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Win a seat to the WSOP

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So what's different about this year's WSOP?

It's that time of year when all we want to talk about is the World Series of Poker. The 2008 WSOP will deliver a new set of historic firsts from the moment the first cards are dealt to the ground breaking format change in the Main Event. Firstly the season opened with the newest bracelet event, the USD10, 000 World Championship of Pot-Limit Hold'em which kick started the 39th annual event on the 30th May. Nenad Medic walked away with USD794, 112 and his 1st WSOP bracelet. Congratulations Nenad on your result and your 1st WSOP bracelet.

Below are some of the records established at the 2007 and we will be watching to see if any of them fall this year.

  • Most total entrants for all events: 54,288
  • Largest Prize Pool: USD159,796,918
  • Largest Ladies World Championship: 1,286 players
  • Largest Seniors World Championship: 1,882 players
  • Largest USD50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E.: 148 players
  • Largest preliminary event prize pool: USD7.1 million for USD50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E.
  • Largest preliminary event top prize: USD2.2 million for USD50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E.
  • Largest Field of Players (non-Main Event): 2,998 for USD1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
  • Oldest player to compete in a WSOP event: 94-year-old Jack Ury in Main Event
  • Youngest player to win a WSOP gold bracelet in the United States: Steve Billirakis - 21 years, 11 days - in USD5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold'em Limit/No Limit

Good Luck to our latest winner 'Gerard D' and all our other players heading out to Vegas for the WSOP! Check out our range of sports betting markets for this year's World Series of Poker and make sure you get some of the action!

Learn to calculate your pot odds

Playing A, K unsuited in the big blind.

Picking up A, K unsuited on the big blind is always interesting, you have strong cards, and you have position before the flop as you are the last to act. After the flop this all changes and you are now one of the first to act. Is your goal to try and take this pot right here right now, or should you slow play?

What to do? Click here for some great advice on playing this hand.

Gold Cards

This month we are giving away USD1,500 in our Series Three Monthly Prize Hand. If you hold the cards below and are willing to part with them then USD1,500 is yours. All you need to do is click the 'Rewards' tab in the poker room to check your personal collection and to redeem the prize.

Remember when you redeem this prize the Gold Cards will be removed from your collection; so if you want to hang onto them for the USD52,000 Jackpot or the Daily Lottery you will have to skip this promotion! The choice is yours!

Click here for more information on Gold Cards. Our last email covered Gold Cards in detail. If you missed it you can read a copy of the email here.

Situation: Moderate stakes online game. The table has been playing generally loose. The small blind is extremely aggressive, playing almost half of all pots.

Your hand: Ah,Kc

Action: Players A through E fold. Player F raises to $30. Player G folds. The small blind calls $25. The pot is now $70.

Question: Do you call or raise?

Answer: You're certainly going to raise with your ace-king. Slightly larger than the size of the pot, your goal is to end this now. You don't have a pair and after the flop you will be out of position. A pot-sized raise here would be $110 that's $20 to call and $90 to raise the new pot, you put in about $150.

Action: You put in $150. Player F and the small blind fold.

If you just make a normal sizes raise and get called, about 70 % of the time you miss the flop and find yourself sandwiched between an aggressive player and an unknown quantity with an ace-high hand. That's not an especially good situation.

If you had a good pair, you could just make a normal raise to $100 or so, knowing that you'd be in reasonable shape whatever flop came. Also make sure you occasionally overraise with a big pair so your opponents can't put you on ace-king.

Source: Robertie, B. and Harrington D. (2008) Harrington on Cash Games Vol. 1, Nevada, Two Plus Two Publishing LLC.

Congratulations to 'John F' for winning last week's chips. Play poker in the next 24 hours and stand a chance to win a free entry to any Gold Chip Lover (10 chips) Sit 'n Go. All players that play cash games will be entered into a draw and the winner will receive the free entry. Shuffle up and deal!