2006 WSOP Coverage

It's underway and there is some good info already flowing out of Sin City.

• Pauly from the Tao of Poker is blogging it live.
  
• Pokerlistings.com is dragging a camera and mic around the hallways of the big Vegas hotels in search of the pro's. Check out the Andy Bloch interview.
  
• Brad "Otis" Willis is blogging it for the Poker Stars Blog.
  
• Lots of good stuff at Cardplayer.com The official online source for live updates. (I wonder how much money it takes to buy that title?)
  
• Bluff magazine is doing a live radio broadcast via Sirius Radio. Maybe we will see some archives posted for us poor folk. They also feature what they call the Bombshell Reporters which are part of their media team. Seems a waste to have these beauties reporting for a "radio" broadcast but I guess you have to get the pro's attention to get a interview. I know I'd stop and talk to them.

Doyles Room
the fastest growing online poker room.
www.doylesroom.com

FREE Sucks

It appears that poker players are so deluged with free money, freerolls and free offers that they have become oblivious to it all.Its not just poker sites, its all over the internet. You see pop-ups that say "get your free laptop" or "free dinner for two". Has everyone come to believe that there is nothing for free? That even if its free, its not worth their time.

Pocket Pro is a website I developed that has a free offer associated with it. The site has a total of nine pages. I've had visitors load eight of the nine pages, some more that once but they avoid the one page that is associated with the word free like it is a virus that's going to delete their entire hard drive. It's amazing, I track all traffic to the site and the free page has yet to have a single visitor.

Even tho the site is new, it's clear I need to make some changes, but I'm not sure what to do. So I've put up this huge arrow to test my theory of the word FREE! Maybe it has to be BIG and FREE to get the traffic.

Doyles Room
the fastest growing online poker room.
www.doylesroom.com

Technorati Tags: pocket pro, free, pokerchaos

Pokerchamps to Launch a New Website

Here is the latest on Pokerchamps. This is from e-mail I received today.

Important News

PokerChamps Raises the Stakes!!

If you've been on any of the forums recently you'll have heard the rumours, so we thought it was time we came clean.

It has always been our goal to be the best poker room on the web and in the next few months you will have access to more players through PokerChamps. What does that mean??

More Tables
More Opponents
More Tournaments
More Variety

You'll still get everything you have come to expect from PokerChamps, and over the coming months a new website and some great new developments will help accomodate these exciting new changes.

Keep checking your emails and the website for details and good luck at the tables this week!

Coming Soon

Keep your eyes peeled for the launch of our new website over the next few weeks. The new site will be packed with new features, and we'll be running 2 weeks of special tournaments to celebrate the launch - packed with prizes, promotions and higher guarantees !!

GUARANTEED TOURNAMENTS
Don't miss Sunday's $7,500 Guaranteed - Satellites start from just $6

Daily $800 Guaranteed - $25 + $2.50 at 18:30 BST / 13:30 EST - Daily $5.50 satellites at 14:30 BST

Technorati Tags: pokerchamps, pokerchaos

WSOP 2006

Alright, its that time of the year. The World Series of Poker kicks off Monday with the casino employee's NL event. It's followed by 37 other events leading up to the grand daddy of them all, the No-Limit Texas Hold'em World Championship. You can see a complete schedule of events here.

It's every poker player dream to win the big one. To get your picture up on the wall at Binions with the likes of Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan all of whom have won the main event twice.

Maybe this is my year. You never know, if Chris Moneymaker can do it, you got to figure just about anybody with the buyin and a major run of luck can pull it off. Lord knows I'm due with the luck part. As you can see by the pictures, I've got my hotel reservations and my bags are packed. Keep an eye out for me I'll be the guy with the shit eating grin and the PokerChaos T-shirt. Well, not really. I'll be listening to the event podcasts just like you guys but its nice to dream once in awhile.

I know Cardplayer.com has been chosen by Harrah's Casino to be the official media source for the 2006 WSOP and they plan on providing the following coverage:

• live hand-by-hand reporting from the floor
  
• streaming video of player interviews, event recaps and behind the scenes action
• real-time chip counts

Card Player will also be the official content provider for www.worldseriesofpoker.com, the official World Series of Poker Internet site.

This years event will no doubt be the biggest to date and I for one, even tho I won't be there, am really looking forward to it.

Technorati Tags: 2006 wsop, cardplayer.com, pokerchaos

Here it Comes

You know the one. It stabs you in the heart as it unfolds in slow motion. Your sitting fancy on the button and your feeling froggy. Your cards have been as cold as ice and your patience is running out . The dealer whips you a couple of cards, you take a peek and see the ladies smiling back at you. Pocket Queens, it's about time. Here is you chance to recover some of your loses.

It is checked around to you on the button and you aggressively toss out a big bet thinking you can at least steal the blinds when low and behold the big blind raises you. Your game goes into panic mode, what in the world does this guy have, Aces, Kings, Jacks, Big Slick? Against your gut feeling you call his bet and here it comes, "The Flop"

Technorati Tags: the flop, poker chaos

Poker Blogs

It seems that as the bogisphere expands and poker blogs become more prevalent, the ones that are worth reading become fewer and fewer. No one really wants to hear the latest bad beat story, or the fact that a players bankroll increased from $37.50 to $71.00. The way to get traffic to a blog is by providing interesting content that gives visitors a reason to bookmark your site so they might actually return to see what's new.

As with most blogs, Poker Chaos has a blogroll, one that has become rather large at that. In Chaos's beginnings adding links, which is the foundation of the internet was a good way to provide content. Besides linking to other sites is a great way to get reciprocal links. That is if your fellow bloggers think your site warrants it.

With Poker Chaos's blogroll becoming so large, blogs that are worthy of attention seem to get lost in this very long list. I thought about doing some weeding so the better blogs might flourish, then on second thought, decided a better idea would be to bring these note worthy blogs to the top of the list.

In doing So, I have created the Blogs of Note Award. As I run across poker blogs that I feel stand out from the pack, I plan on doing a short post pointing them out and then adding them to a drop-down menu at the top of the blogroll. This will not only give me a list of blogs to visit but will provide a type of social book marking that I can share with you.

For the inaugural Bog of Note, I have chosen Wicked Chops Poker.com, "Proof that poker is a fad and has been since 1829". What a great blog, this blogger devotes a great deal of time, energy and effort in order to bring interesting, well written content to his readers. I give Wicked Chops my highest rating and I definitely want it on my blogs to watch list.




Technorati Tags: blogs of note, poker blogs, wicked chops poker, poker chaos

Site Navigation Tips

Easy Site Search (top of page)
If you have arrived here via a search engine such as Google or Yahoo, the subject you're looking for is here but you will have to do site search to find a list of posts that contain your search terms.

At the top of this page is bloggers search box. Type your search terms into the white box, click "Search This Blog" and you will be given a list of posts that contain these terms. You then click on the title of the post that you are interested in and that post will come to the top of the Poker Chaos Site. If for some reason you don't find what your looking for simply click your browsers "Back" button to return to Poker Chaos.

Dropdown Menus (top and right sidebar)
There is a tremendous amount of information on this site. The dropdown menus at the top of the page are designed to bring posts that you are interested in to the top of the page. Also the Archive and Resent Posts dropdown menus are post Navigation tools. The other dropdown menus in the right sidebar are links that will direct you to other sites and away from Poker Chaos. So be sure to Bookmark this Page Now! so you can return and enjoy more of this site.

Images
All images on the site are clickable links and will take your to the site the image is associated with or to a larger version of the image.

Text Links ( within a post)
Any text displayed in blue is a clickable link. These then turn to red once you have visited that link.

Technorati Tags (bottom of all posts)
These are clickable links that will take you to the Technorati site. There you will find other blogs that have written about the same subject as that of the tag you clicked on.

Poker News Scroll (right sidebar)
All the titles in the news scroll are clickable links that take you to another site where you can read about the subject.

Blogs-Forums-Links (right sidebar)
This is a list of mostly blogs. Some good, some bad, some really bad. Still a good source of information on poker in the blogisphere.

Oppose H.R. 4411, H.R. 4777

I know I'm harping on this subject but if these two bills were to pass into law I would not be able to play online poker or continue with this blog. Both of which are very important recreational activities for me. The following is a form letter that the Poker Players Alliance has put together that you can use to let your Congressmen know what you think of this impending legislation. They have it set up so you can edit the letter if you would like and PPA will automatically forward it the e-mail address you specify. No more excuses, It doesn't get any easier than this. Please take a moment and help the cause. (Poker Players Alliance Form Letter)

I am writing to urge you to oppose pending legislation that would limit the rights of individuals to play poker online. Currently, there are two bills in the House, H.R. 4411 introduced by Rep. James Leach, R-Iowa, and H.R. 4777 introduced by Rep. Robert Goodlatte, R-Va. And in the Senate, Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., is pushing similar legislation that he wants to introduce.

As an avid poker player, I feel strongly that these bills and any other legislation that deny Americans the right to play a game of skill such as poker on the Internet, seriously and egregiously violate my personal freedoms.

More than 70 million people today enjoy poker. And while most play at home, in taverns, or poker clubs, more than 23 million enjoy this game of skill with friends and family on the Internet. The possibility of the federal government stripping away this right to play online is very troubling to me. In fact, a recent survey of voting adults showed that more than 74 percent of Americans oppose federal efforts to ban online poker. Why would Congress try to enact legislation that is opposed by a majority of their constituency?

I do not believe that putting the word “Internet” in front of poker makes this great American game suspect. I am also very concerned about the legislation’s enforcement mechanisms, which would deputize private institutions like banks and Internet service providers (ISPs) to monitor the personal financial transactions and online habits of American citizens.

A more reasoned approach to Internet poker would be to tax and regulate it here in the United States, as we do with brick and mortar casinos.

Currently, online poker sites are based outside of the U.S. and are subject to regulatory regimes not under our government’s jurisdiction. Many of the most popular poker Web sites are public corporations, traded on the London Stock Exchange. They are required to follow auditing and accounting procedures set forth by the United Kingdom, our biggest ally in the war on terror. Additionally, these poker Web sites have employed state-of-the-art age verification technology to prevent children from gambling on the Internet.

If the U.S. government were to take a similar approach to regulating online poker as it does for land-based gambling, we can ensure a safe and regulated environment for Americans to play on the Internet.

Moreover, both federal and state governments could reap significant tax revenues from what is currently a $5 billion industry. Some of this money could be wisely spent on public education and services for problem gamblers.

From average citizens to presidents, generals, members of Congress, and Supreme Court justices, Americans have been playing poker for centuries, making it a rich part of our cultural heritage. Today, the evolution of game on the Internet should not be restricted by overarching government interference.

I urge you to take these concerns into consideration and oppose H.R. 4411, H.R. 4777, and the Kyl proposal that will make outlaws of poker players who enjoy the game online.

Technorati Tags: poker player alliance, hr 4411, hr 4777, online poker ban

Pokerchamps Security Breach?

There is a new site that is providing tourney stats for Pokerchamps players. It bills itself as knowing your stats before you do. Here is their introduction:

"This site provides the most detailed statistics available on players from the best poker room on the net, PokerChamps

Data is collected from PokerChamps every 45 mins. and includes all tournaments played on PokerChamps except from Free Rolls.
Results from any tournaments played on PokerChamps since 04-22-06 is included in the stats calculation.

This site is absolutely non profit and is motivated from our passion for poker and is also our modest contribution to PokerChamps ongoing success, now and in the future."

Besides the Hall of Fame and Hall of Shame the site offers a search feature that allows you to find individual players and gives you the following info:

• Nickname
• Location
• Date Added
• No of Tourneys
• Final Tables Made
• Tourneys Lost
• Profit
• Win Rate Ratio

I have found this site to be quite interesting and plan on using it during tourneys at champs to help in developing my player profiles and will be adding a few abbreviations to my shorthand notes. (Read More on Notes)

• TRN for Tourneys Won
• FT for Final Tables
• WR for Win Ratio

Now for the question of the day. Is this information an invasion of privacy. Some players I've talked to feel that it is. Most of the information they provide is public anyway by simply visiting the tourney lobby but the site does include your specific location which is more information than that shown at Champs. Which brings to question how are they getting this information. Has this site hacked into the site and they have access to passwords or additional personal information.

Maybe Tony G or OZ Loki, someone with an insiders look might be able to give us some insight. From the research I've done the site is not owned or controlled by Pokerchamps Inc, but is licenced to a player that I have seen on the site.

I know this site has been brought to the attention Champs and if they have some type of security breach I certainly hope they will investigate. Untill that time I plan on securing this info for my own use as fast as I can. Its the small edges that make the difference.

Technorati Tags: pokerchamps, pokerchampsstats.com

Joanna Krupa Plays at Titan Poker

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Poker Highlights and SEO

Ok, so your wondering what the hell is SEO. It stands for Search Engine optimization and it pertains to getting the highest search engine ranking of your website or blog. What does this have to do with poker? Nothing so down load this Poker Video while I explain why I even mention the subject on a poker blog. (The Video is cool)



Trying to get traffic to a blog is every authors goal. Why? Who knows, maybe its to get some kind of recognition for their hard work. Maybe some think the additional traffic might actually click on one of the ads or sign up as an affiliate on one of the poker sites listed in the menu on the right. (go ahead, do it I dare you)

One of the tricks to getting visitors to your blog is getting a good rating with search engines like Google and Yahoo. This is what SEO is all about. Some companies pay big buck to hire experts to make suggestions on how they can get a better listing with these search engines.

I have read that some unscrupulous kinds resort to what is called keyword stuffing. This is considered bad behavior and frowned upon. Sort of like spamming. These low lives put top keywords into their sites even tho these words have nothing to do with the subject of their site. Example: if I were to say, visit this site to see a wild sex orgy with Jennifer Anniston, Angelina Jolie, Shakira and Brad Pitt. Now I would never do something like this and it really irks me when I see this. Do people really search the web looking for "wild sex orgies with Jennifer Anniston, Angelina Jolie, Shakira and Brad Pitt." Maybe if your Paris Hilton naked with Jaleel White getting drunk at the 2006 World Cup. I guess there could even be some weirdo searching to see if Britney Spears and Ann Coulter are scheduled to compete in the WWE main event but I think not. I could see some impatient housewife wanting to see the latest pictures of Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt in Hello Magazine. I think I'll just wait until they are posted in the Wikipedia.

Now the big question is, would using the current top 15 searched phrases listed below really help with your search engine rating?

1. Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt
2. World Cup 2006
3. Angelina Jolie
4. Shakira
5. WWE
6. Wikipedia
7. Paris Hilton
8. Britney Spears
9. Jennifer Aniston
10. RuneScape
11. Jaleel White
12. Rihanna
13. Hello Magazine
14. Ann Coulter
15. Limewire

I don't know but I'll let you know tomorrow. For now I'm off to play a little RuneScape while I listen to Rihanna and download Limewire.

Technorati Tags: Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-pitt, World Cup 2006, Angelina Jolie, Shakira, WWE, Wikipedia, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston, RuneScape

Calculatem Pro

There’s an easier way to WIN MORE MONEY playing poker!

The simple truth about online poker today is that the players winning the most money are not necessarily the most skilled, they are using an odds calculator to make better, quicker decisions and steal your pots.

Regardless of how skilled YOU are, to stay one step ahead of the competition and win the most money, you don't need just an odds calculator - you need the latest, most advanced poker odds calculator.

Calculatem Pro is just that,the most advanced poker odds calculator you’ve ever seen.

Every player dreams of the day he’ll become a poker pro, but few ever achieve that status. Now you can have the advantage most pros have – they understand their odds of winning in EVERY situation.

When you’re playing with Calculatem Pro, you’ll have that advantage and INSTANTLY know:

• the Strength of Your Hand
  
• your Odds of Winning
  
• which Hands can Beat You
  
• your Odds of Drawing Out
  
• your Odds of Winning on the River (helps eliminate “Bad Beats”)
  
• your Pot Odds
  
• how to Strategically Bet each hand, and
  
• MUCH MORE!

You may never become a poker pro, but you can win money like a
pro if you’re playing with Calculatem Pro!

It attaches easily to your online game and requires absolutely
no manual inputs from you during play. Best of all...

IT’S FREE! Just click this link to visit the Calculatem Pro site
and open a new account to get your free license.

If you’re serious about winning money at poker, this is the
BEST CALL you’ll EVER make!


Technorati Tags: calculatem pro, poker odds

Blogger Freeroll

Where: CD Poker
When: Sunday July 9th 4:00pm est
Prize Pool: $200
Each verified blogger receives a Free $2 Entry to Join the Hunt for Bounties.
See this post for more info on bountyplayer. Sign-Up!


Technorati Tags: bounty player, blogger freeroll, cd poker

Poker Notes

Having slowed down in the amount of time I've spent at the tables lately, a resent session reminded me of just how important note taking is when it come to online poker. With players coming and going so frequently, taking notes is a must. A player that I have developed a good profile on, might disappear for a month or two. When he returns, it might ring a bell but I'm not likely to remember his complete style of play without my trusty notes.

Sure, I know you don't take notes because it distracts you from the game or you have some super human intellect. You might even have a pornographic memory like I do, but the truth is, if you were to place note takers into one category and non-note takes in another, you would find the note taking category to be mostly winners.

I can't tell you the number of times my notes have been crucial in helping me make a correct decision in a difficult situation. Once you have advanced past the big hand go, bad hand fold stage of poker. you will find that it is the small edges that make the difference in your winning ability.

When I first started playing online it was at a site that didn't have a note taking feature. I started by creating a database in MS Works. I set it up with pre formatted descriptions such as Loose, Tight, Aggressive or Passive and I could just place a "X" beside the characteristic that applied.. This saved me a ton of typing as I only had to enter the players nickname.

As most sites added online note taking, I reluctantly abandoned my database for the easier search function of online player notes. The main problem with this was, I was now had to type in all my observations. This problem was tackled when I discovered a short hand system on the 2+2 forum. (The Post) This system was largely based on feedback from Poker Tracker but it did give me some good ideas in developing my own shorthand system. I'm not going to give away all my secrets or deny you the fun of creating your own system but I will give you a brief look at a typical player note of mine:

Just kidding, but I have been accused of being a bit anal with my record keeping. My system is patterned after what you have seen above in the 2+2 post along with some of the suggestions I've found at these sites:

Tips4poker.com
Tightpoker.com
Pokerfan.com

The bottom line is that you want a shorthand system that is easy to remember yet provides you with a method of tracking patterns in a players game. The amount of detail you incorporate is up to you but I guarantee if you will start taking notes, you will see a day when it wins you a big pot you wouldn't have won otherwise.


Technorati Tags: poker notes

Pokerchamps

Pokerchamps has always been one of my favorite sites. I think their software is the best on the market with its 4 or 6 table view. I hate having to switch windows to go from table to table. The problem with Pokerchamps is that they sold out to Betfair, a British sports betting company last November and since that time PC has been stagnate, if not backsliding as far as its development, promotions and marketing.. It has lost all of it's pro player endorsements, Gus Hansen, Tony G both used to show up and play once in awhile.

Today was the first sign of recovery I've seen from the apparent self induced coma the site has been in. They added Heads Up tables, a feature that players have been requesting for a long time. I spent several hours today playing 2 HU tables at once. Talk about intense poker. You have to be on your toes to keep up. It was a ton of fun.

If you haven't played at Pokerchamps before you really should check it out. If you left in search of greener pastures you might want to keep checking to see if this positive development continues. Look for me at the HU tables, I like cleaning fish one at a time.


Technorati Tags: pokerchamps, gus hansen, tony g