If there is one thing the Asia Championship of Poker currently being played at the PokerStars LIVE room at City of Dreams has confirmed, it’s that Macau is now without any doubt one of the top tournament destinations in the world. Sure, it...
Author - Ben Blaschke
Big Jim’s tip for 31 October: Cincinnati Bengals
Not much has gone right for the Miami Dolphins so far this season and as if to rub salt into the wound, center Mark Pouncey found himself served by police while still at the stadium following last week’s loss to the Patriots. One thing is for...
WGM’s weekend preview
We’re set for a huge few days of sport this weekend with the NBA back in full swing, the NFL heating up and the big guns starting to sort themselves out in the English Premier League. The highlight of the EPL round will be Liverpool’s...
Big Jim’s tip for 30 October: Australia
The cricket is on again in India and there is no love lost between these two sides as they continue their seven-game One Day International series to determine who will emerge with the world No.1 ranking. Australia stunned the locals somewhat during...
Big Jim’s tip for 29 October: Chicago Bulls
It’s the first game of the new season as NBA Champions the Miami Heat host the Chicago Bulls in an opening night blockbuster. Miami will again by the team to beat this year but this is an interesting match-up to start the season. The Bulls...
No more no names
It is now a decade since an unknown amateur with the perfect surname kick-started the global poker boom. Chris Moneymaker was a 27-year-old accountant from Tennessee when he won a $39 satellite into the World Series of Poker Main Event then went all...
Is Vettel the greatest ever?
Sebastian Vettel’s victory in the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday was not only his sixth successive race victory, it also sealed his fourth consecutive Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship. Vettel joins Michael Schumacher (7), Juan Fangio...
WGM’s weekend wrap
The big guns of the English Premier League flexed their muscle at the weekend with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all scoring important victories. The highlight was Chelsea’s dramatic 2-1 win over Manchester City, with a...
Checking to induce a bluff
Your basic goal when playing any hand of poker is pretty obvious really – you want to put as much money into the pot as possible when you have the best hand and as little as possible when you don’t. Likewise, you want your opponent to put as...
One size doesn’t fit all
The regulation of internet poker has been a notable issue of late in a number of countries around the globe, but as much as progress has been made in some places – such as Nevada and Delaware in the United States – it has also given rise to a...
Good signs for ACOP
The eyes of the poker world have been focused on Paris for the past week for the latest installment of the World Series of Poker Europe, but much of that attention will turn to Macau in the coming days as we near the Asia Championship of Poker main...
A battle of thieves
We’ve written a few stories now explaining where some of poker’s unique terminology comes from and what it means. Today we’re going to look at not one but two terms describing players’ positions at the table – the cut-off...
Asia chasing more bracelets
The Asia Championship of Poker starts tomorrow with the cream of the crop set to descend on Macau, but before that happens there is the small matter of some World Series of Poker bracelets to hand out. That’s right, the glamorous WSOP Europe...
All eyes on ACOP
It’s been a big year for the PokerStars LIVE Macau poker room, having moved to its new home at City of Dreams and hosted a number of major tournament series in the months since. This week sees the last of these series for 2013 get underway...
How many tables are too many?
One of the great joys of playing poker online is the ability to play multiple tables at once. With the exception of the occasional degenerate in Las Vegas during the WSOP trying to play in two tournaments at the same time – and overlooking the...
The world’s best poker tournaments Pt 2
We continue our countdown of the world’s most prestigious poker tournaments. Today we go all the way from number five down to the number one event on the annual poker calendar. 5. The Five Diamond/LA Poker Classic – It’s tough to split...
The dynamics of a 3-bet
The pre-flop 3-bet in poker has been around for as long as punters have loved to gamble, but with the aggression of the modern game 3-betting has developed into a real art form. Today we are going to take a quick look at some spots where 3-betting...
No rest for the wicked
It’s been relatively quiet in the poker world since the World Series of Poker took its three month hiatus ahead of the November 9, but as the calendar ticks over into October things are starting to heat up. This week sees two huge events kick...
The world's best poker tournaments Pt 1
We count down the 10 most coveted poker tournaments in the world – the events every player dreams of winning. Next week we will bring you the Top 5 but for now let’s start by looking at numbers 10 through six on our list. 10. WSOP $10k 6-max...
The world’s best poker tournaments Pt 1
We count down the 10 most coveted poker tournaments in the world – the events every player dreams of winning. Next week we will bring you the Top 5 but for now let’s start by looking at numbers 10 through six on our list. 10. WSOP $10k 6-max...
The Unexploitable Shove
The Sit’n’Go is a unique beast. Unlike cash games which always play deep and major tournaments which also allow for plenty of play, Sit’n’Gos very quickly progress from the early stages where you should fold most hands to the...
The money or the gun?
The game of poker has so many bizarre terms to describe everything from hole cards to position to the value of a hand that it could just about be described as its own language. The nuts, pocket rockets, raising from the hi-jack – if you...
You lookin’ at me?
We often talk about “image” at the poker table, but how often do you use this image to your advantage? Before we get into the nitty-gritty, what exactly is “image”? Image at the poker table refers to the style of player your...
You lookin' at me?
We often talk about “image” at the poker table, but how often do you use this image to your advantage? Before we get into the nitty-gritty, what exactly is “image”? Image at the poker table refers to the style of player your...
No shame in second
We all know poker tournaments are all about the winner. As the old saying goes, if 1,000 people enter, 999 of them are going to go home disappointed. But poker is a unique game. While only one player will walk away with a trophy at the end, around...
Don’t fluff your bluff
It’s fair to say there is no better feeling at a poker table than pulling off a stone-cold bluff. Yet so many players seem to consider bluffing to be the core of their game rather than the rare move they try only when the right situation...
Don't fluff your bluff
It’s fair to say there is no better feeling at a poker table than pulling off a stone-cold bluff. Yet so many players seem to consider bluffing to be the core of their game rather than the rare move they try only when the right situation...
A chip and a chair
You’ve probably heard the term “a chip and a chair” used many times at the poker table. “All you need is a chip and a chair” they say, which simply refers to the fact that provided you have at least one chip in front of...
Folding A-A pre-flop
“What???” I hear you ask. “Surely you jest!” It’s not a topic that comes up too often, because let’s face it – there aren’t too many situations where the thought is even going to cross your mind. Yet...
Making room for poker
I’ve been to any number of casinos around the world and I’ve seen all manner of poker rooms, from the truly spectacular to the dodgy corner room tucked away and conveniently forgotten, or even worse a dingy space down a back alley with a...