Joe Sebok's made it look easy, earning nearly a million dollars in tournament prize money deciding to play poker professionally. His fast start included a pair of final table finishes at the 2005 World Series, winning $109,000 in two hold 'em events. It was the first year he participated in poker's biggest party.

Fast forward to the present and we discover he's still doing well. This past October he won $267,295, with a first place finish in a hold 'em tournament at the Fiesta al Lago.

Gary Dee smiled politely and took a break from his ten-handed $4-8 Hold'Em game after his Top Two Pairs lost to a Straight. He was, he explained, going to take a walk outside and think pleasant thoughts. Upon his return he headed in my direction and told me that he had held A-Q; the dealer flopped A-Q-T and then put blanks on the Turn and River. After some spirited betting, his remaining opponent tabled K-J and pulled a nice pot. "What were the chances that anyone had a Straight with that tableau?" he asked.

The following poker mistakes can affect your bankroll.

Concentration. If you find yourself losing and continue to lose, perhaps it's time to quit. Tomorrow could bring a fresher perspective. Maybe you're worrying about an argument or a bad situation at work or a speeding ticket. Any of these things can contribute toward your mind skittering about and not being able to concentrate fully on the game at hand. Poker demands your full concentration. You could easily miss a tell. In fact, there are many mistakes that can be made when you're mind isn't totally on the game.

Yes, that's what I said: You are NOT gambling when you play WINNING! poker.

Let me explain. . . What is GAMBLING? Recently I conducted a survey of the meaning of the word, "gambling." What does it mean? I queried members of my poker classes and the Poker Lab at the Claude Pepper Sr. Citizens Center, and a number of others whom I deem expert in the game of poker, including Arizona Stu and Stan Sludikoff, the editor/ publisher of Poker Player and a consultant on gaming for an encyclopedia. They offered various definitions; best of all was Stan's: "Gambling is wagering at unfavorable odds."

The first settlement in New York Harbor was established by Dutch fur traders in 1613 and was called New Amsterdam. These early traders were adventurers, gamblers, willing to take big risks for big profits.

One particularly shrewd player, Peter Minuit, convinced the resident Native Americans to sell him Manhattan Island and Staten Island for about $24 worth of goods. The Indians, to whom the idea of land ownership was ridiculous, thought they got the better deal.

Mention the Las Vegas Hilton and every one connects the joint with "Elvis the King." The Las Vegas Hilton was home to the King for his 8 years as headliner at "the showroom" of Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Hilton. The gig broke all the Vegas entertainment records. Elvis performed 837 consecutive sell-outs entertaining 2.5 million people. The Elvis Presley penthouse suite is a Las Vegas famous place. An original bronze work stands tribute to King. Elvis will never leave this building.

Open Court has published a twenty volume series (so far) where each volume associates some aspect of popular culture with the academic discipline of philosophy. Examples include "Baseball and Philosophy", "The Simpsons and Philosophy", and even, no kidding, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy". Given the recent rise in the popularity of poker and the litany of literature that deals with poker as a microcosm of life, "Poker and Philosophy" would seem to be a natural addition to this series.

Strange things happen at the poker table - unexpected things. Weird hands win. Again and again. Over and over. It just never stops. But poker is like life, you see. And in life, real life, unusual things occur all around us.

Michael Mizrachi is a man on a mission. At the tender age of 25, the boy from North Beach, Miami, is setting the poker world on fire. Currently ranked #1 at both Pokerpages and CardPlayer, 2006 has been a cash rich year in the cardroom for the Team Absolute Poker Pro.

With million dollar plus wins at both the LA Poker Classic and the Borgota Winter Open, Michael's relentless technique at the tables - which earned him the nickname: 'The Grinder' - is clearly paying dividends.

And - with only two years of pro play under his belt - how did The Grinder get into that poker groove?

In my last column, where I was playing in a short-handed stud game in a $30/60 stud game in Caesar's Indiana, I started to explain why it makes sense in a short-handed stud game to bluff less, not more than in a full game. Here's the explanation. You must bluff less in a short handed game in stud because the pot is smaller, with fewer players anteing.