The job of an FBI spy catcher is not an easy one. Ever realize a person was lying to you just because they took a breath a certain way or lifted their eyebrow ever so slightly?
Joseph Navarro has. For more than 25 years Navarro worked espionage cases for the FBI, becoming a world-renowned expert in non-verbal behavior and earning him a spot on nearly every U.S. spy investigation between 1993 and 2003- including those of notorious moles Aldrich Ames and Robert Hansen.
Now retired from the FBI, Navarro brings his keen eye to the poker table and shares some of his secrets with players eager for an edge in play.

“Poker players lie all the time,” Navarro says. “They pretend they are strong when they are weak or weak when they are strong. The truth is they can all be read. You can have a poker face, but I’ve yet to see someone with a poker body.”

“When you are feeling good — or have a monster hand — your body will manifest what it feels,” he says. “You get happy feet. Your feet begin to bounce up and down like a kid going to Disney World.”

Navarro teaches players to observe and collect behavioral information from the minute they sit at the card table. When players are confident, they tend to use their hands more and claim more territory at the table. When they have good hands, they generally look down at their chips.

“While you can’t control the cards you are dealt,” Navarro says, “you can make them win.”

The best head-to-head matches would come from players that like to talk and try and gain an edge with their words. When two guys like this match up head-to-head it can make for an entertaining show. One match I’d like to see would be Men “The Master” Nguyen against Phil Hellmuth. Men is good at semi-bluffing and masking any hand he may have. Phil Hellmuth’s ego and experience would surely walk into a trap or two, which would result in one Hellmuth tirade after another.

But the match that would be the most entertaining, as long as it doesn’t come to blows, would be Mike “The Mouth” Matusow and Tony “G” Guoga. These two guys are the most obnoxious players in the game. The lines and insults would be priceless, and I would even dole out pay-per-view money for this if it was a three out of five match.

Most of the best places to play poker outside of Vegas are in California. The two top ones are in Los Angeles, and the best is the Commerce Casino. They have 200+ tables and limits run from $1/$2 to $500/$1000. The poker action runs from small buy-ins to the WPT LA Poker Classic.

The next best is the Hustler Casino poker room where celebrities go to play with Larry Flynt. They have 90+ tables with limits running from $2/$4 to $4000/$8000. Tournament buy-ins are $100+$25 up to $200+$25.

The Bay 101 Casino in San Jose has 40+ tables which offer limits of $2/$4 up to $80/$160. Tournament action ranges from $40 up to $305 buy-ins, with the exception of the annual WPT Shooting Star event.

The Trump Taj Mahal in New Jersey rounds out the list. They have 80+ tables and limits range from $1/$2 to $75/$150. They provide a wide variety of poker variations.

Poker Stars is the biggest online poker room in the world. They offer more action for more games than anywhere else. The frequent-player points program is very flexible and the gaming software is fast and interactive, with lots of good options. Cash-outs couldn’t be easier; all the cash-out options are there and they will even FedEx any cash-out over $1000 to your door in a couple of days.

Poker Stars has built its massive player base all by themselves and are not connected to a playing network. The games offered are Limit and No-Limit Texas Hold’em, as well as both Hi and Hi-Lo versions of Omaha and Seven-Card Stud. The site also offers No-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo games, H.O.R.S.E., H.O.S.E., 2-7 Triple Draw, Five-Card Draw and Razz.

Stats for the site show 14,400 ring game players and as many as 120,000 tournament players at peak times. They also offer the best tournament action online.

Since 2004, Full Tilt Poker has worked tirelessly at becoming a leader in the industry of online poker. With aggressive marketing techniques, like sponsoring more than 40 of poker’s top professionals, Full Tilt has the second-highest traffic volumes in the industry. Peak hours will have 9,200 ring game players and as many as 60,000 tournament players. The points shop is one of the best online and the poker room software is unique and innovative.

Action is offered in Pot-Limit, No-Limit and Fixed Limit betting structures. Available games include Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven-Card Stud, Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo, Five Card Draw and Razz. You can also find action for mixed games like H.O.R.S.E and H.O.S.E. Heads-up and short-handed games are also in abundance. Tournament action is top-notch with $5 million in weekly guaranteed events. Full Tilt also offers the best bonuses online today, giving depositors a $600 bonus.

1. Quads over top boat.
You – AA / Opponent – 88 / Board – A, 8, 8, 7, 2

2. Bigger flush than yours
You – Kd, Qd / Opponent  – Ad 10d / Board – 9d, 6d, 2d, Qh, 10h

3. Two flopped sets
You – K, K / Opponent – 9, 9 / Board – K, 9, 6, 2, A

4. Two pair over top pair
You – A, K / Opponent – Q, 9 / Board – A, Q, 9

5. Higher straight
You – A, 9 / Opponent 9, 10 / Board 6, 7, 8, 5, 2

6. Runner – runner
You – A, K / Opponent 6, 7 / Board A, Q, 4, 6, 7

7. Two-outer
You Q, Q / Opponent 6, 6 / Board 10, 9, 2, K, 6

8. Straight flush over Ace high flush
You – Ad, 10d / Opponent – 6c, 4c / Board – 2c, 3c, Ah, 8s, 5c

9. A set over two pair
You – 8, 8 / Opponent – K, J / Board - K, J, 8, 6, 2

10. Busted Aces
You – A, A / Opponent – Q, J / Board – K, 10, 4, 2, 9

Party Poker is no longer the biggest online poker room in the world, but it continues to be one of the best despite no longer accepting American action. The site is known for having great around-the-clock cash games and tournament action. The software is good and fast, but isn’t the flashiest available. The functionality of the software does offer features like deal making and very good hand-history access.

Party Poker runs lots of special events and tournament satellites, and they also have an excellent loyalty program for their regulars. Action is offered in Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo. Short-handed and heads-up action is available.  Limits vary between Fixed Limit, Pot Limit and No limit betting structures. Current volumes have 10,000 cash game players and 60,000 tournament players, at peak levels. Party Poker is still one of the world’s best poker sites.

Texas Holdem has become the world’s most popular game because it’s possible for any thinking person to win a world championship at the game. That simply can’t be done in any other game that competes at this level.

It combines the thinking of chess with the luck of the draw. No matter how skilled one player may be against the other, there’s always a chance that luck could reward either player.

Texas Holdem has been the variation for all the main events in major  poker tournaments. The game allows more players to play a hand at once, as each player only has two hole cards. Other games have four or more hole cards per player, limiting the amount that can play in a hand to seven players.

Holdem allows you to play with more friends at once, which certainly makes the home games a lot better than the old draw poker nights of the past.

Bodog Fight Challenge Poker Series has begun the qualifying tournaments for the final on January 31, 2008. The third qualifier was scheduled for October 11, leaving three dates (November 8, December 13 and January 17) remaining to win your way to the final.

The top 30% remaining in each event will be awarded points based on how they finish. These points will determine who gets into the final, where the winner will get a trip to a Bodog Fight Event and a bunch of Bodog swag, all worth $5,000. The top six finishers in the monthly events will win prizes that include Matt Lindland-autographed gloves.

If you make it you’ll be playing against Bodog Fight fighters and trainers. A trip to a Bodog Fight event will be a sweet vacation because Bodog is known for holding events in the sweetest of places. The winner can count on going to a sunny and exciting destination.

Hockey players make good poker players for a couple of reasons. The main reason is competitiveness. Athletes are experienced competitors and the “never say die” characteristics that help them succeed on the ice will also benefit them in poker. Most hockey players are confident in their abilities, and confidence is an essential ingredient in winning poker. And much of hockey involves outsmarting an opponent with a fancy move or nifty fake.
Hockey players make good poker players for a couple of reasons. The main reason is competitiveness. Athletes are experienced competitors and the “never say die” characteristics that help them succeed on the ice will also benefit them in poker. Most hockey players are confident in their abilities, and confidence is an essential ingredient in winning poker. And much of hockey involves outsmarting an opponent with a fancy move or nifty fake.

Most professional hockey players have been playing poker since they were kids, often on road trips with the team. Something fun and challenging is needed to pass all that time spent on the bus. Any place where you’ve got a group of friends with time on their hands, a poker game usually breaks out at some point.

The other thing that might make a hockey player a good poker player is stamina. Some games can go on for a long time, so the better shape you’re in the longer you’ll be playing at your best.