Misc.

The Terms: Start with $500 and build a substantial poker bankroll over within one year. You may only play live games in casinos and poker rooms; no online or home games.
 
My conclusion, reported in my last column “Location, Location,” leads me to return to Las Vegas to grind out a living playing poker.
 

Frank Kassela had a spectacular summer at the 2010 World Series of Poker with two bracelet victories in $2,500 razz and $10,000 7-stud/8. The pro, originally from Germantown, Tennessee, hadn’t garnered significant TV time or won a major event, so he was not a “known pro” in the eyes of the masses. Perhaps that will change after Kassela wins the WSOP Player of the Year (POY) title. At present, he has POY virtually locked up. At the worst, he will tie for first place if Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi wins the main event when the November Nine reconvenes.

The Terms of the $500 Poker Challenge: Start with $500 and build your poker bankroll over a period of one year into a substantial bankroll. You may only play live games in casinos and poker rooms; no online or home games.
 
In business, location is critical for success, whether it is real estate or a doughnut shop. Playing poker seriously is, or can be, a business. So today’s column is about optimal locations for playing poker.
 

The terms: Start with $500 and build your poker bankroll over a period of one year into a substantial bankroll.

“Nobody is always a winner, and anybody who says he is, is either a liar or doesn’t play poker.”—Amarillo Slim Preston
 
In my last article, “The $500 Poker Challenge, Part One,” I explained the terms of the Challenge: Start with $500 and build a poker bankroll over a period of one year into a substantial bankroll. You may only play live games in casinos and poker rooms; no online or home games.
 

 “Poker is good for you. It enriches the soul, sharpens the intellect, heals the spirit, and—when played well—nourishes the wallet.” —Lou Krieger

During the 2008 WSOP Main Event, quad aces lost to a royal flush with both hole cards playing. (You can view the two-minute video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XunAlp2azhA)

In post-production ESPN’s math consultant rummaged around in a place renowned for its lack of sunshine and pulled out a number for the odds. In the show’s airing, ESPN’s Lon McEachern announced that number to the world, 2.7 billion-to-1. Wrong. Nope. Nyet. Non. No way. Not even close—that number misses by two orders of magnitude! Let’s calculate the right odds.

Meet me at the Peppermill in Reno. The Nevada State Poker Championship is scheduled for May 5-9. On Wednesday, May 5 two events are scheduled, a $225 buy-in at noon and a $120 buy-in at 6 p.m. Three events are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, a $225 buy-in at noon, and $120 buy-in events at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

[Randall Emmett and Richard Jackson turned a chance meeting at a high stakes poker game in Las Vegas into a movie production deal. In this second part of the series, their new business venture takes flight and moves from the poker table to the movie set.]

After spending almost $80 per person to enter the theme park, the patriarch of the family dragged his wife and kids from ride to ride in a blistering pace. The kids were cranky, tired, and hungry. His frustrated wife suggested that they find a comfortable spot to sit for an hour or so to take a break. Although he knew it sounded like a good idea, he urged everyone to forge onward in an attempt to "get our money's worth."