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At the conclusion of the calendar year, InternetTexasHoldem.com will recognize the first ever Internet Player of the Year. Using a unique, objective scoring system, ITH has tracked the premier multi-table No-Limit Holdem tournaments on the web since Jan. 1, 2006.

By year's end, the true king of online poker will be crowned by ITH. Below, find the Top 25 IPOY standings as of Monday, Oct. 9.

Click here for more Player of the Year info like updated rankings, ranks by poker room, registration info., upcoming tournaments, player info., interviews, and online poker coverage! 

Ed. Note: if you don't know Bull, you should get to know him. Bull is Nuts about Bonuses. Bull has been tracking bonuses as they happen along with the other Bonus Chasers on the Forum . Now Bull is going to be bringing all this great bonus info. directly to you, every week. Due to the demand we've had for this, the Nuts are working on a realtime Bonus alert and more, so stay tuned to Bull's Bonuses!

PokerRoom Adds GoldRoom PokerRoom has opened a GoldRoom as the elite level in their Loyalty Program. To celebrate, they are offering everyone a 50% to $500 bonus that clears at 10X Player Points. Must use the bonus coade "Gold" when depositing. PokerRoom bonuses are stackable, and expire in 60 days if not cleared.

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Poker Plex Adds to Monthly Bonus Plan Cryptologic network skin Poker Plex has changed their long-enduring $50 monthly bonus plan. Players can earn up to $200 every month as follows: -$20 as soon as players reach 100 raked hands. -An additional $30 as soon as players reach 250 raked hands. -An additional $50 as soon as players reach 500 raked hands. -An additional $100 as soon as players reach 1,000 raked hands. The "raked hand" definition is still the same as the accrual of MPPs, so if the pot is raked less than one full unit it only counts as 0.25 raked hands.

VISIT POKER PLEX

Absolute Poker Added to FGO Absolute Poker has been added to the ITH free gift offer. Members can receive two free gifts from the ITH store if they sign up at Absolute Poker via ITH and play just 1,000 raked hands. Use code "ITHBook" when depositing to make sure you are properly credited for this offer.

SIGN UP FOR ABSOLUTE POKER

Poker Room Signups & Deposits - 50% Match up to $250 initial Deposit Bonus! Poker Room Bonus Code A2161 - 3 FREE GIFTS including: Poker Tracker, a 500 Pc Chip Set, or Poker DVD Sets

POKER ROOM BONUS - CLICK HERE

Poker Stars Signups & Deposits - 3 FREE GIFTS including: Poker Tracker, a 500 Pc Chip Set, or Poker DVD Sets -Entry into an exclusive ITH quarterly $2,000 Freeroll, (for new signups).

POKER STARS BONUS - CLICK HERE

Didn't see the Poker Room you're looking for? Click here for a full list of Poker Rooms

With the Congressional passage of the Unlawful Online Gambling Bill, the Poker Nuts have compiled the best resource on the web regarding online poker & "The Act". Stay abreast of US Friendly Poker Sites, reviews, tax law, info. on play, games, foreign donkey potential, etc., etc, etc. 

Nsidestrate & chillin are already building a "floating online casino"....just kidding, but Literally EVERYTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE relevent to "The Act"

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Poker and Life, Life and Poker

It's 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and I'm sitting at four tables, and have been for around an hour. And I have to admit that part of me is thinking, "What am I doing sitting here in my dressing gown, playing poker, when I could be asleep?"

I don't normally get up at this time, you understand. Not on a weekend, anyway. And yet here I am, nice and early, with a cup of coffee, happily (well...) watching Mr. See Every Flop crack my Aces with his 5h3h. I know. It's not even as if they were unsuited or anything...

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Bluffing on the Internet

PUBLISHED: Oct. 11, 2006

Every great poker movie and almost every great poker story revolves around a great bluff. When talking with someone who doesn't play poker, one of the first questions they inevitably ask is, "Do you bluff a lot?" The next time you are watching the World Poker Tour, look at how excited the announcers Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten get when someone tries a bluff. Bluffing is glamorous and dramatic and as a player there probably is nothing more thrilling than taking down a big pot with a nice bluff.

Unfortunately, the Internet is not the best place to try your bluffing prowess. In fact, one of the biggest pitfalls to online poker players is their propensity to bluff too often. The Internet game is different than a live game which explains why bluffing is generally not as successful online as in a live game.

Let's first review the two main reasons to try a bluff. Bluffing can increase your profits by winning pots when you don't have the best hand, and by getting your opponents to call you in the future when you have the best hand. Realize that bluffs do not have the same advertising value online as they do in a live game. First, many players don't pay as much attention to the game online as they do in a casino and won't even notice your bluffs. They might be playing two tables, watching television, or reading email. In addition, you rarely play with the same opponents very long on the Internet to take advantage of your "loose" image. You might try a bluff online and then 15 minutes later there are four or five new players sitting at your table. Of course, sometimes bluffing is needed in games where the players don't move in and out of the game a lot or you are against regular opponents, but this is the exception rather than the rule on the Internet...

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Variance or Bad Play?

PUBLISHED: Oct. 11, 2006

"Your upswing was obviously pure luck (variance) and the downswing was obviously mostly caused by terrible play... at least that's the opinion I've been reading in other threads around here." - "Ben" on the InternetTexasHoldem.com poker forum 1/31/06.

I read the above when browsing through some old forum posts and it made me think. Further browsing led me to several other discussions about the nature of downswings. To what extent are they caused by bad luck and to what extent are they caused by bad play? Of course, both of these terms are relative and subjective, so there is no definite answer to this question. But consider it a topic to ponder...

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Internet Player of the Year Spotlight: Rizen

PUBLISHED: Oct. 11, 2006

Though his dream of a 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event gold bracelet failed to become reality, there is no denying the fact that Eric "Rizen" Lynch was the bright shining star of ITH's Internet Player of the Year hopefuls at this year's WSOP. Of the 45 total events hosted at the Rio Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. during the WSOP, Lynch managed to rake in just shy of $600,000 despite participating in just four total events.

In addition to his $494,797 score for taking 24th in the ME, the 27-year old Lynch also won over 104K for taking third place in the $1,500 Pot-Limit event back in June. He failed to cash in his other two WSOP events, a $1,500 and a $2,000 No-Limit tournament.

"It's been an amazing experience out here in Las Vegas," said Lynch, just moments after collecting the largest cash of his career. "The World Series is incredible. I've never seen so many poker players packed into a room before. It is an electric atmosphere - kinda makes your hair stand up a little bit...I'll definitely be back next year."

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PUBLISHED: Oct. 11, 2006

After recently stating that he felt unsettled regarding the surge made by Tmay420 - IPOY No. 2 - in ITH's Internet Player of the Year race, Shawn "phat_cat" Luman gave himself some breathing room by winning the Paradise Poker 90K Guaranteed multi-table tournament late last month. In addition to a larger cushion in the chase for ITH IPOY honors, Luman also pocketed $20,639 in winnings on Sept. 28.

In a recent email correspondence with ITH, Luman jokingly hinted at nervousness regarding the recent online MTT tear by one Tmay420, writing, "All is great here, except for the rush that TMay is putting on me."

But the Paradise win less than two weeks ago gives Luman a little more room to breath, at least for the moment. He garnered 144 IPOY points for his victory in the ‘Dise 90K, extending his lead over Tmay420 to 394 points with less than three months remaining before the crowning of ITH's first ever Internet Poker Player of the Year.

For the year, the No. 1-ranked Luman now boasts 87 cashes and 17 final tables in the most prestigious online MTTs. Though consistent play had allowed Luman to place runner-up in a few of those MTTs, the Paradise win marked his first victory of 2006. He has now won over 250K in online MTTs this year!

Congrats to Shawn "phat_cat" Luman, as he continues to demonstrably state his case for 2006 ITH IPOY.

The $5 Million guaranteed Ongame Network Poker Classic , hosted by Ongame Network and played over 25 separate affiliate sites, is now underway. This poker classic is truly one of a kind, combining online play with live play to determine the complete Hold'em champion. The online portion of the No-Limit Hold'em tournament is slated to conclude Nov. 4, when the overall field will be whittled down to 45 total players. The final 45 players will then reconvene to duke it out in a live setting in beautiful Barcelona, Spain from Dec. 2-3.

While in Barcelona, players will enjoy five-star accommodations while staying at the luxurious Hotel Majestic (pictured above left). Which player possesses the total package of poker skill regardless of venue? Find out who will lay claim to being the complete Texas Hold'em champion in just three short months.

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See their cards, see their actions, see their thoughts...get inside the minds of the pros! Featuring lessons from Matthew Hilger & The Hendon Mob!

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During ITH's annual Summer Convention in Las Vegas, Nev. in August, nsidestrate was presented with an award commemorating his countless contributions to InternetTexasHoldem.com. Since the website's inception, nsidestrate has proved to be an invaluable forum member in terms of poker discussion and insight. Particularly, his presence in the Limit Hand Examples Forum has allowed nsidestrate to make quite a name for himself.

"I am the most proud of my contributions to the Limit Hand Examples forum," he said. "I've responded almost 3,000 times in that forum and I feel like it is the heart of the learning experience available at ITH. I know that I learned a lot about poker there I hope that I've shared some of it with others."

All told, nsidestrate has contributed nearly 14,000 posts and has built a reputation as one of the most well-respected, knowledgeable members of the ITH community. As such, he was recognized for his contributions during the Summer.

"I was flattered and suprised to be singled out for the award at the convention," said nsidestrate. "I don't think I do anything special that no one else does, I've just probably done it more often and more consistently than most people. I have a lot of respect for Matthew [Hilger] and Albert [Sands] and what they have done with the site, and I'm especially pleased to be singled out by them."