Upfront
Learn the Guitar this Winter *“Starting to Play� meets for one hour each Monday night for nine weeks beginning January 13. Students are encouraged to bring their own guitar, but both nylon-string and steel-string loaner guitars are available. Other classes at more advanced levels are also offered. A full brochure is available at Gryphon.
Stringed Instruments Since 1969
650 U493 U2131 ,AMBERT !VENUE s 0ALO !LTO www.gryphonstrings.com
Poker ÂVÂœÂ˜ĂŒÂˆÂ˜Ă•i`ĂŠvĂ€ÂœÂ“ĂŠÂŤ>}iĂŠxÂŽ
are available on the iPhone and iPod touch (not on a desktop computer) and neither award prizes. They come with single and multiplayer options (in the single, one plays against a computer). There’s are free versions of both games that accommodate smaller numbers of players and full versions. The full version of Hold ‘Em Blitz costs 99 cents and Hold ‘Em Battle costs $1.99 (players can place bets in the latter). The games require Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
Prenatal Yoga ! This graceful program incorporates stretching, toning, posture and body mechanics most applicable in pregnancy and in the birthing process. Ongoing monthly classes can be started at any point in your pregnancy. Preparing for Multiples Are you expecting twins, or triplets or more? With the potential for early delivery, expectant parents of multiples are encouraged to learn everything there is to know about carrying and delivering multiple infants.
Infant Safety Class A room-by-room guide to preparing for a newborn and growing child, including environmental safety and the latest car seat recommendations. This class is ideal for new parents, grandparents and other care-givers of young infants. Infant Massage Workshop " Learn the techniques of infant massage along with tips to relieve gas, aid digestion and soothe the soreness of vaccination sites on your baby. Recommended for infants from one month of age to crawling. Visit us at startstrongbaby.com
6iĂ€ÂœÂ˜ÂˆV>ĂŠ7iLiĂ€
Carol McComb’s “Starting to Play� workshop includes the FREE use of a Loaner Guitar for the duration of the classes.* Regular cost is just $160 for nine weeks of group lessons, and all music is included.
Arthur Pfeiffer demonstrates “Texas Block ‘Em,� his online poker game, in December. to operate, meaning that if there are multiple players, everyone has to be in the same room together — even though everyone is playing on their own devices. When the game starts, everyone is shown five face-up “community� cards, similar to popular poker game Texas Hold ‘Em. Each player is then prompted to privately choose a card from a limited deck that’s randomly generated fresh for each new hand. Players aim for the same hands that are desirable in poker (royal flush, full house, four of a kind, etc.). The second round of selections are made public, introducing the skill element: once a player sees what another player is aiming for (say there’s a jack of spades in the community cards and one sees another player selecting a jack of clubs), he or she can strategize to “block� that player. If two players select the same card, they’re dealt a “thwart� card that has no value. “This adds a whole dimension on top of poker because card selection now becomes a very important feature,� Pfeiffer said. “And when you play you can play to try to improve your hand, to try to block somebody or when you’re trying to improve your hand, you have to consider they might be trying to block you, so you might not make the best selection to avoid (that). So there’s a whole different dynamic involved.�
Texas Block ‘Em will be based on the same concept but will involve either fee- or subscriptionbased online tournaments that award cash prizes. So the elements consideration and prize will be present, but not chance, meaning the game does not violate gambling laws, Pfeiffer claims. Pfeiffer’s games also have potential educational value, he said. They can be used to teach strategy and negotiation skills, for example. “When you play this game, it makes you a better thinker, strategist and poker player,� he said. Pfeiffer is not the only one trying to reinvent the world of Internet poker. PurePlay, a San Francisco-based company, broke into the scene in 2005, claiming its legality based on the absence of consideration. PurePlay users don’t have to pay to play in its online tournaments, but instead pay a monthly $25 subscription fee to join the website. It’s a different business model, but the game that users play remains the same as regular poker. Pfeiffer’s company has been compared to PurePlay, but he said the two aren’t in competition. “It’s really a totally different thing because our game basically is a game of skill,� he said. “Their game is not a game of skill by the definition of skill where there’s no outside force intervening.� David Levine, an affiliate scholar at the Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society, said: “The argument that this is more a game of skill and therefore it wouldn’t run afoul of laws certainly seems probable.� Levine, himself a poker player, added that learning how to read other players’ “tells,� bluffs or potential next moves involves a “high degree of skill.� But both Thwart Poker and
CityView A round-up
of Palo Alto government action this week
City Council The council did not meet this week.
Heart to Heart Seminars on Growing Up
Informative, humorous and lively discussions between parents and their pre-teens on puberty, the opposite sex and growing up. Girls attend these two-part sessions with their moms and boys attend with their dads.
.
Call (650) 724-4601 or visit calendar.lpch.org to register or obtain more information on the times, locations and fees for these and other courses.
&( &+( & # *+( # && ) *
-"*! '+( ! ) & &( $&( & % *+( # & &( %" && ) & . ( ,"* $"%) & $&(
'+&*(- +& *+( % /!) %$#'(&$ ," › %' %*' ›
* ( ## &*! ( ") &+%*) & &+'&%) %%&* &$ "% -"*! %. &*! ( / ( / &( / / &+%*(. +% &+'&% % &+'&% ' ( !&+) !&# ' ( . ' ( '+( ! ) & &( $&(
Page 12ĂŠUĂŠ >Â˜Ă•>ÀÞÊÎ]ÊÓä£{ĂŠUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠĂœĂœĂœÂ°*>Â?Âœ Â?ĂŒÂœ"˜Â?ˆ˜i°Vœ“