The new face of poker - Silver Chips Online

The new face of poker - Silver Chips Online Stakes are high for teen gambling Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identity of the sources. Forget Atlantic City. Forget Charlestown. Forget the proposed slot machines for the District and Maryland. For all the not-so-high rolling, card playing junkies out there, the SAC is the place to be. Instead of pulling levers on brightly lit slot machines, Blazers can press buttons on brightly lit soda machines. Instead of sipping cocktails, players, here, chug milk. Instead of sporting bowties, dealers wear IDs around their necks. Shortcoming aside, Blair stages a genuine casino-like experience with several tables showcasing multiple card games. Everyday during 5A lunch, eight male Blazers crowd around a table littered with red, white and blue chips and a stack of playing cards. In an organized chaos, the boys carry on several different conversations all while shifting their eyes from the cards in their hands to those that have been flipped over in the center, and finally, to the faces of their opponents. Today, freshman Jason Salazar flips his cards to expose a pair of kings and a pair of fives. Ridding himself of a poker face, his friend grins, reveals his cards and swipes the chips away. It seems like the SAC isn't the only one with a full house. Salazar collects the cards, disappointingly shuffles the deck and deals another round. From high school cafeterias to college dorm rooms, poker has quickly been gaining popularity among teens and young adults. The explosion of television shows such as The Bravo Channel's Celebrity Poker, The Travel Channel's World Poker Tour, and especially ESPN's coverage of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) has helped spark the card playing craze. The WSOP attracts audiences by representing a more realistic group of players. "You know, Moneymaker, a regular fat guy won the tournament; it just shows anyone can win at poker. It's like, if he can do it, I can do it," says senior Tom Meyer. Not only do these television programs offer an appealing picture of poker playing, they also glamorize gambling, an unhealthy habit to start at a young age, according to experts. The National Council on Problem Gambling reports that, "Age of exposure plays a part in that adults who seek treatment for problem gambling report having started gambling at an early age." In a different study, the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling finds that 87 percent of teens have gambled for money at some time. Research also shows that teenage boys seem more affected by the activity than girls. According to a 2003 survey conducted by University of Pennsylvania Annenberg Public Policy Center, half of 14-18 year-old males said they've gambled for money, while only 16 percent of adolescent females admit having ever gambled. However, the popularity of poker is also on the rise among teenage girls. Junior Eleanor Seavey learned the game of poker at age nine, and just recently, she's begun to play more often. Seavey recognizes the male dominance the more she plays. "If you win, it's a huge deal. If you lose, it's, like, ‘You're a girl. Who cares?'" she says rolling her eyes. By nature, both male and female adolescents are drawn to high-risk activities that boost adrenaline levels. Poker and gambling meet both criteria. It's been almost ten years since senior Neil Hofman learned the game of poker. Since then, the wood chips and marbles he used to gamble with have turned into five, ten, and even $20 bills. Hofman spends his weekends hosting or attending poker parties and tournaments—over the summer, he admitted playing three to four times a week, making $60 on average. Hofman has experienced the extreme highs and lows of playing poker. "Once I had $700 in twenties. I threw it up in the air and showered myself with it," Hofman joyfully recollects as he rubs his hands together in excitement. Since October of last year, he has saved over $1000 from winnings, only splurging on items like a $120 chip set. Nevertheless, Hofman also remembers an especially dark occasion where he lost $50. "I remember I was driving home, and I was so incredibly mad. I was screaming, yelling, and cursing all over the place, saying ‘How could you be so stupid?'" Since gambling is nearly as impossible to restrict in school as out of school, some Blazers take advantage of the opportunity to play during lunches. George and his friends have played Texas Hold ‘Em, one of the most popular types of poker, with $1 buy-ins at lunch since last year. Despite the fact that they've never tried to conceal their games, these students have never been caught gambling. "I enjoy playing for money. It adds another dimension to the game, but I don't know what I would do if I got caught. I've never really thought about it," admits George. Still, Blair administrators and security don't find gambling to be a prevalent issue. "I don't think it's a problem. If we are made aware of it, we'd try to fix it, but it's hard to control what happens in dark corners around the school. We can't be everywhere," says Principal Philip Gainous. Salazar and his lunch group don't gamble with real money at school, but like other Blazers who play, the competition is what really draws them to the game. "It's the chance of winning and the fact that I like thinking that I can beat all my friends," says senior Matthew Fritz-Mauer. For others, poker is just another recreational pastime. "You can't make a steady income from playing. Poker is just one of the few social outlets from school and work," Meyer confesses. Like Meyer, his poker buddy, senior Nathan Barrymore plays leisurely. "It's not for the money. It's a way to be competitive that's not a sport," he says just before resuming in a conversation about the coverage on the WSOP he saw the previous night. Turning to his friend he adds, "Oh, and I found a couple more guys who want to play." There's a chance for anything; those who begin as amateurs on Blair Boulevard may just end up playing professionally on The Vegas Strip.

The Poker Gazette

The Poker Gazette: "Affleck Graces Cover of Poker Magazine" Affleck Graces Cover of Poker Magazine NEW YORK, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Add another magazine cover for Ben Affleck. Only this time the cover is based on something other than Affleck's personal life or upcoming movie. ALL IN, the world's leading poker magazine put Affleck on the cover of its most recent issue for his first place finish at the California State Championship. Affleck is an iconic figure in the poker world primarily due to the glamour that he has brought to the game. The victory clearly established Affleck as the best player among the poker-playing Hollywood set that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Ed Norton, Tobey McGuire, and James Woods. "Everyone knows about Ben Affleck's commitment to the game of poker," said Bhu Srinivasan, publisher of ALL IN Magazine. "We wanted to be careful not to put him on the cover purely because of his celebrity, but when he won a major event, it became a no-brainer." With amateur victories such as Affleck's fueling poker's ever-growing popularity, ALL IN Magazine has become one of the fastest growing magazines in the country. Over the past four months, subscriptions to ALL IN Magazine have grown by over 450%. The growth of poker media isn't limited to print alone; televised poker continues to draw the ratings usually reserved for major athletic events. ESPN, FOX Sports, NBC, Travel Channel, and Bravo all carry a variety of poker shows. Estimates suggest that up to 50 million people watch or play poker in the United States alone. With an audience this size, marketers are paying close attention to the poker phenomenon to see if there are branding opportunities in poker. "We were surprised at how receptive the advertising community was to an upscale poker magazine," said Srinivasan. "Advertisers are finding that ALL IN Magazine is a great way to capitalize on poker." Brands that have made marketing investments in poker include Oakley, Belvedere Vodka, ESPN, Anheuser-Busch, Jim Beam Brands, Miramax, NBC, Discovery Networks, Diageo, Altadis, Toyota, Levitra, Samuel Adams, and Fairmont Hotels. Several major advertisers in electronics, automotive, travel, and apparel are currently negotiating category exclusive deals with the publication as well major sponsorships with the television networks. www.allinmagazine.com

News For Today

Retailers betting on poker's rising popularity Akron Beacon Journal (subscription) - Akron,OH,USA TOLEDO, Ohio - With poker's popularity growing because of televised tournaments, retailers are betting that playing cards and chips will be among the must-have ... US teens hit by poker craze epidemic Gambling Gates.com - Herndon,VA,USA They're playing poker -- Texas Hold `em, reads the pokergazette.com. ... The newfound popularity of poker among teens worries some adults. ... James Woods and Vince Van Patten Introduce Hollywood Poker Club ... Yahoo News (press release) - USA 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood Poker Club (http://www.hollywoodpoker.com) is inviting everyone to a sneak-preview celebration with a huge free celebrity tournament ... Starting a Poker Website CardPlayer.com - USA There are now more than 200 poker sites on the Internet, with no end in sight to the poker boom. Are you curious about what is involved ... Poker just got Sexier with PlayersOnly.com Online Casino News - USA Sportingbet PLC (LSE SBT.L) announced today that the sexiest Sportsbook on the internet, PlayersOnly.com, has added a new poker room to its existing sports ...

Poker Forums -> Another Way To Calculate Outs

Poker Forums -> Another Way To Calculate Outs: "Another Way To Calculate Outs, For the mathmaticly impaired :)" There is an easier way to figure out the chances of making a given hand without having to memorize long lists of numbers for all the possible hands. It is important to note, though, it isn't 100 percent accurate, but close enough... within 1-2% For example, if you hold two suited cards in your hand and you flop another two, giving you a four-flush with two cards to come: 1. You must determine the number of “outs” that you have – that is, the number of cards left that will make your hand. If you have four to the flush – that is, four of the 13 of your suit – there are nine cards remaining somewhere (either in the deck or in other players’ hands) that will make your hand. 2. Multiply your “out” cards on the flop (nine) by four. That gives you 36, or 36 percent. So, after the flop, you have about a 36 percent chance of making the flush. The actual number is 34.97 percent, so this easy method has given you a number that’s within 1.03 percentage points of the actual number. That’s fairly close for an answer that came as easily as that. Now, let’s look at the turn card. It’s a blank. Now you still have nine outs, but with only one card to come, you multiply your outs by two and you get 18, or 18 percent. The actual number is 19.57 percent, so you are within 1.57 percentage points of being right on target. As a novice player, don’t these “approximate” numbers give you a lot of information? Try this... You flop a pair. What are the chances that you will make at least three of a kind? You have two outs with two cards to come. Two times four equals eight, so your chances of making trips are about 8 percent. The actual number? 8.42 percent! That’s a pretty good estimate for such an easy task. And with one card to come, multiply that same number of outs (two) by two and you get four, or 4 percent, which is close to the actual number of 4.35 percent. Remember, with two cards to come, multiply the number of cards that will make your hand by four; with one card to come, multiply by two. It is also important to note that when you figure your outs, there may be other cards that can win for you. For example: if you flop a flush draw and hold A-K, you may want to add the three remaining aces and three remaining kings to count of “out” cards if you think that pairing one of these cards could win the pot for you. There are many things that can be learned with this system, and if you practice when you are not involved in the throes of battle, you will learn to use this tool quickly and effortlessly. Above was taken from Card Player Magazine by Jan Fisher

Save Your Bet, Article by Rick Fuller...

I the recent edition of ALL IN there is an article that explains almost everything I have been saying the last few months. Save your Bet: How to increase profits by keeping your game from going to pot odds.... ------"One of the most common mistakes that can cost you a lot of money over the long haul is calling a bet on the river when you know you're beat. It's a huge leak for a lot of players--one I'm familiar with because I'm actively trying to remove it from my own game. ------"Well, I've got pot odds," you say to justify your call. But it doesn't matter. In there situations, pot odds means less than a marriage proposal from Britney Spears. Yet so many of us make the call anyway, thinking we have no choice........ ------There are times when you simply have to ignore pot odds and lay down your hand. This applies to pot-limit and no-limit Hold'em games as well. A favorite ploy of many no-limit tournament pros is to make such a small bet on the river that their opponent feels they simply have to call. If there's $4,000 in the pot and I bet $400, and you know that I will bluff at least on time in ten in this situation, then you have to make the call...right? No! If you know, either through a read or betting patterns in play that you are beat then you do not have to call. Save the chips for use in a better spot..... ------Folding on the river when you know your beat--just a slight tweak to your game--can significantly increase your expected winnings--from 1 big bet per hour to 1 or even 2 big bets per hour." Rick Fuller The entire article can be found on page 22 of the recent ALL IN. The excerpt above could be confusing, so be sure to check out the full article in ALL IN, or read the discussion thread at PokerForums.net here - The Moral of the story is that if you know you arte beaten, FOLD, irrespective of the pot odds.