In gauging weather trends and analysis, the absolute value of the pressure is nowhere nearly as significant as its "trend." Namely: is the barometric pressure rising, is it falling, or is it holding steady? Watch the barometer needle and record its movements.  The dials of older barometers often feature artistically-drawn backgrounds to indicate weather conditions like storms, strong winds, and clear skies. For all their aesthetic, these backgrounds can be misleading. The movement of the barometer needle has far more bearing upon the coming weather. If you have an old, traditional mercury tube-type barometer, then you may need to watch the meniscus: the highest curve of the liquid mercury that fills the cylinder. To determine the trend in a barometer, you need to compare the current pressure reading to a past pressure reading. Calculate the difference in pressure between the current reading and the reading from an hour ago. In many barometers, you can manually set a needle to mark a point on the pressure gauge. The needle will remain at this point to help you gauge recent trends in the pressure. The higher you go, the lower the pressure. This means that a barometric pressure that would send someone straight through the trapdoors of a storm cellar at sea level along the coast of Costa Rica would be perfectly commonplace in the midst of summer in the mile-high city of Denver.

Summary: Look for the trend. Look at the reading. Know that atmospheric pressure decreases more or less exponentially with altitude.


In Texas Hold’em the dealer and/or the button-position will be passed to the next player toward the left after each hand. But, if one person deals all the time, then the button-position will rotate the table over time, otherwise the dealer job passes around. Understanding where you are in relation to the dealer/button will help you develop a strategy to win Texas Hold’em.  The button has the strongest position because he/she will always wait to bet last on the current hand. The player who bets last will have the most information to work with as they’ve seen all other players bets/actions before making a move. But, the player immediately to the right of the dealer, sometimes known as the “cutoff,” can potentially be in a strong position over the button as he has the ability to bet big enough to force the button into action/to bet-big or fold. Players in early betting positions are the weakest as they have the least amount of information to go on. However, there is a bit of a balancing out for the first round if you are either the big or small blind, as you have a bet already on the table. Narrowing the field means eliminating the other players for the hand. Some players will use a bet-big-early strategy to win Texas Hold’em, and while this may work, it also means you’re more likely to lose-big. Instead, try a strategy where you make smaller early bets to see some action before you try to over bet for other players to fold on the flop or turn (to tell them you drew something).  If you’re positioned at the top of the betting round you can make smaller bets (slow-play) and wait to see how other players react to the flop. Regardless of where you are positioned, your hand will indicate how you should proceed. Pairs are often your option and the higher the pair the better off you are. Also look to see if your cards are of the same suit because suited cards give you a hopeful chance by allowing for drawing a flush.  If you do have a good hand, you can make a larger bet to force other players out, especially if you have the position to wait to see how the other players bet. For example, if other players (act weak) aren’t betting very high, you can raise the pot and force some or all to fold. If you are in an earlier position you do have the benefit of being able to call the minimum and then waiting to see how other players handle the betting around the table. If a player bets big after you’ve called, you now know that he is either bluffing, or has a good hand. Chances are other players will make moves that indicate where the competition is going. When you are later to act in a round of betting you are at a great advantage. This is helpful against predictable/tight players who you expect to "tell" you a lot by always checking weak hands and raising better hands. You can play marginal hands by betting when they check before you act. You can also re-raise players who bluff too often so that you don't believe they are betting good hands. Sometimes you just get a weak hand in an early position. This is a long game so sometimes your strategy for winning Texas Hold’em is folding-weak and waiting until you’re in a strong, later position.  If you’ve already bet but see other players raising the pot but you don’t have a good hand -- it might be best to fold your hand/not to call. This way when you’re in a better position in a later hand, you’ll still have those chips to work with. Try not to fold before the flop unless a player is betting extremely large and you have a bad hand like a two and six. Even though this hand doesn’t look promising on its own it could create a straight, two pairs, three of a kind, or even a full house. But, if you’re in an early position and have to raise your bet to stay in with an unlikely winning hand, it might be best to fold.

Summary: Know what your position at the table means. Use your position to narrow the field. Let other players battle it out. Know when to fold based on your position.


Put a mixing glass and a coupe glass into the freezer to become completely cold. Chill them for at least 15 minutes or leave them to chill for several hours. If you prefer to shake the martini, chill a cocktail shaker instead of the mixing glass. Remove the mixing glass from the freezer and fill it up with ice. Measure and pour in 1.3 ounces (40 ml) of dry gin and 1.3 ounces (40 ml) of dry vermouth. Use a long-handled bar spoon to stir the martini until the cocktail is combined and very cold. This should take 15 seconds. You can shake the martini for 15 seconds, if you prefer. Remove the chilled coupe glass from the freezer and set a strainer over the mixing glass. Pour the millionaire martini into the coupe glass and discard the ice in the mixing glass. Open a bottle of champagne and pour it over the martini in the coupe glass. Slowly pour enough champagne to fill the glass. Serve the drink immediately. The amount of champagne you'll need depends on the size of your coupe glass. If you want to use a martini glass or champagne flute, you'll probably use more champagne.
Summary: Chill a mixing glass and coupe glass for at least 15 minutes. Fill the mixing glass with ice and add the dry gin and dry vermouth. Stir the martini for 15 seconds. Strain the martini into the coupe glass. Top off the glass with champagne and serve the martini.