Tapping on any fish tank, gets the attention of the fish, never mind the owner of the fish tank.

For now, I’m going to talk about the attention of the fish. Sitting down at the poker table, there are a myriad of reasons a person is at the table. All skill levels can be present. Just as in the fish tank, there’s a hierarchy in the pecking order. Not all fish get along, therefore the stronger ones will survive, eventually. At the poker table, everyone can play the same hand differently, it’s subjective. So, when you see a player or players at the table playing badly, isn’t that what you want? You have found your edge. So why tap on the fish tank? You see this all the time, where a player will talk badly about a bad play, as they see it and give the player an ear full. Thus, taping on the fish tank, and getting the players attention, which could lead to the player improving his game from that point on. Why get the players attention on a questionable move? Why not let him continue to make questionable moves? I often get giddy, when I see numerous questionable calls at my table. Yes, I used the word, giddy. We’ve all been there, somehow a player is in a hand that we feel shouldn’t be there, but ends up winning the hand on numerous occasions. This is poker, as long as there’s 1 out left in the deck, anything can happen. What goes around, comes around in poker, we have all dished out bad beats. Instead of berating a player about their play, there’s a much better choice. How about silence or nice hand, cause a profitable player knows that in the long run, you can win against players making mistakes.

Tapping on the fish tank, could also mean a few other things. Often times, the player berating other players at the table for their play, could be missing out on important information. You are too busy tapping on the fish tank, that you, yourself aren’t thinking clearly and your judgment maybe cloudy. Other players, who are paying attention, could notice you are out of sorts and take advantage of you. How many times do you see the person talking the most about how bad players are at the table, they are in the first bunch to go busto? When you are at the poker table, you should be looking for any advantage over the other players you can get. Tapping on the fish tank, getting your opponents attention, isn’t one of them. Playing each hand the best way possible should be your goal, which hopefully leads to winning more often than not. Next time you think about tapping on the fish tank, check with the owner 1st. Highly ill advised.

Eric Byrd is our newest featured GR88.com pro. You can catch him at the tables under his username: team2win88.

Ruben Hopper was recently looking for a new hobby to keep him occupied in his retirement, so he took up poker. He’s gotten pretty good. And he’s 106 years old.

The Oklahoman farmer born in the year that the Wright Brothers mastered flight and Ford put out their first car, worked hard all his life, and is now enjoying retirement. His favorite pastime is playing penny ante poker with his two sons. “I like draw, stud, seven-card,” he said, “but I never went in for big games. I don’t like the big stuff, and not casinos.” Hooper looks great for his age, and his mind is just as sharp as ever. His sons complain that he consistently beats them at the poker table, either with the best hand or the best bluff.

So if you think it’s too late to learn the game, guess again. GR88.com is the place to be, whether you’re 19 or 90.

Video of Ruben Hooper can be found here.

Ryan Smith is a contributing blog writer for GR88.com

Poker’s exposure has been on the rise with online gaming and the increasing televised poker market, and now poker has found a niche audience: armed criminals.

The daylight robbery of the EPT Berlin event by an international gang of masked men wielding knives and guns made news earlier this month, with a successful manhunt for the four culprits. A similar scenario played out at a casino in Basell, Switzerland yesterday as ten heavily armed men broke down the door of the casino and stormed inside, firing machine guns. They ordered the people, including those involved in a poker tournament, onto the ground and made off with 70,000 Euros.

Are you thinking that casinos seem a little too dangerous right now, and you might settle in for a nice, safe home game? Think again. Late last night in Austin, Texas, four armed men stormed into a residence hosting a home game and threatened the 24 people present. Money and belongings were stolen and shots were fired, although no one was harmed. One suspect was apprehended and some of the money and belonging were returned.

So stay safe and play at GR88.com. We’re serious about poker. And you won’t get shot.

Ryan Smith is a contributing blog writer at GR88.com

The Kentucky Court of Appeals granted a motion today that may return the case involving the seizure of 141 internet gambling domain names, including PokerStars.com and FullTiltPoker.com, back to the state’s Supreme Court. Those representing the companies with the domain names, such as the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association where told in a Kentucky Supreme Court ruling last week that,while their arguments where compelling, they had no standing in the case as they did not represent during the preceedings. IMEGA came forward last week with a signed affadivit of ownership of the truepoker.com, one of the seized domain names.

The Kentucky Supreme Court has not announced if they would hear the case a second time, but IMEGA Chairman Joe Brennan is confident that the Court would side with them, saying in a press release “The Court can now make a decision based on Kentucky law. Based on the language of the decision, we know the Court wants to do just that. We know that the law favors us, and frankly, so do the Commonwealth’s attorneys.”

Ryan Smith is a contributing blog writer for GR88.com

Hot on the heels of the news that GSN’s High Stakes Poker’s ratings are sky high for their 6th season, FOX has announced a competitor, The Big Game.

The show, in conjuncton with PokerStars, will feature a $200/$400 no-limit hold’em cash game with a $100,000 buy-in. At this point, Daniel Negreanu is the only guaranteed participant, but the show will no doubt feature “some of the top names in the poker world.”

An exciting feature of The Big Game is the inclusion in each session of a “loose canon” qualifier, a player who wins a seat on a free roll and the $100,000 buy-in . The qualifier can pocket any of their winnings after the session is over.

Free roll qualifiers are now open March 26 will run through June 25.

Ryan Smith is a contributing blog writer for GR88.com

An updated version of The Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act, also known as HR 2268 and now numbered HR 4976, was introduced today by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA).

The bill, which was originally proposed in May, would impose a federal licensing fee of 2% of deposits, which the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimates up to $42 billion could be reaped over a ten year period. A new feature to the bill would also impose a 6% tax on deposits benefiting state and tribal governments, estimated to bring in $30 billion over ten years.

Dermott’s office says “At this level of taxation, internet gambling will still be quite profitable and states and tribes will have an easy way to participate in the taxing of internet gambling.”

The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative commented in a press release “This legislation is a win-win for federal and state leaders, providing an opportunity to regulate a currently offshore and underground industry, protect consumers, and put to good use tens of billions in otherwise lost revenue.”

Ryan Smith is a contributing blog writer for GR88.com

With the NHL’s regular season winding down and the playoffs about to be begin, the question can be asked: who deserves the Hart trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player? Let’s look at the most likely candidates:

Alex Ovechkin. He has won the Hart Trophy the last two years running, and Washington’s position at the top of the league and his position in the points race (currently one point behind Henrik Sedin for 1st) make a good case for a hat trick. What may hurt Ovechkin is the suspensions and time off from injury this year. Washington didn’t skip a beat without Ovechkin, scoring and winning no problem without him. That being said, his style is a real draw for the NHL, and I’m sure he’ll be rewarded for that. It’s a toss-up.

Sidney Crosby. The scorer of the “Golden Goal” has had a good season, and may take the Art Ross trophy as top goal scorer. He has been key to Pittsburgh’s success, but the Penguins have been greatly overshadowed by Washington in the Eastern Conference. He has been a solid leader and game-changer for the defending champs. He’ll most likely get a nomination.

Ryan Miller. The Goaltender has been stellar this year, stealing games for Buffalo, who has needed him to do so. Lindy Ruff’s team is not the powerhouse they were in recent reasons, but Buffalo is in a strong seed position going into the playoffs, and Miller is the key factor in this. Miller is one of the best, if not the best goalie in the league. Look for a nomination.

Ilya Bryzgalov. The Russian Goaltender has been essential in the Coyotes’ meteoric rise this year. With a lack of a “star”, scoring depth and consistent defence, the Coyotes are scratching at the top of the pack in the West. With 39 wins so far, Bryzgalov is a good contender. That being said, the NHL doesn’t seem interested in the Coyote’s Cinderella story. We’ll see.

Henrik Sedin. He is 1st in points and having a career year. The Canucks are going into the playoffs at the top of their division, due in no small part to “Hank.” He’s even managed to have a spectacular year with his brother and linemate Daniel missing over 25 games. Henrik has elevated the play of those around him, with linemates Alex Burrows and Mikael Sammuelsson having career years. How he performs under playoff pressure could be the deciding factor. Look for Sedin to get a nomination.

Did I leave someone out? Sound off in the comments!

Ryan Smith is a contributing blog writer for GR88.com

The voting turn out for the WSOP Tournament of Champions has far exceeded the expectations of the WSOP, officials have said. TOC creator, inaugural champion and epic hand talker Mike Sexton said in a recent blog that his guess is that “most of the 20 selected in the voting process will be those who have mainstream media recognition, but it will be interesting to see who campaigns the hardest to get in and/or has Twitter or Facebook working for them. For foreign players, perhaps a country will unite behind one or more of their bracelet winners and get them in.” Oh Mike, how right you were.

On Facebook, pages including “Lets Get a UK Player in the 2010 WSOP Tournament of Champions” and “Vote David Stucke into the WSOP Tournament of Champions” are rising in support, and players like Jason Mercier are using both Facebook and Twitter to get the word out about the contest. Some are even tweeting to support others:
Daniel Negreanu pointed out on his Twitter feed (@RealKidPoker) “I just realized you can vote for Russ Hamilton for the WSOP TOC! Would be interesting to see how he does with the cards face down.”

With players itching to get to the line-up, it was only a matter of time before some good ol’ politickin’ began. Tom “Donkeybomber” Schneider, in an effort to garner votes, is promising to split half of his winnings with his voters. Players can tweet all they want, but Schneider is on to something by showing people the money. I wonder if we can get politicians to follow suit.

You can cast your vote here and check out the top 50 here. Voting is open until June 15.

Ryan Smith is a contributing blog writer for GR88.com

The Internet is a wealth of information, with answers to just about every question at everyone’s fingertips. Some of those fingertips belong to some extremely bizarre people. Seriously. I’m looking at people on the street differently now.

Google search help gives users suggestions based on what they start typing into the search bar, based on the most popular search. So if I was to type in “GR88″, the search bar would show me several searches, including GR88.com, and GR88.com/blog/ryan smith.

This morning my fiance was curious about the colors that are available for the iPhone. So she typed “Can I get” into the search bar. That’s when I heard her call me. She simply pointed at the screen.

The top Google search that accompanies “Can I get” is apparently “Can I get pregnant from a dog.” I’m not joking. This is the most asked question Google has had for “Can I get.” I’m not letting my dog go outside alone any more. So let’s recap for those scoring at home: 1. There are women out there having sex with dogs 2. These same women are dumb enough to think that some sort of human/dog hybrid is possible. Darwin would be punching himself in the face if he was still alive. Let’s continue, if you dare.

Of the ten suggestions Google has for “can I get”, 4 others ask about pregnancy. They are dumb questions, but at least they pertain to human copulation. That’s a plus, but a minus is that the people who are asking questions like these are looking to spread their DNA.

Eighth on the list is “Can I get your number?” So people either really, really like Google or they are trying out their best lines on a search engine. Either way, it’s not looking good.

The final suggestion is “Can I get a what what.” I don’t know, can you? If you have to ask Google if you can get a what what, there is something wrong with you beyond using slang like that. I realize that much of that searching pertains to the Jay-Z song, but it is still a head scratcher.

There must be hundreds of similar search quagmires, but frankly, I’m afraid to look. So I put it to you now to find your own and post them on the comments. Good luck. Now, I’m going to walk my dog – on a very tight leash.

Ryan Smith is a contributing blog writer for GR88.com

I’ve seen a little of Phil Hellmuth lately, and I’m beginning to think that something is up. Those who know of Hellmuth and his antics well may look at him now and think that he has been replaced by a look-alike as part of an Alien conspiracy to take over the Earth. Now, before you get out the tinfoil hats, let’s take a look at Hellmuth over the last few weeks.

February: Poor Phil is in a bit of a slide. The online “kids who don’t know anything” and the “idiot Eastern European players” are beating Phil. He looks like a defeated man. Even his tantrums don’t have the same enthusiasm.

Enter Sam Chauhan, a mindset coach to the stars. Apparently Hellmuth has had enough with being The Poker Brat and wants to be one with the universe – or at least the table. Does it work?

March: Hellmuth takes a horrific bad beat at the final table of the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star… and doesn’t throw a tantrum. He does, however sit in what was either stunned silence or a zen-like state after the beat. I’m leaning more towards stunned silence, because after Hellmuth finally left the table, he curled up on the floor backstage in the fetal position. Terrible reaction? Yes. Marked improvement? Yes.

Last night: I watched Phil Hellmuth at the featured table at a WSOP Europe event. It wasn’t long until the classic Hellmuth blow-up scenario unfolded. It had all of the ingredients: Phil was steaming and the table knew it; he raised with a marginal hand pre-flop and was called by a slightly better marginal hand; he had top pair on the flop with a straight draw, and he went all in; he was quickly called by top two pair. Lift off Hellmuth?

No. He said “Oh man, you’ve got me almost dead. Nice hand.” Wow. No name calling or crying to the poker gods. The turn gave Hellmuth, almost 4-1 dog at that point, the straight and the win. Did he rub it in the guy’s face? No. He simply counted out his chips and sat down, keeping quiet. Double Wow.

Are we seeing a new, softer, cuddlier Hellmuth with some table manners? Only time will tell. If so, good for him. But part of me hopes that underneath that calmer exterior, Mount Hellmuth is building seismic pressure.

Stay tuned.

Ryan Smith is a contributing blog writer for GR88.com