A Cornell University student has recently released the findings of a review of 27 million hands of online poker, and come to the conclusion that winning lots of pots is the sign of a loser. Kyle Siler, the sociology doctoral candidate who performed the study, found that most of the players who are winning more often tend to be winning smaller pots, while making huge losses on the really big ones. Apparently, people are affected more by wins than losses, and all that positive feedback from small wins makes people simply ignore the size of their losses – probably the biggest mistake you can make in poker!

Another interesting finding of Siler’s was that small pairs are more valuable than medium pairs for most players. Low stakes players know the value of a small pair, while they don’t really understand the value of medium pairs. In his own words:

“This is because small pairs have a less ambiguous value, and medium pairs are better hands but have more ambiguous values that small-stakes players apparently have trouble understanding.”

For me, this study highlights the importance of two things: having a separate gambling bankroll, and keeping detailed records of wins and losses. A separate bankroll helps to keep emotion out of your biggest bets, which will hopefully stop you from doing silly things like shoveling more money into the pot when you’ve obviously made a mistake. Detailed records will drive home your bigger losses, and you’ll know exactly where you went wrong (and maybe, if you are very lucky, where you went right).

If you would like to start practicing better poker play, then why not join one of the poker rooms on our list of recommended poker sites? While winning lots of hands might suggest a poor player, playing lots of hands is how pro poker players learn their craft.

For anyone following the PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge, you couldn’t help but remember the poker-playing priest, Andrew Trapp.

The Father – known by his friends as “Father Rambo” due to his love of paintball – made his way through the first round of the competition by taking down NBA Champ John Salley, PokerStars pro Vanessa Rousso, and four-time WSOP bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu.

Sure, Negreanu gave a few handy hints to Trapp along the way, but his good nature and firm playing style eventually earned him the $100,000 prize money.

Now, with the final table just around the corner, and a cool $1 million on offer for the winner of the PokerStars event, here’s a couple of nifty videos of the Father calling to give the good news of his victory, and a clip of him taking down Negreanu with a top pair against a straight draw.

The final table of the PokerStars Million Dollar Challenge will air on December 27, and will see Kid Poker take on the likes of Father Trapp, Brian Barboza, and the winner of the final qualifier on December 13.

It looks like the US government might finally be coming to their senses in regard to regulating Online Gambling.

This past week, the US Treasury Department granted a delay in the implementation of the very ambiguous Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Several politicians had written a letter to Treasury suggesting that a delay of these rules was needed.

I’m still amazed they can implement the rules at all considering that what is considered ‘Unlawful Internet Gambling’ is not even defined or mentioned within the act! Surely you have to explain what something is before you can legislate against it? Only in America….

Also, Representative Barney Frank announced on Tuesday Washington will begin discussing his proposed legislation that would overturn the UIGEA. After hearing the UIGEA delay announcement, Frank issued a statement saying that he would “continue to work hard to overturn the ill-advised law”.

Another piece of legislation has also been proposed by New Jersey lawmaker Robert Menendez, that would regulate online poker. Over the past couple of years, internet poker has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment for American citizens and the government sorely wants a piece of the action through taxing the online poker companies that are currently located offshore.

The USA may finally be ready to use common sense and shed the nanny state mantra of the previous Bush government. It’s unbelievable to the rest of the world that things like online poker and sports betting are not regulated in the USA. Especially considering that the USA is considered the world’s home to such pursuits via the casinos of Las Vegas & Atlantic City!