Episode #157: Chris in Connecticut

MAIN TOPIC
Chris calls in from the land of pink carpet and princesses (can't make that up if I wanted to) to give us the lowdown on Mohegan Sun's new electronic-only poker room (live poker returns Sept. 1) and his usual ringing endorsement of Foxwoods. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS

World Series of Poker: Kenna James cashes, Jerry Buss busts in time to catch his Lakers, another Man vs. Machine is scheduled and a doctor abandons his stack to help a fallen player.

Mixed games mania: The Imperial Palace in Vegas is dealing a $3/$6 limit mixed game at 7 p.m. on Sundays. Some crazzzzzy games being offered. We love it.

Gas up at the Commerce: Commerce Casino in L.A. is randomly dropping $50 gas cards into poker pots in July.

Sinatra's home game: Who played in it? It was a fun one: Jack Lemmon, Angie Dickinson, Gregory Peck and more.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: The Seminole Hard Rock Tampa bad beat jackpot is hit for $564,912. Glen Upchurch of Clearwater wins $282,452 for his losing quad 6s, while William Lewicke of Winter Haven takes $141,227 (and the pot) with a straight flush. The other eight players at the table won $17,654 each.

One Minute Mystery: We make the call, and take down the pot when our opponent shows K-6 for top pair, weaker kicker.

HAND OF THE WEEK
It's a Crazy Pineapple hand! Dan, a fellow journalist from Greeley, Colo., offers us a home game no-limit high-only hand with loose players who have been hitting the sauce.

He's dealt K-K-7, pops it 5x and gets two callers. The flop is K-8-6, two spades, and Dan bets pot but can't shake either opponent. He dumps the 7, and the turn is an Ace. With just $5 left, he checks (Chris would have pushed, I kinda like the misdirection), but one opponent bets $2 and both players call. The river is a 6, completing the flush but also filling Dan up. He gets it all-in and takes down a nice pot against two smaller boats.

- SCOTT

Episode #156: AJ Benza

MAIN TOPIC
AJ Benza calls us all the way from Hollywood as he waits for the unlikely news that GSN will pick up High Stakes Poker, the hugely popular show he co-hosts with Gabe Kaplan, for another season. We talk cards, and he dishes on celebrities, pasta and The Godfather. Click here to listen to the episode.

OTHER TOPICS

World Series: The WSOP has begun. Attendance is breaking records, and pros are faring well. We'll update the blog after each event when the WSOP certifies the results as official.

UB scandal: Many of you asked us to address the latest scandal at Ultimate Bet. We do, but caution again: online poker is the wild, wild West.

PPA ups the ante: The Poker Players Alliance wants to turn its free members into dues-paying members by offering perks for those who do.

Deadbeat dads: If you're a parent who's walked on out child support, shame on you. But if you have no shame, you might want to avoid casinos in Colorado and West Virginia. Those states will look for you there.

Hotline: We have a little fun with Mike from New Jersey, who finds out how hard it is to analyze a hand on the fly.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Derby Lane is sending four players to the WSOP. Good luck to them, and all the other bay area players who have or will qualify in local card rooms.

HAND OF THE WEEK
Adam from Dedham, Mass., gives us an excuse to revisit strategy for FullTilt's cheap Knockout tournaments, where you get money for each person you felt. He calls a raise with As-10s, and the flops a royal flush draw. Try to take it down quickly? Or wait to hit your hand, figuring that early in a tournament like this you'll get paid off? He chooses the latter and is put to the test when he doesn't improve on the turn but two players move all-in. He calls, hits and goes on to cash - picking up bounties along the way.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW
Chris is on the road, and unlike Scott who goes to wild and exotic and different locations on each vacation, he's going back to Connecticut yet again. Let's hope he has time to make it over to Foxwoods and even Mohegan Sun.

- SCOTT

Episode #155: Poker music

MAIN TOPIC
St. Pete Times pop music critic Sean Daly, who also co-hosts the Stuck in the '80s podcast, rocks our studio to talk about the best music to play for your home game and the best tunes to fire up your iPod with at the tournament table. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS
We're TV stars: If you missed our appearance on TV this week, here's your chance to catch it.

AIPS: Congrats again to rascony for winning the wild, wild rebuy event. Remember, razz is next!

WSOP: The World Series of Poker gets started on Friday with a $10,000 World Championship event (pot-limit hold'em). An eco-friendly poker table will be on display this year, and we wonder aloud about the quality of dealers in Vegas for the next couple of months with a bouquet of other tournament series in town at the same time.

Hotline: PokerGeek says Ante Up helped him through recent tornadoes in Minnesota (glad to hear everyone is alright), and Sharkey gets his aces cracked.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: The bad beat jackpot at the Seminole Hard Rock casino in Tampa is north of $400K, and One-Eyed Jack's in Sarasota is launching new WSOP guarantee tournaments.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo gets cold feet and checks his A-7 down. Good thing. His opponent had played 9-9 - poorly.

HAND OF THE WEEK
Nicholas from Australia sends us a stud8 hand where he starts with buried aces and a 6 door card. He caps the action on 3rd Street, pairs his 6 on Fourth but can't chase anyone away.

It's bricks around on Fifth, and it's bet, call, call. But on Sixth, the original frisky bettor pairs his door card (7) and the action gets capped. On 7th, everyone slows down, which is good for our hero, who loses the high half of the pot to Aces and sevens. Ouch.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW
TBA

- SCOTT

Episode #153: Justin Bonomo

JustinBonomo.com

MAIN TOPIC
Pro Justin Bonomo, aka "ZeeJustin," gives us a ring to talk about his meteoric rise in the poker world, his string of recent final tables, his new affiliation with Team Bodog and, yes, his past and how he's dealing with it. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS

Race for the Hundy: Chris is still out of breath from his prop bet win against Fasso. If you missed it, check out the story and video.

AIPS: Event #5 (NL hold'em rebuy) is just a week away. Click here for all the details.

MySpace poker: That's right - this hideously hard site to read has started a poker room. You can even order virtual beers. (Well, not Chris. He's doesn't even drink virtual booze).

Trump does it again: This time, The Donald will install 12 electronic poker tables in the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City by June. Booooooo!

Get your stock on: CNBC has launched a stock-picking contest. One of the prizes? A seat in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event.

More on the WSOP delay: Scott is hung up on just how success or failure will be determined in the World Series' biggest gimmick of the year. Give it up. (Or, keep the debate alive).

Hotline: A caller lets us know of a soccer player named Ante Razov. Close, but no banana ...  and Roger calls in to let us know we can catch NBC's National Heads-Up Poker Championship on the Internet.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Help out a good cause and get a legitimate reason to say "boobs" by participating in the Bikers4Boobs & Walkers4Boobs Poker Run and 5K Walk on June 8. Click here for the details.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo is on vacation, no doubt solving a crime. He'll be back soon.

HAND OF THE WEEK
Alright, we took a chance (you know what that means). It was our first single-draw no-limit 2-7 lowball HOTW. Neither Chris nor I nor Justin, who stuck around to help us out, have played this version of lowball.

Jan, an Ante Upper playing in a loose 5-person dealer's choice low-limit home game, is in the big blind with 2-3-4 and two paint cards. Everyone limps, and Jan checks. The small blind draws three, Jan two and the rest of players: two, two, three.

Jan improves to 8-7-4-3-2, and after the small blind checks, he bets 6 units into a 5-unit pot. He gets one caller, and then the small blind check-raises to 20 units.

The bet smelled fishy to us, and Jan called, just as we would have. Good move. His 8-7 beat his opponent's rougher 8-7.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW
TBA, but in two weeks, St. Pete Times' rockin' music critic Sean Daly joins us to talk about music and poker.

- SCOTT

Episode #151: World Series of Poker preview

MAIN TOPIC

Responding to the day's big story, we called an audible and devoted this show to a look-ahead to the upcoming World Series of Poker, which begins May 30, and the announcement that the final table of the Main Event will be delayed 117 days to build anticipation. We summarize a media conference call led by WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, and also include a recording of that entire call at the end of the show. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS

Sweden doesn't mess around: Two guys who lacked the proper permits to host a poker tournament in Sweden have six to eight months to reflect on that mistake - in a Swedish jail.

Hotline: Listener BitGuru calls in with a buffet of comments, including a question about whether the Mirage keeps those dollars they collect from the Texas Hold'em Plus redraws. Nope - they go straight into the pot.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: I ventured out to Lucky's at Tampa Greyhound Track, and was surprised to find not one limit game going at all, and that you can buy into the $1/$2 no-limit for as little as $20. If you're in a charitable mood, help out the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hernando County in a $100 tournament on May 18. For details, call (727) 233-1018.

HAND OF THE WEEK

A new listener Trey writes in with a hand from Ante Up!'s official game - razz.

He starts perfect - 2/3 underneath, with an Ace up. He completes, gets raised and reraises. We like it so far.

On Fourth Street, he picks up a 7 and keeps the pressure on. A Q/6 and a 3/8 come along.

On Fifth Street, the bricks start falling. He gets a J, keeps the pressure on, but can't shake the Q/6/4 or 3/8/K.

On Sixth Street, it's a mixed bag. He gets a 9, but the 3/8/K/5 is stubborn.

The river improves him to an 8 low, and he's lucky he's not raised by his opponent, who takes down the pot with a 7-5.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

We're beginning to sound a little like Jimmy Kimmel ("... our apologies to Matt Damon") each week as we delay yet again our Dissection of a HORSE Tournament show. We'll try again next week.

- SCOTT

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

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

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

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

Episode #145: Kill Everyone author Steven Heston

MAIN TOPIC

Steven Heston (Kim Lee), co-author of the latest Kill Phil book Kill Everyone, joins us to talk about how applying equilibrium thinking can improve your tournament game, especially on the bubble. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS

Go to school: If you have $850 burning a hole in your fanny pack, check out the U.S. Poker Tour's first "Q-School" at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas May 11-16.

Go shopping: Chris used his time off to clean up the Ante Up! Store. Buy something.

Go to the movies: The Grand debuts this weekend, and 21 is in wide release.

Go get a life: Chris whines yet again about The Best Damn Poker Show.

Red Sox gambling: Jonathan Papelbon cleaned up playing cards on the team's flight to Japan.

Will the madness stop? Once again, the heavy hand of the law (or risk management) has denied a worthy charity of money that would have been raised in a poker tournament. The victim this time? Nourish International, a charity that would have benefited from a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tournament that the college's lawyers advised shutting down. Boo. Click here for CardPlayer's story.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Derby Lane offers a ladies tournament, and Tampa Bay Downs, Tampa Greyhound Track and Sarasota Kennel Club are doing World Series of Poker qualifiers.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo decides to swing his big stack around, pushes all-in, runs into Kings, but spikes a Queen on the river.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Chris has had plenty of time to play poker during his recuperation, so he offers up a no-limit hand that's the root of the latest in a looooooooooooooooong line of recent epiphanies for him.

In a $1/$2 no-limit cash game on FullTilt, he's dealt As-9s on the button. With one limper, he raises 4x and gets heads-up.

The flop: 9h-4s-5s.

It's checked to Chris, who bets $10, which is called.

The turn: 2d.

His opponent bets out $7, and Chris, sensing weakness, raises to $30. His opponent then shoves, which would put Chris all-in. Trusting his read, and considering his outs if he was wrong, Chris makes the call.

His opponent had flopped a set of 5s, the spade doesn't get there, and Chris goes broke.

The epiphany? He needs to stop making these borderline calls. He wasn't even getting 2-to-1 on his money.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Omaha.

- SCOTT

Episode #144: Tax expert Russ Fox

MAIN TOPIC

Russ Fox, an enrolled agent for Clayton Financial and Tax in Irvine, Calif, and a poker author, calls in to offer us tips on how to handle our winnings and losses on our income tax returns. For more answers, check out his blog, and he also welcomes e-mails - though hr reminds you that this is his busy season. He's the author of three poker books, including his latest called Winning Strategies for No-Limit Hold'em, which deals with deep stack cash game play. Click here to listen to the show. (And our IT folks continue to work on the iTunes feed).

OTHER TOPICS

Help the animals: Jennifer Harman is hosting a charity tournament on Full Tilt at 9 p.m. Eastern this Sunday. The $5+$5 no-limit hold'em tournament benefits the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. A long list of Full Tilt pros and celebrities will be playing. The tournament is listed under the tournament tab and called "Animal Lovers."

Poker on TV ... and around the world: Chris continues his bed-ridden assault on The Best Damn Poker Show, and reminds us that the World Poker Tour debuts on GSN this month. Also, check out Ante Up celebrity Lee Childs in a new ad for the WPT Boot Camp, coming to magazines near you soon. PokerStars in May launches the Latin American Poker Tour, and the India Poker Tour gets under way, too. And there's more grumbling in Europe about the U.S. stance on online gambling.

Hotline: Blazman calls in with his own unique look at playing A-J, and John from Dallas wants us to delve deeper into how to avoid being quartered - or worse - in Omaha 8. We offer tips from Super System 2 and Winning Omaha 8 Poker. Both are good books that should be on the shelves of every Omaha 8 player.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: The Seminole Tribe of Florida has announced when the new Class III games will make it to Tampa. Slots will be here this summer, with card games (blackjack, baccarat and pai gow) coming in the fall. The tribe is hiring more than 3,000 dealers. Want a job? Click here.

HAND OF THE WEEK

James from OZ offers us a hand from a $.05/$.10 no-limit ring game on Full Tilt.

UTG, he's dealt Js-Jd and raises to 35 cents. He gets one caller.

The flop: 2c-10s-5c.

He bets out 90 cents and gets a quick call.

The turn: 8c.

He bets $1, and is immediately raised all-in to $7.50.

James decides to fight another day and folds.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Steve Heston, one of the authors of the new poker strategy book Kill Everyone, tells us about the book.

- SCOTT

Episode #143: Martha Frankel, author of Hats & Eyeglasses

MAIN TOPIC

Writer Martha Frankel joins us to discuss her new book, Hats and Eyeglasses: A Family Love Affair With Gambling. Martha comes from a New York family in which card games were a big part of growing up. She learned a lot from watching her father and his pals, and later from a cousin and a Wednesday night game with the "guys." After putting her poker skills to work in the card rooms of Atlantic City and L.A. to make some serious money, the Internet came along and the wheels came off. Martha explains her addiction to online poker and how she kicked it but still plays live for enjoyment. And she's a big 7-card stud fan, so that makes her a champ in our book. Click here to listen to the show (we're trying to resolve a problem with the RSS feed and iTunes).

OTHER TOPICS

The Invalid: Cosenza calls in from his sickbed, giving a rare dramatic reading. Plus, he's angry about something. Is anyone surprised? And he helps me evaluate a couple of NL hands that I played passively, i.e., poorly.

Call for Interns: Card Player is accepting applications for reporter-interns at the WSOP. Deadline is March 15. Info is here.

Full Tilt: A clarification from Scott, but please don't ask him to say "clarification."

Really Big Shews: Send questions on taxes and SNG strategy to poker@tampabay.com. We've got some experts coming up: tax guy Russ Fox for Show #144 and Steve Heston, author of the latest Kill Phil book, for Show #145.

Hotline: We claim another convert to the Church of Razz.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Thanks to Nordic and Blaz for submitting a new theme for this segment. Sharp! On the local tournament scene, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has a $600,000 Poker Extravaganza scheduled for April 25-27, with a $1,000+$100 buy-in and lots of satellites. There's a link to their poker calendar here. And friend of Ante Up! Sam Minutello is running his Pros vs. Joes II tournament this weekend, with the likes of the Jetts, The Grinder and Chris Bell. One-Eyed Jacks has a Web site here.

One-Minute Mystery: Columbo decides his Royal Flush draw is good enough to shove with, and his opponent slinks away like a little lamb.

HAND OF THE WEEK

What is worse than getting quartered in Omaha 8? Getting "16.66 percented." Our friend Aquaman knows. He plays Ad 2h 2c Th in a low-limit ring game, flops a flush, makes a nut low, and still ends up underwater. The moral? That hand isn't all that.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Tax expert Russ Fox.

MIKE

Episode #142: Heads Up With Michael Craig

MAIN TOPIC

Full Tilt "red pro" Michael Craig joins us from Las Vegas to assess the field for NBC's National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which begins today. Michael will be covering the tournament on his excellent blog. He named a guy I've never heard of as a possible winner. Where is Chris when I need him? Chris would have heard of this guy! Craig also has some tips for playing limit heads up and recounts his very good day on Full Tilt this week. How good? Let's just say he puts my cash in Full Tilt's $26 token frenzy to shame. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS

Chris: Who? Oh yeah, him. The painkillers are working, and he's still got a few one-liners left in his trembling frame. Seriously, he's doing fine, resting at home, and we miss him. Kind of.

Daytona: Scott and another one of his gearhead adventures. But with a poker ending.

Full Tilt:  Uncle Tilty has made it easier for Scott to replenish his account. Either that, or they were going to have to start offering 23-cent sit-n-gos. Plus some other good changes at our favorite, totally random, poker site.

21: Mark your calendars for March 23, opening day for a movie about the MIT blackjack card counters that looks pretty good.

Hot Line: We have a call from a listener with a good technical suggestion involving PSP and RSS and some other stuff. Most of you will understand it. Scott, however ... He actually said this before today's show while staring at a laptop: "Where's the 'on' button?"

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Scott tries a NL O8B tournament, and a knucklehead tries my patience.

HAND OF THE WEEK

I am weak-tight, so I don't even play Ac8s in middle position, but fearless JLBSox raises it up at the final table of the AIPS Main Event and gets called by the button (Zerkaboid). The flop is 2h 5h 3d and our hero's continuation bet is met with a min-raise. Me, I'm done, but JLB thinks his opponent has nothing and calls. Turn is 2s and JLB bets big. Zerk raises all-in, putting in his last 965 chips, and JLB says, "I figure I'm crushed when he moves in." Turns out Zerk has Ah6h. River comes 9d and our hero wins a 76K pot with deuces, A-8 kicker. These guys are good.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

We interview Martha Frankel, author of Hats and Eyeglasses, a memoir on gambling addiction. And change the keys to the studio so Chris can't get in.

- MIKE

Full Tilt photo

Episode #141: Poker Moment of Truth

Fox

MAIN TOPIC

Fox's newest game show, The Moment of Truth, inspired us to dig deep into our poker souls and expose our darkest card-playing secrets - while trying to bluff each other. Fasso is the host for this revealing look. Click here to listen to the show.

OTHER TOPICS

He flopped quads! Fasso, famous for saying he's never flopped quads IN HIS LIFE, does so not once, but twice in one week. And neither time was online, you conspiracy theorists!

AIPS recap: Well, not so much, since we had to tape in advance of the big event. But if you're reading this post, then you know who won because you read the previous post, right?

Scott's Rant o' the Week: Folks, wash your hands when you're in a dirty poker room. Your mom never showed you how? This Times file photo gives you a clue. (You'll also be happy to learn that most restrooms stock free soap.)

Annette, we want you ... to be on our show. But it hasn't been easy to book the European teen phenom Annette Obrestad.

SpadeClub launches: CardPlayer gets into the monthly membership poker site business. Just imagine the competition we'll have if the federal government decides to regulate online poker.

Hotline: SickBrain submits some musical possibilities, and Chicago Jason has some fun with Fasso and a former guest.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Scott says the small difference between a $2/$4 Omaha 8 game and a $3/$5 Omaha 8 game can be significant here in Tampa Bay, Land of Everyone to the Flop.

One Minute Mystery: We decide to fold, and are relieved when our opponent turns over his pocket rockets. Dodged that one.

HAND OF THE WEEK

Ross from Indiana is fond of Stud 8, but is working on his Stud game in order to round out his HORSE abilities (you're a winner already, Ross). He submits this stud hand for our analysis:

He starts out rolled up with Queens, with two Aces on board. He slow plays on 3rd Street, and doesn't need to get frisky as it's completed, raised and reraised by other players.

On 4th Street, he continues the ruse, just calling the single bet.

On 5th Street, danger lurks its ugly head. A pair of 9s with an Ace bets out, and our hero raises. A player with three to a flush sticks around, and we're reraised and then cap it.

On 6th Street, our hero boats up, and he drives the action. He's raised by the now-fourth diamond, and reraised by the 9s, and Ross caps it.

On 7th, Ross quads his queens, raises and caps it after it's reraised.

And then heartbreak: He loses to a steel wheel.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

TBD.

- SCOTT

Episode #140: Poker Night Food

Times photo

MAIN TOPIC

Times food editor Janet Keeler joins us to offer some tips on how we can bag those stale old chips and bland pretzels at our home poker games and feature tastier fare for the fish who swim in our pond. Click here to listen to the show.

Some highlights: Nothing wet or sticky (think finger sandwiches), stuff that can be eaten in a bite or two, a good variety (not just junk food), salt slows you down (not good for marathon games) and bring out the grub in stages (great for marathon games). Ante Upper David (aces88ss) offers this tip: players in his game must give $10 to the host, who's responsible for putting out a killer spread (think ribs, salmon, smoked turkey, deer, pheasant - even heart of bear!).

Two recipes from Janet's kitchen:

Smoky Bacon Wraps
1 pound sliced bacon
1 (16 ounce) package miniature smoked sausage links
1 cup packed brown sugar

Cut each bacon strip in half widthwise. Wrap one piece of bacon around each sausage.

Place in a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until bacon is crisp and sausage is heated through.

Source. www.allrecipes.com

Fumbo (Faux-Gumbo)2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cups cooked chicken , cut into bite-sized pieces
1-2 cup cooked white rice
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

6 cups chicken broth
1 green pepper , diced
1 red pepper , diced
1 medium onion , diced
3 garlic cloves , minced
2 stalks celery , diced
1 potato , diced (yukon gold or red)
to taste cayenne pepper
to taste salt & pepper , to taste
1 tablespoon sugar

Saute onion, peppers and celery for 3 minutes.  Add garlic and sautee 1 more minute.  Pour in diced tomatoes, chicken broth and potatoes. Stir, bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Add chicken, rice, cayenne pepper (the amount you use depends on your family's tolerance for spicy food - I usually give about 4 dashes), salt & pepper and sugar.  Let cook for another 20-30 minutes to bring flavors together.

Serves 6.

OTHER TOPICS

O.J.'s poker game delayed: The Naked Gun star was supposed to host a poker game on a January night ... until he was hauled off to Vegas by a former bailbondsman. Here's the Associated Press image from Jail, the TV show that reported it.

Best damn ... Poker Show on TV? That's what this Phill Hellmuth vs. Annie Duke reality poker show claims to be. Chris isn't buying it, Scott isn't watching it.

Big money in membership sites: PurePlay is offering a $10,000 tournament.

AIPS reminder: It's Thursday night on FullTilt. Click here for details.

Hotline: We get a call from Middle America about how much luck is involved in poker. Short term? Lots. Long term? Not so much.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Poker room receipts are were up 54 percent in December. The new stakes are attracting players!

HAND OF THE WEEK
Russ (Vindice) submits a hand from a recent No-Limit Hold'em CHIMPS event.

Stakes are 200/400 with a 50 ante.

UTG calls, and Russ calls with Kd-Qc. Two callers, plus the BB, so five to the flop.

The flop: Js-Jh-Ks.

It's checked around to our hero, who bets 1200. Folded around to the UTG, who calls.

The turn: 7d.

Checked around.

The river: 2c.

UTG bets 3000, our hero pushes for 4709 and loses to a boat (pocket Kings).

Our advice: The two Jacks on the flop were scary, and there wasn't a reason to push the final 1709 in on the end.

Better luck next time Russ. Send us your address for some swag.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

It's a good one: Fasso joins us to moderate our own version of The Moment of Truth. The show has already been taped, in anticipation of Chris' surgery. He'll be out for up to a month. Fasso will fill in, and wish our good buddy a speedy recovery.

- SCOTT

Episode #139: Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of the PPA

MAIN TOPIC

Former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato joins us to chat one year after taking over at his new gig: chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, a grass-roots lobbying group that works to promote poker-friendly legislation.

We asked the senator about the PPA's agenda, how the federal government really works, poker sentiment at the federal level, the presidential candidates, 2+2 Forum's criticism of the PPA and much more. Click here to listen to the show.

Associated Press

OTHER TOPICS

Mourn the passing of ... Chris' blue and green shirt, that pretty much was his Ante Up! uniform, his work uniform, and - rumors say - his wedding tuxedo. He's been hitting the potato chips hard lately, went to reach for a Pizza-flavored Pringle and split the shirt. The best part? Someone stole it out of this trash can. (Was it Blazman?) Some people are really sick. And so is the person who stole the shirt (unless it WAS Blazman. He's cool).

Home game report: When you get as old as we are, strange things happen when you decide to have a home game that stretches past midnight on a school night. How much does it hurt when you misread your hand? Ugh. Kids, when you get tired, just walk away. Chris did a new chip trick: He made his shirt disappear.

Stimulate the poker economy: Congress is sending us each $600 - even more if you have ankle-biters around the house. Are you spending your rebate on poker? Yeah, we know you are. Maybe Chris' BFF Freddy Deeb will buy Chris a new shirt.

Macau gets hold'em: The craze finally makes it to the Chinese gambling mecca in a live-game form. Four tables are planned initially. Might want to get your name on the wait list ASAP.

Brunson blogs: I highly recommend taking at look at Doyle Brunson's blog. It's a bittersweet mix of personal torment and great poker stories.

Hotline: The FullTilt RCG gives us another ring. You just have to feel bad for it.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: The Hard Rock is introducing NASCAR collector chips and is advertising a $77,777 bad beat jackpot for hold'em ($7,777 for cool kids like us who prefer Omaha or stud). Over at The Silks at Tampa Bay Downs, compete in the Tampa Bay Poker Challenge for your share of $100,000 in cash. Plus, new non-hold'em tournaments once a month and tableside massages!

One Minute Mystery: We decide to slow down on the scary turn, and then check down the river which proves to be a mistake. Our opponent takes the pot with 9-9. Next week's mystery? Did Amarillo Slim Dumpster Dive for Chris' shirt?

HAND OF THE WEEK

We pick apart a no-limit hold'em cash game hand that Chris previously posted on this blog - a post that drew more than 60 comments. (You guys really should quit indulging him). Turns out, Chris gets felted by 9d-6d - a most unlikely holding. While there's probably not a lot Chris could have done to avoid his fate, I said I would have checked the flop with the intention to check-raise. Same result, different path.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Fasso returns to moderate our own version of The Moment of Truth, Fox's new game show where it pays to tell the truth. Who can outbluff the other more - Chris or me? E-mail your suggested questions to Mike.

And on Episode #140, we'll welcome Times food editor Janet Keeler to the show to suggest some better food than those stale chips and pretzels that all of us serve at our home games. E-mail your suggested questions to us.

- SCOTT

Episode #138: Mailbag!

MAIN TOPIC

Yes, we know we promised Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, but the new chairman of the Poker Players Alliance had to postpone again, this time to stump for Sen. John McCain. We're reskedded for next week. (So keep those questions coming!)

So we present our latest installment of everyone's favorite ace in the hole: Mailbag!

Click here to listen to the show, where you'll hear our answers to questions that delve into adjusting to table changes, restealing, mixed games at home, the differences between tournament play and live play, online etiquette, tournament satellites, variance, the Chimps series, bingo and much, much more.

OTHER TOPICS

Windy City: I recap my fab time in Chicago, and we share some clips from the Ante Up! MeetUp, courtesy of Chicago Mike. Thanks Mike!

Pot odds: Raise your hand if you're surprised that we had an error or two on last week's attempt at pot odds redemption? We try to set the record straight.

It's all about timing: I endured a run of bad timing last night at Derby Lane, but the only timing that counts is the last.

QuickDraw freerolls: Doyle's Room is offering these new tournaments. They're freerolls, but you can rebuy for a juiceless $1. Scott's intrigued, Chris is yawning.

WPT news: The World Poker Tour is now offering Cash Game camps, and our very own Ante Up! superstar Lee Childs is among the faculty. Also, ClubWPT kicks off. It's a membership site where you can play poker and blackjack tournaments for prizes.

Hotline: Mike from California says last week's One Minute Mystery is a common play in online SNGs and Charlie from New York says razz is illegal in New Jersey! True? We'll find out.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Why is it so hard to find a live stud tournament that's dealt and structured properly? We review Fasso's debacle at the Hard Rock.

HAND OF THE WEEK

The wait is over for Justin "Irish_Fan_34." We finally break down his hand from a .25/.50 Stud8 table on FullTilt.

He starts with (5d-3s) 6c, raises the bring-in's complete and gets three callers.

On 4th Street, he picks up the 8c, raises and gets reraised by 2c-8s.

On 5th Street, he improves with the Ah, and check/calls. We'd raise here to drive out a player going high so we can get heads-up with the remaining player, who is going low.

On 6th Street, he pairs his 6 with the 6d, bets out, gets raised and reraises. We'd rather have gotten to 7th as cheaply as possible.

On 7th Street, he miffs with a Js, but it's checked down and our hero scoops with his pair of 6s and 8-6 low.

Whew. Nice outcome, but a dangerous path to get there.

Justin, send us your address and we'll ship out some swag.

- SCOTT

Episode #137: Pot Odds Redux

MAIN TOPIC

You asked for it, we cried, but we gave it to you. We tried our best to improve upon our previous infamous "pot odds" show. How'd we do? Click here to listen to the show.

To calculate pot odds, first figure the ratio of the money you need to bet to the money that's in the pot. if there's $30 in the pot, and the bet is $3, that's 10-1. Next, figure out how many "outs" - cards that will help your hand - exist, and divide the number of unseen cards by that number. Let's say you've flopped four to the nut flush. Nine remaining cards complete your flush. There are 47 cards, divided by nine is 4.22-1.

Generally speaking, if the first number (10-1, in this case) is larger than the second number (4.22-1, here), then you call. If it's lower, you fold.

We also briefly touch on "implied odds," which is when you can factor in future bets you expect to win if your hand improves.

There are a gazillion good resources on the Web, but we suggest you find a pot odds chart and study it. Just having a basic idea of whether a call, or fold, is the right move will improve your game immensely.

OTHER TOPICS

Just shut up! No, not you. (Well, yes you if you're as whiny as the guy on Scott's left this week). Seriously folks, no one wants to hear bad beat stories or constant crying at the poker table. Grow up.

Chicago is our kind of town: Thanks again to the Chicago Poker Club for keeping us atop their podcast rankings, and come by the Billy Goat on Sunday to rib Scott for not always talking clearly into the mic.

Show!, no you show! No, you show! A playground confrontation between Phil Hellmuth and Jean-Robert Bellande took place on Poker After Dark this week, and listen in to get the real scoop on who was right from Sam Minutello.

Be Chris' social network friend! Chris has joined the new Poker Players Social Network, kinda like a Facebook or MySpace for poker players. It's pretty new, but is picking up steam quickly, all by word of mouth.

What's on your Poker Bucket List? Let us know.

Poker pitchmen on wheels: Online gambling site 888.com has joined up with cabbies in London to promote its site. When you climb into a cab, a cabbie might try to get you to talk about poker. If you do, then he might try to convince you to play on 888.com. Hey, what else are you going to do on the average 16-minute cab ride in London?!?

Hotline: Ross from Indiana calls, suggesting that we use our "card dead" periods to pay attention to action and try to steal in optimal situations. We agree.

One Minute Mystery: Columbo makes what he says is a reckless call, and it works out as his opponent was making a move with 2-2.

HAND OF THE WEEK

To demonstrate our proficiency in pot odds (pause for laughter), we break down a hand from the Ante Up! Home Game where Chris tiptoed on the border of correct odds to win a no-limit hold'em hand.

It's a six-handed table, with blinds of .50/1 and a 50-unit cap. UTG+1 raises to 3, and Chris calls on the but-ton with Ad-Kd, as does the SB.

The flop: 3s-8d-4d.

The SB checks, the original raiser bets 6. Chris figures he's getting 2.7-1 on his money, and his odds of improving are 3.1-1. He makes the borderline call, and the SB check-raises to 15. The original raiser folds, and now Chris is getting 4.1-1 to call, and his new odds are 5.875-1, since he has to assume some of his previous "outs" are no longer good with a player showing strength. That's not enough to call, but Chris reasons he has enough implied odds to make the call profitable.

The turn: 10c.

SB bets 12, which gives Chris 5.3-1 on his money. When considering the cap, Chris makes the call, hits his flush on the river and extracts a value bet out of the SB, who had 3-3.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, now chairman of the Poker Players Alliance, calls in to field our questions on what the PPA is up to these days and to give us an update on the legislative climate for poker. Have a question for the senator? Post it here.

- SCOTT

Hey folks, let's be nice to our dealers

I found myself playing Omaha Hi/Lo at a local card room this week, and as any of you who have played Omaha Hi/Lo know, there's never just one dealer per table - there's always 11.

Once the cards are turned over, the barking begins like market traders haggling over the price of frozen orange juice concentrate. Screams of "Lock low!," "He has hearts!," "Two lows, one high!" bellow from all corners of the table (if you can work in a "live deuce!" shout you make the short list for Backseat Omaha Dealer of the Year). All of this insanity carries on while the poor dealer - the only one who should be making such declarations - struggles to separate fact from fiction, and then swallows a bottle of Tums as he prepares for the eventual "Why don't I have a low?!?!" cries from those who really, really should pick a far simpler game in which to lose the Social Security check.

All of this brings me back to my experience this week, when I found myself feeling really bad for a very nice dealer who obviously struggles to understand the complexities of Omaha Hi/Lo. I certainly don't fault him - there are few games more difficult to deal, especially if you don't play it often. His only knock was that he took his time, followed his training and eventually figured it all out, even if it wasn't on the timetable of the players in the hand.

So I pose this question: What dealer would you most like to have at your Omaha Hi/Lo table? The one who quickly dispatches with awarding the pot, and in his haste may overlook the true winner, or the one who painstakingly considers all four cards from all seven or so players and arrives at the correct determination?

I know which one I'm choosing.

- SCOTT

Episode #136: Tunica

MAIN TOPIC

Fasso returns to the studio after a largely successful visit to Tunica, Miss., site of a World Series of Poker Circuit event and a World Poker Tour event. Fasso learned to tame the SNGs but was helpless against an unknown health ailment. Click here to hear the show.

OTHER TOPICS

Bluff likes us! Well, Bluff readers do. We thank our listeners for helping us become "Best Podcast" in Bluff magazine's annual Readers Choice Awards.

AIPS: The third season gets off to a record start - 155 players! Fasso turns 400 chips into a final table appearance, but Zerkaboid gets the banana. Congrats!

WSOP on the radio: WSOP Radio has debuted, and you can listen in live on Mondays from 8-10 p.m. Eastern.

Chris is a newshound: Chris breaks some news on this very blog, reporting that the Mirage has pulled out of the World Poker Tour. Is Mandalay Bay next?

Players of the Year: The only POY that matters - AIPS - was crowned in December, but a couple other magazines take a crack at it anyhow. Bill Edler wins in Bluff's rankings, and David "The Dragon" Pham wins CardPlayer's honor.

Hotline: Bradford from California calls in to ask us what the best way is to get money in an online poker room. "E-Check" is the new hot way (on PokerStars), and we've heard it's in beta-testing on FullTilt. Outside of that, try a VISA debit card. No dice? Keep trying on the options listed on the poker room's site.

Tampa Bay Poker Replay: Some folks in Clearwater got nabbed for the fuzz, who accuse them of running a high-stakes illegal poker game; Tampa Greyhound Track offers a $80 no-juice tournament every Sunday with a bounty on Sam Minutello; and the Hard Rock will host a charity tournament benefiting the Brandon Foundation.

HAND OF THE WEEK

yzerman13 sends us a hand from AIPS III Event #1.

Joe24Pa raises UTG, and yzerman calls UTG+1 with 3d-3c. carbidexxx calls from the big blind.

The flop: 3s-Ad-10c.

carbide checks, JoePa bets and yzerman raises.

carbide folds, and JoePa calls.

The turn: 8h.

JoePa checks, yzerman bets, JoePa calls.

The river: Qs

JoePa bets out, confounding yzerman. But yzerman decides to raise, JoePa reraises, yzerman caps it and JoePa calls.

JoePa turns over Kc-Jc for the straight and takes down a nice pot.

Certainly a lot to criticize for JoePa's call on the turn, though Scott meekly takes a stab at defending it, depending on what the read was. But we all agreed yzerman played it too aggressively on the river.

NEXT WEEK'S SHOW

Brace yourself. You've asked for it, and asked for it and ask