While everyone has their own favorite online poker sites, most players can agree on which TV shows offer the best presentation of and insight into the game. I listed my top 5 favorites in my previous article ‘The Best Poker TV Shows Ever Made‘.

Of course, for every classic TV show, there are a dozen failures. Poker shows are no exception, especially ones that try to go “behind the scenes” or tell the “real story”.

Here are some of the worst poker TV shows ever made:

#5: PokerStars.Net Million Dollar Challenge (Fox)

Fox typically airs their hybrid poker tournament/slick game show on the Sundays that they don’t carry a late-afternoon NFL game. The overeager host, the overcaffeinated Daniel Negreanu, and the generally poor play of both the contestants and the celebrity opponents can make this show a trial to watch.

The contestants all come with backstories straight out of Central Casting:

• A priest trying to raise money for his church.
• A New York cop who survived the fall of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11
• A college student/single mom playing for her young son.

While the human-interest stories are a nice change of pace from the grizzled rounders and online hotshots, the treacly treatments given to the contestants are often overbearing.

#4 ClubWPT.com (Fox Sports Net)

This failed experiment from the WPT producers has to feature some of the worst poker action in recorded history. The amateur players apparently luckboxed their way from a free online tournament onto a national TV show. The players in this show make Paris Hilton look like Doyle Brunson. The worst part is that the show functions less as a poker tournament and more of an infomercial for the website.

#3: Face the Ace (NBC)

Another example of how networks force the game show format onto a poker show. Much like ClubWPT.com and the Million Dollar Challenge, the players won their way onto the show through online freerolls – always the hallmark of poker talent – and chose one of four Full Tilt Poker pros that they could face in heads-up matches.

The show actually saw its ratings fall during the first episode. Some of the blame for the show’s failure after seven episodes can be attributed to host Steve Schirippa laying on his “Sopranos” act thicker than a concrete overcoat.

#2: 2 Months 2 Million (G4TV)

Have you ever wondered how the cast of “Revenge of the Nerds” would have turned out if they were young internet poker players? Wonder no more! This abysmal “reality” show depicts four young online poker geeks sharing a house in Las Vegas in preparation for the WSOP.

The young players attempt to earn $2 million in two months playing nosebleed-stakes online cash games. They also try to be the “cool kids” that they never were in high school. Check out the clip above to see how these guys interact with real live Playboy Playmates!

#1: Tilt (ESPN)

You would think that the network that produces the WSOP, along with the writers of the seminal poker movie “Rounders”, would know how to put together a fictional poker TV show. Wrong! This inchoate mess mixed in a crooked casino boss with a young player struggling with his “daddy issues”. The poker action was minimal at best and had almost no impact on the overall story. Mercifully, it “folded” after nine episodes.

Which poker TV shows are on your DVD shopping list? Feel free to post your take on the best and worst poker TV shows.

Related posts:

1. The Best Poker TV Shows Ever Made
2. The Worst Poker Movies Ever Made

Most poker fans will agree on the two major factors that contributed to the poker boom of recent years: online poker and TV poker shows. Not only has the customer base for online poker exploded in the last eight years, the sheer amount of TV poker content has also expanded. In a five-hundred-channel universe that must fill its voracious twenty-four hour programming schedule, poker shows have become nearly as omnipresent as late-night infomercials.

Here are some of the best US-based poker TV shows:

#5: Doubles Poker Championships (Game Show Network)

GSN’s “Doubles Poker Championship” is probably the most unique poker show on TV. Instead of playing against each other, players must cooperate as duos win a four-team single-table tournament. The format presents challenges for the player beyond reading a single opponent: each player must also understand his partner’s moves, as well as both members of the opposing teams.

The fun for the viewers often comes less from the stellar poker play the pros exhibit, but the clash in personalities among these strong characters. If Phil Hellmuth is a sore loser when he only has to depend on his own ability, imagine the meltdowns he has when a teammate lets him down.

#4: Poker After Dark (NBC)

The presentation style of “Poker After Dark” comes across much more as a high-stakes home game rather than a high-pressure winner-take-all tournament. Players are often looser and more given to table talk… at least according to Phil Hellmuth. Speaking of Hellmuth blowups, the clip above shows how the “Poker Brat” starts comparing the show to the “World Wide Wrestling Federation”.

The players take the game seriously (sometimes too much) and the commentary is insightful and educational. “PAD” is without question the best poker show on any of the major broadcast networks.

#3: World Poker Tour (Fox Sports Net)

Over the last eight years, the World Poker Tour has been one of the pillars of TV poker programming. With a new tournament nearly every week, the WPT has produced more poker content than any other regular poker show. The graphics and presentation in each broadcast give the tournaments a dramatic feel, in spite of some of the corniest commentary seen this side of Norman Chad.

For the last few years, the show has been hopping networks. Starting at the Travel Channel in 2003, then moving to Game Show Network in 2007, and later to Fox Sports Net. The FSN format split each two-hour show into two one-hour episodes, making it harder to follow the action

#2: World Series of Poker (ESPN)

The familiar guitar twang of the intro has carried the “Grandaddy of them All” from the run-down rooms of Binion’s on Fremont Street all the way to the spacious Amazon Room at the Rio. ESPN’s coverage of each year’s WSOP is still the measuring stick for every other TV poker show.

Despite the ratings decline in recent years and criticisms over the commentary (“I believe they are the ‘Ramblin’ Wreck’!”), the WSOP will remain the most popular TV poker show for the foreseeable future.

#1: High Stakes Poker (Game Show Network)

Although the WSOP has the glamour and prestige, GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” has the best in-game action of any poker TV show. The main difference between “High Stakes” and the other poker shows is that it shows real cash-game action, rather than a tournament. Players will often throw bundles of hundred-dollar bills in a pot along with their chips. The visual impact of seeing a player toss in enough cash to equal six months’ salary cannot be underestimated.

Of course, for every classic TV show, there are a dozen failures. Poker shows are no exception, especially ones that try to go “behind the scenes” or tell the “real story”. I’ll cover those in the follow-up to this article.

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Many of the most talented and accomplished players in the history of tournament poker have taken a cerebral approach to the game. Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer and Dan Harrington have all achieved some of the highest accolades in the poker world due to their firm grasp of the fundamentals and their mathematical and logical talents. They have translated their skills and experience in fields like finance, computer programming and chess into millions of dollars at the richest and most prestigious events in poker.

Other players, who have had just as much success and have poker resumes just as impressive, use unbridled aggression and sheer force of will to overwhelm their opponents. The late great Stu Ungar, a high school dropout, had a natural talent for betting big with marginal hands and forcing his opponents into disadvantageous situations. Doyle Brunson, while widely renowned for his knowledge of the game, also advocated a take-no-prisoners approach and often wrote about using aggressive tactics as one of his primary weapons.

Although each approach can reap rich rewards, the differences between them beg the question as to which is actually more effective. Is it the analytical mind of the chess grandmaster, or the daredevil spirit of a skydiver, that truly makes a great poker player? Do the tools for success at poker lie north of the neckline, or south of the beltway?

(Please keep in mind that this piece uses the term “balls” in the figurative sense. Many female poker players have exhibited the same aggression, tenacity and drive that their male counterparts take pride in at the tables.)

Poker players need brains to do the math.

Pot odds, implied odds, outs and odds: success at poker does require some basic mathematical skills in order to make the correct decisions. Does the player have the necessary pot odds to call a big bet on the turn? Does he also have the implied odds to make his draw and take out his opponent’s entire stack? Are there enough outs left in the deck to merit chasing the draw?

Poker players need balls to take control of the action.

Most poker players understand that their opponents’ mistakes are the main source of their profits. The best way to put opponents off their game is with aggressive bets and raises. When opponents are off-balance, they’ll make mistakes: bet when they should check, fold when they should raise, and call when they should run away.

Poker players need brains to detect betting patterns.

When an opponent gets into a stressful situation, he will often rely on “tried-and-true” betting patterns as a coping mechanism. The intelligent, observant player will pick up on these patterns and decipher exactly what they mean.

The smart poker player can also notice when the opponent strays from his usual pattern and take advantage of the situation. For instance, if an opponent slowplayed a flush in previous hands, but bets big into an apparent flush later, the observant player will pick off the obvious bluff, leaving his victim to ask, “How did you know?”

Poker players need balls to instill fear into opponents.

One of the biggest differences between pros and amateurs in big buy-in tournaments is that the pros are not afraid to lose. Amateurs, who may have paid up to $10,000 of their own money to play, will often play “not to lose” rather than use the aggressive tactics they need to win. Pro poker players often take advantage of the amateurs’ fears by making big bets and putting them to the test.

The saying goes that “scared money never wins”. Many players, when faced with big bets from Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen or other aggressive players, will play with money that is absolutely (and justifiably) terrified.

Poker players need brains to read “tells”.

While online poker players rely on betting patterns and timing for most of their information on an opponent’s tendencies, live players also can use an opponent’s body language, eye movement and voice inflection as tools in their decision-making process. Although physical “tells” are often not as pronounced in real life as they are in poker movies, they can often be magnified within the context of a tense, quiet poker room.

Poker players need balls to act on their reads.

The ability to read poker tells, while important by itself, is practically useless without the courage to act on those reads. If a player doesn’t make the right decision given the information he’s obtained from his reads, he often misses out on the already-infrequent opportunities for profit. In these instances, a player’s hesitation can lead to him becoming an opponent’s favorite punching bag.

Poker players need brains to determine the best situations.

Many of the more cerebral poker players rely on their ability to “pick their spots”. They recognize when they have the advantage, whether that edge lies with their cards, their chip stack, their skills or their position. Like a master tactician, a smart poker player surveys the terrain of the green felt battlefield, moves his pieces into place, and prepares to vanquish the enemy. These players do not act out of a sense of machismo; for them, poker is a game of strategy and skill, not bluster and bravado.

Poker players need balls to control their own fears.

The late great Amir Vahedi said it best when he made the final table at the 2003 WSOP Main Event: “In order to live, you must be willing to die.” Players can often not only use aggression to instill fear into their opponents, they can also use it to quell their own anxieties. If a player understands at the outset that his chip stack will take a beating due to his aggressive style, then he can embrace those risks and push through the fear.

So which vital organ is more important for success at the poker table? Most poker players would agree that the two are interdependent rather than separate entities. Even the most intellectual players still have a component of their personalities that embraces the risk and aggression involved in poker, while the most rabid “maniacs” can still do the math and make the reads just as well as their more analytical opponents.

Success at poker doesn’t always require a big bankroll, but it does take big brains, a big heart, and (as AC/DC sang) “the biggest balls of them all!”

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Poker movies have had their share of “bad beats” in recent years. While most of the best poker movies mentioned in my previous article took place before the “poker boom”, those that came after showed how Hollywood can jump on a fad – and stomp it nearly to death.

Here are my top 5 worst poker movies ever made:

#5: All-In (2006)

When a poker movie has a main character with the nickname “Ace”, that’s a bad sign. When the script sticks that lame moniker on the lovely and talented Dominique Swain, that’s a crime against humanity. Swain plays a medical student who uses the poker skills she learned as a child to pay for medical school and to help her father (Michael Madsen) out of his gambling debts.

#4 Casino Royale (2006)

This 2006 James Bond film (the first with Daniel Craig as Agent 007) has been panned as the worst in the forty-year history of the franchise. For a government agent with expertise in extracting secrets, Bond is so incompetent at poker that he can’t notice a “false tell” when he sees one.

The difference between the ridiculous final hand here and the one in “Maverick” is that the “Maverick” hand is played for laughs, while the “Casino Royale” finale just looks like a Hollywood writer’s idea of how poker should look.

#3: The Grand (2007)

This clusterbomb had lots of stars (Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, Ray Romano, Dennis Farina), lots of poker action (including commentary from poker author Phil Gordon) and several identifiable characters (David Cross as a proto-Hellmuth, Hines as Annie Duke-lite). Only one thing separated this movie from being a classic poker comedy: a script.

Zak Penn (“X-Men: The Last Stand”, “The Last Action Hero”) directed this atrocity and encouraged the actors to improvise, only giving them brief notes on the characters. The lack of story and cohesion throughout the film shows, as the final product of this bold experiment turns into one big mess.

#2: Lucky You (2007)

Combine a leading man with zero charisma (Eric Bana) with a romantic comedy veteran (Drew Barrymore), mix in a crusty father figure (Robert Duvall), then set the whole thing around the World Series of Poker. What do you have? “Lucky You”, a hot mess of a movie. Even Barrymore’s eternal charm and optimism can’t save this trainwreck. Bad poker, bad acting and bad writing make this one baaaaad movie.

#1: Deal (2008)

“Deal” was the first major movie to feature the World Poker Tour. With its dismal box office numbers and horrible reviews, it also may be the last. The movie had a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 3%, making it the “Ishtar” of poker movies.

Even in a cutthroat world like pro poker, none of these characters is remotely likeable. The ex-pro (Burt Reynolds) uses the young hotshot (Alex Stillman) as a surrogate for his own means. The hotshot is an obnoxious brat and his new girlfriend (Shannon Elizabeth) turns out to be a (SPOILER ALERT!!!) call girl.

Which poker movies are in your Netflix queue? Which ones sit on your DVD shelf, and which ones deserve a seat of dishonor in a roaring fireplace?

Related posts:

1. The Best Poker Movies Ever Made
2. The Worst Poker TV Shows Ever Made

One of the great appeals of poker to a mass audience is the drama inherent in the game itself. Millions of dollars can change on the turn of a card. An unknown player can become a household name overnight. A player needs just one lucky card to make his dreams come true; the audience holds its breath in anticipation. Can he possibly beat the odds and make his hand?

If poker is inherently dramatic, why are there so few entertaining poker movies? Is it because Hollywood can’t translate the tension players feel, or is it that a group of men (and a few women) sitting around a table doesn’t produce the same visceral effects as giant fighting robots or magical teenagers?

In any event, some filmmakers were able to get the carry the feel of the game from the green felt to the silver screen.

Here are some of the best poker movies ever made:

#5: High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)

Stu Ungar was the original “young gun” of tournament poker. In 1980, he was the youngest player to win the World Series of Poker Main Event, a record he would hold until Phil Hellmuth broke it nine years later. Ungar also holds one record that may never be broken: he was the only three-time Main Event Champion (1980, 1981, 1997).

Michael Imperioli (“Christopher Moltisanti” on “The Sopranos”) carries this movie on his back. His portrayal shows Ungar as both a genius at cards and a troubled soul in every other aspect of his life.

#4: Maverick (1994)

Putting aside the recent real-life drama surrounding its star, the “Maverick” movie with Mel Gibson was a fun, if completely unrealistic, portrait of the “gentleman gambler” from the 1960s TV show.

The final hand shown here is an example of Hollywood exaggerating the quality of most poker hands, as well as disregarding several modern rules. In today’s games, the two big slowrolls (Coburn’s quad eights and Gibson’s spade royal flush) would have earned the players reprimands from the dealer (and possibly beatings in the parking lot). The straight flush vs. royal flush ending is also ridiculous, but it’s all done with a tongue-in-cheek attitude.

#3: The Sting (1973)

While this classic movie may not display all the skills and strategies involved in the modern game, it does show the subtleties involved in the forgotten side of poker: cheating. Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) knows that the only way to beat crime boss and poker cheat Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) at his private game is to out-cheat the cheater. Gondorff anticipates Lonnegan’s tendency to cheat with nines, brings his own rigged deck, and beats Lonnegan at his own game.

#2: The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Another example of a “young gun” versus an old pro, “The Kid” (Steve McQueen) takes on “The Man” (Edward G. Robinson) in a classic game of Five Card Stud. With one card to come in the final hand, the two combatants engage in a staredown, with the interested spectators providing a running commentary. As The Man says at the end, “It’s about making the wrong move at the right time.”

#1: Rounders (1998)

Many observers believe that, without Chris Moneymaker, there never would have been a “poker boom”. Moneymaker himself said that, without “Rounders”, he never would have taken up Texas Hold’em.

“Rounders” provided the most realistic portrait of the underground New York poker scene years before many of its participants (including Poker Hall of Famers Erik Seidel and Dan Harrington) became famous. Today, online poker rooms are filled with “MikeMcD”s and “TeddyKGB”s, all seeking to capture the essence of this classic film.

In my next article I’ll be reviewing some of the worst poker movies ever made.

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1. The Worst Poker Movies Ever Made

As the popularity of no-limit Texas Hold’em tournaments has spread around the world, new avenues for the game have sprouted up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. Most major casinos have their own dedicated poker rooms for both hardcore players and newbies to the game.

Some jurisdictions, however, do not allow for real-money poker tournaments, so some enterprising bar owners created “pub poker”. Pub poker tournaments are free-to-play games that allow players the experience of live poker tournaments without the high buy-ins or travel expenses.

Pub poker has allowed thousands of players to enjoy the poker experience, but how does it affect true students of the game? We’ll examine the benefits and dangers of playing in these pub poker games.

Benefit #1: It’s Free!

The biggest benefit to pub poker is that it costs nothing to play. Some establishments may offer extra chips at the start of the tournament for every drink or food order a player makes, but players can expect to receive a typical starting stack without the need for a buy-in.

Benefit #2: It’s Live!

For those players accustomed to playing online poker, the feel of a live tournament is much different. Real cards, real chips and (*gasp!*) real opponents can make for a much more interesting night at the table than even the most advanced mouse and highest-resolution monitor can provide. Online poker players who aspire to play in big-time TV events can start with these “training wheel” tournaments to get a better feel for how live play works.

Benefit #3: It’s Social!

While live cash games and high-stakes poker tournaments can feel like a gathering of sharks waiting for the first blood to stain the water, pub poker tournaments are much more like a school of fish – literally! Most of these amateur players come to pub poker tournaments on a regular basis to relax and unwind, not to compete and cut each other’s throats.

Benefit #4: A Wide Range of Players

Since many of the establishments that run pub poker tournaments do so during their “Happy Hour” promotions, players from a wide variety of occupations and skill levels come to play, have a few drinks and wind down from the stresses of the workday. Doctors, lawyers, laborers and entrepreneurs join in on the game on and equal basis. In fact, the only profession you’re not likely to see represented at a pub poker tournament is a pro poker player!

Benefit #5: Practice! Practice! Practice!

Every player can benefit from practice games in a live poker setting. Players who do not live near live cardrooms can learn new skills and hone their arsenal. Online poker players, accustomed to onscreen chip counts, can learn how to count a pot as the bets go in. Players can also learn how to read an opponent’s betting patterns and physical tells, signs that are not typically obvious in an online setting.

While pub poker events can be fun and beneficial for rookies, experienced poker players should watch out for some of the pitfalls involved with these “free” tournaments that can lead to costly mistakes.

Pitfall #1: Fast Blind Levels

Don’t expect long levels and slow play in a pub poker tournament. These free poker events are meant to last three to four hours, as compared to multiple days for tournaments on the major poker tours. A typical pub poker event will call for new levels every fifteen to twenty minutes. If you don’t catch cards and double up early, you may be forced into “push and pray” mode much sooner than expected in order to survive.

Pitfall #2: Lots of Inexperienced Players

Not only do many of the players at pub poker tournaments lack the experience and knowledge of the seasoned veterans, many of them may not know if a flush beats a straight! They often act out of turn, make incorrect bet sizes, and generally have a poor understanding of the rules of the game. They fall in love with drawing hands, catch a lucky card, and start to believe that poker is all about luck.

Pitfall #3: Forget Bluffing

The old poker saying goes, “you can’t bluff a donkey”. Most pub poker tournaments are a donkey convention! Rookie players don’t understand that, on occasion, a fold is the best play they can make. Also, since none of the players invested any money into the pot, they’re not afraid to lose a hand because they have nothing to lose. If it doesn’t cost anything to stay in a hand, why not stay all the way and see if you can “get lucky”?

Pitfall #4: Learning Bad Habits

The bad players, the fast blind levels and the loose atmosphere of pub poker games can make players forget the skills that served them so well in cash games and real-money poker tournaments. Pub poker tournaments may sometimes make good players play “down” to the level of their competition and forget the lessons they’ve learned in more lucrative settings. Keep in mind that success at the different games require different skill sets, so good poker players can adjust according to the environment.

Pitfall #5: Lots of Distractions

Some casino cardrooms are quieter than major public libraries: the only noises you may hear for hours on end are the clink and rattle of chips and the snap and shuffle of cards. In pub poker games, you can be hounded by waitstaff, assailed by jukebox music or pestered by intoxicated bystanders. Even if you can keep your focus amidst such chaos, some of your opponents may lose their concentration and slow down the game, so be prepared for occasional frustrations and delays.

The key to success in pub poker events is to go into the game with the proper expectations. If you expect to dazzle a table full of fish with your brilliant play and mastery of the game, forget it! If you treat the game as more of a social event and a practice session rather than a WPT final table, then you should have a good time, win or lose!

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For players looking for a safe alternative to major online poker sites, some social networking sites often provide free “play money” poker games against real players. One of the most popular games is Zynga Poker, available through Facebook. As we take a look at this online poker alternative, we’ll examine how it stacks up to the “big boys” of the industry.

Pros

No Download or Deposit Required.

The Flash-based game does not require players to download new software or register their information. Each browser window holds a game screen and Facebook holds all of the personal data. Players start with $1000 in “play chips” and accumulate more chips through ring games our sit-and-go tournaments. If players run out of chips, they can return to the site the next day for a fresh $1000.

Easy To Learn

The Flash game was developed for a mass audience who may not have had as much exposure to online poker as most players. New players have the option of running through the tutorial slide show. The tutorial covers “Poker Hands”, “Betting Basics” and “Smart Folding” poker strategy lessons, as well as getting acquainted with the software interface.

Levels and Experience Points

Players familiar with MMORPGs understand the concept of “experience points” and “leveling up”. If you’ve ever wondered if the player on the opposite side of the virtual table was a newbie or a shark, Zynga Poker shows their experience level. In addition to the numerical rank, the software labels the player as a “Fish”, a “Playa”, a “Shark”, an “Ace”, or any of a number of different nicknames assigned to their status.

Players can earn one or two experience points with every hand they play. Winning a hand earns a player more points. After reaching a new level, the player earns more chips, but the number of points required to reach the next level goes up. The pursuit of the next experience level often resembles “chasing bonuses” on real money poker sites.

Rewards and Achievements

Another fun activity on Zynga Poker is chasing rewards and achievement bonuses. The software will reward players the first time they win with certain finishing hands (three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush) with more chips. Also, players who win with particular starting cards (A-K, 2-7, J-5, J-J) can also win chips.

Collectibles

In the spirit of this summers FIFA World Cup tournament, Zynga Poker allows winning players to collect footballs designed with the flag of each participating country. When players collect all the balls in a tournament group, plus a special ball, they can redeem the set for more chips. The “collectible” game adds another element for players to chase.

ABC Poker

Like many play-money sites, Zynga Poker features many players who are inexperienced at the finer points of the game. Regardless of if the software has labeled them as a “shark” or a “rounder”, most of them don’t understand when to fold a bad hand. A table full of loose, inept players favors the experienced, patient hunter who can sit on a good hand and take down the big pots when the opponent overplays the second- (or third-) best hand.

Poker Buddies

Since poker is a social game and Facebook is a social networking site, Zynga Poker also rewards players for their social skills. Players can win chips by inviting their Facebook friends to the game. Friends can gather around the same table to play in a relaxed, casual environment.

Like many other Zynga games, such as Farmville or Mafia Wars, Zynga Poker can be just as addictive as its real-money counterpart. However, the game also has numerous other issues that will frustrate and confuse many online poker veterans.

Cons

No Cheating or Collusion Prevention

“Why cheat at free online poker?” Why not? According to the site’s guidelines, “Our community thrives on trust, fair play, and good gamesmanship.” Obviously, they don’t know poker. Angle shooters and colluders are practically commonplace in online poker, and even free sites are no exception.

Too Many On-screen Distractions

Ads, promotions, gifts, and other assorted animations can crowd out the action and distract players from the actual gameplay. With the game itself crammed into a small space on the browser window, players need a 50” monitor to see their cards.

No Note-Taking or Player Tracking

Players who enjoy the more predatory aspects of online poker will find Zynga Poker a huge disappointment. Since the software is browser-based, it does not allow for taking notes on an opponent’s tendencies. In order to find a “fish” at another table, players have to search table-by-table to find their favorite ATM.

No Multi-table Tournaments.

One experience that Zynga Poker does not provide is multi-table tournaments. The site offers one-table sit-and-go games at a wide range of levels, but does not have multi-table events like the major online poker sites. Of course, the major sites also offer large cash prizes in their events.

No Cash Rewards and Few Prizes

As a free poker site, Zynga Poker explicitly states that their chips are for “entertainment value only” and that they cannot be cashed in “for real-world funds or prizes under any circumstances”. If you’re looking at Zynga Poker for your seat at the World Series of Poker Main Event, forget it.

The best prize that Zynga Poker offers is a Nintendo Wii video game system. Players must win three consecutive sit-and-go tournaments to qualify for a random drawing. The scenario is much like if the Main Event played down to the November Nine, then Doyle Brunson drew a name out of his Stetson to determine who wins the championship bracelet.

No-Limit Hold’em Only.

Omaha, Stud and mixed-game players need not apply. All the poker tables and tournaments are strictly “no fold’em hold’em”.

ABC Poker

Despite how rewarding it can be in these settings to play basic, high-hand poker, many players find such an elementary strategy boring and confining. Not only do opponents improperly read a player’s intentions behind their bets, they often either don’t know or don’t care how wrong they are.

Such opponents often fall in love with baby aces, suited cards, and other assorted junk hands. When they hit their hand on the river, well after they should have folded, they think of themselves as the next Phil Ivey. When they miss, they chalk it up to “bad luck”. Poker players should remember that they can’t beat someone who’s not playing the same game.

Serious online poker players don’t need to be told to stay away from frivolous, unprofitable games like Zynga Poker. However, if you want to waste an afternoon chasing the next experience level or virtual reward, you’ll have a ball (or several)!

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When the “Moneymaker effect” took hold of the poker world in 2003, it brought many new players into the game. Youngsters who were playing “Magic: The Gathering” switched to poker and saw their opponents’ chip stacks disappear. Older players who were raised on Seven-Card Stud and Five-Card Draw took up Texas Hold’em and quickly learned how this version of the game became so popular.

While players from all walks of life starting learning, watching and playing no-limit Hold’em, one substantial section of the population didn’t join in the stampede: women. Although players like Barbara Enright, Cyndy Violette and Annie Duke had been on the poker tournament circuit for years, very few women chose to spend their free time in cardrooms filled with cigar smoke, cheap booze and testosterone.

However, with the recent success of players like Duke, Annette Obrestad and Vanessa Selbst, the poker media has picked up on the higher profile of women in the game today. Can this increased media coverage lead to a “Moneymaker” (or, as one poker forum poster put it, a “Honey-maker”) effect for female players?

Here are some reasons why more women will get involved in poker:

LIPS and Other Women Only Events

The LIPS (Ladies International Poker Series) is designed to get more women participating in poker tournaments. Instead of the cutthroat environment found at most open events, most participants at tournaments that feature a predominately female field find that they are often much less stressful and more of a communal experience. Such a welcoming atmosphere can help women build their skills, confidence and experience to a level where they can enter open events and compete for the biggest prizes.

Television and Other Media Exposure

One of the factors that may attract more women to the game is also one that has brought in many new male players: TV exposure. With Annie Duke on “Celebrity Apprentice”, Tiffany Michelle and Mario Ho on “The Amazing Race” and Vanessa Rousso in Sports Illustrated, female poker players are getting more mainstream media attention and becoming celebrities in their own right.

Online Poker as Practice

Many women who are new to the game may find the “old boys club” atmosphere of live poker to be uncomfortable, distracting, or even intimidating. Online poker offers women the chance to learn the game in a safe, comfortable setting without worrying about enduring unwelcome advances or unsavory leers. A female player may even choose to have a male avatar represent them at the tables as a way to throw the boys off their game.

Level Playing Field

In competitive sports that require strength, speed and power, even world-class female athletes are at a distinct disadvantage to their male counterparts. Poker is a game that removes all of the physical inequities and replaces them with focus, skill and timing. Women with these traits can easily overpower men at the tables, especially those who hate losing to a “girl”.

Youth is Served

The success of Annette Obrestad, Vanessa Selbst and other young female players could help to bring about the same “youth movement” that has been growing among male players since 2003. If more young women can see that they can succeed at poker just as much as their brothers, boyfriends or husbands, they may add some championship bracelets to their jewelry boxes.

However, some factors can also contribute to a lack of new female players getting into the game. Here are some reasons why more women will not get involved in poker:

It’s the Economy, Stupid

The economic decline has forced tournament fields to shrink across the globe. Since salaries for females in the work force are typically 50-60% of those of their male counterparts, women often have less discretionary income to invest in a poker bankroll. New female players may prefer to save their money rather than risk what they have at the tables.

It’s the Law, Even More Stupid

The impending enactment of the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has closed off many online poker sites from the lucrative American market. The shrinking pool of online poker sites available to Americans will limit the number of new American women players coming into the game. Women who are serious about learning poker will be limited to the options of traveling to a cardroom, playing in a local home game, or hosting their own game.

Risk Aversion

In 1989, the US Federal Reserve conducted a survey that found that women are much more risk-averse in their investment choices than men. No one can argue that poker, especially no-limit Texas Hold’em, is a risky investment. Players in cash games experience big swings in their bankrolls, while tournament specialists can go for months (or even years) before they see a big cash payday. Women who are traditionally risk-averse will not take a huge “gamble” on a career in poker.

Lack of Participation

Although events such as LIPS and other “women-only” events are bringing female players into the game, the fields at open events are still dominated by men. At last year’s WSOP Main Event, female players made up only ten percent of the field, an average of one woman per table. With so much money and fame on the line at major events, the pressure of being the only woman at the table may be more than a new player can stand.

Lack of Prestige

Women who earn the titles of “First Female Astronaut”, “First Female Billionaire” and “First Female President” earn a spot in the history books. A woman who earns the title “First Female WSOP Main Event Champion” will only receive that level of attention in the insular poker world. While Barbara Enright, Annie Duke and Jennifer Harman will all merit places in the history of poker, they may not get the respect they deserve outside the game – just ask Joan Rivers:.

Is the increased success and attention for female players a welcome trend or an unexpected fluke? The growing trend suggests that the top players will continue to bring home major tournament titles and large cash prizes. Does their success bode well for more women at the poker tables? No one can say for sure, but inevitably a woman will come along and tell the “old boys” at the table, “Any hand you can play, I can play better. I can play any hand better than you.”

Related posts:

1. Women in Poker
2. Poker and the Sunk Cost Effect

Recent news of the daring robbery at the European Poker Tour event in Berlin garnered worldwide headlines. Four bandits stormed the Grand Hyatt Berlin with guns and machetes and stole nearly US$500,000 in cash as hotel surveillance and live streaming internet video cameras rolled.

A few weeks later, robbers pulled a similar smash-and-grab robbery at a poker home game in Austin, Texas. Police reports stated that the robbers climbed a back fence to reach the house, as the rear of the house did not have security cameras.

News of these robberies has come to the attention of security personnel at major poker rooms and casinos around the country. A Harrah’s spokesman said that they would step up security efforts at the upcoming World Series of Poker, and the officials at other top poker events are expected to follow suit.

Players in casino poker rooms often enjoy many of the amenities that come with the environment, including trained, professional and armed security guards. However, for players who may not have ready access to a plush casino poker room, the local home game is their main poker destination. How can players in a poker home game guard themselves against robberies and assaults both inside and outside the game?

If the Player is Hosting…

Rules on hosting a home poker game vary from state to state and country to country, but the rules on allowing a stranger into your home should be the same, regardless of the legal niceties surrounding the game. Poker players who are considering hosting their own home games should take extra precautions when they start recruiting players, bringing in new faces and protecting their lives and property.

Play poker with people you know. While this may seem like the simplest idea to follow, some poker hosts, eager for more players and more action, may ignore this rule in favor of livening up the poker game. In fact, the safer route is to bring in non-players the host already knows and teach them how to play poker, rather than invite a stranger who may present himself as an “action” player. The educational experience for the rookie poker player will help him grow in the game, while maintaining a safe environment for everyone else.

Pre-screen new poker players. If a regular player wants to bring in a friend, a host should ideally meet that new player face-to-face before inviting him to the poker game. Some hosts forget that a home game is just that: a game at his home. Most hosts would not allow a stranger to come into their home without meeting them under other circumstances, and a home game should not be different. Unlike a casino, where anyone with the cash can sit down at the table, a home game is a private party.

Invest in security measures. With so many home invasion robberies of home poker games making the news, this investment can pay off in many other ways. Locked gates, keypads and cameras will provide a safer setting for the players, which will help them concentrate on their hand instead of any odd noises outside. Some players may resent the idea of playing in a setting that could remind them of the potential dangers, but the host should remind them that casinos provide at least as much security at a much higher cost than a six-pack or a pizza.

If the Player is Visiting…

As the host, the player has much more control over the playing environment. As a visitor to another player’s home game, most of that control is taken out of his hands. However, the visiting poker player can still maintain a level of personal safety before he puts his money on a stranger’s table.

Play poker with people you know. The reason that this idea is here twice is, not for redundancy, but for emphasis on personal security. Most poker players would not walk into a stranger’s house, put their money down and expect to feel safe. Just as the host should screen players for their home games, visiting players should get to know the host outside the game to judge the safety and comfort level with the environment, the games and the other players.

Evaluate the host’s safety measures. When a visiting player meets the host, he should find out what steps the host has in place to insure the safety of the players. Also, the player should check out the surrounding neighborhood, in both daylight and at night, to get a feel for the safety of the general area, especially when he’s getting into his car late at night with a wad of cash from his winnings.

One thing the player should keep in mind is that “nice neighborhood” does not always equal “safe environment”. Most of the poker robberies that have occurred in recent months in Texas have been in what the victims described as “nice neighborhoods”.

Limit the cash and cards on your person. Most of the robberies at home poker games are strictly amateur-level “smash and grab”; police typically don’t find a sophisticated, “Ocean’s 11”-style elaborately planned heist in these instances. A good way to limit the damage, both physically and financially, is to bring as little cash and as few credit cards to the game as possible. Not only can a small poker bankroll serve as a preventative measure, it can also be a “stop-loss” method in some aggressive games.

Should Players Carry Guns For Protection?

The game of poker, especially Texas Hold’em, carries a reputation for gun violence. Nicknames for hands include “bullets” and “dead man’s hand”. In the “bad old days”, many of the Texas rounders carried guns to protect themselves from robberies and hijackings. Even in the seemingly trigger-happy United States, gun laws vary from city to city and state to state.

In jurisdictions that allow citizens to carry concealed weapons, the decision is a matter of personal choice. Players hosting their own games can decide for themselves whether they want to use a gun to protect their homes. Poker players visiting a home game should tell their hosts if they plan to carry before they come to the game, or they can find out if the host is carrying.

One undeniable fact is that, wherever there is a lot of loose cash available, such a site makes a tempting target for would-be thieves. Any steps that players can take to protect themselves, their homes and their bankrolls will help their game.

Related posts:

1. The Care & Maintenance of the Home Game
2. Get Invited Back to Home Games
3. Finding a Poker Game

“The Kids Are Alright” or “Teenage Wasteland”?

In 1989, Phil Hellmuth set the record for the youngest winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event at the age of twenty-four. His record lasted for nineteen years, until Danish pro Peter Eastgate won the 2008 Main Event title at twenty-two years of age. Eastgate’s mark barely lasted twelve months when Joe Cada won the 2009 Main Event a week before he celebrated his twenty-second birthday.

While Cada holds the record for the WSOP Main Event (for now), he is still not the youngest player to win a major tournament. Many younger players take advantage of the opportunity to play in tournaments overseas, where the legal gambling age is eighteen. In September 2007, Annette Obrestad won the first World Series of Poker Europe Main Event the day before her nineteenth birthday and took home GBP 1 million. In December, Harrison Gimbel won the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and earned US$2.2 million at the ripe old age of nineteen.

With the success of so many players who are barely old enough to legally drink their celebratory champagne, what does this say about many of the veterans and legends of the game? Has the game passed by the greats like TJ Cloutier and Doyle Brunson? Should the “young veterans” like Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey be though of as dinosaurs lumbering towards extinction at the hands of these youngsters? Or do these “old dogs” still have some new tricks?

In this piece, we’ll look at some of the advantages that these teens and twenty-somethings have over their elders, as well as some of the pitfalls that can come with their sudden success.

Go long or go home

Many major tournaments may last up to five days; the WSOP Main Event stretches for nearly two weeks. Each day, players sit at the table for up to sixteen hours, faced with life-or-death decisions on a constant basis. The level of physical and mental stamina required to stay alert for such long periods can be compared to that of a marathon runner. Younger bodies and brains are much better equipped to deal with the stresses involved in such a grueling contest.

Information Overload

The young poker player of today has so many more advantages of those of years past when it comes to information on the game. Instead of spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars learning the game by trial and error, players today have access to books, videos and websites that teach the finer points of many different varieties of poker.

Practice makes (nearly) perfect

One of the biggest contributing factors to the success of younger players is their access to online poker sites. With both tournaments and cash games available around the clock, many players get much of the practice they need before they ever darken the door of a live cardroom. Also, the ability to play multiple cash-game tables and tournaments simultaneously (with some online players reportedly playing as many as sixty tables at once) allows players to see numerous scenarios against different types of opponents in a much shorter time, shortening the game’s learning curve by several years.

No strings attached

For many of these young players, life on the poker tournament circuit is a grand adventure: traveling to exotic destinations, staying at the finest hotels, and playing cards for a living. Most of them are not concerned with paying a mortgage, providing for children or maintaining a marriage. Without many of the same concerns as older players, their minds are free to focus on hoe they can improve their skills and grow their bankrolls.

Do all of these advantages mean that every poker player over twenty-five should take up bridge? Not yet, at least. The codgers and curmudgeons of the game can still exploit some of the weaknesses of younger players.

Be cool

Experienced players are often much less prone to “tilt” or give in to emotional impulses than youngsters. When you see an opponent hit a one-outer on the river for the first time, it feels like he’s reached across the table and ripped your heart out of your chest. When it happens for the hundredth time, you shrug and wait for the next hand. While the older poker players may not have the physical endurance of the younger generation, they frequently possess the emotional maturity and self-control required for a successful poker career (unless their last name is either Hellmuth or Matusow).

Money talks

In the case of younger players, their money usually says, “Use me to buy that new car! Spend me to get a big-screen TV! I’ll get you that new video game system!” With experienced players, it frequently says, “Invest me in things that will give you a solid rate of return. Save me for when you start to run bad. Let me help you make more of me.” Since many older players have weathered the bad times, they know better how to survive them when they (inevitably) arrive.

Shooting stars burn out

Between their accelerated learning curve and their spendthrift habits, many young players who experience their success early often succumb to burnout. Also, when the cards start to turn against them, they start to panic and may consider leaving the game for good. Veteran players understand the variance is part of the game and that the “long run” is long than most young players realize.

Running a high (attention) deficit

One drawback that comes from the young player’s experience of playing multiple tables at once is that they often neglect to pay attention to what a player at a single table does that can change the complexion of the game. The advent of Rush Poker on Full Tilt Poker is most clear example of “Attention Deficit Poker”. Experienced players, even those who play online, understand that poker is a game of people played with cards, not the other way around.

Without question, these young online poker phenoms are changing the game, just as players like Negreanu and Ivey changed it before them, and just as Doyle, Slim and Puggy changed it before them. In a few years, another generation, brought up on the latest technology, will change it yet again. The famous saying goes that poker takes “a minute to learn and a lifetime to master”. As the game continues to evolve, only one lifetime may not be enough.

Related posts:

1. Cash Games or Tournament Poker
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