If the legislation approves the proposal, U.S. Digital Gaming is expected to gain the contract to operate the Iowa online poker network.  While the discussions are certainly preliminary for now, it has been noted that the virtual poker network would be regulated by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.  Iowa residents wanting to participate as players would have registration options via in person, e-mail, phone, or at one of the many state-regulated casinos.  Safeguards will be installed to certify proper customer age (21 or older), and registered accounts in order to have access to the network.

Unfortunately, the NFL saw the involvement of its players in the gambling event as a “no go.”  The League received word about the activity and disallowed its players to participate.  A total of about thirty NFL stars showed up to play and help the benefit.  All were only allowed to contribute their support from the sidelines.

The NFL is known as a major adversary of online gambling.  The NFL lobbyists were among the first in line to fight against Congressman Barney Frank and his plans to regulate online gambling.

This controversy between the NFL and online poker began in 2006 when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed.  U.S. access to online poker and gambling was made more difficult, and the NFL fought to ensure that fantasy football was exempt from the bill.  After the NFL won the battle, the league pulled all strings to keep its billion-dollar brand name away from anything related to gambling.

After the development of Frank’s Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act (HR 2267) in July of last year, it was reported that the NFL had lightened up its advocacy against to poker.  The bill aimed to regulate internet gambling and, at the same time, outlawed online sports betting, which supposedly relieved the NFL of any concerns about poker in the U.S.

Yet, the actions of the NFL last Saturday display an entirely different perception on the matter.  The charity event was still tallied as successful.  Over 350 people participated for a buy-in of $2,000 with $500 re-buys.  Some celebs on the scene were Steve Martin, Don Cheadle, Kevin Sorbo, Jordin Sparks and Lou Ferrigno.

Big prizes were given away for the benefit including a 2011 CSM #2 Shelby Mustang, iPads, and adventure trips to Africa, Mexico and South America.  Supporters for the Starkey Hearing Foundation were most pleased with the outcome.

The Starkey Hearing Foundation was funded in 1984, and strives to create awareness for the change of the social consciousness of hearing and hearing loss prevention.  Through its endeavors, the Starkey Hearing Foundation delivers more than 100,000 hearing aids throughout the world.

A bear commonly brings to mind the image of a powerful animal with great strength.  However, it is the opposite in poker terms.  The term bear describes a very conservative player, who places few wagers and plays in an overly cautious manner.  The player may try to set different rules for the game, or ask for very low betting limits (also known as a drummer or a milker).

A dog is often called man’s best friend but that doesn’t apply in poker.  It refers to a bad hand, or a bad card.

You can also find a duck in poker, only this duck doesn’t quack.  A duck is simply another name for a deuce or a two.

Swimming along, we have the fish. This term is used to refer to an unskilled or new player, who would probably be better off playing Go Fish than Poker.  A fish tends to bet wildly even when he can’t beat what’s showing, has little knowledge of the nuances of poker, and loses frequently.

Similar to the fish, the minnow tends jump into a game even though this player does not have enough money to compete.  A minnow also bets beyond their means, and often loses.

You don’t want to be the monkey in poker.  A monkey is a person who gets taken easily and either loses a lot of money to more savvy players, or they may be easily duped by a player who cheats.

Finally, we have the rabbit. The rabbit is a lot like the fish, only usually plays a bit more timidly or may ask too many questions (i.e. “Does this, beat that?”).  Refined players have very little patience for fish and rabbits.

Hopefully, you won’t hear of yourself being referred to as any of these beasties around the table.

We all have our favorite starting hand, and many of us know where that hand ranks in the pecking order of starting cards.  Yet, what many of you may not know are some of the nicknames given to these starting hands.  Most of us have heard a starter hand such as A-A referred to as “Pocket Rockets” or “American Airlines,” but did you know they are also called “Eyes” or “Eyes of Texas”?  Certainly, you witnessed pocket kings in play with the commentary from your opponent, “Cowboys” or “Gorillas” (K-K being the initials for King Kong), or “Ace Magnates.”  You may also have heard the starter hand Q-Q referred to as “Ladies,” “Sisters,” “Four Tits,” or “Siegfried and Roy.”

Nicknames for starting hands have developed in a variety of ways over the years.  A-K, known as “Santa Barbara” and “Big Slick” received those names from a destructive oil spill which took place of the coast of Santa Barbara.  “Little Slick” has been given to the starting hand of A-2.  The “Lollipop Hand” refers to A-Q because at first the hand looks sweet , but often times gets licked in play.

The following list presents other starter hand nicknames that are commonly, or uncommonly used by poker players:

Acey-deucy: A-2
Ajax: A-J
Barbara Hutton (after the dime-store heiress): 10-5
Baskin-Robbins (symbolizing the chain’s “31 Flavors” of ice cream): 3-A
Beer hand: 7-2
Broderick Crawford (because of the actor’s tendency to say “ten-four” during the 1950s
television show, Highway Patrol): 10-4
Canine: K-9
Colt 45 (after the firearm or even the malt liquor): 4-5
Computer Hand (because it is the exact middle-ranked starting hand between A-A and 2-7 off suit): Q-7
Crabs (because they look like pinchers): 3-3
Darth Vader (the “dark force”): 4c & 4s
Dead Man’s Hand (the hand “Wild Bill” Hickok was holding when he was murdered in Deadwood, South Dakota on August 2, 1876): A-8
Dime Store: 10-5
Dolly Parton (from her starring role in the film 9 to 5): 9-5
Eubie (as in “If you play these, you be broke”): 8-6
Five and dime: 10-5
Heinz (from the Heinz slogan of “57 varieties”): 5-7
Hockey Sticks: 7-7
Jack Benny (because the comedian often joked that that was his age): 3-9
Jackson Five (from the Motown music group): J-5
Jesse James (after the gun he was shot with): 4-5
Katie or Katy (because the 10 is often represented with a “T”): K-10
King Crab: K-3
Kojak (after the old television show): K-J
Kokomo: K-8
Little Oldsmobile (after the 88 model): 8-8
Lumberman’s Hand (after the 2″ x 4″ board): 2-4
Marriage (from the game of pinochle): K-Q
Mongrel: K-9
Motown: J-5
Newlyweds: K-Q
Office Hours: 9-5
Oldsmobile (after the 98 model): 9-8
Pedigree: K-9
Pickle Man (representing a Heinz variety): 5-7
Pinochle (from the game): Jd -Qs
Presto: 5-5
Quinine: Q-9
Railroad Hand (because saying it out loud sounds like a steam train): J-6
Raquel Welch (after her curvaceous measurements): 3-8
San Francisco Busboy (a queen with a trey): Q-3
Snowmen: 8-8
Speed Limit: 5-5
Trombones (from the song 76 Trombones in Meredith Wilson’s play and movie The Music Man): 7-6
Union Oil (from company’s symbol) 7-6
Wayne Gretzky (his jersey number): 9-9
Walking Sticks (which the numbers resemble): 7-7
Woolworth (from the retail five and dime store): 10-5

PokerStars is one of the foremost leading online poker play sites in the industry that has climbed its way to the top of the reputation ladder by continuously innovating new approaches in gaming software and entertainment.  The latest gem to shine on the PokerStars site is an area of Home Games, which allows PokerStars players to enable private games for friends and invitation only.

Now at PokerStars you can participate in private cash games and tournaments for any variety of stakes, or even for free with your own group of like-minded friends.  One player is designated at the “club manager”, who can invite up to seven other members to the group to join in on the game action.  The software can then be customized in a variety of formats to suit the needs of the group.

As an incentive for the launch of this groundbreaking online poker play format, PokerStars is offering each registered group a grand trip to either the EPT Snowfest in Austria, Vancouver, Macau or Buenos Aires and funding for a private VIP poker game with members of the PokerStars Pro Team.

In order to be eligible for the Ultimate Home Game $100k freeroll taking place on March 6, 2011, the club manager must enlist seven poker playing buddies and play a minimum of two real money, or five play money poker games at PokerStars.  Club Mangers will be awarded an entry ticket after completing registry.

Get in on the latest hand dealt by PokerStars today!

This year’s Republican swing in the House has stalled the legalization and regulation of online gambling, which had a strong forward momentum during the 2010 year end sessions.  Alabama’s Spencer Bachus has been named chair of the House Financial Services Committee much to the chagrin of most online poker players.  Reports are streaming in claiming other GOP lawmakers are also opposed legalizing online gambling within the U.S.

Eyes are on Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) to continue his crusade in promoting the legalization of U.S. based online gambling.  Reid coming out publicly in favor of regulating Internet poker was the best thing coming out of 2010 that should carry over to 2011.  Reid tried to attach legislation to license and regulate online poker to larger, must-pass legislation during the lame-duck session to close out 2010.  If he introduces the bill this year, it will have to stand on its own.

Most likely, for online poker fans, 2011 will become known as the year a state legalized Internet poker for the first time.  At the state level, progress does carry over from previous years.  This stabilizes the bill to license and regulate Internet gambling being offered through Atlantic City casinos within the state of New Jersey, which could be very close to passing.  It has been passed through the State Senate by a wide margin, and gone through the committee level in the State Assembly.  The full State Assembly is scheduled to vote on the issue today and it is expected to pass the bill.  This in turn will fall into the hands of Governor Chris Christie for his signature, or his delay of 45 days, to become law.  With the federal level looking a like difficult haul over the next two years, New Jersey is likely to be the trailblazer of a more state-oriented spotlight for Internet poker.

New Jersey State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D), launched the online gambling and sports betting bills related to the state’s horse racing and gambling industries, which were approved by The New Jersey State Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee.  These efforts would legalize online gambling for state residents, and are anticipated to be voted on by the entire Assembly by the close of this year.  If approved by the state’s Governor Chris Christie (R), both pieces of legislation become law before the end of the year.

The New Jersey online gambling bill would not alter the legality of online gambling for most of the United States.  Lesniak announced to the Assembly that both bills would allow New Jersey residents to gamble online.  An earlier amendment to allow international customers to participate has been eliminated.  The bill would lay down a tax rate of 15% on Internet gambling revenue in New Jersey.  Lesniak also stated if legalized, online gambling would generate approximately $250 million in annual gross revenues for the state. He said the action would also create 2,000 new jobs.

Last week, Reid affirmed his commitment to legalizing online poker, but has it appears that he has decided not to favor using the tax cut bill to attain his objective.  The Nevada Democrat, who sustains close attachments to the gambling industry, had been building support for including poker legalization in legislation to stretch out the Bush-era tax cuts.  But when the tax cut bill was recently introduced into the official realm, it did not contain the poker lingo.

The bill that Reid has drafted is anything but perfect for the “comfort of home online player”.  If approved, the players would likely be locked down from all online poker rooms for approximately fifteen months.  Even in the face of the temporary playing suspension, online gamblers report to be glad that a lawmaker is at last taking a stand for the cause.

As the lame-duck session comes to a close, Reid has a deteriorating number of approaches to endorse the issue before next year.  All is under pressure within the next couple of weeks, as Republicans, who tend to contest gambling extension, gain more seats in the Senate and take power of the House, weakening the outlook for legalization of online poker.  Of course, the likelihood of Reid’s legislation passing is rather lean.  Republican leaders have berated the bill, and several have claimed there is no chance it will survive.

Adversaries of the online poker legislation have claimed that Reid might merely be paying back Las Vegas gaming executives who backed him during recent mid-term elections.  The accusations are convincing, with the bill being heavily drafted to benefit the Las Vegas and Atlantic City gaming arenas.

No matter if there are concealed motives for Reid’s proposal; the fact is this progress is – hands down – the most freedom of online gaming players have tasted since the endorsement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) created in 2006.  This interest definitely has Reid viewed in high stakes amongst online poker players.

A well disciplined poker player knows when to play and when to walk away.  A good poker strategist understands when they are on tilt, and is well aware when the game is too tempting with juicy drippings to quit while out in front.  A disciplined player also realizes they are not going to be perfect, nor is any game going to be perfect.  When a good player happens to make a mistake, they learn from it and move on without regret.

A good player is not so introspective as to be aloof to the particulars of the game in play.  Well disciplined poker players will empathize with their opponents.  Good players will put themselves in the place of their opponents – try to think as they think, and understand why certain plays are being made.

A real poker pro will always try to have an answer to the questions:  What is my opponent holding?  What does my opponent think I am holding?  What does my opponent believe I think they are holding?

Step one: knowing the answers to these questions.  Step two: being able to manipulate those answers into one’s favor.  Perhaps, you are holding a pair of kings and you know your opponent has a pair of aces.  If both of you know what each other is holding, and both of you know that you have this information – then why go on with the hand?  A well disciplined poker pro will manipulate the situation to their favor by means of fast or slow play action and bluffing to throw off the opponent and win the hand.

A good player also recognizes that these psychological battles are much more important during a no-limit game rather than one with a limit.  Limit games can often develop into heated math strategies, while the no-limit hands carry the importance of watching for tells and psychological battles.

The Chaves County Clerk reported the county commission race between Eloy Ortega and James Duffy ended with both candidates obtaining 1,004 votes.  New Mexico state law claims the tie must be broken through a game of chance.

Clerk Rhoda Coakley stated on Thrusday, “They’ll have to either flip a coin, draw straws or cut the cards.  But I suggested they maybe play a game of 5 Card Stud and whoever had the best hand would win.”

The clerk is still in waiting on 16 military ballots for the race, but if those ballots were not postmarked by November 2^nd, they will not be included in the count and the election will remain a tie.  If needed, this political election outcome could see a change through a game of chance on Tuesday, with a good old game of 5 Card Stud Poker.