The AAPHI Blog

The glasses and headphones guy. This guy can come in two flavors, the pro emulator who has some skill and will take down his share of hands because he does actually know how to play the game and knows something about online poker strategy. You’ll see him call sometimes or even raise though out of boredom without even looking at his cards. You play this guy just like you play any typical tight aggressive online poker player, since his style will most likely be that of a TAG. You may be able to put a few moves on this guy since he does possesses the ability to actually think about the game. The other flavor of this guy is the one who knows nothing of poker, but saw the dudes on TV doing it and decided to dress up. I call this guy the costume headphones and glasses guy since he really is only a poker poser. Most likely this guy will be new to the game and easy enough to handle with solid straight forward play. The drunk guy. This is the guy who shows up at the game already one past his limit. He’s raising and reraising every hand out because of his alcohol induced bravado. He’ll be gone soon enough you just have to catch him when you have the absolute nuts. At this point he’ll most likely show down with 3rd or 4th best hand because he thinks he can outplay and outbluff anyone. And they say alcohol is bad for your bankroll, well not if someone else is drinking it. Finally you have Uncle Scrooge. This guys is tighter than a Rock. You couldn’t pry a quarter from his hand if he were lifeless. And at the table he pretty much is. Folding well over 80% of his hands, this guy doesn’t play many hands at all, and when he does, he has an extremely strong hand. Best way to handle this one: steal steal steal. You’ll be taking his blinds a lot since he’s folding with almost everything. And when he does play back at you, just fold since it’s obvious that since he hasn’t played a hand in the last hour and a half he has to have AA, KK, or AK.

Have you ever seen sharks in the ocean circle their prey? They swim in circles around the unfortunate victim, slowly narrowing their circle until the moment when they strike. They are careful, methodical, and patient. All of these same qualities are shown by poker sharks. We already know that they are careful in how they play and methodical as regards to their method, but have you ever realized exactly how patient a poker shark can be? Poker sharks have all the time in the world to slowly circle their prey. They have the bankroll to back a long stay at the table, the time to dedicate to the process, and the concentration to stay focused for long periods of time. No matter how you put it, the online poker sharks can outwait you.

To avoid becoming the hapless fish in the middle of a shark circle, pay attention when you start to see the shark fins on the horizon. When you see someone setting in for the long haul at your poker table, you are dealing with a shark. You best option at this point would be to move tables to somewhere with less permanent guests. A small move may help you avoid becoming shark bait.

A new poker game has arisen in Kansas, USA called th Kandu Challenge. The game plays like any other poker online game and can be played as either 5 draw, 7 stud, Hold ‘Em or Omaha online poker . But there’s one important twist. Before the deck is cut, the dealer flashes the deck face up to the players, giving observant players a chance to see the deck. This means anyone with a little poker sense or a photographic memory can dominate in this game. The whole point of the game was to make a legal form of the poker we all know and love in the US. More than that, several players have been able to identify which players are going to win before the deal even happens. It’s an incredible but simple innovation, but may change poker forever. From a game of skill with a mix of chance, the game comes down to a game of complete skill. The players have even come up with their own lingo for the game. For example: the pot is called the “purse”, and the blinds are the “entry fee.” Though I’m not sure if this is to get away from the gambling lingo, or if it’s simply to separate the game from other forms of poker. In any event, it’s a game to check out, and maybe even something to add to your home game every once in a while to spice it up a bit.

In online poker , the ‘kicker’ refers to a secondary card in a casino player’s hand that separates his hand from another player who holds similar or exactly matched cards. A kicker is used as a sort of ‘tie breaker’ in the game when two players both have the same hand. A pot is awarded to the player with the higher kicker, with card values applying from Ace on down the line to deuce. A kicker works in the following scenario: one player holds Ace-King, the other holds Ace-queen. Both players, say, pair their ace on the flop and bet all their money. The player with the Ace-King had a King kicker with his pair of aces while the second player only has a Queen kicker, thus ranking the first player’s poker online hand against the second, if the kicker plays. In some situations, kickers can be disregarded where the board renders them unplayed, such as if a player has 7-K and another player has 7-8 and the board reads 7 7 2 2 3. In this instance, the kicker does not play because both players have full houses, and therefore the kicker is not used in the hand. If the board is altered just slightly, say so that it reads 7 7 2 3 4, the player with the 7 K will win because his King does get included in the best possible five card hand he can make. Kickers are a very important consideration in the value of a hand and will often cause players to fold even high pair on the board, if they feel they have ‘kicker problems.’ The consideration of a kicker is also a major reason strong players avoid ‘weak aces’ such as Ace-6, Ace-4: being that even if they pair their ace, there is a whole host of other hands with better kickers that their opponent is likely to have.

Ever met a part-time bowler eager to play your neighborhood bowling league with improved precision and consistency. Since this is your calling, this is key rebirth in growing as a true bowling competitor. Listen up, because this guide to “Bowling Like a Pro” is for you. The guys in a local bowling pro shop can help bowlers harness bowling talent. A wise bowling wizard once said: the bowling balls do all the work (after you roll them). Just kidding. Okay, if only it were that simple. It’s all good, we’ll have you rolling the best way we know how.

First, invest a little in tailored bowling balls, bowling ball bags, and shoes needed to do this right. Fit is important. It’s no joke, have your private ball drilled, and you’ll bowl more consistently. A well fitted bowling ball can make a substantial improvement in your game. Of course another critical matter is sliding out your final step in well-made bowling shoes that have shoe laces!

Now that you went ahead and purchased comfortable supplies, listen to the second best bowling tip: taking aim. As you wait to roll, try not to focus on your actual target, the pins. Line up using the markings like a sling shot. Ever noticed them? You’ll find it more effective to hit a mark a good deal nearer. To take full advantage, make sure you line-up at the a consistent place 4 steps from the foul line on every attempt. Roll from the same place, in the same way and you can adjust your accuracy and angle.

Do we have any tips for curves, for ball handling and velocity? That makes another “Next Steps” bowling hint. They get traction with the their expensive reactive resin balls. Many pros bowl and carry two or three bowling balls to roll heavy pin action, selected precisely for the lane. Word of warning: greenhorns might want to not try to be fancy, and don’t get a ball that is too heavy for you. A lot of avid bowlers opt for bowling balls made for advanced composite expert grip. However you should know these pro bowling balls often make even decent players look foolish. That’s our first 3 bowling tips. There will be more next month.

-George Hulen

I manage the recreational league for a league for our marketing business just outside St. Louis. I dispense tips to all bowlers on the web and at the bowling center. Also, I should plug my teammates at the finals in Atlantic City. Wreck ‘Em!

In online poker, a redraw is like an insurance policy. A redraw is when you’ve made a casino online hand already, but you’re also drawing to a better hand. It’s one of the best feelings in online poker. You’ve already got a good hand, but just in case someone has a better one, you have a draw for an even better one.

I was playing in an online tournament when I was dealt pocket 8’s. I was the big blind, and the whole table decided to call, so I checked and hoped for a good flop. It came with a 7-8-K of diamonds, good news and bad news. The good news was that I made my set, but the bad news was that there was a distinct flush draw on the board. I stayed in for a round of betting, hoping that either no one made the flush yet, or I could draw another 8. After a tense few seconds, the dealer turned over the fourth card-another 7, making my full house. The last card gave two other players flushes, and they both called me all-in. When you are playing poker, make sure you know all of your outs, because there might be a redraw that you don’t see.

The rise of Texas Hold’em poker in America has brought a new breed of player to the tables - the intellectual. The intellectual player has existed in poker prior to the Internet poker boom, but the prevalence of highly educated “book smart” players has inundated the card playing community with a new style and a new formula for the game.

It is important to perceive the intellectual player as different, rather than better or worse than previous generations of players. They may have played more hands than someone who has been playing for years because of the advent of online multitabling, but that doesn’t mean they can make the correct play in tempo at a live table. Bankroll management, street smarts and survival skills in live games and tournaments take different definitions by these players. A seasoned live pro may know his steam points better than an internet player or a book smart player, and he also may make better reads off of tells.

However, there are many things that the new generation should be commended for. They have a voracious hunger for poker literature, and crave understanding of the game at the highest level. They are relentless and put in long hours and then do it again the next day. They compete on a level that has never been seen before, and look for every edge and are meticulous in their preparation. These are solid positive traits that certainly could aid a player at any level. The intellectual player has raised the bar for poker play in the current day, and as a competitive player you should try to meet and exceed the play of your peers to profit from playing Texas Hold’em.

As online poker players, we’re always trying to get better. There’s always some improvement to make, and a weakness to overcome, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all of our individual flaws.

We’ll generalize our goal and say something like “This game, I’m going to be a better online poker player”. That sounds great, but what does that entail? It’s hard to achieve a goal when it’s so general.

Here’s a sure-fire way to improve as a online poker player-to do it incrementally. Think about your game and find out what makes you lose. Be honest with yourself and pick out all of your bad habits. Make a list of these habits and chose one to improve upon before any game you play. It can be anything-stop drinking too much during a game, stop playing any Ace, or stop playing low value flush draws. Stop calling raises that you take personally or stop playing so many hands.

When you have a specific habit to break it will be much easier to concentrate on that one habit and eradicate it. Whatever bad habits you have, if you consistently improve one part of your game every time you play, you’ll soon be untouchable.

This year’s presidential race is one of the most exciting in history. It’s going to be so much fun to hear the results on the night of election day.

After you’ve headed out to the polls, get together with family or friends to watch the results on television. Below you’ll find some great election party ideas to help you throw your Election party.

-Recycle 4th of July party decor, red, white and blue!

-Serve food you would serve for any television party - finger foods, homemade dip, chips, candy, sliders, etc. Go with frozen kinds and just heat up.

-Prepare special cocktails in red and blue, named after the presidential hopefuls! You can find the recipes below.

-For sweet treats, serve cookies, cake, cupcakes, decorated in red, white and blue icing. Make them in donkey and elephant shapes.

-Put together a playlist of McCain and Obama’s favorite songs:

- keep the party planning as easy to plan as possible.

Drink Recipes

Blue Drink

• 2 Oz Citrus Vodka
• 1 Oz Blue Curacao
• 1 Whole 1/2 juice from lime
• 3 oz Sprite

Steps

• Combine all ingredients into shaker.
• Shake and pour into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
• Garnish with a slice of pear

Red Drink

• 2 Oz Respado Tequila
• 1/4 Oz simple syrup
• 6 Whole fresh Pomegranate seeds and juice
• 1 Oz passion fruit juice
• 1 Mint leaf for Garnish
• Raspberries for garnish

Steps

• Muddle Pomegranate in base of shaker
• Add other ingredients; shake with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

Having trouble staying awake at your local poker room? Being taken to task because you can’t ante up in a timely fashionbecause you’re sleeping face down on the felt? We’re here to help with this list of poker-enhancing energy drinks.

The obvious starter is Johnny Chan’s All In energy drink. It’s sugar free and comes in three flavors: Root Beer, Citrus and Grape, and its consumed by some of the bets poker players in the world. Plus, the name reflects the inventor; Johnny Chan once knocked 13 or 16 opponents out of a tournament in 30 minutes.

Next up is one that arguably started it all, or at the very least is one of the most recognizable. I’m talking about Red Bull. It will give you wings, but it could also land you in the emergency room. The caffeine-infused energy drink will probably sharpen your skills for a few hands, but beware the crash that happens after it wears off, because it can kill you! This was the case with eighteen-year-old athlete Ross Cooney, who died after he played a basketball game after consuming four cans of the drink.

If you don’t want to be the kid who’s made famous because he poisoned himself with Red Bull, then perhaps an energy drink lite is in order? Rock Star energy drink comes in a diet flavor, and the taste has been labeled tolerable by a few reviews we’ve seen throughout the year. Yes, people review energy drinks, and then we bring them to you to sharper your poker play. Regardless, you win!