by Lou Krieger
 
It’s almost inevitable. You’re sitting in a poker game ready to act on your hand and there’s a raise. You wanted to play your hand, but now what should you do? Do you fold? Do you call and hope for salvation on the flop, or do you reraise to try to seize control of the hand because you think you have the best hand right now and want to get more money in the pot and play it against fewer opponents?
 
There are lots of reasons to reraise, and you and your opponents will often reraise for a variety of reasons— some solid, some not so good. So let’s try to put some perspective on this most aggressive of poker plays. Reraising for Value. This is the core three-bet. You think your hand is best, and you want to get more money in the pot while eliminating drawing hands that otherwise might stick around and get lucky on subsequent wagering rounds. And your opponent’s response to your reraise—does he fold, call, or make it four bets— will help you define the strength of his hand, and determine how yours stacks up against it.

by Lou Krieger

Happy New Year, poker players. It’s time to look deep into my crystal ball and see what 2012 has in store for us.

 My crystal ball isn’t as clear as I’d like it to be, so I’m going to hedge my bets by telling you that these predictions will come true either in 2012 or 2013. I’m not sure when it will all come to pass, but I do predict that all of this will happen. I predict online poker will become licensed and regulated within the United States, although it won’t happen first at the Federal level. Instead, individual states will take the lead on this issue, and as soon as one state enacts legislation that makes legalized and regulated online poker a reality within their borders, other states will rush into this game.

By Lou Krieger and Shari Geller
 
 
Nevada recently became the first state in the country to adopt online gaming regulations when the Nevada Gaming Commission recently passed rules to govern online poker.
 
These regulations were adopted unanimously in response to a mandate by the state legislature requiring the commission to adopt regulations before the end of January 2012. Nevada’s goal is to continue being the gold standard for gaming in the United States.
 

By Lou Krieger
 
Heartland Poker Tour players received a holiday gift when HPT officials announced a new tournament structure that provides longer levels, additional rounds, and adjusted payouts.
 
“As our prize pools have grown over the years,” said HPT Co-Founder Greg Lang, “players have consistently asked for more time to get their chips in good.  We listened.”
 
In most markets, the new structure allows for re-entry.  Similar to other major tours with multiple flights, players who get knocked out early may buy into a subsequent flight.  HPT tested the re-entry format at select properties in 2011 and received positive feedback. 
 

 
By Lou Krieger©
For Poker Player Newspaper
 
It’s that time of year, the time to take a look at who’s been naughty and who’s been nice, and reward them with a nice holiday gift or a lump of coal.  This year, some of the same folks who deserve a Christmas gift also earned a lump of coal—so this may prove confusing.
 
Deserving of both a gift and a lump of coal is the Poker Players Alliance.  They’ve been active throughout the year pushing poker’s agenda and getting behind a variety of Congressional hearings regarding poker’s legitimacy and they’ve been working hard to undue UIGEA and the nightmarish Black Friday.
 

by Lou Krieger
 
When I was a about ten or eleven, I was lucky enough to spend a month at a sleep-away summer camp for underprivileged kids sponsored by the Rotary Club. It got me out of Brooklyn and into the country where the air was cooler and somehow sweeter. It was my first time at summer camp and I loved it. I paddled canoes, did archery with real bows and arrows, played baseball, swam in the lake, and toasted marshmallows around the campfire. It was a pre-teen boy’s dream summer.

By Lou Krieger

Farhan Madhani, of Edgewater, New Jersey, rocked his way through a field of 331 runners and rolled to victory at the World Poker Tour’s Rock & Roll Poker Open, held at Hollywood Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. His victory was worth $172,406.

Second place finisher Alexander Venovski took home an even $150,000 for his near miss, while third place went to Harrison Gimbel, who won $76,130.

Fourth and fifth places were won by well-known pro Allen “Chainsaw” Kessler and Daniel Buzgon. Kessler sawed off a payday of $54,052, while Buzgon’s fifth-place finish paid him $40,349.
The main event was the culmination of a seventeen event poker tournament series that ran from October 26 through November 14.

By Lou Krieger 
 

by Lou Krieger
Each year the world’s best poker players and myriad pretenders converge in Las Vegas to compete in the World Series of Poker. The series used to be held downtown, at Binion’s Horseshoe in “Glitter Gulch,” but ever since Harrah’s purchased the WSOP and moved it to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino just off the Strip, its growth, success, and popularity over the past half-decade has been almost unimaginable. The Rio’s big draw is its convention center, which is large enough to hold more poker players than you could ever imagine convening in one place, if you haven’t yet seen and experienced it for yourself.

by Lou Krieger

Maybe it was the day, or the time, or just a random confluence of forces, but there’s a big difference between younger and older no-limit hold’em players. What brought this clearly to light was a full table no-limit game, where seven of the table’s players looked to be on the downhill side of 50. And the majority of older players made one similarly shocking error. They significantly overvalued big pairs.