Month: February 2023

Ways To Expand Your Poker Knowledge

Over the past few years, and especially of late, the popularity of online poker has been rapidly increasing. Current statistics show that there are as many as 100,000 new people signing up to play online every month. As more and more players enter the picture, the competition gets tougher. No matter how good you think you are, you will at some point or another always run into someone that is better than you. To ensure that you stay at the top of your game, it is important that you are always looking for new techniques and information to help you improve your skill at the game. Even the most experienced players can usually always benefit from brushing up their skills, and most do, that is how they stay ahead of the game. Mistakes in poker can be very costly, and it is in your best interest as a player to avoid making them whenever possible. The more knowledge and skill you have, the less likely you will be to make costly errors in your game play.

The most obvious thing to learn is the rules of the game. It is important to be familiar with all of the rules and terminology before you ever really begin to play. If you start to play a game without knowing the terminology, you are going to be lost. Every beginner should start building their poker skill and knowledge with this step.

Next to knowing the rules and terminology of the game, you also need to learn about calculating odds and betting. Calculating odds will help you determine your chances of winning a particular game. Everyone needs to learn the ins and outs of betting successfully, unless they always want to leave the game empty handed.

There are many sources that can help you in your poker education. Many online poker gaming sites offer online poker schools. These schools are designed mostly for new players to learn the basics of each game, which is a good way to learn the rules and terminology.

It also would be helpful to research article databases for information as well. Many of these articles are written by poker players, and can offer valuable insight as to some of the mistakes they have made and how to avoid them. Articles can also provide you with helpful hints and tips that you can use to develop of beef up your playing strategy.

There are also many valuable books that have been written on the game of poker. Some of these books may be found online as e-books, and many of them may be found for free in your local library. The internet can be a huge source of information on the subject as well. You may also benefit from visiting online poker forums where you can chat with and ask questions of other players.

If you have friends or family that play the game, they can also be a good resource. They could play a few games with you and offer insight that could draw attention to your mistakes, maybe little things that you weren’t even aware of.

The more you learn about the game of poker, the bigger the advantage you will have over other players. All it really takes is commitment to learn, and a little bit of spare time. Who knows? You could turn yourself into a poker pro!

Remember, you are your best critic. You should always analyze your game and look for things that you can tweak to make you a more successful player.

‘Anxious To Get Him Going’: $1.55 Million Justify Colt Nuclear Makes Career Debut Saturday

Set to make his debut Saturday for trainer John Sadler is Nuclear, a colt by 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify who commanded $1.55 million at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Nuclear will face nine rivals in a six-furlong maiden special weight on turf at Santa Anita Park, which goes as the final race on a 10-race card. For his debut, the high-priced auction buy has lured Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez.

Nuclear has been working at Santa Anita since early December and most recently has reeled off four straight five-furlong drills, which includes a five furlong move in 1:00 on Jan. 28 that was the third fastest of 62 works at the distance. Last summer, Nuclear had been in training at Del Mar but Sadler was forced to back off the colt due to what he said were shin issues.

“You can tell by his price tag we're anxious to get him going,” Sadler said. “We decided to start him on grass because of the way he's trained. The way he moves, I thought the turf was the way to get started, but he looks like a good prospect.”

Nuclear is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Talla Racing and Stonehaven Steadings. He is out of the Latent Heat mare True Feelings, who was graded-stakes placed as a 2-year-old at Saratoga in 2011. True Feelings has also produced stakes winner Feeling Mischief, graded-stakes placed Royal Act and six-figure earner Forge ($227,761).

“He'll probably be better going long second time, but he still has a chance first start,” Sadler said.

Nuclear's debut is scheduled for approximately 5 p.m. on Saturday.

The post ‘Anxious To Get Him Going’: $1.55 Million Justify Colt Nuclear Makes Career Debut Saturday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Songwriter, Thoroughbred Owner Burt Bacharach, 94, Passes

Burt Bacharach (BENOIT photo)

The entertainment world lost a giant Wednesday with the passing of legendary composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist Burt Bacharach.  Born in Kansas City, Mo., Bacharach, who would've been 95 on May 12, passed away at his home in Los Angeles.

Bacharach was not only a giant in the music business – winning six Grammys and three Oscars – but he was also a significant player in Thoroughbred horse racing, dating back to the late 1960s, when his first horse, Battle Royal, won his career debut in 1968 for Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham.

Bacharach soon developed close friendships with a number of prominent racing personalities, including Hollywood Park's Marjorie Everett and jockeys such as Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay, Jr.  Married at the time to superstar actress Angie Dickinson, Bacharach and his wife co-hosted an episode of the hit television variety show Hollywood Palace on ABC television, circa January 1970, and Shoemaker, who was recovering from serious injuries, was their lead guest.

The Shoe sang a version of the George Jones hit song, “The Race is On,” and executed a dance routine as well and answered questions from Burt and Angie, who also ran video of the spill in which Shoemaker was injured.

In addition to a multitude of entertainment awards for songs such as “Alfie,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head,” “The Look of Love,” “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” and “What the World Needs Now is Love,” Bacharach also enjoyed major success in racing.

His Maryland-bred Heartlight No. One, who was trained by Pedro Marti and named for the Neil Diamond hit “Heartlight,” won five races in a row in 1983, including the Grade 1 Hollywood Oaks, the G2 Del Mar Oaks and the G1 Ruffian Handicap at Belmont Park and was subsequently voted 1983's Eclipse Award winning 3-year-old filly.

“I rode the first horse Burt ever owned, a horse named Battle Royal for Charlie Whittingham,” said Pincay.  “And then later on, we won a lot of good races with Heartlight No. One.  Burt was just a good friend.  I will always be grateful to him, because after my first wife passed away, he took me under his wing.

“My kids were very young and he would invite us out to dinner almost every weekend.  I will always be very appreciative of that.  That's something that I will never forget.  He was really a good friend and I tell you, it hurt me to hear that he passed away.”

Other stakes horses campaigned by Bacharach included the Richard Mandella-trained Soul of the Matter and Afternoon Deelites, who won Santa Anita's Grade 2 San Felipe in successive years in 1994 and 1995.  Soul of the Matter would go on to run fifth in the 1994 Kentucky Derby and two years later at age five, he ran second to the great Cigar in the inaugural Dubai World Cup in 1996 and retired as the all-time leading West Virginia-bred money earner with more than $1.5 million.

Following his 1995 San Felipe victory, Afternoon Deelites, in one of the most dramatic finishes in the history of the Santa Anita Derby, finished second by a nose to Larry the Legend and would go on to run eighth in the Run for the Roses.

Burt Bacharach (ABC publicity photo)

“We had great times racing, with Soul of the Matter and Afternoon Deelites,” said Mandella from his Santa Anita Barn 4 on Thursday morning.  “We became great friends and we continued that way.  He was a great person, a great owner, he couldn't have been better.  We had great times and I couldn't say enough about him.

“One day I'll never forget, he actually had my parents and my wife and I picked up at the airport in Vegas, and we were taken to Caesars Palace where we had front row seats for one of his concerts.  It was the one night he came back with Dionne Warwick (“Walk on By,” “Alfie,” etc.)

“I remember Sugar Ray Leonard was in the booth next to us and Burt stopped the concert and introduced me and then Sugar Ray Leonard.  I'll never forget it.”

Honored by the Turf Publicists of America in 1971 with its “Big Sport of Turfdom” award, Bacharach was also chosen as the 1995 Maryland Breeder of the Year.

Bacharach's final win came with the Irish-bred Duvet Day, who flew late going a mile and one half on turf to win Santa Anita's $100,000 Astra Stakes on Jan. 21.  Owned in-part by Bacharach and his wife, Jane, Duvet Day, who paid $28.80 to win, was trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Kazushi Kimura.

Burt Bacharach is survived by his wife, Jane, and three children: sons Oliver and Cristopher Elton, as well as a daughter, Raleigh. A fourth child, daughter Nikki, died in 2007.

The post Songwriter, Thoroughbred Owner Burt Bacharach, 94, Passes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lazuli Aims For Blue Point Sprint Double

The 2022 G2 Blue Point Sprint hero Lazuli (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is back to defend his title for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby over this minimum trip on grass. Worth $180,000, the Blue Point is the 6-year-old gelding's second run of the season after defeating Man Of Promise (Into Mischief) in the Listed Ertijaal Dubai Dash on opening day of the 2023 Dubai World Cup Carnival.

“Lazuli is tried and tested over five furlongs at Meydan and this is his optimum trip,” said Appleby. “He is in great form and, even with his draw in stall one, he has speed horses around him and looks the one to beat.

“Man Of Promise ran a good solid race over this distance in the Ertijaal Dubai Dash and seems to be taking his racing better these days.”

Shadwell's Kuzaam (Kitten's Joy), who won the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint by two lengths last February, is hoping to rebound off of a seventh-place run in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night.

“Khuzaam has taken a bit of time to come around, but is really well,” said trainer Doug Watson. “The long layoff is a worry but he's a really nice horse.”

G2 Sapphire S. heroine Ladies Church (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), the only filly in the field, could also be heard from in the Mark Dobbin silks. She was 17 of 19 in the G1 Flying Five S. over this distance at the Curragh on Sept. 11.

“She is in very good form, but like all our horses who travelled to Dubai this season, she will probably need her first run of the year,” said trainer Johnny Murtagh.

2021 victor Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) is also signed on but has not won since taking that race for Mrs. Fitriani Hay and trainer Charlie Hills.

 

American-breds A Force Majeure In Guineas

The $150,000 G2 UAE 2000 Guineas run over 1600 metres on the main track sees nine American-bred colts and one Argentinean line up for one of the earliest Classics of the year.

No stranger to Meydan, trainer Doug O'Neill has sent the Calumet Farm-owned Tall Boy (Lookin At Lucky), who should run with credit, despite his maiden status. Out of the unraced Madame Mayra, the colt enters with a fourth-place run in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 17.

“The reason he's in Dubai is because we think he's capable of being pointed to the [G2] UAE Derby [on Mar. 25],” said Leandro Mora, assistant trainer to Doug O'Neill. “He has two GI Kentucky Derby points already and we like him because he's run three tough races against Bob Baffert horses. He's a gentle giant with a lot of talent. We think this race might suit him as he loves the surface at Meydan.”

Charles Fipke homebred Shirl's Bee (Bee Jersey) is aiming to maintain his perfect record after running out a track-and-trip victor in a Dec. 23 maiden race.

“Shirl's Bee would be the most interesting of our runners on Friday,” said Doug Watson, who has been named champion trainer in the Emirates seven times. “He has been training well and we like him a lot. He has a good draw and we're really looking forward to seeing him run.”

Tamarkuz colt Tiger Nation has an even dearer record to protect, as he made a winning debut at Jebel Ali on New Year's Day, before running out a 1 1/4-length victor of a 1400-metre conditions affair on Jan. 13. The main question is the step up in distance for the Sheikh Hamden bin Mohammed Al Maktoum-owned bay.

“Tiger Nation came out of the Guineas Trial well,” said Salem bin Ghadayer. “He has a wide draw [9] but he has natural speed and we're hoping he can control the race and be there or thereabouts.”

 

Large Godolphin Contingent Ready For “Business”

Shining Blue (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) is one of four bearing the royal blue in the Listed Business Bay Challenge over 1400 metres on turf, and he is part of a Saeed bin Suroor trio mustered for this test. A last-out winner over course and distance defeating the re-opposing Spirit Of Light (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) on Jan. 20, he carries a red-capped Daniel Tudhope and they break from stall four. Bin Suroor also sends listed winner Major Partnership (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and 2021 G2 Al Fahidi Fort hero Land Of Legends (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB})

“Shining Blue won nicely in a handicap over this course and trip last month, said bin Suroor. “He has done well since and is ready to go again. Land Of Legends has won a big race over this distance in the past and we wanted to give him a chance back over seven furlongs as he displays plenty of speed in his races. Major Partnership never shows a great deal in the mornings but I'm hoping he is saving it for the racecourse.”

However, the blue cap is bestowed on Modern News (GB) (Shamardal) from the Charlie Appleby barn. A listed winner at Windsor last June, the 5-year-old gelding has also been placed three times in group company, including when second in the G3 Sovereign S. at Salisbury in August. He weakened to sixth after setting the pace in the G2 Zabeel Mile here on Jan. 20.

 

Curlin S. Springboard To Dubai World Cup

The race re-named in honour of the dual American Horse of the Year, Curlin, who won the 2000-metre Jaguar Trophy H. in 2008 one start before his G1 Dubai World Cup victory, has attracted a field of one dozen aspirants for the $12-million big dance on Mar. 25.

On rankings, Salem bin Ghadayer trainee Hypothetical (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) towers over the field at 112. The 2022 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 hero was last seen finishing seventh in the Dubai World Cup at the end of March.

“I need to give him one race before [the] Maktoum Challenge Round 3 on Super Saturday,” said bin Ghadayer. “He has a wide draw and top weight, but it's a prep race and he's 80-85% fit.”

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