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 #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

A Little error in judgement

This happened a while back, but I haven't had a chance to post about it. Jonathan "Fiery Justice" Little, who had only just signed with Full Tilt Poker a few months back, was recently fired by the online gambling site. He was a FTP-sponsored pro (you may be seeing him during the ongoing NBC National Heads Up Poker Championships coverage) and he's a WPT champ (and POY). But this error in judgement proved costly. Full Tilt, which pays its Red Players to play on its site (plus sponsors them in tournaments, etc.), axed the young star because he was letting other players use his account. This was a violation of Full Tilt's contract (here is a link to a statement). Jonathan apologized on his blog. Now he can't play on Full Tilt and he basically threw away thousands and thousands of dollars that would have been a huge lift off his shoulders. There are thousands of players (and pros) who would give their right arm to never have to worry about tournament entry fees and getting paid to play. 

But now I ask you, should he have been fired? There are reports of other pros "getting caught" doing this but no such action has taken place. Does this fall under the gray area of "What happens on the Internet stays on the Internet," such as Joint Sessions and Poker Tracker? Or was this really unethical? I'd love to read your thoughts on this. I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet.

-- 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

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

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.    

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

PPSN update

The Poker Players Social Network has updated its URL. The address we gave you on the show was a beta address. The new URL is here so be sure to bookmark it. At least 40 Ante Up! Nationals already have joined, giving this site a real boost. Nice job! And a special thanks to ChicagoJason for starting an Ante Up! Nation group, which again, is at least 40 members strong.

-- Chris

The need to share

Here's another problem with online play: It's such a lonely experience. It's not that when I go to one of the local card rooms I'm chatting it up with the players or being friendly for that matter. I usually keep to myself and try like hell to take every last chip from them. But if you're doing well or if you have a nice rally, there's usually someone saying "Nice hand" or "Nice comeback" and you can sort of celebrate your success. But when you're playing online and you make a nice call you turn to no one in particular and blurt out "I knew he was bluffing!" Then you realize what an idiot you are because you're playing alone in your bedroom while the wife's out shopping.

That's the beauty of home games. If you kick some serious butt you have all of your friends there to witness it and you can have fun rubbing it in or just reveling in the fact that your stack is twice as big as the next guy. But when you're playing online it almost has this mercenary feel. You're there to win money and then sign off. The chat box is a cold place filled with bitter players and it usually serves as a distraction. That's not to say players in live games aren't distracting (just as Scott and his whining companion the other day at the O8B table). But for the most part, live play is so much more rewarding. And, of course, there's the converse of this discussion: When you lose live it's more humiliating or dejecting, but you take the good with the bad. I believe winning live far outweighs winning online, and losing live isn't much worse than losing online. The only saving grace for losing online is, if you aren't playing in an AIPS event, no one really knows who you are and you can just turn off the computer and slide into bed. No one sees you cry like a little girl into your pillow.

But all of this is a long way of saying I had a session yesterday that I was particularly proud of and yet it still felt a little hollow because it was online.

I had a rough early part of the session (as I often do) and had lost a decent portion of my bankroll. I actually had my first losing session in Deuce-to-7 on Stars (though it wasn't a bad session, just a losing one). I kept drawing at the nuts and kept bricking (just like last week's home game). So I played a little 5-card draw and won back half my losses (including making quad-sevens for a nice pot).

Then I had an itch for NLHE, but early on it was very frustrating. I'll give you an example: I'd see a cheap flop with 9♥10♣, flop two pair, but the board would come 9♠ 10♥ J♠. I'd bet out and get a call, then the turn would be an 8♠, which not only put four to a straight on board but three to a straight flush as well. They'd bet into me and I'd be forced to fold. Or I'd have JJ and raise and get two callers. The flop would come with an A and K and someone would bet out. There'd be a caller and when it got to me I'd have to fold. This happened quite a few times and then one runner-runner suckout later I was busted at the micro-limit table.

So I stopped and thought to myself (as it's often professed you should do) "Am I playing poorly or is it just bad luck and bad timing?" I came to the conclusion that I wasn't playing poorly and should buy back in. But this time I went in search of a larger-stakes table that looked easily beatable. I started observing a $1-2 NLHE table that had two maniacs seated next to each other. How did I find this table? The average pot size was $41, so I took that as a sign there was some gambling going on.

There are two types of maniacs in poker: One knows how to play and is just wild and unpredictable, and the other is wild and just plain stupid. He thinks his stack, if he shoves it, is like Kryptonite and we're all Supermen. I had two of these types of maniacs at this table and I couldn't resist. So I sat in and waited. You've all been there: You know these guys will pay you off if you pick up a monster and they have a piece of the flop. And you know they'll shove if you show any weakness.

Here's an idea of how they played: I had queens and raised preflop to $8 from UTG. Both maniacs called. The flop came A♦ 9♦ 6♦. I had no diamond and made a continuation bet of $10. They both called. On the turn came a 2♦. I checked, thinking one of them HAD to have an ace and/or diamond. One guy bet pot and the other guy shoved. I folded and the first maniac instacalled. They both had 9-10o, and neither held a diamond. So I realized right there they overvalued their hands and didn't really read the board very well.

I built my stack up nicely with smallish pots but never got into another hand with these guys for at least 40 minutes. Then the first of two big hands with them came up. I had Q♥ Q♦ (again) and was in early position. These two were in the blinds. I made it $8 to go, again, and they both called. It was three-handed to the flop, which came K♥ K♦ 5♦. I had the Q♦ but that didn't come into my mind. I felt it was a very good flop for me in that the odds of them having a K were slim, given the range of their hands and the fact there were two on board. So I bet $10 and this time I got one caller. The turn was another K, so if he had quads or AA I was behind, otherwise I had a lock on this hand. I decided to check knowing he might bluff at it. He bet $44 and I requested TIME. I thought about smooth-calling, but what if he had an A in his hand and I let him get to the river on his terms? So I minraised after about 25 seconds and he folded.

A few hands later I got involved in a hand with the other maniac when I was dealt K♦ K♣ on the button. The UTG player had raised to $6 and I reraised to $20. The maniac called and the UTG folded. The flop came A♣ 2♣ 9♣ and I had the K♣. I bet $30 and he shoved for $80 more. Even though there was an ace on the board I wasn't afraid because I had the nut-flush draw twice and given that he's a maniac I figured him for just a club in his hand, maybe Q♣ Q♦. So I called pretty quickly. The flush didn't get there and when the hand was over he showed 8♣ 8♥. I felted him, but even though he had bought back in like twice while I was there, he didn't rebuy this time. Oh well. I had one last maniac to dispose of, and it didn't take long after that.

I had been so patient, waiting for the right opportunity to felt this guy. My stack was so large (I bought in for $100 and was up to $300) that I took a chance with 4♥4♦. A person with a stack as large as mine minraised to $4 and I just called. The maniac, now with just $90 left, called and the flop came J♥ 4♣ 7♦. And BINGO was his name-o. The raiser checked and so did I. The maniac bet $12 and the raiser got out of the way. I just called. That board had no real draws other than a couple of gutshots or if he held 5-6 he'd be open-ended. So I took a chance he had just a jack. The turn was a 2♠ and I bet $15. He just called, so now I was wondering if he actually was on a draw or not. The river was an A♠. At this point I thought "This guy either now has a decent hand or he missed his draw. If I check he's going to bet either way because he can't win unless he bets a busted draw and if he has something like two pair he'll want to get paid off." So I checked, and he instantly shoved his last $60. I instacalled and he turned over J♦4♠.

Two maniacs, two busts. And with the both of them gone and my stack a very healthy $400 I signed off. But again, no one was there to high-five. I later celebrated with my wife, but the excitement had worn off.

-- Chris    

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

Ante Up! wins Chicago Poker Club's "Best Podcast" award for second year

A good month for Ante Up! just got a lot better - for the second year in a row, Ante Up! has been named "Best Podcast" by the Chicago Poker Club.

Click on the link above to read the entire text, but here's a highlight:

"... Ante Up!’s accessible style and its consistency are the two keys to its success. Other great podcasts have come and gone, waxed and waned, or disbanded and rejoined, but Ante Up! marches on as poker’s podcast beacon."

ChicagoJason even flew down to Tampa last night, as a testament to how strongly the Chicago Poker Club feels about Ante Up! (well, he got to visit his Dad, who lives here, and his wife, who is on business in Orlando, and he got a cheap fare on Southwest, but think how impressed you would have been had I not told you all of that).

And again, on behalf of Chris, we humbly thank our listeners for all of our success. Last night, Jason laughed about how he just walked up to my table, said "Hey!" and I turned around and said "Hey!" like we were old friends, even though we've never met. He said he felt that way because he's grown to know us over 135 weeks of shows. To me, that's the real award in all of this - that Ante Up! has that effect on its listeners. We feel like we're old friends with many of you, too, regardless of whether we've ever met.

But to that end, let's not forget that I'll be in Chicago - home of the Chicago Poker Club - this weekend, and would like to have a beer with as many of our "old friends" as possible. Come out if you can (details here), and if not, we thank you for listening week in and week out - and we hope to meet you sometime and someplace else.

- 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 asked for it. Now we're ready (we think) to take another stab at Pot Odds. Poker gods help us.

- SCOTT

Ante Up! wins Bluff's "Best Podcast" award

Congratulations, Ante Up! Nation!

Bluff Magazine, one of the widest-read poker magazines in the world, has just posted the winners of its annual