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Why play poker? It seems like a simple question, but the answer is both complex and personal. There are many different reasons to play or not play poker. Often, the reasons a person chooses to play poker will shed a light on what type of player that person is and what limits/games he or she should play.

Reasons to Play Poker:
Social Rewards. This is a major reason behind the traditional ‘home game.’ Many friends like to hang out and play cards, and many people become friends over the card table. If this is one of the major reasons you wish to play, stick with the lower stakes, where the games are more fun and friendly.

Entertainment. Poker is a competitive game. To win, one needs the skills and the bit of luck the game necessitates. Many find this enjoyable and compare poker to playing a sport. Make sure you do not get swept up in the ‘entertainment’ nature of poker though because it is possible to lose a lot of money at the game.

Education. The skills necessary to become a good poker player apply well to other aspects of life. Poker will help you to improve your judgment skills (reading people) and sharpen your logic/strategic skills (how to play your hand).

To Make Money. Most people play poker for fun, but some make considerable money at it. Of course, these people are few and far between. Not everyone can make a lot of money from poker. Nevertheless, the desire to win more is definitely a reason to improve your poker skills.

Poker is one of the few forms of wagering where you can actually win. Casino-style betting is rigged against you (it is impossible to win in the long-run at craps/roulette/etc. no matter what anyone says. The only exception is blackjack if you count cards, which is extremely, extremely difficult). Sports betting is also near impossible to beat without insider information. Thus, poker is one of the few forms of gambling where one can actually win money in the long run simply by being good at the game.

Reasons NOT to Play Poker:
You Have A Gambling Problem. When anyone plays poker, he or she risks losing money. One should never play poker with money that he or she cannot afford to lose. Poker winnings should not be viewed as a method to ’strike it rich,’ and losses should not be viewed as money that needs to be ‘won back.’ If you are prone to a gambling problem, do not play poker.

[pokertips.org/strategy/why-play-poker.php]

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Tip #1 : Basic Tips

This elegant game is actually very easy. Two cards are dealt for both the player and the banker. Depending on the initial two cards dealt, a third card may be drawn. The winner is the player whose cards total closer to nine. If a hand totals ten or more, then the one in the tens place is dropped. In other words, if the hand totals 13, it would count as 3 since the 1 in the number 13 is dropped. The players make no decisions on drawing, which is done by set rules. In fact, other than placing bets, no thinking is needed to play baccarat; you just watch the cards turn. 

Tip #2 : The Bets

There are basically only three bets you can make at baccarat: You can bet on the player’s hand to win, you can bet on the banker’s hand to win, or you can bet that the hands will tie. The banker’s hand will win more often than the player’s hand. But to compensate for that, the casino charges a 5% commission on winning banker bets. The player has a disadvantage of 1.36% to the house, while the banker has a disadvantage of 1.17% after paying the commission. The tie bet has awful odds. The house edge on the tie is 14.04%. 

Tip #3 : Baccarat Game Play

Baccarat is played with either six or eight complete decks of cards. All cards, ace through nine, are valued according to their count. Tens and face cards count as zero. When any two cards total over a 10 count, 10 must be subtracted and the remaining total is the card count. The cards are shuffled by the dealer and then reshuffled and placed in a covered box called the shoe. As part of the formality, each player gets a turn to handle the shoe, and the caller explains exactly what to do. The player is expected to bet the bank when holding the shoe, but any player may decline the shoe and pass it along to the next player. The caller receives the cards from the player with the shoe, places them in the appropriate boxes and then calls for another card or declares the winner, according to the rigid rules of the game.

The fixed rules of baccarat apply in all American casinos:
The highest total any baccarat hand can have is nine. A two-card total of nine is called a natural and cannot lose. An eight is the second best hand and is also called a natural. If both player and bank are dealt identical hands, it is a tie and neither bank nor player wins.

If neither hand has a natural, the player’s hand is always the first to be played, followed by the dealer. If the first two cards total five or less, another card is drawn. If they total six or seven, no further cards can be drawn.

No more than a total of three cards can be drawn for either hand, and when both hands have been played out, the hand closest to nine wins. Players bet by placing their chips in either the player, bank, or tie spot in the numbered box opposite their seat. Winning bets made on the player or bank are paid off at even money. The only other bet that can be made is a tie bet, which is paid off at 8:1. In most games, bets range from a $20 minimum to $2,000 maximum. The type of wager and the amount are the only decisions a player must make, after which point the dealer’s actions take over. After the winner is announced, the two other dealers at the table pay off the winning bets and collect from the losers. If the bank was the winner, players who won must pay a 5% commission on their winnings. A record of the commission owed by each player is kept with plastic lammers in a numbered box. Players can pay this vigorish at any time, but it must be paid when the shoe is completed. Each time the shoe is depleted of cards, all decks are thoroughly shuffled and replaced in the shoe. The house edge in baccarat is the lowest of any casino game. With only a 5% commission on winning bank bets and nothing taken from winning player bets, the player’s disadvantage is only 1.37%. The payoff for ties is 8:1, but it is a bad bet as the house edge is increased to 14.1% 

Tip #4 : Common Streaks

Whether you play online or off, baccarat is one of those games where streaks are common. To make the most of a streak, use a score card to keep track of which hand won the last hand. When you’re ready to make a bet, just bet on the hand that won most recently. For example, if the bank just won, bet on the bank hand. This way, you’ll be placing your bet on the hand that’s streaking. You also may want to increase your bets gradually when you’re streaking. But remember to go back to your minimum bet as soon as you lose a hand. 

[themeowmeow.com/baccarattips.htm]

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Here, at poker777.com we consider your poker mastery to be largely dependant upon your time and energy investment, some of which should be allotted to an exhaustive research and practice and the rest suffused with abundance of patience and dedication. If you are in need for the first push just to get you started, we are here at http://www.poker777.com to provide you with all the necessary tips for your ultimate success. So inhale the air and plunge with all your might; the victory awaits you!!

Improving your poker game is a task that requires patience and dedication. We’re going to give you some great poker tips, but the most important piece of advice we can pass on is to spend time researching and even more time practicing. The two are an extremely successful combination, so take your time looking through our tips and good luck!

  1. Don’t Play So Many Hands

    Playing too many hands is a dead give-away that you’re a beginner and gives more advanced players the opportunity to figure out what type of hands you play. Fold when you have a bad hand, however tempting it may be to keep playing.

  2. Watch the Board

    Beginner poker players will usually focus more on their own hands rather than watching the board. Being aware of the board allows advanced poker players to read the betting going on around them and take the advantage.

  3. Take a Break

    If you’re feeling like you’re on a bad streak, don’t be afraid to get up and take a break. Walk around, grab a drink, and take a couple of deep breaths. One of the worse things in a game of poker is to show emotion, so giving yourself a chance to put things in perspective rather than getting worked up can be a very beneficial move.

  4. Look for Common Poker Tells

    In addition to looking for them, make sure not to do them yourself. As we mentioned above, emotion is a key factor in giving away clues to more advanced poker players. They may even fake certain emotions to make a beginner think that they are reading clues, when in fact they are being duped by professionals. In general though, opponent modeling is very important to developing a good poker strategy, so you should just be aware of these common poker tells:

    • Players who stare at their cards for slightly longer than usual may be giving away a good hand. They may also glance at their chips or look around to try and see if other players are likely to fold.
    • Hands that tremble from too much pressure may indicate that a player is attempting to hide a really good hand of cards.
    • Chips stacked very neatly usually imply that a player is conservative with their betting. Sloppy chip piles are more characteristic of aggressive and loose players.
    • Players who bluff may show signs of anxiety, such as dilated pupils, unconscious muscle flexing, and increased heart rate.
    • Facial expressions and body posture can directly indicate how confident a player feels about their poker playing and their particular hand, so it is important to watch for changes as the game progresses.
  5. Change Your Playing

    Style Changing your playing style half way through a game is a great way to throw other players off guard and prevent them from building a clear opponent model. This will give you an advantage because others players will not know when to call your bluffs.

  6. Create an Opponent Model

    Watch your opponents carefully to learn their betting habits, when they bet, how much they bet, when they call, and why. These observations should allow you to formulate a better playing strategy due to a better understanding of your opponents and the ability to predict their hand strength based on their actions.

  7. Bluff

    Bluffing can be a very effective tool in poker, but only when there is a very low risk of being called. When used at the right times, bluffing can be the key to winning. To bluff successfully takes practice and a great deal of subtlety.

  8. Bet Intelligently

    Making careful and responsible bets are a key to playing good poker, in addition to being a tool for defensive moves or developing an opponent model. Placing well thought out bets can provide very useful information concerning the other players by watching how they react and respond.

  9. Pay Attention to Player Positioning

    According to your position at the table, you may have an advantage over other players. For example, if you are the dealer, you are the last to act, which allows you to observe the betting actions of the other players before your turn comes up. As a result, you have more time to draw strategic conclusions from your observations and proceed accordingly to make the best bet to match your current hand strength. Likewise, if you are in a less advantageous position, be aware of the fact as well as being conscious that the dealer will be watching you and your betting patterns.

  10. Research

    Grab those pens and notebooks and start researching! If you’re not expanding your poker knowledge, we, at www.poker777.com think you’re not reaching your full potential. Take the time to read through and understand strategies and tips from other poker players, because there will always be more room for improvement.

[poker777.com]

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This article is a quick glossary that explains the basic poker terms and also some of the basic poker strategies (pot odds, outs). It is assumed that you know the basic rules of Texas Hold’em.

Blind (Small blind/big blind): These are the forced bets that take the place of an ante. The person to the left of the dealer must pay the small blind and the person after him must pay the big blind.

Board Cards: The cards in the middle of the table that are shared by everyone.

Draw: Drawing means hoping to improve your hand with the cards that will come on the board. You are on a draw when you want other cards to come out on the board to complete your hand. If you have 10 9 and the flop is QJ2, you are trying to draw an eight or a king on the turn or river.

Flop: This is when the first three cards come out in Holdem.

Implied odds: The same as pot odds (read below) except it takes into account making bets in the future. Thus, you may call a bet at the flop, but have implied odds of making bigger bets on later rounds if you hit your draw. So, if you have AK of diamonds and the flop comes two diamonds, your implied odds are what you have to call at the flop compared to how large the pot will be at the end of the hand.

Limit Poker: Poker with fixed bets. In a $2-4 limit game, all bets and raises are two dollars in the first two rounds (preflop and flop), and all bets and raises are four dollars in the last two rounds (turn and river).

Longhand: This refers to a poker game with seven or more people.

Outs: Number of cards that can improve your hand. If the flop is QJ2 and you have 10 9, you want a king or an eight to complete your straight. There are 4 kings and 4 eights in the deck, so you have 8 total outs.

Position: Where you sit at the poker table. The dealer has the best position because he bets last and therefore has a better understanding of what other people have in their hand. The small blind has the worst position because he goes first.

Pot Odds: This is the odds you are getting when you are drawing. For example, say you have Ace and 2 of diamonds and the board is King, seven, six- the six and seven are of diamonds. You are sure that someone else has the king. Nevertheless, there is a total of 9 other diamonds out there (13 ? your two, - two on board), so you have a roughly 18% chance of hitting a flush on the next card. Thus, if the pot is 100, and the bet is 10, even though you are clearly losing, you have odds with your flush draw. However, let’s say the pot is 100, you?re at the turn (one card left) and your opponent bets 300. The pot is 400 and you must put in 300 to see the river. Your pot odds are 300/700 which is too high, considering your chances of hitting your flush are about 1/5.

Preflop: When you just have two cards in your hand and there are no cards on the board yet.

River: This is the fifth and final card that comes on the board in Holdem, after the turn.

Shorthand: This refers to a poker game with six or fewer people.

Turn: This is the fourth board card that comes out in holdem, the card after the flop.

[pokertips.org/strategy/jargon.php]

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The game of blackjack favors the dealer; if both you and the dealer bust (i.e., exceed 21), you lose. Still many people win money at the 21 tables, and there are as many experts on the subject as there are people willing to listen to them. If you want to prolong your ride at the table, the following elementary rules may prove useful.

1) Find a table whose minimum is no more than 5% of you total stash. In picking a table, consider rule variations that help the player like the option of doubling down on any two cards, or the dealer having to stand on soft 17. Even if you don’t completely understand them, these rule variations can work to your advantage.

2) Start with the basics: Since the dealer has to hit (take a card) on any hand 16 or lower, you’ll never win with less than 17 unless the dealer busts. Take a hit on any hand below 17 when the dealer shows ace, K, Q, J, 10, 9, or 8, cards that are unlikely to make the dealer bust. Stand on any hand above 11 when the dealer shows a 4,5, or 6, cards that will lead then dealer to bust more than 40% of the time.

3) “Doubling down” involves doubling your bet and receiving one additional card when your suspect strongly that you will beat the dealer by doing so. This is the player’s chief advantage, so don’t ignore this option. Doubling with 10 against a 9 or lower and with any hand of 11. Rules permitting, double with 9, or with “soft” hands (hands that count an ace as 11) of 13-17 against a 4, 5, or 6.

4) If you are dealt two cards of the same value, you may “split” them, doubling your bet and playing two hands. Never split 10’s or 5’s. Always split 8’s or 7’s against a dealer’s card of equal or lower value. Always split 2’s or 3’s against a 4, 5, or 6. Always split aces. Never split face cards, 10’s, or 5’s.

5) Tip (or “toke”) the dealer, as they are not unionized, work for lousy wages, and depend on your generosity. Unless you’re winning serious stakes, a dollar chip every twenty or so hands is generally appropriate. If you want to make sure the dealer has your best interests at heart, place the tip right in front of your wagering circle, essentially turning it into a side bet on your hand. If you win, the dealer’s tip doubles.

After all, good luck!

[cs.berkeley.edu]

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Tip #1 : Want to risk relatively little money on a chance to cash in big?

How does a 35 to 1 payoff sound to you? This strategy uses straight-up inside bets that payoff at 35 to 1 if your number is rolled. Most Internet casinos offer $1 chips and $5 minimum inside bets and this is a good place to start. First, choose five favorite numbers. Place a $1 chip on each of them. Repeat that same bet until you win. (you have enough chips for 8 rolls). When you hit, you’ll win 35 chips. Now, divide those 35 chips over your five numbers, seven on each number. If you hit again, the payoff will be 35 x 7 = $245!

At this point, you can do one of two things:
1. You could quit, take the money and run.
2. Or you could put 20 chips on each of your five numbers. This bet will cost you $100 but you could collect $700 if one number hits. If it doesn’t hit, you still have $145 in your pocket from the previous bet. It all depends on how lucky you’re feeling! 

Tip #2 : BREAKING THE MYTH

Some players believe the key to winning is betting a progression. A progression is simply doubling your bets when you lose to try and recoup your losses. This is a losing strategy.

For example, say you wanted to play roulette at a $5 minimum bet table using a progression. You lose your $5 first bet, so you bet $10. If you lose again, you bet $20 and so on. Let’s say you finally win at the $40 dollar level. You have already lost three progressive bets totaling $35, so you have made $5 overall.

Casinos know this system and take a simple precaution. They put a maximum bet limit, which can be anywhere from $25 to $15,000 per hand. If you hit a losing streak while betting a progression, and bump against the maximum, you will not be able to automatically recoup your losses by doubling your bet again if your doubled bet would be larger than the maximum bet accepted. This makes progression betting a long run loser.

Betting a progression system will cost you money in the long run. There is no way to alter the odds of a game simply by changing your bet size. 

Tip #3 : Does the house edge really matter?

Which is a better wager - betting on number 27 at roulette with a house edge of 5.26% or betting a horse to win with a house edge of almost 20%? Actually, the horse race might be the better choice. Here’s why.

With roulette, you’re dealing with an independent trial. Every spin of the wheel brings up a nearly completely random outcome. Since every number on the wheel has an equal chance of hitting each time, there’s almost no way to accurately predict the outcome of the next spin.

That is not the case with horses. First, horses are not equal. Some are better than others and you can make predictions accordingly. Second, you choose to bet when you feel you have the best chance to win. You don’t have to bet every race. If you can’t see a favorite in a race, just skip that race. Bet only on those races where you feel you have a clear advantage. If you do that, then beating the track may become easier than beating the wheel. 

Tip #4 : Landing Roulette Singles

Record 15 spins of a roulette wheel. If any single number wins more than once, bet this number to appear again. Stop as soon as the number hits or when you have lost on 23 spins of the wheel.

If you go 23 spins, then you obviously lose 23 times your stake. However, if your number comes up (and since it’s already come up at least twice this is by no means unlikely) then you will make a good profit.

This isn’t a system for high rollers, but to minimum stakes, it can be extremely profitable and easy to operate.

[themeowmeow.com]

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A story by St.Anger

I am 43 years old and have been gambling since the age of about 17. At that age I played blackjack quite often, mostly home games with friends. I used to ride my bicycle about 3 miles every Friday night to the game. It was change games and I often won 20 bucks or so. I slowly began playing the old school poker, 5 card stud etc. at some games, was winning pretty regularly with this.

In my 20’s started playing games anywhere I could find them. I would play two or three times a week. I didn’t care whether it was blackjack or poker, I just loved to play.
I was involved in several games where there were computers, guns, etc. in the pot because someone had come up short. It was a great time. I would hit the pubs often and usually find a game or two there. When playing these you had to be careful, because you really didn’t know the people you were playing against. There were a few tense situations, but I came out alright. I could run pretty fast and had a hopped up Nova.

In one particular game, when I was 33 years old, I won a 1966 Mustang coupe. I had four 5’s in my hand, and had all my money in the pot. The opponent ran out of money and couldn’t match my raise. So I agreed to the car. It was a little rough but definately restorable. I won, beat his 3 aces, and I still own the car, unrestored still.

I started playing online poker about two years ago. I had pneumonia and was bored to death sitting around the house for 2 weeks. I downloaded Party at that time and have since left it for Pokerstars. I have lost more money online than in the previous 2 decades. It is a tough go, this online poker. I read that 99% of the online players lose money in the longrun. I believe it.

[pokernews.com]

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Beginner’s Luck Shows It Can Happen to Anyone

August 22, 2006 (London, UK) – A new player has hit the sixth major jackpot of the year at Slotland.com. “Iringion” of Massachusetts won $116,828 playing the popular Wild Heart slot machine at the world’s most popular slots site.

“I wasn’t even a real slots fan before this,” said the excited winner. “I used to prefer online poker and other card games, but after this experience you can be sure I love spinning slots now!”

“Some people think you have to play slots a lot before you win anything,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com, “But this beginner winning a very big jackpot after playing such a short time shows that anyone can win any time.”

“Iringion” decided to try out Slotland’s unique games when he realized that several are, in fact, card games.

“I’ve found the Slotland card games to be quite loose,” said the winner. “I just figured that there are more slots and players probably play the slots more often than the card games, which is why I see so many slot machine jackpots. I did recall Striking Sevens hitting recently, so I really was not expecting the jackpot by playing the card games! “

On his winning session, Slotland’s most recent progressive jackpot winner knew he’d really hit a groove of nice paying hands when he saw a couple of straight flushes and several four of a kinds land in his lap while playing Jacks or Better. When he switched to Wild Hearts, it was slow at first and he was down $600. Then he was dealt three Wild Royal Flushes for an automatic $1,500 win – and there were still two wild cards in each deck. Agonizing for a moment about whether or not to take the guaranteed $1500 or go for the glory, with a progressive jackpot or over $116,000 luring him to give it a try, he trusted his decision to a flip of a coin.

“When the cards came up, I will never forget seeing that beloved jack of diamonds fall on the bottom line!” recalls the winner of his winning hand. “And can you believe it? I also DID get another wild card on the middle line! Kind of like extra frosting on an amazing cake!”

“Our jackpots get hit so often – usually every six weeks or so – and for such large amounts, you’d think we’d get used to hearing about yet another big winner,” said Hannah Morante of Slotland.com. “But the whole office always gets excited whenever a players has this kind of good luck!”

Asked what he plans to do with his big win, the winner said he still hasn’t calmed down enough to think that far. “I never expected it to be me to win the jackpot, so I never really thought very hard about what to do with so much money. But don’t worry I am sure I will figure it out!”

[gamblingpress.com]

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Ladies Poker Party: WPT Seat and Cancer Beat

Ladies, you’re getting down to the wire to make it over to The Bicycle Casino, located in Bell Gardens, California, for the Ladies Poker Party. The WPT and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation are joining forces once again to host this two-day ladies only event starting August 19th. All the women in the expected 500+ player field can derive satisfaction in knowing that 10% of their buy-in, along with a sizable donation from the WPT, will benefit breast cancer research, but cancer research will not be the only beneficiary. There will be the customary payouts of course but the winner will also get a seat at the August 31st final table of WPT’s Ladies Night IV, where she will face off against defending champion Jennifer Tilly along with  Vanessa Rousso, Erica Schoenberg, Anahit Galajian and JJ Liu. The televised broadcast will air during Breast Cancer Awareness Month on October 28th.

Registration for the $125+25 tournament begins at noon. At 2:30 pm you’ll be treated to a cocktail party and appetizer buffet; this is obviously my kind of tournament. And they’ll shuffle up and deal at 4:15pm.

A number of sponsors and celebs will be on hand for interviews. Robin Moder, World Poker Tour co-founder and the force behind WPT Ladies’ Night, will be on hand as will Kelly O’Hara, marketing director at the Bicycle Casino. Celebrity poker player Sarah Rue, WPT Ladies Night III defending champion Jennifer Tilly, Camryn Manheim, and Victoria Pratt will also grace the pink carpet. And Poker-Babes.com’s Shirley Rosario, a poker pro who is currently battling breast cancer, will be available to share her personal story.

People are also encouraged to “Go All In For the Cure” by making donations or bidding on items in a special online charity auction by visiting worldpokertour.com through September 5th.

[pokernews.com]

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No 'Sophomore Slump' in Poker? 

In sports, writing, and music, the ’sophomore slump’ is a well known phenomenon. Baseball players like Joe Charboneau, Mark Fidrych, and Bob Hamelin all won Rookie of the Year honors, and never saw another good season. Joseph Heller’s second novel, Something Happened, paled in comparison to his first masterpiece, Catch 22. In perhaps the ultimate case of writers’ sophomore curse, Harper Lee never penned another book after writing the critically acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird. The band The Wallflowers, fronted by Bob Dylan’s son Jakob, had a monster double platinum hit with their album Bringing Down the Horse. It took the band four years to spit out another album that few will ever remember.

In a  game that is known for its streakiness and element of luck, poker seems to have dodged the stigma of a sophomore slump, at least as exhibited by recent WSOP Champions Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem. Both Raymer and Hachem had decent, but hardly stellar, tournament track records going into their WSOP bracelet year. No one would have been surprised if they turned in lackluster second year performances after their big scores. But in defiance of the curse, both Raymer and Hachem knocked the ball out of the park in their WSOP sophomore years.

Raymer’s and Hachem’s Sophomore Years:

Greg Raymer won his WSOP Championship bracelet in 2004. Going into the 2005 Championship Event event, Raymer had already made the final table in one 2005 WSOP $1500 NLHE event (scoring over $100,000) and had a minor cash in another $1500 NLHE event. This would have been a nice performance without what came next. In the 2005 championship field of 5619 players, Raymer finished an unbelievable 25th for $304,680.

In our American-centric view of poker, the 2005 WSOP Champion Joe Hachem seemed more of an Australian poker anomaly than a fixture. Hachem’s performance in this year’s WSOP has changed all that. Hachem came right out of the shoot just missing a bracelet in the NLHE Short Handed event; earning $256,800 for his second place finish. He followed it up with a 15th place finish in the $2000 Pot Limit Hold’em event and another final table (4th place) in the $2500 Pot Limit Hold’em event. While not quite achieving a Raymer-esque performance in the WSOP Championship Event, Hachem logged in a decidedly strong 238th place finish in the 8773 player field.

Maybe There is No Curse in Poker:

While not all the WSOP Champions have had quite the sophomore charm of Raymer and Hachem, they have been far more charmed than cursed. 2000 WSOP Champion Chris Ferguson moneyed in six events the following year, including a bracelet winning performance in the 2001 $1500 Omaha hi/lo event. 2001 WSOP Champion Carlos Mortensen had a 4th place finish in the 2002 WSOP $1500 NLHE event; although his “junior” post bracelet year of 2003 WSOP $5000 NLHE event is probably the one he remembers best. Even 2003 WSOP Champ Chris Moneymaker had a 10th place finish in the 2005 $5000 Pot Limit Omaha event. Of the recent winners, only 2002 WSOP Champion Robert Varkonyi appears cursed as he has yet to score a significant WSOP cash finish since his bracelet winning performance.

Charm Theories:

There have been a number of theories bandied about relative to poker’s sophomore charm. Some people argue that defending champions have more to prove in their sophomore year. They go the extra mile to offer up some demonstrable proof that their WSOP Championship bracelets were not a fluke. Others have suggested that after their wins, WSOP Champions feel like the WSOP is “their” turf and play with a perceived home field advantage. Yet a third theory is that there is something called a “big field” poker; once a player has successfully negotiated one of poker’s largest fields they have an edge in subsequent big fields.

I don’t buy any of those theories, though. I just think WSOP Champions are damn good players.

Source: [pokernews.com]

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