Caught most of an episode of World Poker Tour last night. The final match between the pro and the amateur was really interesting. The icy Finnish amateur was totally 0wnz0ring the pro, who was getting visibly flustered.

I like the fact that at least one aspect of the tabletop gaming hobby has moved into the mainstream limelight. Seeing World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker and Celebrity Poker Showdown have led me to some interest in playing Texas Hold 'Em. I believe I've played a couple of times in the past at family gatherings. Penny-ante dealer's-choice poker used to be a regular feature at get-togethers with my mom's side of the family. Great Uncle Lou, who gambled as his hobby, used to call Texas Hold 'Em once in a while. As kids the lack of wildcards and small hands didn't thrill the members of my generation of the family. As an adult I can really see the beauty of the game. Unlike 5-card draw or 7-card stud you get what you get and have to play as best as you can. I'm think maybe I'll try to find out if there are any tournaments at the local riverboat casinos.

On the chess front, I had the momentary elation of a xianqgi opponent resigning over at ItsYourTurn. I say momentary because I looked at the game in question and can't see why my foe quit the field. I may send him a message asking about it. I started a game of anti-chess yesterday and have already made newbie mistake #1: exposing a bishop on your first move.