So that's - none of you. Well, have we got news for you...

Playing online poker is still a Class C felony.

Other Class C felonies in the state of Washington include: possessing child pornography, stalking, drive by shootings, threatening the governor, family abandonment, heroin possession, unauthorized abortions or committing grand theft auto.

Playing poker might not make you a gun-toting pervert, but it will put you in their company. It's a Class C felony, punishable by five years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.

"The state loves gambling, it's a gigantic business. It's just the state protecting its turf," says Lee Rousso, the PPA's man in the dock. "The turf he refers to is the state-sponsored lottery, Indian casinos and horse racing where the state gets money directly and indirectly."

"The politicians are dictating what you can do in the privacy of your own home. It makes it look like a pretty backward place," says poker pro Barry Greenstein.

Meanwhile in North Carolina, 14 people have been busted for playing poker for money at home.

Such is life in the land of the free...

Players have competed in a gruelling series of ten tournaments where the winners of each, as well as the top 30 players overall will compete to take home the first prize of a £12,000 WSOP package!

The additional prize pool of $3,000 will be shared between those that narrowly miss out and for those that are put out early Betfair will be providing free drinks and food.

The Poker Bunker is home to a weekly meeting of poker enthusiasts who are coached by a guest professional poker player. All levels of player are welcome and it is especially useful for those that are new to the game.

Other facilities available at the Poker Bunker include indoor golf simulators, a cocktail bar and widescreen tv's showing the latest on Sky Sports.

Why not go along this Monday and get a lesson from a pro.

Says Gates: "We're saying it will be absolutely pervasive. When I say everywhere, I mean the individual's office, the home, the living room." The poker room...

This machine uses a large touch screen to shuffle, deal, calculate odds, and pay the winner. Gates is all ears.

It's just great. And so long as you only have one friend to play against, it's perfect.

But even better then it is the chance to keep your money for actual poker play and shun these trinkets and trappings.

Or buy it, show your friends and then shove it in the closet with your Automated Poker Dealer, RoboChips and solid gold playing cards.

Take advantage of technology and play online.

Unless you're in the States, in which case you can buy a poker robot and try to impress Bill Gates Bill Gates...

Writing in the Houston Chronicle, Daniel Negreanu considers the matter and says that the winner will be the one who uses the break best.

Negreanu's thinking is based on American Football which he says improved when teams began to study their opponents by watching videos of the games.

But if all the coaches are studying all the games then what difference can it make? Watching videos does not improve the coach's game it just makes him think that he has to watch videos so as not to be at a disadvantage.

At the WSOP Main Event final table, the Final Nine will have three months to study footage of their opponents. This might sound incredibly dull because it is.

Negreanu's advice should be listened to and ignored.

The wise finalists will spend the break playing as little poker as possible so as to remain fresh and sharp for the final push.

A few crib notes about your own mistakes can be looked at from time to time, but to do any more than that will leave the player jaded.

If the Poker Anorak is on the final table - and who knows? - I'd use the 12-week break to build up media profile and secure myself a career as a poker expert.

Like Negreanu...

Rousso is the Poker Players Alliance's (PPA) Washington State representative. And today he is court to explain in five million words of less why Washington's state's ban on online poker gambling is absurd.

Also in the rally will be poker stars Andy Bloch and Barry Greenstein

Good luck with that.

For anyone else keen to understand the laws of the US, The World Poker Association is holding a conference on May 28 in Las Vegas, just before the start of this year's World Series of Poker.

The WPA has made its mission "to promote poker as a sport by advocating professionalism and uniform rules and standards of conduct, and by helping to create increased economic opportunities for players," according to its Web site.

Top of the agenda should be playing online for money.

Poker companies need to grow and give the punters what they demand.

More discussions at the Next Generation in Gambling event. The aim, it says here, is to "maximize marketing efforts, attract customers, build player loyalty and cement brand identity through new media-channel development. Exploring North American regulations and advances in technology are the main focal points" of the show.

Thanks to cutting edge technologies US online poker players can play faster games, with cards that flash in different colours and a separate tone for each card.

Big deal. The only way the US is going to get up to speed is by allowing its citizens to play poker online.

The rest is just details...

Here are the top videos of memory:

Now not to - 21 mistakes:

Hi-Lo

Speed counting:

Memories:

Like I said though I have been grinding like mad this month and have played the grand total of 12,073 hands in 8 days which I think is pretty awesome! I've been playing between 9-12 tables and things have been going pretty well really and I am up 15 buy-ins in total so the bankroll is the highest it has been for a long while. Of course it was much prettier an hour ago but it's still very healthy and I know I can win back today's losses with plenty of interest on top. I'm a total software geek and have some that shows your luck factor in all-in situations and according to that I am running just over a buy-in over expectation so I kind of expected some like the previous session to happen. I have another program that tells me I owed some flopped sets from the RNG! I've seen a flop with 519 pairs and flopped a set 51 times when it should be a little closer to 60. It also shows I have actually lost money with 333, 444 and TTT and that I have had my set beaten by a higher set once and that I have run overpairs into sets a massive 5 times which overall has cost me a whopping 6 buyins! Never mind, it'll all come together in the end.

It's around two months since I last saw Pud Jr after his mum decided in all her wisdom to stop me from having access to him on weekends. I've fired a letter to her solicitor but as usually she's dragging her feet over it but I am prepared to wait and fight this to the end. I ran out of money the last time we needed solicitors but I guarantee that won't be the case this time around. I don't believe in much but I do believe in Karma and also that everything happens for a reason. I know that when Pud Jr is older and understands more and he asks "Dad, why didn't you come to my birthday party / sports day / school play / parents evening" or "why weren't you around as much as I'd have liked?" etc then I can hold my head up high and say I wanted to but your mum never told me about them and wanted me to jump through hoops just to talk to you. She's the one who has to explain why she thought it would be a good idea to try ruin his relationship with me, my parents and those around me he'd made friends with out of spite, I can just say ask your mother. People get what is due to them and I'm looking forward to the day this is resolved and Karma comes around and bites them all on the arse! LOL!

Anyway, that's enough ranting for now, I think I'll get dressed and do a bit of shopping! I'm well on course for my best month profit wise and volume wise and by the next time I update I'm hoping to have played closer to 25k hands and be properly bankrolled for NL25. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for reading, have a great weekend and best of luck at the tables!

Now here's your chance to find out how could you really are. With $125,000 in prizes.

The highest STAX#RATING™ possible is 100. Get that and you should be a poker pro, if you're not one already.

And you can win some money.

• Overall 1st place at the end of each month wins $2,000 (plus a shot at becoming the MVP - see below)
• Overall 2nd place at the end of each month wins $1,300
• Overall 3rd place at the end of each month wins $700

COUNTRY PRIZE POTS

There are 12 designated regions and every month Betfair will split money between the best performing players.

• All regions (except UK) monthly Prize Pot = $1250 Prize Pot to be split between Top 50 players
• UK players monthly Prize Pot = $2,250 Prize Pot to be split between Top 100 players (Due to numbers of eligible STAX# players)

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (MVP)

Be the best and win a deluxe $45,000 WSOPE package.

The player with the highest STAX#RATING™ in a single month (May - August) will walk away with the MOST VALUABLE PLAYER trophy and an exclusive WSOPE package that includes entry into all FOUR bracelet events at the 2008 WSOPE, accommodation in London, travel costs as well as full Betfair hospitality.

It's a terrific prize.

What the MVP will receive: • Entry into the £10,000 Main Event
• Entry into the £1,000 NLH
• Entry into the £2,500 H.O.R.S.E.
• Entry into the £5,000 PL Omaha
• Remaining prize to cover accommodation, flights and expenses
• Exclusive access to the Betfair Player's Lounge

REMEMBER: Because this is the best STAX#RATING™ in any independent month (STAX# resets after each month) - you have FOUR shots at winning this enormous prize.

FREQUENT HIGH-FLYER FREEROLLS

• The "Full time pro" Challenge - All players with an average score above 70.00 (averaged across the four individual months) get access to a $21,000 Omaha freeroll where 2 x £5,000 (plus fees) WSOPE Omaha packages will be up for the taking.
• The "Sharks" Challenge - All players with an average score between 60.00 and 69.99 (averaged across the four individual months) get access to an $18,700 freeroll with 6 x £1,000 (plus fees) WSOPE NLH seats plus 10 x $550 seats into the Super final WSOPE qualifier must be won.
• The "Part time pro" Challenge - All players with an average score between 50.00 and 59.99 get access to an $8,250 freeroll where 15 x $550 seats to the Super final WSOPE qualifier will be on offer.

INTERNATIONAL LEGENDS OF POKER

The top player from each region (highest STAX#RATING™ in a single month - not including the MVP) at the end of the series will play in an 11 seater exclusive deep-stack $35,000 freeroll, with 1 x $24,000 package, $4,000 for 2nd place and $2,000 for 3rd. All players barring 1st place will also receive an automatic $550 entry into the next WSOPE qualifier.

Get playing.

Why not 118 days, or 30 days, or a year?

You are, of course, alive or you are not alive, i.e. dead. Only in America can you be nearly live, a truth evidenced in many Los Angles cosmetic surgery salon and celebrity telethons - and by the final nine players who will live in a state of limbo while the hype is cranked up.

It is all about building up buzz, creating excitement which leads to improved ratings and duly earns more money from advertisers, it says here

The danger is, though, that in the hunt for new poker TV viewers, the game will change. How long before players are discouraged from making a bid until the ads have finished? Will every hand finale be preceded by "a world from our sponsors"? Will players be encouraged to be more photogenic?

The full schedule runs like this:

July 3-6: Days 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d of WSOP Main Event
July 7: *Off Day*
July 8-9: Days 2a, 2b
July 10-14: Days 3-7 (down to final nine players)
July 22 - Aug. 26: ESPN airs WSOP prelim events for six weeks
Sep 2 - Oct 28: ESPN airs WSOP Main Event for nine weeks
Nov. 4: ESPN airs a one-hour final table preview show
Nov. 9: Final Table is played, nine players down to final two
Nov. 10: Heads-up play for the WSOP Championship
Nov. 11: ESPN broadcasts the final table at 9:00 pm ET

It's not all bad for the final nine players - The Nines. When the tenth player is shown his cards, The Nines will get some money. Last year, the ninth best player took away $525,934.

They can then become media darlings, perfect their play or blow it all on a facelift before being spirited back to the Rio Las Vegas for the big game...

Or play online...

Q. What can you tell me about Blackjack Switch?
The Poker Anorak has played the game. It's not easy, but, then, it's no harder than 21.

The player is dealt two hands face up. You place your bets.

Says John: "If the dealer has an Ace or 10 face up, he or she will check for blackjack first. If the dealer has blackjack, all bets are settled and there is no Switch opportunity."

If the dealer does not have blackjack, the player can exchange the second card dealt on each hand.

For example, if the player is dealt 10-5 and 6-10, then the player can swap the top two cards of each hand to make hands of 10-10 and 6-5

The aim is to know the odds.

From the beginning of May to the end of August 2008 STAX#RATING™ will reflect a player's overall performance at the tables and will give an idea of how they compare to the best poker players in the world.

The highest STAX#RATING™ possible is 100, where an individual has proved themselves to be a superb poker player, with an outstanding record, in a range of disciplines consistently over a period of time.
Could you take the scalp of Annette_15 or Imper1um? Have you got what it takes to be acknowledged as a true all-round great poker player? Join in on the Ultimate Poker Challenge..

- ends -

Amy Trodd
PR Executive - Poker and Games
Amy.trodd@betfair.com

MTT form - The biggest titles, cashes and fame all come with winning the biggest tournaments in the World (WSOP, WSOPE, WPT, EPT etc). A top player must be able to win MTTs.

Adaptability - Top players should be able to move between poker disciplines (FL, NL, Omaha, Sit & Gos and MTTs) and perform well in all.

Consistency - The ability to return a solid profit over an extended period of time.

Fearlessness - The ability to take on any player, confident in the fact that you can beat them.

Stakes - Top players should be able to cut it even at the top levels.

It's not a trick question, and, no, there's no GSCE in Chipology for answers of between 200-300 words. Discuss.

It's just that the Poker Anorak has just spotted a 20-year-old Canadian visiting her local bank.
In her hand she holds a roll of chips.

The name is a cunning blend of the number "two" with the name of the Loonie, Canada's one-dollar coin.

We should not mock. In the UK, the two pound coin has yet to earn a nickname. Suggestions on a postcard as to what it should be called.

Back to the woman in the bank. She hands the teller the coins and makes off with the equivalent in cash, about $100.

Clever stuff.

Only she then tries the same trick again in the same bank and is collared.

Who has not be so defrauded by chips or tokens? Is there any gambler who has not sifted through their fruit machine winnings and found a Kenyan Schilling, a washer or a homemade piece of metal?

We can recall those halcyon days of 50pence parking meters, which could - we are told, yer honour - be triggered by wrapping a bent matchstick around a 10pence piece.

The question is not so much one of honesty but if poker chips have any intrinsic value, other than the number the casino has ascribed them.

What is a chip worth, and can a chip ever be worth as much as money?

Discuss.

I initially thought that May was going to mirror April when I ended up losing half a buy-in early on when I lost with a Jack high straight to a Queen high one but I kept plugging away at my usually tight aggressive game and took a lot of small pots by raising in position preflop and making a continuation bet on the flop. I also managed to get paid off handsomely with my big hands as my opponents just couldn't let go of their raggy hands. I mean here I flop a set and the villain thinks that his King with a 7 kicker is good enough and then I flop a set of Queens below and someone thinks that calling preflop with 64s is a good idea and then to call an all-in with a 6-high flush draw. They just loved to pay me off, long may it continue!

Does anyone have a suggestion for a cheap laptop? The one I use is nearly 5 years old now and on Friday I thought it had died. After it booted up a pop-up appeared saying there was a fault with the cooling system and to shutdown immediately! After a mini panic I took it apart and cleaned up the extremely dusty fan and cooling vent and it seems to be ok for now but I can't run the risk of not having a computer right now due to some projects I am on with. I was going to look on eBay but first I need to sort out my Paypal account as with me not having a debit card I can't get full functionality without jumping through a few hoops first so that is on my to-do list for next week. Like I said any suggestions on machines in the £300-450 price range please.

If you ask anyone, anywhere the first thing that pops into their heads when you mention the town of Southport I will almost guarantee that their reply will be something along the lines of "You never see the sea!" Well Mrs P and I have just got back from the costal town and I can confirm that we did not see the sea!

My mate arrived to pick us up on Saturday at the unholy hour of 0800 and I was feeling the effects of the previous night's Thatchers cider and dirty donner kebab! We stopped to pick his daughter up from Liverpool on the way and arrived at his pub around 1030 where we had a huge full English brekkie to bring us back to life. Once we'd dropped our gear off Mrs P and I went for a walk into the town centre and to take a walk on the beach. After walking for what seemed like a day and a half we finally arrived at the sea front and I must admit that the redevelopments there are brilliant. Southport's council must have spent a fortune on new facilities and it really shows. I was very impressed.

However, I love the sea and I kid you not when I saw that I reckon it'd have been a half hour walk on the beach to see it so maybe they should try to suck it closer to the beach! LOL! Overall it was a great little trip and Mrs P and I needed it and it was much appreciated that we could do it on a miniscule budget!

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