I had been dreaming that I was in a dark smelly place. When I opened my eyes I discovered I was bound to a chair, lying on a dirty carpet. My mental computer went into turbo putting it all together. I remembered being outside the casino for some fresh air. Someone came up behind me and I got hit on the head. The motel room recollection also came back too, with a vision of the palooka who clobbered me. Had I seen Sonny, or did I dream that too?

One Card Omaha-Known for his skillful no limit hold'em play, T.J. Cloutier is also one of the very best pot-limit Omaha players in the world. With five tables left in the WSOP pot-limit Omaha championship, I found myself on T.J.'s left with an average chip stack. T.J. had one of the larger stacks at the table. Two or three hands later, I was the big blind. T.J. raised the size of the pot after everyone else had folded. I called with both red aces and the 8-7 of spades.

This is the first of two columns about stop loss.

We've all seen the phrase "It depends" in poker literature many times. Yeah ... about a kazillion times! "It Depends" is so frequently used because poker is so situationally dependent. Today let's examine a situation that can be addressed multiple ways so it just might ... (here comes the "D" word again) Depend.

Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall and witness a high stakes mixed game at Bobby's Room in the back of the Bellagio featuring Doyle Brunson, Jen Harman, Phil Ivey, and Sammy Farha? Of course you have. Every poker player would love to have a glimpse of the Big Game. Unless you happen to be playing at a nearby table in the Bellagio, the chances of you actually catching the action are slim. However, online poker affords you the opportunity to railbird your favorite pros by simply watching their tables.

Fourteen months ago, I was playing in a WSOP event against one of poker's superstars, Phil Laak (a.k.a. the Unabomber). He suggested that I use as "Today's Word" in this column something he had coined. I laughed and said it was a good word, but up until now, I've ignored his suggestion.

His word is "felted," and it means being forced to go all-in, leaving no more chips on the table in front of you. His word has even more impact when you use it to convey that the pot was subsequently lost and you finished the hand chipless. If this happens to you, you've been felted.

As wild Canadian geese fly overhead announcing the return of autumn, poker enthusiasts take flight to compete in a cornucopia of action packed fall poker tournaments. Fall is traditionally the most exciting time of year for Midwestern players, and this season will be no exception. New tournament opportunities and the expansion of annual tournament venues abound, giving players more options, as well as the chance to compete for larger prize pools in 2007.

I was very sad to learn of my friend Byron Liggett's passing. Byron, save me a seat in the big game up there. Byron was so very helpful to me in a great many ways. The poker world will miss him. I want to continue today with another column on the red games of poker. Today I would like to talk to the folks about the poker dealer. If he is a mechanic, you are in a very red game.

I've got some good news to report for all the fans of The Scintas, the Buffalo foursome who arrived in Las Vegas seven years ago and became an instant hit. After ending their run at the Sahara several months ago, they are returning to Las Vegas and will debut their new show, Laugh Out Loud with the Scintas at the Las Vegas Hilton September 24.

In a 2006 interview, Jeffrey Pollack said. "I view the World Series of Poker as a 37-year-old "start-up" with a rich history and tradition." He also said, "It's very well established from a poker and gaming standpoint, but from a business and marketing standpoint, there's still plenty of opportunity." Although there appears to be nothing wrong with this statement, it does imply that Mr. Pollack knows a lot more than the Binion family and the many others who brought the WSOP to the place where it is the premier event in the poker world.