Welcome to the second edition of “Face Up”, your definitive guide to all things poker - brought to you by Poker Face.

We thought that this newsletter would look at the ages of the current poker players and how much younger the best players are getting. The grand finale of the European Poker tour early last month was won by a 19 year old student from the University of Georgia, Jeff Williams. Michael Schneider a 21 year old student from the University of Minnesota, won the PartyPoker Million tournament in March. The Aussie Millions runner up Bobby Neary, is also a 21 year old student at Northern California's Sonoma State University. Bobby is in trouble with his college for accepting sponsorship at the poker tournament violating NCAA collegiate golf rules. However he does have $520,000.00 to compensate him during his current problems. Why are these players, who are barely old enough to gamble already winning major tournaments? Without knowing either player, we would hazard a guess that they have done extensive research including books, articles and software calculators to expand their theoretical knowledge of poker.

“The more I practice the luckier I get!”

A few years ago nearly all very good gamblers were an older generation, having learned the odds, risks and rewards the hard way - by experience. The new generation of players have already up-skilled, and whilst they may not have all the experience yet, it seems that their education is already far more advanced than their ages suggest.

Q & A Session

Some nights I get a lot of good cards and others nothing at all! How can I be more consistent with my play? M.L. East Melbourne

10,000 hands is considered the average number to reach virtually all combinations of 2 cards against any opponent. It’s how you play each situation that determines your eventual success or failure.

If you have a question you’d like answered in the next edition of Face Up or any feedback about content please send it to ronan@poker-face.com.au

Dumb-Ass Cruise Ship Questions - Here are some great questions asked during our time working on the cruise ships....

Do these stairs go up or down?

What time is the midnight buffet?

What is in a seafood pie?

What is the ice carving made from?

Is this the Casino ?— Standing surrounded by 180 loud slot machines and various green gaming tables.

My wife and I need you to settle an argument — She thinks the pool contains fresh water but I told her not to be so stupid, it’s seawater because there are waves in it. Do the crew sleep onboard the ship each night — Answer given - No a helicopter picks us up each evening. A complaint was made the following day as the passenger was unable to sleep due to the excessive noise from the helicopters during the night!