Poker News November 10th, 2008

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November 10, 2008

It’s down to Russia’s Demidov vs. Denmark’s Eastgate for $9.15M WSOP title

Ivan Demidov and Peter Eastgate emerged from a marathon session early Monday morning at the World Series of Poker and will meet later in the night to settle the $9.15 million title.

Eastgate, a 22-year-old poker professional from Odense, Denmark, eliminated the last American in the field with a set of threes. Dennis Phillips, who tried to bluff Eastgate with a 10 high, shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head when Eastgate made the call that eliminated him.

“I just want to be alive on the river,” Phillips said before an ace came on the turn, officially eliminating the 53-year-old trucking account manager who started the final table with the chip lead.

Phillips, of Cottage Hills, Ill., won $4,517,773 for third place.

Eastgate held 79.5 million chips, nearly 22 million chips more than Demidov, a 27-year-old semiprofessional poker player from Moscow.

“My hands held up all the time — that’s the key factor,” Eastgate said.

Those big hands, including two full houses and a set, helped Eastgate end the tournament for four players.

Ylon Schwartz finished fourth and won $3,774,974 after failing on a bluff, giving Eastgate a lead over Demidov. Scott Montgomery watched Eastgate hit a full house on the river, after Montgomery picked up three aces on the turn.

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One Day Fundraiser for Poker Players Alliance

Poker author Mitchell Cogert has decided to donate the proceeds from one day of sales of his poker book, “Tournament Poker: 101 Winning Moves”. The book is for sale online at Amazon.com, and everyone who buys a copy on November 11 will be sure the proceeds from the purchase will go towards the fight to keep online poker legal via support of the grassroots organization the Poker Players Alliance. The date was picked to run along side the airing of the World Series of Poker main event final table on ESPN, an event months in the making.

Amsterdam Poker Capital of the World

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, November 8 — Yesterday, November 7th, the 17th edition of the Master Classics of Poker started in Amsterdam. The Master Classics of Poker is one of the biggest and best-known international poker tournaments in Europe. Last year the total prize pot added up to more than 3.7 million Euros. This year the total prize pot will add up to almost 5 million euro. Between Friday 7th and Saturday 15th November the best poker players from all over the world will be pitted against each other. Amsterdam will be the poker capital of the world this week.

ANP news video with feeds live from Amsterdam:

http://pubstr.datiq.net/perssupport/HCPokerINT.wmv

Last year poker players from a.o. America, Canada, Russia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Slovakia, England, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand, Pakistan, Netherlands, Belgium, etc. attended the Master Classics of Poker.

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The International Blackjack League (www.internationalblackjackleague.com), an incredible gaming phenomenon, allows players to compete against each other in an exciting live environment. This gripping new product is fast-paced, allowing players to truly experience hand-to-hand combat! In Elimination Blackjack tournaments, players get to play several hands in consecutive rounds. On selected rounds, the player with the lowest chip stack will be ‘eliminated,’ leaving fewer players after each elimination round to proceed onto the final winning round.

The addition of other real-time players allows for a wider level of gain; because players do not play against the house only, they get to maximize their winnings in a way that resembles land-based casino Blackjack. Rounds are high-speed, competitive fights for survival, and the inclusion of a ’secret bet’ option gives Elimination Tournaments an edge of intrigue that takes the International Blackjack League beyond the usual Blackjack experience. The secret bet also gives players an added edge at a crucial point in the game.

Moreover, there is a live leaderboard which players can use to keep track of their winnings and rank, as well as cash prizes of massive proportions. The website also includes strategy tips, rules and explanations for tournaments. Go to www.InternationalBlackjackLeague.com for more information.

With the addition of multiplayer Blackjack, Fortune Lounge and its illustrious online repertoire is once again set to up its game, and bound to redefine and revolutionize multiplayer Blackjack.

Learn To Play BlackJack and how to Count Cards here: BlackJack Strategy

The idea behind counting cards in blackjack is that a deck of cards with a high proportion of high cards (ten-valued cards and aces) to low cards is good for the player, while the reverse (a deck with a high proportion of low cards to high cards) is good for the dealer. A deck rich in tens and aces improves the player’s odds because blackjacks (which offer a higher payout than other winning hands) become more common, the dealer is more likely to bust a stiff hand, and double-downs are more successful. This is also portrayed in the film 21.

Contrary to the popular myth, card counters do not need savant qualities in order to count cards, because they are not tracking and memorizing specific cards. Instead, card counters assign a heuristic point score to each card they see and then track only the total score. (This score is called the count.) This myth was portrayed in the movie Rain Man, where the savant character Raymond Babbit counts through six decks with ease and a casino employee comments that it is impossible to count six decks. In the movie 21, however, card counting is portrayed as an intellectually difficult task which can only be undertaken by high-IQ top level students.

Basic Count Cards assigns a positive, negative, or null value to each card. As each card is dealt, the running count is adjusted by each card’s assigned value. There are multiple card-counting systems in use, but a plus-minus count — such as the Hi-Lo system proposed by Harvey Dubner in 1963 and later refined by Julian Braun and Stanford Wong — is one of the more basic and illustrative systems.

In the Hi-Lo system, the cards 2 through 6 are assigned a value of +1. Tens (and face cards) through aces are assigned a value of -1. Cards 7, 8, and 9 have a value of zero, or are called neutral (so they can be ignored).

The Hi-Lo system is an example of a balanced card-counting system. This means that there are an equal number of +1 and -1 cards in the deck, so a count of all 52 cards would result in an end count of 0.

Once you’ve got the hang of the basic idea, try to keep up with our trainer to sharpen your skills

Sports logo products come in a variety of shapes and sizes. From the forever popular team jerseys to the more peculiar items like gazebos and LCD monitors. Suffice to say, some are more sought after than others. But to die-hard fans, to have every single team memorabilia with their favorite team’s symbol on it would be a dream come true. And all they need to realize this dream is the finance and the space to store their ‘treasures’.

Many collectors of sports collectibles did not begin with a passion for their sport of interest. Quite a few begin by receiving their first sports memorabilia, a little gift; it could be a key ring or a baseball cap. And as time passes, that little gift would develop into a passion that could even take up all the walls of the living room, and perhaps more.

Some of these ‘first’ sports collectibles could actually be valuable. You might not notice it but your first Pittsburgh Penguins jersey your aunt got you twenty years ago when you were 6 could be worth something right now. Team jerseys of past seasons are also known as classic jerseys, throwback jerseys or retro jerseys and can demand a high price if the apparel is in excellent condition or is autographed by a celebrated team player, or better yet, the jersey is signed by the whole team of that time. Valuable merchandise such as those are best kept in plastic covers, within a plastic or glass display casing or kept away in a safe, out of the way from potentially destructive UV rays.

There are certain collectors who do not collect logo memorabilia of a particular team. Instead they collect a certain type of logo product such as NHL hockey jerseys from any team in a particular league. For example, team logos on mini NFL helmets or flags. Needless to say, complete collections are worth much more than the odd stand-alone item.

If you would like to get get going a popular sports memorabilia collection as a hobby but do not know the duration the interest will endure, then purchase prudently. Only get items that arouse your interest or goods which you really like from a team you support. This way you would not regret buying the items if your interest diminishes. Many sports logo memorabilia collectors begin by buying MLB merchandise from sports merchandise wholesalers to take advantage of the cheaper prices. And before you make a purchase, always consult forums or those in the trade and sports memorabilia guides on the World Wide Web for a pricing guide for sports memorabilia to make sure you are benefiting from the best deal possible.

The right criteria to use to evaluate fitness equipment might surprise you. If asked, quality might leap to mind. Or budget, or safety. All those and more are important. But the most important criterion of all is represented by the question: will you use it?

That’s not just a question about your personal motivation or commitment to fitness. Not in this case, anyway. It’s a question about whether the gear will do what you want and need, so you’ll be motivated to continue using it.

Quality is a must for that purpose, even though it’s only a starting point. Any ad claims that imply ‘results without effort’ are just a con. There’s no such thing. Even if there were, it wouldn’t be any fun anyway. A large part of the zing that comes from working out is exactly the effort you put out to get the result. Not only do those electric ab exercisers not work, they’re boring.

Those devices are a good example of another important thing to watch out for. Any ad that says you can get spot reduction of fat or develop only one set of muscles is simply misleading.

The body only preferentially reduces fat more in one area than another such as around the waist if that’s where the majority resides. Of course, if you reduce body fat it will be most obvious where the largest section was stored. Burn enough calories and the body will go after stored fat to make up for an energy deficit. So, the results will be the most visible in areas where the body got most of that stored. How could it be otherwise?

Also, whenever you use one set of muscles you can hardly avoid using another. So, the moral is: beware of hype that insists you have to get this or that piece of gear in order to work muscle X. There is always more than one way to develop and always some overlap in how equipment develops your body.

Reviews of equipment are important. If other people are satisfied, probably you will be too. But beware of glowing testimonials that, like those ads, promise more than they could ever deliver. Before and after photos with captions that tout the results gained from using item X are suspect. Your results - because of your unique effort, body type and other factors - can differ widely.

When considering costs, be sure to consider all the costs, not just the advertised price. What sounds like a great deal may not be so great when you include shipping, taxes or other add-on amounts.

Look into the warranty and return policies. If you have to return a piece of gear, paying for return shipment is normal. But look out for re-stocking fees that can run as high as 15%. A 30-day return policy is fairly standard, but not universal. The equipment still may be worth the price. You have to judge on a case by case basis in light of your personal circumstances.

Once the item has passed all those tests, you can judge whether this particular piece of equipment is going to meet your workout goals. Will it help you reduce weight, or build strength or develop cardiovascular health? Will it be fun to use while you meet those goals? A lot of home fitness gear will do all those things and do them well. When you find one that will, buy it.

Generations of barroom athletes have enjoyed billiards as contests of skill. Whether you play for fun in the local pub, or play for keeps on the professional circuit, there are many variations to keep you and your friends entertained. Nine Ball billiards is one favorite take on the age-old game.

Nine Ball billiards is a contest of skill and a test of concentration. This is because in Nine Ball, each player must be mindful of every ball that’s on the table. Rather than simply focusing on a group of specific balls, Nine Ball requires that all players begin each shot with the cue ball striking the lowest numbered ball on the table. As long as that happens, the player is free to pocket any ball to keep his or her turn in play. In theory, the first shot should contact the one ball and all shots should initially contact the lowest number until that nine ball is finally pocketed.

A major variation of the basic billiards game play is that only balls played are those numbered one through nine, and the balls are racked in a diamond shape as opposed to the traditional triangle. Most of the balls can be set randomly within the diamond, however the one ball must be at the tip and the nine ball must be at the center. When the balls have been properly set, play begins as usually with the cue ball set behind the head string.

Upon breaking, the shooter must either pocket one ball or send four balls to the rails, to continue in his or her turn. If the breaking shooter should pocket the cue ball or knock a ball off of the table, the shot is lost. The opponent re-spots the ball and begins his or her turn. Any balls that are pocketed by a foul shot must be re-spotted before the opposing shooter can take a legal shot.

A shot is considered foul if the break shot is unsuccessful, and if succeeding shots don’t result in pocketing a ball or contacting the lowest numbered ball first. If a player fouls, he or she has three opportunities to correct the mistake. The player is notified after the second foul and if the third shot also results in a foul, the game is called and the fouling player is declared the loser. If a player is not eliminated as a result of a foul, the Nine Ball billiards game continues until the nine ball is legally pocketed.

Billiards is a fun game that can easily be enjoyed by players of all ages and skill levels. Many people make billiards a part of their regular nights out, and variations on the game, like Nine Ball, ensure that no two nights will be the same.