Man wins a Ladies Poker Tournament. Huh?

The South-African athlete Caster Semenya had to prove the world she is not a man as many claimed, but Abraham Korotki, the man who won the Ladies Event at the Borgata Poker Open is actually a proud member of the male specie.

How did a man enter the women poker tournament in the first place? Easy. He applied. You see, under federal law, a casino can not deny anyone over the age of 21 from entering the tournament. Disqualifying a person on a basis of gender would be illegal.

Korotki with the ladies and Rowe (third from the right)

Korotki was the only man amongst 270 women that participated in the Ladies No Limit Hold’em and except all the stir he managed to create around him, he also won the tournament and took home a $20,000 worth of poker chips.

Korotki competed against Nicole Rowe for the final prize and the whole thing could’ve been a funny anecdote and a great idea for a movie script. But we’re not in movieland and Miss Rowe was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. You can probably imagine she needed some extra cash and she offered Korotki to split the money, but like a true gentleman, he politely refused. Yep, it’s a man’s in a ladies poker night world.

The Mad Genius of Poker - Be a poker pro with Mike Caro DVD

Are you new to poker and looking for some professional advice? Even if you think that you know a lot about playing cards, there’s always room for improvement.

There’s one poker guy that everybody turns to in times of trouble and we thought you’d love to meet him. Ladies and gentlemen, give a warm welcome to the Mad Genius of Poker, Mr. Mike Caro!

Mike Caro is pro poker player and a pioneer in poker theory. You might have heard about MCU – Mike Caro University where Mike is teaching Poker 101 including advanced classes in Poker Strategy and Poker Psychology.

But if you’re not ready to go back to school, we wanted to let you know that you can now take a crash course thanks to Mike Caro Poker DVD. Caro’s been making this video for 11 years now, using bunch of cameras to capture even the most delicate human gestures and body language.

We'll throw in the first 10 tips, on the house:



If you want more of this valuable information, visit us online at www.pokerchest.com and take your game level to new heights.

Go Pro with Shuffle Tech's Casino Grade Automatic Card Shuffler

You take your cards seriously. It’s more than just a night with the guys for you and you’re looking for something better than a 15 dollar card shuffler. You wanna go pro with the real deal. You need a Casino Grade Automatic Card Shuffler.


Why? Because Shuffle Tech patent pending shuffling process mimics hand cutting, riffling, and stripping in 90 seconds or less. You get the Casino Dealer Shuffle and the full Randomization Shuffle.

If you don’t trust your friends, just know that there is no way that a Shuffle Tech machine can be manipulated to "stack the deck" in favor of the operator.

After all the shuffling, the cards are ejected into a presentation tray, which can be removed from the machine and passed intact to the dealer, since nobody touches the cards until it's time to deal.

The presentation tray does not have to be in the shuffler for it to shuffle a second deck. The unit will complete the shuffle and then pause until the tray is returned. The shuffled deck will then be ready in less than 3 seconds once tray is inserted. This means you can actually use three decks to play the game: one deck in play, another one in the presentation tray ready for the next game, and a third deck shuffling. Now that’s what we call playing cards.



This card shuffler makes the perfect gift to any poker enthusiast and you can get it at www.pokerchest.com with many other notable items such as custom poker chips, playing cards, dice, casino tables and tabletops, slot machines, storage cases, and much more.

They call me Lady Luck - Great Poker Scenes

You might not learn how to gamble by watching poker flicks, but you sure can have some fun. Most of the poker scenes are great, though some of the crazy card combination these stars get - will even make Lady Luck laugh out loud. We decided to bring you the best Hollywood poker scenes out there, who knows, maybe you will be able to a catch a trick or two, at least a new poker face.

This is one that every poker player needs to know by heart. Marlon Brando wooing Lady Luck just before a crucial game in "Guys and Dolls"



This one is my favorite. It's from the classic movie "The Sting" starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Newman is lucky alright, not with the cards, but for the fact that he did not get shot after cheating:



This one is also a classic - "The Cincinnati Kid" it features Steve McQueen as the best poker player in the world in New Orleans - the best city in the world.



Here's to chances! If this ever happened to anybody out there - I'm quitting poker. It's Mel Gibson in Maverick and his royal flush beats a straight flush and a four of a kind in one hand.



Last but not least is Guy Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and this is more of what your neighborhood poker night might look like:



Until the next time, check out www.pokerchest.com and get yourself a taste of Hollywood in your own home.

How to Cheat at Poker

What? Isn’t this why you play for? We’re not saying that you should cheat a casino – just your friends, it’s really fun and if they are good friends, there is a good possibility that you won’t get hurt.

Easy - The dealer that can’t count.

You have the cards, you have the power! When it’s you that’s dealing the cards, slide yourself an extra card. Heck, slide yourself two cards. It’s easy if no one’s looking. When you need to get rid of the extra cards, just throw the cards you don’t need into the pile. Nobody’s going to notice, and if they will notice, just say “oops.”

Medium – The ol’ card up the sleeve.

It only takes basic planning and the ability to hide a card in your palm. You can palm cards from the deck into your pocket, sleeve, on the floor, sock, underwear or whatever works for you. When the time comes, slid the card back into play. Remember to elegantly surrender a hidden card when performing a deck count.

Hard – The Card Shark



What do you need? A good pack of cards from www.pokerchest.com, some poker chips and some unsuspicious friends. Good luck!

Backgammon History

When you play Backgammon you should have respect for the game. The history of backgammon goes back approximately 5,000 years. Can you believe that the ancient Egyptians rolled the dice centuries ago and prayed for doubles just like you? Some might say it’s only a game of luck, but great players know that strategy has important role in backgammon. There are so many moves possible, so many techniques and counter-moves. In every turn you can do something risky, foolish, and even heroic. You don’t believe me? So how do you explain that computer scientists actually research backgammon? Just like in chess, there is even software that can beat the best human players.

Like any game that should be played with respect, you can buy backgammon sets in various sizes and prices. There are luxurious, black leather sets and your basic, beer night tournament sets. Even if your dice went missing, you can find a replacement, certified backgammon dice online. Try out a backgammon table or an e-backgammon if you keep loosing them checkers. Remember to check out the Monte Carlo World Backgammon Championship and make sure you come ready. PokerChest the leading retailer of gaming and casino supplies can get you well equipped with all your backgammon needs. At www.pokerchest.com you can also find notable items such as custom poker chips, playing cards, dice, casino tables and tabletops, slot machines, storage cases, and much more. Click on www.pokerchest.com, browse the online store, request a catalog and who knows, maybe you are the next world champion.

Dominoes Face

It’s always nice to have Dominoes around the house. It’s not a complicated game, it does not take to much strategy or thought, but it is always fun and relaxing. Plus, if you’re not in the mood for actually playing dominoes, you can always set them up in a line and knock them down. If you want a challenge, check out this video, the world record stands on 4,345,027 dominoes knocked. Think you are up for the task? You’ll need a bunch of dominoes that’s for sure. But even if you are not going for the record, you can still find some pretty nice dominoes sets in the market. Buy dominoes, they make a great gift or a lovely addition to your game room. You can find luxury dominoes sets in beautiful wooden boxes, or just your regular pack of dominoes to give out to the kids. Whatever you decide to do with your set, remember to get rid of doubles early in the game. They might look promising, but they get impossible to use later on. Just like in any other game, your opponent probably has weaknesses and may not know how to carry a “dominoes face.” See his reactions to what you throw away and you might identify what numbers he is missing.

Where to buy dominoes? Check out PokerChest online, the leading retailer of gaming and casino supplies. Besides Dominoes you can find notable items such as custom poker chips, playing cards, dice, casino tables and tabletops, slot machines, storage cases, and much more. Click on www.pokerchest.com, browse the online store, request a catalog and who knows, maybe the next world record is yours.