The Hints Club

Book Review - Cowboys Full James McManus, author of the bestseller, Positively Fifth Street, which chronicled McManus’ own experiences playing in the WSOP as well as the darker side of Las Vegas, has done it again, and written a terrific book all about poker online. Cowboys Full - The Story of Poker belongs on the book shelf of anyone who loves to play the online poker game. McManus thoroughly researched the origins of the game and makes analogies comparing poker’s strategies and maneuvers with political wheeling and dealing. The book traces poker’s beginnings on Mississippi steamboats to today’s popular Internet games like on Everest Poker FR. The poker trivia unearthed in Cowboys Full is fascinating. For instance, do you know which famous poker player holds the sole distinction of going straight from intensive care to a Main Event final table? Stu Ungar, of course. The cast of characters includes famous historical personages, US presidents, and an assortment of wily, wild, and world-renown poker players. The book is full of interesting anecdotes, facts and folklore about poker. The story of Herbert Yardley, considered the father of modern day cryptology and author of the classic book, Education of a Poker Player, is especially intriguing. Cowboys Full - The Story of Poker captures all the allure of the game. McManus does a splendid job of exposing just how integral the game of poker, with its strategies aimed at exploiting the weakness of others or bluffing one’s way to riches, is to the American psyche. If you love poker, you will love this book.

Our contemporary Flamenco music is supported by it’s musical ancestor/innovators. The three most notable to merit this divergence are Ramon Montoya, Sabicas, and Nino Ricardo. Born in a family of gypsy cattle ranchers in 1880, Ramon Montoya is accredited with magnifying the Flamenco Guitar to prominent status. Although like many guitarists after him Montoya began his career accompanying singers and dancers, he ultimately began performing solo. As a result ending the guitar’s purely accompanying role. Ironically, it was Montoya’s nephew - Carlos Montoya - who was mainly accountable for focusing International attention on the solo Flamenco Guitar. From the 20’s through the 50’s he composed and performed in nearly every country. Even filling the Houston Astrodome! And locating himself in New York. Today it’s Carlos - not Ramon - who is the most famous Montoya. Curiously, Ramon didn’t agree with his nephews style, and gave him no advice. Thus Carlos Montoya’s first guitar instructor was the local barber. But Ramon Montoya retains the distinction of being Flamenco Guitar’s first solo performer.

Influenced by Ramon Montoya, but an amazing leader in his own right - Sabicas - noted particularly for his exact rhythm, mixed extensively with Male singers.(Cantaores) Leaving Spain in 1936 with the outbreak of civil war, Sabicas toured South America with the dancer, Carmen Amaya. Sabicas, like Carlos Montoya, was a main force in presenting Solo Flamenco outside of Spain. Said to have wonderful pitch, Sabicas impressed with blazing picados (runs), fast arpeggios, and high quality compositions. The late Guitar great Chet Atkins once commented in an interview: “The best technique around has got to be Sabicas, the Flamenco player.”

Seville’s bars and taverns were the first concert places for the child prodigy - Nino Ricardo. Celebrated as the best player of his day, Ricardo made a major contribution to the expansion of the Flamenco Guitar. Many of his elaborate and rhythmically rare compositions were arranged during his “bar wars” years. Nino had an exclusiveent playing style and tone, due to upward curving fingernails. Regrettably, liver failure claimed Nino Ricardo at the ae of 68.

Of the many brilliant guitarists who have inherited the traditions of Flamencos’ “Founding Fathers” - one of the most remarkable is Santiago Cortez. Not on behalf of blazing runs or other technical “flash” - but for his rare capacity to respect tradition while innovating. And more distinctly, for his eclectic taste as a composer and performer. Santiago seamlessly merges elements of Jazz, Rock, Pop, Classical, Folk, Celtic, Reggae and World music, into impressive compositions that are immediately familiar, but never secondhand. With his unique “Flamenco Fusion”, Santiago is commemorating and expanding the legacy of the Montoyas, Sabicas, and Nino Ricardo.

Boring Stakes Mean Better Winnings At my local casino, the middle range poker online tables often stand alone and deserted as the high stakes tables absorb all the players. Even the super low tables get their fair share of the action because this is where the fish first learn to swim among the poker online sharks. No one, however, seems to see the virtues of treading the middle ground. No one, that is, except for me. I will happily while my days away at the middle stakes because I know that boring stakes often means better winnings. High stakes have drama, but they also have the potential for huge losses. At the other extreme, low stakes have the potential for steady wins, but each win will be too small to matter. Middle stakes balances these two extremes to give me a steady level of wins with a comfortable amount won in each pot. It may be as dramatic or lively as the other stakes at the poker online casino, but middle stakes is definitely the way to go for me. If you care about actually increasing your bankroll over the long run, then I am sure that you will decide that middle stakes, boring as they may seem, are the right stakes for you too.

There are number of reasons for you to remember your graduation day. First of all, it’s the day of achievement. It is a grand event when you can flaunt your academic regalia. Not to forget, there is also a graduation party after the convocation. In all these events, you would surely want to stand out of the crowd. Since, everyone wears the same caps and gowns for graduation, there is hardly any room to make your appearance noticeable. However, your creative side can do the trick. There are several ways in which you can decorate your graduation caps and gowns and gain some attention.
How to decorate your graduation cap:
A graduation cap generally has square shaped, flat top and a tassel hanging from the top. Most of the graduation gowns are accompanied with black coloured caps. On the other hand, some of the schools and universities insist on wearing caps of the gowns’ colour. Whatever may be the colour; you can always add a personalised touch to your graduation cap.
Here are some tricks with which you can decorate your graduation caps.
1) The best way to decorate the academic cap is to follow the theme of your graduation party. Being the host of the party, you should personalise the cap to go well with the party atmosphere. For example, if the theme of your graduation party is pirates, then you can make your graduation cap appear like a pirate’s cap.
2) You can begin the decoration part by first making the decorative extension of your cap. Take the measurements of the cap’s flat surface and then start making the design.
3) Then, use a pencil or pen to draw the outline of chosen design on the flat portion of the cap. A pencil or pen mark may not be visible, but it will leave impression, which will help as a guide further.
4) Use a glue stick or cone to evenly spread glue on the impression. Try to dispense the glue only on the outline, or the glue residue will show off after you have put the decoration on the top. Always take small portions of the outline to decorate or the glue will dry out before sticking anything on it.
5) Immediately press the decorative material on the glue.
6) Continue doing the same, until you finish gluing all the decorative material.

Decorative material:
You can consider decorating your graduation caps with coins, sea-shells, beads or rhinestones. Use a lot of creativity while decking the cap. You can try practicing different styles and decorations on other caps before you use your hand on the graduation cap. For this, buy several caps from a cap and gown sale. You will definitely get academic caps at reasonable prices in a sale.
The caps can be beautified using candies and flowers as well. Those of you who have a sweet tooth can swank their fondness by sticking some candies on the cap. You can also try hanging the candies from the cap using a transparent fishing wire or embroidery floss. Embellish the cap with beautiful flowers using a flower sponge.
With such beautification, you will definitely be the talk of the town!!

Change Gears Slowly I usually start out my /pl”poker’ games by establishing a tight image and then switching gears when my casino opponents start treating my like a tight player. After a few rounds of folding and taking pots on the occasion that I draw good poker cards that hit the flop, my opponents will start to fold whenever I put chips into the pot, and that’s usually a good indicator that my opponents are ripe for bluffing. Unfortunately, I used to have a tendency to get a bit overexcited when I’d see that it was time to change gears, and I’d start bluffing like a maniac. It would usually work initially, but all of my betting would serve to destroy the tight image that I’d worked so hard to build. If you’ve established a fictitious playing persona and you want to change gears, do it gradually. Starting your game tight and progressively loosening up as the game wears on is a good way to maintain your tight image when you decide to start bluffing. Don’t come out and reverse your play completely, but intersperse your tight image with a bluff between displays of tight poker. By gradually increasing your loose play, your opponents will take a lot longer to notice the change.

Poker online is much easier when you control the lion’s share of the chips. Case in point: if you have the ability to take out an opponent for all his chips, and even in the event you lose you’re still a very viable player in the tournament, then you have a huge psychological advantage over your opponents.

We call this bullying. If you watch a few games and you watch a big stack player know how to use his big stack, you’ll see him raising a lot more than a lot of the other players. And you’ll see him going all-in a lot more. Why is this?

It’s elementary. For one, it’s an easy way to use that psychological advantage to steal blinds. And since you don’t have to worry about losing or going out of the casino tournament as easily as other players, you can open up your range of playable hands.

Another advantage to this is that you get to take the initiative in more pots. You have the innate advantage of being able to play more loosely with your marginal holdings.

On top of all that, you can use your stack to bolster your table image. Say you’re a relatively tight player and you end up with the big stack because of your tight play. With that image, you’ll be able to steal more in position when people look at your image coupled with your stack size.

So when you do have the big stack, don’t be afraid to push people around. Think of yourself as the sumo wrestler just bumping people around with your belly if they get in your way. Because aggression and a big stack in poker can be one the most dangerous weapons in your arsenal.

Here’s an analogy. Let’s say you’re a field goal kicker in football and you can consistently hit a 45 yard field goal about 90% of the time. But you can only hit a 55 yard field goal about 50% of the time. And let’s say you’re betting with other kickers on these kicks. Some of them can hit a 45 yarder about 50% of the time, while the 55 yard kickers can hit theirs at a rate of 50% also. Which would be the more profitable game for you teo bet on? Well of course you’d want to play with the 50% 45 yarders as you have a 40% edge on them. They’re weaker than you and you can consistently beat them. Now let’s apply this to online poker. Let’s say you have a bunch of players at a poker online table, a full ring of 9. Three play as well as you do, one plays better, and the other four play worse. Who would you be willing to get in more pots with? The worse casino players of course, as it’s going to be their money you’re taking the most of. So when you’re evaluating a game, you need to keep in mind that several of the players will be weaker than you and that you should aim to take these players money rather than get trick or go heads up with players as good or better than you. If you pick on the worse players, you’re bound to make more money than you would be if you were only playing against the better players. It’s always better to keep the edge in your favor at the poker table.

Ever met an occasional bowler looking to approach real bowling with new respect. When bowling is your calling, this is crucial time in growing as a serious bowling competitor. My introduction to “Bowling Like a Pro” shouldn’t be ignored. An expert from your city’s bowling pro shop can help their customers harness bowling talent. There’s an old bowling adage, the bowling balls do all the work (after you roll them). I kid. Okay, so it’s more complicated than that. Don’t fret, we can have you throwing down the right lane.

You’ll definitely want to invest a little in properly-fitted at any number of bowling pro shops in your city. Fit is important. I promise, get your own ball fitted, and your game will benefit. A properly drilled bowling ball can make a substantial improvement in your game. It’s also important you’re benefiting from quality bowling shoes that actually fit

Now that you went ahead and purchased the right bowling equipment, you’re ready for the second best bowling tip: how to aim. If you face the pins, don’t shoot for the pins. Use the points about 15 feet down the lane, like a barrel of a gun. Never thought of this? You’ll find it more effective to aim for a point much nearer. For it to work right, it should be your habit to begin your approach at the precise location 4 steps from the foul line on every attempt. Only then you can make small adjustements on your aim using the arrows in the lane.

What do you make of curves, to achieve proper speed and ball control? That’s another “Next Steps” bowling hint. It’s all in the ball type. Many professional bowlers carry two or three bowling balls to roll aggressive pin action, selected precisely for the lane. However greenhorns might want to avoid putting on a show, and don’t get a ball that weighs a ton. Many serious bowlers roll bowling balls featuring extra expert grip. But these balls can make even some well known players look foolish. With these tips you’re on the right track. I’ll be back with another 3 soon.

~Frank Hundley

My friends and I play for a company team (US Systems) made up of the guys and gals at our company’s department of communications here in Cincinnati. I chime in with advice to aspiring bowlers on the web and in the pro shop. Finally, I must give a shout out to all my heavy rollers at the center. Roll on!

A Study by professional poker services firm PricewaterhouseCooper confirms what I have been saying for years: legal poker online gambling can bring billions of dollars to federal governments. The United States could raise nearly $52 billion in revenue over the next decade by lifting a three-year-old ban on Internet gambling and taxing the activity instead, according to a study, according to the study, which was reported by U.K. news agency Reuters Gambling and poker supporters hope the new analysis prepared by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers will help propel efforts in Congress this year to repeal the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, Reuters reports.

“‘There is a dramatic need to have a regulated system that protects American consumers. Right now, it’s the Wild West,” Jeffrey Sandman, a spokesman for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative, told Reuters this week. That group includes the London-based Remote Gambling Association, which represents European online companies that lost billions in market value after Congress passed the 2006 law and they withdrew from the U.S. market. The legislation attempted to squash online gambling in the United States by barring businesses from knowingly accepting payments in connection with unlawful Internet gambling, including payments made through credit cards, electronic fund transfers and checks.

Historically, poker playing card decks have been illustrated by the nobility of the day. There are a variety of different opinions about who exactly is represented on the cards, ranging from Julius Caesar to Charlemagne. Scholarly opinion cannot agree on any one historical figure to each playing card. The general theme, however, is that they represent pertinent figures of the time when the cards were standardized.

The images that we see on playing cards at the casino today are actually highly stylized versions of the images of kings and queens of the time they were printed. Originally they were carefully drawn versions of royalty, or woodcut versions that could be easily mass produced. Stylistically, they represent the extravagant court fashions of Henry VIII, but this cannot be proved historically.

An important fun fact about the royal images on playing cards is that there was actually a period of time when royal images were banned. That’s right, royal images completely disappeared from the standard poker playing card deck. During the French Revolution, it was considered inappropriate to represent royal images on cards when the people were opposed to the whole concept of royalty. During the French revolution, the royalty images were replaced with non-offensive figures, like philosophers or nationally important people. Luckily, this trend diminished, and by 1813 the cards were back to the royal images that we all know and love.