Advantages And Disadvantages Of Playing Online Poker Vs. Playing At A Poker Table
The differences between online
poker and more traditional
poker table games are sometimes not as obvious as they may seem.
Unlike sitting
down at a
poker table with friends, online
poker has
an added dimension these days.
There is a
lot of pressure from many quarters
to make online poker illegal,
particularly in the United
States. You will almost
always know if the table game
you are playing
is in an area where poker
is legal, but it
is getting
harder to know if this is true about poker played online.
In spite
of these gray areas,
millions in the U. S.
and around the world regularly enjoy participating
in online poker games from
the comfort of
their own homes. Just to give this some perspective, in 2005,
the revenue from online poker
was reported to be in
the vicinity of $200 million.
Not only is online poker
generating huge amounts of revenue
and creating new millionaires,
among players, site owners, and affiliates of poker sites, but, due to its pervasive influence, the appeal of poker in general is growing. The
public is not only gaining knowledge about poker, but is showing an interest in all things poker.
From the tables to the chips at the table, to the
people who play at the tables, poker is huge.
Poker players such as Chris
Ferguson (Jesus), Annie Duke, and her brother Howard Lederer (The
Professor), and Hoyt
Corkins (The Alabama Cowboy), to name a few,
had never been
heard of by the public a
few months ago. Now they are celebrities in their own right. Even
people who
have been celebrities, such as Jennifer Tilly,
Ben Affleck, and Mimi Rogers
have traded in the bright
lights of Hollywood for the green
felt of the poker table - at least on occasion.
While many of these famous people play in
tournaments sitting at the table with the celebrities of poker,
most mortals enter the poker
arena via online poker
websites such as partypoker.com, pokerstars.com, ultimatebet.com or fulltiltpoker.com.
Sitting at a poker table
can be intimidating, particularly for the new player and just is not that inviting for the
beginner. They are apt to feel out of their league, and, if
others at the table
have more experience or are strangers, they are apt to feel intimidated.
The online poker experience is quite different. There is an anonymity which protects the psyche of the "newbie". They
can watch games as long as they want before actually taking part. Additionally, most online venues will have tutorials and practice games for beginners that help ease the learning process. Sometimes the
main site will actually have a completely separate site set up strictly for the beginner.
Another helper for the beginner is that online games
tend to have buttons
labeled for the various actions and often include
on-screen prompts for the appropriate action.
Internet poker sites also offer a range of limits
so that the beginning player
can actually start betting pennies. Not only is the betting easy, but so is the
access. Unlike a table game, an online game can be found 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world that there is a computer and an Internet connection.
There are,
however, two drawbacks to playing online, particularly if one's goal is to
eventually participate in the highly televised poker tournaments occupying more prime time
slots on TV.
First, there is the hurdle of actually sitting and playing at the table itself. No amount of online preparation can duplicate or offset the first few times you find yourself in a chair across from a Doyle Brunson, Chris Moneymaker, or
Daniel Negreanu.
Second, although it IS possible, it is exceedingly difficult to bluff at an online poker game and
even harder to learn how to read
your opponents.
Look on the bright side,
however. It IS
easy to learn basic poker skills and improve your
technique online, and you won't have to worry about your poker face!
Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin
Donovan Baldwin is a
Dallas area writer and Unversity of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of
Mensa and is
retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. Find information on how to play poker at
http://donovanbaldwin.com/cbmall/poker.html.
Taking Care of Your Shih Tzu's Teeth and Gums
Clean
teeth and gums
are very important
to the overall health
of your Shih Tzu. Here
is some information
on the most common
dental problems
in dogs and ways
of treating them.
Common
dental problems
- Periodontitis
It is very common among
Shih Tzu and all dogs
to have gum disease.
At the age of two or three, many dogs have either periodontitis or gingivitis.
The most common dental
problem for canines is periodontitis, also known
as periodontal disease. The disease is caused
by various factors: plaque, food
debris, cell mucus, and
a mixture of bacteria. This results in
a film characterized by milky-white on
the dog's
teeth as well as the gums. When this film gets combined with saliva, the
plaque it causes becomes tartar, and very
hard to
remove. - Gingivitis
Gingivitis, also known as gum disease, happens
when gum tissue suffers from an inflammation. Without treatment, it
can lead to periodontitis, teeth loosening, bone
loss, and ultimately, loss of teeth.
- Tooth fractures
Tooth fractures occur when Shih
Tzu or
any dog chew hard substances, such as hard rocks and cow
hooves. The fractures result to
infection inside the broken tooth, which is known as the endodontic disease.
How to prevent dental problems
Your Shih Tzu can fight off these dental problems by removing the plaque before it actually develops as tartar. How to
do it? The most effective way is by
brushing the teeth of
your Shih Tzu in
a mechanical fashion. The brushing would reduce much of the bacteria presence in the mouth, not to
mention making your Shih
Tzus breath smell sweeter. Make it a habit of brushing your Shih
Tzus teeth on a daily basis.
Toothpaste: There are
toothpaste products made especially
for dogs. Brush your Shih Tzus teeth
using dog toothpaste. Human toothpaste is specifically designed for humans to spit the
paste washings out. Dogs
cannot do that, so pick dog toothpaste
that is safe enough for your Shih Tzu to swallow.
Toothbrush:
Using a toothbrush in its teeth will take some time for the Shih Tzu to get
used to.
Let your dog be acquainted and get used to this is by putting some garlic salt, mix the salt with water, and dip the solution in an
old toothbrush. Hold the old
brush, and
let your Shih Tzu taste and chew it. Your Shih Tzu will start to realize that chewing a toothbrush is and tastes good. Make it a habit a few times,
until he feels
comfortable brushing with it.
Finger brush: You
could also use a
finger brush instead of a toothbrush. A
finger brush is a good alternative,
although nothing
could replace the good toothbrush. The finger brush just fits onto one's fingertip and can let
you brush the Shih Tzus teeth without the dog knowing it. Well,
at least almost. The disadvantage of getting a finger brush to clean your Shih Tzus teeth is that its bristles are quite large for the brush to go under the gum lines margin as
effectively compared with regular toothbrush.
Professional cleaning: If you don't want to do the cleaning by yourself, you
could take your Shih Tzu to a veterinarian and have his teeth professionally cleaned. A good veterinarian will take additional measures in
ensuring your Shih Tzus clean teeth by anesthetizing your Shih Tzu,
scraping the buildup of plaque from all over the gum line areas, and polishing the teeth for a
sparkling finish.
Home checkup: Try to make it a regular habit of checking the teeth of your Shih Tzu for
any cracked or broken teeth. If you see some problematic teeth, check promptly with the veterinarian.
Home
safety: Of course, cleaning your Shih Tzus teeth does not mean you should disregard other
areas of concern.
Tough substances, such as bones,
rocks, hard nylon, or cow hooves should be removed from areas where your dog could see. Buy your Shih Tzu chewing toys that are safer like rubber-made toys. You could also provide bones that are soft enough for your dog to chew.
Mouthwash: There are some products in the market that
deal very well in helping to kill the bacteria in your dog's mouth and could actually help heal
damaged gum tissues. Do not forget to ask your veterinarian on the best products in the market.
Dental problems do not only happen to humans. Shih Tzu and all dog
breeds also have dental issues.
It is up to the owners on how to help their
pet dogs overcome their dental problems.
Connie Limon. I
raise Shih Tzu puppies from top champion bloodlines in many
different colors of blues, reds, chocolates, blacks. We have the small AKC standards, imperials and teacups at
reasonable prices. We offer you educational material, dog bows and dog clothes. Visit us online at:
http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com and sign up for our newsletter. We are the largest privately-owned informational Shih Tzu site on the World Wide Web.
