I remember the first time I played poker in a casino. I was in Reno for the Mid-Winter Holiday Bridge Tournament. My friend, Paul Ford, suggested I play poker on New Year's Eve. "Everyone will be drunk, and you have enough card sense to triple your money. Just play tight, don't play to fourth street without a pair, a three-flush, or three-straight, and you'll be fine."

Today I will take a break from counting the number of starting hands and answer a reader's question. Jeff writes:

"I would usually call with any A-2 or A-3 when the ace is suited, but it seems as though many of my opponents are calling with any suited ace. Is this good strategy?"

Jeff's inquiry dealt with pot-limit Omaha/8. Since my articles are based on fact and not opinion, I searched my database thoroughly for an answer.

[Editor's Note: This is Tony Guererra's final column for Poker Player Newspaper. Tony has always worked to advance the state of poker theory and we appreciate his contributions to this paper. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.]

Pot-committed is a term most often associated with no-limit games, and particularly tournaments. It occurs when the pot is big enough to be offering you such great odds that you should almost always call-even if you believe that you are behind in the hand.

Let's examine how to earn extra calls to enlarge your bankroll. As a master at the use of psychology on his opponents, Mike succeeds in achieving extra calls time and again. You can become accomplished too with a little knowledge and practice.

"If we read Ohio law as controlling the contract in question, the parties probably are guilty of a crime under Ohio law, the contract is void, and both parties could be extradited and prosecuted together in an Ohio criminal court." -Gilbert Stroud Merritt, Jr., Concurring, in Wong v. PartyGaming

A year ago, I wrote, "Party Poker won a nice victory in federal court in Ohio, because its Terms and Conditions say that all disputes will be heard in the courts of Gibraltar."

Acting is nothing more or less than playing. -George Elliot

[This is a work of poker fiction set ten thousand hands in the future. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.]

Need a reason for your next vacation to include something more than poker? Maybe your significant other is not a poker player and needs a different diversion? Well, a casino resort may still be your answer. While the obvious destination would be Las Vegas with its myriad shopping, dining, and entertainment choices, there are other locations that offer the draw of a great poker room with first class non-poker
offerings.

We played $4-$8 hold 'em with Woody recently and learned a few new tricks. Woody plays most every day, arriving at lunchtime and staying as long as he can find a good game. He doesn't win every day-no one does-he just usually wins. We doubt that he even has losing weeks.

Have you ever noticed in live games some players muck their hands very quickly? This phenomenon is normally the result of one of two factors... first, some players, believing they are beaten, just do not wish to show their hands. Second, if a failed bluff is being called, they are embarrassed to have their hand revealed so they immediately toss it into the muck.