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This forum exists to facilitate the discussion of books, magazines, videos/DVDs, and other poker related publications.

What is expected of you...
Keep your new threads and posts on topic. All other content will be moved to the appropriate forum or deleted.

Please make use of the search function before posting. Instructions on how to use the search function can be found here. We do encourage new discussions on everything in this forum. However, your basic questions about what books to read, for example, has most likely been discussed. Use the search function to obtain an answer. The search function is located in the middle of the top menu bar at all times.

Be specific in your requests. If you would like to know what book to read next provide details. Details would include but are not limited to:
Type of game: Limit Hold'em, No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, etc
Level or Stakes: $0.50/$1.00, $5/$10, $20/$40, etc
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Be specific in your replies. If someone is looking for thoughts on a book give them an answer and information to support your answer. Do not just say, "it sucks" or "skip it". Provide the OP with your reasoning. If you're to take the time to reply do it right. Simply saying, "it sucks" does not help anyone and does not encourage discussion. Replies like that which are unsupported will be deleted and the member posting it may receive an infraction.

Treat everyone with respect. I will not tolerate any kind of abuse by anyone. In the past I gave warnings first for this type of violation. Starting now any member who feels the need to bash, mistreat, or make any type of personal attack on another member, mod, or admin will be suspended from the forums. The length of suspension will be based upon the severity of the infraction and member history. Repeat offenders will be banned permanently.

Be patient with new members. Most new members will not be familiar with what goes on in the forums and the rules. Help them. Answer their questions the best you can. Point them in the right direction if need be. We were all new here at one time.

What is not allowed...
Do not discuss torrents.
Do not advertise.
Do not post book sales.
Do not link affiliate websites.

This thread is a work in progress. I will be adding to it as time goes on. Some of what I posted above is common sense. Some of it contains information you may not have been aware of. If you have questions regarding any of this please feel free to send me a private message. If you're unsure of whether or not something you wish to post is appropriate feel free to contact me, Mat Sklansky, or Mason Malmuth through private message. I'm also more than happy to hear your comments and suggestions. I'm working hard to make the Books and Publications forum one of the best forums Two Plus Two has to offer. Your help in accomplishing this goal is appreciated.

Personal Note From deacsoft
Those of you who have been around know me as logical, respectful, and fair. I don't abuse my authority, and I try to keep this forum running smoothly. Due to recent events and my long time goal of returning 2+2 to it's former splendor I will be "cracking down". Much of this is due to the decline of quality posting and the abundance of recent personal attacks taking place in this forum. It will no longer be tolerated. I expect everyone to conduct themselves appropriately. I expect this forum to be informative, interesting, and enjoyable for everyone. Please do your part.

This is the resource guide for topics and great threads in the Lounge. It's also courtesy of DB, but he didn't want his name at the top of the forum anymore.

Update 7/13/2007 by MrWookie: I added MrMon's excellent Value Spirits thread. Anyone who's looking for some great things to pick up at the liquor store w/o breaking the bank should check it out. Then while I was at it, I added "Ask the Lounge about Men," Mrs. Utah's food thread, the fashion thread, and the lindy hop thread.

If you want anything added, please post it here

TRIP REPORTS AND TRAVEL
A Different Sort of Trip Report - John Cole
Follow up to a Different Sort of Trip Re... - john Cole
My Last Hunt - Myrtle
Andalusia - Enrique
ask Josem about living in Australia - Josem
a crew, a deer, and a new film (an uber-... - pryor15
fishin in maine - pryor15
[B]Cross Dressing in a rural Montana cow...- Fishwhenican (New)
[B]** The 2010 Vegas Whiteboard Project ... - entertainme (New)

LIFE, LIVING, FAMILY
Post if your wife is pregnant - dcasper70
Post a Childhood Memory - Katyseagull
Chicken and Jelly...A Childhood Memory Myrtle
nice guys finish last - X-Factor
Family drama with manipulative father - RayPowers
Parents who demand a lot - katyseagull
Have kids or separate - Carter
Grandparents - Mrs Utah
letting go of the kids - entertainme
raising kids and the internet - carter
Are today's parents enabling their kids ... - Myrtle
Merek007: I'll always be here with you - Merek007 (RIP)

ASK ME...
Ask the 2+2 Ladies - 2+2 Ladies
Ask the Lounge about Men - MrWookie et al.
Ask Mrs Utah about Birthin Babies - Mrs Utah
Ask me anything - Mat Sklansky
Ask Anacardo Anything - Anacardo
About London/the English - Carter
ask me about growing up with a bi-polar ... - fishwhenican
ask Josem about living in Australia - Josem
Ask me about: living in Indian Country o... - fishwhenican
Ask me about hunting - fishwhenican

TEACHING AND CAREERS
Teaching Stories...Brought to you by Sol... - thirddan (New!)

MUSIC
"Classical" Music Thread - Maximum RocknRoll (New)
Jazz: America's Music - Zeno (New)
Blues Blues Blues: Redux - Zeno (New)
Great Singers - Splendour (New)

MOVIES
What movies have you watched recently - Katyseagull
OOT/Lounge Film Repository - Carter
DVD Club
Shot-by-shot through "L'Attente" - Pryor15
Death of Bullwinkle - Pryor15
Trashy Movie Lovers' Thread
Film and Editing Techniques - samsdmf
a crew, a deer, and a new film (an uber-... - pryor15
random thoughts on no-budget filmmaking - pryor15
2006 Film Award Thread
Complete Bond Film Review - Five-Star
my 10 best films from 2006 - dominic

TV Shows
What TV are you watching tonight - Sniper
Howard Stern Show
MASH - The TV Series - JJNJustin
How Lost's Second Season Killed The Best... - Madtown
100 TV Shows I Love - Carter
Twin Peaks - Episode by Episode

FOOD + DRINK
TL:DR Beer Club - MrWookie
The Liquor: Discussion+Review Thread - MrWookie (New)
Cooking in the Lounge - Katyseagull
Cheese and Wine Thread - Mat Sklansky
Buca di Beppo/Chain restaurant review - JJNJustin
WD-50 restaurant review - britspin
Best Value Spirits - MrMon
The Lounge Cooking Challenge and Food Th... - Mrs. Utah
The Lounge's Food Blog - MrWookie - (New)
32 Nations, 1 Kitchen - Crashjr (New) - celebrating World Cup nations!
Wookie's 40k Post: Guide to Cheap Booze - MrWookie
World Cup Cooking 1.1: 2011 Rugby Editio... - crashjr

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Sisters - A Work In Progress - Gorie
Pictures - Zion, Bryce Canyon, many more... - suzzer99
photos - expressive faces - Mrs Utah

HISTORY
The most important innovations in histor...
Historical Events you've witnessed perso... - Coffee
Miscellaneous Events in history - Carter
The Battle of Agincourt - Exsubmariner
Battle of Iwo Jima - Exsubmariner
Battle of Stalingrad - Exsubmariner
Battle of Pharsalus (Ceasar vs Pompey) - Exsubmariner
Battle of The Nile - Exsubmariner
Lepanto - Exsubmariner
Agincourt - Exsubmariner
USS Archerfish - Exsubmariner
The Battle of Kadesh - Exsubmariner
Guagamela - Exsubmariner
Battle of Isandlwana - Exsubmariner

POLITICS
Anarchocapitalism with Borodog

WRITING AND LITERATURE
Writing Competition: Entries + Discussion
The Lounge Poetry Thread - samsdmf
Books about Rock/Metal/Punk - Pete H
What Books have you read recently - Enrique
Letter to a Christian Nation - dominic
The Fog of War by Robert McNamara - TIEdup14
Books: What are you reading tonight? - Blarg - (New)

GAMES + PUZZLES
IMITATION - Stuey

MISCELLANEOUS
Fashions You Love/Hate - diebitter
Borodog and MrWookie talk Lindy Hop Shop - Borodog
The Lounge Picture Thread - Orange (New)
Science and Stuff - entertainme (New)

DB wanted me to rebrand the sticky. Nothing has changed, but we still need a sticky.

Welcome to the Lounge!

The Lounge is for thoughtful discussion on a variety of topics, including (but not restricted to) Cooking and Food, TV shows, Drinks, Music, Books & Writing, Art, Style, Fashion, Movies, Hobbies+Pastimes, Travel, History, Culture, Health, and Fitness.

When you use this forum, you are expected to be civil, courteous and respectful of other members. Arguing and being confrontational is fine in context, but being rude and insulting without foundation (particularly if that's all you come into a thread to do) with not be tolerated and action will be taken.

Similarly, all threads are to be 100% Safe for Work (SFW). No inline nakedness at all, and only very small pictures of semi-dressed people (about avatar size or less). Again, action may be taken as appropriate.

The Lounge and its posters pride themselves on quality content. This is not meant to discourage any insightful, interesting, or inquisitive posts that can generate good discussions and are otherwise up to the Lounge's standards for civility and SFW. However, threads and replies that are made without thought, care, or interest are inappropriate for this forum and are strongly frowned upon.

Otherwise, you are free to post as you see fit. Other rules may be made as issues arise, and this FAQ will be marked as UPDATED. Make sure you read any updates.

Happy Lounging.

The Lounge Mods

USEFUL LINKS

Post your comments, Suggestions, or Ques...

For new visitors, here are some GREAT LO...

And find that your question is not quickly resolved, please send Andrew a pm. He will assist you.

I want to change my username, is this possible? This one depresses me and makes me feel I want to kill kittens, lot's of them.

About time for some serious weekly discussion, so I thought it would be best for an SEC thread to keep the discussion together better than last year. Also we can just brag how much better we are than every other conference. 😃

Anyone coming to Gainesville for any games? I'm going to try to head to the LSU game. Wish the Bama/FSU game wasn't the same week as UF/Auburn or I'd go pull on the Tide.

Thu., Aug. 30
*LSU at Mississippi State (7 p.m. CT / ESPN)

Sat., Sept. 1
Western Carolina at Alabama (6 p.m. CT)
Troy at Arkansas (6 p.m. CT)
Kansas State at Auburn (6:45 p.m. CT / ESPN)
Western Kentucky at Florida (12:30 p.m. ET / LFS)
Oklahoma State at Georgia (6:45 p.m. ET / ESPN2)
Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky (6 p.m. ET)
Louisiana-Lafayette at South Carolina (7 p.m. ET / PPV)
Tennessee at California (5 p.m. PT / ABC)
Richmond at Vanderbilt (6 p.m. CT)
Ole Miss at Memphis (2:30 p.m. CT/ CSS)

I made some ported mods for personal use.
Keep in mind these are not perfect ,professional mods they were made for my personal use.
If there is an interest I will upload them.

Here are some examples:

Anyway I am interested if somebody can make eg. an AHK script for the batch file and to hit a key in the DOS window.
I think that shouldnt be too big of a problem.

FullTiltPoker Game #2884739191: Table Vasari (heads up) - $200/$400 - No Limit Hold'em - 6:25:00 ET - 2007/07/08
Seat 1: pr1nnyraid ($48,598)
Seat 2: perkyshmerky ($47,898)
pr1nnyraid has 5 seconds left to act
pr1nnyraid posts the small blind of $200
perkyshmerky posts the big blind of $400
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to pr1nnyraid [8c 6s]
pr1nnyraid calls $200
perkyshmerky raises to $1,200
pr1nnyraid has 15 seconds left to act
pr1nnyraid raises to $4,000
perkyshmerky calls $2,800
*** FLOP *** [3d 8h Qh]
perkyshmerky checks
pr1nnyraid checks
*** TURN *** [3d 8h Qh] [8d]
perkyshmerky checks
pr1nnyraid bets $7,000
perkyshmerky has 15 seconds left to act
perkyshmerky raises to $14,000
pr1nnyraid has 15 seconds left to act
pr1nnyraid raises to $44,598, and is all in
perkyshmerky calls $29,898, and is all in
pr1nnyraid shows [8c 6s]
perkyshmerky shows [Kc Qd]
Uncalled bet of $700 returned to pr1nnyraid
*** RIVER *** [3d 8h Qh 8d] [4d]
pr1nnyraid shows three of a kind, Eights
perkyshmerky shows two pair, Queens and Eights
pr1nnyraid wins the pot ($95,795.50) with three of a kind, Eights
perkyshmerky is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $95,796 | Rake $0.50
Board: [3d 8h Qh 8d 4d]
Seat 1: pr1nnyraid (small blind) showed [8c 6s] and won ($95, 795.50) with three of a kind, Eights
Seat 2: perkyshmerky (big blind) showed [Kc Qd] and lost with two pair, Queens and Eights

As it happened.

This is the initial sticky. It's a work in progress, but for now it will include helpful travel-related links, and also links to popular 2+2 travel threads. Any and all suggestions are welcome, just shoot me a pm.

Sections
Useful Resources
Particular Locations
Community

Index on 2+2- 2+2ers experiences in various countries and cities. Feel free to add yours.

Useful Resources

Maps
Google Maps path finder, satellite imagery and road maps
Wikimapia uses Google Maps satellite imagery and wiki technology to comment on locations

Another link I found useful was wikitravel: wikitravel

Travel Agencies/Services
To come - feel free to suggest any you think should be referenced here.

Particular Locations

Americas
Las Vegas
Canadia
Caribbean Islands
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Barbados
Rio de Janiero
Ecuador

United States
San Francisco, California/U.S.A.
Chicago, IL
Washington DC
New York City
Los Angeles
Atlantic City
Baltimore

Europe
Poland
Iceland
Ask Voj anything about the south of Fran...
Canary Islands
Ask nejo about Sweden
Barcelona
Ask ajrees about Italy
Ask me about Germany & Gibraltar
Croatia

Asia/Pacific
Japan
Ask WhoIam About Laos
Ask Josem About Australia
Honolulu
Thailand
Phillippines Discussion
Tapei, Taiwan
Official China Thread (Macau, Hong Kong...
Singapore
Seoul, South Korea
backpacking India
Cambodia
Vietnam

Other
To come...Africa, Antarctica, Middle East?

Basic Africa Advice

Community
Official Airline Horror Stories Thread
Travel Photography
Ask Cancuk about Backpacking
Hosting 2p2'ers Thread
Cheap Hotels: Official Priceline Appreci...
Best Shoes for Traveling

Advertising Poker houses/stuff for sale in a certain place. If you are advertising room in your house or trying to sell something, you need to make a post in the marketplace and abide by the rules there, and then post a link to that in your post.

Thanks to Josem for putting this together.

There has been some talk recently about having a golf forum on 2+2, so Mat agreed to give the idea a shot in the Mod Playground.

Posting topics can be pretty much anything that seems to make sense. Here's some ideas to get the ball rolling:

-Equipment purchases/suggestions
-Trip reports of courses/rounds you've played
-Tournament discussion
-Cool golf articles/blogs
-Talk about how hot Tiger's wife is
-Swing/course management/whatever tips
-Videos of your swing on YouTube

Obviously there's other things that would make great threads, but hopefully that will get the ball rolling for some of you slow thinkers.

Let us gogogogogogo!

FAQ c/o Butcho22: (to comment go here, to add something PM me)

1. No urls.
2. No mentions of rakeback.
3. No "PM me" or "See profile"
4. No mentions of coaching or teaching.
5. Allow "Blogging." Many blogs are free, and as long as 2+2 doesn't have blogging capabilities, I don't want to have to enforce all of these.

Courtesy of Mr. Wookie

Welcome to the Business, Finance and Investing Forum on 2+2
Forum Rules:

1) NO SPAMMING!!!! This is a place to discuss different money making and business ideas, not a place to spam your own.

We have talked with Mat about this subject and he has agreed to let us allow/disallow personallinks in this forum at our discretion. So what this means, things can basically go back to normal, although we are still going to error on the cautious side when allowing/disallowing links. So if something seems even borderline spam, it will be deleted. Posts that show effort to discuss things about their site along with a link are greatly less likely to get deleted than posts that are basically here's my site look at me.

2) When you use this forum, you are expected to be civil, courteous and respectful of other members.

********NEW ON JUNE SEVENTEETH TWO THOUSAND SEVEN********
3) Use the search function. If you post something that has been discussed enough times that I think it's ridiculous to not be able to find it in search, I will lock it. Some examples of this include "I have $x to invest, I'm a newb, help!" and "How should I allocate my retirement/vangaurd/401k/you get the idea portolio." It's not that these questions aren't valid, but the forum does itself a disservice by having fragmented discussion on them. Find the existing thread and post in there.

Beginner and/or General questions *ALL* go here:

Beginner/General Thread

Investing links:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showth...
Art on Day Trading
Investopedia, a quick reference for fina...
The definitive Index Investing thread (E...
Help me with my 401k?
Finance reading study group - Digest Book thread Trading 101 - position sizing
OOT thread on credit scores
Ask anything about mortgages
Scorpion Man on beating the market, poke...
Scorpion Man on everything
Jim Cramer discussion
Scorpion Man on detection deception thro...
[/list]

Suggestions go here

Free Online Business Resources:(Thanks to poster KidLifeCrisis)

Website Design
Open Source Web Design - Free XHTML/CSS website templates
TemplateWorld - Free XHTML/CSS website templates
FreeSiteTemplates - Free website templates (free site categories in top-right when page loads)
12 Basic CSS Templates
CSS 1/2/3 Column Layouts
CSS Support Table
PNG transparency fix for IE
Web 2.0 Icons Pack
Free Icons Pack

Articles/Content
GoArticles
Ezine Articles

Keyword Research
Overture Keyword Selector Tool
WordTracker - Keyword suggestion tool
Google AdWords Keyword Tool (might require an AdWords account)
UrlTrends - Reverse keyword lookup

Advertising Methods (for inbound traffic & sales)
Google AdWords - Display ads through Google search & AdSense ads
Yahoo! Marketing Solutions - Display ads through YPN
Microsoft AdCenter - Display ads through adCenter
AzoogleAds - CPA marketing opportunity
Commission Junction - CPA marketing opportunity
ClickBank - CPA marketing opportunity

Advertising Opportunities (for revenue)
Google AdSense - Display AdWords ads on your site
Yahoo! Publisher Network (YPN) - Display ads on your site
JohnChow.com - An enormous list of CPC, CPM, & CPA advertising methods
Top Paying Keywords - List of top paying AdSense keywords/phrases

Affiliate Marketing Opportunities (for revenue)
Commission Junction - Large affiliate site
ClickBank - Growing affiliate site
Amazon Associates - Amazon.com's affiliate program
Wealthy Affiliate (haven't used this, don't know, sorry!)
AWeber - Autoresponder, useful for affiliate sites

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Yahoo! Directory
DMOZ - Open Directory Project
Strongest Links Directory List
Backlink Builder
Google Ranking Factors - Simple SEO checklist
Live PageRank - Google pagerank tool

Miscellaneous Tools
Google Analytics - Track numerous stats about your site's visitors

Welcome to the new and improved Laughs Or Links forum!

This forum is a place to post things like funny links, games, news stories, jokes, videos, pictures and the like which are of interest to people but are unlikely to generate in-depth discussion.

Obviously the rules regarding content are somewhat relaxed compared to OOT and other forums, but the general rules of the Two Plus Two forums still apply. These include:

-No inline nudity or other patently offensive content
-No links to hardcore pornography
-Posts/threads with suggestive pictures or content must be tagged NSFW
-No discussion of piracy or illegal downloading, etc. THIS INCLUDES LINKS TO SITES WHERE YOU CAN WATCH TV SHOWS IN FLASH PLAYER, ETC.
-No circumventing the profanity filter
-No posting malicious prank links, e.g. things that make your computer scream "I AM WATCHING GAY PORN," etc.

From the 2+2 Terms and Conditions:
While using 2+2 website, you may not post or transmit any unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, profane, or otherwise objectionable information of any kind; including without limitation any transmissions constituting or encouraging conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any local, state, national or international laws.

Offenders will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If you have a question as to whether material is appropriate, please PM me before posting.

New policy as of 6/6/07: Rickrolling is punishable by a tempban.

Enjoy!
-miajag81

Welcome to the Medium Stakes LHE forum on 2+2!

* This forum is for limit holdem hands in the range of 10/20 to 40/80. Other stakes are certainly acceptable if posters want to share with specific people in this forum or if a particular game plays like a Medium Stakes game. Feel free to post 50/100 or 60/120 hands here if you regularly post 30/60, and if you have an occasional 9/18 or 8/16 hand you'd prefer to put here as opposed to Small Stakes, that's probably OK too. I'll use very mild discretion when moving threads posted with improper stakes to other forums.

* All No-Limit hands will be moved regardless of stakes. A lot of people mistake this forum for NLHE, which is easy to do given their proximity on the sidebar and the same name. Please double check which forum you're in before posting LHE or NLHE hands.

* Hand posts from games with 6 or fewer players generally go in the Short-handed forums. Please keep all 6-max hands over there -- the posters are exceptionally smart and both SH forums have terrific advice and moderators. For heads-up hands, there is a heads-up limit forum.

* However, if you're playing a live full-ring game that is temporarily short-handed and you think it belongs here, that's perfectly acceptable. Plenty of hands contain strategy applicable to full ring games, even if played heads up or short-handed.

* Limit strategy forums like this one are primarily for hand posts. We like the questions to be specific and play-oriented. Occasionally, more general questions will come up, like how to play blinds, what kind of stats people have for a given limit/website, and other related topics. These can often be good threads, but for the most part if you have a general Holdem question, please post it in the Beginners Forum (if it's really elementary). There are also excellent forums here regarding Books & Publications, Brick & Mortar casinos, and Software. If your question pertains to those subjects more than the play of a given hand, try posting it there for better help.

* All debate, discussion, and criticism is open and welcome, as long as you stay away from outright flaming and personal attacks. I won't be censoring much at all, since I'm a pretty hands-off type of guy and I'm not a control freak. If you're offended by any discussion or think I should step in, feel free to PM me. Live and let live -- let's be mature, intelligent poker players with free-flowing advice and strategy content. Medium Stakes has some of the best limit players I've ever seen on the web, and I continue to learn from them every day. The more we share and discuss, the better our game will get.

******************

* P.S. The only semi-nitty thing I'm really going to do as moderator is urge all users here to read the forum in LINEAR mode. In the top right corner, find the window that toggles between linear, hybrid, and threaded, and do your thing. Once you've switched, you'll never go back -- and you'll realize all the time you've wasted since you joined. Most people here do this anyway, but some people -- even veteran posters -- make the mistake of reading in threaded mode and it slows down a lot of discussion. Sure, it makes it easier to grunch, but otherwise you end up missing out on a ton and it takes forever to read any kind of thread, doing nothing but clicking in and out of one-line posts.

GENERAL

The Computer Technical Help (CTH) forum is for non-gambling tech questions. If it's a gambling related question ("I can't get Full Tilt/PartyPoker/PokerStars tables to respond!") your post probably belongs in the Software forum. Don't be offended if I move your post.

TwoPlusTwo is both a website that survives on ad revenue and a publishing company that sells intellectual property (IP). That means we're not going to help you avoid ads or steal IP. (For instance, no discussion of BitTorrent at all, in any way.)

Are you about to create a new thread asking for help with a specific problem? If so, have you tried googling first? It's very likely that your question has been asked before -- and answered -- by someone else. Google can assist you in finding this answer. Want to sharpen your googling skills? Check out this tutorial.

If you've googled and still haven't found an answer, please consider the following suggestions when asking for help:

• Describe the problem with all relevant details. Don't use phrases like "didn't work" if you can describe how it didn't work.
  
• Include brand and model of any hardware involved.
  
• Try trouble-shooting on your own. For instance, if your mouse is having problems, try plugging it into a different port. Try plugging it into a different computer. Try plugging somebody else's mouse in the same port, etc.
  
• You're allowed to bump your own thread once. You should probably wait a day or so before doing so.
  
• Remember that you're asking strangers on the Internet to help you fix your computer problem. Even if you're frustrated, "please", "thank you", etc. are always appreciated.
  
• No money rewards. Everybody here is helping everybody here; you don't have to pay to play. There's been drama with fizzled rewards in the past, so just ask your question with a "please" and a "thank you". Offering monetary rewards will result in a few short lived infraction points. Doing it again will result in progressively more.
  

Any discussion of this post should take place in this thread.

INFRACTIONS

Generally if the mods think you are doing something wrong in CTH we will warn you or just edit your post to bring it in line with the forum rules. If you offer money for help you will get a 5 point infraction that will expire in a month, if you ask for money after offering help you'll get the same. If you ignore the warnings or infraction and continue you're behavior we will increase the infractions or give you a temporary ban of a few days.

Asking for help with torrents or other methods of pirating IP will get you at least a 10 point infraction.

If you disagree with our actions or think we are being unfair please PM us to discuss the matter.

WHAT IF NO ONE ANSWERS?

The people who answer questions in CTH have other jobs and quite possibly lives and sometimes answers don't come right away. Be patient, most questions will get answers. If your post doesn't get an answer within a few days you can bump it to bring it back to the top of the list. You can do this once. If you get whingy in your thread and bump it within minutes or hours of posting it I'll probably just lock the thread and you can try again in new thread. If you get really bitchy I'll delete the thread and give you 10 infraction points and not let you bump threads in CTH anymore.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Computer Hardware
  
  • "How do I build a poker computer?"
    
  • "Should I buy a Western Digital Raptor hard drive or a solid-state drive (SSD)?"
    
  • "I want to use multiple, big, rotated monitors!"
    
  • "ZOMG! I spilt milk on my !"
    
  
  
• Networking
  
  • "My Internet connection is broken!"
    
  • "What wireless card should I use?"
    
  • "How do I secure my wireless?"
    
  • "Is it safe to play poker on a wireless network?"
    
  • "How do I setup a proxy server to make my computer look like it's in a different country?"
    
  
  
• Security
  
  • "How do I secure my computer?"
    
  • "I think I have a virus-/malware-/spyware-related issue! What do I do?"
    
  
  
• Software
  
  • "Help! Firefox is not working correctly!"
    
  • "How do I ask a program not to startup?"
    
  • "How do I record/create a video?"
    
  • "How can I run Windows on a Mac or Linux on Windows, etc.?"
    
  • "Dell installed all sorts of awful stuff on my computer!"
    
  
  

Computer Hardware

"How do I build a poker computer?"

MrMillions had a great article on how to build a poker computer. That article is now two years old, stick to searching CTH or asking in the NC thread.

A few notes about specific components:

• Quad core vs. dual core processor:
  Quad cores' clock speeds are usually slightly lower than similary priced dual cores. However, given the typical usage habits of a poker player -- running many applications at the same time -- quad cores are usually better since they can run four programs (threads) at once instead of just two.
  
  
• Video cards:
  Unless you plan on playing 3D games, you don't need a state-of-the-art video card. However, it's usually good to make sure your card has two dual-link DVI ports, since this will allow you to run up to two 30" monitors at once. The GeForce 8600GT costs around $70 and is a great choice if you're not going to be doing any gaming.
  
  
• More than 4GB of RAM:
  If you plan on using more than 4GB of RAM, you'll need to buy a 64-bit version of whichever operating system you use. For Windows, there are 64-bit versions of XP and Vista. For Linux, most distributions come with a 64-bit version, however not all hardware has 64-bit driver support yet.
  

"Should I buy a Western Digital Raptor hard drive or a solid-state drive (SSD)?"

Both Raptors and SSDs are fairly expensive compared to other SATA hard drives, so unless you demand extremely high performance or do not care about cost, a 7200RPM SATA drive is probably a better choice.

Price is also a factor when choosing between the Raptor and a SSD. A 150GB VelociRaptor costs around $175, while the average 32GB SSD costs around $200. So the price per GB is about 5x more for SSDs. But since you only need to have your operating system and poker database on a high-speed drive, using a 32GB SSD is feasible.

Furthermore, random access times in SSDs are significantly faster than Raptors'. In fact, they're almost non-existant. The average SSD takes about 0.1ms to seek to any given position on the disk whereas the Raptor takes around 5ms. Given the fact that the majority of the reads to a poker database are going to be random, this is a very important factor.

So given our specific use case, and the falling prices of SSDs, they are a clear choice over a Raptor when storage space isn't an issue.

"I want to use multiple, big, rotated monitors!"

See the monitors FAQ post.

"ZOMG! I spilt milk on my !"

First, don't cry over it. Next, remove ALL power you can. Turn it off, unplug it, remove the battery, etc. If it's something besides water, you might want to carefully wipe or even lightly rinse off any residue you can, so it doesn't dry sticky. Then LET IT DRY. This could take longer than
you'd expect, especially if you poured water into deep crevices. Then pray and turn it back on. If it's still busted and still under warranty, take it back to the store and play dumb.

Networking

"My Internet connection is broken!"

If the only information we have is that you can't web, then all we know is that a chain is broken between your computer and a website. We need to figure-out which link is the problem.

If you're using wireless, see if you can plug directly into the router instead of using wireless. It's one fewer possible problems.

First, we need to see if your computer is getting an IP address. To see this, run "cmd" and then type "ipconfig.exe". That'll display all the IP information about your computer. You should have an IP, DNS, and Gateway address. (If you have a router, gateway = router.)

If that looks ok, we want to see if your computer can talk to your router. Run "cmd" and then type "ping <your router's address> -t". This sends a stream of packets to your router and tells you how long it took.

If that worked, we want to see if you can communicate with the outside world. The most basic communication is pinging an IP address, so run "cmd" and then type "ping 4.2.2.1 -t".

If that worked, we want to see if you can turn domain names into IP addresses, so run "cmd" and type "ping www.google.com -t".

If that worked, try browsing to www.google.com. Use a couple browsers.

"What wireless card should I use?"

After finding-out what protocol your router uses (usually 802.11g or 802.11b), almost any card that supports that protocol will work. You can find PCMCIA (laptop slot) or PCI (inside the desktop case) or USB (works for laptop or desktop).

"How do I secure my wireless?"

Check this thread and this thread.

"Is it safe to play poker on a wireless network?"

In short: yes. Most poker networks (definitely PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker) encrypt the data they send using SSL, the same encryption used by secure HTTPS websites. If someone else is on the network, they can see where you're sending and receiving this data from, but there's no way they can decrypt it.

However, most Internet traffic is not encrypted. A few examples of non-encrypted data:

• Any data you submit to non-HTTPS website (poker hand histories, posts on 2+2, etc.)
  
• AIM or MSN messenger conversations
  

For example, whenever you log in to a site that's not using HTTPS, your username and password are submitted in plain-text*. This data can be viewed by anyone that is currently connected to the wireless network. You should always keep this in mind when viewing non-HTTPS websites on wireless networks.

* Many sites create hashes of passwords before sending them, but these are easily cracked using rainbow tables.

"How do I setup a proxy server to make my computer look like it's in a different country?"

Bishop22 started a good thread on this.

Security

"How do I secure my computer?"

Check out Entity's great article on securing your computer.

Nat Arem also has a informative blog post detailing ten simple steps to stay secure online.

"I think I have a virus-/malware-/spyware-related issue! What do I do?"

Head on over to LirvA's excllent FAQ sticky about viruses, spyware and malware.

Software

"Help! Firefox is not working correctly!"

Are you using Firefox 3? If not, please upgrade! Many common issues were fixed in Firefox 3. Maybe yours is one of them.

If you're using Firefox 3 and still experiencing the problem try searching the Firefox support website to see if there's a knowledge base article on your problem.

Are you using any extensions or themes? Sometimes extensions can cause weird bugs. Try troubleshooting extensions and themes.

"How do I ask a program not to startup?"

Start -> Run "msconfig.exe" and checkout the StartUp tab. Startup Control Panel is also another great program to manage startup entries with.

"How do I record/create a video?"

Check out Learning's excellent tutorial on making a Camtasia video.

Camtasia Studio is not free, but there is a free 30-day trial for first-time users. If your Camtasia trial has run out and you don't want to buy it, you can use CamStudio, a free, open-source alternative to Camtasia.

"How can I run Windows on a Mac or Linux on Windows, etc.?"

If you plan on installing Windows, you'll need a licensed copy of it. Google knows a few places to buy one.

There are a variety of solutions depending on what operating system/platform you're using:

Mac

• Parallels - $80 - Run Windows or Linux from within Mac OS X
  
• VMware Fusion - $80 - Run Windows or Linux from within Mac OS X
  
• Boot Camp- Free* - Run Windows or Linux natively; i.e. you get to choose what operating system to use when you boot your computer
  

Boot Camp is less convenient than Parallels or VMware Fusion -- you have to reboot to use the other operating system -- but it provides greater performance. For example, most 3D games require you to use Boot Camp instead of Parallels or VMware.

* Boot Camp is included with Mac OS X Leopard

Linux

• VirtualBox - Free - Supports "seamless windows"
  
• VMware Player - Free
  

VMware player only allows you to run Windows as one single window, but VirtualBox allows both a single window and "seamless" window mode where the Windows taskbar is placed on your Linux desktop and Windows applications are treated like regular Linux application windows.

Windows

• VirtualBox - Free
  
• VMware Player - Free
  

Outlined here are the most popular solutions. There are many alternatives available.

"Dell installed all sorts of awful stuff on my computer!"

Check this thread for reinstalling windows.

Rule one: Moderators may never ban a poster for an infraction which did not occur in the forum they moderate. The only exception is when a spammy poster has gone crazy making multiple spam posts in multiple forums.

This place is now officially big. Lots of stuff is happening and mistakes will be made. Mistakes will also be corrected. However mistakes will only be corrected by the individual who made the mistake or by an administrator.

Rule two: Moderators may never, without authorization, overturn the decision of another moderator. No exceptions to this one.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showth...

mod control panel link:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/2p2mod

RB: Any violation of these rules will be dealt with on a case by case basis. However, mods shouldn't expect to be warned more than once if it comes up. That should always be enough.

This can be added as a sticky in the appropriate forums, copied into a thread where necessary, etc.

Welcome to the Tournament Circuit forum, previously named WSOP. With the fantastic success of WSOP behind us, we've decided to broaden the scope of this forum to include other MAJOR, LIVE tournaments. In general, this forum should include discussion on such matters as live updates, trip reports, logistics, etc. It is not for strategy discussion, gossip about players, or comments during and/or following the broadcasting of an event.

If there is a tournament you'd like to discuss in this forum, and it doesn't meet the above definition, you may contact one of the Moderators who will make a decision on whether or not to allow discussion on that tournament taking into consideration factors such as popularity, number of events, buy-in amount, etc. Do not start a post about a tournament that doesn't meet the above criteria until you've asked a Moderator and have received an okay.

Before posting here, make sure this is the right forum. There are a few other forums that are often a better choice depending upon the nature of the subject including:

Televised Poker : If you're watching a tournament on television or DVD you should post ALL comments, questions, and discussion in the TV Forum.

Multi-table Tournaments : If you want to talk about strategy (how to play a specific hand, general strategy for a particular tournament, etc.) you should post in the MTT Forum.

News, Views, Gossip : Regardless of whether or not a player has participated in a tournament discussed in this forum, if you want to discuss anything newsworthy, how you feel about a player, or throw out some gossip do NOT post in this forum. Those types of posts go in NVG. One exception is that during events like the WSOP we'll occasionally allow ONE thread for a player so that those interested can discuss and follow him or her throughout the tournament. But once the tournament has concluded, new posts most likely will be appropriate only for NVG.

Thanks for making this forum and all of 2+2 such a fabulous success.

At some point I'll go through and organize this post merger. In the mean time, below is the organized list from LLSNL, and there's a bunch of non-cureated links from HSNL below.

Ahnuld PM'd a few weeks ago with an idea for this type of thread and i think its a great idea, esp. for some of the newer hsnl guys.

Basically, if u have a thread saved (or know where to find it) that was instrumental in your development as a NL player, or just think it was a great thread, plz post it here.

also, if there is a thread that u remember being great but the search function is being difficult, post the summary of it here and maybe someone has it saved as a favorite or knows how to find it.

sorry for the run-ons, i dont really feel like editing.

and in my continuing display of laziness, i cut and pasted this from Ahnuld's PM:

Here some more threads that should be considered.

This is limon and AJo Go Allin Discussion a blocking bet on the river. http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...

In this one AJ0 gets owned by someone who checked behind a medium strength hand on a drawy flop. Just some good thoughts in this one. http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...

This one is ok, probably worth a consideration to get the ball rolling. http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...

Heres a solid theory thread about playing deep. ML4l has some really good tips. http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...

hope these get the ball rolling.

thanks,

fsuplayer

This is the Science, Math, and Philosophy Forum. Two of these three subjects are fairly well defined and it should be easy for posters to restrict posts and discussion to the relevant subjects circumscribed by the prescribed definitions for each (see links below for reference and information). Philosophy is another matter. Any definition given would be contentious. For purposes here a narrow interpretation will be applied but tolerance will be the guide to allow for as much free expression as possible. Gray areas will naturally arise and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Some general guidelines:

Since this is SMP, general religious/god posts are not allowed but some leeway under the umbrella of Philosophy will be allowed. Evangelism will not be tolerated. To Proselytise for any religion is counter to what SMP is about and Revelation is not evidence. Judgment of mod is final. Most religious discussions/debates should be posted in the RGT (Religion/God/Theology) Forum as that is its function. Private message (PM) discussion for questions and answers is encouraged for clarification.

In addition this forum is NOT for political propaganda or Political/current political event discussion(s)/debate. There is a Politics forum on 2+2 for this type of content. Please post there. Political postings/threads will be deleted on sight and the poster asked to not post such content. Contact Mod for clarifications if you have doubts about content allowed in SMP.

The links given below provide some general information on Science (and the scientific method) , Mathematics and Philosophy. There are many different scientific disciplines and all are welcome here and obviously there is some overlap within SMP in general. The links below are provided for reference and should help with the prescribed limits of what posts are 'legal' in this forum.

It should be noted that 2+2 has a Probability Forum and posts that deal exclusively with probability/chance/odds - including poker odds etc - should be posted there. Obviously some overlap and gray areas exist that will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as noted above.

Also note that this forum is for science, philosophy and math as the title states. Poker is not a main theme of this forum, 2+2 has numerous forums dedicated to all aspects of poker and/or poker related topics. Please post in those forums first for poker, and only bring poker topics to SMP if it is related to math (poker probablility goes to probablity forum) or somehow can't be answered in the other forums, but the mod has the right to move, delete, or lock any poker related topic if he/she so chooses. Judgement of mod is final.

Science; General http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science

Scientific Method:

http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/N...

http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/N...

Mathematics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics

Philosophy: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Other general information that is very important:

SMP is not a forum that deals with monetary rewards for doing math or other types of problems or to ask for people to do your homework or writing for you, free or otherwise. If you have legitimate difficulty with homework or math type problems, then make an honest post about the problem and ask for help. I will delete any post as soon as I see it that deals with money for ‘homework’ or any monetary type rewards for work posed. That is not the purpose of this forum. Also note that there is an official Math Homework thread for those that wish legitimate help with difficulties.

Please also note that there is an Official outer limits/debunking thread in SMP. This was put in place to allow as much free expression as possible but also to contain the more outrageous and fringe topics within a single thread for the sanity and orderly conduct of the forum. As examples; to contain the 2012 end of the world deluge that hit SMP, or why man never really landed on the moon, UFO’s and alien abduction or take over, ESP, midgets living under Mt Shasta, etc. Those that have such beliefs or questions about them can have them critiqued/debunked or otherwise debated in SMP without the mess of having multiple threads

Be respectful and polite to other posters, personal attacks and personally directed vicious or bigoted/racist speech is not allowed, but a rational disscussion of why bigoted/racist speech exists is allowed.

Free Speech is sacrosanct but there are limits (see above for one example, or Oliver Wendell Homes) and remember that posting on 2+2 is a privilege; not a right. If you violate posting rules and protocol there is an infraction system designed to inform/punish and bring in line those that abuse their posting privilege.

Use of disclaimers in posts on controversial subjects/threads is advised but not required. It is at the discretion of the poster. Keep in mind that if things go awry the individual poster will bear all the repercussion if a disclaimer is not used. And the repercussions could be up to a permanent ban from posting on 2+2. SMP allows, and encourages, within the limits of forum subject matter, discussion/debate on controversial and/or exploratory subjects of any nature. Free speech/free debate and discussion is basic to a free and open society.

Also keep in mind that this is an open public forum on 2+2, the internet, etc. Information now flows freely around the world in seconds. There are no isolating walls. Also: Self-proclaimed Watchdogs abound, Memes abound, Mimics abound, and Unsavory Characters abound. Keep this in mind when posting.

Make an effort to be as clear and precise as possible in debating and discussions and present evidence as required or appropriate from reliable sources (peer-reviewed journals for example). Debates are expected to be civil in nature. Trolling will be dealt with harshly on a case-by-case method; this is a forum with low traffic that aims for high-quality posts and posters, and trolls not only disrupt more in a low traffic forum; they also drive away those most likely to contribute to a high quality standard – In addition to sapping goodwill and energy out of the forum in general. This has a much more pronounce disruption in a low-traffic forum so will be dealt with in a more aggressive manner than in other more high-traffic forums on 2+2. Please keep this in mind when posting in SMP.

Debate in good faith; in a rational manner, and have logical grounds for queries, answers, and general discussion. Disingenuous and weasel posts designed to circumvent rules, disrupt the forum, abuse others, or generally accepted debating principles should be avoid and will result in infractions and/or deletion of posts and/or threads.

Warnings and infractions will be dealt out for those that purposefully disregard the above.

In addition see this post for an added update (9/20/2012) explanation on posting in SMP:

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/47/sc...

On a practical note, present source material with appropriate links and references and within the prescribed copyright laws.

Links or #'s, hints or other Personal self-promotion gimmicks will be deleted from all post. This includes personal Twitter, Facebook, Instagram links or whatever else will come down the pike in the future. Also to keep content uncluttered links will be deleted if there is even a hint that they are for promotional purposes or possible spam, many weasel in links under the guise of honest discussions. Thus the conservative approach is applied in SMP. Some legitimate links may be deleted but that is the price to pay for a clear and clean fourm [Blue = added 12/20/2017]

PM the Mod of the forum for questions etc on anything above. DO NOT POST question/comments etc within threads. First initiate a discussion with the mod, that is their job.

Also, adhere to the overall 2+2 forum terms and conditions:

http://www.twoplustwo.com/terms.php

The Forum terms and conditions are subject to interpretation/flexibly and type of enforcement and judgment on a case-by-case basis and the interpretation of the Moderator. PM the Mod for comments, questions, or complaints.

A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence -David Hume

Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man. -David Hume

Stud Forum Hand Converter, Posting Guidelines and Frequently-Asked Questions v 2.2.3

The DeucesCracked converter now works for stud hands.

http://www.handconverter.com/

I still host the old stud hand converter from greenage which can be found here. No one is doing any work to keep it current, however. The Troutulator is also now available on this page.

Please note that if you play on Party, you must have the hand histories emailed to you in order to use the converter. The hand histories that are automatically saved to your hard-drive do not include all the up-cards.

The FAQ is a work in progress. Please PM me with any suggestions or corrections. Please don't apologize for doing so.

This is the best forum on 2+2. The stud forum is the best on 2+2 for several reasons, among them:

1) Stud and stud/8 much more interesting than hold'em or Omaha.
2) We have a better signal-to-noise ratio than most of the other forums.
3) Stud players tend to be nicer than hold'em players and consequently
4) We tend to behave ourselves for the most part.

We do have vigorous discussions, and we do engage in a certain amount of friendly needling, but for the most part, we don't go around gratuitously insulting each other. I would like to keep it this way.

If you have a general question, please look at the FAQs below to see if it is answered there. This forum has been around for a number of years, and most general questions have been asked and answered numerous times now. If you have a rules question, please read Robert's Rules to see if it's answered there:

Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud High-Low
Razz

Also, there is a search function for your convenience. StevieG offers helpful suggestions for using it more effectively here.

Most posts are about the play of a specific hand. Please use the hand converter if possible. If you happen to play on a non-supported site or in a casino, please provide as much information as possible, including:

1. The limit
2. The size of the ante and bring-in
3. As much information as you can about the cards that are out
4. Any relevant information about your opponents (this goes for converted hands too)

Please do not post raw hand histories. They are hard to read. You will get more and better responses if you convert your hand to a narrative. It might take some time, but it also takes time to respond, so please make your post readable.

If you have a specific question about something, go ahead and ask it. Generally speaking, however, it's best to just present the hand with as much information as possible and then let people respond however they want to respond. If you ask, "when should I have folded," that will tend to taint people's responses. If you don't ask, people will probably tell you if and when you should have folded anyway.

Avoid telling us the results in your initial post as that definitely influences responses. What's important is whether or not you played the hand correctly, not whether you won or lost. Wait a day or so before posting results.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. I have a free-roll that starts in three minutes and I've never played stud in my life.

Play live cards. (Thank you Mike Caro.)

Rolled-up trips are very strong and should be played strongly. If the game is loose, raise early and often. In a tighter game, you may want to slow-play, but it's easy to get burned this way.

Three-flushes are usually good hands, but you usually don't want more than two of your suit gone. You don't want to play a small three-flush heads-up against a big pair, but they do well in most multi-way pots. If you don't pick up a fourth flush card on fourth street, you should usually fold unless you have paired, your hand has other possibilities, or the pot is large.

Three-card straights are trouble. Most players lose money on straight draws, and I don't make much. If you've never played stud before, you would probably be best off folding anything lower than QJT or so. If you are going to play smaller three-straights, be sure that your needed cards are live.

Most of your playable hands are going to be pairs. Not all pairs are playable, though. Obviously, the bigger the better and the more live the better. A quality kicker helps as well. (A9)9 and (T9)9 are much better than (94)9. Aces through Queens should usually raise. Jacks through Nines should sometimes raise and sometimes call. Eights and lower should sometimes limp and often fold, especially the smallest pairs, although you may want to raise with these hands if there is a good chance to steal the antes. If someone with a door card higher than your pair raises, you should at least consider folding unless you think he is on a steal. Exactly how you play your pair will depend on the cards that are out, the action, your kicker, and other factors. 7CS4AP spends many pages on this subject.

Stealing becomes more important as you get to the later stages of the tournament, but it isn't as important as it is in, say, limit hold'em. The ante is the same whether there are two players or eight. With two players, however, you will be the bring-in much more often. In hold'em, you will have the blinds much more often in a short-handed situation, so you have to play looser and more aggressive than you do at a full table. In stud, your overhead per hand will only go up a little, so you don't need to loosen up nearly as much.

Q. Dude, how can you play 7-card stud with eight players? Like, you'll run out of cards! 7 x 8 = 56 and there are only 52 cards in the deck! Like, y'know?

A. It is relatively rare to run out of cards in an eight-handed game, but when that happens, a community card is dealt on seventh street.

Q. How big of a bankroll do I need to play a particular limit?

A. The 300 big bet guideline so often quoted for hold'em is applicable for stud. This assumes that you are playing for a living (or at least that you are somewhat dependent upon poker for income) and that going broke is therefore unacceptable. If you are playing for a living, you might want to have a bit more than this. If you have a day job, and most of us do, these considerations are not nearly as important. If you're playing $.50/1.00 and lose your online bankroll, is it really going to be that hard to come up with another $25 or $50 to get back in action? If the thought of being out of action for a week or two until your next paycheck comes is too much for you to bear, you might seek out Gamblers Anonymous. I also think that some players unnecessarily hold themselves back by imposing unnecessarily stringent bankroll requirements on themselves. Personally, when I first moved up to $6/12 and $8/16, it was because I had a good job and a working wife, so it really wasn't that big a deal to peel off $300-400 if the need arose.

Q. How the hell am I supposed to remember all these damned cards anyway?

A. Being able to remember the cards that have shown is essential for true expert play. Fortunately for hacks like me, true expert play is not necessary to get the money in most games. DocAZ/Doctavian had a couple of excellent posts on the subject a few years back:

Post 1
Post 2

Until your memorization skills improve, concentrate on remembering cards that you need and that your opponents need. If you start with (J9)9, be sure to note any Nines or Jacks that are out. To a lesser extent, take note of straight cards that are out, especially the Tens. If your opponent is showing clubs, take note of how many clubs have shown.

Q. Are there any programs to help me remember the folded cards in my online game?

A. There is a thread discussing such a program and the ethics surrounding it he here. There is another thread on the ethics issue here.

Q. Is there a program that can show how various hands do head-to-head?

A. I use www.twodimes.net/poker. There is also the Troutulator.

Q. My local room/favorite site has a stud game with a high ante and/or rake. Is this game beatable?

A. Generally speaking, a high ante by itself will not make a game unbeatable. It may reduce the good player's edge, but it won't eliminate it. Take Party's old $.50/1.00 game. This game had an ante of $.25, which was ridiculously high relative to the stakes. Nonetheless, the game was beatable because the players were so bad.

By the same token, while the rake in most low-limit casino stud games is brutally high, the players in the game are usually bad enough that the game is still plenty beatable. The rake in many B&M stud games is right around one big bet, which is very high. It is not unusual, however, for you to have multiple opponents making mistakes that add up to more than that 1 BB apiece. The casino is taking a lot of money off of the table, but there is usually still enough for you to get your share.

Now it could be that mostly half-decent players show up on a particular day, and the rake will be harder to overcome. Perhaps the game might still be beatable for a small amount, but you might be better off playing hold'em. This usually won't be the case in live games, though.

By way of example, I play at Canterbury Park in Minnesota. While I don't play in this game very often anymore, when the room first opened in 2000, I played quite a bit in their $2/4 stud game. This game has a $.50 ante and a $1 force. The rake is 10% capped at $4.50. There is a $1 jackpot drop on all pots of $15 or more. I tipped $1 on virtually every pot I won. This is an awful lot of overhead to fade, but I beat the game for about $7/hr because the players were so atrocious.

On-line rooms have lower rakes than brick and mortar casinos, and the cap is lower in the smaller on-line games, so the rake usually isn't a significant factor in determining whether a game is beatable.

The rake in stud/8 is more of a factor because of the split pot. There have to be some bad players to cover the rake. Fortunately, stud/8 is probably the game that most players play the worst.

Q. Geez, what are the odds?

A. Some commonly asked odds questions:

The chance of being rolled-up on any given hand is (3/51)*(2/50) = 1/425 or 424:1 against.

Absent any other information, if you start with four to a flush, you will make your flush about 47% of the time. Absent any other information, if you start with four to an open-ended straight draw, you will make your straight about 43% of the time. Absent any other information, if you start with four to a low, you will make an Eight-low or better about 71% of the time.

An overly detailed discussion of flush odds can be found here.

Hi guys, there seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to paying taxes on online poker in Canada. Please keep all discussion regarding taxes in Canada in this thread for Canadian players (as well as people from abroad who may be contemplating moving to Canada or just interested in this subject).

First, I like to say that I am in no way qualified to give legal advice. From reading the various forums and researching with CCRA I have a few things to add.

I see a lot of posters here vehemently declaring that there are no taxes on gambling in Canada and that you don't have to pay taxes on gambling winnings. Trust me, I would like nothing better than to believe that this is true. However this only partially correct.

After reading the official website for the CCRA, (looking under "other types of income, ie gambling) they do bring up the subject of "reasonable expectation of profit". This is a very gray area, and is very vague. You can be taxed on carrying the business of gambling, as well as placing bets and wagering. A poster in the another thread stated that it does not necessarily have to do with how much you won but by the frequency of your activity. This is absolutely correct.

What does this all mean? Basically, if you're a for lack of a better term 'recreational player' then it's a fair assumption that you won't get taxed. However if you play very frequently and show a consistent profit for an extended amount of time, then you will fall into the dreaded category of "reasonable expectation of profit" and be deemed a professional gambler.

As far as I know no one has ever been busted for this, I could be wrong. However that doesn't mean that this won't happen in the future. Please remember that professional gamblers get taxed for their winnings and you're hardly unique in what you are doing.
If you make any considerable amount of money in poker and it seems like a lot of us in this forum do, it's best to consult with a qualified tax attorney to give you all the answers before you think about not paying your taxes on poker winnings.

If anyone have anything to add please feel free.

I know this is a sensitive subject but I would like to know of any canadian players who have paid taxes on their winnings in the past or have seeked legal advice on this subject, it would be of great help. Thanks.