Poker News

Online poker room Cool Hand Poker is giving users a chance to win concert tickets worth up to $500 for as little as $0.50.  The tickets are part of the site’s November promotion entitled “Let Us Entertain You.”  Players who take part can win tickets to see the band or live event of their choice and Cool Hand Poker will foot the bill.

On Friday, November 25th, the site will host its Let Us Entertain You finale.  The event will feature a $5 +$0.50 buy-in with unlimited $1 rebuys during the first hour of play.  The tournament is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm GMT and will have five-minute levels.  Its winner will receive a $500 voucher to be used towards the event of their choice.

If $5 is still too steep, players can win their way into the final event via one of several feeder satellites that will run twice daily starting on November 1st and have a buy-in of $0.50.  Like the final event, the satellites will also have rebuys and add-ons, which run $0.50.

This is not the only unconventional prize offered at the site, which caters to the recreational player looking to play for fun.  Cool Hand Poker offers regular $3 + $0.30 buy-in poker tournaments with iPods as prizes and has given out shopping vouchers and digital cameras in past events as well.  In addition to the merchandise, the site offers its fair share of poker tournaments with cash prizes, including its marquee $20 + $2 buy-in Sunday Fun Day event that boasts a $2,500 guarantee.

Cool Hand Poker offers tons of tips in its monthly newsletter and rewards players who put their newfound poker knowledge to use.  Each month, the newsletter publishes a quiz to test players on their recently acquired poker skills.  The first 100 people to respond with correct answers get prizes like a seat in one of Cool Hand’s poker tournaments.

New players can take advantage of Cool Hand Poker’s New Roller <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls.  These $50 freebies run twice daily and are open to any player who has registered for an account over the past seven days.  Users are allowed to play in as many of the <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls as they want during their first week of registration.  Cool Hand Poker offers a 100% deposit match up to $350 and if a user makes a deposit within seven days of registering, they’ll also get 200 free Cool Points in their account.

Cool Points are part of the site’s customer loyalty program and can be used to buy into several multi-table poker tournaments, sit and gos, and satellite events.  Points are paid out based on the number of raked cash games hands played as well as the amount of money paid in tournament registration fees.  Players can earn up to 1,000 Cool Points per day.

These points also play an integral role in Cool Hand’s “My Poker Challenge.”  The challenge rewards players for the time and effort to put into their game by giving them extra Cool Points.  If a player is able to end a day of play with more money in their account than they started with, then they will receive an additional 10% in points.  Players can also double their Cool Points by playing on the cash game tables every Monday.  If a player can earn the maximum 1,000 points per day and end with a positive balance every day, they also have the chance to win $10,000.

Cool Hand Poker does not currently accept U.S. customers and makes its home on the Microgaming Network.

Online poker room Cool Hand Poker is giving users a chance to win concert tickets worth up to $500 for as little as $0.50.  The tickets are part of the site’s November promotion entitled “Let Us Entertain You.”  Players who take part can win tickets to see the band or live event of their choice and Cool Hand Poker will foot the bill.

On Friday, November 25th, the site will host its Let Us Entertain You finale.  The event will feature a $5 +$0.50 buy-in with unlimited $1 rebuys during the first hour of play.  The tournament is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm GMT and will have five-minute levels.  Its winner will receive a $500 voucher to be used towards the event of their choice.

If $5 is still too steep, players can win their way into the final event via one of several feeder satellites that will run twice daily starting on November 1st and have a buy-in of $0.50.  Like the final event, the satellites will also have rebuys and add-ons, which run $0.50.

This is not the only unconventional prize offered at the site, which caters to the recreational player looking to play for fun.  Cool Hand Poker offers regular $3 + $0.30 buy-in poker tournaments with iPods as prizes and has given out shopping vouchers and digital cameras in past events as well.  In addition to the merchandise, the site offers its fair share of poker tournaments with cash prizes, including its marquee $20 + $2 buy-in Sunday Fun Day event that boasts a $2,500 guarantee.

Cool Hand Poker offers tons of tips in its monthly newsletter and rewards players who put their newfound poker knowledge to use.  Each month, the newsletter publishes a quiz to test players on their recently acquired poker skills.  The first 100 people to respond with correct answers get prizes like a seat in one of Cool Hand’s poker tournaments.

New players can take advantage of Cool Hand Poker’s New Roller <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls.  These $50 freebies run twice daily and are open to any player who has registered for an account over the past seven days.  Users are allowed to play in as many of the <a href=”http://www.freerolls24.com”>freerolls as they want during their first week of registration.  Cool Hand Poker offers a 100% deposit match up to $350 and if a user makes a deposit within seven days of registering, they’ll also get 200 free Cool Points in their account.

Cool Points are part of the site’s customer loyalty program and can be used to buy into several multi-table poker tournaments, sit and gos, and satellite events.  Points are paid out based on the number of raked cash games hands played as well as the amount of money paid in tournament registration fees.  Players can earn up to 1,000 Cool Points per day.

These points also play an integral role in Cool Hand’s “My Poker Challenge.”  The challenge rewards players for the time and effort to put into their game by giving them extra Cool Points.  If a player is able to end a day of play with more money in their account than they started with, then they will receive an additional 10% in points.  Players can also double their Cool Points by playing on the cash game tables every Monday.  If a player can earn the maximum 1,000 points per day and end with a positive balance every day, they also have the chance to win $10,000.

Cool Hand Poker does not currently accept U.S. customers and makes its home on the Microgaming Network.

It appears that the fight to purchase World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE) is not over. In August, a subsidiary of Party Gaming put in a bid to buy the roving tournament series for $12.3 million. Now, Mandalay Entertainment has upped the ante to $35 million.

The price of poker is going up. On Friday, the industry received news that Mandalay Entertainment, which a Los Angeles business publication described as “a global publisher and distributor of branded entertainment for 3G mobile networks, including images, video, TV programming, and games,” offered $1.69 per share to buy the WPT. The dollar value represented a 54% premium over the WPTE’s closing price on October 26th.

At the time of writing, shares of WPTE, which are traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the same four-letter symbol, were fetching $1.14. A statement released by Mandalay stated that the previous proposal offered no payout to WPTE investors. Instead, the company would use its $12.3 million in newfound money and invest in a business outside of the poker industry. The Mandalay proposal, worth three times the amount of Party Gaming’s offer, “would provide significant cash and stock directly into the hands of WPT shareholders,” according to the company.

A WPTE shareholders’ meeting took place at 10:00am PT at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel today. On the docket was a vote on the Party Gaming bid. A WPTE spokesperson commented that they could not discuss the proceedings due to SEC rules. Mandalay Entertainment is unrelated to the casino in Las Vegas of the same name, which is owned by MGM Mirage.

As part of the Mandalay proposal, WPTE shareholders would receive $35 million in a mixture of stock and cash consisting of $10 million in Mandalay stock plus the balance in cash. The offer explains, “Based on October 26, 2009 closing prices, our offer represents a 23% premium over the value at closing of your proposed asset sale with Peerless and a 54% premium over WPTE`s closing price.”

Mandalay Entertainment boasts annual revenues of $40 million and the company noted that it could conduct its due diligence of WPTE within 10 days. Its letter to WPTE Board members explained several reasons that it would make for an attractive trading partner, including “seasoned” industry veterans in management roles, social networking experience, and access to a vast mobile phone network that includes users of Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and Virgin Mobile. It added, “Mandalay Media can leverage its mobile platform and operator relationships throughout the world to provide a full mobile social media and sports/poker playing experience.”

Under the terms of its sale with Peerless Limited, a subsidiary of Party Gaming, WPTE agreed to turn over its television library, brand names, and trade names. In return, the company would receive a cash payment of $12.3 million “less the amount of certain obligations of an affiliate of PartyGaming.” In addition, WPTE officials would also receive 5% of future gross gaming revenues and 5% of other funds raised from the sale.

Also in the terms of the WPTE’s sale to Party Gaming is a $1 million termination fee. The WPTE is already on the hook for $1 million owed to Gamynia Limited, which completed purchase of the company’s assets back in August. Gamynia is a subsidiary of Playtech, which owns and operates the iPoker Network, and bid just over $9 million for WPTE.

Mandalay’s stock is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol MNDL. At the time of writing, its asking price was $0.49 per share, up $0.04 on the day. Shares of WPTE, meanwhile, rocketed on the news, climbing from $1.11 at the close of business on Thursday to $1.42 to open the day on Friday, a rise of 28%, before falling back to $1.14.

We’ll have more on this breaking story right here on poker news Daily.

It appears that the fight to purchase World Poker Tour Enterprises (WPTE) is not over. In August, a subsidiary of Party Gaming put in a bid to buy the roving tournament series for $12.3 million. Now, Mandalay Entertainment has upped the ante to $35 million.

The price of poker is going up. On Friday, the industry received news that Mandalay Entertainment, which a Los Angeles business publication described as “a global publisher and distributor of branded entertainment for 3G mobile networks, including images, video, TV programming, and games,” offered $1.69 per share to buy the WPT. The dollar value represented a 54% premium over the WPTE’s closing price on October 26th.

At the time of writing, shares of WPTE, which are traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the same four-letter symbol, were fetching $1.14. A statement released by Mandalay stated that the previous proposal offered no payout to WPTE investors. Instead, the company would use its $12.3 million in newfound money and invest in a business outside of the poker industry. The Mandalay proposal, worth three times the amount of Party Gaming’s offer, “would provide significant cash and stock directly into the hands of WPT shareholders,” according to the company.

A WPTE shareholders’ meeting took place at 10:00am PT at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel today. On the docket was a vote on the Party Gaming bid. A WPTE spokesperson commented that they could not discuss the proceedings due to SEC rules. Mandalay Entertainment is unrelated to the casino in Las Vegas of the same name, which is owned by MGM Mirage.

As part of the Mandalay proposal, WPTE shareholders would receive $35 million in a mixture of stock and cash consisting of $10 million in Mandalay stock plus the balance in cash. The offer explains, “Based on October 26, 2009 closing prices, our offer represents a 23% premium over the value at closing of your proposed asset sale with Peerless and a 54% premium over WPTE`s closing price.”

Mandalay Entertainment boasts annual revenues of $40 million and the company noted that it could conduct its due diligence of WPTE within 10 days. Its letter to WPTE Board members explained several reasons that it would make for an attractive trading partner, including “seasoned” industry veterans in management roles, social networking experience, and access to a vast mobile phone network that includes users of Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and Virgin Mobile. It added, “Mandalay Media can leverage its mobile platform and operator relationships throughout the world to provide a full mobile social media and sports/poker playing experience.”

Under the terms of its sale with Peerless Limited, a subsidiary of Party Gaming, WPTE agreed to turn over its television library, brand names, and trade names. In return, the company would receive a cash payment of $12.3 million “less the amount of certain obligations of an affiliate of PartyGaming.” In addition, WPTE officials would also receive 5% of future gross gaming revenues and 5% of other funds raised from the sale.

Also in the terms of the WPTE’s sale to Party Gaming is a $1 million termination fee. The WPTE is already on the hook for $1 million owed to Gamynia Limited, which completed purchase of the company’s assets back in August. Gamynia is a subsidiary of Playtech, which owns and operates the iPoker Network, and bid just over $9 million for WPTE.

Mandalay’s stock is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol MNDL. At the time of writing, its asking price was $0.49 per share, up $0.04 on the day. Shares of WPTE, meanwhile, rocketed on the news, climbing from $1.11 at the close of business on Thursday to $1.42 to open the day on Friday, a rise of 28%, before falling back to $1.14.

We’ll have more on this breaking story right here on poker news Daily.

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies held a hearing to review proposals to expand gambling within the Commonwealth. Speaking on behalf of the online poker industry was Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Massachusetts State Director Randy Castonguay.

The PPA representative traveled to Boston to speak at the Gardner Auditorium. The goal was to include language in any casino bill that licensed and regulated online poker, which will likely bring in over $40 million per year in revenues to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, according to figures released by the PPA. Castonguay told poker news Daily prior to Thursday’s hearing, “Initially, we tried getting internet poker put on this year’s ballot. We were going to have the voters decide whether it should be regulated and taxed to protect the consumer.”

The Boston Globe newspaper noted that 17 bills focused on gambling would be heard on Thursday and that lawmakers were expected to remain in the city “well into the night” listening to proposals. The PPA has 25,000 members in Massachusetts out of more than one million total.

When the Commonwealth took up the issue of gambling, a provision in the proposed casino bill made playing online poker a crime. Castonguay explained in his testimony, “While the game as evolved, the way politicians think about it has not. It is hard to believe that when gaming expansion legislation was introduced two years ago and again this year, the bills included provisions that make poker on the internet a crime punishable by two years in prison and a $25,000 fine.”

On this year’s version of the casino gambling bill, Castonguay told poker news Daily, “We want to get the language criminalizing online poker out of the current casino bill. Essentially, they took last year’s bill, made a few changes, and put it back in. They didn’t take out the language that criminalizes internet poker. We think that’s ridiculous.” Massachusetts’ inclusion is similar to the Washington State’s stance on internet gambling. There, playing online poker constitutes a Class C felony.

Castonguay tried to submit a copy of a petition backed by the PPA that calls for the regulation of online poker in Massachusetts. He explained, “Unfortunately, our petition was not certified by the Attorney General’s office due to a disagreement with our language. Fortunately, however, this Committee and our State legislature can regulate internet gambling through the formal lawmaking process.” PPA Executive Director John Pappas explained that the disagreement was with “how the petition was drafted and whether it could be put into a sensible ballot initiative.”

Castonguay’s focus was on advocating online poker as opposed to broader initiatives like internet gambling or online wagering on sports. The Massachusetts State Director explained, “We are advocating regulation of internet poker, not internet craps or roulette. And as every member of this Committee knows, unlike craps or roulette, poker is a game of skill that has been played in the home since the dawn of the game.”

A separate Globe article noted that a new casino bill is expected in January. Proponents have argued that allowing casino gambling in Massachusetts will bring badly-needed jobs and revenue to the Commonwealth, while adversaries argue that addiction and other societal ills will increase.

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced a similar measure on the national level. HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, was introduced in May and has attracted 62 cosponsors. The measure outlines a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States.

Read Castonguay’s online poker testimony.

As part of a conference call held on Thursday, ESPN poker commentators Norman Chad and Lon McEachern previewed the conclusion of the 2009 <a href=”http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/” title=”World Series of Poker”>World Series of Poker (<a href=”http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/” title=”wsop“>wsop) Main Event final table, set to resume on Saturday, November 7th.

On that day, the live audience at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio will watch as the field is chopped from nine players to two. Then, the action will pause until Monday, November 9th at 10:00pm PT, when the two survivors will battle for the $8.5 million first place prize and poker immortality. The proceedings will air on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00pm ET on ESPN, a quick turnaround for the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

Chad and McEachern entertained questions from the media and gave their take on the most recent installment of the November Nine. Chad explained, “The Main Event final table always brings a myriad storylines. When you start with Phil Ivey, you’re in great shape. Beyond that, you have a Main Event final table that’s just terrific.” Ivey is Chad’s perennial pick to take down the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament.

One of the only November Nine members to solicit coaching was CardPlayer Magazine Editor Jeff Shulman. He sought the aid of one of the game’s top names, Phil Hellmuth, who owns a record 11 wsop bracelets. Chad and McEachern will almost certainly discuss the relationship on air, with the former telling reporters, “It’s either the greatest move in history or the greatest mistake in history. Jeff and Phil have similar styles of play. It’s hard to argue with getting coaching from the guy who has more bracelets than anyone else.” Shulman’s father, Barry, won the 2009 wsop Europe Main Event.

Much of the conversation on Thursday centered on Ivey, who is currently in “exile” in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico preparing for the final table. The poker world watched in horror on Tuesday night as Ivey mucked a winning flush on the most recent installment of the wsop Main Event on ESPN. After eight days of play, the grind of the tournament seemed to have finally taken its course on the player many consider to be the greatest in the game. Chad gave his thoughts: “I didn’t think that could be happening. When I watched it again, he did something that all of us do routinely: he was unaware that he mucked the winning hand. It was a stunning thing to see. You just don’t expect it to happen, but it does.”

Holding the chip lead when the final table resumes will be Darvin Moon, a logger from Maryland who owns no credit card or e-mail address. His journey to Las Vegas for the Main Event in July marked his first time on an airplane, leading many to speculate as to whether another Moneymaker Boom could be in the works should Moon win the most prestigious title in poker. McEachern forecasted, “It’s going to re-instill the hope of people who are your everyday working players watching these shows. The normal Friday night player at home would love to see it happen.”

Chad gave his take on Moon potentially winning the Main Event: “When it got down to Chris Moneymaker versus Sammy Farha [in 2003], I was rooting for Farha. I didn’t see the effect that Moneymaker winning would have. It’s not quite as drastic here, but if Darvin Moon wins, there’s something about the name alone. I think it’s a microcosm of what the Main Event is. It’s an unbelievable, improbable story.” Moon owns one-third of the chips in play entering the Main Event final table. Ivey, by contrast, has just 5%.

poker news Daily readers who have watched the Main Event unfold each Tuesday on ESPN know that the chemistry between Chad and McEachern, who have worked together since 2003, seems to be at an all-time high. McEachern candidly explained, “You just grow in the role. I came in as a neophyte to the game and probably still don’t know that much. We’re all just getting better at it, quicker at it, and more efficient.” Chad added, “Poker is a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun to be at the table and a lot of fun to watch.”

poker news Daily will be live in Las Vegas with all of the action from the conclusion of the 2009 wsop Main Event.

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies held a hearing to review proposals to expand gambling within the Commonwealth. Speaking on behalf of the online poker industry was Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Massachusetts State Director Randy Castonguay.

The PPA representative traveled to Boston to speak at the Gardner Auditorium. The goal was to include language in any casino bill that licensed and regulated online poker, which will likely bring in over $40 million per year in revenues to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, according to figures released by the PPA. Castonguay told poker news Daily prior to Thursday’s hearing, “Initially, we tried getting internet poker put on this year’s ballot. We were going to have the voters decide whether it should be regulated and taxed to protect the consumer.”

The Boston Globe newspaper noted that 17 bills focused on gambling would be heard on Thursday and that lawmakers were expected to remain in the city “well into the night” listening to proposals. The PPA has 25,000 members in Massachusetts out of more than one million total.

When the Commonwealth took up the issue of gambling, a provision in the proposed casino bill made playing online poker a crime. Castonguay explained in his testimony, “While the game as evolved, the way politicians think about it has not. It is hard to believe that when gaming expansion legislation was introduced two years ago and again this year, the bills included provisions that make poker on the internet a crime punishable by two years in prison and a $25,000 fine.”

On this year’s version of the casino gambling bill, Castonguay told poker news Daily, “We want to get the language criminalizing online poker out of the current casino bill. Essentially, they took last year’s bill, made a few changes, and put it back in. They didn’t take out the language that criminalizes internet poker. We think that’s ridiculous.” Massachusetts’ inclusion is similar to the Washington State’s stance on internet gambling. There, playing online poker constitutes a Class C felony.

Castonguay tried to submit a copy of a petition backed by the PPA that calls for the regulation of online poker in Massachusetts. He explained, “Unfortunately, our petition was not certified by the Attorney General’s office due to a disagreement with our language. Fortunately, however, this Committee and our State legislature can regulate internet gambling through the formal lawmaking process.” PPA Executive Director John Pappas explained that the disagreement was with “how the petition was drafted and whether it could be put into a sensible ballot initiative.”

Castonguay’s focus was on advocating online poker as opposed to broader initiatives like internet gambling or online wagering on sports. The Massachusetts State Director explained, “We are advocating regulation of internet poker, not internet craps or roulette. And as every member of this Committee knows, unlike craps or roulette, poker is a game of skill that has been played in the home since the dawn of the game.”

A separate Globe article noted that a new casino bill is expected in January. Proponents have argued that allowing casino gambling in Massachusetts will bring badly-needed jobs and revenue to the Commonwealth, while adversaries argue that addiction and other societal ills will increase.

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced a similar measure on the national level. HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, was introduced in May and has attracted 62 cosponsors. The measure outlines a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States.

Read Castonguay’s online poker testimony.

As part of a conference call held on Thursday, ESPN poker commentators Norman Chad and Lon McEachern previewed the conclusion of the 2009 <a href=”http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/” title=”World Series of Poker”>World Series of Poker (<a href=”http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/articles/wsop/” title=”wsop“>wsop) Main Event final table, set to resume on Saturday, November 7th.

On that day, the live audience at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio will watch as the field is chopped from nine players to two. Then, the action will pause until Monday, November 9th at 10:00pm PT, when the two survivors will battle for the $8.5 million first place prize and poker immortality. The proceedings will air on Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00pm ET on ESPN, a quick turnaround for the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

Chad and McEachern entertained questions from the media and gave their take on the most recent installment of the November Nine. Chad explained, “The Main Event final table always brings a myriad storylines. When you start with Phil Ivey, you’re in great shape. Beyond that, you have a Main Event final table that’s just terrific.” Ivey is Chad’s perennial pick to take down the $10,000 buy-in feature tournament.

One of the only November Nine members to solicit coaching was CardPlayer Magazine Editor Jeff Shulman. He sought the aid of one of the game’s top names, Phil Hellmuth, who owns a record 11 wsop bracelets. Chad and McEachern will almost certainly discuss the relationship on air, with the former telling reporters, “It’s either the greatest move in history or the greatest mistake in history. Jeff and Phil have similar styles of play. It’s hard to argue with getting coaching from the guy who has more bracelets than anyone else.” Shulman’s father, Barry, won the 2009 wsop Europe Main Event.

Much of the conversation on Thursday centered on Ivey, who is currently in “exile” in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico preparing for the final table. The poker world watched in horror on Tuesday night as Ivey mucked a winning flush on the most recent installment of the wsop Main Event on ESPN. After eight days of play, the grind of the tournament seemed to have finally taken its course on the player many consider to be the greatest in the game. Chad gave his thoughts: “I didn’t think that could be happening. When I watched it again, he did something that all of us do routinely: he was unaware that he mucked the winning hand. It was a stunning thing to see. You just don’t expect it to happen, but it does.”

Holding the chip lead when the final table resumes will be Darvin Moon, a logger from Maryland who owns no credit card or e-mail address. His journey to Las Vegas for the Main Event in July marked his first time on an airplane, leading many to speculate as to whether another Moneymaker Boom could be in the works should Moon win the most prestigious title in poker. McEachern forecasted, “It’s going to re-instill the hope of people who are your everyday working players watching these shows. The normal Friday night player at home would love to see it happen.”

Chad gave his take on Moon potentially winning the Main Event: “When it got down to Chris Moneymaker versus Sammy Farha [in 2003], I was rooting for Farha. I didn’t see the effect that Moneymaker winning would have. It’s not quite as drastic here, but if Darvin Moon wins, there’s something about the name alone. I think it’s a microcosm of what the Main Event is. It’s an unbelievable, improbable story.” Moon owns one-third of the chips in play entering the Main Event final table. Ivey, by contrast, has just 5%.

poker news Daily readers who have watched the Main Event unfold each Tuesday on ESPN know that the chemistry between Chad and McEachern, who have worked together since 2003, seems to be at an all-time high. McEachern candidly explained, “You just grow in the role. I came in as a neophyte to the game and probably still don’t know that much. We’re all just getting better at it, quicker at it, and more efficient.” Chad added, “Poker is a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun to be at the table and a lot of fun to watch.”

poker news Daily will be live in Las Vegas with all of the action from the conclusion of the 2009 wsop Main Event.

Many people have been discussing the relative merits of Limit Hold’em recently with regards to it being a “solved game”. There is no other form of poker that relies so heavily on statistics and mathematics than Limit Hold’em. But while it is a game that can in theory be “solved,” we are certainly a long way from the day when vast numbers of players are going to take the time to do so.

The use of tracking software has also taken us a gigantic step closer to achieving perfection and in Limit Hold’em, there are computer programs that are available now that can play a very powerful game indeed. This has been proven by the latest man vs. machine encounters over the past couple of years or so.

So just how do you go about playing a very strong game of limit? Well first and foremost you need to do an awful lot of work and study, and taking advantage of a good training site with top class Limit players as the tutors will be a gigantic start.

In Limit Hold’em it is possible to construct generic ranges from all positions, which can be accurately moulded around the actions of every single opponent. For instance if you are in the big blind and the cut-off open raises, depending on the rate at which this player makes this action from this position in this situation then you can start to compile a range to play with against your opponent’s range. Once you have enough reliable data on your opponent (I use Poker Office as my software of choice) then you can begin the process of compiling your default range against them.

Software like Poker Stove can be of immense help here, as it can assist us in calculating the equity of every hand that we hold against the likely range of our opponent. So if for instance the player in the cut-off is a solid player, we can look at typical ranges for players in that position who are solid and see with what percentage of their range they are open-raising.

There will be minor differences among players, but solid players tend not to be too dissimilar from each other. Once we know their basic range, calculating our own range to play effectively against theirs is a lot simpler. Note: it actually gets far more involved than this, as a player’s own individual post-flop skill and tendencies impact on your range substantially.

But once you have your default range in place then you can begin to fit the rest of your game around that and make any necessary adjustments that need to be made. This in principle is the same as basic strategy in the game of blackjack. Most of the time you are following this basic strategy but there will come a time where it is correct to deviate and to do something else – these are referred to as “strategy deviations”.

Of course, solid players will have different ranges than loose-aggressive players or tight players for example, but a player’s VPIP (Voluntarily Put Into Pot) and PFA (Post-Flop Aggression) will dictate what type of player they are anyway with reasonable accuracy.

If you begin to understand the likely ranges of your opponents and what range you need in place to combat that, and then couple this with a sound post-flop game, you will see why certain people think that Limit Hold’em is close to being solved.

I also think that as you move up through the levels in Limit Hold’em, game selection becomes crucial probably more than in any other poker variation. The value in Limit games above $20-$40 is becoming less and less, and many players at the higher limits are multi-tabling at lower levels in an effort to increase it.

There will always be weaker players with money dropping into these games: maybe they won big in some large online tournament and have a large amount in their account, maybe the site is attached to a sportsbook and has the facility to allow large sports bettors to drift across with substantial money who are itching to play at a serious level.

But these players are well in the minority and you may have to sit at an empty heads-up table all afternoon before the player that you were hoping to see actually shows up. Even then, there is no guarantee that they will stick around for long. If you start to push them around and take their money they could just leave the table, or to make matters worse, if they are the hit and run type then they could do the same and leave with your money.

I am aware of a few high stakes limit players who actually don’t make much more than $100k-$200k a year now simply because the games have become substantially tougher and they cannot see enough action. I don’t know about Limit Hold’em being solved but there are answers further down the limits for those that care to look and don’t have an ego.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson is sponsored by Cake Poker and can be seen at www.cakepoker.com/thedean and on his blog at www.pokersharkpool.com

Many people have been discussing the relative merits of Limit Hold’em recently with regards to it being a “solved game”. There is no other form of poker that relies so heavily on statistics and mathematics than Limit Hold’em. But while it is a game that can in theory be “solved,” we are certainly a long way from the day when vast numbers of players are going to take the time to do so.

The use of tracking software has also taken us a gigantic step closer to achieving perfection and in Limit Hold’em, there are computer programs that are available now that can play a very powerful game indeed. This has been proven by the latest man vs. machine encounters over the past couple of years or so.

So just how do you go about playing a very strong game of limit? Well first and foremost you need to do an awful lot of work and study, and taking advantage of a good training site with top class Limit players as the tutors will be a gigantic start.

In Limit Hold’em it is possible to construct generic ranges from all positions, which can be accurately moulded around the actions of every single opponent. For instance if you are in the big blind and the cut-off open raises, depending on the rate at which this player makes this action from this position in this situation then you can start to compile a range to play with against your opponent’s range. Once you have enough reliable data on your opponent (I use Poker Office as my software of choice) then you can begin the process of compiling your default range against them.

Software like Poker Stove can be of immense help here, as it can assist us in calculating the equity of every hand that we hold against the likely range of our opponent. So if for instance the player in the cut-off is a solid player, we can look at typical ranges for players in that position who are solid and see with what percentage of their range they are open-raising.

There will be minor differences among players, but solid players tend not to be too dissimilar from each other. Once we know their basic range, calculating our own range to play effectively against theirs is a lot simpler. Note: it actually gets far more involved than this, as a player’s own individual post-flop skill and tendencies impact on your range substantially.

But once you have your default range in place then you can begin to fit the rest of your game around that and make any necessary adjustments that need to be made. This in principle is the same as basic strategy in the game of blackjack. Most of the time you are following this basic strategy but there will come a time where it is correct to deviate and to do something else – these are referred to as “strategy deviations”.

Of course, solid players will have different ranges than loose-aggressive players or tight players for example, but a player’s VPIP (Voluntarily Put Into Pot) and PFA (Post-Flop Aggression) will dictate what type of player they are anyway with reasonable accuracy.

If you begin to understand the likely ranges of your opponents and what range you need in place to combat that, and then couple this with a sound post-flop game, you will see why certain people think that Limit Hold’em is close to being solved.

I also think that as you move up through the levels in Limit Hold’em, game selection becomes crucial probably more than in any other poker variation. The value in Limit games above $20-$40 is becoming less and less, and many players at the higher limits are multi-tabling at lower levels in an effort to increase it.

There will always be weaker players with money dropping into these games: maybe they won big in some large online tournament and have a large amount in their account, maybe the site is attached to a sportsbook and has the facility to allow large sports bettors to drift across with substantial money who are itching to play at a serious level.

But these players are well in the minority and you may have to sit at an empty heads-up table all afternoon before the player that you were hoping to see actually shows up. Even then, there is no guarantee that they will stick around for long. If you start to push them around and take their money they could just leave the table, or to make matters worse, if they are the hit and run type then they could do the same and leave with your money.

I am aware of a few high stakes limit players who actually don’t make much more than $100k-$200k a year now simply because the games have become substantially tougher and they cannot see enough action. I don’t know about Limit Hold’em being solved but there are answers further down the limits for those that care to look and don’t have an ego.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson is sponsored by Cake Poker and can be seen at www.cakepoker.com/thedean and on his blog at www.pokersharkpool.com