Timing is crucial to maximizing poker profit – but probably not in ways that come immediately to mind. Let’s discuss that in today’s selfinterview.

Question 1: What does timing have to do with poker?

 When players say, “Bad timing,” or “Your timing was off,” they’re often responding politely to an opponent’s failed bluff, after calling with strong hands. They either mean to make that opponent feel better or they’re using a psychological ploy. It’s one intended to suggest that they wouldn’t have called, had their hand not been so powerful, thus inviting the foe to bluff again in the future. When you hear similar words when you’re caught bluffing, you should back away from bluffing that opponent.

 You also hear someone talk about their own bad timing – or yours – in the context of having a strong second-best hand or having made a flush on the river that loses. And there are other ways that the word “timing” is commonly used in poker.

 However, I’m not talking about that today. Let’s explore what I am talking about. Next question.

Question 2: I get it, you’re talking about the flow of the game, getting in sync with the action. You need timing there, right?

There are plenty of reasons to head for Verona, New York and the classy Turning Stone Resort & Casino. The East Coast Poker Championship is a big one. Live game action paying out a total of $10,000 on May 19th, is another reason. Owned by the Oneida Indian Nation, “The Stone” can legally allow 18 year olds to play. There are 2 bad beats in the lively cash room; one is for Omaha.

The East Coast Poker Championship begins on Thursday, May 16th, running through Sunday, May 26th, and featuring a $100,000 guarantee on Saturday, May 25th. You will like the structure of this $500+$60 event with 40 minute blinds, 15,000 in chips. There is a re-entry for 6 levels. Even with a rebuy this is a great pay-out for your investment. Friday, May 24th will see a $50K guarantee, and Thursday, the 23rd offers a $25K guarantee. These are both a reentry for 6 levels too. With plenty of other play time, including Bounty Re-entry’s and Turbo Re-entry’s, it will be hard to tear yourself away to play the always popular cash room. But make your way there on Sunday, the 19th, for the Grand Prize drawings. $500 at a clip, every 20 minutes from 5 pm to 10 pm, with the last one, a big $1000: that is a $10,000 give-a-way for the day! Note: players must qualify for the giveaways from April 25th through May 19th with a full house or higher.

This is a beautiful 4-Star resort. Jason DiBenedetto manages a great poker room with some of the nicest and most competent dealers you will ever meet. Call early to snag a poker discount: 800- 771-7711.

The World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Showdown has crowned a champion and Kevin “1SickDisease” Eyster has walked away with $660,395 as the newest member of the WPT Champions Club. He topped a field of 542 players and a final table that included Jeff Madsen, and his friend Zo Karim here in South Florida.

 The respected online professional took his career live earnings close to $1.2 million. He has also won over a million online in his successful career. Eyster certainly proved his skill at tonight’s final table. He began with the chip lead and was in solid control of the final table all night long en route to his first major live title.

By Barbara Rogers

Where else would you want to be? Any time from May 8th thru May 28th, Delaware Park is the place to be. An incredible payout, outstanding staff, $250,000, $500,000, $100,000, $200,000, and a bunch of $75,000, $50,000, $20,000, $25,000 and $10,000 guarantees! Are you kidding me, why are you not already packing and making discounted reservations at the Red Roof Inn in Wilmington? If you are looking for action and big money, look no further, it’s all here.

$250,000 guaranteed No limit Hold’em beginning May 8th, Day 1A at noon, Day 1B on May 9th with a buy-in of only $550. You don’t find many tournaments like this. Day 1 has 50 minute blinds. Days 2 & 3 offer 90 min. blinds!! With 40,000 in starting chips, you will get your moneys worth of play time. Plenty of $75 satellites will be offered too. This is just the beginning of one of the best events you will find on the East Coast. Twenty days of play brings everything imaginable your way.

By Wendeen H. Eolis

While most of the country was glued to the movements of Boston area law enforcement agents immediately after the Boston Marathon bombings, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York had it sights set elsewhere on a sting against organized crime that was tied into a few game runners and players in high stakes poker games in New York. April has been a tough month for poker in New York City, more than once.
 

NY Poker Highlighted in Bust of Russian–Based Organized Crime Ring

 At the crack of dawn on April 16, 2013, federal agents were on the march to pick up their prey in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami and California, as well as New York. They moved in with plans to break the back of an internationally based gambling enterprise rooted inside the Russian Federation.

 The accusations made by the Government marry illegal gambling activities to organized crime and put some of New York’s best known nosebleed poker games in the hands of old school “Russian Mafia” with locally based operatives intertwined in their operations.  

 Arguably, the April 16^th bust shone the brightest light over high stakes poker games in the underground world of New York poker—ever.

First a ring, then a bracelet. That’s the old adage on the WSOP Circuit. Gold bracelet champion Nick Jivkov has ideas of his own, though, and his adage goes something like this: first a ring, then a bracelet, then a couple more rings, then hopefully a few more bracelets.

He’s keeping up his end of the deal, too. Jivkov bested 260 entrants in the opening event at Horseshoe Council Bluffs Friday night, winning his third WSOP Circuit gold ring, $19,110 and 50 points toward the Casino Championship.

Jivkov is a veteran of the WSOP, having won his first ring in 2010 at IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi, Miss. He followed the adage, winning a bracelet and $189,818 less than two years later in Las Vegas. He continued his winnings ways nabbing ring number two just a few months ago at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind., and finally, ring number three Friday night in Iowa.

NC Native Collects Gold Ring and $250K in First Cash

If ever there was a poker fairytale with storybook ending, it happened April 15 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort, nestled in the majestic Smoky Mountains.

The first-ever World Series of Poker Circuit ever held in North Carolina ended in spectacular fashion on Monday evening as John Bowman won the top prize of a quarter-of-a-million dollars to go along with Harrah’s Cherokee’s Main Event Championship. He stunned the poker world, his competitors, and even himself with the unexpected victory.

by Barbara Rogers

That's right,  Brad Hinson, the man in charge of the poker room at Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana is making sure you have the opportunity again. Just in case you missed out on the first chance, check out the Hollywood Spring Poker Open playing out from April 29th-May 5th on this dockside casino riverboat. There s a No Limit Hold'em tournament every day during this Poker Open. The main event guarantees a payout of $200,000 for a buy-in of only $375.00. 
 

Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg was first in the Penn National stable of casino's all across America to offer the chance to win a trip to Las Vegas in June, to play the inaugural $500,000 guaranteed Hollywood Poker Open.

By Barbara Rogers

Bust A Champ Bounty Tournament welcomes the above three Delaware Park Classic winners back. The champs from 2011, 2012, and 2013 will each wear a $500 bounty on top of their crown. YOU, if you are up to the challenge, could KO them, collecting your cold hard cash, as well as perhaps winning some of the tournament payout money. With only $100 of the $350+$38+$12 staff bonus going toward the bounty, this means the tournament pay-out should be very nice. The Black Chip Bounty tournament is most popular and here you have not only a shot at a $500 bounty, but there is a $100 bounty on every other players head. Lucrative fun, it’s the best!

The date is Saturday, April 20th at 12 pm and it is No Limit Hold’em. Use your players card at the Red Roof Wilmington for a poker room discount, telephone 302 292 2870.

An Editorial By Stanley R. Sludikoff, Publisher

 As many people know, I spent over 30 years in the United States Army Reserve, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. For roughly 50 years I have been a life member of the Reserve Officers Association. I keep up with military matters through publications sent to me by that organization. In a recent newsletter, an article revealed that the Command Surgeon for the US Army Central Command (includes Iraq and Afghanistan), Colonel Erin Edgar, along with researcher Doctor Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, have recommended that Energy Drinks be banned from sale from Army and Air Force installation stores, where they are currently the top selling cold beverages.