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BLIND MAN'S ONLINE POKER
Published: 2005-11-08
 An ingenious answer to an online poker problem
University of Massachusetts undergrads Jeremie Spitzer and Paul Silva, motivated by a blind friend have devised a way in which blind or sight impaired folks can enjoy online poker, and readers can check it out at their site Allin Play.
Braille decks of cards have been around for a some time, but clearly are not helpful online and so the physics and computer science majors put their heads together in an attempt to create online card games that blind and sighted people could play as equals. The answer proved to be a screen reader software that describes aloud what is on the screen.
Extensive field research and beta testing completed, the innovation was launched in 2002 with Crazy Eights followed by Five Card Draw Poker.
Now the duo is moving on to the most popular game of them all - Texas Hold 'em, which is being beta tested and evaluated by volunteers and will soon be rolled out on their site.
"The World Series of Poker and Celebrity Poker Showdown have become household names," says co-founder Spitzer. "We're excited to bring this phenomenon to people who have, until now, been left out."
The concept has caught on and the AllinPlay site has several hundred blind or partially sighted persons in its database.
The American Council for the Blind has sponsored AllinPlay poker tournaments, and some major computer training centers for the blind are using the site to motivate new computer users. Recently demonstrated at a Smithsonian symposium, the card room is considered to be a good model for basic navigation.
While most players use a screen reader, the games can also be interfaced with screen magnifiers for those with some vision, or with Braille output, for those who prefer these devices over a screen reader.
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Poker Tip: Four Simple Rules for a Cash Game
Published: 2005-11-08
 By Dale Blasingame
VegasInsider@woai.com
One of the great things about poker is the constant change. There are new wrinkles you can always throw in. Like raising the buy-in, changing the blind structure, adding a bounty, etc.
Chances are your weekly, Friday night game is played tournament style...meaning everyone buys in for a certain amount of chips and all start off with the same amount. Last man or woman standing wins. But as your games get better, you might start to think about hosting a cash game.
It's a completely different monster.
Cash games are what you play in casino. You can buy in for whatever you want. Every chip represents its denomination...so if you have 40 $1 chips, you have $40 on the table. Twenty $5 chips equals $100...etc, etc. The blinds stay constant. When you run out of chips, you're out...and can buy back in. You can quit whenever you want, but it's generally considered rude to "hit & run" after winning a huge pot. It's usually proper etiquette to announce you have to leave and wait a few rounds before getting up. Doesn't mean you have to play any hands...but you might not get invited back if you continuously leave after taking a majority of someone's chips (especially if it's the person hosting the game).
Being in a cash game also means changing your style of play, as well. So here are my four simple rules for playing in a cash game, especially against people who aren't all that experienced with the style.
1. Sit out the first few rounds.
Only play AA, KK, or QQ during the first two rounds of the table. Don't worry about defending your blinds against raises. Get a feel for the other players and see how they're holding up under the non-tournament setting. This also sets up rules 2 and 3.
2. If the table is tight, play loose.
Pretty self-explanatory. Use the other players' tightness to steal your fair share of blinds and small pots. Those add up. If you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar, no big deal. Chances are it will be for a small pot, anyway.
3. If the table is loose, play tight.
Also, self-explanatory. If too many people are playing too many hands, sit back and wait for your spots. This isn't a tournament...blinds don't continue to go up. So you don't have to worry about getting blinded off. Sit there and wait for big, premium hands and attack. Make others pay for playing crap. Sure, it gets a little frustrating out there. But always remember this -- patience pays in poker. I've literally gone hours without playing a hand before.
4. If you're playing tight, don't be afraid to show a bluff. If you're playing loose, don't be afraid to show the nuts.
I generally don't like showing your hands. But in a cash game, I think it's okay to show one every once in a while to throw your opponents off. If you've been a rock all night, show a bluff to plant that seed of doubt. Then next time you have a big hand, it's in their head that you may be bluffing. It's the exact opposite for the second part of this rule. If you're playing the role of the wildman, you need to show a huge hand every so often to make players pause before calling you next time. If you get caught bluffing too many times, you'll attract calls like bugs to a light. Showing the nuts can stop that momentum.
Just a reminder.. If you are thinking about hosting a cash game, make sure you have enough chips to cover everyone. Depending on the size of your game and everyone's bankroll, this could mean thousands of chips. Also, remember that it's illegal in Texas to take a "rake." That's the cut a casino takes from each pot to pay for the poker room.
So be careful, have fun and good luck!
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