Poker: My favourite game
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NEWS
2007 WSOP schedule
Official Schedule Information

Harrah's adds $50K H.O.R.S.E event to 2006 WSOP
Huge news for the World Series of Poker -- Harrah's has added a new, $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E event to the lineup of events for 2006. This marks the first-ever event at the WSOP with a buy-in bigger than $10,000 and I'm sure will be met with great enthusiasm from poker pros such as Cyndy Violette, who once said, "The real World Series champion should play all games. It should be a five-game tournament—you play, and every half-hour you switch games, Hold’em, stud, every game should be played." It seems Cyndy is getting her wish. The H.O.R.S.E event is scheduled right before the big $10K no-limit Hold'em main event in such a way that pros can participate in both events. I think it's a spectactular move for the WSOP and for poker in general.

34 Poker Millionaires in 2005
According to an article in Card Player, 34 poker players made $1 million or more in poker tournaments in 2005, with Joseph Hachem winning the most money of all -- no big surprise there, since he was the 2005 World Series of Poker main event champ.

The top ten earners were (and their winnings):
1. Joseph Hachem $7,614,022
2. Steve Dannenmann $4,350,000
3. Phil Ivey $3,333,426
4. Tuan Lee $2,856,150
5. John "Tex" Barch $2,528,085
6. Michael Mizrachi $2,472,439
7. Michael Gracz $2,292,271
8. Nick Schulman $2,241,995
9. Rehne Pedersen $2,112,200
10. Mike Matusow $2,009,225

Hear what other people said:

King of the World Series of Poker Hill
I just was talking with a friend about who I thought was the most successful player at the World Series of Poker, ever. I thought about what makes a player "the best" -- is it who's won the most tournaments? Made the most final tables? Won the most money? I couldn't answer, but here were some of the contenders, so you can decide for yourself.

Mike "the Mouth" Matusow
There are a lot of colorful characters in poker.which adds to the fun of watching all those poker shows on TV. Last night, I caught a repeat of Day 1 at the World Series of Poker and watched one of the famously loud pros: Mike Matusow, whose nickname is "the mouth." After ESPN showed a touching bio clip of him talking about how spending six months in jail humbled him, ESPN cut to him at the table in an argument over whether he threw cards at the dealer. After the other players confirmed Matusow hadn't, he grumbled and angrily exclaimed he would never do that (he's a former poker dealer) his famous mouth got him in trouble when he dropped an f-bomb. Saying the f-word cost him a ten-minute penalty, as a new rule at this year's WSOP banned expletives and punished anyone who exclaimed one by forcing them to leave the table for ten minutes. Already on tilt, one f-bomb turned to four, and Matusow had to leave for 40 whole minutes. I felt bad for him, but I know he does okay this year despite the rocky start. A lot of players at the WSOP complained about this new rule, because poker isn't supposed to be a squeaky-clean sport, but I can understand why they instated the rule. It is good poker etiquette to treat your fellow players with respect. That said, I know is that if we instated the same rule at my home game, every single one of us would end up in the kitchen and the table would be empty. That's all I'm saying.

Poker Etiquette
Every time I teach a poker class, after teaching the basics of what beats what, I spend some time on poker table manners or etiquette, which is important to learn and follow no matter whether your playing in a nickle-dime-quarter home game or in a card room in Vegas. By following these basic rules of behavior, you'll be a much more popular poker player and be welcomed back at any game.

Poker at Foxwoods
It's almost time for another World Poker Tour event here on the East Coast, this time the World Poker Finals which will be held at the Foxwoods's poker room , which will run from October 27th until November 18th. It's a great poker room and there's still plenty of time to win a seat into the event through the casino's ingenious "Steps" Satellite tournaments, which let you win a seat to the big one for as little as $60. Even if you're not interested in playing in the World Poker Tour, it's still a great poker room and is worth checking out if you're in the Northeast. Check it the poker room and see photos of the casino with the resources below.

Hosting a Home Poker Game
With Fall in the air and the days getting shorter, people are naturally starting to spend less time outdoors and more in the comforts of home. So what better time to start a home poker game? Whether you go all-out with poker room decor including a fancy poker table and poker chips and play high-stakes Texas Hold'em all night, or go for a more casual game of friends around the table with a dealer's choice game filled with seven-card stud and its many variations, it's sure to be a welcome fall tradition.
Some good advice on what snacks to avoid at home games can be found at CardSquad: Top 5 list of foods not to serve at a home poker game, which is sound advice if you want to keep the action literally clean. Any other thoughts on home games? Leave a comment!