Whiz Poker

Nearly every sport has its award for the best players in their field and poker is no exception. While poker is a centuries-old game, the Poker Hall of Fame has only existed for the past thirty-one. It is no real surprise that it was founded in Las Vegas, Nevada, where poker is the ruling force of the city.

The Poker Hall of Fame was designed as a means for Benny Binion to help promote and advertise his Horseshoe Casino. He felt that setting up a way to honor and remember the great poker players from the past and include outstanding current players would serve as both honorarium and tourist attraction.

Benny Binion has always been known for his creative approach to marketing poker. He was the driving force behind the 1949 beginnings of publicly viewed high-stakes poker by arranging a game between Johnny Moss and Nick the Greek for all to see. Binion created the World Series of Poker in 1970 to bring the best of the best poker players together in tournaments with international appeal. Then in 1979 he began the Poker Hall of Fame.

Chosen by the World Series of Poker commissioners, there are several qualification requirements for those who are being considered for the award. The nominee must have played against acknowledged high level competition and played for high stakes. They must have demonstrated consistently good play and done so in a manner as to gain the respect of their peers. And finally, they must have maintained this over the years to establish themselves. Non-players can be nominated provided they have contributed significantly to the growth and respectability of the game.

Regardless of the type of poker you play, there are basic styles that can be strategically used during game play to enhance your gambling earnings. Learning to use these styles and recognizing them in others can give the observant player that extra winning edge.

The art of Aggression consists of strategic opens and raises, forcing the pot up even on weak hands. The Bluff is a critical element of Aggressive play but must not be allowed to control all your plays, making you predictable to other players and more easily taken advantage of. As example, only playing aggressively on strong ands will signal your opponent when to fold quickly and cut their loss.

The Check-Raise style of play bases its usefulness in its deceptive nature. For a Check-Raise, you may have a good enough hand to continue with but Check anyway in hopes that someone else will Open the hand. If this happens the player is then free to match the opening bet or raise as the play commences. The greatest loss is limited only to the initial pot investment if the hand is not opened.

Strategically the Isolation play is one of the most formidable styles you can encounter. There are elements of both the Bluff and Aggression in an Isolation attack against a specific player. It usually involves making a Raise on a hand with the hope and intent of forcing another player to drop out of the hand. Used primarily against those who predictable raise to weak hands, it can also be used to narrow the playing field down to a specific opponent you wish to defeat.