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The Australian government today voted to ban Australian-based online gambling sites from offering their services to Australians. The ban also makes it illegal for Australian casinos to provide gambling services to other countries opposed to Internet gambling.

The Senate also voted 33-28 to exclude sports betting and lotteries from the interactive gambling ban, following last minute changes to the proposed legislation. Australian sports books and turf clubs were concerned that the ban would drastically affect their businesses.

According to Communications Minister Richard Alston, the gambling ban takes the necessary action to limit what the government called the tragic economic and social consequences of gambling in Australia.

Senators who voted for the final bill were pleased that the legislation limits overseas access to Australian gambling sites. Senator Bob Brown noted, “What’s bad for Australian households is bad for households elsewhere around the world.”

Australia has been grappling with the issue of problem gambling for years, but opponents of the bill argue that poker- and pull-tab machines in pubs are the real cause of the nation’s gambling problem. They also insist that the bill will not do anything to address the issue.

Opponents to the legislation have argued that the bill would be technologically difficult, if not impossible, to enforce. Many have suggested that the best solution to the problem is a regulated online gaming environment, but the government refused to waver on its committed to a total ban.

Critics of the ban also noted that Australian gaming companies will likely go offshore to get around the restrictions. Senator Brian Greig argued that “Australian companies could still locate themselves in a country where there was no prohibition, such as Vanuatu, and continue their services into those countries.”

The bill does not prohibit offshore operations from providing their services to Australian citizens.

Microgaming Terminates Tropika License

Microgaming announces that the licence for the operation of the group of casinos owned by Tropika, and notably Fairplay Casino, has been terminated with immediate effect. This termination does not affect Golden Riveira casino. Microgaming is aware that for some time there have been player allegations that pay outs to players have not been made by Tropika casinos.

In the interests of fairness, arrangements have been made for players that have still not had their claims paid by Tropika, or the relevant Tropika casino, by the 5th of July 2001, to put their claims to PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. (Johannesburg) (PwC). PwC will receive Singapore Online Casino player’s complaints with a view to verifying the correctness thereof, and advising of any amounts that should be paid.

This process is entirely under the control of PwC, and Microgaming will not be involved in any way. The funds to be used for such payouts have been placed by Microgaming in a trust and are not under the control or ownership of Microgaming. PwC will advise the trustees of any amounts that should be paid.

All players who believe that they have a valid claim should approach PwC from the 6th of July 2001 at the e-mail address given below. Players should note that a time limit has been placed on the lodgement of such claims, and all claims should be lodged by the 6th of August 2001.

Claims must be addressed to: trustadmin@pwcgaming.co.za. These claims should clearly state the claimant’s full name and login-id as registered at the casinos involved.…

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A Today Playboy.com, the wholly owned subsidiary of Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: PLA), launches PlayboySportsBook.com, an international online sports wagering site, at PlayboySportsBook.com, uniting two of the world’s favorite things: sports and Playboy Bunnies. Playboy is the first major global brand to launch an online gaming site.

PlayboySportsBook.com offers non-stop betting action in a fun, reliable and easy-to-use sports wagering environment. The site also offers comprehensive sports news and video event coverage, sports commentary, scores and stats, and chat.

Worldwide sports enthusiasts can log on to PlayboySportsBook.com to wager on international sports such as soccer, rugby, boxing, snooker, tennis, motor racing, and golf; U.S. sports such as the ongoing NBA Playoffs, football and hockey, plus horse races and greyhound races; and special events like the upcoming British General election to the Playmate of the Year. Visitors can choose from a variety of wagering options, including fixed odds, handicaps, ante-post, match bets and specialty bets. Betting is available in 23 currencies and all bets are tax-free.

Deanna, the Playboy Betting Bunny (and Playboy magazine’s Miss May 1998), dressed in the classic Playboy Bunny Costume, serves as the site’s hostess. She is featured in video segments highlighting major betting events, as well as welcoming users to the site.

To celebrate its launch, PlayboySportsBook.com has announced two special offers:

PlayboySportsBook.com will match new Joker123 Slot members’ first bets up to 10 pounds sterling (or equivalent in the currency of the bettor’s choice).
The first person from Europe who places the largest authorized bet by May 13, 2001 will win two invitations to Playboy founder Hugh M. Hefner’s 75th birthday party in London later this month.
Establishing an account is safe and easy. PlayboySportsBook.com accepts MasterCard and Visa, as well as debit cards and cheques. Unlike some betting and gaming companies, PlayboySportsBook.com does not charge a fee for credit card transactions, allowing consumers to deposit or withdraw funds at any time, completely free of charge. Customer service is available via e-mail, telephone and fax. The site has safeguards to prevent taking bets from the United States and other places where online sports wagering is illegal.

“We’re excited to bring Playboy’s unique blend of sophistication, excitement and fun to online sports wagering,” said Christie Hefner, Chairman of Playboy.com. “Playboy is one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands. We’ve been in business for nearly 50 years and quality and reliability have been our foundation from the start.”

Playboy.com veteran Paul Kallis has been named executive vice president and managing director of Playboy.com Internet Gaming and will oversee the initiative. “PlayboySportsBook.com is not just for sports enthusiasts,” said Kallis. “It’s for anyone who wants enter the world of Playboy and have a total entertainment sports wagering experience — all without worry or concern about collecting their winnings.”

PlayboySportsBook.com launches in English and will add Chinese, Spanish and Italian.

The site is powered by Ladbrokes eGaming Limited, the world’s biggest bookmaker, and is licensed in and operated out of Gibraltar.…

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What comes to mind first during the holiday season? Many are interested in purchasing gifts for friends and family members. Yet, there certainly is a need to give to those in need. During Bitcoin Black Friday, the BitGive Foundation successfully raised $4,850 in Bitcoin for the Save The Children’s Philippines Relief Effort directing funds to the Typhoon Haiyan Children’s Relief Fund. Bitcoin is simply the easiest way to send in and process donations to organizations providing relief around the world. BitGive Foundation’s Executive Director, Connie Gallippi put out the following press release:

BITGIVE Foundation – Raises $4,850 for Save the Children

A Charitable Giving Organization of the Bitcoin Community

(Sacramento, CA – December 11, 2013) – The BitGive Foundation, the charitable giving organization of the Bitcoin community, provided its first donation yesterday to Save the Children for their Typhoon Haiyan Children’s Relief Fund. The Foundation raised $4,850, exclusively from the Bitcoin community, as part of Bitcoin Black Friday. BitGive has also worked with event organizers to develop a broader charitable drive as part of Bitcoin Black Friday and involve other charities in the event.

Founder and Executive Director of BitGive, Connie Gallippi, is very pleased with the progress of the Foundation thus far, which launched earlier this year, and thrilled to see their first donation drive a success. “‘Tis the Season of Giving, and we hope to see more donations to charity in Bitcoins, including BitGive and Save the Children.” The Foundation is running aholiday donation drive ‘Give a Bit this Holiday Season.’

Madeline Finch, Board Member and Secretary of the Foundation says, “We are excited to be entering the world of philanthropy on behalf of the Bitcoin community, and Save the Children’s relief efforts in the Philippines is exactly where we want to see our first donation drive make a big difference.” Learn more about SKYBLOCK MONEY MAKING METHOD

To share their vision and continue to educate audiences about Bitcoin and charitable giving, Ms. Gallippi recently presented on the “Positive Social Impact of Bitcoin,” alongside Elizabeth Ploshay of the Bitcoin Foundation Board, at the first annual Latin American Bitcoin Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 7-8, 2013.

The BitGive Foundation, launched earlier this year, is a charitable giving organization of the Bitcoin community, whose mission is to provide gifts to environmental and public health causes worldwide. BitGive has received several early donations from Bitcoin mining companies KnCMiner and Butterfly Labs, which have grown ten-fold in value, as well as in-kind donations and services from Perkins Coie, LLP and BitPay, Inc., which also processes Bitcoin donations to charities at no cost.…

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Andrew McDonald, an executive with Crown Casino has indicated that, as the Australian land-based casino operator considers possible partners for a new online casino, the final arrangements are being made to launch a site in the early part of next year. And despite recent reports that the company is looking into possibilities in the United Kingdom, McDonald said that it is still planning to take its online operations offshore in the South Pacific.

Kerry Packer’s Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL), Crown’s parent company, released a statement this week indicating that it was exploring “strategic gaming opportunities in the U.K.,” in the wake of the Budd Report, a set of recommendations for gambling policy in the England. The report, issued by Great Britain’s Gambling Review Body in July, recommended widespread deregulation of the country’s gaming industry to allow for the development of Las Vegas-style casinos.

Andrew McDonald, an executive with Crown’s gaming risk management division, said the company is still researching jurisdictions for hosting an online casino, but pointed out that the United Kingdom isn’t its first choice. He said any effort in England would be done on the land-based side and that the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific remains the frontrunner.

McDonald confirmed that a recent report in London’s Even Standard speculating on Crown and PBL’s next move was somewhat accurate.

“The report is relatively correct,” he said. “It does indicate our plans for Vanuatu. We have not confirmed those plans but that is the most likely place for our operation, and it is correct that we are looking to launch in early 2002.”

McDonald said that, as the launch date approaches, the company will promote the new site and release more details on hosting and other related issues.

He also said it’s very important for Crown to get online sooner rather than later, as a recent rash of land-based companies have led the way in converting terrestrial brand strength to the Internet. He recognizes a need to keep up with MGM, Sun International and other firms already venturing online.

“We view it as both defensive and offensive,” he said. “It is defensive in the sense that there is already a significant number of sites where the brands are starting to enter the market. Therefore it is critical for us to utilize our brand strength on the Internet as well.”

In addition to keeping up with the competition, McDonald sees a valuable business model developing if the Internet is able to open the company up to an expanded player base.

“In terms of it being offensive, clearly, if the market is as big as people believe, then the returns from our strategy will be significant,” he said.

The first step, he said, is getting to know the Sg Online Casino market. “We are not convinced at this stage either way, on what the Internet has to offer us” he said. “We won’t know really until we get in the market and see what our registration is like and what the player profile is. We will need to see if players transfer their gaming activity to us.”

Since PBL bought Crown in 1998, the division has been on the rise; it was the only sector in PBL’s wide portfolio that showed growth in 2001. As Crown has expanded under Packer’s influence, McDonald said, there has been an added focus on the Asian market–a trend that will carry over to the company’s online strategy.

“There (in Asia) we are looking at people that don’t have access or proximity to regulated or appropriate facilities,” he said. “We want to see what the opportunities are to migrate players from ship-based operations, illegal operations or other Internet operations to our site.”

McDonald said a detailed plan has been in the works for the last couple of years to build Crown’s brand strength among Asian players and it has paid off.

“Our brand is strong within the Asian region,” he said. “We spent a significant amount of money sometime ago and continue to spend money on an ongoing basis to build our brand.”

McDonald sees a similar push to promote the online casino in the Asian market that was made after Crown expanded its land-based gaming facilities.

“When we opened the Crown Towers and the Crown Resort (in Melbourne) we spent between $20-30 million branding the property within Asia,” he said. “Asia is a viable market to look at to transform some of our (offline) player base into our online player base.”

Fortunately, according to McDonald, losing whatever brand recognition the company may have in its own backyard won’t hurt the bottom line too much.

“Regardless of where, we set up we will not have an Australian customer link,” he said. “We have always maintained the fact that we wouldn’t take bets from Australians. Even before the moratorium (on Internet gambling in Australia) we have always indicated that we wouldn’t take bets from Australians, given some political sensitivity in that area and given the current accessibility to gaming opportunities to Australians.”

Although it may not be able to target players located in the same country as its land-based operations, Crown is not worried about having to promote its brand among new players. Like many industry insiders, McDonald feels the strong footing Crown has in Asia will translate to a strong player base on the Internet.

“I am with others who feel that known brands will dominate online,” he said.

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Casino dealers may work in warehouses, deal live to online players

It’s 5:45 a.m. — almost time to start the day’s shift as a casino dealer.

Even in a town that never sleeps, this time of day isn’t busy on the Strip. But the evening is just getting started on the Pacific Rim. And that’s the time that really matters at your casino; that’s when the daily crush begins.

As you drive up, your casino doesn’t look anything like the palaces lining the Strip. Your workplace is a nondescript building in the suburbs — a warehouse, to the untrained eye.

Walk in, take your place behind a blackjack table. Behind you is a blue screen. In front of you, where you once remembered players sitting, are several cameras.

Below each are signal lights, telling you whether a player  Pengeluaran HK connected to your table via the Internet wants to hit, stand, split or double down. Another camera hovers above you. This warehouse is filled with dozens of dealers, all in similar sound-stage-type setups designed for this latest evolution of Internet gambling.

You know this isn’t a casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Yet thousands of miles away in Tokyo, Hong Kong or Seoul, South Korea, your customers don’t know that. To those players, the blue screen is transformed into what appears to be the interior of a Strip casino. And you’re apparently right in the middle of it.

A computer screen in front of the table begins scrolling text, and you begin friendly chatter with your players. It took some time to get used to having a conversation with a computer monitor, but you got used to it. Eventually.

It can get lonely at times. But then again, you don’t have players blowing smoke in your face, you don’t have to pause to clean a spilled drink off the table. There’s no way a player 10,000 miles away can get in your face after a string of bad luck. And on busy nights — when there are 500 players stacked around each baccarat and roulette table — the tokes can be substantial. Very substantial.

And as you shuffle and deal, a thought flits through your mind that’s been there dozens of times before. Who, in their right mind, could ever have imagined this 10 years ago?

A new reality

There were two key reasons casino-style gambling spread from its nest in Nevada across the country in the 1990s: taxes and jobs.

Casinos are job-creation machines, and nowhere is the evidence of this clearer than in Nevada. One out of every four workers relies directly on the gaming industry for a paycheck. Eleven of the state’s 15 largest employers are Strip casinos.

If legal Internet gambling becomes a reality in this country, what will happen to these Las Vegas jobs?

Nothing, the experts say. The simple reason is that the experience of the Las Vegas Strip cannot be replicated on the Internet.

“These (Strip casinos) are entertainment centers with gambling at the core,” said Bill Eadington, director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at UNR. “There has always been a great fear that new technologies are going to wipe out existing industries. I seriously doubt that’s going to happen to the casino industry … Las Vegas in particular.”

What is disputed is whether Internet casinos will create the kinds of jobs traditional casinos have. A lack of new jobs could make the pill of Internet gaming harder to swallow across the United States, American Gaming Association Chief Executive Frank Fahrenkopf said.

“I don’t see it as an engine of job creation,” Fahrenkopf said. “I don’t see that many jobs resulting from Internet gambling. And in (gambling) jurisdictions, particularly new jurisdictions, the job creation and economic development … has been critical for the acceptance of it (legalized gambling).”

But suppose you could take part of the Las Vegas experience — the interaction with a real dealer at a real table game — and bring it to the Internet? That would offer the player a more realistic casino experience, and it gives gaming regulators a physical game to watch and regulate.

“The idea fascinates me, and I’d say I’d be very likely to play under those conditions,” said Richard Munchkin, a writer from Santa Clarita, Calif., and frequent Internet gambler. “I play (on the Internet) quite a bit, anything from blackjack to roulette to slot machines. Supposedly everything is honest. But if you’re watching a game that’s taking place in a casino live in Las Vegas, I’d feel much more comfortable that the game is 100 percent honest.

“It’s not the same as playing in Las Vegas, but if you can’t be there, it sounds like the next best thing.”

It isn’t science fiction. The idea of bringing a live game to a remote player is 20 years old. And a Caribbean Internet casino, owned by Macau gambling tycoon Stanley Ho, is now offering games with live dealers to gamblers through the Internet. DrHo.com claims it had 23 million “hits” in its first six months of operation.

Companies are ready

If Nevada decides to legalize Internet gaming, a number of companies are ready to move in that direction as well.

One is a name all of Las Vegas is familiar with: Station Casinos Inc. Tony Fontaine, Station’s vice president of complex business solutions, envisions a day when the company could operate warehouse-style filming complexes, broadcasting live dealers to the world.

“Everyone’s spending a lot of money trying to recreate a virtual rendition of their casino,” Fontaine said. “What I’m doing is saying, ‘Here’s the real casino.’ The only difference is you don’t have to have it in a nice place. You can put it in a warehouse, dress it up inside, but it can be located off the Strip.”

If Nevada takes that step, proponents of live Internet gambling say more jobs than ever before will be created by this new technology. And those jobs could be far different than anything a Las Vegas dealer knows today. Consider, for example, Playboy Enterprises’ for-fun casino, which combines video poker with strip poker.

“If you’re Playboy, you could have a (Playboy) Bunny as a dealer (on a live Internet casino),” Fontaine said.

But there will also be room for today’s dealers, asserts deedee Molnick, chief executive of i2 Corp. of Las Vegas.

“They would become stars,” Molnick said. “They’re not going to be peons behind a table. They’re going to be stars.”

Coming up with a concept and patenting it is one thing. Making the idea a viable business is another.

While DrHo.com is operating its own live Internet casino, the U.S. companies exploring the idea don’t plan to take that route.

i2, for example, has built its financial house on a single asset: the strength of its patent. The company, majority-owned by the Molnick family, claims patent protection over any form of remote, live wagering that uses electronic transactions to make or pay off bets. Revenues would be generated by licensing that patent to other companies in exchange for a cut of gambling profits, along with providing consulting services.

Since Internet gambling is already a thriving business, i2 could be generating revenues today, President Chris Almida said. But the company hasn’t done so because it doesn’t want to jeopardize its standing before the Nevada Gaming Control Board if Internet gaming does become legal.

So for now, most of i2’s efforts have been focused on educating gaming companies and regulators about Internet gambling — and suing those companies that bring live Internet gambling to market without paying royalties.

These legal efforts have been quite successful. In February 2000, i2 won a federal court order forcing First Live Casino, a Caribbean Internet gambling site, to stop offering live games on its website. An order against Interactive Television Services Inc. of Roswell, Ga., followed.

“I’m the only person in the world that’s been able to shut down an Internet casino,” Molnick said.

Now, i2 has the powerful Stanley Ho in its sights. In July, i2 filed suit against DrHo.com, claiming it was infringing the i2 patent. DrHo.com officials have denied their site violates the patent.

But i2’s efforts have caught the attention of other companies, including Station Casinos.

Station’s Internet efforts are being focused through GameCast Live LLC, a newly formed subsidiary. For now, GameCast is focused on a non-Internet application: offering guests in a casino hotel the ability to play a live slot machine from a remote location, such as their hotel room. That would allow Station to generate revenues from the venture before a decision is made on Internet gambling’s legality in Nevada and the United States.

Fontaine hopes to offer the service in Station’s properties one day, but Nevada gaming regulations don’t allow that at the moment. Station has proposed regulation changes to the Nevada Gaming Commission, but doesn’t expect they will to come to fruition until next year. So Station has launched its marketing efforts with Indian casinos and cruise lines.

But Fontaine is thinking ahead. He sees a day when GameCast could be used to offer live table games across the world, starting with blackjack.

And he’s well aware of the i2 patent.

“It doesn’t cover live gaming, it covers financial transactions related to live gaming,” Fontaine said. “If you’re tied into a third-party financial system, like a credit card … that’s what the patent covers. We leave that end alone, because we don’t want to infringe on the patent. If we sell to someone who wants to get into credit cards … they call (i2), and cut a deal with them. That’s the stand we’ve taken.”

Station is looking at two business models. The first is offering to install the system for a casino operator, but letting the operator provide the dealers and run the games. Station could also run the entire casino using the brands of the client.

But Fontaine said it’s unlikely Station would try to become an Internet gambling power itself.

“Station Casinos doesn’t have the media power to create that draw,” Fontaine said. “We’d prefer to license to a Park Place (Entertainment Corp.), or an MGM MIRAGE, or a Mandalay Resort Group.”

Continuing evolution

And allowing those companies to recreate the Las Vegas experience in cyberspace might actually help the continuing evolution of the Las Vegas Strip, UNLV professor and gambling expert Bill Thompson argues.

“If it’s legal, then we can participate, then we can promote our casinos through it, then we can keep the profits from the gambling, then the profits can go into the expansion of Vegas,” Thompson said. “Our best defense is to make them (Internet casinos) legal and operate them.”

But even those who patronize online casinos say there’s no comparison between Las Vegas and the Internet.

“It’s no replacement at all,” Munchkin said. “There’s so much more to Las Vegas than just the gambling. There’s the whole excitement of being in a casino in Las Vegas, the energy. I enjoy being around other people when I gamble, being around other players.

“I think it (Internet gambling) is like fast food compared to a banquet (gambling on the Strip).”

And as long as Las Vegas casino companies believe they can still make a buck on the Strip, they’ll build more megaresorts, no matter what the future may bring.

“If there’s a market to build a billion-dollar place, people will do it,” MGM MIRAGE spokesman Alan Feldman said. “No one has ever done it (built a Strip megaresort) thinking they won’t make money.”

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Memang bukan menjadi sebuah rahasia lagi jika permainan judi slot online sudah menjadi salah satu permainan judi yang paling direkomendasi untuk dimainkan oleh seluruh pemain judi online yang ada di dunia sekarang ini, tentu saja bagi pemain judi yang handal seperti kalian sudah pernah mengunjungi arena perjudian casino yang ada di las vegas, singapura dan Malaysia, disana kalian bisa memainkan permainan judi yang sangat mudah ini dan meraih kemenangan yang besar juga tentunya, bahkan permainan judi yang banyak variasinya ini sendiri juga sudah tidak asing lagi bagi kalian.

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Untuk bisa memainkan permainan judi slot online di palace303 ini, pemain bisa langsung memutuskan untuk bergabung dengan sebuah situs judi online yang ada, yaitu situs judi yang bisa memberikan permainan judi terbaik palace303. Sebelum kalian memutuskan untuk melakukan taruhan dalam permainan judi ini, pastikan kalian memilih situs judi sbobet dan bukan situs judi yang lain yang akan merugikan kalian tentunya.

Kalian harus menghindari situs judi palsu yang tentu akan membuat rugi kalian dalam permainan yang ada, karena jika kalian tidak menghindari hal yang satu ini tentu akan mengalami kerugian yang sangat besar dan bukannya meraih kemenangan seperti yang diberikan oleh situs judi sbobet. Tentu saja melalui situs judi sbobet kalian bisa langsung masuk dalam permainan judi slot online yang beraneka ragam variasi, sehingga kalian bisa memilih jenis slot online mana yang ingin kalian mainkan. Seperti yang sudah kita pahami dan juga ketahui kalau permainan judi slot online ini memang diberikan oleh situs judi sbobet dan hanya situs judi sbobet yang bisa memberikan permainan judi ini secara yang terbaik, serta menawarkan keuntugan yang besar dan juga banyak bonus yang diberikan jika kalian bergabung nantinya, bahkan bonus yang ditawarkan oleh situs judi sbobet akan membuat kalian untung besar sehingga bergabung dengan situs judi sbobet adalah pilihan yang sangat tepat dan juga terbaik, dan kalian tidak perlu memikirkan hal yang lain lagi selain bergabung dengan situs judi sbobet.

Meskipun sebelumnya sudah dijelaskan cara memainkan permainan judi slot online yang sangat mudah ini, tapi kami akan selalu membantu kalian dan mencoba memberikan kalian peringatan kalau sejatinya permainan judi slot online atau permainan judi apapun yang ada di situs judi sbobet tidak boleh kalian mainkan dengan sembarangan, karena jika melakukan taruhan permainan judi tanpa kita pahami aturan yang ada, itu sama saja membuat uang yang miliki, karena bermain judi ini sama sekali tidak gratis, sehingga kalian butuh yang namanya pemahaman sebelum memainkan permainan judi ini, agar nantinya kita bisa meraih kemenangan sebelum bermain, karena jika sampai kalah karena tidak mengetahui cara permainan adalah hal yang cukup merugikan diri sendiri. Dalam bermain judi slot online yang ada di situs judi sbobet diusahakan berusaha untuk mendapatkan jackpot yang besar dalam judi ini, karena itu adalah inti dari permainan judi ini, dan pilihlah mesin yang membawa keberuntungan kepada kalian dan bukan mesin yang bisa merugikan kalian, kalian bisa melihat mesin yang bisa memberikan kemenangan dengan beberapa kali mencoba, karena mesin yang tidak membawa keberuntungan juga sangat banyak sekali, sehingga kalian perlu waspada saat memutuskan untuk memilih mesin mana yang akan membuat kalian menang tentunya. Kuncinya adalah dari diri sendiri dan bagaimana kita bisa memilih mesin serta pemahaman kita dalam suatu mesin judi slot online yang akan kita mainkan di situs judi sbobet online yang ada sekarang ini .

Sampai saat ini memang permainan judi slot online cukup terkenal di kalangan pemain judi yang ada, bahkan dikenal sebagai salah satu permainan primadona di casino yang memberikan keuntungan besar berupa jackpot. Keuntungan ini memang diberikan oleh mesin judi online yang ada di permainan judi slot online, permainan judi ini memang juga akan membawa pemain judi ketahap yang sangat besar dan juga jumlah yang ditawarkan sama sekali tidak sedikit, sehingga akan bisa membuat pemain jadi jutawan dalam waktu yang cukup singkat jika berhasil meraih kemenangan dalam permainan judi ini.  Agar nantinya bisa meraih keuntungan yang besar dalam permainan judi slot online yang ada di situs judi sbobet, memang seorang pemain judi harus memahami beberapa hal yang ada sehingga nantinya akan memberikan keuntungan bagi mereka. Salah satu yang ditawarkan oleh situs judi sbobet yaitu bonus-bonus yang coba ditawarkan oleh situs judi sbobet, bahkan bisa dikatakan kalau bonus yang diberikan oleh situs judi sbobet ini adalah bonus yang paling menguntungkan dibandingkan dengan situs judi yang lainnya, jadi tidak heran jika situs judi sbobet menjadi situs judi yang terpercaya dan situs judi nomor satu yang ada di dunia perjudian sekarang ini.  Permainan judi slot online yang ada sekarang ini adalah permainan judi yang sangat memberikan tantangan besar kepada seluruh pemain untuk bisa meraih kemenangan berupa jackpot yang besar, tentu permainan judi ini juga mengharuskan pemainnya memiliki konsentrasi yang sangat tinggi, karena dimana permainan judi ini mengharuskan seorang pemain memilih simbol atau gambar yang cocok untuk bisa meraih kemenangan yang ada, permainan judi yang sangat mudah ini tentu bisa sering kita lihat di casino atau situs judi sbobet, bahkan judi ini selalu ramai dikunjungi oleh pemain judi yang ada, karena tidak membutuhkan waktu lama untuk bisa memainkan judi ini sehingga pemain lebih sering memilih permainan judi ini ketimbang permainan judi yang lainnya, yang sejatinya tidak kalah seru juga. Bagi seluruh pemain judi online yang ada sekarang ini, tugas kalian hanya perlu memahami permainan judi ini agar nantinya kalian bisa meraih kemenangan yang kalian inginkan dan juga membuat kalian tidak bingung dalam menentukan permainan yang ada. Memilih permainan judi ini adalah hal yang tepat untuk dilakukan oleh seluruh pemain judi slot online, karena keuntungan besar yang selalu diberikan sehingga kalian akan menjadi senang karena bisa meraih kemenangan di permainan judi ini. Banyak pemain judi ini yang terus melakukan cara dengan berpindah-pindah mesin karena mereka menganggap kalau mesin yang ada kadang tidak membawa keberuntugan, atau juga karena mereka sudah sering menang, makanya mereka memutuskan untuk pindah mesin judi ini, padahal sejatinya cara yang satu ini tidak boleh dilakukan, karena kalian sedikit membuat kesalahan yang cukup fatal jika melakukan ini, karena sejatinya keberuntungan kalian dan cara yang kalian gunakan yang akan membantu kalian meraih kemenangan, dan bukannya dengan cara berpindah pindah mesin seperti yang sudah dilakukan oleh orang lain. Jangan pernah berpikir kalau mesin yang memberikan kemenangan kepada kalian, karena semua itu adalah kemampuan kalian sendiri, dengan beigitu kalian akan bisa melihat bagaimana kemampuan yang kalian miliki dalam permainan judi ini, mesin sama sekali tidak bisa memberikan kemenangan yang kalian inginkan, tergantung bagaimana kalian bermain dan memasang taruhan yang ada, sehingga kemenangan yang ada adalah hal yang kalian inginkan, selain itu juga bermain judi slot online ini sendiri akan membawa kalian semua kepada permainan judi yang jauh lebih menantang dan juga sangat menarik untuk selalu dilakukan. Dalam melakukan judi slot online ini jika kalian merasa mesin yang ada bisa mengeluarkan hadiah jackpot kalian harus terus mencoba bermain sampai kalian bisa benar-benar meraih jackpot tersebut dan jika sudah berhasil barulah kalian boleh memutuskan untuk berhenti atau berpindah ke mesin lain yang akan memberikan kalian keuntungan besar lainnya.

Dalam permainan judi slot online di situs judi sbobet memang bukan lagi hal yang baru untuk dilakukan karena dalam memainkan judi ini yang sangat terkenal ini cukup memberikan penawaran yang sangat besar, dengan begitu kalian akan bisa menerima banyak sekali keuntungan jika kalian memainkan permainan judi ini, oleh karena itulah situs judi sbobet online yang menyediakan permainan judi slot online ini cukup diminati banyak sekali pemain judi bahkan hadiah yang ditawarkan juga sangat besar sehingga menarik minat dari seorang pemain judi yang ada. Dulunya permainan judi slot online memang sering sekali kita temui juga ditempat arena dingdong, meskipin juga di Indonesia ini sudah dilarang oleh pemerintah mengenai permainan judi ini, tapi sama sekali tidak meruntuhkan niat dari dari seorang pemain judi untuk memainkan judi ini melalui situs judi online yang disedikan oleh sbobet seperti yang sudah kita bahas diatas tentunya, karena situs judi sbobet sendiri hadir bagi seluruh pemain judi Indonesia yang ingin memenuhi hasratnya untuk memainkan judi tapi tidak bisa, dan kali ini hanya butuh yang namanya smartphone sehingga pemain akan bisa memainkan judi ini dengan jauh lebih mudah dan tidak butuh datang ke arena perjudian yang akan memakan banyak sekali ongkos, karena jika bermain judi online ini, pemain bisa menggunakan uang yang ada untuk modal bermain permainan judi online di situs judi sbobet nantinya, bahkan bisa membuat modal tersebut bermain dengan cukup lama serta hal yang akan membawa keberuntungan dibandingkan ongkos yang tidak sedikit untuk datang ke arena perjudian seperti Las Vegas. Memang tidak heran sekarang ini banyak sekali pemain yang takut memainkan judi online yang ada sekarang ini, karena penipuan besar-besaran yang dilakukan oleh beberapa oknum yang ada demi mencari keuntungan dari seluruh pemain judi online. Padahal pemain judi online ini jumlahnya sangat tidak sedikit, sehingga banyak situs judi palsu yang bermunculan untuk mengeruk keuntungan dengan menipu kelemahan dari pemain judi berupa bonus-bonus palsu yang ditawarkan, dengan begitu pemain akan mudah tergiur oleh seluruh yang diberikan oleh situs judi palsu, dengan begitu pemain yang seperti ini akan langsung mengalami kerugian yang besar tanpa harus menunggu waktu yang lama. Maka dari itulah perlu kewaspadaan yang besar bagi seluruh pemain dalam memilih sebuah situs judi yang ada, dengan begitu pemain akan bisa meraih kemenangan yang mereka inginkan jika bermain bersama dengan situs judi sbobet dan bukan situs judi yang palsu yang akan merugikan seluruh pemain yang ada. Pemain judi asal Indonesia sendiri memang tidak sedikit yang mengalami penipuan ini dan  menjadi tidak percaya lagi dalam memainkan judi online ini bersama dengan situs judi apapun yang ada. Tapi tidak sedikit juga pemain judi yang sudah berhasil dan sukses menjadi orang kaya dalam bermain judi slot online yang ada sekarang ini, itu juga yang membuat orang lain menjadi tergiur karena kemenangan demi kemenangan yang ditawarkan oleh permaina judi slot online yang ada di situs judi sbobet dan bukan situs judi yang lainnya. Bahkan pemain yang ada juga bisa mencoba sendiri memainkan judi slot online ini di situs judi sbobet, karena situs judi sbobet sendiri memberikan beberapa kali free games di permainan judi slot online, sehingga pemain akan bisa mencoba sendiri cara memainkan judi ini dan juga mencari cara untuk bisa meraih kemenangan yang besar jika nantinya memutuskan untuk memainkan judi ini di situs judi sbobet dan bukan situs judi lain yang palsu yang akan merugikan kalian. Jangan takut juga akan keamanan dari permainan judi slot online yang ada sekarang ini, karena keamanan akan menjadi prioritas dari situs judi sbobet kepada seluruh pemain yang ada, karena itulah pemain tidak perlu takut diciduk oleh kepoliian karena bermain judi online, situs judi sbobet akan mencoba memberikan keamanan yang maksimal sehingga pemain tidak perlu takut, rahasia data pribadi juga sangat aman di situs judi sbobet dan pemain akan tetap terjaga tanpa harus takut mengalami apapun yang ada nantinya. Itulah beberapa hal yang bisa kami berikan kepada kalian kali ini, agar nantinya kalian bisa memperhitungkan bagaimana cara yang terbaik untuk bisa memainkan …

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In hold’em, when you suspect an opponent might be bluffing, what’s the lowest hand with which you can call? In the big blind against a suspected blind steal, it may not be as much as you think.

In a $20-$40 hold’em game in Las Vegas recently, I was in the big blind. An extremely aggressive player sat two seats to my right. Everyone around the table folded to the aggressive player on the button, who made the expected raise to $40. The small blind folded. The next decision was up to me.

Much has been written about what it takes to call (or raise with) in this spot. When facing a suspected blind steal, it’s sometimes necessary to defend your blind, albeit selectively — or you’ll be identified as an easy target and get run over by aggressive players. Something told me the player raising my big blind didn’t really have much of a hand. In fact, the way that he thrust his chips forcefully into the pot convinced me that I wouldn’t need much of a hand to outplay him after the flop. I called.

The flop came rags, 8c 5h 3d. Although I didn’t have a pair, I considered tokyoslot88 betting-out and going for a steal. But I still wasn’t convinced that my opponent didn’t have a real hand. Before I could rap the table signaling my intent to check, the aggressive player reached quickly for his chips. From the way that he seemed to be so eager to bet, I was becoming increasingly more confident in what my first instinct had told me — that he was bluffing.

Then and there, I made a decision based purely on instinct. Barring unforeseen developments, I was going to play my hand all the way to the river. It appeared my opponent was aggressive enough to blast away at the pot all the way to the end in a desperate attempt to recover what he already had invested. If my assessment was correct, I didn’t want him going anywhere. Indeed, I wanted him to continue bluffing, with me hemming and hawing, playing the role of the hayseed tourist as though I was contemplating seriously whether or not to call his bet.

The turn paired the board. This presented some wonderful options for me. In standard game situations, when the board pairs, a bet or check-raise can be a very powerful play (even without three of a kind). However, I suspected my opponent was simply going to continue shoveling his money into the pot, which I would gratuitously accept — if my presumptions proved to be correct. He bet and I called.

The river was a blank.

I checked again, and sat completely still. I didn’t want to give my opponent any indication that I was fully prepared to call. Again, I wanted him to bet. Many players in this spot who are head-up against an opponent who is smooth-calling all the way to the river simply will check behind and reveal a hand. A bet, especially a forceful one coming from a very aggressive player, just screams, “I’m bluffing!” It’s the final act of desperation. The player bet and I called.

“I missed,” the player sadly announced as he turned up Q-10.

Suddenly, I felt like a proud peacock, swelling with pride. “King high,” I said, revealing K-9, which seemed to be a stunningly weak hand with which to be calling in a muscle game like $20-$40 hold’em. The other players at the table were in disbelief. The modest-sized pot was pushed to me. More important than the money won was the table image that I had established for the remainder of the session. The success of my bizarre play accomplished two things: First, the aggressive player on my right now would be neutralized and no longer would threaten to steal my blinds. Second, I had telegraphed mixed messages to the other players — that I was either a complete baffling idiot or a very solid player who shouldn’t be messed with, which — although contradictory — isn’t a bad image to have at any poker table.

Of course, my instincts just as easily could have been incorrect. Critics may even suggest that I was lucky. My decision to call down a pure bluff with K-9 would have been atrocious had I guessed wrong and the player shown me a real hand. Worse, he could have shown me a weak hand (such as a small pair or ace high), and I would have been forced to concede the pot and face embarrassment.

My blind defense raised interesting questions. Afterwards, I was eager to discover the long-term value (if any) of calling suspected steal attempts with relatively weak hands, based purely on mathematical principles. In other words, with how LOW a hand could I have called with in the previous scenario to ensure positive expectation? Could I have called my opponent down with any king high? What about a hand such as Q-J? Or, Q-2? What about J-10? As you are about to discover, hands that are playable in this spot (under the previous assumption, that the opponent is bluffing) may be surprising.

The following examples assume two things: (1) You are playing against a very aggressive opponent, and (2) The player must be capable of raising initially and running a bluff with any two cards. Otherwise, none of this applies. These conclusions do not apply when facing typical players, so-called “tourists,” or tight players. The recommendations apply only when playing against semi-sophisticated players and maniacs who are aggressive enough to consistently blast away at the pot. Since a fair number of middle-limit hold’em games around the country are comprised of players fitting this description precisely, the following recommendations are hardly inconsequential. In fact, calling down a suspected blind steal may be quite profitable if certain guidelines are examined carefully and selectively applied.

I consulted with J.P. Massar, who made the final table at the 1999 Tournament of Champions and has won and placed high in a number major events. Massar has as solid math credentials as any poker player I know. Massar noted that the calling requirements on the turn are stricter than those on the river (which is no surprise, since you will have to call two big bets to get a showdown). Therefore, Massar had to construct his examples in terms of calling on the turn, assuming a call on the river, instead of just in terms of a call on the river. Given the anecdote above, Massar reached some interesting conclusions:

The effective odds of calling a bet on the turn (assuming that my opponent will bet and I will call on the river 100 percent of the time) are $80 to win what’s in the pot now — which is $170, plus my opponent’s bet on the river of $40, or $210 total. The math says that one needs to win at least 28 percent of the time at the showdown to make a profit.

Suppose that the board on the turn is 8-5-3-5 (rainbow). Computer analysis shows that J-9 is enough of a hand to win at least 28 percent of the time!

Instead, suppose that the board on the turn is Q-8-7-3 (rainbow). Now, analysis shows that K-2 (that is, any king high) is good enough.

Suppose that my opponent is not a total maniac and will raise only initially with the best 70 percent of his hands instead of every single one. How does this affect the quality of hand that you need to make the call? In the 8-5-3-5 example, one needs a Q-7 (as opposed to J-9) to call him down. In the later Q-8-7-3 example, a K-9 (as opposed to any K) is good enough.

Note once again that these results are valid only when using the assumptions listed above. Furthermore, any particular board may present flush possibilities; the examples above use boards with no flushes possible on the river. If flushes are possible and you cannot make a flush, the quality of hand with which you need to call down will go up. Also, there are hands such as low straight draws with which it would be correct to call the turn but not the river if you miss.

Finally, I don’t claim that calling down with hands at least as good as the threshold hands given above is always the most profitable play, only that it is “profitable.” Betting or check-raising the turn or the river with some of the hands might turn out to be a better play than simply check-calling.

When it comes to giving or taking poker advice, every situation is unique. There is certainly no such thing as a situation in which it is 100 percent correct to make a “blind defense.” In most cases, when the bet is raised before the flop, it’s proper to give up the blind and wait for a better opportunity later, since you are placing money at risk and will be out of position throughout the hand.

But as you can see from my K-9 story, and probably from your own playing experience, you should be able to recognize the signs of a blind steal. It’s easy to run a bluff. It takes quite a bit more sophistication to call down a bluff and make the correct decision, based on good instincts combined with sound mathematical principles.

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Many casino games can be traced to antiquity; still others are associated with specific historical moments in time and place. Today’s casino game of Keno is one such, with its roots in Chinese prehistory and history, as well as having a specific historical significance for Americans. In China, a game very similar to Keno has been played for several thousand years—by emperors, warlords, merchants and peasants—even communists have been known to try to make some capital from picking “the numbers” although such activities are frowned upon by the party bosses (known in Chinese as party poopers). The name of the Chinese game was/is Kino.

In the 1800’s, when the American west was being conquered and then connected to civilization, and the railroads were being built, cheap labor was imported from China, and with it was also imported the game of Kino. It was so popular with the Chinese laborers that soon enterprising Americans, seeing the incredible profits that could accrue from winning said laborers hard-earned pay, took over the game, changed its name to Keno, and set up “Keno parlors” throughout the west. Keno was known as the “Chinese Lottery,” and like any lottery it was a boon to its owners and a bane to its players. At one time just about every town in the west had its Keno parlor.

Still, for those of you who enjoy playing lotteries, or local charity chance books, or if numbers are your thing, the casino game of Keno might hold some interest for you. It is indeed the equivalent of a lottery but much faster! You don’t have to wait a few days for the results, just a few minutes. Of course, like the lottery, Keno comes in with very high edges for the house—25 percent, more or less, depending on the casino where the UFA game is being played and the type of wagers being pursued.

The players’ tickets are numbered one through eighty. You can choose to play between one and twenty numbers on a given ticket. The numbers to be played are “X’ed” out in crayon (back to childhood we go!). To win a multi-number bet, you often don’t have to select all the numbers, just some of them. Here are some of the most popular betting options at Keno:

Types of Bets at Keno

• Straight Ticket: A player can mark one, two, or more numbers on a ticket.
• Split Ticket: Player can bet on two or more groups of numbers on a single ticket by circling the groups to be played.
• Way Ticket: Combining several groups of numbers on the same ticket.
• Combination Ticket: The player selects two or more groups of numbers and indicates how the groups are to be combined to form many tickets within one ticket.
• King Ticket: One number is selected to be used with all the other groups that have been indicated.
• Multi Race Ticket: This is a ticket that indicates that it will be played for two or more sessions in a row.

Sometimes I receive mailings from individuals who are selling systems to beat Keno. They claim that they have found patterns to the numbers that can be exploited by their “super-seven Keno buster” or their “Keno pyramid” method or their “ping-pong power play.” The costs of these systems are—to say the least—exorbitant. The claims of the systems are—to be frank—bogus. Is there a magical system for beating Keno? Sorry, no. The system sellers are scamming us. The Keno numbers are selected randomly, either by air-driven ping-pong balls (just like many state lotteries) or by computer. The fact that some numbers may have hit several times and other numbers may not have shown their faces for quite awhile is no indication that a number will continue to hit or is due to hit. Picking numbers is sheer guesswork.

So why play Keno? First, it offers a relaxing atmosphere. Keno lounges are usually pleasantly appointed places, with comfortable chairs. You can drink a cup of coffee, pick your numbers in a leisurely fashion, and not worry about other players telling you what to do or what not to do. Played properly for small stakes, Keno, even with its abominably high house edges, will not drain your gambling bankroll any time soon as it is the snail of casino games.

And like anything in life, there is a better or a worse way to approach a Keno game. Walter Thomason, in his excellent book 109 Ways to Beat the Casinos (Bonus Books, $13.95), gives some great advice when it comes to Keno. “Don’t select more than eight numbers on a straight ticket. The odds of hitting all eight are 230,000 to 1—but the odds of hitting all nine out of nine numbers are 1.3 million to 1! Bet way tickets rather than straight tickets. The odds are the same, but you’ll hit more payoffs.”

The 5-Step Keno Strategy

1. Play the minimum amount allowed, which is usually a dollar or two, as the house edge is very big at Keno—25 percent more or less. Luckily the game is slow, maybe one game per 6–10 minutes.
2. If you are betting on several numbers, always have them in some kind of small or large sequence as you’ll note how often numbers run in sequence (but the game is still random!). This can be done on “way” tickets as well.
3. Use Keno as a break from more adrenaline producing games when you want to stay in the action but you need a little rest from betting serious money.
4. Video Keno, while much faster than regular Keno, has much better paybacks—more like your typical slot machine. However, you can play video Keno so fast that the speed makes up for the decrease in the house edge. My advice is to stick with the slow game and relax, have a cup of coffee or read a paper between games.
5. Avoid betting the multi-race ticket. Don’t get caught up in Keno mania, the desire to hit your “lucky” numbers. Some people obsess that if they play the same numbers over and over, sooner or later these numbers will hit. They then fear not to play lest their numbers hit when they aren’t on them. To forestall Keno mania, don’t play the same combination of numbers all the time. Mix them up and try, do try, not to remember which numbers you played in previous games. Bet one game at a time only!

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Big Denny, as usual, was in a foul mood. “Look at dis joint,” he grumbled, waving his hand at a nearly deserted Barstow Card Casino. “It’s as empty as … as …”

“As empty as the pan section on a Jewish holiday,” I said, helpfully completing his thought.

“Yeah, dat’s right,” Big Denny replied, not really understanding the witticism. “Boy, you sure got a way wit’ words, Maxey. Too bad da best ya kin do wit’ all dat talent is ta write fer peanuts fer dat cheapskate poker magazine.”

“Oh, it’s not all that bad,” I said defensively. “Sometimes we get nice bonuses and stuff.”

“Yeah, like what?” Big Denny asked.

“Well, I once got a swell tee shirt for Christmas.”

Oh, yeah, da one dat said, ‘Advertise in Card Sbobet88 Player.’ Dat Barry Shulman is a real philantropolis. Anyway, dat’s your problem. Mine’s gettin’ more customers into da casino. Kin ya figger out anyt’ing dat might stand improvement here?”

What wouldn’t? I thought to myself. The place hadn’t been thoroughly cleaned, much less redecorated, since the War of 1812. It was a snatch joint, with dealers paid a percentage of whatever they grabbed out of the pots. The cards were marked, the staff were all thuggish ex-cons, and any player who miraculously made a big score was lucky to make it alive to his car.

“Well,” I offered hesitantly, “you might try to improve the buffet a bit.”

Big Denny bristled. “Our Four-Star Buffet? What’s wrong wit’ it?”

“Well, for one thing, admissions to the emergency room went up 50 percent after it opened. For another, the only items I’ve ever seen you offer were meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, it so happens dat our executive chef, Fingers, was da head cook at San Quentin fer five years, until his parole. Took me a while ta break him of da habit of addin’ saltpeter to da food, though,” Denny grinned. “Hey, lemme introduce ya ta him an’ maybe ya could give him some ideas.”

I was not terribly anxious to meet chef Fingers, but Denny grabbed my arm and hustled me into the kitchen. I staggered back as the aroma of rotting meat, rancid cooking oil, and garbage from an overflowing can washed over me. Rat droppings spattered the floor, and a cockroach the size of a small hamster insolently trotted away from us. On the wall, The Barstow Department of Health had posted a list of about 50 sanitation violations, which, it was obvious, nobody had bothered to read.

“Maxey, shake hands with Fingers Finnegan, our executive chef,” Big Denny told me.

Fingers was even more ape-like than Big Denny, if such a thing were possible. His long hairy arms were covered with tattoos, and his apron was covered with stains. Shaking hands with him was no easy task, either, since he had only two digits on each hand, the result of his ineptitude with a carving knife.

“Maxey says dat yer chow stinks,” Denny announced diplomatically.

Fingers’ eyes narrowed, and I saw his hand inching toward a butcher knife. How do I keep getting into these situations? I asked myself in panic.

“My grub stinks, huh?” Fingers growled menacingly. “Would it be askin’ too much to be a little more specific, punk?”

“I never said any such thing, Mr. Finnegan,” I protested. “I only suggested a bit more variety, to perhaps make the buffet a little less, well, a little less boring.”

“BORING!?” Fingers screamed, as my life flashed before my eyes. “You … you … brute! Oh, my heavens, I’ve never been so humiliated in my entire life,” he sobbed, dabbing at his eyes with his two fingers. “And as for you, Mr. Big Denny, you can just go and find yourself another executive chef!”

With that, Fingers tossed his filthy apron into the soup kettle and stormed out the door.

Big Denny glared at me. “Now ya really done it, Maxey. Ya better find me a new chef by the weekend or else I’m gonna sit on yer head till it hatches.”

Frantically thinking, I remembered that my friend Pierre le Tutu, the French fashion designer, was an avid amateur cook. He had some free time until his next line came out, so I decided to phone him to see if he could fill in for a while.

“Barstow?” le Tutu said suspiciously. “Where is zat?”

“Oh, it’s a very cosmopolitan town,” I assured him. “The folks here would just adore your French cuisine.”

Le Tutu drove up in the morning and spent the next few days assembling exotic ingredients and bustling furiously in the kitchen. “Dis better work,” Denny told me threateningly. “In two days, dat guy spent more on food den I spend in two months.”

Posters had been put up all over Barstow to announce the grand re-opening of Big Denny’s Four-Star Buffet, presided over by the world-famous French chef, Pierre le Tutu. At 6 p.m. the buffet opened, and a crowd of curious, overall-clad farmers shuffled in. At the entrance, le Tutu stood beaming alongside the opening menu he had proudly posted:

“Caramelized breast of guinea hen, stuffed with baby Brussels sprouts, pine nuts, and Belgian truffles, served with a light cream of asparagus dressing and garnished with wild arugula.”

The farmers stared blankly at the menu and gaped at the food as if it had just come from Mars.

“Sorta looks like fried chicken they forgot to bread,” one commented, scratching his head.

“Wouldn’t eat that dang stuff if they paid me,” another declared.

“Where the hell’s the meatloaf?” a third farmer demanded.

As the customers shook their heads and streamed out, an angry Pierre le Tutu began walking toward me from one direction while an even angrier Big Denny came at me from another. I bolted out the door and ran into the parking lot, where Fingers Finnegan, who had been staking me out, joined the chase. Dodging curses, meatloaf, and carmelized breast of guinea hen, I barely made it to my car and took off for the freeway at high speed.

And that, dear readers, marked the end of my stint as a restaurant critic.

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The last two decades have witnessed an explosion in the number of poker books available to the aspiring player. This has significantly impacted the way poker is played in today’s casinos and card rooms. However, just because poker has grown like wild over the last several years doesn’t mean that the first poker book was written in 1979. One of these earlier books was A. D. Livingston’s Poker Strategy and Winning Play, written in 1971. This book was reprinted in 1991 as Poker Strategy. So, how does it compare to more recent works?

Overall, most of Livingston’s strategic advice is sound, including the admonition to play tight. Many of the concepts he writes about have been echoed by more contemporary authors, including his belief that bluffs should pay for themselves. That is, that Livingston believes that bluffing just for advertizing is a mistake. On the other hand, it will come as no surprise that some of his notions are very much dated. For example, the high-low split games discussed in this book never require a qualifier for low. Also, it’s amusing to hear Livingston talk about an exciting new form of poker called “Hold Me” played with two cards dealt down and five community cards dealt face up on the table. His advice on strategy for this game isn’t any good by contemporary standards, but even without a great deal of experience in the game, the author realized the importance of kickers, which shows some general understanding of the game in question.

The second section of the book covers mathematics. His introduction to determining event probabilities using combinations is reasonably well explained, but much of Livingston’s calculations aren’t very important in the ป๊อกเด้ง ไฮโล games that are commonly played today. The general focus of the book is not on the games that are typically found in the modern card room, but rather on home games. Therefore, determining the probabilities of events in Cincinnati or Deuces Wild Draw is on topic for the book, even if it won’t seem terribly relevant to most poker players.

The third section of the book is a description of many kinds of poker played in home games, including some brief strategic information about each game. Much of this would be pretty obvious to the veteran poker player, for example, that one should play awfully tight without the ace of spades in the hole if the game is Chicago. At the same time, some of it is insightful. Occasionally, the terminology used in the book may be a little confusing to people used to the vocabulary of contemporary poker literature. When speaking of games with community cards, Livingston refers to every round of betting in which a new card is exposed as a “turn”. As long as the reader is aware of this, it probably won’t be too distracting.

By today’s standards, nothing in Poker Strategy would be considered ground breaking. There are some strategic errors in the text, but at the time it was originally written it probably contained some of the better poker advice available in print. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, no updates have been made to the original printing. Poker Strategy might be useful to those players who either want some pointers on how to improve their chances when someone calls for Baseball in a home game, or if they want to learn about some different and unusual games they might want to play next Friday night. Poker book junkies might find this book an amusing read, but I believe that $15 is a little steep for a book that hasn’t been updated in over 30 years.

Capsule:

Poker Strategy is a reprint of A. D. Livingston’s 1971 book Poker Strategy and Winning Play. While the book shows its age, it does contain some insight, especially when it comes to the wilder varieties of poker often played in home games. There’s nothing fundamental in this book that isn’t repeated more carefully in the contemporary poker literature, but for those who just like to read poker books it can provide some entertainment.…

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