For an amateur, I think Don Topel played brilliantly and he was just unlucky that Gavin Smith got the better cards.  Perhaps the one criticism  that I have of Don’s poker game is that he was a little impatient and played a few hands that he shouldn’t have.  He leaked a bit.

Easy to say afterwards.  Also in Heads up play you have to take it to your opponents, which he did, he played nice and aggressive.  Until he got dealt some ordinary hands.

Don is a likable fellow, someone everyone can identify with, even eating pizza whilst playing for a 1 million bucks and in front of millions of viewers!  Now that takes some doing.

What do you think Don did wrong?

It was really interesting to listen to the poker pros on High Stakes Poker the other night, commenting on how aggressive some of the young online poker players are. They will think nothing of raising $50,000 and watching the other players squirm.

It may be that they have made easy money and have lost a bit of respect for money, so to throw $50 K into a pot is nothing to them. To the more experienced and battle hardened pros, when someone raises by $50 K, they sit up in their seats and think twice about calling or re-raising.

Many times they will frighten off other players and they have probably been getting away with it playing poker online. I wonder, if they are face to face with some of today’s poker pros, whether they would still be able to get away with such aggressive poker play. Sometimes yes, but all it takes is a few calls and aggressive play back at them, and if they lose a few hands in a row, their stacks will take a knock… and then what?

Play poker too loose and too aggressive, it can backfire on you. Its all about being selective and turning on the aggression at the right time. Some of the young guys have made a very healthy bankroll, by making money playing poker online. By developing a big bankroll they can now afford to play aggressive online poker.

It will be very interesting to see the young aggressive online poker players matched against the older, wiser, experienced poker pros in the WSOP – Not long to go now….

Well life just seems to race on by…. as we approach the end of January 2009 already!

As much as I try and slow things down, the pace just seems to quicken, like a river in flood, that carries you along whether you like it or not.  Wow thats deep…. and meaningful…

Its probably old news by now, but for those of you that don’t know – a local Australian, Stewart Scott won the Aussie Millions Poker Championship in Melbourne this weekend.  He becomes the first Australian to win the tournament, beating Peter Rho in the final pairing.

At another big poker tournament this weekend, the EPT Deauville, Moritz Kranich a relatively inexperienced German, won the big prize of 851,400 Euros. More excitement on the European Poker Tour as Kranich beat the strong french opposition of Esquevin into 2nd and Clemencon into 3rd place.

It just goes to show that poker is alive and well, newcomers are continually coming through to win at the big tournaments.  Whilst some of the pros may not like this, at least it is healthy for the game and keeps the interest in poker high.

You always have a chance of winning at poker!

Part of being a winning poker player is studying the game. You should always join a good poker forum and make friends with players that you feel are knowledgeable about the game.

Regarding the question; “Should I become a Professional poker player?”

Here’s some insight that should help you develop the proper response:

You are not ready to become a professional poker player:

1. If you are not a professional at what you currently do for a living;
2. If you’ve won or lost at poker using the rent money or grocery money;
3. If you have ever borrowed more money than you can pay back without skipping
4. the car note;
5. If you owe anything on anything that you have purchased,
6. If your credit card balance(s) exceed zero at the end of each month:
7. If you are paying tuition for yourself or someone else, or if someone else
8. is paying tuition for you;
9. If you have minor children whom you are required to support;
10. If you have a significant other who views poker as a game of chance and not
11. a game of skill;
12. If you can’t state, succinctly, the difference between being broke and being
13. poor;
14. If you think you have learned all you need to learn about poker;
15. If you have ever won at poker and lost your winnings at craps, black jack,
16. roulette, slots, etc.;
17. If you’re on probation or parole;
18. If you’re in therapy or taking medication for any psychological, emotional or mental disorder;
19. If you’re recieving treatment for substance abuse or any kind of addiction;
20. If you’re not regularly logging on to the poker social network, PokerGob.com;

If you read this thread and find any reason to disagree with any element of what is stated here, you are not ready to become a professional poker player.