Source by social media, and opened to fans on both Twitter and Facebook, Bodog.com made the announcement that “Manderbutt” was coming onboard on May 3. Already a regular MTT player on the website (for years), Musumeci has plowed over the competition, raking in more than $175,000 in winnings exclusively at Bodog.

Musumeci, originally from Philadelphia, moved to little-known Kutztown, Pa., when she was 19. At Kutztown University, she majored in Speech and Mass Communications. As many college-aged, aspiring players tend to do, she developed a passion for the game, and used her skills and intelligence for the game to fund her education. Sponsored by a friend, she got her break at The Aussie Millions Poker Championship. It was here she met female poker pro Anna Wroblewski.

The two women not only became quick friends, but roommates, as well, as Musumeci moved in with Wroblewski in Las Vegas. Blossoming under a mentor/protege-type relationship, she quickly blossomed as a professional player, and never looked back.

Most of Musumeci’s online career can be tied to Bodog.com, and she credits the site with helping her hone her game and fine-tune her poker skills. It was meant to be that Bodog was looking for a new female poker pro, and once Musumeci heard about it through poker regular John Westra, she jumped at the chance to be considered for the job.

“When you respond to an opportunity like this, no matter how confident you are in yourself and your abilities, there’s always a little nagging doubt in the back of your mind. So when Bodog showed a genuine interest in me, I was ecstatic,” Musumeci said. “I’ve spent most of my online poker career playing at Bodog.com, and getting the chance to play as a pro for my favorite room was the opportunity of a lifetime. It also really showed me that, unlike a lot of other rooms, Bodog supports and invests in their players. I couldn’t ask for a better home and look forward to kicking some butt in Bodog’s name.”

Did you miss out of getting in right when this started on April 30? Not to worry, as tournaments run until the start of the Main Event in July. On June 20, a huge, 200-seat “Mega Satellite” will be conducted.

And if that weren’t enough, if you make your way through the ranks and qualify for the WSOP Main Event on Pokerstars, you’ll be eligible for even more once arriving in Las Vegas. Funded by Pokerstars, these bonuses include 50K VIP Player Points, two invitations to an exclusive party on July 11, and, of course, a gift bag.

Now, even though there’s only one Daniel Negreanu, everyone who enters the tournament has hopes of winning. And as an extra benefit to those who make it deep into the WSOP Main Event, Pokerstars is offering yet another free package, which includes hotel accommodations, Main Event buy-in and travel expenses) toward any NAPT Main Event, including a $10,300 buy-in for the 2011 PCA in the Bahamas. Not a bad deal at all. Every eligible player that cashes in at the 2010 Main Event is awarded, and players are able to choose the package they wish to receive.

And if lady luck blesses you with an incredible victory at the Main Event, as a Pokerstars qualifier, you’ll also be eligible for a bonus payment of – wait for it – $1M in cash and tournament buy-ins. Good luck!

Here’s the description I found: 6th Street is an exciting new reality series airing this fall. Poker is the backdrop for Joe Cada and his entourage and what fuels their whirlwind lifestyle as they seek fortune and fame. In their pursuit, the MI Boys find themselves on the brink of celebrity; all the while their bank rolls, love lives, friendships and sanity hang in the balance. Immersed in a life of booze, babes and chasing their next big score they find out that the stakes are much larger than their buy-in.

That pretty much says it all, folks. Joe Cada is a well-known, thriving player on the poker scene. And he’s actually one of the few younger players that doesn’t get under my skin, so I hope that doesn’t all change after a few weeks of catching this show. I’m not sure what network it’s planning to be on.

My main issue with this is the producers and show creators seem to be out of touch with what the viewing public (poker enthusiasts or not) are interested in watching. This is a reality show about 5 guys (no women) with some scenes of poker, but lots of scenes of “nightlife” in the preview clips you can find on YouTube. Why anyone would want to sit and watch guys with a decent bank account and seemingly no other “game” act like idiots and hit on girls as a basis for a television show is beyond me. And I know there’s a crowd of devote reality followers, but it’s hard to argue this platform isn’t wearing thin.

That said, I’m sure I’ll give it a shot to learn a little more about Joe Cada and how he approaches the game, as well as hoping for more of a poker focus than a focus on being “immerised in a life of booze, babes and chasing their next big score.” Honestly, I can feel the arrogance oozing from this show already, and it’s only May.

Gap Hand: This is one of those definitions that changes depending on what cards you start off with – we’re primarily talking about Texas Hold ‘Em here. And it’s fairly straightforward. A hand of 6-7 is called a “one gap” hand (since there’s one “gap” between the two cards). A hand of 10-8 is a “two gap” hand, etc… You don’t hear this one come up in general poker conversation too often, but it’s good to know nonetheless.

Gutshot straight: This one is, you know, that hand they tell you never to go after when you’re learning how to play poker? Banking on making an inside straight is one of the tougher things to lean on in this game, and should generally be avoided. However, should you decide to go after it and fill said straight, you can refer to it as a gutshot straight. Congrats, you lucky bastard.

Heads-up: You know you’ve heard this before, you just didn’t exactly know what it meant, right (kinda like Skype)? It just means two players remain in the hand – and those are the only two vying for the pot. Could be at the end of a tournament, or the game could’ve started with only two, doesn’t really matter.

Hit: Settle down, blackjack fans, this has a different definition. Pertaining to the flop, if you’re sitting with cards aided by those on the flop, then you can say the flop “hit” you. This is a good thing, folks.

Implied odds: I may have covered this in another article in the past, but it refers to pot odds that don’t currently exist but have a reasonable expectation to materialize as the hand progresses. It’s the bets you expect to cash in on should you hit your hand.

Jam: You know when you get all excited to push your chip stacks in (messing them up in the process) and saying all-in? That explosion of emotion you’ve been unsuccessfully trying to bottle up so as not to give away your intentions? Yeah, that’s call jam.
Kicker: The hockey shootout of the poker world. If two players’ main hand ties (two equal value straights, the same pair, etc…) the value of the next-highest card in the players hand is used to determine the winner. This card is called the kicker. If you get beat by a “higher kicker,” if often feels like a kick in the gut, although this has nothing to do with a gutshot straight

First of all, big poker sites are about the furthest thing from Sony, Panasonic or Best Buy. Not to say that those companies have the greatest of customer service departments, but there’s a reasonable expectation of attention to an issue by a customer who committed money for a product sold by said company. In the poker world, you might think you’re a “customer,” but there’s really not stake in the site putting time and effort to address a complaint that may or may not even be remotely valid.

This person e-mailed the site regarding a complaint on a hand, or a series of hands, and was irritated that he didn’t even hear anything back. Now, an auto-reply letter stating that they received the complaint, they’ll review it and they may or may not respond back would be nice, but it can’t be expected. There are hundreds of sites (reputable) and they all probably receive hundreds of complaints a day – many of which are probably rudely accusing them of being cheats to begin with. So sifting through all of that, first, is never going to happen.

But let’s say you 1) have a legitimate complaint about another player, 2) are polite and well-spoken in your letter and 3) the site actually takes the time to read it. You’re still stuck with dealing with the burden of proof. These sites know more often than not a player is just sore that he got taken for a ride and was dealt a nasty loss, or he didn’t hit the cards over a series of time that he expected, and thus it hurt his gameplay and wallet. The complaints have no merit. But on the off-chance that one did, that you really suspect another player of outright cheating – you have absolutely no way to prove it. Maybe – maybe – you complain enough times and that person’s username is “watched” for a little while. But even that takes up resources from the website and adds to their operating expense.

I’m not saying don’t complain. I’m just saying you should understand the odds are slim your complaints will be heard or acted upon. And next time you get baited into riding a hand out only to get slaughtered on the river, maybe you should examine your gameplay before you point fingers at someone else.

Equity: This is a funny term for me as it’s used in poker, because it’s ultimately meaningless and, therefore, can actually hurt the player’s decision-making process as a result. But anyway, this term refers to the amount the player can reasonably expect to win. They’re percentage of winning XX amount of money in the pot. So if the pot is $300, and there’s 3 players left, your equity is $100. Now, the reality is that you’re either winning $300 or $0.

Extra blind: This is a rarely heard term that comes into play when a fresh player comes to the table. It also can apply to a player returning to the game from a break or someone changing their position at the table (which actually occurs more often than you’d think). It’s just the big blind put in by that player.

Family pot: My favorite kind of pot outside of a stew pot. This refers a situation when all or the vast majority of players call before the flop. If you’re sitting on the winning hand, you’re loving family right about now.

Fast Play: While you might think this involves a chess button, we’re not talking speed play in poker. This actually means to play a hand with aggression. You’re the one doing the betting and raising…and re-raising…you don’t wait for the other guy to make the first move.

Fish: I know you’ve heard this term before. Hell, you’ve probably been called a fish at one point or another (outside of that prison fantasy sicko). A fish means a bad player (not necessarily a new player). One who gives money away like a pediatrician drops hard candy on his patients. If you have a fish in your regular game, you’re actually going to go out of your way to keep him happy…or at least keep his beer pint full. Otherwise, he’ll leave and you’ll be stuck with only good players!

Foul: What I like to call a misdeal. A hand that’s called dead for one reason or another. House rules vary on when this occurs, of course, but in the casino, if the dealer causes a turned card, etc…, it’s a foul and the hand stops.

Free Card: Whenever a card comes up and you don’t have to be put to a decision to bet, call or fold. Could be because of something you did earlier in the hand, or it could just be that everyone decided to check. That’s a free card.

The event will be no limit hold’em tournaments with a £365 buy-in in which 100 will go toward the prize pool with a ninety minute re-buy period. Re-buys and add-ons will cost £100 each and £50 of those will go toward the prize pool as well and the other 50 will go to the charity. Side game will also be available for players to participate after the re-buy period is over. To help raise more funds for the children’s charity there will also be an auction which will have great merchandise up for bidding.

Players will find World Cup and Formula 1 tickets, a golf holiday and much more up for bidding during the auction. Tickets for those who want to participate in the event are £365 which includes the tournament as well as food and drink during the tournament. those who would like to attend the event but not participate in the tournament can purchase tickets for just £100.

The event is set to be a large tournament and many top pros and celebrities are set to participate. Last year the event was won by Beverly Pace so it will definitely be interesting to see who will win the event this year.

This an age-old argument to be sure. And I’ve always fallen on the side of poker being a game of skill…with plenty of luck involved. Now you try explaining what that means to a state legislature run by guys who’ve only gotten close enough to a poker to table to smell the felt and hear the chips on their way to the back room of a strip club. I kid, and it seems in Massachussetts, the folks were actually somewhat receptive to the explanation. There was a proposed bill on the table to classify poker as a game of skill (why does Mass. get all the cool bills? All you see lately down in Florida is bills trying to tie teacher pay to student performance).

And while this may or may not cause massive ripples within the state, it would set a noticeable precedent for other states in our fine union, namely ones that’ve been on the fence for years regarding casinos. I’m not saying Illinois is still in that group, because I haven’t lived there for quite some time, but I remember vividly the heated discussions back 20 years ago or so about allowing casinos in the heart of Chicago. It fell away, but it kept swimming around the realm of possibility for about 3 years.

Back to the heart of the question, though, isn’t everything really a game of chance to some degree? Hell, driving down the expressway is a game of chance if you want to get technical. Major league sports bring in plenty of chance situations – will a ball ricochet a certain way off the wall or bounce poorly off the dirt…will a fan waving a flag behind the basket cause a player to miss a free-throw, you could go on forever.

That said, poker is definitely part chance/luck. Even the professionals on television will tell you they’ve gone down to somebody who wasn’t nearly as skilled as them, and it wasn’t a case of them having a bad day, either. A lucky card is sometimes the difference between a gold bracelet and a Phil Hellmuth lecture. And nobody’s lucky when one of those happens.

Dead Money: You know how you feed into the pot over and over again during a hand, knowing you’re being baited in but unable to drop the potential between your fingers…until the river? So now you’ve folded, and you’ve got who knows how much money in the middle? That money you’ve left behind is known as dead money. Of course, dead money also refers to anyone entering a tournament who is an extreme longshot, and can’t be expected to realistically compete against the stronger competition.

Dominated hand: A common term for a hand that’s usually doomed from the start. The best example I can offer for this is a high card and low, off-suit card in Texas Hold ‘Em. A Q4 is usually going to lose to a QJ. The only thing that can really save the player with the dominated hand (which is why I said usually doomed) is a lucky flop. And if you’re relying heavily on a “lucky” flop as your only out to win a hand, you’re better off folding or trying for the bluff pre-flop to begin with.

Draw: This term also has a couple explanations. The first refers to a player who continues with his hand because it has a chance to win, but not in its current state. It can technically be used in any type of game, including the stud or hold ‘em variety. The other definition is, of course, to actually draw cards, most commonly used in the game of…wait for it…5-card-draw.

Draw dead: Putting a couple of terms together from this article, and we arrive at this combination, which means that unlike a dominated hand, where you still have a chance, you’re going to find yourself on the losing end of this one even if you make your hand. Think a straight chance going up against a made flush. Or a two-pair you’re trying to turn into a boat only to lose to your opponents four of a kind. You’re “drawing dead” throughout this hand because you have no chance to win.

Selbst was on fire during the tournament as she held the chip lead for two days and then knocked out three of her competitors at the final table. With the win Selbst became the first woman ever to win a North American Poker Tour event. She also brought her career winnings up to well over $1 million with the win.

Since Beasley and Selbst held such massive chip leads it looked as though they would be making it to heads up play. The first to go from the final table was Jonathan Aguiar who was eliminated by Michael Woods. Cliff Josephy would go next after going up against Derek Raymond.

Raymond would not celebrate long as he would be the next to go after going against Selbst. Alistar Melville would then go out in fifth after taking on Beasley. Scott Seiver would be next eliminated by Mike Woods and then Woods would be eliminated by Selbst to go out in third.

This would leave Selbst and Beasley to compete in heads up play, just as expected. Selbst continued her domination of the game by winning the tournament in just seven hands. It was a sweet victory for Selbst as she had taken time off to finish her studies in civil rights law at Yale Law School.

Final Results:
1st: Vanessa Selbst (USA) – $750,000
2nd: Michael Beasley, PokerStars.net Player (USA) – $428,000
3rd: Michael Woods (USA) – $240,000
4th: Scott Seiver, PokerStars.net Player (USA) – $190,000
5th: Alistar “Al” Melville (Canada) – $150,000
6th: Derek Raymond, PokerStars.net Player (USA) – $115,000
7th: Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, PokerStars.net Player (USA) – $85,000
8th: Jonathan “FatalError” Aguiar, PokerStars.net Player (USA) – $60,244