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www.gx-world.com
AUGUST 2010USA $5.00
college footballTop-25 list of BCS odds
world series of pokerCoverage of all the action you missed
stephen strasburgAs good as advertised?
POKER BETTING LIFESTYLE
1 year...1 night... the ESPYS
06
EditorDerek Gould
DesignerBen Stone
Creative DirectorIsabel Ferrer
ContributorsFred Palley
Seabastian SaffariMelissa Bauer-Herzog
BSN SportsRodney Brazeau
Jamie MallonPokerBRB.com
Sport PhotographyAction Images
Web EditorMichael Gales
Commercial Director USMichael Raounas
Commercial Directors EuropeNatalie Kenneally
Nathan [email protected]
Business DevelopmentAlex Soro
Online MarketingAlbert Vellvé
Web DeveloperJohn Davison
Carlos [email protected]
ISSN 2043-0388
RUNNERS & WRITERS
THREE’S COMPANY AT #1?No it’s not the ‘80s. I’m completely aware of the date and time. I
haven’t slipped into a time-travelling worm hole and/or tracked down
Doc Brown and hopped a ride in the DeLorean back to 1981. This isn’t
Janet Wood, Chrissy Snow and Jack Tripper either. Instead, the
Three’s Company I’m talking about is a newer, more up to date version
that has hogged headlines, hi-jacked front pages and commandeered
airwaves for the past month and will continue to do so until October.
In case you didn’t hear or you’ve been living up a rock, the LeBron
James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh show are “taking their talents
to South Beach” and going to play for the Miami Heat. I’m not going
to lie; the path that all three mega-stars took to assemble this super was completely bush-
league and resembled the actions of one Judas Iscariot. Now, I ask myself the question, “do
I care?” Of course not! This is great for basketball. There hasn’t been a team this good since
the Bulls in the ‘90s. If Miami wins, it’s exciting. If Miami loses, it’s even more exciting.
What does bother me, though, is that so much has been missed in the name of the “thrice.”
Historically, summertime is highlighted by the MLB All-Star Break, which features the State
Farm Home Run Derby and MLB All-Star Game. If you missed it, we’ll get you up to speed
(see: page 16). Not only did we forget about the mid-summer classic, but the final stages of
the World Series of Poker as well. The WSOP was briskly swept underneath the carpet just
so television, newspapers, radio and the internet would have time and space to over-analyze
and dissect the new kings of South Beach. But, don’t worry, in case you didn’t catch the
second half of the World Series of Poker we got you covered (see: page 52).
How about the ESPYS? You know, the ESPYS? The award show honoring an entire year of
sports in one night? The whole idea of ESPN’s award show is to air it on a night when there’s
nothing happening in the sports or poker world. Still, the new-look Miami Heat was the
preferred topic of choice. By the way, we’ve got full coverage of the event if you happened
to (see: page 4).
I don’t mean to complain, but the popsicle headache that was brought-on by the staggering
amounts of LeBron, The Decision, Miami Heat and South Beach coverage engulfing my entire
month of July still hasn’t gone away. No matter how much ranting and raving I do there isn’t
anything that will ever change the great events that got lost in the aftershock of a decision
and how Three’s Company, once again was #1 in the ratings.
Until next time, peace and good reading!
Derek Gould, Editor
GX INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS
UK GERMANY SPAIN CHINA
www.facebook.com/gxmagazine
Find us onGX EDITORIAL
first up
10
August----September
N ow batting. Number two. Derek
Jeter. Number two.” It’s been an
announcement that has echoed
throughout the walls of Yankee Stadium for
decades. Sadly, Bob Sheppard, the longtime
announcer of the New York Yankees passed
away on July 11th at the age of 99.
Sheppard, who had been the Yankees PA
announcer since 1951 had the honor to announce
Yankees lineups featuring legends of the Stadium
including Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle,
Roger Maris, Phil Rizzuto and Yogi Berra. Not
to mention the newer Yankee greats including
Roger Clemens, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada
and Marino Rivera.
Not only has Sheppard left an everlasting
memory in the old Yankee Stadium, but in
the new ballpark as well. In fact, the Yankees
organization recognized and honored Bob
Sheppard by naming the new media room in the
stadium after the longtime announcer.
Sheppard called 62 World Series games as the
PA announcer for the Yanks and introduced over
70 Hall of Famers throughout his career. One of
them, Mr. October, Reggie Jackson at one point
dubbed Sheppard as, “The voice of God”. The
voice that greeted so many fans into Heaven’s
pearly gates with his customary, “Ladies and
gentlemen welcome to Yankee Stadium,”
will be missed.
Voice of YaNkee Stadium dieS
a t the 2010 World Series of Poker
(WSOP) in Las Vegas, it was reported
that officials from the Poker Players
Alliance (PPA) had informed the media that the
pro-internet gambling bill in congress may be
marked up this week. However, no hearing has
appeared on the schedule of the House Financial
Services Committee.
The PPA originally expected the HR 2267,
the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer
Protection, and Enforcement Act, to be marked
up by the week starting July 12th. However, the
hearing looks unlikely to happen this week.
The PPA has 1.2 million members, many of
whom helped raise $27,000 for the organizations
July 1st money bomb. The PPA will use this
money to fund a new series of advertisements in
publications.
The July first date marked one month since the
date of mandatory industry compliance with the
regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Since the bill was
originally passed in 2006, its regulations had not
been fully enforced. Now though, credit cards,
banks, and other financial institutions must fall
into line with the four-year-old bill.
All of this is comes at a time when the WSOP
arguably had its most successful series in history,
including the second largest Main Event.
i’m GoiNG to Be fraNk
iN the NewSoBama’S BalliN’ with leBroN?
r umor has it that President Obama is planning to hit the parquet floor with Miami
Heat’s newest member, LeBron James. It’s widely known that the head of the oval office is a huge hoops fan and isn’t that bad of a player either. During his campaign and even on election night, instead of smoking cigarettes to ease some of the tension, the commander in chief strapped-on the Converse weapons and balled it out.How did King James feel when word of the rumor made its way to LeBron’s ears?“’I think President Obama would hold his own. I’ve seen him shoot the ball - he’s a lefty, too. You know, pretty much all lefties can shoot,’” James said, according to The Hill newspaper. “’He’s worked on his game a lot; I’ve seen him playing with the North Carolina University [University of North Carolina] also. I think he’d hold his own.’”With the crisis in the Gulf happening right now and all of the other problems in the world, there isn’t a definite timetable for this supposed half-court game of hoops. However, if the showdown actually takes place, it’s a safe bet that every major news network will cover the one-on-one match-up. If and when it does happen, the real question is will King James take it easy on the Pres.?
sports betting
1313
Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic hits
a return to Spain’s Rafael Nadal during the
men’s singles final at the 2010 Wimbledon tennis
championships
sports betting
The spoRTsmoNTh iN Review
s Spain’s Rafael Nadal serves to Tomas Berdych
s Rafael Nadal poses for a photograph with the
winners trophy after defeating Tomas Berdych of
the Czech Republic in the men’s singles final at the
2010 Wimbledon tennis championships
s Rafael Nadal celebrates defeating
Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic
in the men’s singles finals Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych serves to Rafael Nadal
sports betting
14
sports betting
14
t Spain’s Andres Iniesta celebrates his goal during the 2010
World Cup final soccer match against Netherlands
Holland v Spain FIFA World Cup Final - South Africa 2010 -
Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
t (Left) Colombian singer Shakira (R) performs before the 2010 World
Cup final soccer match between Netherlands and Spain (Right) A fan
waves a Spanish national flag as he celebrates after Spain’s win
t Spain’s Xabi Alonso (L) gets a boot in his chest by
Netherlands’ Nigel de Jong as they fight for the ball
t Spain’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas saves the ball kicked by
Netherlands’ Arjen Robben during their 2010 World Cup final
soccer match at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg
the espys
22
I want to thank all of those who
sacrificed so much for me and
believed in me along the way; especially the offensive line,
they put you too far back in
the stands. You all should
be up front. Drew Brees
“
”
BesT FeMALe ATHLeTeNoMINees:
● Maya Moore, NCAA Basketball ● Diana Taurasi, WNBA ● Lindsey Vonn, Skiing ● Serena Williams, Tennis
wINNer: Lindsey Vonn, Skiing
JIMMY V PerseVerANce AwArDRecipient: George Karl, Denver Nuggets
ArTHur AsHe courAge AwArDEd Thomas Family, Iowa High School Football Coach
BesT BreAKTHrougH ATHLeTeNoMINees:
● Brittney Griner, Baylor Women’s Basketball ● Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans ● Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals ● John Wall, University of Kentucky Basketball
wINNer: Chris Johnson Tennessee Titans
the espys
24
BEST NHL PLAYERNomiNEES:
● Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh ● Ryan Miller, Buffalo ● Alexander Ovechkin, Washington ● Henrik Seden, Vancouver ● Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay
WiNNER: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
BEST mALE CoLLEGE ATHLETENomiNEES:
● Blake Geoffrion, Wisconsin Hockey ● Mark Ingram, Alabama Football ● Evan Turner, Ohio State Basketball ● John Wall, Kentucky Basketball ● Garrett Wittels, Florida International Baseball
WiNNER: John Wall, Kentucky Basketball
BEST UPSETNomiNEES:
● Frankie Edgar over B.J. Penn, MMA ● Hawaii softball upsets #1 Alabama, NCAA Softball
● Northern Iowa shocks No. 1 Kansas, NCAA Men’s Basketball
● Y. E. Yang stuns Tiger Woods, PGA Championship
WiNNER: Northern Iowa shocks No. 1 Kansas, NCAA Men’s Basketball
BEST GAmENomiNEES:
● Twins beat Tigers in Extra Innings (AL Central One-Game Tiebreak)
● Canada edges USA in Olympic hockey championship game in overtime
● Duke gets past Butler in Men’s NCAA Championship
WiNNER: Canada edges USA in Olympic hockey championship game in overtime
CASTRoL EDGE PERFoRmANCE UNDER PRESSURE AWARDNomiNEES:
● Sidney Crosby in the Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game
● Brett Favre in his return to Green Bay ● Landon Donovan, World Cup vs. Algeria ● Stephen Strasburg in MLB debut
WiNNER: Landon Donovan, World Cup vs. Algeria
BEST mLB PLAYERNomiNEES:
● Zach Greinke, Kansas City ● Derek Jeter, New York Yankees ● Tim Lincecum, San Francisco ● Joe Mauer, Minnesota ● Albert Pujols, St. Louis
WiNNER: Albert Pujols, St. Louis
sports betting
36
sports betting
The #48 car is testing my patience, I can tell you that.
It takes a lot to make me mad -- and I am pissed right now… s
“
”
By Melissa Bauer-Herzog
Melissa currently writes for Barrel Horse World News and the Bleacher Report. You can follow her on facebook, twitter (@mbauerherzog ), or e-mail her at [email protected].
On The Track: red hOT Tem pers Flare Red Hot
sports betting
43
sports betting
Never heard of R.A. Dickey? Not too many
people have. As a matter of fact, Dickey has
been a journeyman his entire career and has
been a member of four different franchises. He
was taken in the first round (18th) pick by the
Texas Rangers and only had two full seasons to
adjust to MLB hitters. Since bouncing around
the league, making stops at destinations such as
Minnesota and Seattle, Dickey landed with the
New York Mets in 2010.
Since the Mets have been in dire need of starting
pitching, Dickey was one of the few pitchers that
Omar Minaya had on his 40-man roster with big
league experience. After John Maine and Oliver
Perez went down with injuries, Dickey was
called up and got his chance to shine at Citi Field.
R.A. Dickey SP- New York Mets
Since the call-up, Dickey has been sensational
entering the mid-way point of the 2010 season
with a 6-2 record through 10 starts. He’s holding
a 2.77 ERA with 48 strike outs and a 1.31 WHIP;
pretty impressive for a guy that wasn’t seen as
anything more than a long reliever just one year
ago.
What separates Dickey from the rest of the
pitchers in the National League is one thing: he’s
a knuckleballer. Aside from Tim Wakefield of the
Boston Red Sox, Dickey is the only other pitcher
in the MLB that throws the knuckler. There are
a few things to think about when contemplating
Dickey as an “add” to a fantasy roster. Surely,
with the deadline approaching, the Mets will
be a big player in one of the free-agent starting
pitchers that are being shopped. Does this spell
trouble for Dickey? -Perhaps. If John Maine and
Oliver Perez come back with a fine-tuned form,
Dickey could wind-up in the bull pen.
On the other hand, Perez has been a nightmare
in the minor leagues while trying to get his head
in the right place. So, even if the Mets land a
pitcher such as Roy Oswalt or Ted Lilly, Dickey’s
job will be safe. The trade deadline isn’t until the
31st at 12:00 AM, so Dickey still has a few starts
left. If a spot start is needed, this guy is worth
adding. He doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts, but
he can get the “W” at Citi Field, with a Mets’
offense that gives plenty of run support. Mind as
well ride the wave while it’s swelling and John
Maine is hurt.
43
sports betting
48
TCU Horned Frogs TCU enters the summer as the 5th ranked team
in the country and have had the best defense the
past two seasons. The Horned Frogs suffered
a tough loss to Boise State in their bowl game
last year, but can get right back to a BCS game
this season. 16 of their starters in 2009 return in
2010, including their quarterback, Andy Dalton.
Since TCU does play in the Mountain West, the
Horned Frogs aren’t given any respect from the
odds makers, as Vegas has them 18-1 to win it
all. Don’t fall asleep on TCU though. They might
just surprise in ’10.
The next three teams in the rankings are all from the Big 12. Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma are all capable of winning the national title, but only one is going to emerge as the clear-cut contender since all three teams play in the same conference.
oklaHoma soonersOklahoma was banged up last season but in
2010 they should be fine although they will
miss quarterback Sam Bradford. They didn’t
have him much last season though so the loss
is not huge. Landry Jones filled in nicely and
the offense still has DeMarco Murray and Ryan
Broyles. The defense is led by Jeremy Beal and
Quinton Carter. Of the three teams in the Big
12, Oklahoma has the lowest odds to win the
national title at 7-1
Texas longHorns The Texas Longhorns find themselves in same
boat as Oklahoma as the Longhorns enter 2010
without their prized quarterback, Colt McCoy,
who is now in the NFL. Garrett Gilbert is now
the man under-center in Austin and his play will
be crucial and, quite frankly, determine how far
Texas goes this season. The Texas Longhorns
are at 14-1 to win the national championship in
2010.
nebraska CornHUskersThe Cornhuskers lost and will miss DT
Ndamukong Suh. However, Nebraska is still
going to be putting a very good on defense on
the field each Saturday. The offense should
improve and take a big step forward from 2009;
not that it will change the game, but Nebraska
might have the best kicker in the country in Alex
Henery. Odds at winning it all: 14-1.
Virginia TeCH HokiesVirginia Tech returns quarterback Tyrod Taylor
and running back Ryan Williams which could be
enough of an offensive punch for them to survive
a tough diluted ACC conference. The Hokies
always have a good defense and if they win the
opener against Boise State they could make
some noise in the national title race. VT is 18-1
to win the national title.
oregon dUCksThe Ducks have the most talent in the Pac-10
even with the loss of quarterback Jeremiah
Masoli. Nate Costa will be under center and
LaMichael James will be running the ball for the
Ducks this year. Now, with USC ousted from any
bowl games due to their infringement of NCAA
regulations, Oregon slide as the favorite to take
the Pac-10.
The Ducks are at 30-1 to take the National
Championship.
POKER GX
57
been reminiscent of some kind of post Cold
War three-way espionage encounter in a
shady cafe on the back streets of Beirut. Or
so I’m told. But with three super powers
together, there could only be one winner –
and that was Tomer Berda from Israel.
Tomer won $825,976 as he fended off the
other 1,941 runners to win the first bracelet
of the Series for Israel. The Russian player
who came second meanwhile, has such a
difficult surname to pronounce that we’ll
inform you of the players who finished 6th
and 7th, Hungcheng Hung from Taiwan and
Ali Alawadhi from the US, because their
names roll off the tongue like a very rolly
Rollo.
.EVENT #57.Opening Up It’s unlikely you’ll have heard too much
about David Warga before despite his
bracelet win in 2002. And that’s because
the 41-year-old won the Casino Employee’s
Championship eight years ago, and thus
this was his first bracelet in an open event.
He has now made history though, as no
other Casino Employee’s Championship
winner has gone on to win an open bracelet
before. Warga won the Seven Card Stud
Hi-Low 8 or Better $1,500 buy-in event for
more than $200,000.
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS.Huck Sows His SeedWhen 27 of the world’s finest poker players
lined up in anticipation of battling it out to
become The Top Dog, The Bees Knees, The
Cat’s Pyjamas and any other animal related
way of describing a poker champion, they all
knew there could only be one winner. Phil
Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson and
Phil Hellmuth were just a handful of those
competing – and the rest of the field wasn’t
any easier as Joe Hachem, Mike Sexton and
Greg Raymer were lurking elsewhere on the
felts. But it was none of the above who
were able to claim the Tournament of
Champions victory and the $500,000 that
went with it as Jonny Chan, Howard
Lederer and Huck Seed eventually emerged
as the final three. The latter of the three,
1996 World Champion Huck Seed, was the
man who finally triumphed and thus etched
his name down into the all-time poker
annals as one of poker’s greatest ever
players.
Huck shows them who´s bossafter taking down the Tournament
of Champions and ethcing hisname into further poker folklore
So it´s a goodbye for now from the Royal Flush girls. Maybe they´ll be back in November. Maybe they won´t be. Whatever the outcome, we´ll never forget them.
Another year and another World
Series. We had so many high
hopes for the 41st World
Series of Poker with our
beloved sport getting bigger and better with
every passing hand. The WSOP once again
broke all records in terms of runners and
prize pools and as 7,319 players lined up on
the eve of the Main Event, us spectators
weren’t the only ones with fairytale scripts
just waiting to be written. Yet before we get
lost in a Main Event dream world though,
where Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth and Doyle
Brunson would be lining up in the mother of
all final tables against sports stars Shane
Warne and Boris Becker, Hollywood
beauties Jayde Nicole and Shannon
Elizabeth, and reincarnated poker gods
Johnny Moss and Stu Ungar, let’s just take a
step back and remember the facts.
With approximately 600,000 hands being
dealt throughout the Series, and over 7,300
poker players entering the Main Event,
making it through a single day’s play is a feat
in its own right, let alone cashing or making
the final table. And so while many would
have been disappointed to see reigning
champion Joe Cada, English enigma James
Akenhead and even Maryland logger Darvin
Moon bust without cashing this year, there
was still enough drama for the romantics to
pounce upon.
At the top of their list would undoubtedly
have to be the story of The Mizrachi Family
and, more importantly, Michael ‘The Grinder’
Mizrachi. In the first open event of this
summer’s World Series, the $50,000
Player’s Championship, Michael Mizrachi
won $1,559,046 for topping a shark infested
and brutal event. If that wasn’t a proud
enough moment for Michael’s mother, she
also saw her eldest son Robert make the
final table and take home $341,429 for his
5th place finish.
Two cashes with a win then, in the most
expensive tournament of the Series, would
have provided ample enough reason for
most of us to kick back and enjoy the rest of
the summer sipping cocktails by the pool.
Not the Mizrachi’s though.
For Michael then went on to make two
more final tables in Stud events as well as
grabbing a fourth cash of the Series in a
smaller Hold’Em event, meaning the 2005
LA Poker Classic champion could roll on to
the final event of the summer with
confidence running higher than a poker
GX POKER
58
THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER
And Now ForThe Main EventJohnny Chan’s hopes of a second World Series win and Tom Dwan’s last chance inhis bracelet quest. Anyone in search of headlines at this year’s Main Event was infor a real treat as the poker gods once again conjured up story after story in a trulyenthralling 41st World Series of Poker. PICTURES ANNE LAYMOND
THE ROMANCE OF THE BRACELETIn spite of the November Nine dashing
thousands upon thousands of dreams, the
Main Event still threw up plenty of stories for
the romantics to sink their teeth into. One of
these came in the shape of Johnny Chan,
who after a barnstorming start, harbored high
hopes of battling through eight arduous days
of poker and reaching the final table. Chan,
the 1987 and 1988 Main Event winner, ran
deepest out of the former world champions
and for more than a while looked capable of
making it all the way. Unfortunately for Chan
though, dreams of a third World Series win
disintegrated on Day 6 in desperately
unfortunate circumstances as first his Kings
ran into Aces to decimate his stack and then,
hoping for a double up, his Jacks ran into
another pair of Aces. This sent Chan packing
in 156th with just under $60k for his efforts
and meant no further part would be played by
any former Main Event winners. Scotty
Nguyen was in fact the only other former
winner to cash in the event; the 1998
champion finished in 209th.
There were still a handful of 2010 bracelet
winners in the event though, really proving
just how much a bout of confidence can
affect a player’s chances even in a 7,000-
man+ event. 2009 November Niner Eric
Buchman, fresh off the back of his bracelet
win in the $2,000 Limit Hold’em Event 18,
reached the furthest out of all last year’s
final tablists and cashed in 554th. Tomer
Berda meanwhile, who had won Event 56
just days prior to playing the Main Event,
made it to Day 6 before busting in 134th.
And Pascal LeFrancois, winner of the $1,500
No Limit Hold’em Event 6, ran all the way to
the final day of the event before being
eliminated in 11th place for $635,011.
BRITISH POWER CUTFollowing the success of the British players
this summer, who mustered five bracelets
between them as well as several other
second places and final tables, there was
initially hope that we’d see a repeat of James
Akenehead’s success last year and have a
home grown player to cheer come November.
Akenhead alas, fell on Day 2A, while bracelet
holder Praz Bansi did manage to run deep
before cashing in 240th. 2009 bracelet winner
JP Kelly also went deep but couldn’t finish
higher than 111th. All this meant little known
26-year-old Redmond Lee from Barnett was
the last English hope. Lee, who has cashed
twice before at the World Series of Poker, but
who could have quite honestly been called
Lee Redmond and we’d have been none the
wiser, made it to the final day’s play before
running his pocket fours into pocket tens. Lee
finished in 21st place, a fantastic effort from
the Barnett-based Brit, and received $317,161
for his efforts.
NOTABLE OTHERSThose looking for a few stories elsewhere
would have been following the progress of
21-year-old American John May. The
youngster turned 21 the day before
competing in the Main Event and would
have beaten Joe Cada’s record had he gone
on to win. May eventually busted in 177th
place, ensuring Cada’s record will stand for
at least another year, but the 50k May took
home would have eased his angst at not
threatening Cada further.
GX POKER
60
TheWorldSeries ofPoker inNumbers
WORDS CONOR MILLS
8,944,138Amount in US dollars that will go to the
winner of this year’s Main Event; the
second largest total in WSOP history.
7,319Number of
entries in
this year’s
Main Event. The huge number of entrants
required four Day 1’s and two Day 2’s so
that all the competitors could be seated in
the Amazon room at the Rio.
57Total
number of
events at
this year’s
World
Series of
Poker. The total is the largest amount in
the event’s 41 year history and is up two
from last year’s 55.
71,424Lowest first prize
total in US dollars
received by an event winner. The modest
sum went to Hoai Pham for winning this
year’s first event, the $500 Casino
Employees No-Limit Hold'em tournament.
117Number of different
nations represented;
the largest number
ever, two up from last year’s previous
record total.
72,966Total entries
spanning all
57 events; up a very impressive 20%
on last year.
187,109,850 The largest cumulative
prize pool in US dollars in WSOP history,
up 3.5 % on last year’s record year.
POKER
62
The flop moves listed below are
mostly bluff and semi bluff moves
designed to win pots on flops you
haven’t caught a piece of. Since
you will often represent a hand you don’t have,
it is of the utmost importance that your betting
history, in the hand and general table image,
tell a convincing story. In addition you have to
choose your flops and opponents carefully.
Ideally you want to be up against a maximum
of 2-3 opponents who will be able to lay down
their hands depending on the move you choose.
Needless to say flop moves require a lot more
skill and experience to master as compared to
preflop moves.
1Bet at flops with pairsIf the flop comes with a pair and is
uncoordinated (no flush draws and obvious
straight draws) you should bet if you are first
to act or the action is checked to you. Take
advantage of your opponent’s fear of facing
trips. If you get called on the flop you need to
consider whether you want to bet the turn or
not. Your opponent could have hit trips but the
probability is small since there are only two cards
in the deck that could give him this hand. Your
opponent could also be planning to steal the pot
from you on the turn if you show weakness and
check. Notice how poker player level thinking
really comes into play when considering what to
do on the flop, turn and river.
2 Bet the rainBow “steal flop”
Some flops contain low cards of different suits
(rainbow) and in addition are uncoordinated
meaning that there is little chance that one
of your opponents has picked up a draw. An
Mitchell Cogert is the author of “Tournament Poker: 101 Winning Moves.” It is the only reference book to reveal the
plays the Pros use to win a poker tournament. These plays are based on reviewing 20 years worth of tournament
poker strategies and by actual play against Daniel Negreanu, Erick Lindgren, David Pham and other top pros. The
book is available on Amazon and rated 5 out of 5 stars by customers. Find out more about Mitchell Cogert by visiting
Tournament Poker or his website APokerExpert.
StRatEgy
62
Top 10 flop moves
movesThaT moldChampions
POKER
POKER
70
Poker Surface is the handiwork
of a group of students at the
University of Duisburg-Essen
in Germany; gameplay mainly
happens on the Surface
itself, but you view your cards on a wirelessly-
connected smartphone, tilting the handset
toward yourself to catch a glimpse of what
you’ve been dealt.
The phones are also used to organise and
register players, with each person inputting
their name and how much money they want
to risk on the handset. That’s then transferred
over to the Surface, and the cards virtually
dealt. Accelerometer feedback is used so that
when you tilt the handset toward yourself, you
What would you do with a Microsoft Surface multitouch
table, a love of gaming and a handful of spare phones?
Create a revolutionary interactive poker game –
Poker Surface.
get to see privately what sort of hand you’ve
been given, rather than risk showing it to
everyone on the main display.
Other interesting features include being able to
double-tap a chip to split it down into smaller
denominations; you can also fold the hand by
shaking the phone horizontally. The research
also looked into how people preferred to interact
with the game, finding that players were more
comfortable with the combination of a smaller,
private screen rather than doing everything on
the Surface.
Of course, most people will never have a Surface
in their home, but perhaps iPad developers may
come up with something similar for a slightly
more affordable multitouch device.
TOUCHING THE POKER SURFACE
iPad developers may come up with something similar
lifestyle
72
12010 Legends of PokerBell Gardens, CaliforniaJuly 28th – August 30th The poker “Tournament of Tradition”
kicks off in July 28th at The Bicycle Casino at
Bell Gardens, California and goes through the
entire month of August. Over 26 events ranging
from No Limit Hold’em to H.O.R.S.E to Omaha
8 or Better will be featured at this summer’s
poker mega-event. As it shapes up to be one of
the most talked about poker events of July and
August, it is surly one that shouldn’t be missed.
3Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer BandAugust 7th – October 21st Get ready to hit the beach parrot
heads as Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer
Band kick-off their summer tour beginning
August 7th at the Susquehanna Bank Center in
Camden, New Jersey. The tour which always
brings out the inner-beach bum in us all is sure to
be an out-of-this-world show. Buffet is known for
putting on a show, where he plays his island hits
including, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Volcano,
Boats, Beaches and Bars, Fins and The Captain
Morgan Song. The tour comes to an end on
October 21st for the final showing at the Irvine
Meadows/Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in
Irvine, CA.
2NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Game Canton, OhioSunday, August 8th While it’s true that no one really cares about the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in the
NFL, it is tradition. Since 1971, on the weekend where NFL’s best are inducted into the Hall of Fame in
Canton, Ohio, one team representing the AFC takes on another representing the NFC in an exhibition
game. This year, the Cincinnati Bengals will match-up against the Dallas Cowboys at Fawcett Stadium
in Canton. There is no history here between these two teams, but NBC’s coverage is normally worth
a look. Most importantly are the names of the players on the docket for induction into the Pro Football
Hall of Fame. The Class of 2010: Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle,
Jerry Rice and Emmit Smith.
GX takes a look at the best sporting, musical, cultural and lifestyle events around the country this August.
August----September
the month ahead
baseball
79
lifestyle
12 vs. 12 Online Team PlayVery similar to the Ryder Cup mode, players can
go online and choose sides (USA or Europe) and
play with up to 23 different players. The 12 vs.
12 Online Team Play features the “tracer” mode
where you can follow all of your competitor’s
shots by watching them on your own screen.
New Animations
Though the player models have remained
the same from last year’s title, EA Sports has
updated the realism where gamers will now
see the golfers hair and clothes flowing with
the wind. The new grass textures and course
physics and time of day change are remarkable,
adding a crisper accent to each course.
New Courses & GolfersThe long-anticipated list of new courses and
golfers in Tiger Woods ’11 is short, but rich in
history.
Courses:• Celtic Manor
• The Greenbrier
• Liberty National Golf Course
• TPC Scottsdale
• Whistling Straits
Golfers:• Stephen Ames
• Paul Casey
• Danny Lee
• Boo Weekley
• Suzann Petterson
CommentaryScott Van Pelt and Kelly Tillmann take the mic
once more and give their insights on all modes.
Though they do a great job setting up a shot,
more interactive dialogue that corresponds to the
golfer’s situations would add for a more realistic
feel to Tiger Woods. Golf is a game of emotion,
it isn’t captured again this year with Van Pelt and
Tillmann doing the announcing.
Time to “Move”It’s true that the Wii has been the most re-
playable and overall fun version of the Tiger
Woods franchise (because of its interactivity
of motion controlling), the video and graphics
and visuals have been one of the setbacks that
continues to nag the aesthetically-needy gamer.
That will come to an end in September as Sony
and EA Sports announced that Tiger Woods
’11 will offer a download via PSN (Playstation
Network) that will enable Sony Playstation’s
Move (a program much similar to the Wii will
allow motion controlling) to be fully functional
with Tiger Woods ’11. Talk about a saving grace.
Presentation 8.0
Tiger Woods ’11 sets the bar with its features,
golf course design and life-like feel. However, the
game still hasn’t made that giant leap that will
blow gamers away.
GraPhics 8.0
The graphics on the course and environments
have improved vastly, however character models
are still a bit robot-like and need to have their
movements tweaked to resemble humans.
sounds 7.0
The sounds while golfing on the courses are
superb. However, Scott Van Pelt and Kelly
Tillmann need to be more vocal and interactive
to different situations. It would make for ultimate
realism. There’s always next year, right?
GamePlay 8.5
The gameplay is still the same as last year’s Tiger
Woods. New features enable a more realistic and
more difficult experience on the course. Still, the
gameplay on the XBOX 360 and PS3 consoles
hasn’t changed much. The Wii ranks as the best
of the three systems to play Tiger Woods ’11 on.
rePlay Factor 8.5
Though Tiger Woods ’11 is a great way to
pregame with your college buddies on a Friday
night, it still feels the same as previous Tiger
Woods games on XBOX 360 and PS3. The
Wii is still the best system to play it on, but the
fun never ends whether you’re playing 9-holes
or 18. Just wait until Move comes out for the
Playstation 3 this fall. Then we’ll be talking about
a whole new game.
Final Grade 8.0
scores
teeinG oFF tiGer Woods ’11 revieW
T The one word, McLaren, says it all
really. It’s rare that you can use
one word to identify a company
synonymous with an industry. Ok, so
maybe ‘Hoover’ cracked that nut first, but
your Hoover is unlikely to propel you to
200km/h in under 10 seconds… From
Formula 1 to the McLaren F1, this
organisation lives, breathes and sleeps –
although probably rarely by the looks of the
MP412-C - motorsport.
EXTERIOR
Initially the most striking thing about the
McLaren MP4-12C is the perfectly
balanced stance which suggests you may
be looking at a serious supercar. You might
think this is weird, it’s not. Design director
Frank Stephenson claims “it’s the whole
idea;” in a decade that has produced the
Pagani Zonda and the Lamborghini
Reventon Roadster, maybe subtlety is the
new “In-Your-Face” for 2010.
For anyone who spent their youth drooling
at the McLaren F1 you can see some
similarities in shape with the MP4-12C. As
subtlety is the order of the day for
McLaren, the louder aspects usually
associated with supercars like the
legendary F1 have been toned down to
create an uber-functional yet stunning
design. Take for instance the wheels and
tires, which were overhauled following
their initial design to save an astonishing
9lbs. Even the embossed McLaren badge
on the magnesium beam from which to
mount the dashboard was re-engineered
to a recessed design saving 8oz. I love
McLaren.
The MP4-12C is narrower, shorter and lower
than its rivals (think Aston Martin DB9,
Lamborghini Gallardo). Couple this to the
low-curb weight and the sort of obsessive
aerodynamic research you would expect
from an F1 team and you would just about
be on the way to possibly understanding the
ultimate agility of the little McLaren packing
a big punch.
INTERIOR
Functionality and simplicity remain the
theme throughout the interior. Unfortunately
for the big kids among us, looking forward
to another innovative seating arrangement
from McLaren, you will be disappointed.
The central seating arrangement in the F1
has always evoked some sort of childish
excitement. It does however mean the car
has to be wider.
GX LIFESTYLE
80
Driving In The Fast Lane
The McLaren MP4-12CMCLAREN REVEALS ITS WINNING FORMULA
BY JAMIE MALLON
