Dear Mark:
When you watch Texas Hold'em on television, the players always flip over their cards when going “all in.” I've been told that technically you don't have to do that, and instead, verbally say you're “all in,” and just wait until the end of the hand before you show your cards. Are they doing it wrong on television? Phillip G.

In tournament play, Phillip, which is what you are watching on TV, you are required to turn your cards over. With a cash game, it is optional.

Dear Mark:
I noticed that the last time I visited the Gulf Coast that your column appears in the Biloxi Sun Herald. Here's one for you. Have you ever heard of a game called Mississippi Stud? Greg M.

Heard of it, yes, played it, no.

Mississippi Stud is but another poker variant in which each player receives a mix of face-down and face-up cards dealt in multiple betting rounds. A form of seven-card stud, Mississippi Stud is generally played pot limit, with fourth and fifth street cards dealt without a betting round between them, and seventh-street dealt face up.

ShuffleMaster has their own table game version of Mississippi Stud where players compete against a paytable rather than against other players or a dealer, and win if their hands consist of a pair of 6s or better.

Although I haven't seen this table game version, I hope those who have will drop me a line and share their thoughts on the game so I can pass them along to Greg.