If you’ve been following this blog, you know that “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga is a favorite of ours. Miss Gaga seems to put out the hits like a machine, some would say a modern equivalent to Madonna. Of course many critics would argue there is no comparison and in some ways they are correct. In these times, standing out takes much more effort and talent. This is not to deny that Madonna is a superstar and changed the way things are done in pop music, especially in regards to women and their attire. Speaking of which, Lady Gaga definitely takes over where one of her role models left off and takes it to another level at times ;)
Lady Gaga Outfit
The TV show “Glee” which we also watch religiously (hmm, noticing a trend here? haha) has revealed that they covered two of Miss Gaga’s songs, “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance”. The lead actress Lea Michele will be performing a stripped down version of Poker Face. We can’t wait till the new episodes come out! In the meantime check out the preview video for Glee:
Since we’re on a Glee spree..check out one of our other favorite “cover” groups on YouTube, Legaci doing a cover of the Journey cover of “Don’t Stop Believing”:
We know you like it :) Now you’ve got a smile on your face, don’t you think it’s time to buy some nice poker chip sets?
Iowa may be the first state to allow internet gambling again to be legal with the condition that it be done only in state. A proposal developed by Iowa law makers would allow a deposit between $5 and $500 into a special account at one of Iowa’s casinos. Basically you would…drumroll……..be able to gamble online!
An article at DesMoinesRegister.com talks about the many ways one can work around using this system to your advantage. I never knew this but it seems that gambling is a big thing over there and this article opened my eyes to the positives as well as the negatives associated with gambling in general as well as specifically to Iowa.
Will this proposal pass? What’s your opinion on this topic. Readers of this blog of course are people interested in playing poker as well as gambling in general so I’d like to get your opinion. Please feel free to comment below and let us know what you think :)
Also if you need a poker chip set or any poker related items feel free to look through our catalog. We’ve got a great selection and pricing to match.
As a kid, I always was amazed when I saw the groups of people playing this strange board game with cool looking pieces and timers at the park. I had no idea what they were doing (and to be honest I’m not even sure now, haha) but I knew they were focused on what was in front of them. Some players would take their time but many would be moving so fast and hitting that timer button, it was hard to believe that they were making any sense at all..but chess players and their fans would get a gleam in their eye when they recall that “one” amazing move that won them the game..
Wanting to bring the future closer, some scientists have made it their mission to push A.I. (artificial intelligence) into reality and with the help of super computers they try their best to accomplish this. In 1997, an IBM Deep Blue supercomputer was able to defeat the most dominant world champion in history..Garry Kasparov. Everyone believed that was the beginning of the end for chess, but even today in 2010..the development is still going on.
Garry Kasparov believes that we haven’t come far since those days. Basically he mentions that we’ve achieved what could be the highest level of computing in chess…not because technology is not improving but because simple brute force techniques are what works so why create a computer that can “out think” a human when basically it can steamroll over them! (read his quotes here)
While chess is a 100 percent information game — both players are aware of all the data all the time — and therefore directly susceptible to computing power, poker has hidden cards and variable stakes, creating critical roles for chance, bluffing, and risk management
I personally don’t believe a computer can guess what a person is doing especially with all the odds involved with poker. Even if a computer successful computes all the given variables, can it know what to do when a player places a high bet with supposedly poor odds. Poker players know in the real world, this happens and can a computer factor this is? It may be possible but it’s probably along time off from now…we shall see.
When some people think of poker, automatically many men envision a scene in their minds about playing strip poker with beautiful lingerie models around him…just him and the ladies, uh, wait…is that just me? Haha, on a more serious note about this subject, a group of 20 people in Kentwood, Michigan were arrested for running an illegal gambling operation in a Ramada hotel. The poker tournaments featured topless dealers and hostesses serving alcohol! Wow, I didn’t get the memo for this but if I surfed Craigslist for it I would have found out the blatant promotion for this event that led local police right to their doors!
In Michigan, all gambling is considered illegal unless it’s for charity or organized by the state regulated casino. What I don’t understand is how the organizers were able to convince the hotel management that the whole event was legal which allowed them to hold the tournament in one of their large conference rooms. There is no mention of the organizer deceiving the hotel management so we’ll have to wait and see the outcome of what is the hotel’s responsibility in this matter.
The person or group running this operation seriously had some balls or are plain stupid because they were so blatant in their promotion of the whole event that it had the authorities a bit surprised. You would think they would be more discrete especially when “These topless dealers would perform different aerobic exercises. Twister games and jello shots for tips†Lt. Schram explained. These people in my opinion definitely deserved to be arrested as this is an obvious instance of breaking the law in multiple ways. Although, it does concern me as I’m not sure what the distinction is between playing amongst friends with the possibility of some money being exchanged, alcohol served and naked woman could be around in your home. Is this illegal? I’m guessing it is in some states. It seems like a story that occurred last November in Cyprus, Greece when 42 elderly woman were arrested as well for playing a private poker and gin rummy session in one of their private homes. Pretty crazy as well..you should read the story here.
Find out more about the topless gambling arrest here.
As always we don’t condone any illegal activities involving gambling even though we sell poker chips and run some of the best deals on poker chip sets. We hope you enjoy the game of poker and the skills it involve. Clothing is optional ;)
Playing poker online..it’s always a topic that many of our friends and customers bring up. Of course we at Signature Poker don’t concern ourselves with online gambling since we mostly deal with selling poker chips and other related poker items and not in the business of conducting gambling. So why do we even care about what the laws are concerning gaming right? Well basically it’s because many of you who purchase custom poker chips are also big fans of going to Vegas or Atlantic City to enjoy the the thrill and excitement of being in the “big leagues”. This same passion is a reason you purchase nice poker chip sets for your home game…because you want as much as possible to emulate that feeling or at least try right?
Internet poker is another thing altogether. Yes, some say it can contribute to a gambling addiction and limiting it was one of the claimed reasons for stopping it but we know the main reason was because the government was missing on all that money so instead of figuring something out they decided to make it illegal..at least for now. Sure, there are plenty of off shore companies that continue to run business online and plenty of customers to keep it going but the debate has been on how internet gambling can come back to the states legally. New Jersey seems to be leading the way on this issue.
According to figures released by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, gaming revenues in Atlantic City dipped 13.2% during the 2009 calendar year compared to 2008. Sounds drastic but also expected in the current economic climate. You can read more of the details here. It’s humorous to me that the limiting of smoking in some establishments is considered a reason for a drop in the casino revenue but it kind of makes sense eh? Man, gamblers are deviants eh? No offense meant to smokers…I meant this jokingly and if you’ve been reading this blog you’d know I’m a jokester! Also Id like to note the total taxable gross revenue for the NJ casinos in 2009 was $3.9 billion dollars! This type of money is what all the fuss is about and why there is a debate around legalized internet gambling.
New Jersey now seems to want to lead the way in tapping into the internet poker stream and state Sen. Raymond Lesniak has introduced legislation that may bring intrastate internet poker to New Jersey through their Atlantic City casinos.
This landmark legislation which is identified as New Jersey Senate Bill 490 (S3167), is the first intrastate Internet gambling bill to be introduced in the U.S and could be the beginning of many more instances of this in many states. Many supporters actually think the bill will never pass…what do you think? We’ll have to see.
We at SignaturePoker.com can’t begin to comprehend the full scope of damage on the country of Haiti due to the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has taken it’s toll on tens on thousands of their people. Even days later (the Earthquake occurred Tuesday this week) untold numbers of Haitians are still missing and the relief effort is continuing on. Many countries are rallying together to help this country even incorporating high-tech means of help such as using satellites to compare imaging in order to assess damage. You can see this incredible use of technology here.
Rush Limbaugh is one of the few people who are stands by his comment that America should stay out of Haiti and that our president is just using our aid to position himself more favorably in the American as well as the world’s public eye. We personally believe this is absurd! How can someone watch a video like this below and not fell compelled to help out however we can.
Thankfully the poker community also agrees. Giants in the industry such as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker have openly shown their support by setting up games specifically to aid in the Haiti relief. Many of the top poker players have donated to the cause. PokerStars pro JC Alvarado encouraged those with extra money in their PokerStars’ accounts to donate to the cause via his Twitter feed (@JCAlvarado1), while Full Tilt’s Howard Lederer (@howardlederer) made a similar plea for Full Tilt’s fundraising efforts. Just a reminder that both sites pledge to match any and all monetary donations made. The groups have already raised six-figures’ worth of relief to benefit victims of the quake. Some of the players who have made the maximum contribution of $1,000 on PokerStars include Michael “SirWatts†Watson, Eric “sheets†Haber, Gavin Griffin, John Duthie, and Steven “Zugwat†Silverman. Read more of this story here of how the poker community has rallied strongly to help out.
We’re proud of the how the poker community has gathered together in it’s support of Haiti!
If you asked anyone who the best poker player is…most of the time it would depend on their experience :) Some would claim their grandpa could kick their ass but in the world of professional poker you still may not get a definite answer.
In a list compiled by ESPN, seven expert pollsters selected Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey as the top all-around poker player. In second was Patrik Antonius.
High Stakes News also put together their thoughts on who the top player is right now:
When it comes to listing top 10 of poker players, I’m sure that if 100 person would make the list, there would be 100 different lists of players. Still, there are some players that almost everybody would put in their list. …
For me, I’m a big tennis fan…so to read this story about Becker is really cool:
It’s been almost two years since Boris Becker traded in his racquet for a few chips and a chair and the tennis legend tells PokerListings things are starting to click.
It’s nice to see he’s improving his game and the poker setup in his home sounds sweet :) All this talk about poker has me jumpy to play. I’m off to improve my game..Happy Holidays everyone!
For those of you who follow this blog who are residents of the United States I wanted to wish you a happy belated Thanksgiving! I myself ate plenty of food that actually made me comatose for most of the weekend :) I actually just spent Friday eating most of the Thanksgiving leftovers and watching some of my DVD collection that I had bought this past year but had yet to have broken the seal…you know you’re guilty of this too, haha.
With all the hoopla of Black Friday…hmm, did any of you get a good deal out there? Many of you already know, especially readers of this blog, that those promotions are usually held for the purpose of getting you in the store and hopefully convincing you to buy even more stuff that you probably don’t need but the pressure of the coming holiday almost makes you feel forced to buy…
Here at Signature Poker, we were so busy we forgot to run a poker chip sale of any sort….would that have made a difference to you guys? We can make it up to you guys by having a Friday event every week till the holiday season. If that’s something that interests you, leave a comment below and you’ll be sent a coupon that nobody else will have access too ;) Don’t say we never offered!
This past Friday also was an important date for those interested in the legalizing of online gambling. On Friday 27th November however something happened, the U.S. Government postponed the enforcement of the Gambling Ban by six months until the 1st June 2010. This can only to be to allow the correct approach of regulation and allowing Barney Franks bill to be sent through the channels.
For those not familiar with this bill watch this video:
If you want to see a video on some opinions about the pros and cons of internet gambling go here
We’ll have to wait and see what will come of this….what’s your opinion?
With the state of the current economy in the United States it’s surprising stories like these are not more common. Two Missouri men have been charged by a Tulsa federal grand jury with conspiring to defraud an Oklahoma casino by using counterfeit poker chips.
William Reece Lancaster, 49, and Mark Vernon Edmiston, 45, are accused of victimizing the Seneca Cayuga Grand Lake Casino near Grove from Sept. 11 through Oct. 8. They are accused of cashing in counterfeit chips, exchanging them for legitimate chips, introducing bogus chips into play and meeting to divide the “illegally and fraudulently stolen funds and money of the Seneca Cayuga Grand Lake Casino.â€
It goes to show the skill in the Seneca Grand Lake Casino’s security personnel for detecting the activity. As most people know, casino’s use poker chips unique to them to identify and distinguish from other casino chips. What makes chips cool to many people are the different designs and patterns not to mention the texture which effects the way they feel. All these may serve to make them look good but the main purpose is to make it harder for someone to copy the designs and play them off as the authentic ones in the casino.
In the article they would not comment about how the pair are suspected of acquiring the chips because of course they are going to crack down on that operation :)
At Signature Poker we have high grade casino quality poker chips available for purchase to use for private use in your home ;) We in no way recommend going to a casino with our chips. You’ve been warned, hehe. Buy some of our chips and have a great time with your friends!
Looking for your next poker game fix? If you are on the U.S. East Coast, consider heading to Borgata in Atlantic City to take a shot at riches and some World Poker Tour fame. The Borgata Poker Open is arguably the most popular poker tournament destination on the eastern seaboard thanks to the player-friendly structures and the sizable fields that are attracted to this Atlantic City series.
Wednesday’s Poker Open debut (runs through Sept. 24, 2009) marked the seventh edition of this event and Borgata staffers couldn’t be happier. “It’s great to see so many familiar faces taking to the felt,†said Ray Stefanelli, director of poker marketing for Borgata. “Borgata strives to provide the best tournaments in the industry. Consideration is always given to the players in terms of value, competition, and entertainment. We made this year’s televised championship event accessible to every player while maintaining our highest standards in structure and customer service.”
There are over 50 Tournaments so there is definitely something for every type of runner. This is part of the World Poker Tour championship event, which will be filmed for television. Although it offers the smallest buy-in on the WPT circuit, Borgata has taken steps to ensure a strong outing by guaranteeing a $2 million prize pool for the championship event.
With only a few weeks to the third annual World Series of Poker Europe 2009 players still have the exclusive opportunity to qualify online with Betfair Poker. Since the launch of the World Series of Poker Europe back in 2007, there has not been a single British player who has managed to win a coveted WSOPE bracelet despite being on home soil. Read about 5 Brits to watch this year here.
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When some people think of poker, automatically many men envision a scene in their minds about playing strip poker with beautiful lingerie models around him…just him and the ladies, uh, wait…is that just me? Haha, on a more serious note about this subject, a group of 20 people in Kentwood, Michigan were arrested for running an illegal gambling operation in a Ramada hotel. The poker tournaments featured topless dealers and hostesses serving alcohol! Wow, I didn’t get the memo for this but if I surfed Craigslist for it I would have found out the blatant promotion for this event that led local police right to their doors!![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=9e68225e-d5c0-407c-abe1-8d2da2f7694d)
Playing poker online..it’s always a topic that many of our friends and customers bring up. Of course we at Signature Poker don’t concern ourselves with online gambling since we mostly deal with selling 
According to figures released by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, gaming revenues in Atlantic City dipped 13.2% during the 2009 calendar year compared to 2008. Sounds drastic but also expected in the current economic climate. You can read more of the details ![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=d6ba7850-e465-408d-a6d7-d5b0636f1c58)
