August 31, 2007 10:07 AM
Let PokerStars take you to the Grey Cup
When I first heard about PokerStars involvement in the Grey Cup, I didn't really know what it was about. A quick Google search brought up a link trying to sell me 'great deals on porcelain and china'. I knew that PokerStars was unlikely to have anything to do with grey teacups - however good the deal. But luckily I found out more about the Championship of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team. The 95th Grey Cup will be held in Toronto at Rogers Centre on November 25, 2007, and 9 PokerStars players have the opportunity to win vacation packages to this game. So forget bargain porcelain, PokerStars is hosting CFL Freerolls - and you don't get a better deal that a tournament for nothing! Canadian players have the chance to win a share of more than 48,000 cash prizes and a trip to Toronto in November for the CFL Grey Cup Festival. Visit our CFL webpage for full details of how to enter this contest.
The Grey Cup is the championship of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and it's Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 4 million. The historic 'Grey Cup' was donated by the then Governor General of Canada, Earl Grey In 1909. He might not have been pleased to hear the eventful history of his world-class trophy, it has been left behind in hotel rooms after post-game parties, almost destroyed by fire, stolen and held for ransom, broken in 1987 when an Edmonton Eskimo sat on it, that's probably enough to make him wish he'd instead donated a porcelain cup for use at sedate tea parties. Earl Grey tea, of course.Lucky winners in PokerStars CFL contest will be unlikely to drink tea sedately if they win a prize in our freerolls. Our vacation packages include 1,000 cash for airfare and expenses, 4 days hotel accommodation, VIP access to parties and concerts, a VIP pass to the Maxim party, VIP seating with CFL stars at the Grey Cup, plus the chance to play with Daniel Negreanu and win a seat in a million dollar live tournament.
I'd recommend all Canadian players register in our daily freerolls. 1 in 10 players will win a cash prize! If you're looking to spend your winnings I know a site with some great deals on porcelain and china...
If you click on the 'Events' tab in your PokerStars lobby, you'll see listed all the big events that PokerStars has a part in, the kind of events that most players can only dream of entering, the World Series of Poker, the European Poker Tour, the World Championship of Online Poker. These are glamorous, big money poker contests, the kind that see our 
This week, we're highlighting players who will be representing their home countries in the World Cup of Poker IV finals. Today, we offer an introduction that likely doesn't need to be made--PokerStars player shaundeeb.
Some players choose to display a real photo of themselves. My thinking is if a player displays a real live image of themselves, possibly even on a bad hair day, with pimples, dodgy glasses, and a cheesy grin, then they're obviously honest folk and not likely to be hiding anything.
So, we can assume players with self portait photos rarely bluff, a straight-up picture reflecting straight-up play. I'd suggest you respect their raises. If not their dress sense in many cases.
On the other hand if you see a photo of a player looking pretty cool, or perhaps even a photo of an attractive female, blonde, made up, and pouting..? They're probably called Bill and work in the Construction Industry. When they raise, don't believe it's a hand, any more than you'd believe the chest in their picture is completely natural. They have 7-2 off suit, they'll only call your re-raise if they're distracted by that pay-per-view channel they have on in the background.
Many players show pictures of cute things, and of course not all baby pictures are ugly ones. But isn't it true that all babies look the same, with just some minor variation in the amount of spittle and hair? I'm expecting a new baby in a fortnight so I can get away with saying this. Please understand that when I show you my baby picture, my baby will be the most gorgeous creature on the planet.
Windows has a few default pictures stored in a 'Sample Pictures' folder. There are pretty scenes of a sunset, a desert landscape, some autumn leaves. Anyone who loads up one of these pictures to use at PokerStars is surely new to the world of computing. They probably look at the computer handbook every time they want to switch off. 
If you're playing against people with these pictures don't expect them to be sophisticated online poker enthusiasts. If you've found them in an Omaha game you're happy, they'll use all four hole cards for sure. The poor newbies won't even be able to work out how to use the chat feature to ask why their 'straight' didn't win.
Skulls, guns, war, fire, flame, death, disaster. Yes, I'm talking 'man stuff'. Lots of players select macho images, but don't be fooled into thinking any picture of a dagger and hand grenade makes a player a strong and aggressive force at the poker table. I read something once in a poker book about 'strong meaning weak' or was it 'weak meaning strong?' Mr.Macho-Man wants you to think he's a hard guy at the poker tables, but chances are he only selected this tank picture because he has low self esteem, he needed to give his confidence a boost by presenting this tank-hard exterior to the world. He's actually softer and more cuddly than fluffiwuffy. Yes, Bill the Construction Worker's cat.
Chips, TV poker celebs, cards. Players who display images of anything poker related think a lot about the game. They're serious enough about it to visit poker websites and borrow the images they find there. Beware of these players. The best way to play against players like this is to say, 'Sklansky's EV calculations are fundamentally flawed except in relation to Stud Hi/Lo starting hands.' It doesn't matter if you don't know who/what Sklansky/EV/Stud Hi/Lo is, any poker nerd with a Stu Ungar picture will be busily writing a Two Plus Two essay of a reply in chat, and barely have time to concentrate on the correct play of his AK os in late position. (I think Sklansky would say 'raise'.)
Some player's proudly display pictures of their team or their favourite movie star. These players are sensitive types, bordering on the gullible. Hero worship is a need to look up to someone 'better than us' or 'higher' than we are in our esteem and opinion.
So use the same line (above) about Sklansky, EV and Stud Hi/Lo, these players will assume you're smart. This will save you chips, they'll think you're clever than them. They won't dare raise your big blind now.
Lots of players select a picture of an eye. Just one eye, never two. This makes them seem mysterious and strange. Like they're looking at you, like they can see right through you, in some creepy, poker spooky, supernatural, super-scary way. This freaks me out..! Why do they look at me that way with one big eye? 
Some players have pictures of cars, or boats, or even big tall space rockets. I believe it's a sign of their prowess, it's obviously some status symbol thing. They want you to think they're rich and successful, with plenty filling their pants. I mean poker winnings filling their pants pockets. And have they? What do you think? That sports car looks just an inch high on my screen.
Some players display pictures of themselves with a loved one, usually a boyfriend/girlfriend. Players with pictures like these are proud, possesive types. When in a hand they're unlikely to let go, even when it's clear they're beat. 
And here's the picture I used when I started playing at PokerStars many years ago. I'm not sure what it says about me. Hmm, I wonder... As I look thoughtfully at my screen, resting one finger on my chin. 
--or-- 
My Mother used to tell me not to run beside busy roads, and never to talk with my mouth full. When I was a child I found these parental rules annoying. I thought they were in place to curb my freedom, and to spoil my enjoyment of my fish fingers with smiley potato faces and ketchup. Of course I know now that these rules were keeping me safe, and helping my Mum avoid mess and ugliness at meal times. Now I spend my time telling my seven year old daughter to 'eat slowly' and 'chew properly', living in fear of her broccoli showers.