play my normal aggressive game that they know I play.I had to put others to the test

OPC:Are there any must-read books for the tournament player?Adrian:Specifically for Hold’em tournaments, I would recommend Dan Harrington’s book on No Limit Hold’em 1&2.Those are by far the best

OPC:Even though you won your entry for free, the value of the entry is $10,000.That’s a lot of money.How do you deal with the stress?Adrian:It was tough.The first day of the tournament started at 11:00 am and ended at 2:30 am [the next morning].At 11:00 pm I got a huge headache, like one I’ve never felt before, from the stress of thinking about different things

I focused on trying to make it to the next round, making it to the break, or end of the day.I tried not to think too much about the big picture; just tried to control what’s going on at the table—that’s the only thing I can control

OPC:Is your strategy for the WSOP different from the way you play your regular home or online games?Adrian:I had planned on not changing my strategy, but at that first table, I tightened up a lot more than I usually play.Every pot was raised and I really had to work hard at the first table for the first six to eight hours

The only pots I did win, I think it was two pots, were very small.So I couldn’t really build any momentum

But when I got to the end of the first day and I played more, I played more aggressive

OPC:What would you do differently next time?Adrian:That first table really messed me up because they were very aggressive and good players.Next year I want to be more aggressive and get more involved while the blinds are still low.Take more advantage of the dead money that’s out there

I didn’t do too much of that at my first table, which left me short stacked.And I played pretty much all-in poker after that, which doesn’t give you a lot of play post flop.Next time I will be more aggressive and less tight, less passive

OPC:Would you recommend your friends to sign up for the WSOP?How much experience should a player have before going to the big dance?Adrian:It really depends.I recommend it to anyone playing the game, even newcomers.But if they want a legitimate chance, they should put in the hours and study the books, play online, play live

Online Poker and the World Series of Poker

OPC:How much do you make playing online?Adrian:I pretty much make all my money for going out and spending through poker. OPC:How long have you been playing online?Adrian:Approximately three years or so

OPC:You won your WSOP entry through PokerStars.Can you tell us a bit about that?Adrian:The night that I won, I was actually playing in a cash tournament and I got knocked out early

To blow off some steam, I played in a freeroll tournament PokerStars and the prize of the tournament was a WSOP entry.(Editor’s note:PokerStars award freeroll tournaments to its frequent players.)I kept going further and further.Next thing I know I was at the final table with the shortest stack.I was at the table with Scott Fischman; he was sitting to my left.I ended up knocking him out.I doubled up on the chip leader in one of the hands and that propelled me to win the whole thing

OPC:Did PokerStars do anything special for you WSOP entry winners besides giving you the entry and the plane ticket?Adrian:They provided the hotel room and there was a goody bag waiting for me full of PokerStars stuff.Silver card protector, shirts, polo shirts, a CD case, a big bag with my name stitched in it.That was pretty cool.PokerStars also had a few hospitality lounges and cocktail parties.But I arrived a little late so I didn’t get to it

OPC:Is PokerStars your room of choice?Adrian:Yeah, that’s the one I play at the most.I also play at up to ten others, depending on what I’m looking for, as far as cash, tournaments. sit-and-goes, satellites, big event qualifiers, etc

OPC:What other online poker rooms would you recommend?Adrian:Party Poker.I play there from time to time, but I don’t really like their graphics too much.I don’t really like too many of their sit-and-go and multi-table tournaments.If I play there it is pretty much for cash, because the games are generally softer there

I also like Full Tilt, Absolute, and Ultimate Bet, I play there pretty much just to clear bonuses.So whenever they offer a reload bonus, I deposit the maximum and just play a few low stake, no limit tables to clear the bonus and move on

I play most of my tournaments on PokerStars

OPC:Are some room easier to clear bonuses than others?I say Ultimate Bet is pretty difficult, as well as Full Tilt.Party Poker is pretty much the easiest, I think

OPC:Has your online poker experience adequately prepared you for the WSOP tournament?Adrian:To a point.There are certain things online you’ll learn that’s helpful.You notice certain betting patterns, you’ll read the board pretty easily, and you can narrow down your opponents’ hands a lot

But if you couple that with live experience, like how they’re acting, or the type of player they look like, how they’re betting their chips, you can get a more accurate gauge of their hand

But online does help, has helped quite a bit.But live play adds a whole other level to it, which I think a lot of players need to learn, especially for players who play primarily online

Memorable Hands at the WSOP

OPC:Do you recall any exciting hands you were involved in?Adrian:There was one when I laid down Queens preflop

I raised under the gun.Blinds were 50/100.I raised to $400.Everyone knew I was tight so I don’t think anyone would’ve tried to bluff me at that time.It came back to the big blind.The big blind was a guy named Bill Walters; he’s a millionaire golf course developer in Vegas.Mike Sexton and Chip Reese all knew him and came by and said hi to him

Anyway, Walters ended up reraising to $2,500.I thought about it for a while.Thought at least he would have AK, AA, or KK.I didn’t think he would reraise with Queens or Jacks.So I laid down my Queens face up and he showed me his Aces

OPC:Good call!Any others you remember?Adrian:There was another hand with another amateur online player from William Hill poker.He limped in for $50

Paul McGrill raised it to $125, which he does with any two cards from any position.I had AQ in big blind.I called and the original limper called as well

The flop was Q76 all diamonds.I also had the Ace of diamonds.The amateur bets $500.McGrill called.I wanted to raise, but I also wanted to see the turn for cheap and see if another diamond falls.So I only called

The next card was a black Deuce.I checked, the amateur bet $500.I thought the amateur had flopped a set or two pair.Paul raised to $2,200

Every time Paul raises he always has something to say, like “quack quack!”He bets one chip of every color and he calls it “the rainbow.”Or he bets two chips of every color and calls it the “double rainbow.”OPC:Paul tried to distract you with his antics?Adrian:Yeah.If you try to stare him down, he makes scary faces.He’s a non-traditional player, an eccentric kind of guy

So Paul raised to $2,200, and I laid my hand down.The amateur called.The river was another blank, not a diamond.The amateur bets $500 again, and Paul McGrill called.The amateur had flopped a set of 7s, while McGrill flopped a flush with 46 of diamonds

I remember that hand because I would’ve gone broke with that hand most of the time, having top pair, top kicker.And a nut flush draw to go with it

OPC:Another great call

Adrian:It was one of the first hands in the tournament.I told myself I couldn’t win the tournament in day one.I’m glad I made the right read

OPC:How did you get knocked out?Adrian:At the end I was playing all-in poker.I moved all in like 20 to 30 times throughout the tournament

Blinds were about 300/600 at the time; I would only have $4,000.I didn’t want to commit only half my stack, so I pretty much moved all in with any Ace in position or a pocket pair

During the second day, I was dwindled by the blinds, which was $400/800.I was on the button, everyone folded to me, and I moved all in with Ace-10 just to steal the blinds.The small blind woke up with Ace-King.We both made two pair and he had the better two pairs with Aces and Kings.That’s how I got knocked out

Final thoughts

OPC:Thank you for sharing your WSOP experience with us.Any final thoughts?Adrian:I would like to say thank you to my girlfriend Monica Banea.She supported me while I played online and at Vegas.The WSOP would’ve been impossible without her.And thanks and hi to everyone who played at my Saturday games!(Online Poker Center would like to thank Paul from Clutchfans.net for setting up this interview.)You can read a full recap of his WSOP experience at Adrian’s poker blog: www.wsopexperience.blogspot.com

Poker Cartoon Updated WeeklyI just love the main character in this web comic.Like most poker players, he is a nice guy who faces the slings and arrows of bad odds with pluck, if not dignity

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PokerStars has signed 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) champion Joe Hachem as its newest poker ambassador

PokerStars has done quite well at the World Series of Poker over the years.The last two WSOP champions Greg “Fossilman” Raymer and Chris Moneymaker both won their WSOP seats through PokerStars.com

Both Raymer and Moneymaker are also exclusive PokerStars representatives

Hachem has been an active player at PokerStars since 2001.However, he paid $10,000 for his WSOP seat and did not win his seat online

“Joining Team PokerStars is a natural decision for me,” said Hachem. “PokerStars.com is the site where I really picked up on the intricacies of tournament poker. The wide selection of tournaments and games is so great that I become a skilled player within a relatively short time-frame.”“The truth is — I never would have even have come to the World Series of Poker if my Aussie friend not qualified online at the site. PokerStars.com is the gateway to making poker dreams come true and becoming a world champion.”Hachem won a record breaking $7.5 million dollars as the 2005 WSOP champion.He defeated a field of 5618 players, including the second place American finisher Steve Dannenmann.

“Aussie, Aussie, Oi!, Oi!, Oi!”

Hachem, age 39, is a native of Lebanon who immigrated to Australia in 1972.He now lives in Melbourne with his wife and four children

Hachem’s win brought a breath of fresh air to an event that has been heavily dominated by Americans

Throughout final table action, Hachem’s countrymen cheered him on with chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Oi!, Oi!, Oi!”When he won, Hachem wrapped himself in an Australian flag

“From what I’ve been told by my friends, Australia has gone mad,” said Hachem.

What Does This Mean For Fans?

Raymer and Moneymaker have made numerous appearances on PokerStars’s online tables after their victories.While these players usually play at the higher stake tables, they do often play at the microlimit games to mix and banter with their fans

While no specific terms of Hachem’s contract with PokerStars have been released, industry insiders expect Hachem will also be frequently playing and chatting on PokerStars’s tables

Underground poker clubs are the new speakeasies of New York City.Like finding a trendy back alley bar in L.A., being seen at a seedy New York poker club is a rite of passage among adventuresome celebrities

Several high profile celebrities have been spotted playing poker around Manhattan’s poker joints, including Alex Rodriguez, Phil Hellmuth, Robert Iler (Tony Soprano Jr.), Macaulay Culkin, and Hank Azaria

“It is a place where they know they can just play and be themselves,” said Jeremy (last name withheld by request), a frequent patron of the Players’ Club, one of the hottest poker dens in New York

There are several other celebrities who play at the clubs who have yet to be identified by the press, Jeremy told Online Poker Center

“No one is going to bust out an autograph, you know, and ask for a signature.Poker here is intense, but the people are low key,” Jeremy explained.“We want people to respect our privacy and we in turn respected other people’s privacy.”

Police Crackdown Not Successful

The police conducted several raids recently.In May, authorities seized $100,000 in cash and arrested 39 employees of the Players’ Club and the Play Station

While the employees may face as many as four years in prison, the poker players were checked against outstanding warrants and eventually released without being charged

The Players’ Club and the Play Station are two of the largest clubs in New York.However, cracking down on them had little effect on the underground poker scene

If anything, these well-publicized raids, in which no poker players were arrested, only added to the poker scene?s noirish allure

“This is a yuppie thing, people having fun, not degenerate gamblers,” said one police source.

Clubs Get More Profitable, Harder to Find

For many years, the established poker clubs are an open secret among law enforcement officials.The Mayfair Club, for example, occupied an entire basement floor of a luxury hi-rise building in midtown

With the recent crackdowns, however, many of the old established clubs have closed their doors, only to open new, smaller clubs in ever harder to find locations

It isn’t hard to see why these small clubs spring up so quickly.A ten-table poker club can generate as much as $35,000 of revenue per night

And with the free advertising from the celeb-obsessed New York media (“A-Rod and Hellmuth Spotted in Poker Club!”) filling up the poker clubs should be relatively easy