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H/T: Las VegasVegas Poker Blog

Bodog’s Tournament Leader Board heads-up matches took place in the Bodog Poker room with Bodog pro Evelyn Ng going up against two online poker players who were the winner’s of their respective weeks.
First was the winner for the week of April 6, "vinnyb9." There was a $3,000 cash prize up for grabs that had rolled over from other player’s failed attempt to take out a Bodog pro. This time, though, "vinnyb9″ succeeded and walked away with some hard-earned prize money.
Next up was Bodog regular Johnathan "UFPokerStar" Westra. Unfortunatly for him he had to go against Evelyn Ng after her loss to "vinnb9″ and she got her revenge, sending him home with zero dollars to show for winning the week of April 13. However he qualified for the $12,000 2008 WSOP Main Event prize package, so he has that to look forward to.
Think you could take on the Bodog Poker pros? Work your way up the Bodog weekly tournament leader board and get a shot at one of them and the cash that goes with the glory.. And if you want to be a part of Team Bodog at the 2008 WSOP, check out the 2008 WSOP online poker qualifiers.

By Jack Wise - Web Site: BluffMagazine.com
Poker Correspondent - Every Friday

Romanticized on the silver screen in dozens of old Westerns and the cause of many saloon brawls, this week the focus is on crooked dealing.

the second deal

The second deal allows the cheat to secretly retain the top card for himself or an accomplice, while continuously dealing the second card round the table to the other players. Of course, the second deal is only of use if the cheat knows the value of the top card.
The uninitiated salivate at the thought of using the second deal in conjunction with a marked deck — with a desirable card on top, the cheat just keeps hitting seconds until it comes around to him. But funny enough, the thought of being caught with a marked deck is most humiliating to those who put in the hundreds of hours required to master this difficult technique. Call it card-cheat snobbery.

the sneak-a-peek

Instead of using a marked deck, they use a much more subtle method known as a “glimpse” or a “peek.” This is a move that lets the cheat secretly sight cards at almost any position in the deck. The second deal (also known as a deuce dealer) favors the blister glimpse. The thumb applies pressure to the outer corner of the top few cards, causing them to buckle. Using natural cover, such as throwing in a chip or pulling up his sleeves, the cheat can sight the top card, as well as the second, third and even fourth.
While every deuce dealer’s technique may vary slightly, they all fall into one of two categories:

The push off second deal

The push off second deal is when the thumb is positioned at the outer left corner of the pack, enabling the cheat to push off the top two cards in perfect alignment, making them appear as one. As the dealing hand approaches the deck, the top card is drawn back, delivering the second card into the cheat’s grip.

The strike deal

The strike deal involves the thumb drawing back the top card the tiniest amount to expose a slight portion of the outer end of the second card. As the cards are dealt, the thumb strikes the exposed portion of the second card, drawing it from under the top card.
Some players might call these guys bottom feeders, but a good one can be called a cellar man…

A bet is a declaration that either:

a)"I have the best hand and I’ll wager money on it" or

b)"You have a poor hand, and you will fold if you are forced to wager on it".

Typically, players are supposed to bet when they have a good hand. Players who don’t have good hands are supposed to fold. Of course, if it was this simple, there would be no need for this page. You might as well wager on Tic-Tac-Toe. Most players play contrary to this idea, attempting to be a cunning or deceptive player. Don’t fall into this trap when you are just learning to play.

Your betting strategy should be built upon this simple idea, but you must know when to stray and bet in situations when you otherwise wouldn’t. Here are some situations you should start looking at to improve your game:

Example one: Blind-stealing

When you are in the dealer’s position, and only you and the blinds are remaining in the game, a raise is often called "blind-stealing". This is because the blinds may fold, whereas if you didn’t raise but simply called, the blinds would simply check. Its a good way to make a buck or two, but will never make you rich. Its more of a way to end the game fast and have a new hand dealt with more players (and more money).

Example two: The steal-raise

If you are last to act and all players have checked to you, betting to simply limit the number of players or take the pot is called a steal-raise. Don’t use this exclusively, as better players will be onto you quickly and begin check-raising against your (most likely) poor hand. It is good to use a steal raise when you have an excellent drawing hand such as a nut flush draw. Players will tend to "check to the raiser". If you draw to your hand, you now have a larger pot to win. If you don’t, you can always check, and hope the fifth card makes your hand.

Example three: The check-raise

Check raising is checking to your opponent, with the intention of luring them to bet, so that you can raise them back. Your intention is to lure them into a false sense of security so that you can raise them and increase the pot (remember, after one bet is committed, its more likely they’ll commit to two).

Example four: The opener

This reckless move is often done by people who bluff. It is when the person first to act raises, making all other players call two bets at once. Its inteniton is to limit the number of players. Basically, this move amounts to a backwards steal-raise. The effect will almost certainly cause many players to fold, but the ones remaining will either be equally aggressive or truly have a great hand. This is also known as betting for information. This tactic is best used with few players in on the hand.

Example five: Squeezing

Squeezing is a tactic only used in a short-handed game. It’s betting when you have a good hand currently, and you suspect another player or players may be on a draw. For example, you have top pair with the best kicker. Chances are they won’t make their draw (be it a straight or a flush draw, etc). Your goal is to limit their pot odds.
The above examples are just really examples of bets. If you are playing no limit or pot limit holdem, the whole thinking behind betting becomes radically different. Check our page on no limit betting for more.

The first thing you should do before you consider hosting a poker game at home is check the local laws in your area. An excellent resource for this is Gambling-Law-US.com for those residing in the United States. Once you’re ready, skip down to the section you are interested in.

Getting People Together

Hopefully this is the easy part. Typically, you are going to need somebody to make phone calls and get people together. You’ll also need somebody to supply the house, table, chips and food/beverages. These can be the same person or several people, whichever is easiest. Sometimes people will even bring felt table tops just for poker, so tasks can really be split up. If you work at a bar or restaurant, sometimes you can hold free poker tournaments at your business, but again check with your local laws.

Setting Up Tables, Chips, Cards

Somebody in your group will need to aquire poker supplies. We suggest PokerShopping for poker chips, cards, tables and dealer buttons. To get an idea of which products suit your situation try our forum section on cards, chips and tables.

Blind Levels and Payout Structures

You should visibly post your tournament’s blind levels, payout structures, and rules so that every player (old and new) fully understands the game they are getting into. This will avoid unnecessary conflict in the future. You should also decide how you will handle chipping up.

Game Types

Whether you’re running a friendly home game, or a larger tournament, you’ll need to make it clear what style of game you intend to play. Cash game or tournament, texas holdem or seven card stud, limit or no limit, whether to allow rebuys, addons or bounties, other variants, and how to handle buyins and fees.

Moving and Seating Players

Moving and seating players can get hectic in a larger tournament, but with a few simple rules you should be able to keep it under control. In a smaller game the emphasis is on fairness by ensuring quick table balancing.

Dealing and Shuffling

Consistent dealing and shuffling procedures can effectively ensure fair and speedy play. Our dealing and shuffling article also talks about dealer buttons and cut cards.

By Michael Masterson
I was in Baltimore recently for meetings with some of my biggest clients. My job was to review their progress in 2007 and give them ideas about how to grow their already profitable businesses in 2008.
During that time, I taped an interview with J. Christoph Amberger for Taipan Financial News, his multi-media e-letter. In the interview, Christoph and I discussed the coming economic recession, as well as the special opportunities a declining economy provides for entrepreneurs. I thought you’d be interested in reading this rough transcript of our conversation…
JCA: The American economy may or may not enter a recession in 2008. But even if the economy doesn’t fulfill the technical criteria of a recession (two consecutive quarters of negative growth), anyone doing business or working for a business these days is experiencing or expecting a severe downturn.
Michael, we both have been through a couple of recessions and bear markets. What are the secrets to surviving a recession - and maybe even prospering in an adverse environment as an entrepreneur?

Read more…

MoneyNews
WASHINGTON — The slowing U.S. economy and surging jet fuel prices have forced an international trade group to lower its outlook on airline profits for the second time in four months, with domestic carriers expected to take the biggest earnings hit.

The International Air Transport Association on Tuesday said it expects profits for domestic and foreign carriers to fall to $4.5 billion this year from $5.6 billion in 2007. IATA in December lowered its forecast to $5 billion from a previous estimate of $7.8 billion, due to higher oil prices and credit-market turmoil.

U.S. airlines’ profits are expected to fall to $1.8 billion from an estimated $2.8 billion last year. "This could easily turn into a net loss should the current economic environment deteriorate further," according to IATA.

"The offset to rising oil prices during 2004-2007 provided by rising U.S. consumer confidence and travel demand has come to an abrupt end in 2008," the trade group said in a release.

Jet-fuel prices in New York hit a record high near $3.50 a gallon in mid-March, almost double the year-ago price of about $1.85, according to the Energy Department. Fuel costs have become the airline industry’s biggest expense, and carriers recently tried to push ticket prices higher to help offset the oil surge and stay profitable.

The Air Transport Association of America in January said higher jet-fuel prices will limit U.S. airlines’ combined profitability to between $3.5 billion and $4.5 billion this year compared with last year’s estimated profit of $5 billion.

ATA spokesman David Castelveter said the trade group expects to release its own revised forecast, also likely to be lower, later this month after the U.S. carriers report their quarterly earnings.

Editor’s note:
Turn the Recession into Your Own Personal Financial Bonanza
Financial Intelligence Report Stock Picks Soaring. Up 53% to 63%!
Why the Dollar May Have Hit Bottom. New Actions to Take Now.
Capture 10% to 15% Dividend Income Every Month

By David Cross
You created an e-book, tested various price points, and determined that you can sell it for as much as $100. But wait. Just because you know people will buy it at $100 doesn’t mean that’s the ideal price. You might be better off selling it for a lot less.
This may sound illogical, but it’s true - and it’s based on a direct-marketing principle ("price elasticity") that says you can sell more of a product at a lower price but still wind up with the same amount of profit as if you sold it at a higher price.
Let’s say you tested your e-book at $100 and got 20 customers. That’s a gross of $2,000. And let’s say you also tested your e-book at $50 and got 40 customers (which, according to the principle of price elasticity, is highly likely). You still grossed $2,000 - but the $50 price point is much better for your business.
Although the gross is the same, the lower price brought in twice the number of customers. Remember, the bulk of direct-marketing profits comes from repeat sales to existing customers. So the more customers you can acquire with your e-book, the more profits you can practically guarantee for your business in the future.
The moral here? Test, test, and test again. Try out your products at different price points. Then go with the price that brings in the most customers.
[Ed. Note: David Cross is Senior Internet Consultant to Agora Inc. in Baltimore. If you’re interested in profiting from all the benefits of starting an online business, click here to learn more about ETR’s Magic Button program.]

By Rick Pendergraft
It was Sunday night, and I was sitting down to my usual routine of going through charts and e-mails to prepare for the next day. I had barely been logged on for two minutes when I got an e-mail alert - a news blurb that J.P. Morgan (JPM) was buying Bear Stearns (BSC) for $2 per share. BSC’s stock had closed at $30 on Friday. What a deal!
Then a second news alert hit my inbox. The Fed had just lowered the discount rate from 3.5 percent to 3.25 percent. Was the Fed trying to calm the market? You bet they were. When news of BSC being sold at such a discount hit the street, futures dropped as much as 38 points. After the Fed announcement, they were down only 22 points.
You never know when the market will make an unexpected major move, up or down. That’s why I recommend being somewhat balanced between bullish and bearish positions. It is also the reason why you should take profits off the table on portions of your trades. If you take, say, a 50 percent profit on a third of your position, you will have limited your potential loss without limiting your gain if the stock continues to rise.
Though it was Sunday night and the equity markets were closed, the news was coming fast and furious and money was being made and lost. Bear Stearns dropped from $30 to $3.18 in one move. There was nothing traders could do unless they were trading futures, because S&P futures markets open at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Sundays. Equity traders and options traders had to wait until Monday’s opening bell to know their fate. But those who had balance in their portfolios and had been managing their trades with partial closeouts didn’t have much to worry about.
Remember the phone call that Gordon Gekko makes to Bud Fox in the movie Wall Street that starts out with "Money never sleeps, Buddy Boy." No kidding.
[Ed. Note: Rick Pendergraft is a professional trader and market analyst. In Rick’s new investment service, he reveals how you can make hundreds - even thousands - of dollars just by playing a simple game of "guess the pattern." Learn more here]

NEW YORK — The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index shows U.S. home prices fell 11.4 percent in January, its steepest drop since S&P started collecting data in 1987.

The decline reported Tuesday means prices have been growing more slowly or dropping for 19 consecutive months. The index tracks the prices of single-family homes in 10 major metropolitan areas in the U.S.

The broader 20-city composite index is also down, falling 10.7 percent in January from a year ago. That is the first time both indexes dropped by double-digit percentages.

Editor’s note:
Great Buying Opportunity Ahead for Real Estate. Find Out Where and When
The Recession’s Silver Lining. What it Means for Investors.
Cash in on the Shocking Growth of Personal Debt
Capture 10% to 15% Dividend Income Every Month