Congratulations To The Winners Of Bet2 APT Promotion!!

Congratulations to the final winners below, and thank you to all of you for Joining our competition! Top Three winner win the prizes ($2,500 + $200 Buy-in to the Main Event on Aug 25-29, 2010 for the Asian Poker Tour to be held at Resort World Manila, Philippines).

NO. Screen Name Hand # Hand Ranking Winning POT Date of Submit
1 localsnake 30847800 Royal Flush USD $7.72 08/08/10
2 CoolRun 30789906 Straight Flush “K” USD $13.65 01/08/10
3 RonnieO18 30907820 Straight Flush “Q” USD $3.42 08/17/10

For more information, please visit the following sites:

Bet2: www.bet2.com
APT: www.theasianpokertour.com
Resort World Manila: www.rwmanila.com

Bet2 Asian Poker Tournament Promotions 2010

Term & Conditions
1. This promotion is valid for all BET2 real money Hold’em tables.

2. The top three strongest hands shall win the prizes ($2,500 + $200 Buy-in to the Main Event on Aug 25-29, 2010 for the Asian Poker Tour to be held at Resort World Manila, Philippines). In the event of a tie, the amount of winning pot garnered by said member will be considered to break the tie. If there is still a tie, then the tie shall be resolved based on first come first serve, which means the member who obtain the stronger hand based on BET2 recorded time.

3. Prizes are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be converted to cash.

4. Any individual player can win only one prize at the mainland Main Event.

5. Participants must be at least 21 years of age for mainland Main Event.

6. Players are responsible to have a valid passport, obtain a visa at its own cost and all other documentation necessary to participate in the mainland poker tournaments.

7. By qualifying for BET2 APT promotions, players agree that their real names, aliases, images, moving images, spoken/written quotes and/or amounts won, can be used for online and offline promotional purposes of BET2.

8. By entering BET2 APT promotions, players agree that, should they win a mainland poker tournament seat, they will wear BET2 apparel (Jacket or sticker) in accordance with the instructions of BET2 management.

9. BET2 shall in no way be liable for any injuries, losses, damages or expenses suffered or incurred by any winner of a BET2 APT promotion package as a direct or indirect result of accepting and participating the mainland poker tournament seat.

10. All decisions made by the BET2 management are final.

11. BET2 will not be responsible on the tax position of winners, as some jurisdictions treat poker wins as tax free, while in other jurisdictions such proceeds are taxable. If the winnings are taxable in a player’s jurisdiction, the player is solely responsible to keep track of and report his/her winnings to the appropriate authorities. The members participating in this BET2 APT promotion are aware of the legal issues relating to the operation of remote gambling and tax implications of winnings. The members also understand that BET2 is not warranting in any way or manner that the playing of poker over the internet for the purposes of remote gambling, as such term is commonly understood in the industry, is legal in any jurisdiction.

12. Winners shall be entitled to receive each the $2,500 + $200 buy-in to the Main Event once he/she reach Manila, Philippine on 24 August, 2010. Winners shall also be entitled to free hotel accommodation (for avoidance of doubt only BET2 winner participants shall be entitled to the said accommodation). Winners shall be responsible for their round trip airplane tickets and pocket money expenses. Family members, friends or guests who would like to join with the BET2 winner participant shall pay for their own round trip airplane tickets and hotel accommodations.

13. Winners shall be entitled to avail hotel accommodation from check-in time of August 24 and as long as they still remain in the qualifier or final round. In case the BET2 participant gets eliminated, he /she shall no longer be entitled to the said hotel accommodation as of check out time of the date of elimination. If the participate would like to extend hotel accommodations throughout of the APT, then they will arrange and pay for the same at their own cost.

14. BET2 winner participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the APT.

15. BET2 has the right to stop its promotions, or change their conditions at any time at its sole discretion.

Note: Any product/service names, logos, icons, brand name, trade dress, and other trademarks/service marks featured, referred to, or appearing on this Website are the property of their respective trademark holders. These trademark holders are not affiliated with BET2.com, our products, or our Website. Unless so governed by contractual relations, the trademark holders do not sponsor or endorse our products or our Website and are not in any way affiliated with BET2.

HOW TO WIN?

1. If a player hits/meet the hand (win with completed hand), the player will need to send an email (support@bet2.com) or contact our CSD to apply, provide his owns winning hand screen shot or hand history number to apply for the prize promotion.

2. BET2 APT promotions shall be held from 23 July 2010 until 18 August 2010. BET2 shall monitor the results of the strongest hands for Hold’em tables starting 12:00 midnight GMT+8 on 23 July 2010 until 12:00 midnight GMT+8 on 19 August 2010. BET2 shall no longer include the results of hands beyond this cut off period. BET2 shall inform the members chosen as winners for being one of the top three strongest hands. Winners shall inform BET2 not later than 20 August 2010 to claim their prizes. Unclaimed prizes shall be forfeited in favor of BET2.

3. BET2 will update the latest player standing in BET2 Leader Board.

For more information, please visit the following sites:

APT: www.theasianpokertour.com
Resort World Manila: http://www.rwmanila.com

Asian Poker Tournament Philippines 2010

Poker players from all over the world will be converging in Asia as the Asian Poker Tour (APT) holds events in various locations around the region.

After the success of APT Philippines 2009, the APT is back with its next event: APT PHILIPPINES 2010! Held from August 23 to 29, the tournament will be held at the luxurious Resorts World Manila complex. Buy-in is set at US $2,500 + US $200.

Last year, the 2009 APT Philippines was won by local poker pro Neil Arce, who took home US $185,000.

Get in on the action NOW and register for APT Philippines!

Poker Rebuy Strategy

The main question on poker rebuys that you will probably want answered is should you rebuy? Quickly followed by if so – how often should you rebuy?

Firstly what is a rebuy? It’s a stage in a poker tournament where players are allowed to buy more chips to add to their stack. They don’t necessarily need to be low on chips or out of chips, anyone can choose to rebuy if they want to.

The good thing about a rebuy period for all players is the tremendous increase in pot size that you see taking place. If you are in a good position and don't need to rebuy, the fact that so many players have bought their way back into the game should not bother you too much. You were good enough to be in front of them before the rebuy period so the chances are that you will be good enough to stay in front of them.

Normally for any particular tournament they will come in the form of single or limited rebuys, or unlimited rebuys and can be used either to buy your way back into a tournament that you’ve dropped out of, or simply to bolster your chip count.

When deciding whether it’s worthwhile rebuying into a tournament you need to consider several factors.

1. The quality of your opposition
Were you among the better players in the game? Could you look at the way your opponents played and see that it should have been them who went out early and not you? In that case you should buy your way back in and get on with the game. However if you have seen that the standard of opposition is better than you, there is probably little point in carrying on.

2. Were you unlucky to be knocked out?
Were you knocked out of the poker tournament by a bad beat where you held the best cards and used the right betting strategy only to find you lost out to a lucky break your opponent got on the river? A rebuy is certainly in order here too.

3. Are you within sight of your opponents chip counts?
If you rebuy and get sat 1500 chips, is it going to be enough to give you a chance against the chips your opponents are holding? If you are too far behind you will probably get blinded out before you get the chance to land a winning hand and your rebuy will have been in vain.

4. Do you WANT to carry on?
Have you still got the mental desire to get back into the game and start over again? Or has your early exit left you dispirited and feeling that you should just leave well enough alone and try your luck another time?

The very knowledge that players can rebuy back into the game often influences their game plan to a great extent, especially when there are multiple or unlimited rebuys. In this instance there tends to be a bit of a betting frenzy in the early stages as there is an opportunity to get back in even after losing an all-in.

(This tends to defeat the purpose of an all-in, although it is still good for the player who wins as they will get a good chip boost).

The other side of this type of play however is that a few players can break away with chip stacks which put them in extremely strong positions in the latter stages of the tournament. It is often the case that if you want to stay in contention you need to make some similar plays to keep up with the leaders, or else the blinds will catch up with you and you’ll be out.

Probably as with most things in poker, the biggest consideration with rebuys is value. If you consider that the rebuy fee is worth it in terms of the chance you have of progressing, then you should consider a rebuy.

Stealing Blinds in No Limit Texas Holdem

Stealing the blinds is one way of ensuring survival in a no-limit Texas Hold’em game. If you steal enough blinds, you can be in the game a longer time than your initial stack warrants.

What Is Stealing the Blinds?

In Texas Hold’em, there are obligatory opening bets from the small blind and the big blind (the first and second player to the left of the button provides the small and big blinds, respectively). Together, they make up the initial pot.

Stealing the blinds refers to trying to win the initial pot or trying to win the blinds. Stealing the blinds serves a two-fold purpose: it will let you win extra chips, unchallenged, and help you reduce the size of your opponents’ stack.

How to Steal the Blinds

In order to steal the blinds, you must make all your opponents drop out of the betting round/s pre-flop. The best way to do this would be to raise and re-raise during the pre-flop betting round. If you are under-the-gun and you wish to steal the blinds, bet more than the minimum. If you are in a middle position or a late position, you should multiply the minimum bet by around two times. In other words, if you are trying to steal the blinds, bet aggressively and avoid mini-raises.

Stealing the Blinds Strategy

If you are a late-position player, you are in an advantageous position to steal the blinds. If most of the players have folded before the betting action reaches you, you can dominate the game and steal the blinds.

If you are short-stacked and wants to steal the blinds, it would be much better to go all-in rather than wait to be raised. Take the lead in betting whenever you can. Additionally, if only a few players are at the table (the game is short-handed), stealing the blinds is good strategy because you are obliged to post blinds more often than not and you’ll run out of chips much sooner.

You should not try to steal the blinds all the time, however. Trying to steal the blinds means you have to make hefty raises. If another player plays you and you miss the flop, you’ll lose all your bets. Furthermore, not all blinds are worth stealing. If the blinds won’t significantly increase your stack, perhaps you should just let it go. If, however, the blinds will make a sizeable addition to your stack, then by all means go for it. The rule of thumb: be selective of the blinds you’ll try to steal.

Top 10 Poker Quotes

These great quotes culled from poker players and writers sum up some of the most essential ideas of the game.
1. David Sklansky on Poker
“When we play, we must realize, before anything else, that we are out to make money.”

2. From Big Deal by Anthony Holden
"Poker may be a branch of psychological warfare, an art form or indeed a way of life – but it is also merely a game, in which money is simply the means of keeping score."

3. David Mamet on Poker
"Poker reveals to the frank observer something else of import—it will teach him about his own nature. Many bad players do not improve because the cannot bear self-knowledge."

4. Bobby Baldwin on Poker
"You cannot survive without that intangible quality we call heart. The mark of a top player is not how much he wins when he is winning but how he handles his losses. If you win for thirty days in a row, that makes no difference if on the thirty-first you have a bad night, go crazy, and throw it all away."

5. Crandell Addington on Poker
"Limit poker is a science, but no-limit is an art. In limit, you are shooting at a target. In no-limit, the target comes alive and shoots back at you."

6. From Poker Nation by Andy Bellin
In the absence of any mathematical explanation, one thing is for certain; if you engage in games of chance long enough, the experience is bound to affect the way you see God. Successfully draw to an inside straight three hands in a row, and you’ve got to be blessed. But if you’re the person drawn out on, the one whose trip aces just got snapped for the third time, you will go home feeling cursed.

7. From The Gentleman’s Handbook on Poker by William J. Florence
The strong point in poker is never to lose your temper, either with those you are playing with or, more particularly, with the cards. There is no sympathy in poker. Always keep cool. If you lose your head you will lose all your chips.

8. Pug Pearson on Poker
“The real things to know is that folks will stand to lose more than they will to win. That’s the most important percentage there is. I mean, if they lose, they’re willin’ to lose everything. If they win, they’re usually satisfied to win enough to pay for dinner and a show. The best gamblers know that.”

9. From A Girlhood Among Gamblers by Katy Lederer
The cardinal sin in poker, worse than playing did cards, worse even than figuring your odds correctly, is becoming emotionally involved.

10. Amarillo Slim on Poker:
“It never hurts for potential opponents to think you’re more than a little stupid and can hardly count all the money in your hip pocket, much less hold on to it..”

What You Need to Get Started with a Home Poker Tournament

A great way to enjoy a good game of poker with friends it to have a poker tournament at home. You can play with as few as 6 or as many players as you’d like, and you can play any kind of poker you’d like. You can play limit, pot-limit, or no-limit, or mix it up. The varieties and fun are endless.

But to get started, the easiest and most common set-up though is to have 8 to 10 players at one table and play no-limit Texas Hold’em. This easy how-to will get you going in no time to playing the most popular form of tournament poker there is.

Before players arrive, there are a few things you’ll need:

* A poker table or table that seats up to ten
* Two decks of cards
* Poker chips
* A dealer button
* A poker timer or some other timer

Optional: If you are playing with beginners, it is wise to post this list of what beats what and print out this quick how to play texas hold’em guide.

The next thing to decide it how much the buy-in or entry fee for the tournament is and what the prizes are. You can play for any amount you’d like, but in a beginner game, I suggest every player buy-in for $10 or $20. That way, the winner will get a nice chunk of change, but those who don’t win won’t be out more than dinner or a movie. You can also allow re-buys back in for the first hour of play -- that way if anyone busts out of the game early, they can buy back in and not feel left out. It also builds the prize pool!

Whatever you decide, in a 10-person game, usually the top three players place “in the money” and win some of the cash. You can do a “winner takes all” game as well, but I find that in a friendly game, it’s more fun for everyone if you pay the top three. A common break down might be to give 60% of the total prize pool to the first place winner, 30% to the second place winner, and the last 10% to the third place winner. You can adjust these percentages/amounts, but for instance in a $10 buy-in game with no rebuys, 1st place would win $60, 2nd place $30, and 3rd place $10, or their money back. Whatever you decide, announce it before the game begins so everyone knows what they are playing for.

The basic idea of a poker tournament is that every player starts with the same amount of chips and you play until one person has them all. To make sure the game doesn’t go on forever, tournaments are played with levels -- after a certain amount of time, the price of poker goes up, meaning the blinds go up. You can also start adding in antes after a while.

There are two factors that control how long a tournament goes on: How many chips each player starts with and how long the levels are.

If you want to play a quick tournament (1-2 hours), start each player with 2,000 chips and play with 20-minute levels. Here is the structure for a quick tournament.

For a longer tournament (2-4 hours), start each player with 10,000 chips and play with 30-minute levels. Here is the structure for a longer tournament.

The advantage of a short tournament is that you can often play two in one poker night, and is best for a group of beginners. A longer tournament is better for experienced players, and allows a game of more strategy.

Once you’ve decided, you need to assign values to whatever chips you are using. You don’t have to use this suggestion, just make sure its clear and that there are enough chips of each value to go around -- you’ll need the most of whatever you denote as the lowest-value chips.

Common chip values:
Green: 25
White: 100
Red: 500
Black: 1000
Blue: 5000


A good chip distribution for a 2,000-chip tournament might be: 4 greens, 9 whites, 2 reds.
A good chip distribution for a 10,000-chip tournament could be: 8 greens, 8 whites, 6 reds, 2 blacks, 1 blue

Once everyone is seated and the chips are distributed, the last thing to decide is who will get the dealer button. You can do this in two ways -- the host can deal out a card per player and the player with the highest card gets the dealer button, or you can spread out a deck and let each player pick a card. In each case, the higest card wins -- if two player gets the same cards, the suits will decide. Spades is the highest suit, followed by hearts, diamonds, and finally clubs.

Now just begin dealing the cards and let the fun begin!

World Series of Poker History

The series has come a long way since the first game in 1970, when just a few seasoned pros gathered in Vegas to see who was the best of the best.
How did the World Series of Poker Come to Pass?

It all begins with three men, years before the first World Series of Poker, in 1949, when Nick “the Greek” Dandalos asked Lester “Benny” Binion, owner of the Horsehoe Casino in Downtown Las Vegas, to arrange the biggest poker game of all time. Binion knew just the guy to take on the Greek – Johnny Moss, who at the time was regarded as the best poker player in the world. With Binion’s promise to bankroll him, Johnny Moss agreed to the match, and sat down to play at a game that would go on for five long months. They played every type of poker for huge pots of hundreds of thousands of dollars until at last, the Greek decided he was beat and got up from the table saying, “Mr. Moss, I have to let you go.”

The epic battle between Moss and the Greek sparked an idea in Benny Binion’s head, and in 1970 he invited the best poker players he knew, including Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim Preston, Brian “Sailor” Roberts, Puggy Pearson, Crandall Addington, and Carl Cannon to play No-Limit Texas Hold’em against each other in front of a crowd. Instead of playing until one player had all the chips, the players voted on who was the best, and Johnny Moss was unanimously chosen.

In 1971 the World Series was a freeze-out, winner-take-all tournament, which Johnny Moss once again won. Over the following years, it evolved into a “shared purse” tournament, in which not only the first place winner, but several other top finishers won a share of the prize money. Registration was open to anyone who had the $10,000 bucks to put up, and enrollment grew, but it wasn’t until satellite tournaments for the event were started that the numbers really started growing. Now, instead of plopping down the whole 10K, players could win a 10K seat by winning their way through a field of players at a lower buy-in tournament.

Still, the number of players at the Main Event remained under a thousand until 2003. Then, Chris Moneymaker won the top prize.

In 2003, Chris Moneymaker won a seat to the World Series of Poker through a $40 satellite tournament at the online poker site, PokerStars. This (until then) unknown player had only played online before the day of the tournament, and battled his way through the 838 other players to win an incredible $2.5 million.

America’s imagination latched on to this Cinderella story of a man who turned $40 into millions. If he could do it, we thought, anyone could. The TV coverage of the WSOP and other poker shows grew as well, and more and more people could watch and fantasize about sitting down at the table and beating a poker pro and winning huge prizes. In 2004, registration for the $10,000 main event tripled, and 2,576 players battled for the $5 million first prize. Greg “Fossilman" Raymer, who also won his seat through an online satellite at PokerStars, captured the 2004 WSOP bracelet.

2004 was a landmark year for another reason, as it also marked the final year of the World Series of Poker as part of the Binion’s Horsehoe empire, when they sold ownership of the tournament to Harrah’s, which is hosted the 2005 event at their own casino, The Rio All-Suite, though the final of the main event took place at the Horseshoe.

The main event in 2005 had over 5,600 participants and boasted a $7.5 million first prize, which was captured by Australian Joseph Hachem.

The 2006 World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Texas Hold’em Championship Event broke all sorts of records -- the most impressive being the 8,773 players competing for the largest prize of all time: 12 million dollars in prize money, which was captured by Jamie Gold, a Los Angeles producer, took the chip lead on Day 4 of the event and never gave it back, dominating the field all the way to the WSOP bracelet.

In 2007, there were fewer online qualifiers due to the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, and so there were "only" 6,358 entries in the big main event. Californian Jerry Yang outlasted them all and won $8.25 million.

2008 brought a different kind of record-breaking event: A new youngest-ever champion, Peter Eastgate, who at 22, took away that distinction from Phil Hellmuth, who had held the title for almost 20 years. Eastgate won just over $9 million.

Eastgate didn't stay the youngest-ever WSOP main event champion for long, though, for in 2009, Joe Cada took home the bracelet and $8.55 million in prize money at the tender age of 21.

Top 30 WSOP Money Winners

Players who've earned the most cash at the World Series of Poker

Many of the players who have won the most money at the World Series of Poker have done so by joining the list of WSOP Main Event Winners, but some have never won a bracelet at all, while others have racked up their cash by winning many events over the years.

No matter how they've done it, everyone in the top 30 has won millions of dollars playing poker at the World Series of Poker. See who made the list here:

Player - Number of Bracelets Won - Amount of Money Won

* Jamie Gold - 1 - $12,057,518
* Peter Eastgate - 1 - $9,221,395
* Joseph Cada - 1 - $8,575,256
* Jerry Yang - 1 - $8,250,000
* Joe Hachem - 1 - $8,070,283
* Allen Cunningham - 5 - $7,355,929
* Greg Raymer - 1 - $6,487,512
* Paul Wasicka - 0 - $6,217,738
* Phil Hellmuth - 11 - $6,105,254
* Ivan Demidov - 0 - $5,832,686
* Chris Ferguson - 5 - $5,386,220
* Darvin Moon - 0 - $5,182,928
* Michael Binger - 0 - $4,882,868
* Tuan Lam - 0 - $4,851,424
* Phil Ivey - 7 - $5,243,500
* Scotty Nguyen - 5 - $4,828,485
* David Williams - 1 - $4,420,814
* Dennis Phillips - 0 - $4,699,375
* T.J. Cloutier - 6 - $4,349,316
* Erik Seidel - 8 - $4,248,081
* Steven Dannenmann - 0 - $4,271,489
* Johnny Chan - 10 - $4,241,448
* Daniel Negreanu - 4 - $4,064,874
* Ylon Schwartz - 0 -$4,011,975
* Josh Arieh - 2 - $3,553,879
* Dan Harrington - 2 - $3,524,476
* Antoine Saout - 0 - $3,479,670
* Freddy Deeb - 2 - $3,453,659
* John Juanda - 4 - $3,396,981
* Vitaly Lunkin - 2 - $3,378,286

What is the World Poker Tour?

Started by Steve Lipscomb, The World Poker Tour (or WPT for short) is a series of poker tournaments that takes place all over the world, but the majority of the tournaments are held in the U.S. At each location, there are a series of smaller tournaments that culminate in a big no-limit Hold'em main event. The final tables of these main events are what you see on TV.
World Poker Tour on Television:

The World Poker Tour TV shows debuted in 2002 on the Travel Channel. Each 2-hour show showed the final 6 players competing for first prize. What made this show unique when it debuted was the use of "hole cams" that allowed viewers to see what each player had -- and that one feature changed the way people viewed poker and led to the poker boom. In 2008, new episodes aired on Game Show Network instead of the Travel Channel, but the next season in 2009 will be on Fox Sports.
World Poker Tour Hosts:

The hosts of the WPT show have always been poker player Mike Sexton and Vince van Patten. The female co-host was originally Shana Hiatt, who hosted the first three seasons. Later hosts included Courtney Friel, Sabina Gadecki, and Layla Kayleigh.
World Poker Tour Championship:

At the end of each season, the WPT holds a $25,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em event that include all the winners of previous WPT main events and many more poker pros and hopefuls.

It is held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
World Poker Tour Champions:

The winners of the big WPT championship are:

* 2003: Alan Goehring
* 2004: Martin De Knijff
* 2005: Tuan Le
* 2006: Joe Bartholdi
* 2007: Carlos Mortensen
* 2008: David Chiu

Top 20 WSOP bracelet winners－ Chris "Jesus" Ferguson

Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson has an unmatched record in tournament poker over the past decade.

He can remember playing in the 4th grade, losing his last 35c when his trip Queens lost to a heart flush. He promised himself at that time that he would never go broke again and he hasn't looked back since.

After attending UCLA for 18 years, he earned a PhD in computer science focusing on artificial intelligence. He had spent five years as an undergraduate and 13 years as a graduate student. While in college he honed his skill on IRC playing poker for play money in chat rooms.

In 1994 Chris made the decision to really apply himself and his knowledge of game theory to poker, concentrating only on tournament play. He started off playing in the small tournaments in and around LA. Not wanting to play over his bankroll, he didn't enter the WSOP till 1995.

In 1996 he won a satellite into the main event and has played every year since. In the next three years, Chris would have 12 money finishes, making the final table 7 of those times, but never finishing higher than 4th place.

At the 2000 WSOP, Ferguson broke through for the biggest win of his career and claimed the $1,500,000 main event prize, defeating poker legend TJ Cloutier heads up at the final table.

Since he started playing the world series he has won more bracelets (5), made more final tables (25) and had more money finishes (42) than any other player. He has earned more than $4,000,000 playing in WSOP events alone.

In 2005 & 2006 he was runner up at the National Heads Up Championship, winning $250,000 each time and cemeting his reputation as one of toughest players on the circuit.

Christened “Jesus” because of his trademark long brown hair and beard, Ferguson approaches poker from a purely intellectual viewpoint. With his PhD from UCLA and parents who are both academic heavyweights, Chris is far from the shoot from the hip, instinctive "cowboy" poker player that his get-up tries to convey. And that’s the way he likes it, claiming that his whole poker image is a distraction, a ruse to throw other players off their game in the hope that they mis-read him and his play at the tables.

Unlike a lot of poker professionals, poker is only one of four main pursuits in Chris Ferguson’s life. In addition to poker, Chris also continues to foster his academic interest in artificial intelligence, as well as a passion for west coast swing dancing.

It's reported that Jesus can throw a playing card quickly enough to slice through a carrot from 10 feet. We need to see some video evidence of this before we agree that he can. Is the carrot cooked or raw? Is the playing card plastic or paper? So many questions....

If I was going to back anyone to be able to do the carrot trick - it's be this guy, as he's already proven he can do just about everyting else.

Chris Ferguson's winning WSOP hand


Chris Ferguson was holding A9, TJ Cloutier was holding AQ and when he saw that Chris didnt look confident he moved all in. The flop came 2K4 with a King on the turn. If the board paired, the pot would have been split and Ferguson would have been saved, but if the 9 came the tournament would be all over. The 9 came and Ferguson was World Champion.

Chris Ferguson's Poker Career Highlights

* 2000 WSOP $10,000 Main Event winner - $1,500,000
* 2000 WSOP $2,500 7 Card Stud winner - $151,000
* 2001 WSOP $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo winner - $164,735
* 2001 California State Championship Pot Limit Holdem winner - $22,570
* 2002 WSOP $1,500 Pot Limit Holdem - 2nd - $98,700
* 2003 WSOP $2,000 Omaha Hi/Lo winner - $123,680
* 2003 WSOP $2,000 Limit Holdem/7 Stud winner - $66,220
* 2003 WSOP $3,000 Pot Limit Holdem - 2nd - $115,560
* 2004 Winnin' O' the Green winner - $144,000
* 2004 WSOP $5,000 No Limit 2-7 Lowball - 2nd - $170,315
* 2004 WSOP $10,000 Main Event - 26th - $120,000
* 2005 National Heads Up Championship - 2nd - $250,000
* 2005 Harrahs Rincon WSOP Circuit Event - winner - $655,220
* 2005 WPT Five Star World Poker Classic - 8th - $132,095
* 2005 WSOP $2,000 Pot Limit Omaha - 2nd - $210,460
* 2005 Harrahs Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Event winner - $362,088
* 2006 National Heads Up Championship - 2nd - $250,000
* 2006 WSOP Tournament of Champions - 7th - $50,000

Chris Ferguson Quotes

"Some people might think that there is one basic way to play poker, but there isn't. There are many different styles of play. Two people may be dealt the same hand, play it quite differently, and yet both will be successful. In tournament poker, you have to have a long attention span, be very concentrated, be aware of what's going on - and remain very focused."

"If I could change anything in the world I'd teach people to be more tolerant & accepting, and less hypocritical."

"You have to be two things that don't often co-exist. You have to be tenacious; you can never give up and you have to fight over every chip. But at the same time, you have to be incredibly patient."

Texas Hold 'Em Poker Strategy Tips

To be a truly great Texas Hold 'Em Poker player, you need to be able to read your opponents, ascertaining when they are bluffing and then they really have a solid hand. But learning some basic strategies and general rules will go a long way toward making sure you can at least hold your own in a friendly game.

Two Things to Always Remember

It may seem silly to be reminded of the following fundamental facts, but it's surprising how often players get swept up in the excitement of the game and forget the basics.

So, always remember these two things:

1. The two cards you hold are the only cards that set you apart from the other players and give you the chance to win.

2. All of the face-up cards are community cards, shared by you and every other player. It's vital that you focus on what those cards could mean to someone else at least as much as you focus on what they mean to you. In particular, keep your eyes open for your opponents' straight and flush possibilities.

Evaluating Your Cards

Usually, the first decision you make in a hand of Texas Hold 'Em Poker happens with your only knowledge being what your two cards are.

When you look at your cards, be careful not to reveal anything with your reaction -- facial or otherwise. Taking a sharp breath, no matter how quietly you do it, can tell a wily opponent all he needs to know to have an advantage over you. Keyword: emotionless.

How do you know if your cards are good?

It depends in part on how many players are in the game, but a general rule is that you should seriously consider folding before the flop if you have two non-pair cards, both less than 10. A more conservative player might fold if just one of the cards is less than 10; a more aggressive player might stay in with, for example, an 8 and 9 of the same suit (because those cards give you decent possibilities for a straight or a flush).

If the big blind (a forced bet designed to ensure that every hand has a pot) is low enough, it may be worthwhile to pay in so that you can see the flop even if you don't have particularly strong cards in your hand. But don't abuse this exception to the rule -- it can get you into trouble more quickly than you imagine.

A lot of Texas Hold 'Em strategy is based on the cards in your hand. You must be willing to suffer through a series of poor hands (e.g. 5-8, 2-6, 4-9) without getting impatient. The good hands will come, eventually, and you'll be in better position to take advantage of them if you don't waste your chips trying to get something out of nothing.

The Flop

After seeing the flop, don't be afraid to cut your losses. A common mistake made by novices is to decide, "I'm already in this hand, so I might as well play it out." Wrong.

With seven players at a table, two pair or better will generally be the winning hand. If you don't have the high pair after the flop (e.g. if the flop is K-9-5, the high pair would be two Ks), and you're not in good position for a straight or a flush, you should probably get out of the hand.

However, remember that as the number of players goes down, so does the potential of a strong hand -- so if you're at a table with just two other players, it could pay off to be more aggressive.

If you're first to bet after the flop, don't be afraid to check. This can work to your advantage in two ways. First, if your hand is on the weak side, you might be able to see one more card without having to put more into the pot. Second, if your hand is strong, you could convince an opponent or two that it's weaker than it really is.

Fourth Street and Fifth Street

Also know as The Turn and The River, respectively, the fourth and fifth community cards give you two more chances to either get out of the pot before you lose even more money -- or increase your winnings.

At this point, it's likely there will only be one or two other players still in the pot with you. The best advice here is to be cautious. After fourth street, don't stay in the pot hoping for a straight or flush, unless you can do so on a check (that is, without putting more chips into the pot). Although there will be times when you would have drawn the straight or flush, they will be outweighed by the times you wouldn't.

The bottom line is this: Don't allow yourself to get sucked in too far with a weak hand.

That said, there is a point where the investment you've already made virtually dictates that you hang in there. It's useful to measure this in terms of percentage of your chips. For example, if you've already committed 40% of your chips to the pot, another 5% isn't that much. This is a gray area, so once again the best advice is to be cautious.

Good luck, and have fun!

Slang for Poker Hands

If you play or watch Texas Hold'em at all, you'll start hearing people announce they've got "Big Slick" or "I've got snowmen!" They're not being literal -- they're talking about the hole or pocket cards they've been dealt in the lingo of poker.

Learn the slang for poker hands so when you hear these nicknames while playing Texas Hold'em, you'll know what everyone is talking about.

Think you already know all the poker lingo? Prove it by acing the poker slang quiz!

A-A – American Airlines, bullets, pocket rockets

A-K – Big Slick, “Walking back to Houston”

A-J -- Ajax

K-K – Cowboys

K-Q – Marriage

K-J – Kojak

K-9 -- Canine

Q-Q – Dames, divas, ladies, the Hilton sisters, Siegfried & Roy

Q-J – Maverick, Oedipus Rex

Q-7 -- Computer Hand

Q-3 – A San Francisco Busboy (a queen with a trey – har har)

J-J – Jokers, hooks

J-9 – T.J. Cloutier.

J-5 – Jackson Five, Motown

10-5 – Five and dime

10-2 – Doyle Brunson. (He won two World Series of Poker titles with this hand.)

9-9 – Meat hooks

8-8 – Snowmen, Octopuses

7-7 – Hockey Sticks, walking Sticks

7-2 – The Hammer

5-5 – Nickels, presto, speed limit

5-4 – Jesse James, for his Colt .45

4-4 -- Sailboats

2-2 -- Ducks

Basic Poker Tells

One of the key skills most good poker players have is the ability to read their opponents at the table. That is why you hear so much about “poker tells.” A “tell” is any physical reaction, kind of behavior, or habit that gives (or tells) the other players information about your hand. If you learn the most common tells, you can not only watch your own behavior to make sure your body language isn’t telling all your secrets, but also watch for the habits and tics in the poker players you’re at the table with. If you can accurately read your opponent’s tells, you’ll make the right decisions against them more often and win more money.

Everyone has their own unique tics and tells, and it’s great to watch individuals and pick up on their unique tells. Luckily, there are also a few involuntary and common tells that you can watch for even the first time you sit down with someone. As a general rule, remember that when a player acts strong, he’s probably weak, and when a player acts weak, he's probably got a really strong hand.

Poker Tells that Say "I Have a Good Hand!"

* Acting Uninterested in a Hand While Still in It
This is usually a sign of a strong hand. The player is pretending that he’s not excited about his cards – but he is.

* Shaking Hands
During a hand, if you notice a player’s hands are shaking as she places her bet, she probably has gotten a really, really good hand. Perhaps the nuts.

* Rapid Breathing
Some players can control the shakes, but it's harder to control the automatic heart-racing that comes when you see pocket aces or hit the flop really hard. If you can see a player's chest visibly rising and falling, they have an excellent hand

* Sighing and Shrugging
If a player makes a show of sighing or shrugging, and says things like “Oh, I guess I’ll call,” or even “Why am I calling?” he probably is overacting and is trying to hide a big hand.

* Glancing at Chips After Looking at Hole Cards
When a player looks down and sees strong hole or pocket cards, she may glance over at her chips to see just how much she can bet.

Poker Tells that Say "I Have a Weak Hand!"

* Staring Down Other Players
If an opponent is staring you down, he’s trying to represent strength. Usually though, he has a weak hand – he might have something, but it’s something that can be beaten or drawn out on.

* Holding Breath
Often, inexperienced players will hold their breath if they are bluffing.

Poker Tells that Say "I Have a Drawing Hand."

* Checking Hole Cards After a Flop
If the flop shows the possibility of giving someone a flush or straight draw, watch for people re-checking their hole cards. They’re checking to see if they have a piece of it – whether that black Ace was a spade or a club. The player doesn’t have the flush or straight at that point, because if they did, they wouldn’t have to check, but she is seeing if she has a draw to it.

* Taking a Long Time Before Calling a Bet
If a player looks into the pot and seems to be doing some calculating in his head, he probably is. He’s most likely figuring out the pot odds to see if it’s worth it to try and catch the cards he needs to complete his drawing hand.


A final note: more experienced players may give off false tells, so the first thing to read about other players is if they’re novices or pros.

Top 10 Best Hold'em Poker Hands

Here's a quick guide to the ten best Texas Hold'em poker hands. If you start with any of these ten hands during Texas Hold'em, you are in excellent shape.

For a more detailed guide to which hands to hold and which to fold, read Texas Hold'em Starting Hand Selection.

1. Ace-Ace
This is the best Hold'em poker hand you can hope to have. It's the best of the best, and will win more than any other hand. Also known as American Airlines, pocket rockets, and bullets.

2. King-King
This 2nd-best hold'em hand is still incredibly strong and will win you a good chunk of change. Two kings, or "cowboys" are only dominated by aces.

3. Queen-Queen
Two queens, or "ladies" are a very good hand. Sure, kings and aces will beat you, but you've got the upper hand on jacks and below.

4. Ace-King
Ace-king is a strong but tricky hand. It is the strongest of the drawing hands, but the flop needs to work with you to give you a pair of aces or kings for it to really pay off. Suited it is slightly stronger than unsuited, as then you can also make the nut flush much more easily.

5. Jack-Jack
A pair of jacks, ten-handed, will win almost 20% of the time. If the flop shows a queen, king, or ace, watch out, but otherwise, it's smooth sailing.

6. Ace-Queen
Ace-queen is the second best drawing hand, and when suited, will win about 20% of the time as well.

7. King-Queen
King-queen, especially suited, is a great drawing hand that is only afraid of an Ace falling on the board.

8. Ace-Jack
Ace-jack is another great drawing hand. Suited is always better here, but unsuited is still playable.

9. King-Jack
King-jack, especially in later positions, is a fine hand to play, but can be beat by any of the hands listed above and should be folded to big raises. Statistically, suited it will win just under 19% of the time, but unsuited that drops to just 15%.

10. Ace-Ten
Ace-ten is still a good hand -- you've got the ace, and can make a straight if the miracle J-Q-K falls on the board. But be wary of playing it too strong, especially unsuited, as if all you end up with is a pair of aces, you may be out-kicked.

Top 10 Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em

Sure, you know that a pair of aces are the best hand in Texas Hold'em, but do you know the worst starting hands? Knowing that these hands are almost-always-fold'em hands in hold'em is just as important to improving your poker game and not playing like a donkey.

Some of these "worst hands" are bad in the same way and will lose at about the same rate, so I've called them ties, even when one is a slightly better hand.

1) 2-7
7-2 off suit is considered the worst hand in Texas Hold'em. They are the lowest two cards you can have that cannot make a straight (there's 4 cards between 2 and 7). Even if they are suited, they will make you a very low flush, and if either pairs, it's an awfully low hand.

Because it is the worst, some players will play it for fun and in online games, it is known as "the hammer."

2) 2-8
This is the same basic problem as above, only you've got an 8 instead of a 7. Still pretty bad for a high card. Suited or not, this is a fold'em hold'em hand.

3) Tie: 3-8 & 3-7
The 3 makes this hand able to beat the two above it, but with the 3-8 you still can't make a straight and the 3-7 still, well, just sucks.

4) 2-6
While if the board gives you a miracle flop of 3-4-5, you will have a straight, someone with a 6-7 will have a higher straight. If you get a flush, someone will probably have a higher flush. Against even 4 players, this hand will lose about 90% of the time. Not good odds.

5) Tie: 2-9, 3-9, & 4-9
The only thing these three hands have going for them over the hands above is the 9. If the 9 pairs, you'll have a middle pair that could still be beat by anyone holding pocket 10s, jacks, queens, kings, or aces, yet you might be fooled by a board filled with low cards into thinking you have the best hand and losing a lot of money. No straights can fill the gap between these cards, either. Beware.

6) 2-10
This hand has a legendary quality because Doyle Brunson captured two World Series of Poker Bracelets with it. But it's not a good hand -- Doyle Brunson is one of the all-time best in the game and unless you're a Texas road gambler who's logged thousands of hours at the table, you shouldn't try and win with the Doyle Brunson.

7) 5-9
Another hand people play because it's fun is the old 9 to 5, the "Dolly Parton." If you're playing to win, it's not a good idea to play hands because they have a funny name. That may be how you pick the winning horse in a race, but poker's a marathon, not a sprint, and over the long term there's no doubt this hand is a statistical loser.

8) Tie: 4-7, 4-8, 5-8, 3-6...
All these hands will rarely win, especially unsuited. Toss 'em. Just toss'em. Yes, even in the little blind. If you see two low cards in the hole, unless you're in the big blind and you can see the flop for free, fold.

9) Face card + low card, unsuited
One of the most common mistakes I see beginners make is that when they see any paint in their hand, they play it. J-2, Q-3, K-4 whatever -- and most of these hands are losers. They're junk that may win a few pots, but more often will lose you huge cash when you find the other player has a higher kicker and the winning hand.

10) Ace + low card, unsuited
This is another common beginner mistake, playing any ace. Again, it may win occasionally, and heads-up it's a fine hand, but at a table of 4 or more, this hand shouldn't be played if there's a raise in front of you. You're going to be outkicked a lot with Ace-little, and it's going to feel like a kick in the junk when the other player shows their higher ace.

Top 10 Poker Tips to Make You a Better Player & Improve Your Poker Game

Want to become a better player, fast? Follow these 10 tips to boost your poker performance & profits. While geared to beginner players, there's poker tips that even seasoned pros should remind themselves of once in a while.

1. Don't Play Every Hand / Do Fold More
Probably the number one mistake beginning poker players make is that they play far too many hands. When you're just starting out playing poker, you want to play poker, and that means staying in hands that aren't very good just to be part of the action. But playing more doesn't mean winning more, it usually means losing more. If you find you're staying in half or more the hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade your starting hand requirements.

2. Don't Play Drunk
Countless nights have I sat across a table from someone & watched them get plastered silly and throw away their entire stack of chips. I've been that person too - and there are nights where you're just playing with friends for low stakes and it's more about the fun than the poker - but if you're in a casino, watch the alcohol. The truth is, while you may be more relaxed after 2 drinks, it may lead to you playing looser and less sharply, even if one's not 'drunk.'

3. Don't Bluff Just For Bluffing's Sake
A lot of beginner's understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but not exactly how. There's is NO rule that one must bluff a certain amount or at all during a poker game, but many players don't feel like they've won unless they've tried a poker bluff. Bluffs only work in certain situations & against certain people, and if you know a player always calls to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that player. It's better never to bluff than to bluff "just to bluff."

4. Don't Stay in a Hand Just Because You're Already In It
Another common mistake beginners make is to think that "Well, I've already put that much in the pot, I have to stay in now." Nope. You can't win a pot just by throwing money at it. There may be cases when pot odds warrant a call, but if you're sure you're beaten, and there's no way your hand can improve to be the best hand, you should fold right away. The money you've already put in the pot isn't yours anymore, and you can't get it back just by playing a hand all the way to the end.

5. Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Keep Someone Honest"
This one follows the last tip. I see a lot of players look at another player's final bet, look at the hand, & say "I know you've got me, but I have to keep you honest," as they throw in a final call. It may be worth it to see if a player really has the hand if you're not sure & you're gaining information that will help you later on, but if you really feel a player has the hand he's representing & you're beat, why give him another pile of your money? Those bets will add up over an evening.

6. Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad Mood
When you play poker, you shouldn't do it to escape from being depressed or having a really bad day. You start out on tilt -- playing emotionally, not rationally -- and you won't play your best. Likewise, if during a poker game, you lose a big hand or get sucked out on and feel yourself going on tilt, stand up & take a break until you feel calm later on. Fellow players will sense your mood & take advantage of it.

7. Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table
When you first start playing, it's enough just to remember how to play and pay attention to your own hand. But once you've got that down, it's incredibly important to look at what's going on at the table. In Texas Hold'em, figure out what the best possible hand would be to fit the flop. Make sure you notice flush & straight possibilities. In 7-card stud, pay attention to what's showing & what people have folded when you consider calling opponents.

8. Do Pay Attention to the Other Players
As you play, one of the single best things you can do is observe your opponents, even when you're not in a hand. If you know if one player always raises in a certain position, & another has a poker tell when he bluffs, & a 3rd folds to every re-raise, you can use that information to help you decide how to play against them. Once you know that player 3 always folds to a re-raise on a river, that's when you can bluff & steal a pot.

9. Don't Play at too High Limits
There are many reasons people move up to a higher limit game than they usually play. Good reasons like they've been winning consistently at a lower lever & are ready to move up, & bad reasons like the line is shorter for higher limits or you want to impress someone. Don't play at stakes that make you think about the actual money in terms of day-to-day life or with money you can't lose. Even if you had one super-good night at $2/4, resist the urge to play $5/10. The next tip explains more why.

10. Do Pick the Right Game for Your Skill Level & Bankroll
One of the reasons you shouldn't jump into a $5/10 game after winning a huge bunch of money at $2/4 is because as the stakes rise, so does the average skill level of the players sitting there. You want to be one of the best at the table, not the fish who sits down with sharks. If you're making stacks of money at a lower level game, why move? You're winning stacks of money. The swings up & down at higher limits are much bigger, and one big night's win won't last long at a high-stakes game.

Vietnamese poker players - Scotty Nguyen

Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn (born October 28, 1962 in Nha Trang, Vietnam) is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Eventand the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship. This win also made him the first and currently only player to win both the WSOP Main Event and $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. events. He also stated that the only type of World Series of Poker event he has yet to win is 2-7 lowball. Nguyen is one of the most active players in professional poker today, and from 2000 to 2004 he finished in the money in more than 100 events.

Early life
Scotty Nguyen was born in Vietnam and came to America at the age of fourteen. He was expelled from school for spending too much time in underground poker games. Nguyen attended dealer school at the age of 21 and was employed at Harrah’s poker room. There he made about $150 a night and lost most of it playing $3–$6 stud. He described himself as a "fish" but wanted to gamble regardless.

His luck changed in 1985 when he was invited to Lake Tahoe to deal in a no-limit Hold’em tournament. He dealt all day and played cash games all night with the meager bankroll he brought with him. He built his bankroll to $7,000 and felt he was invincible. He returned to Las Vegas and gambled his bankroll up to $1,000,000. His name spread around Vegas and before he knew it he was playing poker with Johnny Chan, Puggy Pearson, and David Grey. He purchased a Chevrolet Camaro for $17,000, a Corvette for $21,000 and a condominium for $60,000 all in cash. He lived in Caesers palace and was winning $50,000 to $100,000 a night.

Bad habits plagued Nguyen as recreational use of marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol developed into full-scale addictions. After a bad losing streak he ended up going broke. Nguyen was sympathetically spared a room and $5,000 in cash.

Poker career

Nguyen had to rebuild his bankroll after losing his million. His next success came at the 1997 World Series of Poker where he won the $2,000 Omaha 8 or Better netting a profit of over $150,000. Unfortunately Nguyen blew this bankroll again and was completely broke shortly before the 1998 World Series of Poker. Nguyen had to play in a small satellite tournament which he did not even have enough money to buy into. Mike Matusow saw potential in Nguyen and decided to bankroll 1/3 of the buy in.

Nguyen is noted for playing with lots of emotion. He went on to win the 1998 World Series of Poker and split 1/3 of the winnings ($333,333) with Mike Matusow. On the final hand of the 1998 World Series of Poker's Main Event, a full house was dealt on the table (8♣ 9♦ 9♥ 8♥ 8♠). Nguyen made the memorable quote to his opponent Kevin McBride: "You call, it's gonna be all over baby!" McBride called, saying "I call. I play the board." Nguyen beat McBride with a better full house by holding 9♣ J♦. Nguyen's Main Event triumph in 1998 was followed immediately by tragedy—the very next day, one of his brothers was hit by a car back home in Vietnam, and killed. For this reason, Scotty does not wear his 1998 WSOP championship bracelet.

After making several World Poker Tour final tables, Nguyen eventually won a WPT event in January 2006, defeating Michael Mizrachi heads-up in the fourth season Gold Strike World Poker Open when his A♠ Q♠ made a flush against Mizrachi's A♣ J♦ on the very first hand of heads-up round. With this WPT victory, Scotty became one of only 5 people to win both the main event of the World Series of Poker and a World Poker Tour title. Nguyen earned a second place finish at the 2007 World Series of Poker in the seven card stud high low split eight or better event won by Eli Elezra. Scotty stated after the event that he hadn't played cash games in over two years because he enjoys a friendly environment which is difficult in serious cash games. Scotty also nearly made the final table of the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing in 11th place out of a field of 6,358 and earning $476,926.

At the 2008 $50,000 World Series of Poker H.O.R.S.E. event, Nguyen exhibited what many have considered objectionable, and even rule-breaking behavior. In the broadcast of the prestigious event, Nguyen was shown drinking numerous alcoholic beverages while swearing and scolding others at the final table, drawing criticism from commentators. Following the event, Nguyen issued an apology to his fans and stated that the event's editing depicted him unfairly. He also cited issues like exhaustion, frustration with the perceived gloating of Michael DeMichele, and pressure to succeed as reasons for his unconventional behavior. Nguyen later formally apologized to the fans in an interview, and said that he no longer blamed any other players for his behavior, and that there was no excuse for his behavior at the 2008 H.O.R.S.E. event.

In 2009, Nguyen won the inaugural LA Poker Classic $10,000 H.O.R.S.E World Championship at the Commerce Casino's annual LA Poker Classic Series. This 1st place finish earned him $339,743, and further cemented Nguyen's reputation as one of the greatest masters of all variations of fixed limit poker.

As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $10,700,000. Of those winnings, $4,727,717 have come at the WSOP. Nguyen has also made appearances on the Ultimate Blackjack Tour playing Elimination Blackjack. Nguyen also made an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in April 2004.

World Series of Poker bracelets
Bracelets summary
Year Tournament Prize (US$)
1997 $2,000 Omaha 8 or Better $156,959
1998 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship $1,000,000
2001 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha $178,480
2001 $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better $287,580
2008 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship $1,989,120
Total $3,609,139

2009 Top Money Winner Phil Ivey

Phillip D. "Phil" Ivey (born February 1, 1976) is an American professional poker player who has won seven World Series of Poker bracelets and one World Poker Tour title and appeared at eight World Poker Tour final tables.

After his runner up finish at the 2010 Aussie Millions 100K event Ivey is currently listed as first in the world among all-time money winners in tournament poker. Ivey is regarded by numerous poker observers and contemporaries as the best all-around player in the world today.

Personal life

Ivey was born in Riverside, California and moved to Absecon, New Jersey when he was three-months old.

Ivey resides in Las Vegas. In December 2009 Ivey and his wife, Luciaetta, filed a joint petition for divorce after seven years of marriage; which was granted on Dec 29, 2009.

Ivey is a Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and a Buffalo Bills fan and can often be seen wearing basketball jerseys. Ivey's hobbies include video games, prop betting and golf. He participated in the inaugural World Series of Golf, where he finished in third place.

Philanthropy

Ivey has given money to a number of charitable causes.In March of 2008 Ivey donated $50,000 to Empowered 2 Excel, a Las Vegas charity for underprivileged kids, and later that week created the Budding Ivey Foundation, a non-profit organization to continue the work of his grandfather, Leonard "Bud" Simmons. The foundation raised $260,000 (mostly for Empowered 2 Excel) at a July 3, 2008 charity poker tournament,and is also involved in children's literacy projects and programs to feed the homeless.

Career

Ivey first began to develop his poker skills by playing against co-workers at a New Brunswick, New Jersey telemarketing firm in the late 1990s. One of his nicknames, "No Home Jerome", stems from the ID card he secured to practice in Atlantic City in his teenage years.His other nickname is 'the Tiger Woods of Poker'.

World Series of Poker

Ivey's tournament accomplishments include winning three bracelets at the 2002 World Series of Poker, tying Phil Hellmuth Jr, Ted Forrest, Puggy Pearson, and Jeff Lisandro for most tournament wins in a single year. Ivey also has bracelets in Pot Limit Omaha from 2000 and 2005. In 2000, he was the first person to defeat Amarillo Slim heads-up at a WSOP final table. In addition to his seven World Series bracelets, Ivey has had great success in the WSOP Main Event. He placed in the top 25 four times between the 2002 and the 2009. Ivey finished 23rd in 2002, 10th in 2003, 20th in 2005 and 7th in 2009.

In 2009, Ivey won his 6th bracelet in the $2,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball Event of the 2009 WSOP. He defeated a field of 147 players to catch his bracelet. He won a very long heads-up battle against John Monette. He then proceeded to win another bracelet in the $2,500 1/2 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 1/2 Omaha Hi/Lo event besting a field of 376 people. He defeated Ming Lee heads-up. While winning the $2,500 1/2 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo - 1/2 Omaha Hi/Lo event he also managed to place 22nd in the $5000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight-or-better despite only playing during the breaks in the Stud/Omaha event.

Main Event finishes

Between 2002 and 2009, Ivey finished among the top 25 players in the Main Event four times, in fields ranging in size from 600 entrants to just under 7000.[citation needed] Ivey finished 10th in the 2003 WSOP Main Event (one place short of the final table), and 7th in 2009. In 2009 his A♣ K♠ lost to Darvin Moon's A♦ Q♠ when a queen paired Moon on the flop; he ended with winnings of $1,404,002.

Multiple Bracelet Winner

With seven World Series of Poker bracelets, Ivey is currently tied with Billy Baxter for the sixth most of all-time. Also, at age 33, he is the youngest player to ever win seven (Phil Hellmuth was 37). In addition, other than Johnny Moss, no other player has accumulated seven bracelets as quickly; it took Ivey only nine years from the time of his first bracelet to his seventh (Moss also took nine years).

Year Tournament Prize (US$)
2000 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha $195,000
2002 $2,500 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo $118,440
2002 $2,000 S.H.O.E. $107,540
2002 $1,500 7 Card Stud $132,000
2005 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha $635,603
2009 $2,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball $96,367
2009 $2,500 Omaha Hi/Lo / 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo $220,538

World Poker Tour

Ivey has also reached a record eight final tables on the World Poker Tour. He has lost several of these WPT events by being eliminated while holding the same starting hand each time, an ace and a queen. Eight out of the nine times Phil Ivey has cashed in a WPT event, he has also made the television final table. During the sixth season of the WPT in February 2008, Ivey made the final table at the LA Poker Classic at Commerce Casino that included Phil Hellmuth and Nam Le, eventually capturing the $1,596,000 first prize and putting an end to his streak of seven WPT final tables without a victory. Ivey has earned close to three million dollars in WPT cashes. Ivey made his debut on the European Poker Tour in Barcelona, September 2006. He came to the final table of nine as the chipleader, but he eventually came in second to Bjørn-Erik Glenne from Norway.

Other tournaments

In 2006, Ivey was enticed to London to participate in The London All Star Challenge of the inaugural European Poker Masters. Not only Europe's first-ever independent poker tour, the EPM boasted the best lineup of players ever seen in Europe. As one of the favorites, Ivey made it to the final table to finish seventh, and collected £6,700 ($12,534). In November 2005, Ivey won the $1,000,000 first prize at the Monte Carlo Millions tournament. Just one day after, Ivey took home another $600,000 for finishing first at "The FullTiltPoker.Net Invitational Live from Monte Carlo". His six opponents were (in reverse finishing order) Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Gus Hansen, Chris Ferguson, Dave Ulliott, and John Juanda.

As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $12,800,000. $4,865,010 of his total winnings have come from cashes at the WSOP.

Poker Etiquette

The main reason we play poker is to have fun. Some texas holdem players argue that money is the actual motivation. I disagree because most people don't actually make money playing poker. Most people lose money. There are also other ways to make money, so why did we choose a risky game like poker to earn it? The answer is because poker is an enjoyable game.

Most of the time.

Every once in a while someone does something ignorant in a game that makes you want to pull your hair out. For instance, one of my pet peeves is when players don't put their highest-denomination chips in the front of their pile. Even worse though is when the guy to my right whispers, "You know what I had that last hand and actually folded?" Surprisingly, I still don't care after all the times it's been said. I used to think that was useful insight into a players preflop hand selection, but now I just cringe whenever a flop has a pair of twos and that guy shoots me that quick look of anticipation to let me know that he wants to tell me something after the hand is over. You had a two, huh? And folded it? Wow.

Here's TH-P's "Poker Etiquette" checklist. Please, everyone memorize it.

TOP FIVE NO-NO's

1. Do not reveal your cards while a hand is going on. While it's not against the rules (some places may give a penalty), it is at least a horrible breach of etiquette. If you were not folding, you're hand will be ruled dead. The problem is that it can give one player an advantage over another and potentially ruin a pot for someone. Even if it is an accident, you should be apologizing your ass off.

2. If you folded and your cards would have made a great hand on the flop, don't reel back in your chair or bang your hand off of the table or let your stupid jaw hang open, letting everyone know that you would have hit that flop. In fact, don't react to the cards on the board at all. Again, it can potentially ruin a pot by giving some players an advantage.

3. Don't be mean by criticizing an opponent's play, being verbally abusive to another player, or by being cocky about how good you are (or think you are). On the flip side, if someone has met those qualifications by talking directly to you, the best thing to do is just smile and agree. "Ya, I got lucky there", "I can see how I might've played that wrong", and "Oh ya, I've heard of you before, I was told to look out" are all acceptable comments that will hopefully end the discussion. Don't let the sarcasm show though.

4. Don't blame the dealer. Also, don't wing your cards at the dealer or not tip him as a result of previous bad beat. They really, actually, and truly have no control over what cards are dealt. They are just there to do their job and they deserve respect.

5. Do not talk about a hand when you aren't in it. Giving advice to a live player is actually against the rules in most places. Simply talking about the hand is also in very bad taste though. The players who are still in the hand don't want to have to listen to your noise pollution when they're trying to focus on the other live opponents. So shut yer mouth.

There are situations where a player who isn't in the hand can talk about the hand and it's universally okay.

One is in no limit when players go all-in and they are having problems counting chips and so is the dealer. Often players are flustered, having just made the biggest bet they could make and something goes wrong in the counting section of the brain. A player who doesn't have all their money at stake can often count much faster, so it is acceptable to speak up and declare their all-in.

Another instance is when a player does something like toss in an oversized chip and say "raise" but the nobody hears it and a few players call the previous bet before the bettor realizes that something went wrong. Before people start yelling, the dealer gets pissed, and the floor is called over, YOU should be the one to say that the bettor declared a raise. People are already angry at the bettor for not saying it loud enough, so they don't want to believe he actually said it. You as an unbiased third party seem a much more valid candidate to determine if the word "raise" was said than the person who said it.

Using a credit card to play online poker

A question we are often asked by players new to online poker is whether it is safe to use a credit card to deposit to their account.

The short answer is yes. If you play at the online poker sites recommended by many player , your personal information like credit card numbers will always be safe and you should be able to make a deposit without any worries.

The poker rooms we recommend all use secure servers for financial transactions and are reputable companies with a long history of good customer service. Not only will your information be safe, but you can also be guaranteed of receiving your cashout if you have a win at the tables.

There are however some things you should know about using a credit card to play poker online.

Identity Verification

If you deposit to your account with a credit card, many online poker rooms will want to verify that you are authorized to charge the card being used. This is often not done immediately when you join a poker room, and may only be requested when you reach a certain deposit limit or if you attempt to cashout within a certain timeframe.

They will sometimes just want to give you a phone call or send a security code to your billing address. If they are performing a more thorough check they may ask you to send them copies of your Photo ID or a utility bill. It is best to co-operate with the poker room staff if they ask you to confirm your identity. They only do this sort of thing to ensure that you are authorized to charge the card being used in your account, and the information you provide is not used for any other purpose.

Any verification requirement should not be seen as an annoyance like some inexperienced players seem to think. These days we welcome this sort of request when we join a new poker room because it shows they take their site security seriously, and we should only be playing against players who are playing with their own money.
Blocked Transactions

For some unknown reason many banks have decided they should have the power to control how their customers spend their own money! Even though most online poker players would only ever be transferring $100 or less to their account to play, banks in some parts of the world automatically block these types of transactions. The worse thing is they will rarely even admit to doing it.

If you call the bank customer service department, or even speak to a teller in a branch they will usually tell you that the bank is not blocking any of your credit card transactions. This is because lower level bank staff are rarely informed of this practice, and also because credit card business is often outsourced to other banks and not directly controlled by the bank that you have an account with. The banks realise that public outrage would be high if everyone knew that they like to control where their customers spend money, so this practice is swept under the rug and not spoken about publicly often. In the online poker industry, these types of transactions are known as '7995' failures - 7995 being the ID code associated to online gambling merchants by credit card companies.

What can you do if your credit card won't work at your poker room of choice?

If you have your heart set on playing at another room, you could try a new credit card. There are many different types of credit cards available, from pre-paid cards to low interest and fee free offerings. Some will work online - not all are blocked.

Or probably our best suggestion is to use an online wallet as your payment solution. Online or 'E' wallets allow you to move funds between credit cards, bank accounts and online merchants, such as poker rooms and casinos.

There are just two more things you should understand if you are going to use a credit card to deposit to your online poker account.
No cashouts to credit cards

Something to remember if you do deposit with a credit card is that not many poker sites can offer you the ability to cashout any winnings back to your credit card. Credit cards are designed to be used for payments only and are not a full service banking product like an online wallet.

Some older sites, may be able to process cashouts to your VISA card as long as it is not issued in the United States. But the general rule is that this is not possible due to credit card company regulations. It used to be possible in the early days of online poker, but these days it is very rare.

About 50% of online poker players still use a credit card to deposit, so if you do deposit with a credit card, there will always be other ways to cashout your winnings, such as checks, bank transfers or online wallets.
The only risk - your PC!

There is one thing all internet users should remember when inputting any sort of personal or financial information online. Your own computer's security is the most important thing!

Make sure that you run regular spyware and anti-virus checks on your machine, and never respond to suspicious looking phishing emails asking for personal information. The most common type of online fraud is perpetrated by hackers and virus writers who use software planted on your PC to log keystrokes when you type information into online forms. Or they will create websites that are identical to a site such as your bank or credit card company and trick you into providing them when your personal information via an email.

The best way to ensure that your credit card information remains safe online is to make sure your own computer is secure, and only input personal info into trusted sites, such as online poker software, or websites that use secure encryption of your data.

Four Key Poker Skills

Poker sharks are commonly described as tight and aggressive: "These poker pros do not play many hands, but when they play them, they play them like they have the nuts."

That's a nice general description, but it doesn't say much. In my opinion, a solid poker player is one who has mastered the four key skills of poker.

Skill #1: Mathematics

• A solid poker player knows the general probabilities of the game. For example, they know that you have about 1 in 8.5 chance of hitting a set when holding a pocket pair, and that you have about a 1 in 3 chance of completing a flopped flush draw by the river.

• Good players understand the importance of outs. Outs are simply the number of cards that will improve your hand. Count your outs, multiply them by two, and add one, and that's roughly the percentage shot you have at hitting.

• Good players can figure out the pot odds. Knowing outs is meaningless unless it's translated into rational, calculated betting. Knowing you have a 20% chance of hitting, what do you do then? If you're not sure, check out our Pot Odds article.

• Math skills are the most basic knowledge; it's day-one reading. Anyone who doesn't understand these concepts should not play in a game for real money until they do.

Skill #2: Discipline

• Good poker players demand an advantage. What separates a winning poker player from a fish is that a fish does not expect to win, while a poker player does. A fish is happy playing craps, roulette, or the slots; he just hopes to get lucky. A poker player does not hope to get lucky. He just hopes others don't get lucky.

• Good poker players understand that a different game requires a different discipline. A disciplined no-limit player can be a foolish limit player and vice versa. For example, a disciplined limit hold'em player has solid preflop skills. When there is not much action preflop, he or she only plays the better hands. When a lot of people are limping in, he or she will make a loose call with a suited connector or other speculative hand.

• A disciplined player knows when to play and when to quit. He recognizes when he is on tilt and is aware when a game is too juicy to just quit while ahead.

• A disciplined player knows that he is not perfect. When a disciplined player makes a mistake, he learns. He does not blame others. He does not cry. He learns from the mistake and moves on.

Skill #3: Psychology

• A good player is not a self-centered player. He may be the biggest SOB you know. He may not care about anyone but himself, and he may enjoy stealing food from the poor. However, when a poker pro walks into a poker room, he always empathizes with his opponents. He tries to think what they think and understand the decisions they make and why they make them. The poker pro always tries to have an answer to these questions:

1. What does my opponent have?
2. What does my opponent think I have?
3. What does my opponent think I think he has?

• Knowing the answer to these questions is the first step, manipulating the answers is the second and more important step. Suppose that you have a pair of kings and your opponent has a pair of aces. If you both know what the other has, and you both know that you know what the other has, then why play a game of poker? A poker pro manipulates the answers to questions #2 and #3 by slowplaying, fastplaying, and bluffing in order to throw his opponent off.

• Good poker players know that psychology is much more important in a no-limit game than in a limit game. Limit games often turn into math battles, while no-limit games carry a strong psychology component. Thus, poker tells are much more important in no-limit games.

Skill #4: Understanding Risk vs. Reward

• Pot odds and demanding an advantage fall into this category. Poker players are willing to take a long-shot risk if the reward is high enough, but only if the expected return is higher than the risk.

• More importantly, they understand the risk-vs.-reward nature of the game outside of the actual poker room. They know how much bank they need to play, and how much money they need in reserve to cover other expenses in life.

• Good poker players understand they need to be more risk-averse with their overall bankroll than their stack at the table.

When you play in an individual game, you must value every chip equally at the table. You should only care about making correct plays. If you buy in for $10, you should be okay with taking a 52% chance of doubling up to $20 if it means a 48% chance of losing your $10.

However, you should be risk-averse with your overall bankroll. You need to have enough money so that any day at the tables will not affect your bankroll too much. If you worry too much about losing, then you will make mistakes at the table. You need to leave yourself with the chance to fight another day.

Table Position Terms

Your position at a poker table is referred to by many different terms. There are five specific terms that are commonly used to describe a specific position in relation to the button, illustrated below.


"Dealer", "Dealer's Button", or "Button" - This is the best possible position as the player in the dealer's seat will be the last to act on the flop, turn, and river.

"Under the Gun" - This is the first player to take an action in the hand. This player will be to the left of the big blind. Being under the gun is considered to be the worst position in holdem. In its defense, it is a lousy position, but an under the gun player will actually have better position post-flop than the blinds.

"Big Blind" - This is the player to the left of the small blind unless the game is heads-up. See below.

"Small Blind" - This player is directly to the left of the dealer's button unless the game is heads-up. See below.

"Cutoff" - This is the player to the right of the button. It's called the cutoff because that position often "cuts off" the dealer's ability to steal blinds by betting.


It should be noted that when play is heads-up, the player on the button is the small blind and the other player is the big blind. The other unnamed positions are commonly referred to in relation to the dealer's button or the player under the gun, whichever is closer. The player to the left of the player under the gun might say he's "To the left of the gun" or "Under the gun plus one".

Another way that position is described is by the terms "early position", "middle position", and "late position". These terms are often abbreviated "EP", "MP", and "LP". Players in early position are some of the first to act in a betting round, like the player who is under the gun. "Late position" players are some of the last to act in a betting round, like the cutoff seat and the player on the button. "Middle position" is naturally the players in between. These terms are often used when the table is full with nine or ten players. Once play gets down to a few players, it can become confusing to describe what middle position actually is.

Hodlem Position

Position is simply where you are sitting in relation to the dealer's button. In holdem and many other poker games, your position at the table is a big factor. The strength of your position comes from the fact that the betting goes in a clockwise fashion. In a favorable position you get to see how many other players react to their hands and whether they fold, bet, or call before you do. The poker phrase, "Position is power" comes from this simple idea.

There are many names associated with position to identify where players are sitting in relation to the dealer's button. Each particular position has its own strengths or weaknesses.

* The small blind has the worst position after the flop and must invest half a bet.
* The big blind invests an entire bet and similarly has a poor position.
* The player under the gun has the worst position preflop and a junk position afterwards.
* The button has the best position during any betting round.

If you aren't familiar with the above terms (small blind, button, under the gun), visit our page on position terms.

The importance of your position depends on many factors. For example, in no limit hold em, position is much more important than in limit hold'em. It is always better to be in an late position though, so it is important to identify what hands are generally playable in all positions.

For example, lets say you're under the gun. You have Queen-Ten, unsuited and decide to limp into the pot. The player to bet after you raises, and everyone but you folds.. Now you're in a jam. Chances are good that this player has a better hand than you. If they have any ace, king, or pocket pair, they are statistically better than you. You'd suspect that someone who raised has at least a hand like that. Now you can either call again and go into the flop as an underdog or you can fold and just give up a bet. What's worse is that if you call, you will be acting before this player for the rest of the hand. On the other hand, let's say you're on the button. You have Queen-Ten, unsuited and everybody folds to you. One option would be to fold and let the blinds fight it out. Another would be the just call and see what happens on the flop. Many players here would raise because you could steal the blinds and even if you didn't, you'd act after them for the remainder of the hand. Raising is only a viable option because of your favorable position.

Another notable factor is that position goes hand in hand with knowing the players directly around you. For example, an aggressive, blind-stealing player to the immediate right of a tight player usually results in the tight player's blinds getting stolen. For a discussion about the players to your left and right and how their style of play is affected by position, go to our page on opponents styles and position.

Being in late position with a good hand has major strengths over being early with a good hand. Early position raisers are assumed to have a good hand and it tends to scare players away. Early preflop raises can force the other players to call two bets at once (or more in the case of pot limit or no limit hold 'em) when there is nearly nothing in the pot worth fighting for. In late position, there may be players who have already called one bet. Those players only have to call one bet (in limit) with a little something already in the pot. So players in late position with a good hand have the ability to manipulate the pot size, which will make future bets easier to call in the upcoming betting rounds.