WPT at the Bay 101: NorCal vs. the world
By Arnold Warner

More than half of the 350 players entered in the Bay 101 Shooting Stars tournament call Northern California home and they did a great job defending their turf against pros and amateurs from all over the world! When the dust had finally settled and only six were left for the televised World Poker Tour final table (and the first place prize of $1,125,000), three of them were from the Bay Area.

The tournament took place at San Jose’s Bay 101 Casino on March 12–16, 2007. Monday (March 12) saw 209 players get whittled down to 70, then another 141 started on Tuesday and also played down to 70. On Wednesday they quit the day with only 36 left, then on Thursday played down to the final table of six. click here to read the whole article!

Liu is playing for a Chair
By Randall Rapp

It’s no wonder Joanne “J.J.” Liu has found both fame and fortune in the world of poker. She has both a winning smile and a winning game, packaged with an easy-going personality. She also has a fashion flair at final tables that she giggles at the mention of, and dismisses as “just kind of a girl thing.” click here to read the whole article!

On the Button
If you plan to win, plan to plan!
By Davin Anderson

Over the thousands of tournaments I’ve played during the past five years, both live and online, I’ve developed an outline as a starting point for tournament strategy. Tournaments have changed tremendously in the past six or seven years. There is an abundance of new, savvy, aggressive, young tournament players, and they have pushed the envelope on being active and aggressive in the pursuit of chips.

My strategy is a hybrid of old school patience and new school aggression. It can be applied to almost any type of multi-table tournament, but is intended to be adjusted for structure (blinds and time) and fields. No-limit cash games are about implied odds and expected values, but no-limit tournaments are about situations and timed aggression. click here to read the whole article!

Poker Ambassador
Mrs. A moves from malls to the felt
By Randall Rapp

A few months back your Ambassador reported in this space about his trip to Napa and doing a little wine tasting in between stops at cardrooms. You may remember that Mrs. Ambassador kept busy during the cardroom stops by visiting outlet malls and other shopping opportunities.
Well that negative expectancy cash flow situation has been resolved. On our recent visit to some Sonoma County cardrooms and wineries, I managed to talk her into playing poker instead. Whew! Those malls are a killer!
You might think this was a tough sell, but Mrs. A has always enjoyed a good game of poker. This had generally been at home playing with friends, so it wasn’t surprising that she had a classic case of “beginner shyness” when it came to playing at a public cardroom. click here to read the whole article!