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Poker and blackjack.

Starting to looking the many indian casinos around the nation. Several poker rooms have added blackjack as an option or an addition to their poker interface. Television stations are airing blackjack tournaments and shows similar to world pker tour and espn’s poker programming. GSN had the World Series of Blackjack on the air for a while and now, CBS has stepped to the plate in the TV blackjack world. The network recently announced that beginning in September, the network will air ten episodes of the ‘Ultimate Blackjack Tour’ on Saturday afternoons. CBS has already announced it will commit to air the series for a second season (with more episodes) beginning in the spring of 2007.

With the popularity blackjack in the casinos and now airing of blackjack “shows”, having a blackjack table one click away from the poker room might no be a bad idea.

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by Rafe Furst
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Players get excited when they flop two pair because they know they’re in a great position to take down a pot. But often, two pair is not nearly as powerful as it seems. This is especially true when holding bottom two pair or top and bottom pair. These hands may look dominant on the flop, but they’re usually quite vulnerable.

For example, say you’re playing a No-Limit Hold ‘em ring game. There’s a standard raise to four times the big blind from middle position. You figure the player has A-K or maybe a middle or high pocket pair. Everyone folds to you on the button, where you find 5d-7d. You’ve got favorable position and a hand that can flop some powerful draws, so you decide to call. The blinds fold, and the flop comes 5c-7h-Ks.

This is great. Not only do you have two pair, but it’s very likely that your opponent has a piece of this flop, with top pair top kicker or maybe an over-pair. He bets into you, and you have to decide what action is best.

I’ve seen some players smooth call in situations like this, but that is not a wise play. When you have bottom two pair and your opponent has an over-pair or top pair/top kicker, you’re not as big a favorite as you might think. Your opponent has five outs - cards that will counterfeit your two-pair - which gives him a very live draw. You’re a 75% favorite to take the pot, and that’s great, but it’s not the type of statistical edge that justifies slow playing.

The better play is to raise and put your opponent to a decision right there. Many players overplay top pair and over-pairs, and will either call or re-raise all-in. That gives you the chance to put all of your money in the pot as a big favorite. If he puts a bad beat on you at that point, so be it.

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Is it possible your raise will force your opponent out of the pot and kill your action? Sure, if he’s sitting with a pair of Queens or Jacks he’ll likely fold, but against that sort of hand, you’d have no chance to win much of a pot anyway. Your opponent would probably check to you and then fold to any bet on the turn. And as Howard Lederer pointed out in a recent tip on playing sets, if a blank comes on the turn and you raise at that point, you’ll be sending an indication that the turn card helped you in some way. He’ll have to assume that his lone pair is no good.

There will be occasions when you flop bottom two pair or top and bottom pair at the same time your opponent catches top two pair or a set. When that happens, you’re going to go broke. In fact, you should lose your stack in most situations like this. If you’re not willing to risk a lot of chips in this kind of hand, you’re probably not doing enough to maximize your pots when you hold the best hand.

When you find yourself holding two pair, play them aggressively and get your money in on the flop. It’s the surest way to get the maximum profit from a strong but vulnerable hand.

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sport(noun) 1. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively. 2. An active pastime; recreation.

poker(noun). 1. Any of various card games played by two or more players who bet on the value of their hands.

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The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition

The question is no longer under the table: Is poker a sport?

The dictionary definitions of the two words seem to render the case closed. They don’t belong in the same sentence. But Webster and colleagues haven’t taken into account the effect of television and the blurring of our cultural boundaries everywhere.

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OK, it won’t go down in history with the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and it doesn’t examine the great issues of our day, like whether the split-up was Nick’s or Jessica’s fault. But what sports argument does?

To most folks old enough to have voted for Ronald (The Gipper) Reagan for president, it’s not a sport unless the smell of Ben Gay is prevalent in the locker room. In their minds, the term Texas Hold ‘Em refers to the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line.

But that thinking has been challenged since poker started showing up on every cable TV channel except C-SPAN.

The game has skyrocketed in popularity - thanks in part to ESPN’s tightly edited series from the World Series of Poker (WSOP) - and its proponents are now making a case that it should be listed right up there with other great athletic endeavors. Like synchronized swimming. And curling.

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Indeed, to many, it’s a very simple equation.

“You know what? I guess it is (a sport) because they show it on ESPN,” said Chicago Bears cornerback Charles (Peanut) Tillman. “So I guess it is a sport, just like the spelling bee is a sport.”

For the record, ESPN has never claimed the game is a sport. And remember what the “E” in ESPN originally stood for? Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.

“It’s not a sport. How can it be a sport?” said Bob Chesterman, former executive producer of the shows for ESPN Original Entertainment. “It’s a competition, and the audience likes that.”

The game’s stunning growth is unquestioned: The Nevada Gaming Control Board said casino poker earnings for the fiscal year that ended June 30 increased 48.3% to $119.6 million, poker’s largest one-year increase in Nevada history.

No one doubts the skill and mental acuity required to play at the top level, but how can something be a sport if it requires less physical activity than sports writing? (No wisecracks until you’ve climbed the upper-deck ramps at Wrigley Field).