No-limit Hold'em is a far more complex game than limit, which should be obvious – in limit you have a maximum of three options at any particular time. In no-limit you have an almost unlimited number of options when considering how many chips to put in the pot. A major consequence of this is that it is difficult to find solid, clearcut advice on no-limit that isn't just over-simplified nonsense.

Howdy partners-I have been looking forward to taking another ride with you down the poker trails. But first why don't we just step down out of the saddle for a spell and go into the old (no the new Golden Nugget) here in Las Vegas and have a drink to cut this trail dust out of our throats? Then we can go into the poker room and play a few hands of poker.

Since Texas Holdem is the game of choice these days, a lot has been written and discussed on what are appropriate starting hands. High pocket pairs, high suited connectors, and the ever-popular A-K are the generally accepted top tier of starting hands. Rather than reiterate what most of you have already heard or read on the subject, I decided to expand the discussion to 7-card Stud and Omaha...

If you are like me, then you might be fed up with limit hold'em. Too many people on every flop, and every single possible draw out there is gunning for you. Yes, you flopped top 2 pair, but when the flush draw, the gut-shot straight draw, and bottom pair is calling those relatively small bets, you will not win the majority of the time. You have to end up with the best hand. I don't play poker in which I have to end up with the best hand....

Times have changed. Traffic is skyrocketing and the average player will always be giving money away, therefore you're more likely to run into losing players than you were before. (You do the math.) What has changed the most is not the luck aspect of the winning player, as many feel, but the importance of game-time decisions has risen to a level higher than it's ever been. Now, you need to know a whole lot more than previous players....

So, 839 people pony up $10,000 in hope of winning the Big One. I think a wow is in order. Well, I just happened to be one of those 839 players with a dream, hoping that the cards would fall my way and I’d be able to seize the opportunity when they did. On the hand I’m about to share with you, though, I’m not so sure that I did.

I have been looking forward to this event for almost a year. It has been a long time since I felt that way about a tournament. The atmosphere surrounding this event reminded me of the 10k WSOP 15 years ago. Back then, it was not a given that a good player would get into the 10k event. Supers weren't run every day. I remember trying to play in the 10k event my first trip and I ended up on the sidelines after failing to win one of my three one table satellites. I noticed a lot of good players didn't play the Bellagio 25k event. It made those of us that were in the tournament feel privileged to get the chance to play. One nice touch by the Bellagio was the hors d'oeuvres that were served throughout each day.

In Limit Hold 'em, it is not uncommon to see pots that are contested by four, five, or even six players. This happens with some frequency at lower limits, especially when playing with those who haven’t learned the virtues of a tight-aggressive style of play.

I would like to tell you that it was smooth sailing for the rest of the day (we played until 9 p.m.), but the following two hands tell a different story. At around 7:30 p.m., I picked up pocket aces, and decided to play a big pot. Too often lately, I have been playing small pots with pocket aces or pocket kings, and this has been hurting my chances of winning.

Have you ever wished you could grab a seat inside the brain of a professional poker player? Do you want to watch as he recounts every decision made through the course of a hand? Well, "Beating Poker: Volume 1" owners now get that chance....

Accomplishments: Joe Awada is the reigning 7-Card Stud World Champion. This year he has earned a WSOP Bracelet and made more than $650,000.