'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.'

The losers at the trial level appealed. The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has now issued its ruling, upholding Party Poker's win.

But one of the justices, 73-year-old Gilbert Stroud Merritt, Jr., from Tennessee, wrote a separate concurring opinion. He agreed that Party Poker should win. But his reasoning fits the old saw, 'With friends like this, you don't need enemies.'

The suit was started by two plaintiffs, Rose Wong and Patrick Gibson, who claimed they... Continue reading Trial in Gibraltar or Jail in Ohio

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.

Doubt. When attempting to elicit a call from an opponent you should be comfortable, smooth, and confident. It shouldn't seem like a con game. Make it seem like you don't want the call. This plants a seed of doubt into your opponent's mind. He thinks that perhaps you don't have the cards necessary to steal the pot from him? Maybe his cards are better? Then he shoves his chips into the pile, giving you the call you had secretly orchestrated.

How do you make them think that you're cards are questionable to engender a call? You could appear hesitant, shaky, and eager for him to fold. Sometimes this promotes indecision and suspicion. But occasionally more subtlety is required.

If you're in the midst of an e... Continue reading Lesson 163: Profiting From Extra Calls

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.

If you are looking for golf, there are top-rated courses sitting right next to some of the best casinos in North America. Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut is home to the 36-hole Lake of Isles golf course, designed by Rees Jones. With its beautiful lake views and scenic vistas, the golf course has been rated highly by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. And with the largest poker room on the east coast, it is a prime destination for poker players.

In Biloxi, Mississippi, you can stay and play at the Beau Rivage casino, home to the 510 ac... Continue reading Vacations for the Poker Player

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.]

'Timmy Tilt,' played by actor Joey Scroggs, is a fictional poker player in the movie Dude, Where's My Cards? He is no more real than 'Eric Stoner,' Steve McQueen's fictional poker player in The Cincinnati Kid or 'Mike McDermott,' Matt Damon's fictional poker player in Rounders. Yet, when Today'sUSA asked people in a national poll to name the greatest poker player in the world, more than 90 percent of respondents answered 'Timmy Tilt.'

Dude, Where's My Cards was just one of the several low budget 'poker + pot = plot' movies churned out by a Hollywood film studio, which before Dude had produced Aces Up In Smoke, Fast Times At Hold'em High, and Harold & Kumar Toke The Dealer.

The movie Dude, Where's My Cards? tells the story of a young, hands... Continue reading Prisoner Of Poker: On Tilt

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.

Anyway, during our session Woody raised in the blind with Aa-6h, Ks-Js, and 9c-9d. He won nice pots with each hand, making aces-up, a flush, and a set of nines when the dealer turned a nine. We observed that Woody raised in the blind when he held a modest hand and there were many limpers, i.e., a 'family' pot, because in limit hold 'em, limpers usually always call a pre-flop raise.

By raising, Woody priced himself into seeing the turn even with little or no help from the flop. Of course his raise also enticed in the limpers. With favorable money odds due to his raise he can see the turn with only a few outs.

Suppose he raised in the small blind with 6d-5d and the flop came a... Continue reading Raise n Chase: Part 5