For those of you new to the poker world or relatively new, you won't recognize the name Bill "Bulldog" Sykes. Let me tell you about a poker legend, not because of gold bracelets or the millions he won but because he was a memorable character, he was the Bulldog.

As I read Peter Costa's column in the October 17 issue, for a moment I thought that he and Phil Hellmuth may be on to something to (again) change our poker world forever. The subject was bad beats in online poker. He eluded first jokingly to solutions (which all sounded great to me!) and then he teased us while saying it would be unfair to tease the readers and finally he left us with a riddle, "The key to the solution - can only be found - if you believe a solution is needed."

In the last issue of Poker Player I got on a tangent about smoking. If you missed it, don't misunderstand. I was the world's most addicted smoker, so I wasn't lambasting anyone. I was simply discussing the addiction and how very difficult it is to beat it. I speak from experience.

I believe that everyone has to do it (quit) his or her own way, find their own path so to speak. I have talked to people who have tried, shots, pills, gum, patches, hypnotism, and prayer. Nothing worked.

It's not only "not easy"; it's hard as hell. On my personal scale, it was the second hardest thing I have ever done in my life. That is the line I use when someone ask me how I did it. Of course their next question is what was the first hardest thing. I jokingly say, "Not killing my husband when he broke my heart!"

In the last issue we met Michael Hochman and Annie Adlin, two career poker folks who along with Matthew Kaphan are in the process of making a dream come true. TV people have been trying their hand at poker shows for a number of years and now these terrific poker people are trying their hand at doing at TV.

The TV show PokerBeat came from the birth of an idea to full-blown production over the course of two years.

Have you ever been watching an "Entertainment Tonight" type news/magazine/gossip/star-studded TV show and wondered, why don't they do something on the subject of poker, poker players, and what's happening in the poker world? I've got good news! "They" have and I want to tell you all about "them" and the new (upcoming) TV show, "PokerBeat."

Do you believe in karma? I sort of do, I say sort of because I'm not so sure about the Buddhism and Hinduism beliefs of a person's fate being predestined in his next life or state of existence in accordance to how he lives in the present. However, I believe in bad creating bad and good enhancing good, so if that is a form of believing in karma then count me in.

In the last issue of Poker Player, we followed George Marlowe's life from getting kicked out of half a dozen schools for playing poker to a career of a successful professional poker player, to his entrance into the "real world" and a "real" career during his years as "Super Dad" and the birth of a new passion, ceramic art. As explained in Part I, whenever I heard the word, "ceramics", my knowledge was that of my grandmother's pottery classes where she proudly produced vases, pots and ashtrays. Upon my first visit to Marlowe's studio, I was quickly educated about ceramic art.

I don't remember the first time I met George Marlowe but I do remember where, it was a poker emporium somewhere, and I also remember what got my attention, his friendliness, his smile and his mismatched shoes. He was well dressed, well groomed (not commonplace in the poker world back then) and he wore one purple Reebok and one red. The rest of his ensemble matched his shoes. His shoes may have been mismatched but he was well coordinated. Indeed, he made a totally individual fashion statement. I loved it!

As I write this, the WSOP is in full swing. It isn't over so I can't write about the latest millionaires and multimillionaires who won their riches in the 2005 WSOP main event because our publisher gave us a very early deadline for this issue so he could go to Vegas and witness the birth of the newest millionaires in our poker world. There will be thousands of gasps, cheers, tears, good beats and bad beats to report on after Friday, July 15. For now, I can report on some of the happenings and behind the scenes good, bad and funny at the 2005 WSOP.