News

Poker Pros Speak Out About The Gambling Ban

Poker Pros Speak Out About The Gambling Ban

By Andrew Kicak for SmokePoker.com · 3 Comments

Soon after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act was signed, professional poker players from the US and Canada started to make their feelings known. Their reactions ranged from disbelief, to defiant, to downright angry. Personally, it doesn’t surprise me that these poker pros reacted in the way they did. I’m sure that many of them cannot help but take this bill as a personal matter. After all, it’s their livelihood that we’re talking about. Poker expert Tim Lavalli decided to go around and get it from the horses’ mouth. Here are some quotes that he compiled... [Read the full story]

Stories

The Life Of Stu Ungar (Part 3)

The Life Of Stu Ungar (Part 3)

By Andrew Kicak for SmokePoker.com · Leave a Comment

Stu Ungar was a gambling prodigy: breaking records, defeating champions, and becoming the best at every card game he ever played. However, his private life was in shambles. His father died when he was a young boy, he grew up mean and tough on the streets, and in 1986, even his marriage to long-time love Madeline crumbled. It was not the end of a string of personal losses and debilitating mistakes. His adopted son committed suicide after a high school prom. His drug problem escalated from “social” drugs to celebrate a big win, to an almost fatal overdose during the... [Read the full story]

History

ORAC – The World’s First Poker Bot

ORAC – The World’s First Poker Bot

By Andrew Kicak for SmokePoker.com · Leave a Comment

Anyone who is into poker bots will probably know exactly what I’m talking about here, because ORAC was the first ever attempt at a poker bot. Created by Mike “Mad Genius” Caro in 1984, this poker bot could actually be dubbed as the father of all poker bots. So who is Mike Caro? Well, his Wikipedia entry reads: “In 1978 he contributed 50 statistical tables to Doyle Brunson’s Super System and wrote that book’s chapter on draw poker. He acts as a consultant to many casinos, providing odds, and he helped develop the Poker Probe, the first serious... [Read the full story]

Insights

Scotty Nguyen – A Poker Legend

Scotty Nguyen – A Poker Legend

By Andrew Kicak for SmokePoker.com · Leave a Comment

Born as Thuan Nguyen in October 28, 1962 in Nha Trang Vietnam, Scotty’s life is reminiscent of thousands of other young children in the 70s. This was the time when the communists had a firm foothold on Vietnam and refugees from this country were spread all over the world – from other Asian countries to the United States. Scotty was one of the more fortunate ones as when he was 14, he had the chance to flee his native country for the United States. He initially lived in Chicago but soon moved to California and spent his growing up years there. Though Asians usually are stereotyped... [Read the full story]

Players

Johnny Chan – Living The American Poker Dream

Johnny Chan – Living The American Poker Dream

By Andrew Kicak for SmokePoker.com · Leave a Comment

Johnny Chan is one of the greatest poker players of all time. He has 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, and became world champion twice. And look at how much the man’s won—over four million dollars from career tournament earnings, not counting what he’s earned from cash game winnings. He’s always at the famous Bellagio’s “Big Game”, the world’s highest-limit cash game, which can make or break millionaires overnight. Risky? Maybe so, but it’s worked to his advantage. It’s possible that Johnny Chan has brought home hundreds of millions of dollars from regular... [Read the full story]

Tournaments

Poker Tournament Basics (Part 1)

Poker Tournament Basics (Part 1)

By Andrew Kicak for SmokePoker.com · Leave a Comment

Basically, there are two types of tournaments that are popular in the poker circuit – freeze outs and rebuy. A freeze out tournament will usually start with all of the players starting with the same number of chips. This kind of structure means that a player must have a tighter playing strategy. Once a player loses all of his chips then he is automatically out of the tournament. The rebuy tournament, on the other hand, would usually possess a particular number of levels where a player can rebuy chips. One of the common rules in rebuy is that there are usually a certain amount... [Read the full story]

Poker Articles

Is Poker a Sport, or Not?

Is Poker a Sport, or Not?

While the argument of whether poker is a game of chance or skill has been debated for as long as one can remember, it is not quite everyday that you will hear people debating whether poker is a sport or not. I came across a British guy’s perspective on this topic. Let’s follow his series of articles on whether...

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How Poker Developed Over The Ages

How Poker Developed Over The Ages

Historians can’t quite agree how the game of poker emerged. They think the name of the game may have originated from the French word “poque”, a variation of the German “pochen” or “to knock” or “to brag”. This may refer to how bluffing is an integral part of the game—you pretend to have great...

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How To Build Your Own Poker Table

How To Build Your Own Poker Table

Earlier on I was talking about different kinds of poker tables. For those of you who are quite handy with a hammer, a saw, nails and that sort of stuff, you’d probably like it better if you had to make your own poker table. This option gives your more control as to exactly how you want your table to look,...

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More Poker Articles »

Poker Strategies

How To Vary Your Playing Pace In Poker

How To Vary Your Playing Pace In Poker

Since playing styles are so crucial in poker, you really have to vary your playing...

Some Mistakes Poker Beginners Make (Part 2)

Some Mistakes Poker Beginners Make (Part 2)

In my last article I talked about some of the most common boo boos that newbies at...

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournaments

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournaments

The tournament structure of Texas Hold ‘Em Poker has caught the attention of people...

Poker Tips

Introduction to Draw Poker and Five-Card Draw

Introduction to Draw Poker and Five-Card Draw

There are many variations of poker. One of them is draw poker. Draw poker is usually...

Poker Tables – What Do You Do?

Poker Tables – What Do You Do?

So you got yourself a nice set of poker chips. Now what, do you think you’re ready...

Introduction to Stud Poker and Caribbean Stud

Introduction to Stud Poker and Caribbean Stud

There are hundreds of poker variations played in homes, backrooms, and casinos. Most...