I received an e-mail with a 'Top Nine List' from my friend and fellow poker tournament photographer (and he regulary photographs the richest guy in the world) and blogger, Curtis Krumel. Curtis came to Las Vegas for the Bellagio's Festa al Lago Poker Touranment last October. With pen and pad and a professional digital camera, Curtis artfully documented all of the action of the event while working with Dr Pauly and me (He also covered for me to take some much needed time off). He provided all of his notes and photos to the Prof's blog and we are most grateful. Curtis spent a long stretch of time in Las Vegas before returning to his home and work in Charlotte, North Carolina. Recently he sent a Top Nine List of ways to know you spent too much time in Las Vegas. Thanks again for everything and the Nines list. This week's Nines List...

1. Oh, so THAT'S the sun!

Thanks to Curtis Krumel and his specialksplace.blogspot.com blog.

In only five months we will again hear WSOP Tournament Director Johnny Grooms say, "Shuffle Up and Deal!" as he officially opens the 2006 World Series of Poker at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas. A reminder that we are currently accepting reservations for limited advertiser space. Contact LasVegasVegas.com for details. The Poker Prof's Blog will also be on-site covering the second annual WSOP Expo Show that runs in conjunction with the 2006 WSOP. An excellent opportunity for wide exposure.

The poker scene in Las Vegas continues to thrive with rooms opening and expanding to accommodate the crowds of waiting poker players. Poker has been revitalized and re-invented in a new, bigger, better format. Long time Vegas poker players have been witness to the 'coming out' of the game. Poker players have long been the poor cousins to other casino game players probably because poker is the only game in the casino that allow players to wager among themselves, instead of the house, not the most profitable use of floorspace. Poker rooms were small, smokey and prone to sudden relocation.

Today, Las Vegas poker rooms have risen from the decay of yesterday's decline into some of the most comfortable, plush real estate in the casino. Equipped with pagers, digital info displays, plasma TV's and shufflemasters, these large smoke free rooms are professionally managed and offer players comfortable seating, central locations, easy parking, low-limit no-limit, comps, tables full of action and NLHE tournaments. The players that frequent these new rooms are more demanding, they want a quality poker experience.

So, how come poker has come so far? Legions of new players filling the seats in the poker rooms here in Las Vegas are the reason for the resurgence of the game. These new players are young, hard working, hard playing competitors that have made poker their game of choice. They come to play, they bring cash, they bring skill and they bring change. The game has definitely changed and for many of the experienced players it is a welcome change. Much more action in today's version of poker, much more cash and often much easier cash. A nice bonus for many of the Vegas poker room regulars, but only for the ones that retooled their game to take advantage of this new poker arena. Some of the senior players I know have been complaining that the games have changed and not for the better since they can't even break even in the lower-limit games where they play. They haven't made the transition and probably won't. These new youthful players are packing more raw skill and aggression than the oldsters can handle.

I like what poker has become, and just in time, too. I once believed that poker in Las Vegas casinos was doomed to extinction. Rooms were downsizing, closing and moving closer to the door every day. Even the continued existence of the World Series of Poker was in jeopardy. Dark days had indeed descended upon the game, then...holy hole card camera! Poker is on prime time television and just in time to supplement the proliferation of Internet card rooms. Thousands and thousands of bored youth staring at computer monitors discovered and embraced poker, making poker their game of choice. Everybody could learn to play poker...male or female, big or small...that's why poker rooms are being remodeled, enlarged and improved, to attract these young, sophisticated players. The casinos know today's young players will be filling poker rooms for decades to come. Poker has moved into the mainstream.

The next time you are in your favorite poker room enjoying amenities and comforts unheard of a few short years ago; then, thank the kids playing at your table. Even thank the kid that cracked your Aces with a one-outer case card on the river. They are the reason poker in Las Vegas has survived to become so nice and respectable.

I understand the complaints some of the older players have trying to adapt to this new digital generation. I talked to some of them and made a list of their complaints about playing at a table full of twenty-something's. This week's nines...

1. They win!

Twas the Night Before Christmas in the Poker Room

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the poker room,
Not much was moving, quiet as a tomb,
The chip racks were stacked on the side in a row,
Hoping some good luck would fill them with dough;

The players were sitting hunched in their seats,
Telling their tales of all the bad beats,
The dealer looked at me and ask,
Do you plan to bet or will you pass?

From out in the casino I heard a shout,
I jumped from the two seat to see what was about,
And what to my surprise did appear,
A fat guy drinking a bottle of beer,

He came into the room all in a bustle,
No one guessed it might be a hustle,
He slid into the six seat and yelled for a rack,
Then looked around and said, "I'll leave when I've filled my sack,"

Through the air the cards did fly,
Lady Luck had blessed this red suited guy,
He played every hand never folding a one,
The outcome was always the same, he won and won,

When he had taken most of our chips,
He said I'm going to give you some poker tips,
I've played them all, the good and the great,
And let me tell you I can relate,

I've sat across from Hellmuth, Luske and Chan,
Brunson, Nguyen, even a guy called Fossilman,
They remind me of a boxer with a glass jaw,
They can't even play me to a draw,

Now please excuse me, I really must go,
I gotta make a stop at the Bellagio,
I left my Mercedes in their valet,
Don't look so surprised, I traded the sleigh.

I hope you all have a very prosperous year,
I'll be back next Christmas to play right here,
Maybe you should read a poker book or two,
The way you play you don't have a clue,

Under you're pillow tomorrow you must look,
That's where I'll leave your copy of Brunson's book.
And with that he turned and walked away,
Have a Very Merry Christmas Day!

I hope you enjoy our effort at a little Holiday humor. The Las Vegas poker scene is a great place to spend some of your holiday time, play poker, relax and make some new friends. Crowds fill the poker tables, even on Christmas eve. The festive atmosphere has taken over the city and will continue to build to a fever pitch for New Year's Eve. Consider giving yourself a special holiday present and come on down to Vegas.

Las Vegas parties everyday of the year; so, we decided it would be a good idea to offer a list of ways to know it's Christmas in Vegas. This week's Nines...

9. Instead of an olive your martini has a sugar plum.
8. All the food at the Circus Circus buffet is red or green. No, wait, that's normal.
7. Big Red sleigh in valet parking.
6. Frosty the Snowman hitting on the cocktail girls.
5. Downtown Vegas decorated as giant lump of coal.
4. Hotel security dressed as nutcrackers.
3. Elves playing the slots.
2. The coffee shop daily special... roasted reindeer.
1. Santa playing No Limit Hold'em in the card room!

Have a Safe & Happy Holiday!

As the end of the year is quickly approaching the professional poker community is scrambling to score points for the poker player of the year award. The formula for determining the best player is quite complicated and requires an in-depth knowledge of quantum mechanics and calculus. Black magic and witchcraft also lends some understanding of how the player is selected, and don't forget, that the selection is based in-part on a ranking of inverse proportionality as applied to order of finish in various major tournaments (tournaments vary according to whomever is doing the calculating).

Unfortunately most of us don't have a ghost of a chance of making the list or understanding how those that did got there. Most of us never even meet a Player of the Year. To help out with a basic understanding of the entire player of the year thing I am providing a list of ways to know you're not going to be the Poker Player of the Year. This week's Nines...

9. You've never won any chips, cash, trophies, bracelets or anything playing poker.
8. You're never been to Texas, much less lived there.
7. You can never remember...straight beats flush?...flush beats straight?
6. You constantly annoy the other players by jumping up and yelling Bingo.
5. Not enough 'Go Fish' tournaments.
4. Other players won't let you see their cards.
3. You lost to a table full of dogs playing poker.
2. Your nickname...Rebuy King
1. You don't play poker!

I've read the Prof's list of suggestions for what to get for a poker fanatic. Everything from a deck of cards to a WSOP gold championship bracelet. Las Vegas is now the number one destination for shopping and provides holiday shoppers with a range of malls from the factory outlets through the ultra-exclusive brand name stores in the exclusive Las Vegas Strip malls where you can max out the family credit cards for the next century. Shopping has replaced gambling as the number one reason to visit Las Vegas giving visitors two great ways to go broke.

The holidays are a great time to visit Las Vegas. The resorts go all out with the decorations and I've already heard Christmas carols being piped throughout the casinos. The employees are getting into their festive holiday outfits. The free drinks include eggnog with plenty of spirits. So, what are you waiting for? Send the kids to the grandparents, cash out your bank account and come on down.

I've made a list of reasons to do your holiday shopping in Las Vegas. This week's Nines...

9. World's only complete collection of Tom McEvoy's poker books.
8. Gift wrapped cocktail girls.
7. Those cool shirts with blinking lights.
6. Lowest price anywhere for silicone by the cup.
5. Vegas hooker gift certificates.
4. Bargain price on a book of Circus-Circus Buffet passes.
3. Only mall food court where Elvis ask you, "Do you want fries with that?"
2. Only place to get an operation making you into Elvis.
1. You don't have to waste time shopping, you lost your gift buying money gambling!

I played live poker last night at one of the Las Vegas casinos and the table conversation got around to bird flu. Most of the players at the table believed the threat level of this problem could be even higher for Las Vegas. Vegas locals know that welcoming 40 million visitors a year from all around the world exposes us to whatever was at their last stops. Airliners loaded with tourist fly into the Las Vegas airport from everywhere around the globe, including places where the deadly flu strain in birds has been discovered.

A couple of last night's poker players firmly believe the flu scare is nothing more than fearmongering by an embattled Administration's spin doctors trying to redirect America's attention elsewhere. The broadcast media is now providing a steady barrage of bird flu news with attention grabbing daily sound bites, "Your upcoming weekend weather report, Plus... Bird flu is going to kill you by Friday! Details at Six."

The thought that a deadly strain of flu now infecting people and could become a world wide pandemic killing millions is damn scary. Given that human deaths from bird flu amount to approximately 0.000000000001% of the world's population quickly becomes a mute point if you'e the "1." The U.N.'s top avian flu scientist said at a press conference that 5million-150 million people could die. the U.N. quickly backed off from the 150 million number saying they believed the high number might be closer to 7.5 million. Surfing around I noticed that the entrepreneurs are already working the pandemic sidelines. Check out the Google ads at the bottom of this page.

I am concerned about the flu threat, perceived or otherwise. I got a flu shot, bought some of those Saturday Night Special masks and stored a truckload of flu medicines within easy reach. I have made check lists of everything I should do, even a list of ways to know if you may have been exposed to bird flu. This week's Nines...

9. You've seen Hitchcock's The Birds movie 32 times.
8. You found an empty NyQuill bottle in the bottom of your parrot's cage.
7. Quote the raven, "Cough! Cough!...Never...Cough! Cough! Cough!... More...Cough! Sniffle."
6. Why the chicken crossed the road jokes are no longer funny.
5. You live downwind of a KFC joint.
4. All of your hair is morphing into feathers.
3. Every meal, you insist on a side of earthworms.
2. You wake up knowing which came first with the chicken and the egg.
1. Everything you eat tastes like chicken!

An idea being tossed around Las Vegas not long ago was a pitch to turn the city into the epicenter for celebrating the unofficial holiday, Halloween. I thought it was a great idea and one that had not really been exploited to the degree that Las Vegas can exploit ideas. Things like turning downtown Las Vegas into the World's largest 'haunted house', the Las Vegas Strip taking on the look and feel of a magical street out of a JR Rowling novel would all combine into a gigantic themed party not to be missed (PG-21 rating).

Add to the above list the natural 'spooky side' of Las Vegas, something I had never noticed until I saw the TV movie, Night Stalker, about a Vampire living in Las Vegas and being chased by one of my all-time favorite movie reporters, Carl Kolchak, played by Darren McGavin. The movie is worth your time just to get a historic look at Las Vegas more than three decades ago, back when the World Series of Poker was played at Binion's Horseshoe for the first time.

The grand idea of making Halloween synonymous with Las Vegas has not become a reality but maybe there's still hope. Vegoose at Sam Boyd Stadium is a two day musical celebration that was two years in the making for this 2005 Halloween weekend in Las Vegas. The party is here in Las Vegas and don't forget we have more magicians per square foot than any place on Earth outside of Transylvania. Got no where to go this Halloween? Then come on down and Trick or Treat with the big kids.

I have listed some of the little known but spooky things about Las Vegas that most people don't know. This week's Nines...

Top Nine spooky things about Las Vegas.

9. Siegfried and Roy use real magic, not illusions.

8. Phil Hellmuth can see through playing cards.

7. Packs of howling ghost dogs.

6. Penn and Teller are Hobbits.

5. Mayor Oscar Goodman keeps referring to the Las Vegas City Coven.

4. Chris Ferguson can read your mind...from the next room.

3. Steve Wynn can walk on water.

2. The Talking statues at Caesars come to life and leave in a taxi.

1. Disappearing money!

The Festa al Lago IV ended at the Bellagio just in time for the start of the 2005 World Series of Baseball. Coming off ten days of watching professional poker players compete for a major tournament title followed by watching two nights of the World Series of Baseball has given me time to compare the two sports. With broadcast poker tournaments behind baseball in ratings numbers, I decided to determine if poker could learn something from baseball about drawing more viewers.

I've listed the things poker can learn from baseball. This week's Nines...

Top Nine things poker can learn from baseball.

9. Players encouraged to spit more.

8. Dealers deal a brush-back card when players crowd the table.

7. Lose three all-ins, you're out.

6. Poker players can no longer have secret meetings to determine outcome of game.

5. A whole new meaning for "chip and a chair" when it becomes "cup and a chair."

4. The 'Master' is banned for two tournaments after Corona is determined to be "performance enhancing."

3. Under the table cameras letting fans watch the stars scratch themselves.

2. Ace-King no longer referred to as "Big Slick," it will now be "Big Unit."

1. Just like Big League Baseball...No Female Players!

I'm one of those people that have trouble sleeping after a long poker tournament session. I spend the night tossing about while being chased around in dream land by oversize playing cards, talking chips and unobtainable pots large enough to buy Kansas. Going even farther into the rabbit hole gets me to the land of 'Poker Nightmare-O-Rama.'

I've listed the Top Nine recurring nightmares. This week's Nines...

Top Nine recurring poker nightmares.

9. Everytime you look at your cards...Seven-Deuce (only for those players that think a hammer is a carpenter's tool).
8. Pocket Aces continuously cracked by four-eight off suit.
7. Sitting next to Richard Simmons.
6. Pocket Queens actually win.
5. You win the biggest pot of the night only to discover it's a pile of match sticks.
4. You get your first ever royal flush...while playing low ball.
3. Every game in the poker room is razz.
2. Everyone at the table has the same last name, Brunson.
1. The guy with the long hair and beard, wearing the black hat and mirror glasses isn't Chris, he's really Jesus!

I have been spending the last few days reading the backlog of poker related books. The Poker Prof has also been going through the stacks of books authored by well known and not so well known poker players, dealers and almost anyone that has ever played a hand of poker. He recently completed Tales from the Tilt Boys and posted the book review below. Every week we get another poker book to review.

I thought about writing a book on the game and getting my piece of the profits; but, I am having trouble coming up with a suitable title. Maybe I should leave the writing to the professionals. This week's Nines covers some of the rejected titles for my as-yet unwritten poker book. This week's Nines...

9. The Big Book of Five Card Draw
8. Play Poker, Lose Weight.
7. War and Poker.
6. Honest Poker Players I Have Known.
5. The Complete Children's Guide to Poker.
4. Don't Quit Your Day Job.
3. Lassie Eats Cheaters.
2. Become a Poker Pro in Ten Easy Minutes.
1. Debbie Does Poker!

Las Vegas offers visitors many flavors of pleasure. Shopping in ultimate luxury, prime rib dinners at four in the morning, slot machines by the thousands, table games for every level of gambler and poker games guaranteed to send you home broke if you can't play an "A" game. That's just a short list of what the city offers. A ready fix for most of the seven deadly sins can be found right here and in abundance. All you need is money.

Trying to remember the days when I would spend hours in a car rocketing through the desert night just to bask for a few hours in the excitement of Vegas. Sometimes, just the sights and sounds were enough to make it all worth while. Even the tobacco smoke and Estee Lauder smell of the casinos would provide an adrenalin rush. The hundreds of scantly clad young women giving away free booze, cigarettes and smiles kept the rush going. Most of the time I returned to college dead broke; but, I had learned my lesson once again and I would be motivated and determined to study hard, get the degree and a good job making lots of money so I could go to Las Vegas and stay even longer.

Today's question, "How do you know if you had great trip to Las Vegas?" Of course, every Las Vegas visitor probably has different ideas about what makes a trip a success. This week's Nines provides a list of basic ways to know your Vegas vacation was great. This week's Nines...

1. Unpacking at home, you find your suitcase is stuffed with bundles of hundred dollar bills!