By James Guill

Terrance Watanabe may well be the biggest whale in the history of Las Vegas.

The Omaha business owner gambled away over $204 million in Las Vegas over the course of a single year.

While his story may be one of having more money than sense some believe that he could have been the victim of a company looking to pad its bottom line.

Amassed Fortune Inheriting Party Favor Business

The Oriental Trading Company was founded in 1932 by Harry Watanabe and initially started out as a gift shop. In time, the company expanded to 17 shops throughout the Midwestern United States.

Import restrictions during World War II forced the company to downsize back to its home base in Omaha, Nebraska. After the War, the company began to flourish in the carnival supply market and quickly became one of the biggest suppliers in the world.

In 1977 Terrance Watanabe took over the company and shifted the focus to party goods. Terrance grew the company to one that brought in revenues of over $300 million annually.

In 2000, he sold the company to Brentwood Associates for an undisclosed sum and seemed ready to head off into retirement as a wealthy man.

Unfortunately, a pattern of gambling and alcohol addiction would put that fortune in jeopardy.

$204 Million in One Year

In 2007, Watanabe began a losing streak of proportions never seen before. Staying at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip Watanabe was classified as the "biggest of the biggest whales" and had a virtual run on the place.

If he didn't like a certain employee he or she was reassigned in the casino. Whatever he wanted, he got. But there appears to be another side of the story.

According to some reports, and Mr. Watanabe's lawyer, Caesars allowed Mr. Watanabe to play while clearly intoxicated and some reports say that they gave him painkillers to stay at the tables.

Other reports say that the company looked the other way when Mr. Watanabe made sexual advances towards female employees.

Why would Caesars allow such behavior to continue? According to casino records, Mr. Watanabe lost a staggering $204 million across the Rio and Caesars casinos in the course of the year.

While not much of his losses were technically in poker, the total amount was an astounding 5.6 percent of the company's revenues for the year -- money that ultimately flowed into the World Series of Poker brand.

Eventually the money dried up and Watanabe left Vegas broke and owing Caesars $14.75 million. The company ultimately sued and felony charges were taken out against Mr. Watanabe in 2009 for felony theft and writing bad checks.

Watanabe filed charges against Caesars claiming that it had agreed to refund him 30 percent of his losses but never made payment. This type of agreement is customary for high rollers as it usually facilitates prompt payment of markers to the casino and keeps them coming back.

Wynn Casinos Banned Watanabe for Compulsive Gambling Prior

Shortly after the Caesars lawsuit it was revealed that Watanabe had been suspended from the Wynn for compulsive gambling. According to reports, Watanabe gambled away over $21 million at the Wynn.

Steve Wynn himself called up Watanabe to ask him to leave the casino due to his compulsive gambling. Interestingly enough, it was after this that Watanabe made his connection with Caesars Palace. 

A year after Watanabe was arraigned for theft and bad check charges both parties agreed to a settlement in the matter. While the settlement was initially private, it did result in all charges being dropped against Watanabe. He also agreed to drop all pending lawsuits against Caesars.

Later, it was revealed that Watanabe agreed to pay Caesars $100,000 of the $14.75 million it claimed was owed. 

Watanabe May Not Have Been Completely At Fault

Back in March of this year the New Jersey Gaming Control Board fined Caesars Entertainment Corp $225,000 for not stepping in to take action in the case of Mr. Watanabe.

The fine was a bit curious considering that the activity occurred in Las Vegas. However, the company does have several properties in the Atlantic City area and the NJGCB felt that Caesars' conduct "might reflect on the reputation of the state of New Jersey.”

Mr. Watanabe's story is really a cautionary tale for anyone wanting to gamble at high stakes. High rollers can't always guarantee that their best interests are being considered when they are at a casino.

After all, the establishment is there to take their money. Instead of "Welcome to the casino," most hosts really should greet their customers, "Call me Ishmael."

More of Poker's Biggest Whales:

Anyone they missed/put in the wrong spot? Let us know in the comments.

Click on the photo below for the full-size PDF.

Goalkeepers

Tim Howard (US)

He drove the players of Belgium and Portugal to the brink of despair. The experienced 35-year-old has 104 matches with the national team and over 350 Premier League games under his belt, having played at Man United and Everton.

His memorable appearance and his impeccable attitude make him the perfect face of the soon-to-begin reopening of the US online poker market.

Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa (Mexico)

Was voted “Man of the Match” twice this World Cup – and that as a goalie. During the group stage he secured the draw against Brazil and he played so well even Brazilian coach Felipe Scolari commended him.

Quite recently, Ochoa’s team Ajaccio on the island of Corse was relegated from the French Ligue 1, and he got kicked out of his contract. He is now unemployed and has offers from a dozen of international football clubs.

With his striking head of curls and his sunny demeanour he would make a valid asset to every live poker tournament and his story is the poker equivalent to the Chris Moneymaker fairy tale.

Manuel Neuer (Germany)

Has quickly become a major sensation on the football pitch. Shows more and more what an extremely cool guy he is – did you see how he raised just one arm to save that dangerous shot of the French in the quarter final?

He is a poker face on the football pitch and the German poker market would surely get another boost if he was involved.

Field Players

Arturo Vidal (Chile)

The former Leverkusen player is now getting overwhelmed with offers by Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and half the Premier League.

The 27-year-old was the obvious leader of a Chilean kamikaze squad at the World Cup. Every tackle he made looked like Kung-Fu and his martial haircut only added to the impression.

At the poker table he would stand out just as well. Particularly if he was plowing through an MTT as if it was a football game.

Toni Kroos (Germany)

He was recently called “the silent dealer” by a daily newspaper. As his team won the World Cup, there's been even more praise for his efficient gameplay.

Also: he's already a poker player. “I live poker, and I often play in home games. It is a great game, and it is more about instinct, insight into human nature, and body control than luck”, he recently wrote on his website.

It looks pretty much like he will be playing for Real Madrid next season, so he could be a benefit for the newly regulated Spanish online poker market.

David Luiz (Brazil)

Said to be the best defender in the world, and after his free kick goal against Colombia he has become something like the savior of the nation.

Without Neymar, Luiz will be the captain of the Brazilian team. Compared to Ronaldo, David Luiz could be a real force to be reckoned withon the Hispanic markets.

Maeouane Fellaini (Belgium)

Not only because of his size (1.94 meters), Fellaini was one of the most striking players on the “secret favorites” team from Western Europe.

He would also lead the “most voluminous afro haircut” ranking, beating out his fellow player Witsel as well as the Brazilians Marcelo and David Luiz.

He wouldn’t even need sunglasses to make for a very memorable advertising campaign.

James Rodriguez (Columbia)

Even basketball superstar LeBron James called him his favorite player after Colombia kicked Uruguay out of the tournament.

Rodriguez scored six goals, which made him the winner of the Golden Boot. The 2-0 goal in the Colombia game could easily be voted “best goal of the tournament”.

Last year, French first league Club AS Monaco paid 35 million Euros to contract him. Allegedly, Real Madrid and Barcelona are now knocking continually on his door.

Thanks to his looks, his amazing football skills and his proneness to tears, he is often compared to Cristiano Ronaldo but we don’t expect the Portuguese star to represent poker anytime soon.

Coaches:

Miguel Herrera (Mexico)

He was like a live wire on the pitch. His team showed the best Mexican performance ever at a World Cup, except maybe at their home tournament.

The way he celebrated made headlines around the world and turned him into a darling of the internet community.

This 46-year-old man could even out-brat Phil Hellmuth, and with his impressive potbelly he’d make a pleasant change from all those metrosexual online stars.

Alejandro Sabella (Argentina)

The South American coach is captivating not only because of his minimalist match plans (Argentina won every match with a one-goal difference), but also because of his androgynous looks.

His theatrical almost-fall-over during the quarter final against Belgium has quickly turned him into an internet celebrity.

With his mob-ish appearance he could bring back more of the Sammy Farha type of charm into poker, and as an ice-cold tactician he’s always good for a couple of spectacular cashes.

Archetype of the Poker-Playing Golf Hustler

This guy's going to offer to bet you that he can make the jack of spades jump out of this brand-new deck of cards and squirt cider in your ear.

But, son, do not accept this bet, because as sure as you stand there, you’re going to wind up with an ear full of cider.

- Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson to Frank Sinatra in Guys and Dolls

Long before Las Vegas produced its first "poker stars," Alvin Clarence Thomas - better known as Titanic Thompson or “The Unsinkable” - became America’s biggest gambler and truly a living legend.

Between the 1920s and the late 1960s he made millions of dollars playing golf, poker and making prop-bets – and he lost almost everything again because of his fatal attraction to betting on horse races.

Hustlers and golf-playing poker pros of today still rely on the ideas of Thompson when it comes to crazy side-bets on the golf course.

As Doyle Brunson once said about him: “If Johnny Moss was the typical golf-playing poker pro, then Titanic Thompson was the archetype of the poker-playing golf hustler.”

Set Out with Less Than a Dollar

Got the better of Al Capone - and lived.

 

In 1908, when he was just 16 years old, Thomas left his home in Arkansas to conquer the world of hustling and gambling.

When he set out he could neither read nor write properly and had less than a dollar in his pocket.

He was drafted late during the First World War, and while he made it to Sergeant, he also reportedly made $50,000 betting with his fellow soldiers.

After his return he went on to become the most infamous gambler in the history of America.

He had incredible hand-eye-coordination and with his neverending, cooked-up stories and empty promises he lured countless victims into brazen bets they could never win.

He once bet gangster boss Al Capone that he could throw an orange onto the roof of a five-story building. Thompson had already played that trick before with a peanut that he filled with lead.

Capone allegedly sniffed it out and personally squeezed the orange but Thompson managed to swiftly exchange it for a more aerodynamic lemon, threw it on the roof and won $500.

After that he had earned himself the lifelong respect of the most dangerous man in America.

The Greatest Action Man on Earth

Thompson invented a legendary bet which he frequently used and that earned him cost-free stays in some of the best hotels in the United States.

The bet was simply that he could throw his room key into its hole.

Action man, action town.

 

The trick, however, was in the wording because when someone took the bet Thompson didn’t throw the key into the key hole. He threw it into the pigeon-hole behind the reception.

Before he turned 40 Thompson had won several million dollars betting, playing poker and throwing dice. He had also killed five men, successfully claiming self-defence each time and married four times (he married again later).

People compared him with Merlin the Wizard. Legendary pool hustler Minnesota Fats once called him “the greatest action man on Earth."

By 1930 Thompson had discovered his love for golf. At the time he was mostly making money joining with Nick “The Greek” Dandalos and playing poker with lawyers, politicians, bankers and alcohol smugglers.

The games would often last well into the early hours of the morning. But Thompson didn’t head to bed afterwards - he went to the golf course.

It didn’t take long until he had found a way to make money there. He once took $20,000 from a golf champion who was famous for his long drives by offering him three drives per hole.

Before long the man was so exhausted he couldn’t even get one proper drive done anymore.

A Bet So Good Even Amarillo Slim Copied It

A bet so good even Slim had to get a piece.

 

His most famous and infamous bet was so good even legendary hustler Amarillo Slim copied it.

He bet against several millionaires that he could drive a golf ball over 500 yards. At the time, around 200 yards was the absolute maximum.

Thompson waited until the winter came, went with his partners to a golf course and then drove the ball over a frozen lake on the course. The ball went over a mile before it stopped.

Aside from all the outrageous gambling and betting that he did Titanic Thompson was also considered the best amateur golfer of all time.

He played - and emerged victorious - against a whole range of golfers who later won major titles.

In the 1940s, when he was at the peak of his abilities, he was asked why he never tried to go pro.

“Oh, well," he answered, shuffling a deck of cards, “the salary is so low, I just can’t afford it.”

At the time a PGA professional could earn up to $30,000 a year. Thompson made that kind of money with a single bet.

He Might Be Dead, But I Wouldn't Bet On It

In May 1974, the man who had become an idol since Brando played his character Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, suffered a stroke.

Johnny Moss.

 

After seven decades of gambling, betting and fooling people, time finally took its toll. He was found dead at age 82.

A little later, 50 miles from where he was found, a young caddie drove his cart past a couple of golfers and told them, “Titanic Thompson is dead.”

After a short break one of the men asked, “Have you ever met him, boy?”

“No,” said the caddie, “never had the honor.”

“But you’re saying he’s dead.”

“Yes, sir, that’s what I heard.”

“Well,” said the golfer, “he might be dead, but I wouldn’t bet on it.”

Titanic Thompson rarely spoke about his life. But three years before his death he hosted the World Series of Poker, which was won by his old friend Johnny Moss.

Afterwards, he thought about all the money that was lying on the table and said:

“I don’t regret much in my life, but I wish I had been smart enough to put more money on the side.

"I wish I had thought about the future a little more, further than just the next game. That’s the one thing I blame myself for.”

Working at a Poker Tournament is Calm, Comparatively

Thiébaud is used to fighting for a little time and space to get his shots.

Working as a press photographer for different magazines and newspapers he often has just a split second when the perfect moment appears in the perfect light and perfect position.

Plus, even if you find that exact moment, you will have to fight with other photographers trying to push each other out of the way to get themselves into the optimal spot.

“Compared to that working at a poker tournament is quite relaxing and calm,” Thiébaud says.

The 36-year-old Frenchman knows what he’s talking about. From 2010 to 2012, he was accompanying the European Poker Tour stop in Berlin.

The result of three years of work was a picture book called Poker Faces, a 108-page collection of black-and-white images taken at EPT Berlin - one of the largest poker events in Europe. The EPT marked Thiébaud’s first contact with a completely new world.

“Before that I only knew poker as a pastime with friends. Then I entered this parallel universe, and I was floored by the professional atmosphere in it.

"The ambience is truly special and you meet a lot of interesting people. There is a high level of focus and excitement at the same time.”

It's the Emotion That Stands Out

On any given day at the EPT Thiébaud would press the button up to 1,500 times. About 100 of the images make it through to the second round of selection.

Eventually Thiébaud came up with a collection of poker moments that capture success as well as failure, and often the tenacity that is so essential in poker.

Always it’s the emotion that stands out. Very few players will be able to look at the pocket aces image without feeling that rush to the head only this hand can produce.

“The most astonishing thing for me was that a game that is supposed to be so controlled, unemotional and ice-cold generates so many archetypical human facial expressions.”

A lot of international players have been an inspiration to Thiébaud and his work, inclu.

Poker Fine Art Shows in the Ordinary Moments

Rare images, like the talisman-card-protector cross from his collection, are exceptions.

“Absolute poker fine art," however, shows itself not in the extraordinary but the ordinary – in the moments that show the basics of poker.

The picture showing Ben Wilinofsky and Max Heinzelmann playing heads-up for the title in 2011 is more of an example of the simple power poker can convey.

If you're interested in having one of Franҫois-Xavier Thiébaud’s pictures embellish your home or office, you can purchase them here.

The internet gallery GALLMO is working with several high profile photographers, among them Franz Kovacs (BBC Wildlife photographer of the year 2008) and Leonardo Tommasin (worked for Vogue Italia and Cosmopolitan, Secret Cinema).

In an ongoing look at photography PokerListings will present the works of professional photographers here in the Guest Blog. We're also looking for promising artists so if you think you know somebody who should get more attention by the media, drop us a message.

The Artist: Franҫois-Xavier Thiébaud

Francois-Xavier Thiébaud

 

*January 15, 1978, Besanҫon, France

Franҫois-Xavier Thiébaud found his love for photography when he was 14 years old.

He was fascinated by artists like Jean-Loup Sieff, Henri Cartier-Besson, Irving Penn and the Magnum photographers.

When he was only 16 he started taking courses in photography for amateurs but then had to put aside his passion for art for financial reasons.

It wasn't until 2003 when he got back into taking pictures. Now that digital photography had become an everyday thing, photography was a lot more affordable than in the past.

Today Thiébaud works for different agencies and print media including Vogue, Gala and others. Thiébaud also studied photography at Mathias Richter’s Imago Fotokunst.

In 2010 he opened his own studio so he could focus on fashion and advertising photography alongside his love for black-and-white pictures.

Thiébaud is also the chairman of the French-German Photography Association. The picture book Poker Faces was made with the support of Casino Berlin.

Not Just Hard and Honest Work

Riddle grew up in Kentucky and Indiana. He then moved to Chicago and started a shipping company. Within years it became one of the biggest in the Midwest.

Major Riddle

 

During the depression of the 1930s that ruined the lives of hundreds of thousands he became an incredibly rich man. Of course, this wasn’t possible with just hard and honest work.

Chicago was ruled by the mafia and some people said Major Riddle had certain connections. The methods he used in his company were also a little dubious at times.

For example he would urge his drivers to buy the trucks they were driving by spending part of their salary. When they had almost paid them off, he fired them and kept the vehicles.

In 1956 Riddle left Chicago and went to Las Vegas to invest into the brand new Dunes casino that at the time was struggling to get by.

There have always been rumors that Riddle used part of the pension pool of the Teamsters trade union to invest in Vegas. The Teamsters, of course, was highly influential in Chicago and led by Jimmy Hoffa.

Hoffa later fell victim to his own proximity to the mob. He simply disappeared from a restaurant in Michigan in 1975.

First on the Strip to Offer Topless Dancing

In Vegas Riddle’s career really took off. In the year he arrived he became a co-owner of the Dunes and turned it into a huge success.

One of his best ideas was to sign the successful burlesque dance group “Minsky’s Follies." This turned the Dunes into the first casino resort on the strip that offered topless dancing.

The Catholic Church and the Legion of Decency were furious. “Barebreasted girls on stage in Las Vegas, we can’t have that!” they shouted when they called the authorities.

To this day it sounds bizarre that these institutions worried about a bit of uncovered skin while tolerating everything else Sin City offered.

Riddle didn’t care, anyway. The show had 16,000 visitors per week - a record that stood until 1990.

Riddle also knew some things about promotion.

He went on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson to promote his book The Weekend Gambler’s Handbook and dropped a couple of words about the Dunes, too.

Crazy About and Notoriously Bad at Poker

There could hardly be a worse author on gambling, though, than Riddle. Riddle was crazy about poker, and also notoriously bad at it.

Whenever he sat down at a table a rapidly expanding waiting list followed. He was a player with a large bankroll and little knowledge.

Mobster Tony Spilotro and his companions took thousands of dollars from him. Others lured him into bets that he couldn’t win.

Journalist and Vegas insider Frank Rosenthal declared that there has never been a more efficient cheating system in the city than the one targeted at the co-owner of the Dunes.

“Millions were cheated from the Major,” Rosenthal claims. Dealers like John Martino were part of the system along with tricksters like Marty Carson.

But even when things were going straight Riddle was a fish like no other. As a lifelong Stud player he was prey for the Texas Hold’em players. He just couldn’t wrap his head around No Limit.

One hand he played is still famous in the poker world. It happened in his own casino.

Game Selection Not His Strong Suit

His opponent was Johnny Moss, one of the most famous players of all times. Moss was playing at his best at the time. Game selection was clearly one of the Riddle's major problems.

On a K-K-9 flop Moss fired the first bullet. It was folded around to Riddle, who called. Another 9 on the turn triggered another bet from Moss and Riddle came along.

A jack appeared on the river and Moss went all-in. Riddle almost snap-called with almost $300,000 in the pot.

With a broad grin Moss showed pocket nines for quads. Riddle? Pocket deuces!!! Pocket deuces???

They say that everybody at the table was trying not to laugh. After the turn Riddle had played the board with little chance of improving.

Joe Rubino, a bookie from Alabama, made the mistake of voicing his concerns about Riddle’s erroneous play.

“He should get the money from second and third street back, as he didn’t have a chance to even beat the board,” Rubino said.

Moss, pretty well-known as a choleric and bad guy, exploded in Rubino’s face.

“What the … are you talking about? Sometimes the board is the strongest hand!” He also told him a couple of words about minding one’s own business.

How to Gamble Away a Casino at the Poker Table

So Riddle was apparently not suited to sit at a poker table. That didn’t keep him from betting everything he had whenever he had the chance to, though.

One night he was playing at the Sahara. At one point he raised with the ownership certificate of the Dunes.

He won the hand, luckily, but it was this attitude that made him lose more and more of his property in a pretty short time.

When the biggest game in town moved from the Dunes to the Aladdin, right across the street, Major Riddle followed.

It was about that time that Riddle lost any form of control over his casino. Within a year his shares shrank from 90% to 15% of the business. And he went on to lose that, too.

Today the Aladdin counts as the birthplace of the Big Game. And it’s mostly famous for two incidents.

One: Poker Hall of Famer Tom Abdo died there of a heart attack during a high-stakes game. His last words were, reportedly, “count my chips, I’ll be back."

Two: Major Riddle gambled away a complete casino at the poker tables.

Enlisted Drache and Brunson for a new big game

 

Shrugged Off His Losses and Started Over

But Riddle, as on countless occasions before, shrugged off his losses and started something new.

In 1977 he bought the Thunderbird Casino and renamed it Silverbird.

He brought in Eric Drache and Doyle Brunson to establish a new Big Game. The stakes weren’t as high as at the Dunes or the Aladdin, but high enough.

You could lose a car or maybe a house in the Silverbird, but not a whole casino.

Riddle continued to be successful in business. He purchased holdings in several casinos and hotels and when he died in 1980 he was a wealthy man.

With Major Riddle gone Las Vegas lost one of the biggest fish, but also one of its most colorful personalities.

Whole Cities of Cards

Everybody has likely tried to build a house of cards at some point, but few of us ever really have much success - even with the simplest of structures.

American card stacker Bryan Berg is so good he makes a living out of it.

The 40-year-old Berg has fulfilled a childhood dream. His craft is very well sought after and his clients come from all over the world.

Berg began building card castles following the example of his grandfather. He is an autodidact in his art but he also has received the Architecture and Design Achievement Award from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in Design from Harvard University.

Over the years Berg has excelled in his craft so much he's taken building houses of cards to castles of cards, palaces of cards and even whole cities of cards. Berg's pieces, in fact, have become monumental in every way.

Berg doesn’t use any tricks or auxiliary means like bending/folding the cards or tape or glue. (Although to be fair he used glue once when he recreated the famous Las Vegas sign in 2006).

Berg’s work was even shown at the World Series of Poker - and doesn't only consist of cards but also dice, chips and wood.

Berg’s popularity has been boosted tremendously thanks to appearances in the Guinness Book of Records for building the highest (1992) and largest (2004) houses of cards in the world.

The building he created in 2004 - the amazing Cinderella castle - is famous all over the world and the piece that more or less made him known to the general public.

Countless Disney fans and celebrities have gone to see it and Berg’s popularity grew dramatically.

Thanks to the exposure his works received he's had requests to create a lot of commissioned works.

One of the best-known big projects was a copy of the Eiffel Tower, requested in 2013 by Virgin Australia’s Frequent Flyer Program.

Berg needed 120 hours of work to complete it.

In 2009 Berg recreated a complete hotel room at the Holiday Inn using the hotel’s key cards.

For this work Berg also used glue and cardboard boxes. A TV crew followed the process of his work live for several days.

Inspired? If you're now contemplating putting down the poker chips and picking up the card-stacking business, here's Berg’s advice:

Get yourself a cheap deck of playing cards. They're less slippery and good to start working with.

And begin by building simple structuress - they'll be the basis of your future masterpieces.

Check out the video below to see Berg at work.

# Magneto – Thor Hansen 

Magneto is one of the most powerful Marvel characters of all time. After watching Thor Hansen battle for 13 hours on Day 1 of the 2014 Battle of Malta and leave with a smile on his face, we have no doubt the living legend - still fighting terminal cancer - has some super powers of his own. A true inspiration.

# Black Widow – Liv Boeree

Black Widow has a slowed aging process together with an accelerated cell regeneration. In combat she's unpredictable and astute and she can recover very quickly after suffering an attack.

Sounds like Boeree, yeah? Five years on from her historic victory at EPT San Remo in 2010 she still looks exactly the same -- thanks, we assume, to experiments the government has done on her. There's also all of that heavy metal guitar.

# Iceman – Daniel Colman

Something surprising and paradoxical happens to the charismatic Iceman when he's not in his mutant form: he freezes. Impassive and cold like no other, Dan Colman has shown he can defeat anyone at the poker table.

One of his main qualities, in both forms, is a sort of brutal honesty, which can sometimes lead him into trouble …

# Punisher – Dan Bilzerian

Punisher is a controversial character oscillating between "hero" and "villain," obsessed with revenge and firearms. If Punisher acts in the shadows to hit without being seen, though, Bilzerian does everything in the light of the sun - or as we know it, social media.

# Emma Frost – Gaëlle Baumann

Elegant and refined, Emma Frost is one of the strongest and long-loved heroes of the Marvel Universe. Emma has the ability to read minds but at the same time she can transform her body into a diamond and fight like nobody else.

These features are reflected in Gaëlles style of play. She can be a solid and defensive poker player but she knows how to attack and be aggressive when the moment is right.

# Captain America – Antonio Esfandiari

Captain America is the emblem for American super heroes. Exactly like Esfandiari, who is the most successful US poker tournament player ever with over $26 million earned in his career.

We considered Daniel Negreanu for the part, given he's the all-time money leader at over $30m, but you can't make a Canadian Captain America, can you?

# Jean Grey (Phoenix) – Jennifer Shahade

Jean Grey is one the most complex Marvel characters. A scholar and researcher, with the abilities of telekinesis and telepathy, her true essence is the Phoenix.

When she's not playing poker heroine Jennifer Shahade uses her brain similarly. Skilled poker player and writer, Shahade is a genius in front of the chess board where's she earned the title of Grand Master and won two US Women's championships.

# Cyclops – Dan Cates

Cyclops and his red laser have literally shaped the history of the X-Men. He embodies the hero, strong and brave, not inclined to humor, a leader and master strategist. Qualities that help Cates excel in poker as well, especially online where he is known as jungleman12.

Cates can seem aloof at times, and he may not be sympathetic to many, but behind that laser there's a genuine heart.

# Ms. Marvel – Vanessa Rousso

Ms. Marvel as a heroine has multiple powers and in everyday life she has multiple talents. Rousso is not only a skilled poker player but also an accomplished DJ, violinist and national debater.

She studied Economics at Duke University and got her degree in just two and a half years -- the shortest time to graduate in the history of Duke.

# Doctor Octopus – Phil Hellmuth

Misunderstood, brilliant scientist Dr Octopus embodies the perfect anti-hero -- ruthless and relentless when desiring something.

Phil Hellmuth has basically the same attitude in front of a WSOP bracelet. Irascibility is Dr Octopus' main characteristic: he literally goes crazy when Spiderman thwarts his plans. We've seen that a few times, haven't we?

Hitting the Nuts

Be warned: Hitting the Nuts is not your typical movie about poker. It's a mockumentary-style look into poker at its most basic level -- the amateur "hey, let's hold a poker tournament" level.

From the beginning you'll realize this is not going to be a game featuring a bunch of pros or wanna-be pros but rather a hodgepodge of players that look like they were transplanted from your local home game.

This movie pokes fun at our game and all of its idiosyncrasies at the amateur level -- including how the "crazy cat lady" who knows nothing about the game manages to win too much.

The film is completely independent with an unknown cast who manage to pull off one of the funniest poker comedies in existence.

If poker met Blazing Saddles, this would be the result.

The Cincinnati Kid

Before most of the cast of Rounders were even born Steve McQueen was playing the title role in The Cincinnati Kid.

McQueen plays Eric Stoner, aka "The Kid." Stoner is an up-and-coming poker player looking to prove himself.

Edward G. Robinson plays Lancey Howard, aka "The Man." Howard is the film's equivalent of Doyle Brunson.

Unlike modern day poker the primary game is Five Card Stud. In this film there are several forces at work trying to decimate the bankroll of "The Man" but The Kid wants to try to win the game honestly.

The big game, as you'd, comes down to a heads-up showdown between The Kid and The Man. A cheating scandal is discovered by THe Kid and while the cheating actually benefits him, he balances the scales to prove he can win fairly.

The final hand is one of the most dramati you'll see in any poker film although highly improbable for those that know Five Card Stud odds.

All in all though The Cincinnati Kid is a poker movie with a solid storyline that teaches some hard lessons about the game and life.

The Grand

Another mockumentary makes this list but unlike Hitting the Nuts this film boasts an all-star cast and focuses on the elite level of poker.

Woody Harrelson is the film's star and plays the part of Jack Faro, a casino owner and poker player with various vices that have nearly left him bankrupt.

The only way that he can save his casino is to win a $10 million winner-takes-all tournament called "The Grand."

Standing in his way is a ragtag team of characters played by an amazing ensemble cast. Cheryl Hines plays Lainie Schwartzman, a player reminiscent of Annie Duke. David Cross plays Lainie's brother Larry, a character that will remind you of Mike Matusow.

Chris Parnell plays Harold Melvin, an idiot savant at the game. Dennis Farina is Deuce Fairbanks, the old timer that some say is fashioned from Doyle Brunson. Ray Romano, Gabe Kaplan, Hank Azaria, and Shannon Elizabeth also star in the film.

Several poker players make cameos including Phil Gordon, Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Laak, Phil Hellmuth and Antonio Esfandiari. Another cameo in the film is poker player Richard Brodie. One of the best jokes in the film occurs after a hand between him and Harold Melvin.

One little known fact about this film is that no scripts were used during the performance. Characters were given an outline and had to improvise lines as they went along. Also, the final table was actually played out live and multiple endings were filmed ahead of time to account for different winners.

This incredibly crafted film takes a tongue-in-cheek look at our favorite game at the elite level and is a must watch for every poker fan.

Deal

A film that has gotten little traction over the years, Deal stars Burt Reynolds and Bret Harrison. Harrison plays Alex Stillman, a law student that's an online poker player and occasional home game player.

Stillman makes the final table of an online tournament that is played live but is knocked out first. Tommy Vinson, played by Reynolds, is a retired player that sees potential in the kid and looks to take him under his wing. 

This film is both a coming-of-age story set in the poker world and also a comeback story for Vinson. As events of the film progress Vinson decides to come out of retirement and take his shot at the WPT Championship.

As fate would have it Vinson and Stillman make the final table and it's the teacher against the master. Will the kid make a name for himself or will the master take down the richest title in poker and earn the respect that he never had in the past?

The World Poker Tour is featured prominently in this one and that includes cameos by Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten. Poker players Jennifer Tilly, Greg Raymer, Chris Moneymaker, Antonio Esfandiari and Isabelle Mercier all have cameos in this film too. Shannon Elizabeth plays Tillman's "love interest."

This film never received the same press as Rounders and was not well received critically. However, it is a solid film that is one of the better dramatic interpretations of poker in the last few years. 

Poker Bustouts

This last pick is more of a documentary than a true poker film but is a film every player should watch if he or she has aspirations of turning pro in the live poker arena.

Poker Bustouts looks at the other side of poker and doesn't give you an overly positive spin on the game.

In this film you'll meet players from all walks of life that have taken or are taking their shot at the dream. Some have failed, some have had mild success and some are just everyday grinders who realize that poker is a hard way to make an easy living.

If you want a feel-good movie about poker, this isn't it. But if you want your eyes opened, watch this film.

Please note that this film isn't exactly "high quality" and has taken some bashing for its editing and substandard filming. However, if you can watch Blair Witch Project, you can watch this one.

Tough Times Make Tough People

A young Benny Binion

 

When the first news reporters and photographers came to Vegas to cover the WSOP in the mid-1970s, they were all impressed by the charming Benny Binion who was constantly smiling and shaking hands.

He was the inventor and the organizer of the growing poker festival and he seemed like an authentic figure in a world based on fraud and illusions.

Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston once said about his long-term mentor:

“He was either the gentlest bad guy or the baddest good guy you’ve ever seen.”

Binion’s response: “Tough times make tough people.” He knew what he was talking about.

Born on November 20, 1904, in Pilot Grove, Texas, a village with a population of then 193, he had to fight to grow up from very early on.

He was a weak, sickly boy so his parents didn’t send him to school, instead choosing to keep him on the farm. His father thought the boy would either get tough or die and he made Benny work. It was going to work out. Benny Binion said later in an article with CardPlayer:

“It was pretty cold. And I remember all the men, gettin’ off , and breakin’ up brush, and everything, and warmin’ their feet. And I stayed on that horse all day, and Dad left. And I doubt if I was over five, six years old. I don’t even remember where we went. And almost from that time on, hell, I just been a-going.”

Binion Turns to Illegal Gambling

With the beginning of the world economic crisis, it became difficult for Benny Binion to earn money the legal way.

He started moonshining, was caught twice and learned that his talents must lie elsewhere.

Gambling – illegal gambling – was flourishing, and it was much more to his liking. Binion saw his chance.

He took $50 and started his first lottery. One week later, he had turned his stake into $800.

In the early 1930s Binion was also beginning to show the recklessness necessary to prevail in a violent environment.

He had an argument with a guy called Frank Bolding, a notorious rum smuggler infamous for his brutality. Binion shot Bolding in the neck, but was sentenced only to two years of probation, because he was acting in self-defence.

Benny Binion was extremely ambitious; he wanted to make it all the way to the top. He moved to Dallas, one of these big Texan cities that had become wealthy thanks to oil trading and cattle farming.

Leaving Texas for the Bright Lights of Vegas

Binion started his own little casino, quickly found success, and removed rivals by any means necessary. He allegedly shot two competitors.

One of them was Sam Murray, another Ben Frieden. Both competitors were shot several times with Binion involved. He was accused only in one case, but let go. Again, the judge ruled he had acted in self-defence.

Eventually, Binion was in charge of gambling in Dallas and had enough money to bribe politicians and the police.

Rumors say that there were times when Binion paid up to $600,000 in bribe money per year.

At the end of the Second World War, the Chicago mob came to Dallas. Binon had bribed one of the candidates who were campaigning for mayor but the guy lost the election and soon after major resource allocation conflicts ensued.

Binion lost the battle. He took his wife Teddy Jane, his children, bodyguard “Gold Dollar”, two million dollars and drove down to Las Vegas.

The El Dorado Become’s Binion’s Horseshoe

Benion's Horseshoe

 

At the time Sin City was in the hands of the mob as well but Binion quickly put his foot on the ground. He acquired the El Dorado casino on Fremont Street and renamed it Binion’s Horseshoe.

But the demons of the past continued to haunt him, particularly Herb “The Cat” Noble, another major player in Las Vegas gambling.

Noble had “dealt” with several of Binion’s most loyal employees and subsequently survived no less than twelve murder attempts.

When Noble’s wife was killed by a car bomb, Noble apparently planned to fly a plane full of explosives into Binion’s house.

The police thwarted his plans and the 13th attack was finally successful – Noble was killed by a bomb that went off when he opened his mailbox.

But Binion had caused too much trouble. The Las Vegas mob didn’t appreciate the fireworks that the new guy in town had lit. They took measures.

Going to Prison in Dallas

Binion's legendary Cadillac.

 

In 1951, Benny Binion lost his gambling licence and was charged for tax fraud. He was told that if he pleaded guilty, he would be able to buy his way out of a serious sentence.

In 1953, Binion drove to Dallas and turned himself in but was immediately taken to prison and sentenced to five years.

In addition Binion was forced to sell shares of the Horseshoe because he had to cover a lot of the court’s costs. It took him until 1964 to get all of the casino back.

But even in prison Binion kept his ambition. When he got out, he went back to Vegas and turned the Horseshoe into the best casino in town.

He was one of the first to find out that you needed to keep the players happy, and he knew how to do it: “good food, good whisky, good gamble.”

At the time there were about 50,000 people living in Vegas and most of the gambling halls were dark, shady places.

While other locations had the floors covered with sawdust, Binion laid carpets in the Horseshoe. In fact that’s how one of the carpet installers in Vegas worked off a substantial gambling debt he had accrued at Binions.

Revolutionizing the Casino Experience

Binion's Horseshoe

 

Binion was also one of the first casino owners who gave out drinks for free and made sure the food was of good quality.

On top of the free drinks and great grub, Binion also had a free limo service for high rollers and a regular show on stage. Binion no less than revolutionized the casino industry.

But at the end of the day, Benny Binion always was a gangster. Occasionally Binion’s rivals simply disappeared.

Binion also bribed the police and the authorities. This time around he had to get along with the mob.

He had a firm grip on his casino. If customers were causing trouble, the security staff took care of them in their own special way. It would sometimes lead to severe injuries.

Over time Binion developed paranoid and eccentric tendencies. He would often retreat to his farm in Montana, where he - dressed in a buffalo fur coat - and his bodyguard “Gold Dollar” would drive around in a Cadillac with buffalo horns on the front. 

Bringing Poker to the Forefront

When in Vegas, Binion presented himself as a self-made millionaire and visionary, however. He was always fascinated by poker, although he didn’t consider himself to be very good at it.

Amarillo Slim was a fixture of the WSOP.

 

In 1949, he organized a heads-up high-stakes poker game between the professional poker player Johnny Moss and one of the biggest gamblers on the planet: Nick “The Greek” Dandolos.

It was designed as a tourist attraction but it was destined to be his legacy and – in a sense - the birth of the largest poker event in the world.

But Binion still had other ideas. He raised the limits at the craps tables, for example. While other casinos capped the bets at $50, Binion allowed bets up to $500. Nobody had ever done that before.

Because of the raised limits people would walk into the casino only to watch what was going on but then ended up playing, too.

The landmark of the casino was a giant horseshoe with a display filled with one hundred very rare $10,000 notes.

In 1957 disaster struck and Binion lost his casino licence for good. His wife and son Jack took over management, while Benny watched the action from one of the coffee tables and assumed the position of “consultant”.

Officially, Binion was off his job but his most important achievement still lay ahead of him. 

The World Series of Poker Begins

In 1970, after a weekend of poker in Reno, Binion invited the players to carry on with the game in the Horseshoe. He jokingly called it the World Championship of Poker.

Benny Binion died the same year Phil Hellmuth won his first bracelet.

 

They only needed one table and the winner was elected by a secret vote.

The format was quickly changed when everyone voted for themselves in the first edition of what ended up being the World Series of Poker.

Nineteen years later, a player named Phil Hellmuth became the then youngest world champion of poker. The Main Event had grown considerably with 178 players and the side events that brought the total number of tournaments up to 14.

Late in that year, Binion had a fatal heart attack. One year later, he was introduced posthumously into the Poker Hall of Fame.

In the years after his death, the Binion clan and its business slowly fell apart. In 1994, Teddy Jane died, and two of his children later became victims of drug abuse.

The remaining brethren Becky and Jack Binion went to court to determine who was going to take over the Horseshoe.

At the end of the trial, Becky would lead the casino, while Jack received one per cent in shares so he could keep his own casino licence.

In 2004 – which would have seen Benny Binion’s 100th birthday – the Horseshoe lost its concession due to financial irregularities.

The casino was temporarily closed and sold. Although the brand was retained one of the biggest success stories of Las Vegas had come to an end.

Poker’s Big Three

Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu.

When it comes to poker accomplishments, fan recognition and marketability these three players sit comfortably atop the poker fame hieraechy.

If anyone from the poker world is likely to be recognized outside of a casino anywhere in the world, it's one of them.

During the World Series of Poker and other major tournaments across the globe their fame is evident.

They’re mobbed for pictures and autographs and their tables always have a dedicated rail of fans cheering them on.

But even for the big three, fame seems to evaporate the further away they get from the Rio’s frigid, air-conditioned poker tables.

In a sit-down interview with Nolan Dalla for WSOP.com, Phil Ivey said:

“It’s only like that here at the World Series of Poker. If I’m in a mall, if I’m walking down the street, I never really get that. People that play poker, they recognize me and they say, 'Hey how you doing.' I get it somewhat, but it’s not really like I’m Tom Cruise.”

Why, Phil? Why aren’t you Tom Cruise?

Google  - specifically a search for "Why isn't Phil Ivey Tom Cruise" - could not provide an accurate answer.

The theory that poker itself is the limiting factor seems to account for this, but there are a few anomalies.

"Sidepot" Pros

Some professional poker players are rich; some professionally rich people play poker.

Sidepot pros include actors, athletes, professionally attractive people and billionaire hedge fund managers turned pro.

There’s a certain level of celebrity hysteria when players like Matt Damon, Paul Pierce or Gerard Pique play but that mob follows them wherever they go.

They give poker an initial fame bump but it slowly normalizes the more stars get involved in the game.

One exception? Dan Bilzerian.

Bilzerian is a self-proclaimed poker pro who’s out-famed the big three by a large margin in just a few years.

The Big Three

Big Three Plus DB

The cause for this disparity doesn’t seem to lie in tournament earnings:

Or WSOP bracelets.

Those graphs give almost almost inverse Google trend results.

If this was the case, perhaps the opposite of a poker achievement was responsible for the disparity:

Close.

This graph is on the right track but fails to account for the nuances between Negreanu and the Phils.

(Instagram Followers)

This Instagram graph is a more accurate representation of the Google Trends but is not officially scientific since Hellmuth has no Instagram account.

Theoretical Instagram scientists hypothesized that the graph would be nearly the same if Hellmuth did have an account because it would consist of Hellmuth selfies, WSOP bracelets and have very few followers.

Instagram seems to be a good unit of measurement since its premise --sharing pictures of your life with the world-- fits historian Daniel J. Boorstin’s definition of a celebrity:

The celebrity is a person who is well-known for his well-knownness.

YouTube

The internet celebrates well-knownness. Like Instagram, YouTube has become a place where people skyrocket to fame for being themselves.

It’s also an area where the big three seem to falter.

Once again, Phil Hellmuth has the smallest online presence on YouTube.

The Poker Brat’s most-watched video, “Top 5 Phil Hellmuth Explosions” has 1.25 million views.

While this eclipses the amount of views other Wisconsin brats have:

It only holds about 1.5 percent of the views of other popular freakouts:

To increase views, YouTube scientists recommend that Hellmuth’s next outburst include 60 percent more flailing and a 300 percent increase in remote controls

Phil Ivey’s most-watched video --with 2.23 million views-- is “Phil Ivey v Paul Jackson - Bluff v Bluff.”

With nerves of steel and impeccable form, Ivey’s bluff is now the most-watched poker bluff in YouTube history.

Despite that, the video fails to surpass other demonstrations of amazing skill, poise and unwavering nerves of steel in the face of adversity:

Daniel Negreanu’s “Daniel Negreanu Amazing reads WSOP,” tops the big three’s YouTube charts with 2.85 million views.

When compared to other small, furry Canadians born in the 70s, Negreanu shows a strong lead.

689,000 views

But when compared to Seth Rogen, a furry Canadian export from the 80s, Negreanu starts to lose his dominance.

Then, when 90s export Justin Bieber comes into play, both Rogen and Negreanu become mere blips on the radar.

It’s been rumored that the Canadian government is still developing an export from the 00s to overtake Gangnam Style as YouTube most viewed video.

People Like Just "A Little Bit of Poker"

Poker’s unique blend of mainstream accessibility but lack of mainstream fame is partly due to the effort required to succeed in the game.

Online poker’s peak popularity also coincided with the softness of the games:

2005

2015

The effort involved in just following professional poker is also strenuous.

While most professional sports have a set roster of professional players, professional poker allows anyone with a buy-in the chance to compete.

To be fully up-to-date, fans have to an array of international tournaments, high-stakes cash games and online poker. This creates a flip of the previous graph:

These graphs suggest that people just like “a little bit of poker.”

This evidence supports the Bilzerian Instagram account, which in order of frequency tends to show:

Instead of the countless hours of work and study required to be a modern poker pro, Bilzerian also manifests the road several amateur players wish they could take:

These results also coincide with recent studies on fame.

In 2008, researchers who wrote “Socialization to Work in Late Adolescence: The Role of Television and Family,” discovered that American college students associated more with famous, well-off characters than everyday broke-ass ones.

In “Rise of Fame,” Uhls and Greenfield found that values in media such as benevolence and sharing have plummeted while individual values like fame, physical appearance and wealth have risen since 1967.

In their conclusion, Uhls and Greenfield state:

The changes in multimedia content and the possibilities for the interactive construction of fame on YouTube may have a measurable impact on the goals and desires of emerging adults[...]

Media, ever prevalent in the lives of today’s youth, are an important source of information for their developing concepts of what the social world outside their immediate environment is all about.

However, early adolescents are not watching characters in everyday environments; instead they are watching and likely identifying with youth who have enormously successful careers to the point of becoming famous.

If tweens observe characters they admire succeeding and achieving wide public recognition and material success with little effort or training, they are likely to believe that this success is entirely possible and easy to achieve. This is an important issue for future research.

Poker players are therefore not doomed to limited stardom. To break that glass ceiling, players, tournaments and media outlets should simply just focus on the luxury lifestyle aspect of poker.

Also: more guns, jets and sex.

Now, we all know that there are only a very, select few who have climbed to this level and even fewer who can survive here, let alone prosper, but I suspect that the intense focus on these games being played in this rarefied realm has given a false impression of who is really playing poker and what stakes are they actually playing for.

Is the typical poker player playing for serious stakes (steaks) or for something less (hamburgers?). 

First I started asking friends who play regularly, both live and online. I got fairly predictable answers.

The ones who play live tend to think that most Limit players are playing between 2/4 and 15/30 and that the majority of No Limit folks are playing between 1/2 and 2/5. The players who focus on the online game tended to have similar estimates.

1/2 is the best!

 

Are they right? Well, for live play you can just walk into a card room and look around. At my local room there are usually a half dozen or more 2/4 and 4/8 Limit games going, four or five 1/2 No Limit and one or two 5/5 NL tables.

But this is hardly typical. Commerce Casino will have scores of games at many levels, some quite high. Bellagio will too, as will other large rooms in major gaming cities, like the Borgata in Atlantic City.

Of course, if you go into small rooms dotted around the country you will not see many games above 1/2 NL or 4/8 L.

So, I wondered, is this pattern also found online? Will we see a similar distribution?  Are my friends basically correct in their estimates?

Not a chance. It is different in cyberspace, so different that, if you haven't taken a look, you are in for one hell of a surprise. I was.

Here are the numbers of tables in action at each of the levels that I found from the No Limit Hold-em games running at Poker Stars.

I didn't bother to record the number of players at each table, largely because there are different numbers (commonly 2-, 6- and 9-max tables) and because the numbers shift around unpredictably).

I'm letting the number of active tables tell us where the players are congregating.

STAKES                                 NUMBER OF TABLES

$25/$50 (and higher)                               2

$10/$20                                                   6

$5/$10                                                   28

$3/$6                                                     26

$2/$4                                                     72

$1/$2                                                   201

$.50/$1                                                496

$.25/$.50                                             456

$.10/$.25                                             696

$.05/$.10                                             516

$.02/$.05                                             288

$.01/$.02                                             576

TOTAL                                            3,363

There was a total of 3,363 tables going and a mere 36 (or 1%) were being played at stakes higher than 3/6. To get a feel for how different this is from live play, imagine a brick and mortar poker room with 100 tables, and only 1 is playing higher than 3/6.

Remember that old line about "nickel-dime poker by the kitchen sink?" Well friends, that's exactly what is going on. A total of 1,380 tables or a full 41% of all the games were being played for exactly those stakes ---- or less.

This isn't "steak." It isn't even "hamburger." It's tofu, or something ... radishes, lettuce?

I collected these numbers at 1:30 PM (PT), which would be 4:30 PM on the east coast, mid-evening in Europe. They are likely different at other times and they are likely different on other sites but I'm reasonably certain that the same patterns will emerge.

I also didn't bother looking at Tournament play or S 'n' Gs but my guess is that we'd find the same pattern.

It there a message here? Damn right.

All the moralists out there who feel like they need to protect us poker players from ourselves by limiting access to the game on the Internet, stop worrying.

Overwhelmingly, the folks playing here are just having a good ol' time. Even the very worst donkey, playing multiple tables with abandon and zero skill couldn't lose more than the price of a cheeseburger, fries and a beer in an afternoon.

Politicians, the media and the moralists have made it important. The poker community needs to take stock of the situation, examine its nuances and develop codes for appropriate behavior, lest they be imposed from outside.

Recall how 60-Minutes handled poker last year and the underhanded way in which the US Congress passed the UIGEA to appreciate how important this issue is. So:

A Little History

Cheating has always been a worrisome aspect of poker, with the understanding that theissue isn't poker, it's cheating.

Larceny lurks in many hearts and when money is involved and opportunity sits there as open and inviting as a fat cat's belly on a warm summer's day, well, you know what's bound to happen.

Poker became popular in the late 1800's. It had evolved earlier in the century from a French game (called poque) that used a 20-card deck.

The times they are a changin'

 

As it grew, mainly in the American south, it became a popular way to kill time while on the riverboats that paddled up and down the Mississippi. And it gave us the game's first iconic offspring: the Riverboat Gambler, replete with pencil moustache, frock coat and cheroot and known for odd mannerisms in the shuffling and dealing of the cards.

A lot of these guys were cheats. Marked cards, cold decks, false shuffles, dealing seconds and off the bottom, hold-out devices, mirrors, collusion. If you could think of it, someone was doing it. It didn't take too many 'honorable' churchgoers getting fleeced before the outpourings of Puritanical righteous indignation ended it all.

After poker and other forms of gambling were shut down by changes in the law, the game went exactly where you would expect it to: underground. It still flourished, but in private games held in homes, hotel rooms, social clubs and community halls. Some of these games were pretty big and a generation of 'road gamblers' sprung up to take advantage of the well-heeled but less-skilled.

Several books have been written about this period, the best are those based on the reminiscences of Doyle Brunson (According to Doyle, reissued as Poker Wisdom of a Champion) and Amarillo Slim Preston (Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People), as well as Des Wilson's superb chronicle, .

In these books you get a sense of folks walking this fine line. There's cheating going on all around them. Games are rigged, decks stacked and, yes, they get hijacked and more than once find themselves at the wrong end of a shotgun.

Did these guys, some of them icons of the game, ever cheat? Did they ever stretch the proper bounds of propriety? I don't know, but some eight years ago we were confronted with:

The 'Cheating Tapes'

The late Russ Georgiev, an admitted swindler and cheat made a series of public accusations, mostly on the rec.gambling web site. He implicated several prominent players, including some whose photos hang in the Poker Hall of Fame.

Georgiev confessed to long-term, systematic larceny at poker games in public venues, throughout the 1970's and '80's, mainly in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

He also acknowledged having links with some of the most notorious, mob-connected scoundrels in "old Vegas," including murderer Tony Spilotro. Georgiev does not paint a particularly uplifting picture of the game.

In 2001 Mike Caro, concerned about the possible veracity of Georgiev's claims, sat down with him and two of his confederates (John Martino, a Las Vegas regular as far back as the '60s, and Bill Nirdlinger, another long-time rounder) and made the now infamous "cheating tapes" on which Georgiev and friends 'tell all.'

I've watched the tapes, all six hours. They are not exactly convincing. Georgiev was, moreover, a self-promoter who, until his recent death, used the peculiar 'fame' this episode brought him to establish a career selling DVD's of the sessions and writing about cheating.

Did he have ulterior, monetary motives? I don't know but it's hard to dismiss the thought.

But, independent of the details of the accusations, it is pretty clear that a lot of sleazy stuff was going on from the dusty back roads of Texas to the glitzy casino poker rooms in 'old' Vegas.

Happily, things have changed. The 'industry' appreciates that cheating, real or imagined, is bad for business. Far more revenue is generated when everyone knows the games are 'clean.'

But problems still exist and as the game grows, particularly on the Internet, they've multiplied. Stay tuned as we examine them in future posts in this series.

Ivey on Losing

In this PokerListings interview Phil said, with some passion. "In poker if you're going to get good you have got to learn to lose. 'Cause poker is just like any other game or sport."

Now, everyone knows this; it's become a poker cliché. It's what Phil said next that is insightful.

"But you are going to have to learn how to deal with losing in order to become a better winner. That's why I think poker is such a wonderful game. There are guys that play certain sports that (sic) hardly ever lose, but in poker, you are just going to have to lose."

This is deeply interesting. It is also stunningly obvious but I have yet to hear anyone make this point explicitly. In our game the emotional stability needed to stay on top is of a different kind than in many other sports and games.

If you're the best boxer in your weight class you practically never suffer defeat. If you're on the best team in basketball you're going to win the vast majority of your games and you will routinely thump the weaker opponents. Hell, the UConn women's team is up to 78 straight now. Same for tennis and many other sports and games, like chess. An international grand master in chess can go for months, even years without losing a match.

Is it any surprise Ivey is a deep thinker?

 

But in poker you can be among the very best, the most skilled, the most feared, and routinely get smacked around the proverbial room, not just by another top flight pro, but by fish, donkeys, contributors who are so bad they couldn't spell poker if you spotted them the 'p' and the 'o'.

Losing here takes on a different psychological cast. If you cannot become a good loser, you have little chance of becoming a winner.

Ivey on playing style

When asked about his playing style Phil answered that he doesn't have one. Think for a minute about how different this answer is from how the typical pro responds to such questions.

Phil looks to figure out how you're playing and adjusts, which fits with a recent comment by Phil Galfond, who said that playing Ivey heads-up was unnerving. Ivey began check-raising him on virtually every hand (probably feeling Galfond was opening light). So Galfond adjusted, began checking behind more and re-raising ---- only to have Ivey compensate within just a few hands.

Galfond tried shifting again; Ivey spotted the change and adjusted, Galfond noted, faster than anyone he'd ever encountered.

This flexibility is certainly one of Phil's most effective weapons. It is also very hard to do. Most of us have our own personal styles, ways of playing our games, living our lives. His "anti-style," or "stylistic emptiness" (it's hard to know what to call it) is unusual; most of us would feel uncomfortable with it.

However, it meshes with what I recall from the times we played together in Atlantic City when he was a young (actually underage) kid and I was just another recreational player, like I still am.

I couldn't put a label on him then and I still can't (can you?). Sure he's aggressive but then he'll seem so passive at times. Sure he plays position but sometimes he'll almost recklessly make moves from early position. It confused me then; it still does.

Of course, the reason I never figured it out is because I was looking in the wrong place. I was looking at Phil when I should have been looking at the other players.

Ivey on Dumping a Winning Hand

At last year's WSOP main event Phil (in)famously misread his hand and mucked a winning flush.

Now this could be upsetting, and when told about it he didn't look real happy but he made a remark that speaks volumes about his grasp of the larger picture. "If," he smiled, "I do win that pot it would change everything that happened afterward and I may not have made the final table." Yup. He's right.

Ivey on Other Players

I don't know anyone who has anything less than a positive opinion about Phil, certainly not in terms of his poker. But more importantly, he has what seems like a genuine affection for most of his fellow pros, unlike many of his fellow pros who seemed to revel in trashing each other.

The classic case is Phil Hellmuth, the guy everyone loves to hate. Ivey has been at four final tables with Hellmuth. Four times he won. Rather than denigrate Hellmuth's game, he merely refers to him as "His good-luck charm."

Is this tactical diplomacy? Or is Ivey just a nice guy? Does it matter? Nah.

Tell us what you think in the comment section below.

More Guest Blog posts from Arthur S. Reber

Live Cash Games

Case 1: The guy on your left lifts his cards awkwardly and you can see them.

Should you tell him? Is it okay to peek ... once in a while? If you tell him but he still does it, can you look now? When is it legit to use the knowledge gained? How stupid does someone have to be before you can, in good conscience, take advantage of him?

Case 2: You install a small mirror in the table so you can see your opponent's hole cards.

This scam, as Russ Georgiev reported (see Part I in this series), was once common. It was set so that the player to the left of the dealer could see each card as it came off the deck. And, yes, the house was in on the deal.

Notice, you're getting the same information as Case 1 but it feels different doesn't it?

Case 3: Two guys sit in your game. They're clearly friends. They're heads-up in a hand, look at each other and proceed to check it down.

Does this make you suspicious? Is this inappropriate? Do you worry that later you might find yourself in a three-way pot with the two of them? What do you do? Tell them you do not approve? Call the floor? Get up and leave? Say, "To hell with it," and continue playing?

"I've got my eye on you!"

 

Your answer is important. How you deal with these situations will make its mark on the game. Culture and its moral codes are only as strong as the collective actions of all participants.

Case 4a: You notice a marked card. It is an ace. You don't tell the dealer.

Case 4b: You see a player mark an ace. You don't tell the dealer.

Case 4c: You mark an ace.

In all three the information available is the same. All feel wrong but not equally so. Most rank (c), being an act of commission, as the most egregious. They rank (a) and (b), being acts of omission, as less blameworthy. In courts of law they are also treated differently.

But (a) still feels different from (b). In (a) you don't know who did it. It could have been an accident. The second is different; you know the card was deliberately marked and you know who did it.

Suppose a hand pops up with an ace on board and you have a strong draw. You see the marked card in the hand of the guy who did it. You stretch the implied odds in this hand because you know if you hit you're going to get paid off. Is this legit? He's getting his comeuppance, right? Well, maybe.

Now, same situation but the ace is held by some innocent slob who has the misfortune to be holding it? Worse than before? Same?

Okay, let's tweak your intuitions some more.

Live Tournaments

Case 1: Guy buys in for $20+2 with starting stacks $3,000. He starts riffling his chips and spots two dusty grayish chips; someone mistakenly put two $5,000 chips in his stack. He surreptitiously slips them into his pocket to be retrieved later.

Case 2: A regular notices that the house is using the same chips for this MTT and the $200+20 buy-in each Saturday. He goes deep and quietly slips two $5,000 chips into his pocket to be retrieved on the weekend.

Both are unethical. But equally so? The second one feels worse (to me anyway). For one, it is a crime of commission (going "south" with chips) while the first is one of "omission" (failing to alert the floor about the 5k chips).

Moreover, because of the higher payouts on Saturday, the T-$10k theft in the second case becomes "grand" larceny while the same T-$10k theft in the former is "petty" larceny.

Note: in both situations the people getting hosed are the other players, not the house.

"You got me!"

 

FWIW, this latter case has been known to occur in rooms that do not have different chip sets and are so busy that no one counts down the chips after the tournament is over.

Case 3a: Two (or more) players form a partnership and agree to "ship" chips to each other if the circumstances are right.

Case 3b: Rebuy tournament. Two (or more) players form a partnership and push chips to one (or more) of their group and then rebuy.

Case 3c: A top pro takes on apprentices. They have to donk off chips to their guru. They are told that this is part of their training.

All three of these involve chip dumping but, to me, they don't feel equally unethical. I find 3c to be the most egregious act and 3b more unconscionable than 3a.

But all violate the basic principles of the game. They are also difficult to detect. All almost certainly occur, although with unknown frequency.

Note that in these instances involving tournaments, the people getting screwed are the other players whose EV for the event is reduced.

Consequently, the burden of discovery lands on the players. The house is on the lookout for cheating that impacts their bottom line, but management has little investment in poker and cannot be expected to show the same vigilance they display at the roulette wheel or the blackjack tables.

Next time we'll examine the Internet. In cyberspace gambits ranging from a gentle stretching of the guidelines to flat-out criminal behavior have been seen. And in many instances it isn't clear what the proper course of action is.

Most emotional reactions are rapid fire things. See tiger, run. Hear wife snarl, apologize. Watch two outer hit river, die another death. It's fast, unrehearsed and unbidden.

No one looks at a tiger on the path in front of them and says, "Hmm, cute but those fangs and claws look a bit on the dangerous side. I do think I'll get my ass out of here." You don't hear someone blast their horn at you while you're zipping into an intersection and think, "That's an interesting horn, I wonder if it's a Japanese-made car."

There are a bunch of obvious reasons why emotions operate this way. If they're not obvious go pick up a copy of Darwin's The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (yes, he wrote more books after Origin of Species). He worked out many of the key principles well over a hundred years ago and they still hold today.

But evolutionary biology aside, the interest is poker and your emotions and how to handle them at the poker tables and it's going to turn out that this "speed" thing is important.

This is what I think of your "emotional control"

 

Back to the claim about poor emotional management. The reason is tilt. Tilt is the enemy of the poker player. Tilt is the main source of losses for most good players. It is the reason why losing sessions turn into financial disasters; it is why winning session often go awry; it is the principle reason why good players never become great ones.

And tilt may be different from what you think it is.

Tilt tends to be treated as occurring in moments with high drama, Matusowian meltdowns, maniacal raises and reraises, cards flying, chairs knocked over, steam coming out of someone's ears. Tilt is these things but it is much more.

I subscribe to Tommy Angelo's characterization: Tilt is any time that you're not playing your A-game. You can go on tilt because you're tired or unsure of yourself in this particular game or because you're distracted by other things in life --- but mostly you go on tilt because you've failed to control your emotions and are no longer making the kinds of decisions you would be making if you weren't on tilt.

Let's look at an example, a hand. It's my hand. I played it recently.

The game was $5/5 NLH. I'm on the button with about $800 in front of me. I'm dealt J♠ T♠. There is one limper in the hijack seat with about a thousand. I raise to $35, the blinds fold, the limper calls. He's a so-so player whom I know reasonably well. His range here, I suspect, is anywhere from a middling Ace to a mid-pair.

Flop: 9♦ 8♣ 6♠. He bets $40 which sets off some bells --- set bells. I'm getting the right price to call, and do.

Turn: Q♥. Bingo. Now he pots (told you he was a so-so player). I repot. He goes all in. Insta call.

Now, here're the tilty questions: What should I do right now -- at this moment -- before the dealer burns and turns? What would you do?

I suspect most of you would do what I did --- for the first several hundred milliseconds. I prayed and chanted "Don't pair the board, don't pair the board."

Then I remembered Angelo's definition of tilt and I realized that if the board pairs I will go off like a fucking Roman candle, I will slam the table, stare malevolently at this bozo who opened himself up to get felted with a move that only a total idiot would make -- and I will not be able to play my A-game for at least, oh, an hour, two, a day, a week ....

In the next several hundred milliseconds I did what Angelo counsels. I steadied myself and thought about what I will do when the river lands. Will I rebuy? Will I nod and say "nice hand" (not "nice catch," that would be far too emotional a reaction)? Will I get up and take a walk, asking the dealer (nicely) to hold my seat? Will I enjoy the deep pleasure of stacking nearly $2,000?

I prepared myself for all possible outcomes and resolved to accept each as just another event in the ongoing saga that is my life. I became a much better poker player that evening.

More Guest Blog Posts from Arthur S. Reber

Hi guys! Just going to get right into it with an update on what I’ve been up to poker-wise!

I played all day last Friday and haven’t had time to fit in another WSOP venture since.

Expect more photos and videos from Las Vegas.

That day I was supposed to get midnight manis and pedis with Jessica Hinton (Dan Bilzerian's gf/ PB model) but couldn't because I was grinding the nightly tournament and single table satellites along with 2-5nl. Busy day!

Overall I broke even with the cost of buy-ins seeing as I didn’t cash in any tourneys. I was able to make it up in the cash games – that’s  usually how it works out – so  lol. Tourneys don’t go well so u have to grind cash. Gotta love it.

Today was fun – got some errands in – did  some hardcore hitting the gym, eating healthy, chillin’ in the grindroom and sitting next to one of the best heads up crushers there are, WCGRider, jammin to Skrillex, We’re going to go get some hookah later.

Anyway back to poker, was thinking about trying to Satellite into the main event – and  playing a $550 Mega whenever its running ...

Be expecting some interviews with friends (mostly poker players) coming soon ...

I almost forgot! I’m this week's Playboy Cyber Girl Of the Week started June 20th under the name Nicolette Shea and I’m in the running for October's Cyber Girl Of the Month!

Voting starts July 4th and lasts for one week! So excited!!!

Just got done shooting for Shoot the Centerfold Las Vegas @ Nikki Beach of Tropicana Hotel and it was awesome working with all the Playboy photographers again ... I’m very thankful to Ric Moore, David Mecey, Jarmo and Arny Freytag, Jeff with Casting Calls and Jon Paulsin.

Such amazing creative ability and insight.

That’s it for now but check back soon for another poker update and some of those interviews I was talking about :)

The hard fact is thousands of people who made their living playing online poker are out of work.

Considering the lifestyle online poker offered – financial independence, massive earning potential, international travel, a tight community of friends and fellow diehards – it’s a double or triple blow for most.

With big gaps in their resumes, specialized skills in a misunderstood field and a less-than-booming job market, it’ll also fairly unlikely most players will find work right away. Especially work that offers a comparable level of autonomy and income.

With that in mind, we went looking for Plan Bs.

Given the natural and well-documented connection between poker and trading, we consulted an expert in the field to see what the crossover potential is.

By Tom Cleveland

For those online poker players that have devoted countless hours to improving their game, maximizing their edge and grinding out a living in online poker over the last 6-8 years, right about now you might be wondering if all those hours invested have been a waste of time.

The upside is your analytical skills are finely honed, you can manage key probabilities to gauge expected value and you’re not risk averse or afraid to follow your instincts.

But is that skill set easily transferable to another discipline - especially one where you can make comparable money?

Andrew Frankenberger: One of several crossover successes from trading.

Same Same But Different

The correlations between playing poker and trading currency pairs in the Forex market are fairly consistent. 

Forex trading is high risk and does require specialized training, but the factors for success – knowledge, experience and emotional control – are the same required at any poker table.

A few other similarities are also worth mentioning:

The Table Game

You won’t be focusing on one specific game like Texas Hold’em or Pot-Limit Omaha, but you'll instead choose between currency pairs.

The major currency pairs are all linked to the U.S. dollar, and each has an individual style and personality to adapt to in order to gain a psychological advantage. 

The Euro and the Yen are steady and most heavily traded, but the Pound Sterling can be erratic and more volatile, requiring a deft touch to warrant your time.

The Players 

You're competing against other traders, large hedge funds and major global banks - all with more capital and experience - so you have to pick your spots carefully and latch onto predictable trends when they appear. 

There is a psychology to trading, and the “tells” appear in the form of recognizable patterns of pricing behavior.

You must learn these various patterns to anticipate the moves of other traders.

The Deck  

The Forex market is the largest and most liquid market in the world with over $4 trillion in daily volume. 

No one is big enough to stack the deck, so to speak, but events on the global stage can influence the market to move in expected ways.

Luck does factor in at the Forex table, but there are many ways that you can make your own luck happen.

Success is all about risk/reward calculations and money management principles.

As in poker you will have losses, but you must cut your losers early and let your winners run.

You won't achieve this end through following a Martingale strategy, for example, but you do limit your bets until an obvious trend can provide a larger than normal payoff.

Practice Regimen  

As with online poker, you must invest the hours on practice systems to gain the confidence and the consistency with your trading plan for the “real game” down the line. 

Most Forex brokers offer free demo systems where you can wager virtual cash with real-time quotes to fine tune your individual trading plan and develop familiarity with the market and your choice of currency pair or pairs.

If you’re serious about getting started in Forex trading, take advantage of these offers.

The Edge

Technical analysis (“TA”) will be your primary tool, supplemented by pattern recognition, to assess whether you hold on to or drop your currencies.

Eugene Katchalov: Knows his markets.

Most academics believe the market is totally random, but traders rely on techinical analysis to provide an edge when it comes to picking market entry and exit points. 

Markets are driven by fundamental economic data, but traders must interpret that data and make decisions about where the market will move. 

The inability of the entire trading community to agree causes volatility, which produces predictable trends and opportunities for gain.

The simple fact is that the analytical skills, ability to assess probabilities at hand quickly and the intuitive recognition of repeating patterns is the essence of both online poker and Forex trading. 

The First Steps

If your interest's been piqued, here are a few steps to take to make a deeper personal assessment whether Forex might be right for you:

Preparation: Immerse yourself on the topic of Forex and read everything you can find on the Internet or in your local bookstore.

The objective here is to become familiar enough with terms and strategies before you take a tutorial or formal class on currency trading.

Knowledge: Enroll in a formal class. Many are offered online. Forex brokers often hold free clinics in major cities.

Your instruction will typically cover the necessary topics of fundamental and technical analysis, Forex brokers and order management, trading systems and strategies, risk and money management and other rules of the road.

As with poker there are no shortcuts, but finding a mentor to guide your efforts is highly recommended.

Experience: A free demo system is your avenue for gaining experience before you put any real capital on the line.

Successful traders claim to have invested months of “practice” trading before ever venturing out into the real market. 

Your actual market experience may vary due to time lags in order execution and other factors, but begin with small positions and work your way up before “turning on the green light”.

Emotional Control: Currency trading is about managing the numbers in a business-like fashion, devoid of any emotional considerations.

You must follow your heavily practiced, step-by-step trading plan to block your mind from undermining your logical decision-making process.

Sound familiar?

Emotional control is key in both trading and poker.

Similar Risk, Similar Reward

Make no mistake, Forex trading has a high-risk profile.

There is a high failure rate among beginners because they become impatient or lack the experience necessary to survive and thrive.

Successful trading is not about gambling or luck. It’s about playing the odds, cutting your losers, and letting your winners play out based on a disciplined approach to the market.

If you need a break from poker, or you’re being forced to take one, it may be worth looking at Forex as a substitute.

Author Bio:

Tom Cleveland has over 30 years of experience in executive management, corporate governance and business development. Tom served as CFO for various Visa International entities from 1980 until his retirement in 1999 and was instrumental in expanding the global reach of the Visa system. Tom’s writing on business issues has appeared in the NY Daily News and BusinessInsider among others.

Editor's Note: We know. It’s not a solution for everybody. And there are a lot of spammy Forex systems and sites out there. Proceed with caution. We’re just throwing the idea out there.

Us, we’re holding out for online poker.

My dilemma was what exactly did I want to do? Since being let go from my last position, several sites contacted me about working with them, but it was for things I didn't really feel comfortable doing. Eventually after a flurry of emails between me and Matt Showell, we eventually came to an agreement.

I'll admit the title "Kevmath Presents: Awkward Moments with ..." is a bit … awkward. But I pitched the idea and title to Matt and he liked the idea. For those about to view this video and many others (fingers crossed), the plan is to run the interview using Skype and my inexpensive webcam without any editing. Apologies in advance for any issues with the quality of the video, I was using some new software and hopefully future editions will look much better.

For those that have come in contact with me on my various journeys on the poker circuit the past year, the idea of me doing video interviews may seem strange as they're aware I can be incredibly shy in most social situations. My appearing on camera was sort of a big deal when people saw me for the first time just over a year ago. It has been an interesting experience.  When I worked this year at the WSOP for BLUFF Magazine, the one assignment I dreaded the most was the idea to do a brief audio interview with a player for my daily recaps. Fortunately, most of them went off without a hitch (with some notable exceptions).

For obvious reasons, I knew the first interview for this series was going to be with Tatjana Pasalic (@tattytats). Yes, because she's the one that convinced me to come out of hiding, and she's very attractive (WPT Magazine and Gambling911.com can't be wrong, right?).

The reason Tatjana was my first interview was because when she interviewed me, I was incredibly nervous and it showed. Some may consider the seven minutes or so cute, but it's something I've had a difficult time watching again. This was a chance to prove to myself that I have evolved to a point when I can be the interviewer instead of the interviewee.

When I told her of my plans, she was certainly willing to do the interview, now the only problem was to actually have it take place. Unfortunately due to a series of miscommunications and scheduling, it would take two weeks to finally get it done. Thursday afternoon, before I was going to go out and take a walk, still frustrated from an attempt the day before that fell through, I got a DM from her on Twitter saying she would be able to do the interview in a few minutes. After finally figuring out how to record video, what you see is the finished product, for better or worse. Hopefully you'll like it.

Also included is a special bonus clip featuring Tatjana and her boyfriend, McLean Karr (for those that didn't see it earlier when I posted on Twitter) where McLean enjoys some home cooking while answering questions about love of bacon and other questions.

Any ideas on who I should talk with next, I'm always open to suggestions, so hit me up on Twitter @Kevmath.

Kevmath Bonus Clip with Tatjana and McLean Karr

Howard Lederer

Perception is Skewed by Environment

Some Boy Scout that everyone likes and thinks of as a good kid goes into a school and shoots up the cafeteria. A respected businessman and pillar of the community is indicted for operating a billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. A trusted neighbor and father of two is arrested for running a child pornography ring.

Everybody scratches their heads and wonders how could this “wonderful young man,” “respected financier” or “valued member of the community” do such a thing – just like poker players are wondering about the folks at FTP.

Psychologists who've studied these cases have found that the context, the environment within which we live, is more compelling than we often realize.

We tend to label people based on the things we see them do. So our poker-playing friends at Full Tilt Poker get thought of as smart, caring and sensible because we see them doing smart, caring and sensible things – and we wonder how they could have been scamming us.

But making these attributions neglects the role of the environment -- the kid who seemed so nice, like a Boy Scout should be, turns out to have been bullied for years by school mates and decided to pay them back. The revered investor turns out to be a Bernie Madoff who was consumed with greed and the desire to play with the big boys. The father of two is discovered to have serious money problems and was peddling child-porn to get out of debt.

Corruption is Just an Opportunity Away

The message here was captured nicely by the famous "Prison" study carried out some years ago by Phil Zimbardo at Stanford University.

Students were divided into two groups, prisoners and guards and a mock jailhouse was set up. Zimbardo was stunned at how easily perfectly ordinary, caring kids who just happened to have been put in the role of guards could turn really ugly and sadistic when the setting was right for it.

If you’re curious, go here for details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment

Even Jesus prays.

So, maybe our very smart and sensible poker "friends" found temptation in large, unregulated stacks of cash. Maybe they just got notes from executives at FT asking them if they’re comfortable having a couple of million dollars shipped to their bank accounts from time to time. Who knows?

But it’s worth asking yourself what you would do in such a situation.

Everyone Has a Price

I’m sure that the vast majority of you are saying you wouldn’t be tempted, that you’re above board and honest. But the evidence is quite clear: Some would be and some would not. Greed does things to cloud the mind. Circumstances can be compelling.

There’s an apocryphal story about Abe Lincoln. He was apparently meeting with a wealthy businessman who offered him a hefty bribe to push for some legislation.

Lincoln just stared at him and stroked his beard. The businessman hesitated and then doubled the offer. Lincoln still looked at him, stroking his beard. So the guy doubled it again. At this, Lincoln got up, grabbed him by the collar and shoved him out the door.

Lincoln’s chief of staff smiled and said, “Mr. President, that was noble of you. That was a very substantial bribe.”

“Indeed,” replied Lincoln, “but nobility had nothing to do with it. Every man has his price and the son-of-a-bitch was getting awful close to mine.”

And so it goes. Remember, Lederer and Ferguson are innocent until proven guilty. But no matter what, their reps are in the toilet and that's gonna be forever. Just like another really smart guy we used to admire and respect, Russ Hamilton.

For ongoing updates Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson and Full Tilt Poker keep an eye on our Black Friday Bulletin Board.

Author Bio:

Arthur Reber has been a poker player and serious handicapper of thoroughbred horses for four decades. He is the author of 'The New Gambler's Bible and coauthor of Gambling for Dummies'.

His new book 'Poker, Life and Other Confusing Things' from ConJelCo Publishing was just released and is available on Amazon.com.

Formerly a regular columnist for Poker Pro Magazine and Fun 'N' Games magazine, he has also contributed to Card Player (with Lou Krieger), Poker Digest, Casino Player, Strictly Slots and Titan Poker. He outlined a new framework for evaluating the ethical and moral issues that emerge in gambling for an invited address to the International Conference of Gaming and Risk Taking.

Until recently he was the Broeklundian Professor of Psychology at The Graduate Center, City University of New York.

Among his various visiting professorships was a Fulbright fellowship at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. Now semi-retired, Reber is a visiting scholar at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.