Texas Hold'em has infiltrated just about every aspect of human consciousness.

Now it's made it aboard two of the biggest cruise lines in the world: Princess Cruise and Carnival Cruise. Every week at least one new two-to-seven-day cruise kicks off from one of these cruise lines somewhere in the world, and it's a good bet that cruise has Hold 'em aboard.

Plaza Hotel and Casino
Number One Main Street
Las Vegas, Nevada
Toll free 1.800.634.6575 or 702.386.2110
Plaza Website.

"When you build it, they will come," is a famous line from the movie Field of Dreams. Many people called it a baseball movie. I call it is an amazing life lesson told around a baseball theme.

"It still has not hit home," World Series of Poker Champion Joe Hachem says about this business of becoming an instant celebrity.

One minute he's a reasonably successful but unknown Australian, a former chiropractor who fancied himself a pretty good gambler.

Poker is a mean game. It's agony and ecstasy, frustration and fulfillment, delight and despair. Consequently, we find Poker websites devoted to news, views, how-to's, who's who's, and what-todo's.

But what's funny about Poker? A lot. If you're not getting laughs out of your game, there's a special website for you: Hold'em Humor. It's a flop house for poker jokers.

"I was playing poker with tarot cards the other night. I got a full-house and four people died" is typical of the one-liners posted on the website.

There's a good reason that you will not likely find any "wild" poker games in casino poker rooms. Good players would not show up. I've noticed that the way to neutralize a good poker player is to get him or she to playing in a home game that if laced with what I call "phony poker games." These are carnival poker games that reduce the game to pure chance. Games like "One-Eyed Jacks (are wild)," "Doctor Pepper (10's, 2's, and 4's are wild)," "Low hole card is wild (and all like it)," and "Follow the Lady (the card dealt after the Queen is wild, but could change if another Queen is dealt up)."

Before I start, let me clarify what I consider home games. These are poker games that are put on for profit by someone other than a licensed casino. it is not your brother Billy Bob and the family, playing poker in the parlor for a few bucks. It certainly isn't your buddies that get together once in a while to play a game, drink some beer and buy pizza! Those are social games where you may lose a few bucks, but you're glad you're there with all your close friends etc.

Today we will examine some of the factors to consider when formulating our decision to fold or muck. I outlined some of the factors last time as questions we should ask ourselves. Today we will look at why we ask these questions and what do the answers mean.

A tip before we get started. When your cards are being dealt, look at your opponents. Watch the expressions on their faces and what the do with their cards and hands. This is one of the easiest ways to pick up tells. You will always have time to look at your cards before you act.

Thomas "Tip" O'Neill was a 20th Century American Hero. One of the last, great, liberal New Deal Democrats, he dedicated himself to a lifetime in politics fighting for the working class and underprivileged.

He came from a family of risk-takers, Irish immigrants who gambled everything to win a new life in the USA. Born in 1912, O'Neill grew up in the poor, urban, Irish working- class neighborhood of Cambridge, Mass. Here he developed a lifelong love for baseball, betting, cards, and common folk.

About 20 years ago back in the UK, when Hold'em was still in it's infancy - PL 7-Card Stud was the game when it came to playing cash. The games in Nottingham at the time became extremely lively as an influx of new faces came to play in the biggest game in town. In truth, it was very easy money as most of these fresh faces had very little idea of how to play the game.