Need some ideas of how to transform boring into inspired? Recently HGTV used one of BBO Poker Table's "The Nighthawk" dining poker table as the centerpiece of a poker space in their new signature show "HGTV'd".

For those that don't follow HGTV, the premise is that an expert designer, in this case Carter Oosterhouse, comes in and turns your less than glamorous house/space into something extraordinary. Usually there is some screaming and crying involved towards the end of the episode, and a general fuzzy feeling of jealousy by the viewers watching someone get a free renovation.

BBO wants to thank HGTV for allowing us to be involved. Here are some production pics of the room during the shoot. 

With the pervading mind and skill symphony called poker occurring across the world, it’s no surprise that college students are diving into the game as well. Considering plethora of broke college students with way too much time on their hands, poker has literally become an underground major on college campuses. This is one class where they’ll really feel the sting if they don’t study hard, they’ll need this skills for the big leagues!

As if on an eerily secluded island, isolated college communities clump people together. Games spring up on dorm bed boards, the floor, or even an empty lecture hall! As long as the police are busy searching for marijuana, then the young players are safe. All it takes is one person and poker games spontaneously spread faster than whooping cough in college dorms. Secondly, with the amount of free time that full-time students have, you can guarantee that the weekend is poker time, second only to the parties that might be encircling the players. While intoxicated players might be at a disadvantage, none can claim sobriety in this environment. Lastly, we all know students are going broke paying for tuition, food, and housing. Many offset some of those costs with their underground major. And even if they don’t win enough to cover the astronomical cost of college tuition, they’ll at least have their share of cash to put in for the frat’s keg party.

However, it’s not all fun and games when the shit, or money, hits the fan. For these naïve, young players, reality can hit them hardest as they become addicted to poker. Just like gambling or alcoholic addiction, poker no longer becomes a means to an end, it becomes the end-all. These young students are most susceptible to the pitfall of losses. Instead of knowing when to quit, they might lose their money, friends’ money, and their parents’ money. To make matters worse, when these impulsive kids want to keep playing, they’ll use a credit card to buy-in, despite already having thousands in debt. Poker can easily make or break a college kid; some will fall to addiction and debt while others’ are lucky enough to end up making it a career.

For these headlong kids, poker games are still as undeveloped and juvenile as their players’ weekend shenanigans. However, as they compete in tournaments and develop strategies, many are taking their skills into the real world to earn a living and becoming truly gentlemanly poker players. Some, such as Will Haydon have even dropped out of college in pursuit of a professional poker career. Too bad most won’t wind up walking away with over six hundred thousand from the WSOP!

Share your college poker stories with us here!

Image Credit:

http://collegepoker.us

http://worldmeets.us/

This is part one of two of our look at the effect of the UIGEA online poker ban on the current poker environment in the US. We will analyize how the UIGEA affected the 2011 WSOP in part 2 of what we call, "The New US Poker Landscape".

Photo Source: itechwiz.com

Image Source: Vin Narayanan

Share your UIGEA story by leaving a comment.

By Ben Harley

(Don't let the ice cold stare fool you, it may just be the Glee soundtrack pumping in the background)

Many players listen to music while playing poker, getting them in the mood or just staving off looming boredom. Of those players who do, listening to music while playing poker online is much more popular than having an ipod in your ear at a live table. As one player says, at a live table you want to be able to hear the fish “spewing info.” But for those who do listen to music while playing live, it’s suggested to listen what you already enjoy, unless you’re constantly blasting hardcore deathmetal. From soft jazz to classic rock, music is used by professionals to relax, calm, and focus their nerves while in the game. That’s not going to happen with deathmetal or any music in which people scream.

Your music needs to compliment your style for maximum effectiveness. Calm, tight players should let some gentle jazz or soul keep their pace down to not be pushed by the other sharks. Relaxed, cautious players should let the mellow sounds of alternative rock bring them to conscious focus. Moderately aggressive players should listen to some alternative music to pump them up a little bit. For solidly aggressive players, hip-hop has some upbeat tunes that’ll keep you going toe-to-toe with the other players. Crazily dangerous nutbar players should listen to rock to put themselves in that own little crazy land of theirs.

The point is, when you’re not in a good mood, don’t play. If you’re mad at the boss, sad from a recent loss, or just generally pissed then you should stay away from the cards. Loud or distracting music can be as detrimental as your own state of mind, and keep you from focusing. The mood is key, but its completely dependent on the mood you set and what mood is best for your play style. Ultimately, it boils down to you as a player and your ability to control the environment you play in.

Image Source: http://nerve.pokerknave.com/2011/02/19/poker-and-pizza-is-back/

1)    Tortilla and Potato Chips- Let these settle your stomach just before the game or as it slowly gets going. Although many people would spring for the salsa and cheese to go on these, no one likes sticky cards. To prevent this, just leave the toppings off.

3)    Salmon is a huge brain food. Make it into a nice sandwich or chunks you can just pick up and eat. Wild salmon specifically has been linked to increased cognition, alertness, and memory. It has also been shown to have long-term benefits, so you can keep playing well into your sunset years.

4)    Nuts such as almonds, cacao beans, or pistachios will add vital nutrients and minerals to keep your body working in perfect order so you can focus on the game

5)    For desert, eat fruit or chocolate, especially blueberries. Natural chocolate is a brain food. These will keep your energy high even at the end of a game from naturally occurring sugars while still getting a sweet treat.

Follow this general plan to keep focused and full throughout the game. Keep in mind that some of these foods will be oily, which can damage the cards too. It’s a good idea to keep towels around the table for everyone to wipe frequently if they plan to multitask. There will probably be leftovers since the game will take priority over filling your mouth, so why not use it to comfort someone’s pain? Give the leftovers to the friends who lost the most money during the game, ya’ know, to ease their pain.