Poker bots are becoming more popular as people try and gain an edge on the game. The bots have been around for years but haven’t really been taken seriously until recently. Most of what’s out there is still garbage and require you do a ton of your own programming to get them up and running. But they have been improving since they first showed up on the scene, and some observers were beginning to think that they were better than live players.

That theory was put to the test last July when pro poker players Phil Laak and Ali Eslami took on the bot in a battle of abilities. After 500 hands, the players beat the bot by $570. That result was similar to tests done earlier, showing that the bot is not quite up to human ability yet. If it can’t beat Phil Laak, it’s not gonna make you a lot of money.

The Bodog Poker room will be celebrating its One Billionth Hand some time this month. In only three years the room has achieved this milestone occasion, and they are planning on celebrating it in a big way. Every day from Nov 5 to 26 Bodog Poker will be giving away $50 to ten players a day. The remaining $12,000 will be given to the player who wins the billionth hand, in the form of $1000 per month for a year.

Players at the table of the big hand will split $10,000, and there will be increasing giveaways after the 980,000,000th hand has been played. The prizes will be given away every five million hands until the billionth. Players involved in those hands will get $109 worth of tournament credits, which include the weekly $100,000 Guaranteed and Player’s Choice qualifiers. Those events can get you into a WPT or EPT event in the future.

NASCAR is the latest company to jump on the poker bandwagon to promote their brand. They have set up a free-to-play poker site that allows NASCAR fans to play against their favorite drivers online. I’m surprised it took this long for poker and NASCAR to unite. Many NASCAR fans are people that love to play poker.

Drivers will be playing poker tournaments and the fans can play against them. Notable drivers participating include Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart, Dale Jarrett, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Jamie McMurray. It just goes to show you how popular the game is with race-car drivers.

The name of the site is VLPClub.net and it’s the first of its kind to allow fans to interact with the drivers. A monthly fee can be paid which allows players to play for prizes like autographed NASCAR collectibles, and opportunities to meet their favorite drivers. Gentlemen, start your engines.

Trying to deal with college when all you want to do is play professional poker is a simple situation for anyone to resolve. It’s the same as a guy that has a job and wants to quit to “go pro”. My opinion on this issue remains the same: Your bankroll will dictate whether you can be a professional or not. If you’re in school and you win a large sum of money in a tournament, then you have the option to take some time off and play fulltime.

If that doesn’t happen, you have to continue to build a life for yourself. Turning pro is done when one can afford to make that leap, not a choice of vocation with no bankroll. If you think you can build a large bankroll grinding in limit games if you had more time, wait for your summer vacation and give it your best shot.

There’s no disputing that online poker can be addictive. I’ve played poker for many years and I’ve never put any part of my life in jeopardy because of the game. If you get addicted to the game you had better have enough sense to lean how to maximize your edges so you’re not always broke. But if the game is controlling your decision-making processes, you need to step away.

If you love to play poker then learn to play to your bankroll and work at becoming a winning player. If you just play without working on your game you will go broke again and again, riding on nothing but the luck of the draw. Gambling is something you do with extra money to enjoy yourself. It’s not a foolproof method to pay your bills or earn a fortune. Pay your bills first, then play poker.