Deal-MGM Trailer

Date: Thu, Mar 20, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

Ready for that b-movie overdose.



Repeat after me Burt- "I Can Achieve Without A Weave"

Lucky You, The Grand, 21, ---an old movie heated up in a microwave--becomes a new one!
You had me at Hello.

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Deal-MGM Trailer

Date: Thu, Mar 20, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

Ready for that b-movie overdose.



Repeat after me Burt- "I Can Achieve Without A Weave"

Lucky You, The Grand, 21, ---an old movie heated up in a microwave--becomes a new one!


Things I thought but never said--"At the end of the day, being a professional poker player is a little disheartening because it's your job as a poker player to surround yourself with the most moronic people you can find on a daily basis. Rich and stupid is best."

You had me at Hello.

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60 Minutes Taking Absolute Poker's Dirty Laundry To The Cleaners-Wash And Go!

Date: Fri, Mar 14, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

The last time 60 minutes, the most watched news show on American television, did a poker expose, the third watched sporting show on TV!, it took cheap shots at my favorite LA Card Room, The Bicycle Club.

The late Ed Bradley called The Bike "a sleazy second-rate casino on the outskirts of Los Angeles”.
Isn’t that part of the charm?

Now, the News Show is taking aim at Online Poker and the Absolute Online Poker Scandal, with Scott Tom and AJ Green aka Potripper, which is really the dead fish report---yesterday's news.

The story has resurfaced as Scott Croft's-- flavor of the month. For 60 Minutes , Poker= Gambling and Gambling=immorality. We need a ruling by the former Democratic NY Governor Elliott Spitzer, voted Crusader of the Year' by "Time" Magazine on this one.

The Absolute accounts were “Super Accounts ” that let AJ Green and Scott Tom see everyone’s hands, IP, names and more!

The data was sent to a player who complained to Absolute support and they accidentally sent him the data. He then gave it to his friends who did some serious investigating and data mined the player in question. The account then made a ton of money and dumped it in 200 400 games. The player who won it in the high stakes games was a new account, who then cashed out right away!

InterNET or INTERNOT?

The point of making something illegal is to stop people from doing it, and penalize them if they do. So why are people on Pokerstars and Fulltilt advertising on network TV?
More than that, Internet gaming companies have made $10 billion in profit last year. They’re all based overseas, but as much as 80 percent of their traffic – and profit - comes from the U.S. Houston, have we got a problem?

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was steamrolled by the Congressional Republican leadership in the final minutes before the election period recess. According to Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), no one on the Senate-House Conference Committee had even seen the final language of the bill. The Act is title VIII of a completely unrelated bill, the Safe Port Act, HR 4954, dealing with port security.

It does, however, bring up the issue of Wash and Go--- money laundering—Online Gambling ---Should we license it, regulate it and tax it. Probably.

The more important question is cheating! Playing online is like putting a sign on your back that says “ Kick Me” for hackers. We play it with real money and that makes us a big target. Open an e mail and a 'Trojan' could let the hacker produce a screen shot of your computer at will. As a result they are able to see exactly what you have and play perfectly against them, gradually and seemingly legitimately.

60 Minutes Taking Absolute Poker's Dirty Laundry To The Cleaners-Wash And Go!

Date: Fri, Mar 14, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

The last time 60 minutes, the most watched news show on American television, did a poker expose, the third watched sporting show on TV!, it took cheap shots at my favorite LA Card Room, The Bicycle Club.

The late Ed Bradley called The Bike "a sleazy second-rate casino on the outskirts of Los Angeles”.
Isn’t that part of the charm?

Now, the News Show is taking aim at Online Poker and the Absolute Online Poker Scandal, with Scott Tom and AJ Green aka Potripper, which is really the dead fish report---yesterday's news.

The story has resurfaced as Scott Croft's-- flavor of the month. For 60 Minutes , Poker= Gambling and Gambling=immorality. We need a ruling by the former Democratic NY Governor Elliott Spitzer, voted Crusader of the Year' by "Time" Magazine on this one.

The Absolute accounts were “Super Accounts ” that let AJ Green and Scott Tom see everyone’s hands, IP, names and more!

The data was sent to a player who complained to Absolute support and they accidentally sent him the data. He then gave it to his friends who did some serious investigating and data mined the player in question. The account then made a ton of money and dumped it in 200 400 games. The player who won it in the high stakes games was a new account, who then cashed out right away!

InterNET or INTERNOT?

The point of making something illegal is to stop people from doing it, and penalize them if they do. So why are Pokerstars and Fulltilt advertising on network TV? cha-ching...

More than that, Internet gaming companies have made $10 billion in profit last year. They’re all based overseas, but as much as 80 percent of their traffic – and profit - comes from the U.S. Houston, have we got a problem?

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was steamrolled by the Congressional Republican leadership in the final minutes before the election period recess. According to Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), no one on the Senate-House Conference Committee had even seen the final language of the bill. The Act is title VIII of a completely unrelated bill, the Safe Port Act, HR 4954, dealing with port security.

It does, however, bring up the issue of Wash and Go--- money laundering—Online Gambling ---Should we license it, regulate it and tax it. Probably.

The more important question is cheating! Playing online is like putting a sign on your back that says “ Kick Me” for hackers. We play it with real money and that makes us a big target. Open an e mail and a 'Trojan' could let the hacker produce a screen shot of your computer at will. As a result they are able to see exactly what you have and play perfectly against them, gradually and seemingly legitimately.

Hello-I'm All In

Date: Sun, Mar 9, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

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Hello-I'm All In

Date: Sun, Mar 9, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

Advice given to Bob Reif

"All In Works Everytime Except Once!" Ed Reif

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Poker Without Money is An Opinion: An Obituary for The Texas Holdem Generation Gap

Date: Thu, Mar 6, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

WWJD? Chris Jesus" Ferguson Wins the 2008 Heads-Up Championship

I wanted to write the book--Learn Poker in Ten Years--What's the rush? Then, I realized--- Things don't even out with time, they even out with the number of hands you play!

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Rock.Paper.Scissors: Holdem's Cliff Notes

Date: Wed, Mar 5, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

Don't call us we'll call you
Hotel Anyware has had a poker epiphany----You can't immediately win by calling; you can by betting, or raising!
Furthermore, you need a stronger hand to call than to bet or raise. betting or raising allows the possibility of winning the pot immediately by forcing decisions on the other opponents, who may very well fold, with slim holdings....and never cold call a preflop raise with easily dominated off suit hands.





The Equity of Folding in a Tournament-Folding is the invisable way to win




The best way to win more is to fold more! Hand selection is really something to consider; so is position. Playing too many starting hands is the How Not to Do It way..When it is raised in front of you-Your mantra should be "I'm looking for a way to fold this AJ offsuit.

LOOSE playing---you are looking for reasons to call; TIGHT, to fold---choose your posion.
CHIPS, they comes from weakness: exploit opponent weakness to play ATC, any two cards, who come here to gamble mentality.

CP, calling pattern, BP, betting patterns. Pay attention to these hints. Sit to the LEFT of loose players. When you have a monster let lefty bet out. Players who just sit down are easier to bluff and less likely to play weak hands.

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Rock.Paper.Scissors: Holdem's Cliff Notes

Date: Wed, Mar 5, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

Don't call us we'll call you
Hotel Anyware has had a poker epiphany----You can't immediately win by calling; you can by betting, or raising!
Furthermore, you need a stronger hand to call than to bet or raise. betting or raising allows the possibility of winning the pot immediately by forcing decisions on the other opponents, who may very well fold, with slim holdings....and never cold call a preflop raise with easily dominated off suit hands.





The Equity of Folding in a Tournament-Folding is the invisable way to win




The best way to win more is to fold more! Hand selection is really something to consider; so is position. Playing too many starting hands is the How Not to Do It way..When it is raised in front of you-Your mantra should be "I'm looking for a way to fold this AJ offsuit.

LOOSE playing---you are looking for reasons to call; TIGHT, to fold---choose your posion.
CHIPS, they comes from weakness: exploit opponent weakness to play ATC, any two cards, who come here to gamble mentality.

CP, calling pattern, BP, betting patterns. Pay attention to these hints. Sit to the LEFT of loose players. When you have a monster let lefty bet out. Players who just sit down are easier to bluff and less likely to play weak hands.

Read Full Poker Blog Post

Poker Without Money is An Opinion: An Obituary for The Texas Holdem Generation Gap

Date: Mon, Mar 3, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

WWJD? Chris Jesus" Ferguson Wins the 2008 Heads-Up Championship

I wanted to write the book--Learn Poker in Ten Years--What's the rush? Then, I realized--- Things don't even out with time, they even out with the number of hands you play!

Read Full Poker Blog Post

Phil Ivey On Major Steam----Wins the WPT L.A. Poker Classic ($1,596,100)

Date: Fri, Feb 29, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

The Phil Ivey Effect

"The greatest player of his generation (the under 30 somethings)-- or perhaps of any generation." Ed Reif on Phil Ivey

Unlike everyone else on Planet Poker, Phil Ivey requires no nickname. He has an unrivalled reputation as the most feared player around.

Here is the final Hand #100 at the LA Poker Classic:

Quinn Do has the button, he limps for 160,000, Ivey raises to 560,000, and Quinn calls. The flop comes A86, Ivey bets 700,000, and Quinn thinks for about 30 seconds before he calls, leaving himself just 1.02 million behind. There is already 2.92 million in the pot.
The turn card pairs the board with the A, and Ivey moves all in. Quinn goes into the tank, shuffling his chips as he ponders the situation.

After four minutes, Quinn quietly says, "I call."
Ivey shows A8 for a full house, aces full of eights, and Quinn dejectedly shows 98 for two pair, aces and eights. No card can help Quinn here; he is drawing dead. (The meaningless river card is the 4.)

Quinn Do is eliminated in second place, earning $909,400.
History is made as Phil Ivey wins the 2008 WPT L.A. Poker Classic, his first WPT title after reaching a record eight final tables. Ivey earns $1,596,100 and a huge trophy from the Commerce.

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Phil Ivey On Major Steam----Wins the WPT L.A. Poker Classic ($1,596,100)

Date: Fri, Feb 29, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

The Phil Ivey Effect

"The greatest player of his generation (the under 30 somethings)-- or perhaps of any generation." Ed Reif on Phil Ivey

Unlike everyone else on Planet Poker, Phil Ivey requires no nickname. He has an unrivalled reputation as the most feared player around.

Here is the final Hand #100 at the LA Poker Classic:

Quinn Do has the button, he limps for 160,000, Ivey raises to 560,000, and Quinn calls. The flop comes A86, Ivey bets 700,000, and Quinn thinks for about 30 seconds before he calls, leaving himself just 1.02 million behind. There is already 2.92 million in the pot.
The turn card pairs the board with the A, and Ivey moves all in. Quinn goes into the tank, shuffling his chips as he ponders the situation.

After four minutes, Quinn quietly says, "I call."
Ivey shows A8 for a full house, aces full of eights, and Quinn dejectedly shows 98 for two pair, aces and eights. No card can help Quinn here; he is drawing dead. (The meaningless river card is the 4.)

Quinn Do is eliminated in second place, earning $909,400.
History is made as Phil Ivey wins the 2008 WPT L.A. Poker Classic, his first WPT title after reaching a record eight final tables. Ivey earns $1,596,100 and a huge trophy from the Commerce.

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I Am Phil Helmuth And So Can You

Date: Thu, Feb 28, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

A Guy named Phil will win the LAPC Today! HELL-MOOTH Vs Ivey


The dogs of kitsch are at it again--this time at the LA Poker Classic--silly movie stars in disguise, with their sunglasses and Moneymaker Freshman 15 Chubbyness--Karaoke Poker--the bottom of the barrel, cheap imitations of the two original Phil's, Helmuth and Ivey, who will be going to the Final table for a WPT title. The cream does rise to the top.

Anyone with a few drinks in them can belt out Sinatra's My Way---AK Preflop all-in insta shove, against any big pair--a coin flip at best. Even Helmuth did against Ivey's AA, to give up the chip lead.

Here are the official chip counts for today's historic World Poker Tour final table, scheduled to start at 5:00 pm PT:
Seat 1. Quinn Do - 1,450,000Seat 2. Nam Le - 1,180,000Seat 3. Phil Hellmuth - 2,380,000Seat 4. Phil Ivey - 4,100,000Seat 5. Charles Moore - 1,510,000Seat 6. Scott Montgomery - 2,680,000


Phil-Ubiquitous-Helmuth-The Next Paris Hilton-He's Everywhere!

It brings me back to 2006. Bob Reif, my brother, was playing in a celebrity poker event at Sundance. Bob finished 9th! He gets props for putting Phil on tilt!

Let me set the stage:I was at a $1/$2? NLH game at The Hustler casino. My cell phone rings. I take the call. It's Bob, from Park City, Utah. He says, "I want you to say Hi to somebody".

Helmuth says to me. "Your brother just sucked out on me. I had trip Kings against his pocket 8's and he rivered a full house".

I said, "He pulled a GUS...like Gus Hansen,"

Phil said, "Yea but his table talk is more like Mike The Mouth!"


Phil was cool about his "bad beat". He shoved with the best hand, and got his money in good.

In a typical Phil ephiphany, he reminded me , "If it wasn't for luck, I'd be the best player on the planet".

Er which planet is that Phil, Uranus---maybe a name change would be in order.

By the way, the prize at Sundance was a $700,000 condo, to be built at the W Vegas Hotel in late 2008. Phil won it all! tasking out Annie Duke, Chris Masterson, Shannon Elizabeth, Gina Gershon, W Las Vegas Hotel, Casino and Residences founder Reagan Silber.

Phil may not be in Who's who, but he can tell you what's what---about Poker!

Phil is the hardest working man in poker--the James Brown and Paris Hilton- of Poker- his fantasy camp called Camp Hellmuth, a London-based reality show, and the U.S.-based Best Damn Poker show on FSN; the "Phil Hellmuth" clothing line to be sold in Wal-Mart, a kid's clothing line not surprisingly called "Poker Brat"; a stake in CardPlayer magazine. Phil's got his UB poker blog, and finally, a movie about his life called "The Madison Kid" that may or may not star Kid Vader himself, Hayden Christiansen is in pre- production.

Read Full Poker Blog Post

I Am Phil Helmuth And So Can You

Date: Thu, Feb 28, 2008 Professional Live Tournament

A Guy named Phil will win the LAPC Today! HELL-MOOTH Vs Ivey


The dogs of kitsch are at it again--this time at the LA Poker Classic--silly movie stars in disguise, with their sunglasses and Moneymaker Freshman 15 Chubbyness--Karaoke Poker--the bottom of the barrel, cheap imitations of the two original Phil's, Helmuth and Ivey, who will be going to the Final table for a WPT title. The cream does rise to the top.

Anyone with a few drinks in them can belt out Sinatra's My Way---AK Preflop all-in insta shove, against any big pair--a coin flip at best. Even Helmuth did against Ivey's AA, to give up the chip lead.

Here are the official chip counts for today's historic World Poker Tour final table, scheduled to start at 5:00 pm PT:
Seat 1. Quinn Do - 1,450,000Seat 2. Nam Le - 1,180,000Seat 3. Phil Hellmuth - 2,380,000Seat 4. Phil Ivey - 4,100,000Seat 5. Charles Moore - 1,510,000Seat 6. Scott Montgomery - 2,680,000


Phil-Ubiquitous-Helmuth-The Next Paris Hilton-He's Everywhere!

It brings me back to 2006. Bob Reif, my brother, was playing in a celebrity poker event at Sundance. Bob finished 9th! He gets props for putting Phil on tilt!

Let me set the stage:I was at a $1/$2? NLH game at The Hustler casino. My cell phone rings. I take the call. It's Bob, from Park City, Utah. He says, "I want you to say Hi to somebody".

Helmuth says to me. "Your brother just sucked out on me. I had trip Kings against his pocket 8's and he rivered a full house".

I said, "He pulled a GUS...like Gus Hansen,"

Phil said, "Yea but his table talk is more like Mike The Mouth!"


Phil was cool about his "bad beat". He shoved with the best hand, and got his money in good.

In a typical Phil ephiphany, he reminded me , "If it wasn't for luck, I'd be the best player on the planet".

Er which planet is that Phil, Uranus---maybe a name change would be in order.

By the way, the prize at Sundance was a $700,000 condo, to be built at the W Vegas Hotel in late 2008. Phil won it all! tasking out Annie Duke, Chris Masterson, Shannon Elizabeth, Gina Gershon, W Las Vegas Hotel, Casino and Residences founder Reagan Silber.

Phil may not be in Who's who, but he can tell you what's what---about Poker!

Phil is the hardest working man in poker--the James Brown and Paris Hilton- of Poker- his fantasy camp called Camp Hellmuth, a London-based reality show, and the U.S.-based Best Damn Poker show on FSN; the "Phil Hellmuth" clothing line to be sold in Wal-Mart, a kid's clothing line not surprisingly called "Poker Brat"; a stake in CardPlayer magazine. Phil's got his UB poker blog, and finally, a movie about his life called "The Madison Kid" that may or may not star Kid Vader himself, Hayden Christiansen is in pre- production.

Read Full Poker Blog Post