Three years ago, my poker classes started at the Claude Pepper Sr. Citizen Center in Los Angeles with just six students. Now we have over 40 people enrolled. Whenever a new poker class or poker lab starts, I call for all students to take a vow. "As a requirement for being in this class," I say, "you must promise me that you will never play for the rent money."

That's always greeted with a smile from those who have taken my previous classes. I hold up my right hand and wait for all to join me:

"I will never play with the rent money."

Then they listen patiently as I explain:

One thing that certainly separates good dealers from the rest of the pack is their ability to tune into surrounding sights and sounds at the table. We like to believe that the players who populate the casino world are doing so with disposable money, but don't you believe it! Many times while dealing I've overheard fragments of sentences from players using the words, "foreclosure" or "impounded", "evicted," and worse. As painful as it is to believe, often times the money being gambled-on the flop, to the river-really belongs to a finance company, a mortgage holder, or a utility.

Today's poker wisdom comes from the unlikeliest of sources: a book on playing slot machines. The book doesn't pretend it can make you a slot winner-an idea as nonsensical as counting on Brownian motion to hold you up if you jump off a building. It does, though, have an intelligent word or two to say about game selection and goals. If your goal is a good, long session, says the book, then find a machine offering a high frequency of small payouts.

Daniel Negreanu is one of the true stars of the contemporary poker scene.

His winning personality and impressive tournament resume have made him one of the most recognized poker players in the world. Hold'em Wisdom for all Players is Negreanu's fi rst book, a collection of tips designed to improve the reader's hold'em game.

In the last two columns, I've answered key questions about poker concepts and tactics. So far, we've dealt with four topics. And today the series will be continued (today's word) with three more. What's so special about those questions?

Joe had been kidnapped from outside a Palm Springs casino. While Hobby, the Palm Springs police, and the FBI were looking for him, he was held captive in a sleazy motel. Joe managed to cut open the duct tape that bound him, but just as he freed himself, one of his captors entered from the adjoining room. He took the chair he had been bound to and as the mug stepped into the room, Joe smashed it over his head.

"What that f... was that?" the man in the other room hollered.

How many British pro players can you name? I imagine most North American poker enthusiasts can only think of a handful of the most high profile players, such as Dave "Devilfish" Ulliot, Roland de Wolfe, or maybe Ram Vaswani. There is however one player from over here who you should also know about, as his status in the UK is nothing short of legendary.

Just when you've tuned your casino game to take advantage of the tighter and more aggressive style of casino players, you find yourself in a home game. Should you apply your excellent casino strategy to the home game? Maybe not. It depends on the unique qualities of the game you're in.

Playing poker with just your "left brain" will mean that you are probably easy to beat and you have short stacks of chips. Left brain players are those who play very conservative, play only when the odds are in their favor, and are very predictable by their opponents. Few of these players ever win tournaments and they seldom walk away from cash games with a lot to show for their knowledge.

After spending a substantial amount of time within the milieu of Las Vegas, I've come to the conclusion that partying and gambling as a temporary visitor in Sin City is a million times more enjoyable than living there for work, particularly during the two months in the middle of summer when the World Series of Poker is underway. I understand the plight of the unfortunate souls who have to toil in resort towns or other holiday hotspots as the resentment builds against those they have to serve and be around daily... tourists.