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Christmas is right around the corner, and with the poker boom in full swing
there are more poker-related gifts around this year than ever before. From
the educational to the practical to the just plain out-there, here's a look
at some of poker-related gift ideas for the card-tosser on your shopping
list.
Poker DVDs
The variety of DVDs related to poker on the market today is astounding when
you consider that just two years ago it was rare to find anything on poker
in the video section of the nearest discount store.
Educational DVDs are one of the most popular categories. World-class
professional player Howard Lederer has two videos available in his
Secrets of No-Limit Hold'em
series. These videos are great for a player looking to build his no-limit
hold'em skills from the ground up, and at around $15 apiece they're a great
value. Lederer's fellow Team Full Tilt pro Phil Gordon has also produced his
own DVD,
Final Table Poker.
This disc covers all the skills needed to succeed in no-limit hold'em
tournaments, and features both Gordon and 2000 WSOP Main Event champion
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. This highly acclaimed instructional DVD will run you
about $25. Another DVD worth checking out is the new offering from "The
Flying Dutchman," Marcel Luske. His instructional DVD,
Poker My Way, features Patrik Antonius, Noah Boeken, and Luca
Pagano, all members of Luske's Circle of Outlaws. It focuses on strategies
for winning no-limit hold'em tournaments, using Luske's "Gear of Fear"
approach. This DVD sells for $25.
DVD sets of some of the most popular televised tournaments are also available.
The World Poker Tour
has several DVDs, including two sets that feature every episode from Season
One and Season Two. The Season Two set has one commentary track with Daniel
Negreanu, Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari, and Erick Lindgren, and a "Poker
Corner" featuring expert analysis of the WPT Championship with Annie Duke,
Phil Hellmuth, and Daniel Negreanu. The Season Three collection doesn't
include every tournament from the WPT's third year, but it does feature 8
episodes, including the WPT Championship. Each of these sets costs around
$40.
DVD sets of the World Series of Poker are also available. The 2004 WSOP 3-disc
DVD set features 10 episodes of the Main Event won by Greg "Fossilman"
Raymer, as well as three preliminary tournaments and the Tournament of
Champions. Also of note is the commentary on the final table by the champion
himself. The 2003 WSOP 2-disc DVD set features the complete ESPN broadcast
of the Main Event. Both of these sets sell for around $20 at
espnshop.com.
Poker Padz
For a gift a little more out of the ordinary, you might want to check out
Poker Padz. These 8" X 14"
mousepads come in the shape of a poker table, complete with green felt
surface and a bumper around its outside edge. Every mousepad also comes with
ten 11.5-gram poker chips so you can practice your chip tricks while you're
playing online. It may not be the same as playing in Las Vegas, but the
addition of Poker Padz to your desktop setup will add a little touch of the
casino. Poker Padz sell for $29.99.
PokerHeads
With poker rivaling most major sports in popularity these days, it's no
surprise that those who play the game are as popular and recognizable as
many professional athletes. Now, just like many of those athletes, some of
the biggest names in poker have their own bobblehead dolls.
Poker Heads has manufactured a
limited number of the dolls featuring the biggest names in poker today. Amir
Vahedi, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Humberto Brenes,
Johnny Chan, Men "The Master" Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, T.J. Cloutier, Antonio
Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu, David Williams, Doyle Brunson, Erick Lindgren,
Jennifer Harman, Phil "Unabomber" Laak, Phil Hellmuth, Greg "Fossilman"
Raymer, and Mark Seif all now have their likenesses gracing a bobblehead.
Laak even had his bobblehead at the table with him when he took part in the
WPT's Battle of the Champions 2. These dolls make a unique gift for any
poker player, and they sell for $29.99.
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