For a some online poker players right now, things couldn’t get any better.  It appears that the game of Internet poker has made a full revival from the crushing blow it was dealt after the UIGEA took effect in 2006 and many people are cashing in on the game more than ever before.  But with the game in clear sailing as of right now (barring anymore ugly poker room scandals) it appears that certain individuals need to invent reasons about why poker is in serious danger.

Some are even taking the danger thing a step further and predicting the downfall of online poker as we know it.  One person in particular who is doing this is doctor Ian Fellows who is a researcher at the University of California at San Diego.  Fellows seriously believes that since the poker robot named Polaris 2 defeated online professional players in a heads-up Limit match that it will soon infiltrate the world of online poker and mark the end for the game.

According to Fellows, “It wasn’t until mid-2000, an algorithm was developed, that [bots] could even come close to a competent player. But now online computer poker playing may become a thing of the past.”  Going further, Fellows believes that criminals may start appearing in online games using these supposedly unbeatable computer programs to beat humans and these thoughts are stated in his new book “Fell Omen”.

Now I definitely think that it’s amazing what the people at the University of Alberta were able to do with Polaris 2 in making it good enough to beat a batch of extremely talented heads-up players.  But that’s just the thing: these were heads-up Limit matches, not six-handed, not seven-handed, not full tabled games as was discussed by Polaris 2 programmer Mike Johanson when he stopped by the blog.  Just because the program beat the players at heads-up doesn’t mean it is ready to take the world by storm.

Furthermore, most (if not all) of those who have tried to use poker bots in the past have been caught and have had their money confiscated along with their accounts banned.  Sorry to say it Mr. Fellows but your book and ideas may be a little off-base.

Over the years, the money that’s found in poker has grown dramatically.  Not surprisingly, the people who’ve found themselves participating in the game of poker has risen dramatically as well.  And not just in the US where some of the major poker events are held either.  The game has grown to epic proportions internationally as well since most of Europe is playing poker and many Asians are hopping on board too.

But there may be no country or region that has picked up the game as rapidly and been as successful at it as Russia has been.  And for evidence of this fact, just look at all the tournament success that Russians have experienced lately when they were virtual unknowns in the poker world just a short time ago.

One of this year’s final table participants at the WSOP Main Event in November will be Ivan Demidov who sits in second place right now.  He is many people’s favorite to take home the Main Event prize as he is not only one of the more experienced players there but also is within striking distance of the lead.

Svetlana Gromenkova became one of the few women to win a WSOP bracelet this year when she took first place in the Ladies Championship and is rapidly climbing the ladder to becoming one of the most talented female poker players in the world.

Nikolay Evdakov might have had the most consistent play of all time in a WSOP as he broke the record for most cashes in a year when he placed in the money in 10 different events.  Kiril Gerasimov had plenty of cashes too as he did so 4 times for a total of over $400,000.  Vitaly Lunkin also had a good WSOP as he won a bracelet for the Russians.

It’s pretty clear that Russians are definitely improving their poker play but many people wonder what the reason for this is.  Some believe that it is because so many Russians take up the game of chess and this mathematical game is translating over to the felt. 

It’s the same concept of how many good bridge and backgammon players are easily able to transition themselves to becoming successful poker players too.  But whatever the case is, it seems that the growth of good Russian poker players only looks to grow in the future.

There’s no question that Gus Hansen is seen as one of the biggest stars in the poker world today.  The Dane is adored by the media, seen as a sex symbol by many women, and has the credentials and playing ability to back up his fame.  However, maybe even more intriguing than all of this is Hansen’s actual style of play.

Gus Hansen is a man who makes a lot of plays that other players would stay clear of.  For example, he’s the kind of guy who will raise like crazy, or even go all-in, when he holding Q-4.  Yet you know he’s always got a plan and calculates everything because of the way he constantly utilizes that recording devise he uses at the table.

That’s why I had to get a hold of his book “Every Hand Revealed” when it came out.  Part of it was that I’m always looking for a way to better my own game while the other part was that I was just interested in what he had to say about his playing style.

Well I definitely wasn’t disappointed after making it through the book as Hansen’s insights into the game are very entertaining and helpful to players looking to gain an edge.  For instance, Gus tells readers exactly how he varies his play from the beginning of a tournament to the end which should help those who aren’t exactly sure how to maneuver through the various stages.

He also takes readers on a journey through his assessment of the odds at the table and what he does in different situations he faced with.  His analytical style of play and ability to read opponents is something else that is revealed to readers which will only be an added bonus to players.  In all, Hansen’s book is definitely worth reading and I think it has already improved my play personally.

When you’re winning hundreds of thousands of dollars (maybe even millions) a year and you are a gambler at heart like most successful pro poker players, you’re probably going to throw your money around a little bit.  Okay, maybe you’ll throw it around a lot like some of the players who have been involved in some of my personal favorite prop bets of all time.  Here’s my list:

1. Ted Forrest is the biggest prop better out of any players on this list and he proved it by throwing $7,000 on the table in order to accept a challenge that he couldn’t run a marathon.  Unfortunately for him, the marathon fell on a day where Las Vegas was hit with 115 degree weather.  Nevertheless, Forrest somehow managed to make it around the UNLV track 104 and a half times to win the bet.  But it was costly as he had to be taken to the hospital for dehydration and foot burns after the track melted his shoes.

2. Staying with Ted Forrest, he once told Mike Matusow that he would give him $100,000 if Matusow could drop from his current weight (at the time) of 241 pounds to his old college weight of 181.  Matusow made it to 196 with 7 days left and had to cut 15 pounds over the last week to make it.  Amazingly, he cut the 15 pounds in 7 days using drastic measures and won the bet.

3. Golf is already an expensive enough game as it is but Daniel Negreanu and Patrick Antonius decided to make things a little more pricey as they bet each other $20,000 a hole over the entire 18.  Negreanu battled back to end up 20K ahead of Antonius by the end.

4. Howard Lederer is a devout vegan but decided that the $10,000 David Grey offered him to eat a cheeseburger was enough to break his status for a moment as he downed the cow patty. 

5. Doing a standing back flip is not exactly the safest thing in the world to do.  But Huck Seed took the risk as he learned to do the back flip in less than two months to win $10,000.

Those who check out gambling industry news from time to time have no doubt heard of former Bodog owner Calvin Ayre.  The self-made billionaire and flamboyant playboy has been the subject of many magazine cover stories while his problems with the US government have received just as much attention as his business skills and partying lifestyle.

And throughout all of the turmoil that Ayre has faced, he has never really seemed fazed by the threat of litigation against him and he’s even taunted the US government in the past through the media.  However, there are plenty of poker players and gamblers on his site that are very scared at the prospect of not being able to access their money (or even lose it) amid more serious investigations into the company and Ayre.

Just recently, the US government seized $24 million from bank accounts that have been servicing Bodog over the years.  And this may only be the beginning as the feds are warning that there is going to be a huge investigation into the company.  And even though Ayre has distanced himself from the company, he too would face criminal actions since he owned Bodog for so long.

Some of the banks that have had Bodog money taken from them include major chains like Wachovia, Bank of America, and SunTrusts Banks.  This creates further worry in poker players and gamblers who use the BodogLife.com site as there is a very real possibility that their money could be put on hold or be frozen while further investigations would take place of Bodog and the bank accounts it has used.

An even worse scenario would be if the US government was able to take away much more money from Bodog or even shut it down entirely.  This would create the possibility that players could lose a lot, if not all of their money.  However, this would be the extreme scenario and I certainly hope that the people who play poker there wouldn’t lose their money as it would definitely hurt the industry quite a bit.