HURRAH FOR HARRAH’S One of America’s biggest gaming corporations “Harrah’s” has bought control of London Clubs International which owns the City’s upmarket “Fifty Club”, the world famous “Sportsman Club” as well as “The Rendezvous” in Brighton. Price? Half a billion dollars! Why? Because gaming is deregulating in the U.K. faster than you can say, “More money for Gordon Brown and the Treasury!” This is extremely good news for poker in Britain. Harrah’s is a massive promoter of poker and as they are the largest casino operator in the world they have more clout than Mike Tyson.
WORLD SERIES IN THE U.K.? Perhaps the most important fact of all is that Harrah’s, as the owners and operators of the World Series of Poker, may decide in the not too distant future to run a World Series from our very own shores! For poker fans that’s like the Olympics being staged in London. Let’s start putting the pressure on.
PLAYBOY AND POKER Now that’s a thought provoking, tempting pair almost any male poker player would like to get his hands on. Apparently Heff has finally got out of bed long enough to realise there are other things that can give you a thrill beyond the world of playmates. His Playboy Poker bootcamps run for four days and allow poker players from around the world to press the flesh at the Playboy Mansion with some of the world’s most upfront females. At the not-so-bargain price of $5,000 you can play the extraordinarily apt Texas Hold’em whilst feasting your eyes on the kind of onlookers guaranteed to give you a winning flush. Might be an idea to tell the wife you’re going camping, otherwise you’ll be gambling with your health as well as your wealth.
POKER TIP OF THE DAY If you are a new player you need to become aware of “variance”. No-limit Texas Hold’em is one of the most volatile games you can imagine playing. It’s possible to hit winning or losing streaks which seem to run an run and then they suddenly end violently, only to swing back the other way. So given this situation, what’s the obvious conclusion? Simple. Don’t make the mistake that the majority of new players make as they gain confidence. Poker newbies almost always play cash games that are above their comfort zone. A losing streak at high stakes can result in a crash and burn scenario that puts a player off his game for quite a while. If you play for comfortable amounts of money you’ll survive long enough to come to terms with “variance” and the part it plays in your game. It’s like a rock climber having firm spikes in the rock face. No harm in climbing higher once you are properly prepared for the risks.
