Regardless of your politics, those of us who love poker and gambling have to be thankful that Harry Reid keeps pushing the interests of the gaming industry. His latest efforts are on behalf of Indian tribes in Texas, as they try to bring gaming to a state that only has one measly casino. He is getting some flack however as this is reminiscent of a project crazy Jack Abramoff tried to get through ten years ago.

Of course Reid’s more important initiatives involve trying to get federal regulations for online poker. The courts have hit the feds hard by acknowledging that poker is a game of skill as opposed to a game of chance, so now the feds need to move in if they want to get regulations in place before the states dive in.

At least we’re seeing a new appreciation for poker, after years of the feds trying to tie that with other forms of online gambling. Many of us love playing online, looking for suckers in online poker rooms and working with party poker bonus codes to get more credits.

But when you learn those killer skills online you want to bring them to a live poker room and try out your tactics face to face. There’s nothing like bluffing in person, and then pulling in real chips and stacking them up when you win. Hopefully, Reid’s efforts will pay for for Texan, and his Internet initiatives will pay off for the rest of us. After all, we do live in a free country. Right?

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The holidays are here, and for many people this is the best time of the year. You get together with friends and family, eat home cooked food, enjoy some cocktails and watch plenty of football.

But for many people, this time of the year can be a mini nightmare if you have one of those dysfunctional families, and the Wall Street Journal has a funny and frankly useful guide to surviving these get togethers. They call it “Dysfunctional Family Bingo” and it’s worth a read. Here are some examples:

Or consider this move from my mom’s playbook. Just before Thanksgiving this year, she called each one of her three daughters, who are nothing if not competitive, and announced that she would be awarding a “Miss Congeniality” prize at the end of the weekend.

Who won? Dad. “It wasn’t easy for him, but he held it together,” Mom says. Dad’s response: “Having everyone get along and be together was important to your mother. It was my job to stay out of the way.”

Cliff Mugnier, a 68-year-old surveyor and cartographer in Baton Rouge, La., minimizes conflict among his seven adult children by refusing to tell everyone in advance who else is coming to dinner. Rebecca Raibley, 61, a senior partner at a Boston investment relations firm, always invites a friend or two, so family members feel pressure to behave.

Greg Jensen, a 65-year-old retired human resources manager from Dallas with three sisters and a brother, visits just one sibling at a time. This year, he is meeting a sister in New Orleans for a five-day Christmas break. “I love all my siblings one at a time, but I just can’t take them all at once,” he says.

All of these are good ideas, but we have some ideas as well. First, if you’re traveling for the holidays and staying with family, make sure to plan some activities that take you out of the house. Go places. See other people. Just don’t spend all your time surrounded by people that will drive you nuts.

Also, plan on some time killers. Bring your iPad so you can catch up on movies, play games, use online time-killers like PartyBingo.com, or read some e-books. Or, make sure you have a deck of cards or even a chess board to kill time.

We also like the divide and conquer strategy mentioned above. Think about that when you’re planning activities. Take your mom to the mall, and your dad to a sports bar. Think about what works well on smaller groups and you’ll save yourself a ton of aggravation.

And finally, buy some good wine, craft beer or smooth Scotch. Anything that will dull the pain!

You have to love “Rounders,” the best poker movie ever.

Here’s the final poker hand scene. Check it out and you’ll get a sense of all the skill required to play poker well.

I choose You.

There was plenty of anxiety in Columbus in 2011 as the Jim Tressel era came to a sudden end with the infamous tattoo scandal. The mood around The Ohio State University was somber, and things didn’t get much better as the team struggled under Luke Fickell.

The issue went far beyond football. Ohio State is a key ingredient to the Columbus and Ohio economies, and it’s also a huge asset for the self-image of the state. In an era where states battle one another for jobs, every little thing matters.

It’s also a huge driver for the love of sports and games in the state. When the Buckeyes are playing, you can rest assured that tons of Ohio State fans are putting their money where their mouth is, either in office pools or in online games. I’m sure there are plenty of people in Ohio playing online bingo as well. Visit super free bingo sites and get yourself update about latest free bingo offers. But you know that football still drives much of the online gaming interest.

Fortunately for Buckeye fans, Urban Meyer has come to the rescue. His recruiting class is shaping up as a monster class. He’s benefiting from a number of factors, including the fiasco at Penn State. The Buckeyes nabbed four recruits who previously committed there.

While the Buckeyes can’t play in a bowl next year, expect Buckeye Nation to be very active again!

The Divisional round will wrap up tonight in the 2012 NFL Playoffs when the Packers host the Giants at 4:30PM ET.

Oddsmakers have installed the Packers as 7.5-point favorites over the Giants, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 53.5 points. The line did opened at Green Bay –9 but has been bet down to 7.5, while the over/under total opened at 51 but is now up to 53.5.

Green Bay has covered the spread in 10 of the last 13 games as a home favorite of 7.5 to 14 points and they have also covered the spread in 9 of the last 12 games at home when the total posted is greater than 45.5 points. Green Bay has covered the spread in 11 of the last 14 games after gaining 300 or more passing yards in their last game and they are averaging over 40 points a game on offense at home this season.

Our resident handicapper Vegas Vic of Vegas Vic Sports.net likes the Packers –7.5 to cover today. Also, be sure to check out Johnny Clutch Sports for more great picks, odds and betting information.

The Divisional round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs kicks off today with a NFC battle between the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers at 4:30PM ET.

Oddsmakers have installed the 49ers as 3.5-point home underdogs while the over/under total is sitting at 50.5 points. The Saints covered last Saturday night versus the Lions as 10.5-point favorites in the Wildcard round. The 49ers, meanwhile, had a first-round bye after securing the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

The Saints have covered the spread in seven consecutive games after allowing 300 or more passing yards in their previous contest, and they have also covered the spread in seven of their last eight games coming off a home win. New Orleans has covered the spread in 12 of its last 15 games as a favorite and has also covered in eight of its last 10 games after scoring 30 or more points in its previous contest.

Our resident handicapper Vegas Vic of Vegas Vic Sports.net likes the Saints –3.5 to cover today. Also, be sure to check out Johnny Clutch Sports for more great picks, odds and betting information.

The SEC will be on full display tonight when No. 1 LSU takes on No. 2 Alabama in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game at 8:30PM ET. So which team will cover?

Oddsmakers have installed Alabama as a 2.5-point favorite over LSU, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 40.5 for tonight’s game. The Crimson Tide finished the regular season with an 11-1 record while the Tigers wrapped up 2011 with a perfect mark of 13-0.

Alabama has covered the spread in 8 of the last 10 games after scoring 31 points or more in two straight games and they have also covered the spread in 5 of the last 6 games coming off three or more wins. Alabama has covered the spread in 5 of the last 6 games when playing as a neutral field favorite of seven points or less and they are averaging over 36 points a game on offense this season.

Our resident handicapper Vegas Vic of Vegas Vic Sports.net likes Alabama –2.5 tonight. Also, be sure to check out Johnny Clutch Sports for more great picks, odds and betting information.

The second game of the NFL’s Wildcard double-header on Sunday features an AFC battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos at 4:30PM ET. The Steelers enter today’s game as the fifth seed in the AFC while the Broncos backed into the playoffs when they were handed the AFC West Division title.

Oddsmakers have installed the Steelers as a 9-point favorite over the Broncos for today’s game, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 33.5 points. Pittsburgh enters the day with a 12-4 overall record and is 5-3 on the road this year, while Denver is 8-8 overall and 3-5 at home.

Pittsburgh has won 13 of the last 17 road games when playing as a favorite and they have also won 5 consecutive games when playing in the month of January. Pittsburgh has won 9 of the last 10 games after failing to cover the spread in four or five of the last six games and they are only allowing an average of 9 points a game on defense over the last three games.

Our resident handicapper Vegas Vic of Vegas Vic Sports.net likes the Steelers –8.5 tonight. Also, be sure to check out Johnny Clutch Sports for more great picks, odds and betting information.

The 2012 NFL Playoffs kick off today with two great Wildcard matchups. One of which, tonight’s Detroit Lions-New Orleans Saints game, figures to be a highly entertaining battle.

Oddsmakers have installed the Saints as 10.5-point home favorites over the Lions for tonight’s 8:00PM ET kickoff, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 59.5 points. Detroit finished the regular season with a 10-6 record and a 5-3 mark on the road, while New Orleans is 13-3 overall and 8-0 at home. The Lions secured the sixth seed while New Orleans clinched the third.

Detroit has lost five of its last six games against the spread and has lost five of its last six games against the spread as a road underdog of 10.5 to 14 points. The Lions have also lost four of their last five games against the spread when the total posted is greater than 49.5 points and they are allowing an average of 27 points a game on defense in road games this season.

Our resident handicapper Vegas Vic of Vegas Vic Sports.net likes the Saints –10.5 tonight. Also, be sure to check out Johnny Clutch Sports for more great picks, odds and betting information.