"Clear!" shouts the paramedic. Ignoring my life-and-death struggle, Gyp says, "Not awl a' us at da game wuz kilt."

"You mean me?'

"No. As a matta a fact I don't. . . "

"think he's going to make it. You. . ."

"woodn' eider f ya'd tink out. Da problum iz ya haven't counted up the numba a . . ."

"dead! One more failed shock and we're declaring him dead."

". . . jus' like me an' da three poka playas. Nows iz dat"

"Clear!"

I start breathing again. Jake says, "You were dead."

So, you've been crushing the $1/2 game, beating the $2/4 game and running over the $3/6 game. You wonder if you're ready for higher stakes games. How can you know? Here are some things for you to consider before making the big step.

The first consideration is the minimum buy-in. Generally it's ten times the small bet for the lower tier mid limit games and ten times the big bet for the higher tier mid limit games. So $5/10 requires a minimum of $50, $10/20 requires $100 and $20/40 requires $400. And that makes sense because the action tends to be more aggressive once you hit $20/40.

Johnny Moss was THE man... the "Grand Old Man of Poker."

Poker's answer to Babe Ruth, the winner of three World Series championships. He might have had a fourth, but Puggy Pearson's ace-high in the 1973 no limit hold 'em event left Moss in second place.

During his best years, no one cast a longer shadow than Moss.

He was already a member of the Poker Hall of Fame when he died in Las Vegas in 1995 at the age of 89.

Straights are the most misunderstood Hold'Em hands. Some "experts" opine, "Don't play three-gap connectors, because when you make a Straight it could lose to a higher one," and, "Never play the "idiot end' of a Straight."

That's bunk. If you have the 2nd-nut or 3rd-nut Straight using both your cards, then bet it up because it's quite likely you'll have the best hand!

How much do you know about our favorite game? I'm going to tell you all you never knew that you wanted to know about the sport that is sweeping the nation, indeed the world.

As a professional Counselor, I continually see the power and adaptability of the human mind with many clients. Harnessing this unique power while on the table is certain to bring players nice profits. Because poker is a game which can lull the mind to a into a monotonous pattern, I always encourage players to find a way to keep the game fresh while focusing on learning and improving. The best players continue to grow and improve, and they certainly understand that consistently winning comes from superior psychological strength.

Mickey Johansson was born in Gullspang, Sweden. He graduated high school at the age of 14 and joined the Merchant Marine. Six months later, while on shore leave, he was struck by a car and spent three days in a coma. After a three month hospital stay he went back to his duties as a Merchant Marine but within a short time Mickey decided to quit and returned home. He took a job in a local factory where a childhood buddy, Tino Helge, also worked.