2006 December 25

Situated within the beautiful woodlands of Northeastern Wisconsin, The Menominee Casino- Bingo-Hotel is where the surroundings come alive. Just a short, scenic 1/2 hour drive west of Green Bay; take exit 225 off of Hwy. 29, drive north 8 miles and you will find Menominee Casino on the left side of the road!

Images, Phil Laak says, may be the product of necessity.

So it was with this "Unabomber" thing . . . as in Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, slouched forward, face hidden behind the dark glasses and the raised hood of his parka. All mysterious and purposeful. It began with Laak trying to stay warn riding his mountain bike through the streets of Manhattan. The bike being a part of his life in the big city.

"You can't close gambling nowhere where the people want to gamble." -Senator Huey Long, Louisiana, 1935

The territory of Louisiana was originally claimed by the French in the 1690s. In order to secure and populate the valuable port site, the King of France awarded John Law and his company the opportunity to develop the new territory. Law raised money by convincing investors they would realize enormous profits from the gold and natural wealth of the colony. However, he couldn't find enough people willing to immigrate to the harsh, mosquito infested, diseaseridden region.

Those who know me well know this: I have trouble keeping my mind on anything - even poker - for any length of time. I long ago discovered that the one thing I want to do more than anything is more than one thing at once. The mind wanders. Oh how the mind does wander. Now there's really nothing wrong with a wandering mind, but a mind that wanders away from the poker table is at risk for losing money, and that's not good.

Hobby and I have been in the big land down under for two weeks as guests of our Australian friend. We've been wined, dined, entertained, and have played many poker games. There are a dozen major casino here, most of which are on the east side of the vast continent.

We started in the south at Melbourne and have been working our way north. Today we're winding up at our last casino on the northeast coast in a colorful town, Surfers Paradise.

"Ready for California, Hobby?"

"Yes, but I'm thinking it would be a pity to go before we scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef."

You have a tough decision to make; you stop and think. Contemplate the situation; then decide your course of action. That takes time. In the game of poker, it is no different.

The history of poker in Poland is fairly recent. It all began after the fall of the USSR. In late 1989, the economy was transformed to a free market, references to Communism were struck from the constitution, and the country was reborn as the Republic of Poland. By the early '90s, democracy had taken root. Thanks to this movement, casinos began appearing across the country, mostly basing themselves in hotels.

Among other skills, a great poker player must have a big heart, a good mathematical basis, and the ability to reason. It is this last ability that the following posers and puzzles are aimed at testing.

Heartland Poker Tour wrapped up its very exciting 2006 season with Dennis Dubey being named PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Dennis has won over 100K in 2006 on the HPT circuit, this included a first place win at St. Croix Casino in Turtle Lake, WI, and two second place finishes one at Chukchansi Gold Casino in Coarsegold, CA and most recently Majestic Star Casino in Gary, IN. As HPT PLAYER OF THE YEAR, Dennis has been awarded one main event entry into every 2007 HPT tournament.

One afternoon in early winter at my local poker room, my $4-8 Hold 'Em game was lively with a nice mix of newbies and experienced players. The newbies were playing inferior hands like 8c-2c, "just like on TV," and sometimes cashing with them because even the smallest flush has a 76% chance of being the best when there are exactly three trumps on an unpaired board.

Under the gun I peeked at my hand and saw Kd-5d. I called. Someone downstream raised. The Blinds folded and I called. Four-handed we saw the Flop.