TV poker: good for something after all

Last night I had a chance to finally watch Monday's WPT event on GSN. It was the Mandalay Bay tournament from the 2007 season and I decided to watch with Joe Navarro's eyes. Instead of watching for enjoyment or seeing what sick hands would be dealt, I focused on tells. It's not as simple as it may seem because the editing of the show takes away from seeing their reactions when they see the flop, etc. I picked up a few, but there was one very clear tell displayed when the tournament got heads up, and I truly believe it was the difference between winning and losing.

Jared "TheWacoKidd" Hamby, pictured, was about even in chips with Shawn Buchanan when the following hand came up: Hamby had something like A-10 (yes, I know, the Cosenza) and raised preflop. Buchanan called with 33. The flop came somewhat ragged, but I think a queen was in there. Here's where it gets interesting: Hamby, an online pro with a lot of live success as well, bet out fairly quickly and Buchanan called. That's a tell in itself because he's trying to make Buchanan think his hand is so strong he doesn't even have to think to bet. Buchanan may have picked up on this, but that's not the tell I want to discuss. As soon as Buchanan called, Hamby stopped chewing his gum (something he did almost feverishly throughout the match) and when the turn paired Hamby fired out a huge bet. THEN he covered his mouth with the back of his hand. He NEVER did this throughout the whole broadcast. He looked so very nervous when he made that bet. Buchanan had to pick up on this classic tell because he called him all the way down and won with 33!!! This tell is often brought up by Mike Caro, especially in his Book of Tells. When someone is bluffing sometimes they cover their mouth in an effort to "stop the lie" from being told or to cover a smirk. Right after that HUGE hand he did it again later on when he had air. It was classic and something he should work on when he's under stress. He was visibly upset at that point, getting up and pacing and complaining to his horde in the audience that he couldn't believe he called the turn there. "I knew he was weak!" He said. Actually, Jared was the one who was weak, in the Tells Dept.

They both played very well and it was this little tell that probably made the difference between winning and losing. Kudos to Buchanan for picking up on it and cashing in on the title. But if you haven't read Caro's book you should. And of course pick up any of Navarro's books as well. And if you have ANY tells you've seen please list them here I'd love to read about them.

-- Chris

A night of poker potpourri

Monday night is Reality Show Night at the Cosenza household, so I tend to play poker while Mrs. Ante Up watches her Dancing With The Stars and Bachelor. I'm still trying to get Shannon Elizabeth (pictured) on the show, but she must have a gag order on or something because none of my emails to her or her agency has been returned.

Last night I had one of those sessions where you just hang on for dear life and watch your stack go up and down more times than a ride at Busch Gardens. I began by playing NLHE heads up for cold hard cash. We exchanged a few jabs here and there and he kept rebuying for the full amount whenever he would dip below the max buy-in. What do you think of this strategy?

Anyway, the ultimate hand came when I had 7♣8♣ on the button and raised 3X. He called and the flop came with 10♣ 8♥ K♣. He checked and I bet pot. He called. The turn was a 7♥. So I had two pair and a flush draw. He bet out and I raised. He shoved and I was pot-committed. He showed Q♣7♣! I had him crushed at that point, but the river was a club and he felted me. Grrr!

Next I moved on to a $.10-$.25 NLHE 6-handed table. The player on the button during my BB kept raising when it got folded to him, and twice he did it with Ax. So the next time it happened I had K♣ Q♣. I decided to call his 3X raise and trap him. Flop came Q♦ 4♦ 7♥. I checked and he bet pot. I raised pot and he called. The turn: 2♥. So now there are two flush draws out there and I don't want him to get there, so I bet pot again and he shoved. I had to call (again) and he turned over A♦8♦. All he had was an overcard and diamond draw. Can you guess what came? I'm screaming at the computer: "NO BLUE!!! NO BLUE!!!" (Yes I have my screen set to the Lucky Charms colors, as you can now see in this post) A 5♦ on the river gave him the flush and just like that I was down $75 after playing at two tables.

I had been on such a fine streak online that I started to feel like the demons had finally decided to leave me alone. But alas, they returned.

I found another six-handed ring game ($.50-$1) where they were seeing a lot of hands and averaging about $35 per pot. I never really know if that last figure means they're maniacs or if someone just got stacked. But as soon as I sat down I knew they were there to gamble. I made it three-handed and my first hand on the button I was dealt JJ and raised to $3.50. The SB thought long and hard then folded, as did the BB. I think to myself that he's thinking I'm a stealer. The very next button hand for me I get 10-10. I raised the same amount and this time the SB re-raised 3X my bet. I just knew he had a middle pair or some sort of weak ace. I shoved and he waited and waited and waited. Then he called with ... 99. My 10-10 held up and gave me a profit for my session.

That's when Ante Up! National Rant2112, who was railing me and seeing all of these suckouts, said: Want to play heads up? I said sure. We decided to play a $5 HU-NLHE-SNG, and I got some great cards and opportunities. I beat him pretty quickly and then took a break.

When I returned I decided to play $.25-$.50 H.O.R.S.E. I started with $5, fell to $1.50 and then won a decent pot to get back to like $6. That's when another Ante Up! National, I Like Ike, joined the table. We chatted a little as I went on a huge rush, turning my $5 buy-in into almost $25. He wasn't as lucky and left down a bit. But it was great playing with him and chatting.

Finally I returned to heads up play again. I sat down at a $50 table with a guy who already had like $69. We went back and forth for a while, and I was getting the best of him when the following hand came up. On the button I got 9♦10♦. I raised to $1.50 and he called. The flop came K♦ 7♦ 8♥. He checked and I bet pot. He called. The turn was the 4♦. Now he bet pot and I shove. He instacalled with A♦A♥. I have him dead to a diamond and I'm screaming in my head "NO BLUE!!!! NO BLUE!!!" Can you guess what came on the end? It was blue, and so was I. Then he left.

Just like that, all of the profit was gone again, and I never got my money in bad. I was confident my reads of their styles and betting patterns were spot-on, so I continued playing. In my last match of the night I sat down with $100 vs. a guy who had $128 at a $.50-$1 NLHE HU table. In the beginning he was super-aggressive, raising every button, reraising my button raises, punishing my button limps. I started to think he was better than me and should get out of the table while I still had most of my buy-in. But then I adjusted and started trapping. The final hand we played came down like this: On the button I had K♥9♥. I raised to $3.50 and he called. The flop: J♥ 9♠ 10♥. He checked and I bet $4. He called. The turn: 7♥. I had the second nuts. Now he bet out $5. I minraised to $10. He reraised to $40, leaving him only $32 left. I said to myself, "If I shove here and he calls with a naked A♥ and hits, I'm going to throw this computer in the dumpster!" So I shoved, thinking he couldn't fold no matter what he had (hoping he had an 8). He thought and thought and typed in A8, then folded. So he had the straight, but likely not the A♥. I won $90 from him and called it a night, turning a nice profit during a very tumultuous session.

Let's see what happens tonight while Mrs. Ante Up! watches American Idol.

-- Chris

Learn from my mistakes

This really is unacceptable, though I'm not sure I would've gotten away from this hand anyway. Saturday night I visited Derby Lane to play a little NLHE and Stud/8. I had an up-and-down night, which ended down, and likely because of two stupid mistakes on one hand.

Earlier in the night my first buy-in got depleted and ultimately bit the dust when my pocket jacks lost to Ax when a board came with two spades but all unders. I shoved and he called with A♠7♠. He hit an ace on the river. So after I rebought I won a few pots and then took down a massive pot with The Cosenza, A♦10♥. The flop came all diamonds and there was a bet and a raise. I decided to gamble and shoved only to be called by K♦3♦. He already had the second nuts! But a 7♦ on the river ensured my first buy-in was recovered and I had about a $25 profit. The Cosenza rules!!!

Later I moved to a $2-straight Stud/8 table and lost all of my profit and was down about $20 when the table broke because all of the old salts had to go home to go to sleep. Man, don't play this game. No one folds and the bets add up. There was talk of turning it into a $1-5 spread, but NOOOOOOOOOO! One guy said VETO! Damn!

So when that table broke I got a seat change to another NLHE game and turned a very nice profit for the first hour. And within that hour I flopped a sweet flush with the J♥8♥ and just abused this one guy in the hand, taking almost his whole stack with a very sneaky check-raise on the turn and then a shove on the river. He called, mucked, stood up and left immediately! I was not his favorite person. About three guys at the table said "Ooooooo, that's cold! That was cold-hearted!" when I check-raised him. Funny stuff.

Anyway, I looked at my cell phone and it was around 1:15 a.m. At that point the best starting hand I had all night were those jacks; that's about five hours of play and nothing better than JJ (which isn't too hard to imagine since I only saw about 100 hands in that time frame). There was this little old Ukranian woman on my right who was a regular. She was pretty straight-forward but she did do something a lot of older players do: when she had a hand like JJ she raised $15 and when she had AA she limped and slow-played them to the end. I noticed her do this TWICE with each of those hands. So I had about a $75 profit at that point and there was only about 45 minutes left before Derby Lane closed. There were three limpers and then the little old lady in the SB raised to $15. I looked down at Q♥Q♦. From what I saw she had about $80 left and it was at least her second buy-in. So I knew the other guys who limped had nothing because that's how the table had been playing all night: limp with nothing and hope to hit. So I put her on JJ or 10-10 and reraised her all-in because if I reraised the standard three-times-her-bet rule it would've been $45 and if she had come over the top I couldn't lay down QQ for just another $35 or so. I pushed $175 out there and she called when it folded to her. D'OH!!!!!!! She had A♠A♣ again!!! Three times in an hour, and since the dealers at Derby Lane average like 20 hands an hour this was remarkable. And she played them exactly like the jacks instead of her usual slow-play.

Mistake No. 1: Don't assume your opponents play every hand exactly the same way no matter how consistent and predictable they are.

Mistake No. 2: Look more carefully at your opponents' stack or better yet ask how much they have left. I failed to see the three gold $25 chips under her second stack because from my vantage point they were hidden. This meant she had $75 more than I thought and I lost a $146 pot to her aces instead of just $71.

After that hand it was like 1:25 a.m. and I had almost no time to make up for my losses. I won a few pots and got back to being down just $70, and I'm not sure I would've gotten away from those queens regardless of her stack because the flop came all unders. But you never know. I may have just called and then lost less. I'm an idiot.

On the last hand of the night I was dealt 10-10 and I said "Is this really the last hand of the night?" and when they said yes I said "Raisy-Daisy!" and put $15 out there, hoping it looked like I was just gambling. No one called (it reminded me of the last hand at Snuffy's when I had KK and no one played!). So I left down $70 exactly. Bummer.

Oh well. I went home and played till 5 a.m. online and won $71, so I turned a $1 profit for 10 hours work, that's 10 cents an hour!! I could retire on that ROI!

-- Chris

AIPS III Event #4 Champion: theron74

Congratulations to theron74, who wins the fourth AIPS III banana as champion of the Pot-Limit Omaha event, which drew 72 entrants.

theron74 won an epic heads-up battle against Iceland's DrPepperIce, who was playing in his first AIPS events, when his flopped set of deuces improved to quads on the turn. Congrats to everyone who made the final table!

Just-for-recognition bounties go to:

• Mickey Jay (Scott "OffDeadline" 12th place)
• OffDeadline (Fasso "stpetebeach" 21st place - the dunderhead didn't really play, just forgot to unregister and darn near made the money - until he ran into me)
• Zerkaboid (Chris "willhopper" 65th place)
• (columbo DNP)

NEXT EVENT: No-Limit Hold'em with Rebuys, Thursday, May 22, 9 p.m. Eastern

Click here for the Player of the Year standings. (Special thanks to Ante Up! scorekeeper Gambit for compiling them and Blazman for hosting the results).

Click here for the schedule and all the info on AIPS III events. We'll update it as we set dates for future events, and recognize champions. (This link is also permanently posted on the right-hand side of the blog with all the other important links).

- SCOTT

Congratulations to theron74, who wins the fourth AIPS III banana as champion of the Pot-Limit Omaha event, which drew 72 entrants.

theron74 won an epic heads-up battle against Iceland's DrPepperIce, who was playing in his first AIPS events, when his flopped set of deuces improved to quads on the turn. Congrats to everyone who made the final table!

Just-for-recognition bounties go to:

• Mickey Jay (Scott "OffDeadline" 12th place)
• OffDeadline (Fasso "stpetebeach" 21st place - the dunderhead didn't really play, just forgot to unregister and darn near made the money - until he ran into me)
• Zerkaboid (Chris "willhopper" 65th place)
• (columbo DNP)

NEXT EVENT: No-Limit Hold'em with Rebuys, Thursday, May 22, 9 p.m. Eastern

Click here for the Player of the Year standings. (Special thanks to Ante Up! scorekeeper Gambit for compiling them and Blazman for hosting the results).

Click here for the schedule and all the info on AIPS III events. We'll update it as we set dates for future events, and recognize champions. (This link is also permanently posted on the right-hand side of the blog with all the other important links).

- SCOTT

Congratulations to theron74, who wins the fourth AIPS III banana as champion of the Pot-Limit Omaha event, which drew 72 entrants.

theron74 won an epic heads-up battle against Iceland's DrPepperIce, who was playing in his first AIPS events, when his flopped set of deuces improved to quads on the turn. Congrats to everyone who made the final table!

Just-for-recognition bounties go to:

• Mickey Jay (Scott "OffDeadline" 12th place)
• OffDeadline (Fasso "stpetebeach" 21st place - the dunderhead didn't really play, just forgot to unregister and darn near made the money - until he ran into me)
• Zerkaboid (Chris "willhopper" 65th place)
• (columbo DNP)

NEXT EVENT: No-Limit Hold'em with Rebuys, Thursday, May 22, 9 p.m. Eastern

Click here for the Player of the Year standings. (Special thanks to Ante Up! scorekeeper Gambit for compiling them and Blazman for hosting the results).

Click here for the schedule and all the info on AIPS III events. We'll update it as we set dates for future events, and recognize champions. (This link is also permanently posted on the right-hand side of the blog with all the other important links).

- SCOTT

Congratulations to theron74, who wins the fourth AIPS III banana as champion of the Pot-Limit Omaha event, which drew 72 entrants.

theron74 won an epic heads-up battle against Iceland's DrPepperIce, who was playing in his first AIPS events, when his flopped set of deuces improved to quads on the turn. Congrats to everyone who made the final table!

Just-for-recognition bounties go to:

• Mickey Jay (Scott "OffDeadline" 12th place)
• OffDeadline (Fasso "stpetebeach" 21st place - the dunderhead didn't really play, just forgot to unregister and darn near made the money - until he ran into me)
• Zerkaboid (Chris "willhopper" 65th place)
• (columbo DNP)

NEXT EVENT: No-Limit Hold'em with Rebuys, Thursday, May 22, 9 p.m. Eastern

Click here for the Player of the Year standings. (Special thanks to Ante Up! scorekeeper Gambit for compiling them and Blazman for hosting the results).

Click here for the schedule and all the info on AIPS III events. We'll update it as we set dates for future events, and recognize champions. (This link is also permanently posted on the right-hand side of the blog with all the other important links).

- SCOTT

Congratulations to theron74, who wins the fourth AIPS III banana as champion of the Pot-Limit Omaha event, which drew 72 entrants.

theron74 won an epic heads-up battle against Iceland's DrPepperIce, who was playing in his first AIPS events, when his flopped set of deuces improved to quads on the turn. Congrats to everyone who made the final table!

Just-for-recognition bounties go to:

• Mickey Jay (Scott "OffDeadline" 12th place)
• OffDeadline (Fasso "stpetebeach" 21st place - the dunderhead didn't really play, just forgot to unregister and darn near made the money - until he ran into me)
• Zerkaboid (Chris "willhopper" 65th place)
• (columbo DNP)

NEXT EVENT: No-Limit Hold'em with Rebuys, Thursday, May 22, 9 p.m. Eastern

Click here for the Player of the Year standings. (Special thanks to Ante Up! scorekeeper Gambit for compiling them and Blazman for hosting the results).

Click here for the schedule and all the info on AIPS III events. We'll update it as we set dates for future events, and recognize champions. (This link is also permanently posted on the right-hand side of the blog with all the other important links).

- SCOTT

Congratulations to theron74, who wins the fourth AIPS III banana as champion of the Pot-Limit Omaha event, which drew 72 entrants.

theron74 won an epic heads-up battle against Iceland's DrPepperIce, who was playing in his first AIPS events, when his flopped set of deuces improved to quads on the turn. Congrats to everyone who made the final table!

Just-for-recognition bounties go to:

Episode #150: More poker camps

MAIN TOPIC
Chris steered the Family Truckster over to Orlando to check in on our good friend Kenna James and the Amateur Poker League. While there, he nabbed some great interviews about poker camps with Steve Berman, co-founder of the WPT Boot Camp, and online pro Nick Brancato. Be sure to check out Ante Upper Lee Childs' new Web site, too. Click here to hear the show.

OTHER TOPICS

Texas Hold'em Plus: The Mirage in Las Vegas is testing this new variation. Don't like one of your hole cards? Simply slide it with a chip equal to the small blind to the dealer and you'll get a shiny new card.

PPA update: The Poker Players Alliance (now with more than 1,000,000 members) has formed a new political action committee called PokerPAC.

Housekeeping: Starting next week, Ante Up! will be posted to the Web on Thursdays ... And listen to the show on Rounders Radio on Saturdays ... Don't forget about AIPS this Saturday and on May 22 ... Join Fasso and me in Las Vegas during the World Series of Poker. Click here for early details.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: A One-Eyed Jack's regular wins a huge pot o' gold in Europe ... Florida Senate Bill 1006 would expand hours for cardrooms and allow for high-stakes and charity/celebrity tournaments, but don't get excited, as it's stalled in the House.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo decides he's likely beat, so he mucks his second pair. Turns out, his opponent was on a brazen bluff with a weak flush draw and gutter.

HAND OF THE WEEK
An anonymous caller rings in to tell us about a no-limit hand where he called a min raise with 7-3 in the big blind and saw a pretty darn nice flop of 7-7-7. He got his opponent to bet the entire way, taking down a very nice pot. Getting paid off on a monster is one of the hardest things to do in poker. We share some tips.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW
Until Chris changes his mind again, it'll be our rescheduled Dissection of a HORSE Tournament.

- SCOTT

AIPS Event #5 created; AIPS Event #4 is Saturday

The fifth event in this year's AIPS has been created and is open for registration.

It'll be a No-Limit Hold'em rebuy event. Buy-in is $2+$1, with unlimited rebuys in the first hour and one add-on. Cards in the air at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, May 22, on FullTilt.

And remember that AIPS Event #4 (Pot-Limit Omaha) is at noon this Saturday.

For all the info on AIPS, from the schedule to past winners to registration details, click here.

- SCOTT

Ante Up! Vegas MeetUp: July 2

Fasso and I have booked our World Series of Poker trips, and we've tentatively set Wednesday, July 2, as the night of the Ante Up! WSOP MeetUp.

We'll firm up details closer to the date, but we'll likely try to get a private table at Binion's again. If you're going to be in Vegas that week, swing by and say hi.

- SCOTT

Limping as a plan of attack

I continue to have moderate success at the microlimits with four straight modest winning sessions. I have discovered I win more when I find a table that likes to limp, but not for the reasons you may think. I love to play short-handed, and I love to see flops. Most "aggros" get to a table that's full of limpers and "play the opposite" as the table is playing because that's what we are told to do. That's a great strategy when you know they'll fold or if you can outplay them. But I do consider myself a player generally better than the ones I'm facing at microlimits. So when someone joins the table and tries to take control I usually have a few tricks up my sleeve to keep him/her at bay when I'm in a pot. But I have to admit I've taken a shining to limping at passive tables and turning on my aggression when it's needed. I like to try to outplay them on later streets, but right now I don't have the gumption to try it at the higher stakes unless I'm playing live.

Limping in lower-stakes games lets me see more flops, plus helps define their hands because it forces them to raise a higher amount than usual with the extra bet in the pot. Also, I can outplay them later because these players tend to check when they miss and then often can be bluffed if I sell the story. And, this method can work for you just like the aggro method works. Aggros raise all of the time whether they have the hammer or the nuts. If you limp with 78 or with AA they won't know and can't put you on a hand. And yes, you can't put your opponents on hands either, but how often can you put an aggro on a hand? So it works both ways.

Don't get me wrong, I still like playing larger stakes when I play live, but I'm pretty firm on sticking with microlimits for my experimentation and strategy lessons. And right now, open limping has been paying off at these levels. And I do believe aggression is the best way to go, but sometimes I choose to use my aggression later, rather than preflop.

Also, I played two heads-up matches last night in PLO and won them both pretty handily. In fact, the first one I won before we got to the second level. I was amazed at how poorly they played the game, but again it was microlimit so they may have still been learning. I enjoy heads-up poker because there's only one person to worry about and I can totally concentrate on him.

I don't mind winning at this level as it sustains my bankroll without having to reload and lets me try things I might not want to try at higher levels. And it prepares me for Saturday's AIPS PLO tournament at noon ET.    

A bad move that turned out well, for once

We had our monthly home game at Snuffy's on Saturday (Remember, Mr. Long was busy in Vegas getting propositioned by a hooker.) and it was a very frustrating session for me. For the first 3 hours or so I never made a hand and when I made a move someone would raise me. I only went to the end in Stud/8 once (scooped that hand at least), only got to the end in Razz once (lost when my 8 was beat by a near-perfect 6-4) and I never stood pat or took a final draw in 2-7 Triple Draw or Badugi. Did I say it was frustrating? So, being down $141, the following hand came up (I had $59 left.)

The game was "Capped No Limit Hold 'Em" (the cap is $50 with $1-$1 blinds). In the "BB" I was dealt 6♠ 9♠. The UTG limped and the UTG+1 made it $3. Two callers, including Fasso in the SB, came along. So I said to myself "I'm stuck a bunch and getting the right price" so I called. The UTG limper folded. With $13 in the pot the flop came Q♠ 4♠ 2♥, and the rags may have been different but it's not important here. Fasso checked and so did I since the guy who raised is notorious for c-betting and I wanted to get in a check-raise. Like clockwork the UTG bet $8. One person folded and then Fasso RAISED to $20. What?!? Now, usually Fasso isn't a check-raise kinda guy. He hates it when people do it to him so he usually doesn't do it. Because of this fact I put him on a queen or MAYBE a small set. I felt if I just called the initial raiser might have the right odds to call as well, and I wanted him out in case he had top pair or another flush draw, plus Fasso could just have a pair as well. So I capped it! The raiser folded (he later said he had a queen) and left just me and Fasso, who thought long and hard about it. Then he said it was a no-brainer (which was funny in itself) and finally called. He turned over A♠ K♠. D'OH!!!!!!

How could I put him on that hand, and at the same time, how could I NOT put him on that hand? What a shocker! First, he didn't reraise preflop, which was odd when he had a limper, a raiser, a caller and one person left to act behind him. So I didn't think he had THAT big of a hand. But then again, he did EXACTLY what I planned on doing after the flop, a check-raise with a flush draw. So how could I not think he had a higher flush draw than me? I think it was the oddity of his check-raise because he NEVER does it. So to me it looked like he was thinking the same thing I was about the initial raiser, that he c-bets after every one of his preflop raises. So I felt Fasso was thinking his QJ was good. If he had a hand like that, I felt like I might be able to move him off his hand because he was being a nit and protecting his profit for the final 2 hours. Plus, since I was in the blinds with him I could have ANYTHING there, such as 2-4 or 2-2 or 4-4 or even Q-4.

Anyway, I said "nice call" and turned over my crappy 6-9. I had six outs and the most beautiful 9♣ came on the turn. Then the board paired and I took down a $121 pot. I actually let out a yell when I saw the 9 because I was so frustrated with my play and cards that I really didn't want to go broke and go home. I later apologized to Fasso, and he was very gracious and said it didn't bother him. The best part of the hand was that I got the queen to fold, because if he does something crazy there like call with just top pair he takes the whole thing!

OK, let the thrashing begin. I played this terribly right?

-- Chris

Tournament disqualification: Agree?

If you don't subscribe to poker magazines then you might not know about this incident. Recently a player was disqualified at the final table of the WSOP Circuit event at Caesars in Atlantic City. The player in question was Lesley S. Thornburg of Richmond, Va. He was warned twice for unsportsmanlike conduct. According to numerous sources, the straw that broke the camel's back was when he shoved half of his chips into the pot then later declared all-in. You can read one of the articles here. He was chipleader at the time, but they removed his chips and gave him fifth-place money ($19K).

What do you think of this? Should this guy be eliminated because he's obnoxious? He was chipleader! THink about how many obnoxious people are in poker and we see them act like idiots on TV all of the time. When you sign up for a tournament, do they tell you this? Have you ever been to a tournament where they tell you (at any point) "If you act like an idiot repeatedly we'll throw you out and take your chips out of play?" Has the dealer or tournament director ever announced at the start of a tournament that numerous penalties could result in your ejection?

I'm not going to say how I feel just yet because I'd like to read some opinions on this. Also, if he WASN'T in the money, would he have gotten his buy-in back?

-- Chris

NHUPC Update

OK, after further investigation, CNBC will be airing NBC's National Heads Up Poker Championships' individual (and uninterrupted) episodes a week late. So if your NBC program is being pre-empted (like it is here in the Tampa Bay area) and you don't get to see the entire episode (or any at all for that matter), then tune in to CNBC the following Saturday and you'll catch the repeat. My TiVo wasn't picking up this selection because I had eliminated CNBC from my channel settings (I mean, who really watches this channel anyway, right?). After I reset the channel setting then the option for a season pass was revealed. My episodes are being broadcast twice on the ensuing Saturdays at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET. It may be a week late, but at least it's not clipped.
-- Chris

OMM: Case of the Bad Moon Rising

Columbo's in a 6-handed-max multitable NLHE tournament. Blinds are 800-1,600 with a 200 ante. It's down to the final nine so he's playing four-handed and near the bubble. With a stack of 60K he's dealt 10♣ Q♦ in the cutoff, which is first to act. Our detective minraises to 3,200, but the BB (with 22K) calls. Flop is 9♠ 10♠ 5♠. The big blind fires out 8K. Columbo has top pair on an all-spade board and calls. When the A♦ comes on the turn does he call when the BB shoves for 11.5K, or should he save his significant stack? Tell us what you think.

Show 149 recap

With Scott in Vegas I'm forced to run the show myself (which is not very different from any other week). But then he spoils everything and calls the Ante Up! studios and I have to do the show with him again. So here's a look at this week's episode, and you can hear it by clicking here:

BRANDI HAWBAKER: According to numerous sites, Brandi Hawbaker died on Sunday (April 13), and it’s being reported as a suicide, though we’d like a more trusting source for this bit of information. She was 26 years old an was considered to be a talented up-and-coming player, but she had her problems. She probably had the longest, most-read, most-commented-on thread in 2+2 history when she detailed her bizarre relationship with poker pro Capt. Tom Franklin, among others. She first burst onto the scene in 2006 when she finished 35th in the Festa al Lago WPT main event. But her feuds with numerous poker personalities and forums didn’t exactly endear herself with the public, and the inner demons apparently caught up with her.

CHRIS IN ORLANDO: Can you imagine paying $109 for fish and pasta? Neither can I, but like an idiot I did! But at least Jeanne and I had a great night with Kenna James and Nick Brancato at the WPT/APL National Championships Cocktail Party!

POLL: I currently lead Mike "Don't call me Fatso anymore" Fasso by about a 2-1 margin in our Ante Up! Nation poll regarding our Race for the Hundy. Haven't voted yet? Look to the right and cast your vote.

DEAL OPENS APRIL 25 IN SELECTED THEATRES: Hmm, another poker movie, and this one isn't funny? It stars Burt Reynolds and Shannon Elizabeth.

AIPS: The next event will be Pot Limit Omaha on Saturday April 26, noon, ET. Cost is $5+$.50 on Full Tilt Poker. Password: anteup

ANTE UP HOTLINE: Thitsa and StatikKling weigh in on our show about the WSOP Final Table discussion.

TAMPA BAY POKER REPLAY: If you live in the Tampa Bay area don't expect to see all of the National Heads Up Poker Championship on NBC because our local affiliate (WFLA-Ch. 8) is pre-empting it with local news. In fact we may never see the rest of this tournament because they told me they were joining the event in progress on April 18, 27, May 4, 11 and 18 (which goes until 3 p.m. so we may see the end of the final, YAY!)

MAIN TOPIC: Scott calls in from Vegas and has usual hilarious anecdotes, but you'll need to download the show to hear them all. Here's a preview: His stories include an ugly hooker, strip poker, a fat Elvis and plenty of coupons.

HAND OF THE WEEK: Will in Perth, Western Australia has a LOT of gamble in him when he calls two all-ins with a small pair and a gutshot straight draw. Does he get there? Tune in to find out.

Next Week: We're not exactly sure of the topic but I'll play my interviews from Orlando and Scott will have some story about losing online in the Vegas Airport I'm sure.

-- Chris

PAD mixes things up!

The people over at Poker After Dark have heard our cries and have responded. The 6-person, winner-take-all format has been successful, but as Scott and I had pointed out before, we would love to see them mix it up a bit. Now, they aren't playing mixed games (not yet anyway) but they are introducing two new formats for Season 4: Heads-Up play and CASH GAMES! Yep, Mori and the boys are taking a page from their GSN show High Stakes Poker and are going to have a $200-$400 NLHE cash game format for two of the Season 4 episodes. The 12 players participating will be Howard Lederer, Dee Tiller, Gabe Kaplan, Patrik Antonius, Doyle Brunson and Eli Elezra during one week, and Guy Laliberte, Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, Allen Cunningham, Mike Baxter and Antonio Esfandiari in the other.

The Heads-Up double-elimination format will be for one week only and will pit the past four winners of NBC's National Heads-Up Championship. I won't spoil who won the most recent one, for those who don't know, but it will of course feature Phil Hellmuth, Ted Forrest and Paul Wasicka as three of the players.

Finally, as we've reported before, Leeann Tweeden will be the new host. Remember she was a highly successful model, a regular on FSN’s Best Damn Sports Show Period, a sideline reporter on FSN’s Mansion Poker Dome series and is currently hosting of the 2008 National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

The order of telecast for PAD’s fourth season is TBD, but the first match will air the week of July 14.

-- Chris 

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

A hand for consideration

It seems lately the best way to get a dialogue going on this blog is to put a hand up for analysis.

So here's a hand from the other night online at PokerStars. It was early in my session at a short-handed table, $.50-$1 blinds and everyone had roughly $100 except the button, who had $240. I had $109 and was in the big blind with 9♥ 9♠. The UTG folded and the button raised to $4. The SB folded and I popped it to $13. The reason the button had so much more than everyone else seemed to be because he was pretty aggressive in position and people folded to his c-bets. He called.

With $27 in the pot the flop came: 2♣ 2♦ 5♣. I bet $25 and he called.

The turn: 6♠.

I checked; he checked.

The river: 7♥.

I checked; he bet $40. I have $67 left and he obvioulsy has me covered. What do I do? I will tell you what I did and the conclusion of the hand after enough responses.

-- Chris

Race Preview

Chris in red with white shorts; Fasso in golf hat.

Hanging with Kenna

As I alluded to in yesterday's post, Jeanne and I made the trek to Orlando (about a 90-minute drive with traffic) so I could introduce her to Kenna James. I was also there for Ante Up!, interviewing one of the co-founders of the WPT Boot Camps, Steve Berman, and one of Kenna's fellow instructors, Nick Brancato. The WPT has forged a relationship with the Amateur Poker League and it was on hand to host a minicamp during the APL's National Championship tournament. I brought my recorder so I have those interviews for either this week's show or next week's, but for the most part we were just there to hang with Kenna. I also brought my camera but I forgot it in the car. D'oh!

As many of you know Kenna has always been a very generous poker pro, even going so far as to play in one of our AIPS events. Now, I know I had posted a little while ago about privacy and how it's sometimes difficult to deal with as a host of a podcast. But what I saw this past weekend was absolutely remarkable, and Kenna handled every minute of it with class and dignity. I sat at his reserved table and impartially watched as the Boots (camp partcipants) all came up to him one by one (and sometimes two by two, etc.) asking for photos and autographs. He turned down no one and was a perfect gentleman. He was extremely gracious, signing two, three even four things per person sometimes, and every time he signed it wasn't just: Kenna James. He made sure he took his time, signed something personal (asking their names and how to spell them) and posed with a great smile on his face every time. The amount of time he had to dedicate to make those people happy was astounding. He easily signed his name 300 times in a span of 2 hours. At one point I leaned over and said "You are easily going to heaven." He laughed. Then he sang karaoke (a rendition of YMCA for fun and then a moving version of He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother).

When the festivities settled down we went to Steve's suite at the International Plaza Resort and Spa for some quiet time and talked poker for about an hour before the inevitible happened: We played Badugi! But there was just one hitch, however: We had no chips! So Jeanne kept track on a pad and we played a sick game with a $5 ante. You could drop after the second draw, but if you went for the third draw you were committed to $10. I finished ahead $10 in about 20 minutes (That's a better ROI than what I made after six hours in Gambit's game on Friday!) and Kenna won $30 (Sorry Steve, though no one paid me so I guess I'll write it off on my taxes). I actually captured the session on my digital recorder (with their permission, of course) and I edited it down to like 12 minutes. I will tag it on at the end of either this or next week's show. There were some funny moments in there, like Kenna talking about something Steve "left" for him in the bathroom, the incredibly boring aspects of the movie There Will Be Blood, Kenna's struggle to remain awake at 1 a.m. and Steve's inability to grasp the concept of Badugi as Kenna kept changing the rules to our make-shift game.

One of the unexpected highlights of the night came from Nick Brancato. I had read his Bluff column for more than a year but had never seen him on TV (he's an Internet pro) and never met him at any of the other events I covered. I also never heard him on the podcasts he's appeared on so I didn't know what to expect. He was hilarious, and so sharp. The man plays EIGHT tables at once online for high stakes and he doesn't miss a trick. He held three conversations at once and completely grasped every one of them while doling out advice and amusing anecdotes. His interview was really strong and that will be coming up soon on the show. When I approached him I got a pretty big surprise. Now remember we had never met and I never talked to him. I walked up to him while the "Boots" were asking for autographs and I easily could've just been one of them for all he knew. I said "Nick, when you get a chance can I talk to you out in the lobby? I'm Chris Cosenza from ..." and before I could finish the sentence he said "I know you!! I've listened to your show. I'm friends with Lee Childs and he always talks about you guys!" That was awesome. It's good to know our show is making headway with more pros now, too.

He had us laughing all night, spilling his drink on himself not once but twice, and impersonating someone to a T. But alas it got to be pretty late and we still had a 90-minute drive home, so we said our goodbyes and left a little after 1 a.m.

-- Chris

Poker, poker and, oh yeah, more poker

As you can tell by the title of this post there were a lot of poker happenings over the weekend for me. But first I'd like to direct you to the poll I created on the right-hand side of the blog. Who will win the race between Fasso and me? Vote for your winner now! And let me just say I've been taking this very seriously and have run three of the past four days (and I mowed my ever-growing plush St. Augustine lawn with a push mower on the day I didn't run!) so be aware of these facts before you vote!

Now for some poker talk: Friday night I returned to Gambit's home game for the first time in like three months and had another one of those up-and-down sessions. I was down to $9 from my original $40 buy-in but rallied to post a $9 profit for the night. Funny thing is only the losing hands stick out in my mind. I won a lot of small pots to grind my way back to profitability, but here are two hands that made the difference between me winning a ton and just barely making a profit.

The first hand came early (and I had already won a decent pot so I was up about $10) in limit hold 'em. We play $.50-$1 blinds, $1-$2 betting rounds, so it's not exactly The Big Game, but it can add up. So I'm dealt A♦ 8♦ on the button and there were two limpers ahead of me. So I called and saw a 5-handed flop of: A♥ 9♦ 2♦. A guy in early position bet and it got folded to me. I raised because I want to build a pot if I hit and I know he's not going anywhere. He just called. At this point I put him on a naked ace, which I know he'll take to the end. We get heads up when the turn brought the 8♣. Okay, I have two pair plus a redraw to the nut flush. He bet at me again (do we have the same hand?), so I raised; he three-bet and I capped it. I'm thinking he may have the same hand, a bare ace or a set. But would a set really just call with the diamonds out there and my willingness to raise? Anyway, the river was a blank and he checked. Normally I'd take this for weakness, but in this case I was overcome with this feeling that I was beat so I checked behind and he turned over A♠ 9♥ for top two. SICK! So there went all of my earlier profit and then some.

I spent the next 4-5 hours grinding my way back and then had about a $15 profit when this hand came up: It was NLHE (which is sort of a misnomer because we play it with $.25-$.25 blinds and a $20 cap. It should be called CHE, as in Cap Hold 'Em, but I digress). So someone in middle position raised to around $1 and I called in position with K♠ J♦ (my signature hand for this game!). However, Gambit called behind me so he had position on me. The flop came J♦ 9♠ 4♦. The first raiser made a standard continuation bet of like $1.50 and I raised to $4. That's when Gambit thought it over and made it $8 to go. The first guy folded and I started to think about how Gambit plays. I dismissed a flush draw because he usually has the goods with this type of move. And then I remembered our Ante Up! home game a while back when, in a raised pot, he got it all-in with J10 vs. Scott "my K-10 must be good here" Long on a jack-high flop. So, with that info fresh in my head I capped it. Gambit thought it over for a few seconds and called with QQ. D'oh!!!! There goes my profit again!!! He slow-played QQ into a multiway pot and got the perfect flop. Wow! Very nice. Ballsy, but nice.

Ultimately I had a few big hands in 5-card draw and NLHE to claw my way back. And for the first time Badugi was called in our game, and I did really well in that, which, as it turns out, played a HUGE role during my SATURDAY poker adventure in Orlando with Kenna James, WPT Boot Camp co-founder Steve Berman and Joyzey's Nick Brancato. But I'll post about that tomorrow. I need to save my posts because Scott is in Vegas and I'm holding down the Ante Up! fort.

-- Chris

P.S. Don't forget to vote in the poll at the right! 

Reflections of a poker player ... and baseball fan

Times photo   |   Scott Keeler

I'm not usually the reflective one (Chris does plenty of reflecting for both of us), but as I gave my ticket to the smiling lady at the turnstile and schlepped my $1 hot dogs and 2-for-$5 cans of Coors Light to my seat behind third base, how could I not reflect?

About 19 months ago, our lawmakers betrayed us. They didn't just betray poker players when they slipped a poorly worded attempt to stop online gambling into an important piece of legislation late in the night. No, that kind of cowardly legislating betrayed all Americans. And I was upset about it. I pondered the future of the game I love, and whether I'd still be able to log on late at night and find some folks from around the world ready to play Pot-Limit Omaha 8 for $5. Back then, I had to calm my good friend Chris down often. I tried to be the voice of reason, insisting that all of this wasn't as bad as it looked. But deep in the back of my mind, I always wondered whether I was right.

And at the time, playing poker live in Tampa Bay wasn't all that attractive. Bet limits of $2. Tournaments capped at $45 with ridiculous house fees. I began to wonder whether the only time I'd get to play cards was going to be in our less-than-regular home game or my not-as-frequent-as-I'd-like trips to places with more sensible laws.

So that's when I decided to buy season tickets to the Clearwater Threshers, a Class A farm team for the Philadelphia Phillies who play in a beautiful stadium not far at all from my house. The price was fair, and if I didn't use a ticket, I could trade it in for another one later. I'll give this a try, I remember telling myself. I have to have something to do to take my mind off not playing poker if I comes to that.

Well, since then, much has changed. Online poker sites eventually found ways around the law, and those folks charged with enforcing it eventually admitted what we always knew - that it was just a bad law. Florida lawmakers bumped bet limits to $5. They allowed no-limit hold'em, and gave us real tournaments. They let card rooms stay open year-round. And, wouldn't you know it, my home game finally did get on a regular schedule. Those thoughts deep in the back of my mind were proved wrong.

But something else changed. I fell in love with going to the ballpark. With cheering for Lou Marson. With watching the manager oddly drag his foot around third base at the beginning of every inning. With standing on my feet, waiting for the final strike, the final out, of the championship game.

Laura and I made great friends. They had been good friends, but when they started going to the ballpark with us, they become great friends. Some of the best. And we hang out with them just about every weekend now, ballgame or not.

All of this because of a stupid law that I cursed. The world does work in weird ways.

All of this means I don't play as much poker as I used to, though not a day goes by without me thinking about poker. As I sat at the baseball game the other night, I wondered whether my poker has suffered from all of this.

No.

It hasn't.

It's gotten better.

We're all wired differently, but my fuel has always been variety. Ever since high school, I've overbooked my life. Done way more than most people can handle. Perhaps way more than I can handle. But being busy is what keeps me pushing forward.

I don't keep good records. I don't know for sure whether I've won more money at poker since that evil law passed than I did before. But I do know that when I play poker now, more or less it's because I want to, not simply because I can. That's an odd statement, I know, because I've never not wanted to play poker. But convenience isn't necessarily a good thing. When I play now, it's because I want to. And I'm in the right frame of mind. I'm focused.

And that - that is what makes me a better poker player than I ever have been.

- SCOTT

Episode #148: Delay the WSOP Final Table?

MAIN TOPIC

It's just a rumor, but hey, that's what rumors are for - to debate endlessly. Chris and I take a point-counterpoint approach to whether Harrah's should consider delaying the final table of the World Series of Poker's Main Event for 90 days. I chose the right side, and Chris chose "in favor." And the only Ante Upper to play in a WSOP Main Event Final Table, Lee Childs, calls in with his opinion. Click here to hear the show.

OTHER TOPICS

New host for Poker After Dark: It's LeeAnn Tweeden, who also hosts NBC's National Heads-Up Championship, which begins airing this weekend.

CardPlayer tidbits: Take a tour of Phil Hellmuth's house (he has heated floors in his office!), get a glimpse of Larry Flynt's high-limit stud game at the Hustler Casino and tipping is back in the news.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: One-Eyed Jack's is holding new Friday night WSOP qualifiers, and the Top Jack at OEJ's, Sam Minutello, is once again running the charity tournament at the Playboy Mansion.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo is taking a well-deserved break and will return soon.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Jerry (loser64) offers up a $1/$3 no-limit hold'em cash game hand from Sam's Town in Tunica, Miss.

The under-the-gun player is a retired local with $250, and the small blind is a maniac with $180. Jerry is in mid to late position with $95.

UTG makes it $9 to go, and Jerry and the SB call.

The flop: 2d-2s-3h

SB bets out $10, UTG and Jerry call.

The turn: 9h

SB bets out $10 again, UTG raises to $35, Jerry and the SB call.

The river: Kc

SB bets $35, UTG raises to $70 and Jerry calls. SB folds, saying he had 7-7.

UTG turns over 3-3 for a flopped boat.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Scott calls in live from Las Vegas!

- SCOTT

Dust off your sundial: Chris and Fasso to race

Associated Press

Who needs Sebok and Smith when you have Cosenza and Fasso? It's Ante Up! Prop Bet time ... and this one is a doozy. Mike "Father Time" Fasso has challenged Chris to a 1-mile race on May 10, just before the Ante Up! Home Poker Game. The always modest Chris "I was an All-Star in (insert any sport, including ones that haven't yet been created, here)" Cosenza quickly accepted the friendly wager.

Training began last night, and trash-talking began today. After Chris reported that he successfully ran a mile last night, Fasso replied, "I ran a mile last night .. and a half."

The Stardust early line has been set for the Ante Up! "Run'em Twice" Race:

• Cosenza - 10/1
• Fasso - 15/1
• The Grim Reaper - 5/16

(Odds are for entertainment purposes only, and do not reflect whether Fasso will be permitted to use a walker and/or oxygen tank).

- SCOTT

WSOP ME final table discussion

If you haven't heard already, there's a discussion of postponing the World Series Main Event final table for up to 90 days. Why? Well, MONEY is the real reason, but it's being touted as a way to keep the suspense. No one would know who the winner is before it's aired. The postponement allows ESPN to air all of the leading-up episodes and then they would record the final table 90 days later, keep everyone involved to sworn secrecy, do a quick edit and then air it semi-live a few days later.

Scott and I have decided to change gears and do a POINT-COUNTERPOINT show this week on this topic. But we'd love to hear from you. Either call our toll-free Hotline (866-371-9605), comment here, or email us at poker@tampabay.com. Your contribution could make it on our show and you'll be immortalized! Your friends will envy you and your mom will finally think you're doing something productive with your life.

-- Chris

New swag for Hands of the Week and more

As I looked in the Ante Up! cupboard I noticed it was growing increasingly bare. We still have a few Full Tilt hats and T-shirts, and we still have a handful of Poker's Most Wanted playing cards courtesy of the Jetts. But we're getting down to the felt. So, since we don't have a budget I decided to brainstorm last week as to what we could offer our fine Ante Up! Nationals. Then it hit me: One of the most popular gifts from our Holiday Gift Guide the past two years has been the DB Dealer buttons. So I sent an email to one of the reps and asked if they'd like to donate to the Ante Up! cause. Less than a week later I got my answer. I'd like to thank Robin and Jeff for their generous contributions. Please check out their site. Now, remember, the buttons aren't exactly mass-produced like T-shirts, so we're saving those for big giveaways, such as winning special tournaments or knocking out big celebs in an AIPS event. We only have a handful of those so we want to make sure they are earned. We got a ONE deluxe package, seen on the bottom left, that holds two decks of plastic playing cards and a DB Button. We're thinking of giving this to the Main Event champion in December. We also have a couple of Deluxe Limited Edition Chrome Dealer Buttons (top left) that have the 30-second action clock built in with a sturdy aluminum case. They also sent us cut-cards and about 20 decks of these plastic playing cards (10 yellow, 10 black). They're plastic, but they aren't KEM/COPAG quality. They'll definitely last longer than standard playing cards and they say BAD BOY with flames on them. Pretty cool. You can click on the image to see them better. Finally, we have ONE Card Guard/Decision Maker. You have to click on this link to see it. It's hilarious.

As Jeff Probst likes to say on Survivor: Worth playing for?

I think we'll give away the cards for the Hands of the Week (or you could ask for the other items until they last).

Name another podcast where you get this treatment. Spread the word, Ante Up! has awesome SWAG!!

-- Chris

Wasicka at it again?

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Remember when we had the discussion about Paul Wasicka's Bluff article on Joint Sessions? Well, he's written about another controversial topic that I have to bring up here. Poker players are very sneaky by nature, but sometimes their sneakiness can be misconstrued as angle-shooting. Paul discusses his play on his blog here. Basically he "calls" a raise from a loose UTG raiser. But wait!!! What's this?!?!?! He has mistakenly put out a few too many chips, and it constitutes a min-raise! This tricks our UTG raiser who can now re-reraise. Paul, meanwhile, had AK, so was it unintentional? Hmmm, yes it was. Alas, the Poker Karma Gods rained their fury down on him for not counting correctly and the raiser had AA, who promptly called his all-in. Paul says this was an honest mistake, and I believe him. But it does raise questions. A lot of people saw a chip leader at last year's WSOP Main Event do the same thing, but intentionally, and he nearly got all of another guy's chips with the move. Wasicka says on his blog that he is adding this "misclick" to his repertoire. 

Is this ethical? And for that matter, are there ethics in poker?

-- Chris

Another big win for Lee Childs

Last night I turned on my iChat to talk with some family members in Connecticut. All of a sudden I get an unexpected "WHAZZUP?!" from Lee Childs. I said, "Hey, I'm talking with some family on here right now gimme a minute." After about 25 minutes I sent him a message asking how he was, etc. He casually mentions that he's playing in a tournament on Full Tilt and that he was short-stacked etc. I said "Good luck and stay focused." We pretty much ended the conversation there and then I signed off. Next thing I know he's wins the $750K Guaranteed for nearly $133K! Nice job, Lee! You're doing the Nation proud!!

-- Chris

Episode #147: Joe Navarro returns

MAIN TOPIC

Ex-FBI agent Joe Navarro, our favorite expert on nonverbal communication, swings by the studio again to dish on some more tells you should look for at the poker table (hint: look at the thumbs). He has a new book, What Every Body Is Saying, and is still heavy on the poker academy circuit. Click here to hear the show.

OTHER TOPICS

Chris gets a gift: Annie Duke's book has made it to the Dollar Tree!

Chris gets a scoop: So, have you heard about the high-stakes poker player who has been using high-priced call girls? You'll never believe who it was.

Chris gets a lawyer: Well, not yet, but he and other members of the Poker Players Alliance can now get legal advice on poker laws in their hometowns through the PPA's Litigation Support Network.

Chris goes to Washington: Well, again, not yet, but if he had, he would have heard testimony on Capitol Hill this week about how the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act is a bear to enforce. Ante Upper Short-Stacked Shamus covered the hearings, and he also has a new podcast.

Chris gets a bracelet: Okay, now I'm really stretching the fantasy. But if he wants a bracelet, Harrah's says cash buy-ins to the World Series of Poker this year of $3,000 or more will have to come with a Social Security or Tax ID number. Also, the Golden Nugget plans a monthlong tournament during the World Series, and check out David Matthews' blog Gambling in Space for some good reviews of Vegas card rooms.

Hotline: StatikKling is relieved to learn that our Omaha analogy was to a stool, not, um, stool. And John from Texas wants to know how people fit all those multitabling tables on their computer screen.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: The Florida Senate has passed a bill allowing quarter horse racing, which could lead to several new Florida poker rooms if the House and governor go along with it. One-Eyed Jack's is now running Daily Doubles, and help out the students at St. Petersburg Catholic High School by playing in their $200 charity tournament.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo makes the call with his rivered wheel on a board that has flush possibilities, and is rewarded for his bravery as his opponent had just two pair.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Alan (aka BigAl) sends us a hand from a $2/$5 no-limit cash game from Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls.

An early position player, new to the table and believed to be tight aggressive, bumps it to $20, and Alan calls with Js-Jc. The loose button calls as well.

The flop: 3h-Ks-6c.

The raiser bets out $30, Alan calls and the button folds.

The turn: Ac.

Check-check.

The river: Ah

Raiser bets $30 into the $127 pot, Alan calls and takes down the pot against pocket 9s.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Dissecting a HORSE tournament. A member of the Ante Up Nation sent us the strategy he uses to attack HORSE tournaments, and we'll share ours. Send us yours, too.

- SCOTT

What would you do here?

This hand came up on PokerStars last night. I'm in a $.25-$.50 six-handed cash game and it's pretty early. I have about $55 and the rest of the table has around the original buy-in of $50. On the button I get dealt MY FAVORITE HAND ... A♠ 10♠. I raise to $1.50 and get a call from the big blind (I know nothing about this player). With the pot about $3.25 the flop comes Q♠ 10♥ J♠. He checks to me and I bet $3. Now he makes it $12 to go.

What should I do? Or more correctly, what should I have done?

-- Chris

P.S. A-10 is NOT my favorite hand.

Joe Navarro back for this week's show

Ex-FBI agent Joe Navarro, one the Ante Up Nation's favorite guests, is coming back this Friday.

Chris and I have wanted to get him back on the show, but we knew the reigning expert in non-verbal poker communication has been a busy man. So imagine our glee when we asked him this week to let us know when he was free next, and he said he'd rearrange his schedule to be on the show this week!

He has a new book out called What Every Body Is Saying, and he's keeping busy on the poker school circuit as well. Click here to listen our last show with Joe, and e-mail us questions or post them here.

- SCOTT

Can the WPT save Scott Long?

Well, it's not that Scott really needs saving, but maybe the World Poker Tour can lead my stubborn co-host back to watching TV poker. I think the WPT (and maybe it was GSN's idea) hit on something last night. Whether it be out of necessity or an attempt to mimic ESPN's coverage of the more important tournaments (WSOP Main Event, $50K H.O.R.S.E., U.S. Open), the WPT broadcast the Bellagio Cup III, but it was just the first of two parts (I mentioned this yesterday). I'd imagine the small blinds and large stacks made it practically impossible to edit this show down to two hours, and that's likely why the WPT cut the broadcast into a pair of two-hour episodes to be shown over two weeks. I think Mike Matusow summed up my feelings on this with one quote at the final table: "I love deep-stack poker!"

It was so nice to see flops and watch how these guys think. To actually see raises and reraises without there being a shove was pure gold. The WPT will do this one more time this season with the World Poker Finals. I hope this becomes the norm and not the exception.

What would it take for the Ante Uppers out there who gave up on watching TV poker to come back? I'm a glutton for punishment, but I know there are a lot of you out there itching to watch again.

-- Chris

P.S. Matusow had another classic line last night: "Poker, poker it's all fun, after an hour you'll want a gun."