I Won at Poker! Now what?

Far freaking out – I won some major bucks recently at one of my regular poker rooms. Major bucks meaning more than my humble deposit of $50. But instead of recycling it back into another series of late nights of Texas Hold ’em, I decided to cash out.

The most difficult aspect of playing online for real money is the cyberness of it all. The cash doesn’t really seem real since you can’t touch it; the chips are not lying in front of you, they’re staring at you from your computer screen. Little electrons and image files telling you that x-amount is sitting in whatever account. It’s so easy to lose this money – if it doesn’t seem tangible, then who gives a flying rat’s ass if it’s gone. Well I do, and this is one of the reasons it is so important to cash-out your winnings from a cyber-poker room. But once this is done, I feel it’s important to invest this into my “world of poker” at home. I want my winnings to have meaning.

I thought about sprucing up my game room. And what better way to do this but to hang a big-ass picture of dogs playing poker smack dab in the middle of the wall. Art.com has them, http://www.art.com. Just do a search on “poker” on their site, and all the poker dogs come up. Some people find “dogs playing poker” creepy, but someday they will be worth something I’m sure — like those velvet matador and Elvis posters. If dogs ain’t your thing, they have a “Poker Hands” poster that looks rather smart. You can place this on the wall directly in front of your wife (or girlfriend) while she’s playing. My wife can never remember the hierarchy of hands – and this drives me nuts when in the middle of a hand I hear “are three Kings good?” This poster would be the cure for my frustrating frustration.

Speaking of the wife, I thought about buying something for m’lady online as well. She’s always worrying about getting fat, so I thought the best thing for her is a big ass box of chocolates. Were you aware that Vegas Image.com http://www.vegasimage.com has a wide assortment of chocolates shaped like poker chips and other gambling items? They look like the real McCoy – and wouldn’t that be a trip? Watching someone munch down a poker chip or two. Not only do they offer chocolate poker chips, but plenty of other edible gambling paraphernalia – chocolate dice, playing cards, party favors, even slot machines that dispense candy for the kids. “Let the kids have a pull!” Yee-haw!

One thing that I thought was attractive was the “King and Queen Playing Cards Snack Packs.” That would look really cool for a home chillin’ poker party. Something aesthetic yet distracting – you want your poker buddies to pay attention to the snacks, not your playing strategy.

But I passed on the poker chip chocolates. If I gave these to my wife, she’d probably figure out where I got the money from and commence to kick my ass. She can bench press her weight, y’know.

So, what else can one spend their hard earned winnings on? Well I invested about $50 on an excellent set of DVDs from Planet Easy.com http://www.planeteasy.com. “Win Big Playing Poker” featuring the Hendon Mob explaining exactly how to do that – how to win big.

It’s a four DVD set – actually three instructional DVDs and one additional DVD that shows them in action playing against themselves, and explaining their moves. The DVDs cover just about every aspect everyone needs to know – from beginner to expert

The first DVD is the “Beginner’s Edition” where the Hendon Mob explains Texas Hold ’em. They cover the hierarchy of hands to table action, player types, reading your opponent, playing etiquette, and tips for beginners. It ends with a very clear understanding for the viewer on how to play the best game.

The second DVD covers advanced poker skills: reading tells, types of tell, making yourself unreadable, betting patterns, and manipulating your opponents – last but not least – tips for winning online. One thing I never thought about – they mention that you should watch for players who are playing more than one table. When these players make a bet, they usually have a hand; these players play much more straightforward.

The Third DVD covers tournaments – both live and on the Internet. One thing pointed out is that on the Internet, tournaments have more beginners. So if you a re a relatively sharp player, this is something to keep in mind. And if you’re a lousy player, this is something to keep in mind as well – and buy the DVDs while you’re at it.

Most of us have learned this game from friends and from watching others play. But learning it from these guys was like learning the game all over again. Every player should have a copy of this at home.

The Hendon Mob closes with “Respect everyone – but fear no one.” This is a rule all players should commit to memory – no matter how trashed it is. And it’s tips like these that make this an investment worth every cent. I’m glad I won and cashed out.