Online Poker Blog by Poker-Authority.com

Avoid Looking Like a Poker Newbie

2006-11-29T04:01:00.000-08:00

Every poker player has been there. They want to try their hand at poker so they sit down at a competitive weekend game or make their way to a casino and sit at a table in hopes of getting a little lucky. Within an hour they are cleaned out and headed to the cash machine.

The fact is that poker newbies generally can be spotted and ultimately taken advantage of. A beginner poker player may act in a certain way and have certain tendencies that give away the fact that they are not experienced. Here are a few basic tips to follow, in order to disguise yourself and blend into the crowd.

Avoid string betting

String betting is a classic example of a rookie mistake. A string bet occurs when a player calls a bet and then they make a raise. The player will say, "I call your bet of 'x'…and I raise you 'x' amount." Usually the player will push in the amount of the call after they state that they are calling.

If you do this at a poker table you might as well have a t-shirt on that says 'Dead Money'. A more seasoned poker player will immediately pick up on this and hassle you all night long.

Proper poker etiquette states that you announce that you are going to raise before you put your chips into the pot. After this you may push the amount of the call into the pot and if need be contemplate how much you would like to raise your opponent.

Seems like a small thing but it makes the poker game flow much smoother.

Control Your Emotions

Poker newbies tend to show their emotions at the table much more than the average poker vet. Sometimes it is not even apparent to the beginner poker player that they are giving away information with the slightest movement.

For instance, someone that is new to the game is being dealt rags all night long. Each time they are dealt a hand they look at their cards and grimace slightly in disgust that they are not getting a chance to compete. As soon as they receive a hand that is playable, there is no grimace anymore and they call. This can definitely be seen as a tell.

An experienced poker player can pick up on the slightest body language and use it against you. Remember, your body language can reveal your cards just as much as actually showing your cards. Poker players have memories like elephants and they are groomed to remember your slightest tendencies and use them against you.

Don't Show Your Hand

You are heads up with your opponent on the river and he checks to you. You make an incredible bet and after pondering what you may have, your opponent folds his hand. You and he talk about the different possibilities and why he folded and finally he asks you what you had. You show him that you had absolutely nothing!

WRONG! You do not want to do this.

As a rule of thumb you should never reveal your hand to an opponent if you playing a serious game of poker. All this does is give your opponent more information about how to beat you in a later hand.

Sure, you want to rub it in your opponent's face that you got him with a stone cold bluff but it is to your benefit to make him squirm and try to figure out for himself whether you bluffed him or not.

It is not a guarantee that your opponent could use this information to get back at you in a later stage of the game but it does bring up that possibility. Do yourself a favor and guard as much of your information as you can.

About The Author

Nigel Bridges is a poker consultant for http://www.signaturepoker.com Everything from classic to custom Poker Chips.

Poker Networks – a Great Place To Shop

2006-11-29T03:59:00.000-08:00

You only have to enter a couple of related poker words into Google to find a whole plethora of poker sites, with over 250 or so, offering various promotions, products and marketing strategies to tempt you into joining their games and becoming part of their poker community.

But if you are just about to set out, new to the game of online poker, what will you look for when you shop around for one of the many poker product sites available?

Well, of course the first thing you are attracted to is the label or brand name offering the product. Just like you may shop at your local store for common household goods, you may employ the same methods when shopping for an online gaming product, like poker. The brand name is what identifies the product. You may have seen the brand name being advertised somewhere, so if you are familiar with it, you are more likely to trust it.

Some of the more popular brand names like William Hill and Ladbrooks are familiar to us primarily for sports betting. But with sites like these now having a casino and poker gaming channel, they are beginning to establish themselves as trustworthy players in the online gaming world. With big sites like Party Poker and 888 also throwing a lot of money behind marketing campaigns and tournaments, it is easy to see how fast they have established themselves as forerunners in online casino and poker.

But just as we all like to purchase the more popular brand names, it is those great bargains that we like to shop around for. Spotting a great offer and walking away with a great product at a lower price fills us all with delight. And so just by digging a little deeper into Google or Yahoo, you will be able to find more variety of poker products, with more bonus offers and various tournaments available.

Shopping for online poker will begin just like normal, with a spot of window shopping. Enter a few words such as poker games, poker online or UK poker into Google and boom… lots of "shops" and products to choose from. However, just browsing a few pages deeper than the usual 2, 3 or 4, will result in far more sites than the usual big brand names. Sites like VIP Poker Club and Virgin Poker are also becoming more household names and beginning to establish themselves as places to play in a safe and secure environment. You may see sites like these popping up amongst results as they become ever more popular.

Once you have opened up a poker site to take a further look into the product, you are first attracted to the graphic/colour scheme and layout of the site. If these are not simple to understand, or pleasing to the eye (just like the labels on a product in the store), you are likely to be turned away. But don't stop there. Why not try the product out before you buy it? Sites like VIP Poker offer an interactive poker school and also allow you to preview games before you start playing. This is a good way to search for a product and test it out.

One good way to shop is by going to a chain store. There you will find many brands under one roof. From the more popular established brands to newly available brands and niche products. Just like shopping at a chain store for electrical goods, you can shop at an online poker network for a variety of poker brands. Sites like http://www.IPNPoker.com provide a multitude of brands to suit your taste and needs. Whether you want to feel like a VIP club member or want to be part of a more fun-based brand, there is always a site and tournament available to suite your taste and level of play.

Playing as part of a network has its benefits over the single site products such as Party Poker or 888. While the numbers of players online are likely to be similar, the range of player (and language of player) is likely to be broader and more varied, and with a network, there will always be a tournament available for beginners and professionals alike. No more waiting around for a tournament to begin ("like waiting in queues to pay for your chosen product").

St Minver, who operate the IPN Poker network, said its networks are now hosting 30,000 cash players a day, with up to 7,500 concurrent players on its sites at peak times. This is likely to be fuelled by the introduction of a number of high-profile household brands and launches into Sweden, Spain and Russia.

The International Poker Network site shows revenue growth of 20% in 2006. The number of poker players on IPNPoker increased by 27% in 2006. This shows that playing as part of a network is proving ever popular. Being able to meet players of different languages from all over Europe, test the product out before your buy and shop around for the great bargains all under one roof is a good reason to become part of an online poker network.

About The Author

Written by Morgan Collins for the http://www.ipnpoker.com. Operated by St Minver Ltd. This article may be reproduced in full with author’s name and links retained.

Smart Rookie Poker Player

2006-11-29T03:56:00.000-08:00

Trying to have some luck on a casino table is not just mere sitting on comfortable chair watching the cards to be laid down. There are rules to be followed and strategies for a sure win. A veteran poker player knew all about these. And they maximize their strategies to take advantage of the rookie players.

The veterans or masters of that field could easily spot a new comer in that particular field. In a casino table, a poker newbie is not exempted. A veteran poker player could easily determine a poker newbie. Watch out, they will dig every single penny in your pocket.

There are techniques for us to disguise and go along with these master-poker players undetermined.

Be observant

An example mistake a rookie commits is the string betting - a player call a bet and then make a raise. Then followed by familiar action indicating that you are a rookie player. These actions will then use by the matured poker player to take advantage of you during the game. Within the thoughts of this seasoned poker player, he/she is laughing at you and the same time, use some strategies unfamiliar to you through out the game.

The traditional pattern in calling a bet - announce that you are going to raise first before pushing your bet, anticipating the possible raise your opponent might call. Chain reactions will occur. Chances are, you will not be treated as rookie poker player.

Control Your Emotions

A seasoned poker player will determine if your card standing is good or not. By way of body language, through emotions and facial expressions you are showing, a seasoned poker player will know if you will raise a bet or not. This is a disadvantage on your part and an advantage on your opponent.

Incidentally, a rookie poker player will manifest a familiar facial expression on the first time he looks on his cards. The expression that will manifest on your face will show, telling to your opponent if you have good or not good enough cards to bet on.

Furthermore, the first time you look at your cards and you become happy, it shows that you have nice cards to compete within that round, but if you frown and displeased, it shows that you don’t have good cards to play. In addition, you are announcing the status of your cards.

Every veteran on the table can pick a hint on your actions. These actions will be used against you. Even the smallest action of the hand will manifest during the game expressing something, giving additional hints about your cards whether they are competitive or not.

These seasoned poker players knew everything within or around the table. A manifestation of a simple hint of advantage will be of great deal to them. In fact, they are patient in waiting for these hints. Furthermore, they knew every player they had competed before and also remember some anecdotes that had been shown during the game.

Unless you go to casinos just to divert your attention from stressful weekdays, and have some fun and you have lots money to bet on. But every poker player wants to win the game so as persons going to casino, to have some luck.

Every person who succeeded in his or her chosen endeavor had worked hard for it. They exerted extraordinary effort and sacrifices. In the poker game, the word lucky is always mentioned because the luck depends on the cards you receive, yet there are strategies for us to win the game.

You, as poker rookie should remember the ROI (return of investment) that being new in the game, you will loose on the first, second or even on the following game. The same scenario, its just like you are investing on it. On the following games, you will surely win because you’ve learned already the proper protocol of the game.

Although these things don't assure the possibility that you will loss or win the game, the best thing to do in a first-time situation is to take precaution. Every opponent is looking a point for him to take advantage of the other. Be smart and be the first to find that hole.

About The Author

Roxel Pudol maintain the following sites: http://www.hk0.org, http://www.zz0.org, and http://www.cpayscom2online-casino.com.

Poker: Can you Execute?

2006-11-06T23:03:00.000-08:00

I'm a devourer of poker knowledge. If a well known pro comes out with a new book, I have it preordered on Amazon. When the box arrives I rip it open and lie on my bed reading straight through without a break. I TiVo every poker show on TV even if I've seen it before, I skim the internet everyday for new poker articles. I'm sure you know the feeling, because you're just like me. Every article online, every pros video you are there inhaling. Trying constantly to understand what it is that makes them better then you and how you can bring yourself to their level.

One of the most common questions that beginning poker players have is: what is the most important skill a poker player can have? I've heard many pros answer this question with: patience, the ability to read an opponent, or the ability to put pressure on other players. I think the pros have heard this question so many times that they script their answers and give up on really providing a significant answer. Its not patience or reading ability that makes a player a top pro, because these are skills that can be learned by most of us. While patience is important, it is not a skill that really separates you or me from the best in the world. Most good players are willing to be patient in the right situations, and know its ok to continually fold hands in. Hand reading skills are also learned. If you play thousands of hands it is virtually impossible not to gain the ability to read your opponents hand. The ability to read is just ingrained in you because you've been in the same situation many times before.

Being able to execute is what separates the top players from everyone else. This means constantly acting on your instincts and following through when you have a read or a plan for a play on a hand. It's easy to say "I have bottom two pair here and if he comes over the top he has me beat I'm going to fold". It's much more difficult to actually make that fold. It's easy to say "If I check to my opponent in this un-raised pot he's going to bet 90% of the time so I should try a check raise". It's harder to make that play continually in the right situations. You can constantly see this problem for players online. A player bets into them big on a later street, and they know they have the worst hand. The timer is ticking down and then they make the "I'm not a good enough player to make this fold" play. This play loses them tons of money in every session they play. This is a play that the great player doesn't even think about making. They aren't letting the timer tick down, because their hand is in the muck. They have the same instinct telling them to fold their big hand as you do; they just follow through with their reads when most others can't.

They can execute.

Executing:

A great example of this is concept occurred in a hand on the High Stakes Poker TV show on GSN (if you haven't seen this, I suggest torrenting it right now, just stop reading I'll forgive you). Barry Greenstein raises and Antonio Esfandairi calls in EMP with AA. The flop comes KQX and it checks to Antonio who makes a bet and is called by Greenstein. The turn is a blank and both players check. On the river Greenstein leads out for a pot sized bet. Antonio thinks for a minute and throws his hand into the muck, his opponent having KQ for two pair. Would you be able to make that read?....probably. I would definitely consider that I had the worst hand in that situation. But would you make that fold even with that read? Most people wouldn't.

They don't execute.

Not executing:

Here's a great example of my own failure to execute. I had reraised this player preflop multiple times prior to this hand. His play had been to call my repop before the flop and fold to my flop bet. Obviously he was looking to outflop my big preflop hand and then felt me.

***** Hand History for Game 3552629530 *****$100 NL Texas Hold'em - Tuesday, February 14, 07:57:32 EDT 2006Table Table 85428 (6 max) (Real Money)Seat 3 is the buttonTotal number of players : 6Seat 6: skihood ( $177.12 )Seat 2: TheJar3d ( $157.45 )Seat 1: Captain54173 ( $192.55 )Seat 5: KardPlayer1 ( $179.78 )Seat 3: AceManhattan ( $98.50 )Seat 4: cardiac777 ( $155.90 )cardiac777 posts small blind [$0.50].KardPlayer1 posts big blind [$1].** Dealing down cards **Dealt to TheJar3d [ Ah Ad ]skihood calls [$1].Captain54173 raises [$4].TheJar3d raises [$10].AceManhattan folds.cardiac777 folds.KardPlayer1 folds.skihood folds.Captain54173 calls [$6].** Dealing Flop ** [ 6h, 9s, Td ]Captain54173 checks.TheJar3d bets [$15].Captain54173 calls [$15].** Dealing Turn ** [ Qd ]Captain54173 checks.TheJar3d bets [$30].>You have options at Table 85464 (6 max) Table!.Captain54173 calls [$30].** Dealing River ** [ 3s ]Captain54173 bets [$50].>You have options at Table 85464 (6 max) Table!. TheJar3d calls [$50].Captain54173 shows [ 6s, 6d ] three of a kind, sixes.TheJar3d doesn't show [ Ah, Ad ] a pair of aces.Captain54173 wins $209.50 from the main pot with three of a kind, sixes.

On the river my opponent makes the obvious, lead in because I want my big hand paid off and I am out of position. I sat there and let the timer click down, my read saying I should fold and then I called. I didn't execute.

Another great example:***** Hand History for Game 4239100812 *****$100 NL Texas Hold'em - Thursday, May 11, 01:46:49 ET 2006Table Surf Rider (No DP) (Real Money)Seat 4 is the buttonTotal number of players : 6Seat 1: elmerfuddpi ( $99.85 )Seat 3: Spazz233 ( $122.68 )Seat 5: Metygl ( $104.60 )Seat 6: BottledFly ( $110.70 )Seat 4: TheJar3d ( $146.40 )Seat 2: fzilco ( $106.95 )Metygl posts small blind [$0.50].BottledFly posts big blind [$1].** Dealing down cards **Dealt to TheJar3d [ 9c 9d ]elmerfuddpi calls [$1].fzilco raises [$4].Spazz233 calls [$4].TheJar3d calls [$4].Metygl folds.BottledFly folds.elmerfuddpi calls [$3].** Dealing Flop ** [ Qs, 9h, Ks ]elmerfuddpi checks.fzilco checks.Spazz233 bets [$4].TheJar3d raises [$20].elmerfuddpi folds.fzilco folds.Spazz233 calls [$16].** Dealing Turn ** [ 2c ]Spazz233 checks.TheJar3d bets [$40].Spazz233 calls [$40].** Dealing River ** [ Kc ]Spazz233 bets [$40].TheJar3d raises [$80].Spazz233 is all-In.TheJar3d shows [ 9c, 9d ] a full house, Nines full of kings.Spazz233 shows [ Kh, Qd ] a full house, Kings full of queens.TheJar3d wins $21.32 from side pot #1 with a full house, Nines full of kings. Spazz233 wins $251.86 from the main pot with a full house, Kings full of queens.

Sure I have a near nut hand here. There's a lot of money in the pot. But I had an exact read on his hand, I knew it was KQ. This is what I like to call the "fuck you! You outdrew me now here is the rest of my money play". I knew this was a situation where I should make the river fold, or at the worst just make the call. There is just no reason to give him the rest of my chips when I have the right read. As a great player you need to be able to execute on your instinct in every situation. The majority of players would just look at this situation and say "well you had a great hand and lost...it happens" These are solid players who don't realize how much money they are losing each session because they can't execute on their instincts.

The reads that really matter are the ones that let you fold a great second best hand. Folding that AA in the right situation makes you more money then folding ten high after the flop. Why? Because your opponents can't make the same fold. The money you make in poker is from situations that if they were reversed your opponent would lose more money then you. If you are going broke every time your opponent out flops your AA, then you aren't really making money when you out flop their AA. Folding a good hand that is beat or calling a bluff with a marginal hand is how you make money off other solid players. If you are making folds that they aren't capable of making you will come out on top. You need to be able to execute on this play, because it's your bank.

When you get down to the fundamentals, poker is just a game of comparing your hand strength to your opponents. All experienced poker players can read hands, and can compare hand strengths. The difference between the people who wins 5PTBB/100 hands versus the person who wins 10PTBB/100 hands is their ability to constantly execute on their reads and instincts. This is the most important poker skill out there. To guess what your opponent has in each situation then follow through, being able to execute on your read, make that big fold, or fire that second barrel when you know they are weak is what will make you a great poker player. It doesn't matter if you have all the poker knowledge is the world, or if you can make the great read in every hand if your chips aren't backing up your read.

Don't be a bitch, execute.

For more great No Limit Holdem articles visit http://www.pokerdynasty.net

About The Author

Jared Devlin-Scherer is a no limit holdem cash game pro and a contributing writer for http://www.pokerdynasty.net.

Bad Folds in Poker

2006-11-06T23:02:00.000-08:00

Many experienced players have learned how to play well in pre-flop. They know exactly when to call, raise, or fold. Surprisingly, these same players make horrible decisions post-flop, especially when they are playing in low-limit hold’em games. Their problem is not because they call down too often, but because they fold when they should not. These players probably believed that they should be playing a smart tight-aggressive play. And this is why they fold most of the time unless they are holding a very strong hand or have a good draw. But what actually happens is that they forget to take into account the odds they are getting.

For example, in the big blind, a player has a King and an Eight of spades. One of his opponents raise in middle position and four other players call. This player also calls. On the table, the flop is made up of a King of clubs, a Ten and a Deuce of diamonds. Then, the small blind bets out. Our poker player is inclined to fold. But it is going to be a bad fold. Analyzing his cards, he still has great odds for his money, although his kicker is not exactly the best. He has a top pair and he might even end up getting trips or two pairs. Admittedly, there is a pretty good chance that one of his opponents will win. But the pot has so much money that our player should at least call one bet.

Making a bad fold can be the biggest mistake that a poker player makes. To avoid this mistake, a player must remember that there are actually two major decisions he should make. One is in pre-flop, and second is on the turn.

In pre-flop, the player will decide whether he wants to play his hand or not. In the flop, this player will usually make or call a small bet, thus, flop decisions are not really significant. In the post-flop, on the turn, the player will consider odds, his hand, and his opponents' hands. When this player decides to call the turn, it will be advisable for him to also call the river. When he does both, it means that he is making two big bets. This may seem risky but it will be tragic to fold a winning hand on the river.

Supposed the pot is raised pre-flop and only one bet is made post-flop, a player may fold at the turn. Obviously, he lost. But the money he lost is certainly less than what he would have lost if he had called to a showdown.

Lastly, the river is not a good time to fold. There are only two situations in which a player needs to fold on the river. First, a player must fold when he misses a draw. And second, if there is much betting and raising. This indicates that the player’s hand is probably the weakest.

About The Author

Mika Ollila is the owner of Rakeback.com (http://www.rakeback.com), which provides poker rakeback (http://www.rakeback.com) services for online poker players.

How to Beat the Poker Fish and Call Machine

2006-11-06T23:00:00.000-08:00

You can win many rounds of poker if you simply observe other players and their body language. You must carefully observe each move to determine if the player is a professional or a novice.

A poker fish is usually a beginner who is highly enthusiastic and will bet even with average cards. You will find the poker fish at the lower limit poker games though they may occasionally play at the higher limit tables.

You can win several games if poker fish are present at your table.

You may lose a few games, but on an average the more you sit at a table, the more you will win against them. Once you recognize a poker fish at your table, you can develop a proper strategy and beat them hollow. You can beat the fish by calculating the pot odds for your hand. They are playing based on pure luck while you can maximize your chances by using proper probability and your "player reading" skills.

You must compute the number of undealt cards and your chance of getting such cards. In case there are a good number of cards, you must call a bet; else, you must leave the game. If you are playing online poker, you can beat the poker calling machines by using a pot odds calculator. The poker calling machines always have an edge over the player and the purpose of your poker strategy must be to minimize this edge as much as possible.

You must learn how to adapt your game at various stages of the game as several players get a straight or a flush. If the bet is reasonable with a reasonable jackpot and you have a good hand, you must call the bet. In case you are last to play on the table and have a weak hand, it is better to leave the game than risk losing whatever you may have won.

Your opponents may have a good hand and will try to draw you in to betting at the river. They may try to check you and call your bet, so play as per the strength of your cards. You can also check on the river if you wager and your opponents have missed a draw. You may not bet in case you are the first player. So, play intelligently and call the bluff of your competitors.

In case you play last, you may wager on the flop. This way if the opponent checks you, you can convince him you have a bad draw. You can then raise him on the river and earn some amount of money. Another tactic to earn a good sum of money is to make a small bet when you have a good hand and your competitors have poor cards. This convinces them to raise their bets and you win a good amount at their cost.

When playing online poker you must learn to recognize a fake hand and withdraw from the game when the poker-calling machine has a stronger hand. It is very important to have proper money management and control over your bankroll to avoid bankruptcy, when playing poker. Most importantly, learn to recognize the types of players at your table. Novices will play without thinking unlike aggressive players who try to scare you off the table. For other players money is no criteria and they play the maximum bets even with average hands.

Therefore, when playing offline poker learn to recognize the poker fish, as his presence gives you a good advantage and a better chance of winning. When playing online poker join the online casino so that you get free money to play more poker.

You must play confidently if you have a good hand and bet assertively, taking more risk. If you observe these simple rules, you can easily beat the poker fish or the poker-calling machine in online poker.

About The Author

PD Laughlin is a successful professional poker player and publisher of http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com. He provides free information on Poker Skills, Strategies and Systems on his website http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com including how to beat the poker fish and calling machines. Visit his site now and become a better poker player immediately.

Poker Calculators and Do You Suffer From the Top Pair Syndrome?

2006-08-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that in an online Multi Table Tournament (MTT) the field is pared by about half within the first hour? If you are patient through this opening session you will be able to sit back like a Prince and watch all your soldiers go to war while witnessing a few that will emerge with a chip stack. I rarely play hands during this hour and watch in amazement as player after player risk their whole stacks on draws, low pairs, connectors, and especially top pair.

Therein lays a game critical weakness of an inexperienced player. They are quick to risking their whole stack on top pair – I refer to this as the Top Pair Syndrome. Here are some likely symptoms of Top Pair Syndrome. The player in question has an urgent inner desire to double up. The player in question is simply impatient. The player in question has a tendency to bully other people. Finally the player in question doesn’t understand the true value of his cards. Keep in mind that Top Pairolitis is a result of limit ring game action, where in that venue, you are often paid off with top pair - top kicker, making it a positive EV play. The virtual opposite is true in tournaments, save for specific situations.

We are all susceptible to impatience; it is an inner enemy when playing poker. But I have seen thousands of times when in the first couple of hands, players have their whole stack on the line with AJ suited after the flops comes Jack high. Yes, they do win often, but lose just as much to someone on a silly draw, or a made set. It goes along with the philosophy of needing to double up early, or just not play the tournament. This is simply foolish.

Bullying is a negative childish behavior that percolates into adulthood. Some players take that aggression to the poker table and feel that since they had the best starting hand, it is only right that it deserves to win the pot. Let me tell you this if you don’t already know, the flop gives the whole world a new look and can render any hand useless. ANY HAND! But forcing your will with over-cards to a made hand is lunatic fringe.

Finally, many internet players truly misjudge the strength of their hands, frequently overplaying such holdings as JQs, KQs, A10, AJ, and low pairs. Had they been using a poker calculator like Holder Pirate, it would recommend folding such hands to a raise, while some others with looser settings and value pots would maybe, say call. I have seen many players in the early rounds let their tournament ride with AQ, 66, and even 22! As pro Daniel Negreanu wrote recently, "Call me crazy, but I want to see more than 2 cards before I put my whole stack on the line."

Marty Smith is webmaster of http://www.PokerCalculatorReport.com where all the online poker calculators are tested and reviewed, including Sit and Go Shark, Calculatem Pro, and Poker Spy. He is also editor of http://www.PokerBookReport.com

Crazy Pineapple Poker – A Fun & Exciting Game For Poker Players

2006-08-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

Crazy Pineapple poker is fun and exciting and has a growing following among casino players.

Crazy Pineapple Poker is a take-off on Texas Hold'em, is not as complicated, but is a fun and exciting game and is well worth playing for its entertainment value.

It’s also easy to learn and play, so here are the basics.

What are the differences?

There are basically two.

The most important difference is the finale at the end to determine the winning hand. The other is in the number of hole cards that are dealt at the beginning of play.

Blinds are posted as the game begins.

One player posts a small blind while another a large blind. Then the dealer will deal 3 cards to every player, and just as in Texas Hold'em, these cards will be dealt face down and called the "hole" cards.

Now as these cards are dealt, its time to begin the round of betting.

With the betting done, three cards are dealt on the "flop" to the players in the hand, or community cards. These will be shared by all players and used to make the best possible hand.

Now the next round of betting begins.

If a player is still 'in; they must discard one of the hole cards to keep playing.

At this point, a 'turn' card is dealt to the community. Another round of betting follows. Now the final community card is dealt (also called the 'river' card) there is one more round of betting.

Here is the major difference between Crazy Pineapple and Texas Hold’em.

This is the 'showdown'

This gives Crazy Pineapple Poker its entertaining nature and makes it fun to play.

If you made it to the showdown, there are a lot of options.

As in most poker games you will use five cards to get the best resulting poker hand.

As a further option, you can choose to keep the three community cards and the two hole cards, or four community cards and one hole card.

The Winner

To win, you can even use the five cards on the table or the five community cards as a winning hand too. There are many options to win.

Crazy Pineapple Poker is indeed an entertaining and fun game to play.

However you will need all your strategy and skill to defeat the other players. It's like Texas Holdem, but the extra twist in the rules give make it an alternative that many players enjoy

Unlike Texas Hold’em, you won't be required to plan so much in advance due to the extra rule of discarding a card at the second round of betting.

For more free info on poker and all other major casino games inclduing, features, news, articles and the best in online casinos visit http://www.net-planet.org/games/poker.html

Poker - Popularity Explosion

2006-08-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days when poker was played in back rooms by a handful of regular players. Now it seems as if you can't turn on the television without seeing coverage of a poker tournament or instructional show. The media has jumped on the poker band wagon, fueling its popularity.

Poker, particularly Texas Hold-'em style, is broadcast on major networks such as Bravo, ESPN and The Travel Channel. The Travel Channel reports that their World Series of Poker shows are among the highest rated in their lineup.

There are World Championship games, tournaments and even a show where all the players are celebrities (regardless of their poker skills). The shows are hosted by current poker players, many of whom are very successful at their profession. The media coverage has turned many of these players into mini celebrities in their own right.

One thing that is appealing to television viewers is that poker is relatively easy to learn. Most of the televisions shows have a primer at the beginning, explaining the different hands and betting procedures. So, in essence, a novice could sit down at a table and begin to play. Which is not to say they will do very well! A common saying with poker is "5 minutes to learn, a lifetime to master".

Part of the success in drawing interest to poker is the 'hole camera'. The hole camera is a camera lens at every player's seat which allows the viewer at home to see what cards each player is holding. This way you are able to see the action unfold and can learn from watching what players do. You may even find yourself rooting for someone to take a certain action, forgetting that they cannot see what you can! The hosts of the show will often explain what they expect the players to do, based on what they are seeing from how the other player bets, or reacts to the action. So you can actually pick up quite a few playing tips just by listening to the commentary.

The television popularity of poker has spilled over into other areas besides television. Many casinos who did not offer poker before now hold tournaments. And retail sales of poker related items has surged as well. You can go into any large chain bookstore and see dozens of books on poker, whereas five years ago their might have been a handful. The sale of poker chips, home poker tables and even poker home decor has taken off.

The internet has also taken a slice out of the poker pie. The increase in the number of online casinos has skyrocketed in the last few years, with larger businesses such as Party Poker or Ultimate Bet actually sponsoring players in the live televised tournaments. Many online casinos offer a free version, where you can play poker without actually investing any money.

With the surge in popularity of poker, it is important to remember that it is gambling and can lead to addiction or even bankruptcy! There seems to be no slow down in the ratings for shows, so poker will be here for a long time to come.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Games

Top Ten Best Poker Tips

2006-07-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

1. Know when to hold'em, and know when to fold’em

Most beginners play way too many starting hands; in fact top players typically play between 20-30% of their starting hands. When you're just starting out playing poker, you want to play poker, and that means staying in hands that aren't very good just to be part of the action. But playing more doesn't mean winning more – in fact it usually means losing more! Concentrate on higher value starting hands and help remove the luck element of the game.

2. Choose less skilful opponents

If you want to win money choose your opponents wisely. Although this sounds obvious you should play at the betting limits where you stand a better chance of beating the majority of players. Move down in limits if you are having difficulty winning money. Don’t be greedy and always leave your ego at the door.

3. Understand player position

Not only is it important to play strong hands, it is also important in what position you play them. For example, the ideal position is the Button - as you are last to act, and have the advantage of watching all of the betting action before you need to make a decision. If the action before you consists of a bet, a raise, and then a re-raise, and you, say, hold a pair of Tens, you might think that folding is the right decision.

4. Be unpredictable

Variation and unpredictability can be advantageous. Most good players/professionals can spot a really loose player by waiting for the nuts and being patient. However, an even easier opponent is a tight player or “rock”, who plays only the Group 1 type hands. You need to change your game up, and let them see that you can run bluffs, and can play some lower value starting hands.

5. Don't bluff just for bluffing's sake

Although most poker novices understand that bluffing is a part of poker, they are unsure exactly how. There's is no set rule saying that one must bluff a certain amount of times - or at all during a game, but many players don't feel like they've won unless they've tried a poker bluff that’s worked. Bluffs only work in certain situations and against certain people, and if you know a player always calls to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that player. It's better never to bluff than to bluff just for the hell of it.

6. Don't play when in the wrong frame of mind.

When you play poker, you shouldn't do it when your depressed, angry or simply having a bad day. You will start playing emotionally, not rationally -- and as a result you won't play your best. Likewise, if during a poker game, you lose a big hand or get sucked out on and feel yourself going on tilt, stand up & take a break until you feel calm later on. Good players will sense your mood and take advantage of it.

7. Watch your opponents carefully

Always watch your opponents, especially when you are not in a hand. Watch how opponents bet and how much they bet and in what position are they betting. Learning how your opponents play is key. If you know that one player always raises in a certain position, and another has a poker tell when he bluffs and a third folds to every re-raise, you can use that information to help you decide how to play against them.

8. Pick the right game for your skill level

The main reason why you shouldn't jump into a $5/10 game after winning at $2/4 is because as the stakes rise, so will the average skill level of the players sitting there. You want to be one of the best players at the table and if you're making stacks of money at a lower level game, why move?

9. Don't Call at the End of a Hand

It may be worth seeing if a player really has the hand to attempt to gain information that will help you later on in the game, but if you really feel a player has the hand he's representing and you're already beaten, why give him even more of your money? These types of bets will add up over the course of an evening.

10. Read books and take notes

Learn how be a better poker player. If possible try and keep notes on what works and does not work for you, and eventually you will come up with a style of playing that does work. Read as much as you can about the game and keep on the look out for online tips from the professional tournament players.

Tim Godfrey is the webmaster of http://www.onlinegamblingsolutions.com OnlineGamblingSolutions is a top gambling portal that runs monthly bonus promotions, detailed casinos reviews, a digital betting bookstore and all the lastest gaming news - and much much more!!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Godfrey

Texas Holdem Poker - Today

2006-07-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

With all the poker-mania, there’s a modern day "gold rush" underway today. Analyst estimates are a bit sketchy, but some estimate that people will spend up to $4.5 billion U.S. in 2005 on poker-related items of every kind, including:

* Online poker room play

* Poker tournaments

* Online poker room financial brokers (e.g., Firepay, NetTeller, Citadel and others)

* Casino poker rooms

* Game units for your TV

* Poker chip sets and dealer buttons (you can even get "collector" edition dealer buttons signed by the pros - got some as Christmas presents this year!)

* Poker tables and instructions for how to build poker tables

* Poker software (poker odds calculators, poker games, home tournament organizers, tournament director kits)

* Texas holdem poker rule and starting hand cards

* Poker schools and training courses

* Poker books and strategy e-books

* Poker hats, shirts and clothing items

* Local poker clubs

* Free Texas Holdem poker stuff of every kind imaginable.

To give you an idea of how many people are now playing with real-money online, have a look at PokerPulse.com. PokerPulse keeps tabs on the top online poker rooms and tracks how many real-money poker games are running at any point in time. Some estimates based upon these statistics suggest that online poker room companies are turning over in excess of $110 million U.S. every 24 hours, with hundreds of thousands of online players active any given evening.

So, with the worldwide inertia that poker has today, how far can it go? Will it be like the CB Radio - a brief flash in the pan and then suddenly - poof! Will it be just another fad and memory, with occasional reminders like Smokey and the Bandit? Hard to say for sure, but with the momentum, advertising and so many young people, including many teenagers and children playing across the Internet, it could be that the poker big bang has occured and its expansion has only really begun...

As with many new, controversial phenomenon such as poker, there's the social morality aspect and question: Is playing poker gambling? Is it really just a game of skill? The question of whether online poker rooms are just as much about gambling as traditional casino games and online bookie operations is certainly one that is shaping some industries, and creating some others. Before we look for the answers to those questions, let's explore what the actions of certain parties might lead us to believe.

For example, the traditional credit card processors (MC, VISA, AMEX, PayPal, and others) decided to discontinue use of their credit card services to fund player's online poker accounts. Today, there's a whole cottage industry that has sprung up to fill the enormous demand for transferring funds between bank accounts and online poker room accounts, processing untold millions of dollars each day.

Try advertising a poker-related item through Google's AdWords or the Yahoo/MSN equivalent (Overture) and you'll quickly find they have a category known as "Gambling URL" that'll come into play. Any website that could be related to online poker rooms is considered a "gambling" site and advertising services are thereby refused. So, what happened as a result? Well, aside from these companies losing advertising revenues, it's forced the poker industry into fierce competition for the poker-related search "namespaces". Try searching for something using keywords like "Texas Holdem poker" and see what you find.

It's amazing at how clogged up the search engine namespace has become, with every search engine optimization (SEO) technique and trick known to man being used by poker website owners in an attempt to gain visibility, page ranking and routing of more visitor traffic to their websites.

In my opinion, the answer to the question "Is playing poker gambling?" is - it depends. It depends on the player's skill level. If you're a highly-skilled player, then IMHO it's not gambling - it's playing a sophisticated game like chess, where you not only must defeat the opponents but you must also use strategy and play the odds in order to win.

You beat the odds by playing only certain starting hands from given positions at the table, adjusting your play based upon the game situation, understanding other players' styles, and by developing a strategy for winning, throwing your weight (chip stack) around at the right times, and by sitting out at other times. No, it's far from gambling for many of us. However, for those who don't possess the requisite skills, it is gambling more often than it's not, since skill is much less of a factor for such players. Since the basic rules are deceptively simple, people often have no idea why they're beaten.

What makes it very different from traditional casino gambling games, though, is that you're not playing against the house. The online poker room takes a "rake", a percentage of the money that's in play (e.g., 10% or so), which is how the online poker room generates revenues. It doesn't really matter who wins or loses, since the poker operator always gets paid for hosting the game.

I'll cover popular online poker rooms in a future article in more detail, but suffice it to say, there's gold in them there hills and the claims have been staked by the market leaders, who are raking in fortunes providing their sophisticated online service businesses to millions of eager players worldwide.

Since these business aren't allowed to operate within U.S. borders, they're virtually unregulated (at least by U.S. standards) and new ones continue to pop up every month. Now I don't want to make it sound like everyone who plays online is playing with real money - quite the contrary. There's an enormous number of players who just use "play money" and have a real blast playing and socializing via the use of instant messaging and interactions through the online poker room site.

So, is the poker phenomenon a trend or just another fad that's destined to take it's place in our video library, beside Smokey and the Bandit and that CB radio wave that crested in the 1970's? Hard to say for sure. One thing is for certain. A lot of people are having fun playing in online poker rooms, at traditional casinos and in their own home games - while an army of others are supplying that demand, and making a boatload of money in the process.

Until next time - Good Luck!

Rick

Rick Braddy is an avid writer, Texas Holdem poker player and professional software developer and marketer for over 25 years. His websites and Texas Holdem poker software helps people become better players. If you're a poker player, be sure to visit his Texas Holdem poker websites and learn how you can play better Texas Holdem poker, too.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Braddy

Free Online Poker

2006-07-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Online poker games using play-money don’t fall under the category of gambling because fake currency or chips, which have no intrinsic value, are used by players to take part in a game. As a result, nothing of actual value is won or lost. While some play-money poker games may be intended for the sole purpose of entertainment, some may be used by beginners to understand the basic rules, strategies, and structure of a poker game and to become accustomed to online poker software. Advanced players may also use play-money games to sharpen key skills and to experiment with new strategies.

The play style in play-money poker is often very loose and aggressive, and its main difference from real-money poker is in the preflop strategies. Loose preflop-play is common in play-money games, while real-money players will play tighter preflop and only see the flop with certain hands since they don’t want to risk losing money. There are also some similarities between play-money and real-money poker. For example, the only difference between multi-table play-money tournaments and large Freerolls is that Freerolls include real prize money.

Experts do not recommend playing online poker with play-money if you’re thinking of playing serious poker later on. That’s because winning a play-money poker game becomes very easy since nobody actually cares about winning or losing. Becoming accustomed to that style of play environment will reflect in real money games where everybody on the table will play to win the pot, maneuvering the game in the most unexpected directions.

Online Casino Games provides detailed information on Online Casino Games, Free Online Casino Games, Free Online Poker, Free Online Blackjack and more. Online Casino Games is affiliated with Free Offline Slots.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy

Poker Tournament Field Sizes

2006-07-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

With the advance of online poker, players are no longer relegated to choosing the only tournament available to them at their local card room. The excitement of tournament poker has been a driving force behind the new found interest in the game, as can be seen by the growth in tournament options and availability at all the top online poker rooms. While brick and mortar card rooms have traditionally been limited to 10 player sit & go's or small multi-table tournaments, the now unrestricted web software has brought together literally thousands of players to participate in the same events.

Which size of tournament field will be the most profitable for your style of play can sometimes be difficult to discover without a lot of varied tournament experience. The different field sizes can be placed into four general categories, and each have unique features that can help the consideration of which tournaments are best to join.

The smallest size of a tournament you can expect to encounter is a 6 to 10 player single table sit & go. Sit & go's are designed to start immediately when enough players sign-up, and their pay-out structure reward those that can earn a first place victory more often than average opponents. These tournaments accentuate player reading skills since each participant will be playing in many pots against the same opponents throughout the course of the tourney.

Tournaments that have between 11 and 100 players are usually of the multi-table format, scheduled for a specific time. Online tournaments of this size are usually finished in less than three hours, perfect for those players that lack the endurance or focus to be able to play for too long.

In bigger sized tournaments, between 101 and 300 competing players, having an advanced knowledge of hand values, game theory and tournament strategies is an important part of winning. In field sizes this big, poker hand situations are often encountered against unknown players that arrived from other tables, making it impossible to use our player reading skills.

Any tournament with over 300 players is often a marathon of poker that will take many hours or even days to complete! Endurance is an extremely redeeming quality at the poker table in tournaments this big because players start to make bad betting decisions when tired. Players able to play their 'A' game over long periods will have a decided advantage in these larger tournaments.

An honest evaluation of our poker abilities will help each player discover which tournaments are likely to be our most successful.There are many other factors also to be considered, but consistently choosing the correct size of tournaments for our personal style will have a remarkable influence on our results.

Shawn has been playing online poker since it's inception in 1999, all his poker articles can be found at WinnersTable.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Somerville

Take Your Online Poker Game to the Next Level

2006-06-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Playing Poker online can be quite satisfying, and financially rewarding, if one uses the best possible online poker strategies. Some online poker players simply rush into games and hands without thinking about their options. This usually leaves the unsuspecting online poker player with a lot less money than he or she started with. With these four easy tips, you can help yourself avoid the pitfalls of many poker players.

1. Don’t be afraid to enter tournaments. Poker tournaments can often be the most fun and the most profitable. It has been said that tournaments depend largely on luck, but don’t let that deter you. A solid poker player can make great strides in any type of game. However, luck certainly is a factor. You should be conscious of the buy-in and be willing to lose that amount of money. As you get deeper and deeper into the tournament, the blinds will increase and you should closely monitor the flop. In some of the cheaper online tournaments, new players will lose their money extremely fast. It is important to capitalize on this if you have a good hand. Playing a tournament came can be very fun, so any serious poker player should try to enter and win at least one tournament.

2. If you must, switch your table. It is a very good idea to switch the poker table you’re playing at least once a session. This is especially important if other players at a certain table have started to notice your habits. Also, a fresh set of opponents means a fresh set of betting habits and a fresh set of money. The advantages to staying at one table are familiarity with opponents, but your poker experience will certainly be more rewarding if you switch around tables.

3. Manage your money wisely. In order to have poker success, you must be financially savvy. Set limits for yourself based on your poker ability, financial situation, and your aversion to taking risks. It is always a good idea to set a lower limit because the competition is often easier there. Some players play games at two different limits. This can be quite beneficial. Playing in an easier game just for safety, and playing in a tough game can lead to increased winnings. Also watch your betting. Never bet too high too often, because this almost always leads to trouble. Finally, be mindful of short run and long run gains. Using lower limits will lead to gains in the long run, but high limits have the potential for gains in the short run. The best idea is to play to your strengths and to not lose all your money in the short run.

4. Know when to quit. This is a very important concept to grasp. Some poker players keep playing and playing until they have serious financial issues. If you keep playing in order to “break even” then you have played for too long. Additionally, if you start to lose your focus on the game and other opponents, and you constantly think that everyone is bluffing, than you have been playing too long. Even the best poker players have good days and bad days. One element that makes a poker player truly great is that he or she knows when to stop playing. If you start to feel as if you must play just one more hand, than you should stop playing immediately. Quitting at the right time can save you quite a bit of money and will lead to more enjoyable poker experiences in the future.

Online poker can be very fun, and also has the potential to be profitable. The best suggestion is to simply play smart. Keep an eye on your bets, and don’t hinder yourself by taking on too many hands. Know when to quit and manage your money wisely. Change tables every now and than for variety. Last, but certainly not least, have fun!

About The Author

Laura Bastowe writes about a variety of online games but specializes in online poker. Learn more at http://www.whichpoker.com.

Poker The Stars and Their Following

2006-06-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

In the largest cities and smallest communities around the country, people are meeting up to play Texas Hold 'em. Though some don't limit their poker playing to only this one game, many groups are holding Texas Hold 'em tournaments as their main draw. Words like "river," "flop" and "pocket pair" are bandied about during these poker games, just as they are during the major poker games being televised.

And while the folks who play in those local tournaments aren't likely to ever be the stars of their Las Vegas counterparts, there’s no doubt that some of the winners (and losers) are taking their cues from the World Poker Tour stars.

Phil Helmuth is arguably one of the best-known poker players on television today, but it's not only because he has won so many poker tournaments. It's also because Phil is such a character. He's been known to throw a fit (on television) when things aren't going his way. He once made the comment that he'd just been beaten by someone who couldn't even spell poker, and that those winning at his table simply weren’t playing right. Despite his attitude (which even he admits is often childish), he's very successful and has written books on playing poker.

Mike Madison is another of the poker stars, also a winner but also a very vocal player. "Mike the Mouth," as he's known on the professional circuit, often spouts off to other players at the table. Both Madison and Helmuth are often chastised – both by officials and by fans – for their behavior.

But it isn’t the game that makes these men noisy and obnoxious. There are some true gentlemen sitting at those same tables. Doyle Brunson is often described as a "poker legend." "Brunson is older than many of the professional players, has won some impressive tournaments, and never ceases to be professional and polite.

Whether it's on television or gathered around a table in a home in rural America, there's no doubt that Texas Hold 'em poker has become the game to play. Even if it's only in your own home town, you may find yourself being labeled the next "poker gentleman" like Brunson, or the next "poker crybaby."

About The Author

Bob Benson is the founder of Party Poker Bonus online. You can check out our website at http://www.bonus-party-poker.info.

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How To Become A Successful Online Poker Player

2006-06-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

This article is all about online poker. I have been enjoying playing poker on the internet for a couple of years now and in this article, I give free tips on how to become a successful online poker player.

For me playing poker is not just about attempting to win money, it is also fun. I love the fact that you can interact with other players from different countries. You have to be quite careful however as some of them attempt to wind you up. This is a well known tactic which some online players use, to entice you into betting to try to knock them out of the game. My advice in this situation is to ignore these people and to not even reply to their comments.

The turnaround of hands is a lot quicker than when you play in a casino or with your friends and it is wise to pick and choose carefully which hands you play and which hands you fold. I have played on some days when I think that I will never be dealt a decent hand. It is very tempting to try to make something happen by betting on a hand which in reality I know I should throw away. This is a risky strategy and you need to be patient as your time will come.

The people who are making the money in online poker rooms are the ones who have this patience. A lot of people can easily get bored and can soon see their money or chips dwindle away.

In the periods of gloom where you are not being dealt the good cards, keep yourself amused by watching the television, listening to the radio or by chatting to the other players. Again the law of averages states, the luck has to change eventually.

On some tables there are over aggressive players who will bet on anything and also raise to stupid levels. These players may win a lot of chips in a short period of time, however in the long run will always lose. You have to stick to your game plan and not get frustrated by these type of players. See it as an easy way to make money as eventually they will come unstuck, hopefully to you.

Poker can become quite addictive, therefore only bet what you can afford to lose. Play the game as a hobby and enjoy it, you are more likely to win with this attitude. I know people who attempt to win a certain amount of money per night and then go chasing this figure if they start to struggle. This in my opinion is not a good idea. I accept that I will win on some nights and lose on others. With the right approach and as the last two years have shown me, I should win in the long term.

Good luck with your online poker experience, I hope to chat to you someday on the tables.

About The Author

Steve Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

http://www.free-poker-help.com

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info@stammering-stuttering.co.uk

Holdem Poker Has It All

2006-06-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

It's obvious to everyone that Texas Holdem is the most popular form of poker in the world today. It's unthinkable to have a brick and mortar or online poker room that doesn't spread Holdem in one form or another. It's also the chosen game for the biggest poker cash tournaments in history, including the main event of the World Series Of Poker which decides the world champion each year.

The reasons for Holdem's success as a game are numerous, including it's easy to learn rules, complex advanced strategies, quickness of play and well proportioned balance between luck and skill. It's inherent properties seem to offer something for all types of poker players. Action junkies will love the quickness play and sophisticated bettors can enjoy learning the endlessly debated advanced strategies possible. Another big part of the games growth comes from the actuality that the cards and odds often allow for rookie players to win a session or tournament against practiced players. Achieving results, even just occasionally, always encourages new hobbyists to continue playing without intimidation.

Will Holdem always be the poker game of choice, or is it possible another game will become the new favorite? Older poker games like Stud and Draw could possibly regain some momentum however this is an unlikely scenario as these games are currently being shunned by many new action players for their naturally slow pace of play. Other known games like Guts (2 or 3 card poker) seem a little too wild and precarious for most players and Pan (chinese poker) is immediately seen as being just too complicated.

It is more likely that a newer game like Crazy Pineapple or Badugi would take over as the number one. Pineapple is essentially a spin-off from Holdem and Badugi is a fun new form of 4-card poker that is played triple-draw for low. These new games can be exciting poker alternatives when a bit of variety is needed in our playing sessions.

Keeping Holdem as a foundation to their poker activities, most players seem to learn the rules and dabble in the other poker games after a year or two of play. Regardless of these tendencies, it's certain that the Holdem craze is not going to end anytime soon since it has been the introductory game for the biggest wave of new players in history.

About The Author

Shawn Somerville has been playing online poker since it's inception in 1999. All of his articles can be found posted on his poker tournament website at http://WinnersTable.com.

Which Type of Poker Are You Best At?

2006-06-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Which kind of poker are you best at? There is no quick way to find out and only keeping poker statistics can help you. For math wizards, you may do this manually and be sure that you never forget a game. Or if you feel that you need a professional to help you, you may use a program at websites such as www.checkyourbets.com.

Once you know which poker you are good at, you should be able to answer another important question: Why are you winning most of the time at one variation of poker and losing often at the other? Is it because you have mastered the technical aspects of the game? Or is it because you are simply topnotch at the people aspects of poker? The technical skills of poker involve being adept at poker math, such as pot odds. The people skills involve bluffing and being able to modify the style of play.

You will find that poker players have different opinions about which of the two types of skills are more important. Many poker blogs are dedicated to their theories. However, here are personal theories about skills and games that you may want to check out.

In Longhand Limit Hold'em, the most important advantage of a poker player is his technical skills. The winning player must be patient and understands hand value. Your people skills won’t contribute much to your winnings. It is hard to bluff and it is useless to read your opponents since many hands reaches the showdown. The pot odds make a river fold make a river fold extremely chancy.

Your people skills will be more useful in Shorthand Limit Hold'em since there is more bluffing done, compared to Longhand Limit Hold'em. A winning player in Shorthand Limit Hold'em knows precisely when to increase his aggression and when to cool his heels. But you must not forget that it is still a limit hold'em poker. Mastering pot odds is still vital in winning the pot.

To win in a No-Limit Hold'em, both sound technical abilities and fairly accurate people skills are needed. Your technical abilities should include knowing when to call, to raise, to check, or to fold. Your people skills involve the reading of styles of your opponents. If opponents are timid, you can win and steal a lot of pots by bluffing. But you must also know when to fold if your opponent shows obstinacy. If your opponents are reckless and loose, you can win by patiently waiting for that opportunity to trap them. Then, wipe them out in one hand.

If you have a "gambling spirit", you may be able to tolerate the huge swings in the Pot-Limit Omaha. The winning player should also be good at avoiding a tilt. A tilt is to play poorly or wildly after losing big or winning over awesome players. In Pot-Limit Omaha, you should be an expert at dealing with your opponents and at controlling yourself. Have fun.

About The Author

Roger Wembley writes for http://www.casinogamblingstuff.com. Come visit our site for online gambling and online casino games.

Top 3 Most Wanted Features Of Online Poker Sites

2006-06-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Interested in playing a round or two of online poker, are you? If so, be aware that playing poker is not like taking your chances in a slot machine. When playing poker – even though you're online - you're not just going against a machine and the cosmic powers alone. No, you're going against live players yourself, only you can't see them. And these other poker players are just like you - in the sense that they can just as well scheme, bluff, lie, cheat and intimidate just to win.

If you're not willing to lose a lot of money for the sake of gaining much needed experience in playing online poker, you then have to familiarize yourself with the most wanted features of online poker sites. Not just any online poker site will do if you want to improve your chances of winning.

And without further ado, here are several of the most wanted features of online poker sites that you would care to know:

Type and Number of Players Registered - When choosing an online poker site to play at, one of the most wanted features involves knowing just how many players are registered in the site. Naturally, you want the online poker site of your choice to have a high membership rate because that means you'll always have opponents available to face you at any time of the day - whenever the urge to play poker strikes you - with such a high membership rate, you'll also have the luxury to choose which type of poker player you prefer to go against. Naturally, there are some online poker sites who may indeed have a high membership rate. But unfortunately for first-time poker players like you, most of the registered members in these sites are already very good poker players and quite difficult to beat when you go against them. If in doubt of the type of poker players registered at the site of your choice, try to look for third party reviews so you won’t make a mistake you'll later regret.

Variety of Games Offered – Poker is always a fun and enjoyable game, it's true, but if and when you play the same thing over and over, it tends to become a bit boring, doesn’t it? That's why when choosing an online poker site to play at, you have to make sure that the website offers a wide variety of games. This would ensure that you won't be too bored later on and secondly, you'll be able to hone your skills in different poker versions.

Quick Payout – 'Nuff said. Who doesn't like that?

About The Author

Linda Harrison is an author at http://www.casinogamblingport.com. Stop by to learn about gambling and online casinos.

Identify Your Opponent to Maximize Value at the Texas Holdem Poker Table

2006-06-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

Texas Holdem Poker players have varying styles of play and different levels of experience. If you can quickly identify the type of player you are up against and their skill level you can use this knowledge to alter your playing style and maximize your opportunities.

There are many types of Texas Holdem Poker player, and, of course, many levels of experience between those players. Texas Holdem the card game is similar to pushing spaghetti around a plate – some will get more, others will get less and the house always takes a slice. The statistics of cards over time dictate that we all have the same opportunities. The key to maximizing our potential gains is to quickly identify your opponent type and skill level. If you can correctly identify your opponent then you will be able to alter your playing style to maximize your win, and just as significantly, minimize your loss.

Let’s review the various playing styles that you will come across in an average Texas Holdem Poker cash game. Players will either be:

• Rocks
• Tight Players
• Calling Stations
• Maniacs

And within these styles you will find a range of aggression that goes from passive to aggressive. What follows are some strategic hints and tips to help you play against each form of poker player in an online environment.

Rocks

Rocks are the most common type of Texas Holdem Player. They are the easiest to beat and usually are inexperienced new players who think the game revolves around the cards that are dealt. It’s also the most natural playing style and so you will come across them regularly. These are the people you should look to play against. Controlled aggression is the way to proceed. Bet at these players when flops look ugly and they’ll most likely fold. If they re-raise you in return, step aside and let them take the hand, coming right back at them next round. A rock who has been sitting folding the last 20 hands, only to come out betting, is the easiest read of all. If you can’t see them coming then I’d suggest you take up a different game.

Tight Players

Tight players are usually battle hardened. The difference between a tight player and a rock is that they understand the need to come out more often, with the occasional bluff here and there. More importantly they usually use the time spent sitting out, to identify opponent characteristics in order to play their weaknesses. The best of all players sit in this category – Tight Aggressive No Limit Texas Holdem players need to be identified early on and avoided at all cost. Find one and you should re-examine your table selection (yes you should move table). Real life examples of this type of player would be Howard Lederer and Erick Lindgren.

Calling Stations

Calling stations present an interesting playing style and are the second most common type you’ll find in online poker. By definition fairly weak, these players rarely take the initiative and thereby have to rely on the luck of running up against an aggressive player while holding the nut or near nut hand. More often than not these people will lose because they are:

1) Playing their cards and not their opponent
2) Have no initiative
3) Regularly rely on card catching strategies

It’s worth pointing out at this stage that card catching is a bad idea in almost any circumstances (except as part of a semi-bluff play).

Maniacs

Maniacs are a rare breed of player seldom seen in low limit or tournament Texas Holdem Poker games. They have no fear of losing, indeed it’ll look like they want to, and it is this that sets them apart from most players online today. Difficult to play against, these opponents rely on your fear of losing your stack to gain chips. Often seen with large chip stacks relative to the table, Maniacs will bet large regularly, and whatever hand you choose to play, it is likely that you will have to be prepared to go all-in with it. No card catching against these opponents – if you try you will be punished.

The identification of Maniacs is easy, as is your assault on their playing style. Clearly the weakness these players have is that they are susceptible to large pocket pairs (AA, KK, QQ, even AK). The difficulty is that you will likely have to wait a good number of cards before you get to play such a hand. Maniacs are far from stupid (they often evolve in experience terms from Rocks or Calling Stations that have read Doyle Brunson’s Super System books and progressed from there. To hit them properly you have to either get lucky early on with the big pair or play enough cards so you are not identified as a waiting Rock (obviously you don’t want them to get out of your way when the time is right).

If you beat an aggressive Maniac once, you’ll find they go on Tilt really easily, which provides further opportunity for the brave. I recall hitting one for $800 from $200 in 3 hands because he went all-in 3 times in a row with no cards at all. He incorrectly judged that I would fold rather than re-stake my entire winnings on each of the next 2 poker hands. Fortunately for me they were fairly solid starting hands in the circumstances but I can tell you it’s not easy going all-in pre-flop for $500 with just King Jack. I’d be mad to do that in any other circumstance but I felt I had a good read on the player type and his hand which turned out to be 92 unsuited didn’t stand up.

Hopefully you’ll observe playing styles and look to pick off Rocks and Calling Stations. If you come up against a tight (particularly Tight Aggressive) player, with no other easy to beat players around, you should move on. I’ve been at many tables where the poor players have lost and left, the good ones remain, and one off those triggers the table’s break up by saying “no easy money here, the only winner will be the rake, lets move on.” If you’ve not had this said to you, or you’ve not made the statement yourself then consider that you may be a fish.

About The Author

Graham Easton is webmaster of www.texashold-empoker.com. He has a track record in No-Limit Texas Holdem Poker Tournament play of 1 win, 4 second places and a 10th out of his last 20 large online tournaments in fields ranging from 300-1500 players.

Holdem Poker Has It All

2006-06-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

About The Author

Shawn Somerville has been playing online poker since it's inception in 1999. All of his articles can be found posted on his poker tournament website at http://WinnersTable.com.

Video Poker, Flushed: Or, the rotting of a 'fruit machine'

2006-06-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

These are bad days for the most highly developed members of Georgia's gambling community. By order of the state's highest court, video poker -- a.k.a. the "crack cocaine of gambling" -- is about to vanish like a mud puddle beneath the pitiless summer sun. Machines must be out of the state by month's end, forcing gamblers to find other outlets, such as the lottery, five-card stud (a game of true skill), various workplace pools, and placing bets on whether the weatherman is correct.

Georgia isn't the first place to have second thoughts about video poker. The machines that created a $1 billion-a-year industry in Jimmy Carter's home state had migrated across the border from South Carolina after being banned there two years ago. Some of these Bedouin machines are now heading for West Virginia, where they will work their magic on the populace in Rockefeller country, and also activate a built-in counter-constituency.

Indeed, wherever they turn up, video-poker machines incite stiff reaction, and not only from religious activists. Consumer types are now on the attack, and the trial-lawyer industry is testing the teats of this potential cash cow. "Georgia fought video poker like it was the bubonic plague," Tom Grey, head of the National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion, told me. "In South Dakota, the governor promised the largest tax increase in history if machines were outlawed, because that's what it would take to make up the lost revenue. Even with that threat, 48 percent of voters said, 'Tax us higher, just get those machines out of our state.'"

Betting the house on poker

2006-06-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Retailers are gambling on poker-inspired products to be the 'it' gift this holiday season. Next month, Walgreens is launching a full endcap of World Poker Tour-licensed products. Other retailers are running clip-strip promotions in snack and beverage aisles. CVS is featuring WPT-licensed products inline--a smart move being as WPT products led the toys/games/playing card category to a 30 percent rise over the year-ago period, according to point-of-sales data provided by the U.S. Playing Card Co., an exclusive licensee of WPT-branded cards, chips and poker sets.

The love affair with poker is expected to continue at least through mid2006. Currently, 100 million people in the United States play, and 5 million tune in weekly to "The World Poker Tour" on the Travel Channel, which elevated poker to a spectator sport and where viewership has doubled since the show first aired in March 2003, according to a show spokesman.

If Bravo's "Celebrity Poker" added star power to the game, ESPN's "The Worm Series of Poker" helped grow popularity. Nielsen Media Research found that ESPN's poker viewers largely are men (76.5 percent) and have a median income of $62,115 and a median age of 43.4 years. While retailers already are looking at Father's Day tie-ins, the U.S. Playing Card Co., predicts single-deck cards will be a hot stocking stuffer at $3.49. "The 2003 World Series of Poker" two-disc DVD for $34.95 also could be a holiday hit.

Jack of smarts: why the Internet generation loves to play poker

2006-06-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Before this year, my only experience with poker was at basketball camp when I was 12. We played during rest periods with Skittles for chips and about seven different wild cards per hand. Although fun, the game paled by comparison to other leisure pursuits, such as sleeping, and I never gave it much thought after that. Yet during the past year, I have unexpectedly changed my tune. I've joined a weekly card game. I waste hours surfing online poker sites. I try to drop poker phrases like "bad beat" and "the nuts" into casual conversation. When I won $140 at the table in February, I spent weeks regaling everybody I knew with chapter and verse of my victory. Most reacted with raised eyebrows and condescension, but similarly afflicted friends of mine understood, greeting the story with measured awe, as if I were Amarillo Slim.

These days poker--specifically Texas hold 'em, the best version of the venerable game--is enjoying an unexpected renaissance among Americans in general, and twenty-somethings in particular. It is newly ubiquitous on television: The World Series of Poker, a single event which took place last May, is replayed on ESPN with obsessive frequency 10 months after it ended. The World Poker Tour, another set of tournaments located in casinos around the country, got picked up by the Travel Channel last year. In the fall, Bravo introduced its heavily promoted "Celebrity Poker Showdown" program, betting on viewers being riveted by a fifth-street showdown between Timothy Busfield and Coolio. But perhaps anecdotal evidence speaks louder: Three years ago, when I was a sophomore at Cornell University, there wasn't a game to be had. By the time I graduated, I could choose from several different games every night of the week.

Poker The Stars and Their Following

2006-02-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

In the largest cities and smallest communities around the country, people are meeting up to play Texas Hold 'em. Though some don't limit their poker playing to only this one game, many groups are holding Texas Hold 'em tournaments as their main draw. Words like "river," "flop"and "pocket pair" are bandied about during these poker games, just as they are during the major poker games being televised.

And while the folks who play in those local tournaments aren't likely to ever be the stars of their Las Vegas counterparts, there's no doubt that some of the winners (and losers) are taking their cues from the World Poker Tour stars.

Phil Helmuth is arguably one of the best-known poker players on television today, but it's not only because he has won so many poker tournaments. It's also because Phil is such a character. He's been known to throw a fit (on television) when things aren't going his way. He once made the comment that he'd just been beaten by someone who couldn't even spell poker, and that those winning at his table simply weren't playing right. Despite his attitude (which even he admits is often childish), he's very successful and has written books on playing poker.

But it isn't the game that makes these men noisy and obnoxious. There are some true gentlemen sitting at those same tables. Doyle Brunson is often described as a "poker legend." Brunson is older than many of the professional players, has won some impressive tournaments, and never ceases to be professional and polite.

About The Author

Bob Benson is the founder of Party Poker Bonus online. You can check out our website at http://www.bonus-party-poker.info.

Beat Your Online Poker Opponent

2006-02-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

Playing and winning online poker is a science. It is both a skill and an art of mastering things that most players take for granted.

If you are signing up for an online poker game, keep in mind never to choose the "any game at this limit" option. By choosing this, you are also hindering your capacity to take control of your position on every sign up list. There are options that give you the privilege of having the top position by winning and giving up the place by quitting and at the same time you could still rejoin and have you name at the bottom of the list.

Always look for a card room that fits your style. This way you always get the upper hand. If luck strikes in and you get on a bad round, look around the page for another table.

Playing two games at the same time seems a nice idea. It seems that by doing this, you could double your money in one playing hour. This could be true for some players, but remember, it happens for a few and not for everybody. Besides, playing two games at a time would definitely lay down your small blind more and you sure are most likely to tilt. Keep yourself focused on one game. This way you could have the upper hand especially if you're playing a major, drawn-out pot. Playing one game at a time also helps you play straightforwardly with only one opponent to concentrate on.

There is online software that has proved to be marvelous. However, there are minor glitches that you need to stay away from. This is the "in-turn" button. This button allows the player to act on hand before your actual turn and allows him to go back trying on other moves. But there may be instances that the internet connection may not be at their best. There may be a time that while clicking the "check in-turn button," the action may already be on you. What will happen is that the "call” button might be popping out on your screen in the place where you are supposed to click the "check" button.

In poker, the only sure way of winning is by showing down the best hand. This is true not only for casinos but for online as well. However, there a number of reasonable ways a smart player could increase his chances of winning. The sure way of acquiring winning poker skills is by checking out how players deal with their games and keeping in mind the right moves.

About The Author

Ace Blackwood is highly seasoned and adept gambler. Visit his Online Gambling Resources Blog here: http://www.push-button-online-income.com/online-gambling.

Professional Poker Player Skills

2006-02-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

What makes a poker a player a professional? Does it mean that by adding the word professional the person loses less money? Or does it mean that the player enter tournaments through out the year? If you are thinking about getting the word professional embossed on your 'poker resume', here are some skills that you should consider mastering.

1. The Mathematician

a. These guys have mastered the odds of certain combinations that comes out already. For example, they know that when you hold a pocket pair, you can hit the set with only one in eight and a half chances. Those pocket cards also give you odds of having one in three chance of completing a 'by the river' flopped flush draw.

b. Mathematicians also able to compute the number of "outs" because they know it is important. Outs are the number of cards that will improve your hand. They compute it by multiplying it by two and adding one and that’s the percentage of them hitting the pot.

c. Knowing outs will be useless unless it is translated into rational and calculated betting. When you figure out that you have a 20% chance of hitting, you then figure out your chances of winning or losing. You divide the size of the pot at the river by the amount you have to put in. I.E. the current pot and the amount of bets that will be added on in the future. If you have calculated that the bet to you will be 50 and have 20% chance of hitting and the pot at the river will be higher than 250, try to call for it. If not, fold. Confusing right?

d. Review these concepts if you really want to be an expert.

2. Discipline

a. Always try to find a table where you have an advantage. Try finding tables where there are more amateurs or "fish". Fish only want to win by being lucky. Poker players want to win by skill and by hoping that his opponents don't get lucky.

b. Every different game, table or opponent set needs the poker player to have different disciplines or styles. He or she cannot always rely on one style. For instance, a player may play the better hands when there are not much pre-flop actions. The player can make a loose call with other speculative hands when lots of opponents are limping in.

c. A disciplined limit player has excellent pre-flop skills. However, the disciplined no-limit player is quite different. This player doesn't care much with paying lots of blinds but instead this kind of player would not want to be trapped. The difference is that limit players avoid squandering their stack bit by bit while no-limit players avoids losing his whole stack in just one hand. A disciplined no-limit player can play a lot of hands. Even if he or she has cards such as 5 spades and 3 diamonds he or she will still be loose preflop. But expert no-limit players know how to quit as well when their hands are really bad.

d. The disciplined player knows when to quit even when the pot is really juicy.

e. A disciplined player learns from his mistakes and admits that they will still make them later on. Disciplined players will just keep on learning because nobody is a perfect poker player.

There is a ton more to learn about poker and gambling, this is just the start.

About The Author

Ryan Tenney writes for http://www.cafegamblingcasino.com. Learn all about poker and casino games today.

Classifications of Poker Players

2006-02-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

I've got a confession to make. I like playing poker. When you are playing online poker, you will generally notice several different types of poker players. Knowledge of different poker playing styles should lead you to an adjustment of your poker game. Generally, some players you may want to attack right off the bat, others you may want to leave alone. Here are some of the different players' styles:

Loose

The loose player is someone you need to watch out for. They are characterized by their inexperience and usually play a lot of hands. Seemingly, the loose player is always in the thick of the poker game. Even with a poor hand, he will play until the very end of the game hoping to get some luck with his cards. If you play very aggressive with decent cards, exploiting a loose player shouldn't be that difficult. Most likely, a loose player will likely reward your efforts.

Aggressive loose

An aggressive loose player raises the pot with nothing and bets no matter what card he has. He always calls bluff at every opportunity and is talkative and brimming with over-confidence. Don't get egoistical around an aggressive-loose player. And don't fall into the trap of playing his game and calling his bets just to expose the weakness of his game. When you have the cards to do so, attack them.

Tight

Compared to an aggressive player, a tight player folds at every hand and waits for pocket Aces. They can easily be lured by a bluff. However, when they see signs of intimidation, they fold. Be cautious, however, if they don't fold.

Aggressive Tight

These type of players are extremely cocky. Until the aggressive tight player gets a good hand, he will opt to fold several times. When he plays his cards, he tends to play like a loose player. He has knowledge of how to get more money for his strong cards. Likewise, he knows how to take it easy and let the other players on the table do battle when his cards are not good enough. You might be in a bit of luck if you are successful in bluffing an aggressive-tight player into a hand. Don't allow yourself to be played by an Aggressive Tight player.

These are just a few examples of the general classifications of the type of poker players you may encounter at an online poker table. Remember. when you are playing poker, you are playing the personality of your opponent more than your card. Master these styles and quickly identify these players during your poker game.

About The Author

Ryan Tenney writes for http://www.casinogamblingage.com. Visit us to learn and play poker and online casino games today.

Poker The Stars and Their Following

2006-02-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

Texas Hold 'em is a poker game that has taken the world by storm. So what is it about this particular poker game that created such a sensation? There are several points that play into the popularity of the game, including the "star status" achieved by some of the professional players. Add to that the fact that the game is fairly easy to learn for anyone who has a rudimentary knowledge of poker - instantly allowing groups of people to gather to play in games and tournaments that mimic those World Poker Tours as seen on television.

In the largest cities and smallest communities around the country, people are meeting up to play Texas Hold 'em. Though some don't limit their poker playing to only this one game, many groups are holding Texas Hold ‘em tournaments as their main draw. Words like "river," "flop" and "pocket pair" are bandied about during these poker games, just as they are during the major poker games being televised.

And while the folks who play in those local tournaments aren't likely to ever be the stars of their Las Vegas counterparts, there's no doubt that some of the winners (and losers) are taking their cues from the World Poker Tour stars.

Phil Helmuth is arguably one of the best-known poker players on television today, but it's not only because he has won so many poker tournaments. It's also because Phil is such a character. He's been known to throw a fit (on television) when things aren't going his way. He once made the comment that he'd just been beaten by someone who couldn't even spell poker, and that those winning at his table simply weren't playing right. Despite his attitude (which even he admits is often childish), he's very successful and has written books on playing poker.

Mike Madison is another of the poker stars, also a winner but also a very vocal player. "Mike the Mouth," as he's known on the professional circuit, often spouts off to other players at the table. Both Madison and Helmuth are often chastised - both by officials and by fans - for their behavior.

But it isn't the game that makes these men noisy and obnoxious. There are some true gentlemen sitting at those same tables. Doyle Brunson is often described as a "poker legend." Brunson is older than many of the professional players, has won some impressive tournaments, and never ceases to be professional and polite.

Whether it's on television or gathered around a table in a home in rural America, there's no doubt that Texas Hold 'em poker has become the game to play. Even if it's only in your own home town, you may find yourself being labeled the next "poker gentleman" like Brunson, or the next "poker crybaby."

About The Author

Bob Benson is the founder of Party Poker Bonus online. You can check out our website at http://www.bonus-party-poker.info.

Poker Strategy - A Simple Six Step Guide to Big Profits

2006-02-19T12:24:00.000-08:00

There is no one set strategy that suits everyone in poker. We're all different, and if everyone could win by playing the same way, then poker would not be such a challenge, or as much fun!

Devising an Individual Poker Strategy for YOU

You need to work out a strategy in poker that is customised to your personality and this involves many things. Are you a tight player or a lose player? What game do you want to focus on - Texas hold'em, Omagh hold'em or another game? What is your bankroll? Do you want to play poker seriously for a living, or as a fun pastime? For big winnings at online poker, you will find below a simple six-point guide to forming your own individual poker strategy.

Poker Strategy #1 - Adopt the Correct Mindset

If you want to be successful in poker, then you must really have the desire to succeed. In fact, this is true not just in poker, but also in ALL areas of life. If you don't have the desire to succeed from the outset, then you are probably not going to put in the required effort to earn those big winnings.

Poker Strategy #2 - Learn the Basics for Profit

How many players play poker online without knowing the basics of the game? The answer is the majority; don't be eager to play until you know the basics. You need to learn all you can before you play including: Bluffing, pot odds, slow playing, rules and variations of the game and the game you wish to focus on. Sure, you can't learn everything from books - you need experience as well, but you don't want to gain experience without knowing the basics first, it will be more expensive!

Poker Strategy #3 - Have a Money Management Plan

How much money do you have to play poker with and what level of stakes should you play at? You need to decide this, and as rule of thumb, set a bankroll aside that will give you staying power of at least 200 - 300 bets. Don't make the mistake of playing in high stakes games unless you have the experience and the money.

Poker Strategy #4 - Expand Your Knowledge of the Game

You will never know everything about the game; there is always something new to learn. Try to keep learning all the time, and have an open mind to new poker ideas and strategies. Do some reading at least once a month to improve your strategy.

Poker Strategy #5 - Focus on other Players

Poker is a game of psychology and you need to beat other players mentally. Keep in mind, that as we all know, the best hand does not always win at poker. Pay as much attention to the way your opponents play as your own play.

Poker Strategy #6 - Analysis Yourself

Continually, after each game, reflect on your own play. Don't just analyse why you won, but why you lost as well. Why did your bluff not work? Why is your slow playing strategy losing you money? Keep thinking about what went wrong, what went right and how you can improve your overall play.

A Poker Strategy for Success

Not everyone can become a great poker player; life is simply not like that. However, we believe ANYONE can become a good poker player, i.e. win more money than they lose, but this is dependent on having an individual strategy for profit that reflects you.

To find out more about poker playing strategies and how to win more often visit our web site: http://www.Win-At-Online-Poker.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Todd

Should You Rebuy?

2006-02-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

Some of the Poker Tournaments are real stiff competition with good players, bad players and bad players that want to be good players getting swept to the cleaners by the professionals who enter these tournaments. The option to re-buy, i.e. replenish with a fresh stack of chips, may not always be a good bet in these tournaments.

The question is do you want to re-buy? If so then ask yourself why? If you think you stand a better chance by re-buying you need to consider why you feel that way. If it is a large tournament and you have already been through one round of re-buying, stop it now and consider where you will be before you re-buy again.

There comes a point and time in every tournament where you may be fighting a losing battle, and it is better to bow out gracefully and go back to the ring games if you are not yet up to the standard to be a viable contender.

The other thing to consider in some of the smaller online tournaments is whether or not you have invested more in the game by re-buying than you possibly can win. In the smaller tournaments, this is a distinct possibility. If you can evaluate your own play and be honest with yourself, you may not want to re-buy.

There is a simple strategy you can use to justify whether or not you should re-buy. Only play the top 10 starting hands and if you fall below a certain mark, re-buy one time and then sit on it until after the re-buying opportunity ends. The only exception to this would be if you have the opportunity to play one of the top 10 starting hands again and of course you would most likely play that particular hand.

David Walker runs free bets and UK poker websites. A free email course: "Seven Days to Better Betting" is available at both of these websites.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Walker

Before you Tilt

2006-02-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

Ah, the tilt. If a poker player claims never to have stared faced down the barrel of an upcoming tilt - they're either lying or they haven't been playing long enough. This doesn't mean of course that everyone has gone on tilt before, some people have great willpower and take their losses as a loss and leave it at that. To be a strong poker player, it is very important to treat your wins and your losses in the same manner - with no emotion. You play the game the same way you did after taking a tough beat as you would after winning a huge hand. All poker pros are not tempted by tilting after a bad beat as they are very seasoned and you should be to.

You must understand that you can't win every hand your in, even if you are heavily favored. Hands which usually make people go on tilt are hands that you were the favorite or at least thought you were until you were rivered and you lost a big chunk of your stack. Bad beats are going to happen. Face that fact right now, I'll say it again – if your brother players cards, if your mother plays cards, if your grandma plays cards – We all have bad beats sometimes. It is an inevitable effect of playing texas holdem, or for that matter any kind of poker.

Since we are assumingly (most of us) in the game for one purpose – to make money, it would make sense that we would play accordingly to maximixe profits. Now let’s say you are up $100 off of a $100 deposit, and you take a large blow in a NL game and your stack is down to $120. You've lost $80 in a hand where you were sure to pick up $200 when you went all-in on the flop and had a 10 – 1 advantage. And that fish! He sucked you out on the river right??? – Well stop right here. This is a classic opportunity for a new player to start tilting. They just lost too much money on one hand that they should have won and they are angry

Kyle Healey is the owner of a Online Poker website with top notch Poker Articles

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kyle_Healey

Inducing Poker Bluffs

2006-02-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

The ability to induce online poker bluffs is a sign of an expert player. The idea is to manipulate your opponent into betting a poker hand that he originally had no intention of betting. These situations usually occur when you have a good calling poker hand. Consequently, since you plan to call anyway, you want to make sure that your opponent bets as often as possible those times when you hold the better poker hand.

Usually, these plays are accomplished by making what seems to be an otherwise irrational check, and they work best when you are against an aggressive player. A well-known example occurs when you hold either AA or KK and raise in last position before the flop. Now suppose the flop comes with a medium or small pair. It is checked to you, you bet, and a tough player calls. On fourth street, the correct play is often to check behind your opponent if he checks again. Notice that if he has flopped a set, your check probably will save you money. But, if he has no pair, you may get him to bluff at the pot on the end. The result is that you have gained an extra bet, since he likely would not have called your bet on the turn. (By the way, you would not want to make this play with a poker hand like JJ since too many overcards that could beat you might hit on the end.)

A similar example is when you have AA or KK and the top card on board pairs on the turn. Against a tough but aggressive player who check called you on the flop, check behind him if he doesn't bet.

Before inducing a bluff, several criteria have to be met. First, you usually should be facing only a small number of opponents, preferably just one. Second, you need to be against a player who is capable of bluffing but also capable of folding if you bet. This is why you want your opponent to be the tough but aggressive type. And most important, the situation must be such that giving a free card to your opponent is not dangerous if his poker hand is worse than yours.

Strategic Concepts

Here is a second example of this type of play. Suppose you hold:AH , 4H and raise from a late position. You are reraised by the player in the big blind, and the flop comes: AC, KD and 3S. Your opponent bets and you call. On fourth street, a blank hits and your opponent checks. You also should check with the intention of betting or calling on the river. Notice that if your opponent has a better poker hand than you have, you avoid being check-raised.

Consequently, if your opponent cannot beat an ace, there is a good chance that he will either bet or call on the river when he might have folded on fourth street if you had bet your poker hand.A third example is somewhat different, because it requires a multiway pot. Suppose you are in a late position, against several opponents. A fourth suited card hits on the turn, you have the king of that suit making you a flush, and everyone has checked to you.

The correct play may be for you to also check. If you bet, you may not get any calls, plus if the ace of the appropriate suit is in one of your opponents' poker hands, you save money. However, by checking, you may induce a bluff, and if you don't induce a bluff, someone who would not have called on the turn may now call on the river.

For example, suppose you hold : KD , QD in a multiway pot, and you are on the button. The flop comes: 10D,7D and 3D and the turn card is the JD. If no one bets, strongly consider checking. (If someone bets on fifth street, call.) If it is checked to you on fifth street, always bet; and if you now get checked-raised, always call unless you are sure your opponent wouldn't raise without the nuts. Remember, your check on fourth street may encourage someone to take a shot at you when you bet on the river.

Nick - Online poker strategy at Top3 Poker.com.

Read Live NETeller reviews before making any online gambling deposit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Shons

Playing the Many Different Variations of Poker

2006-02-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

Over time, poker evolved greatly and from that simple game in which five cards were dealt all at once to each player and in which there was only one betting round, it has lingering itself until it included hundreds of variations. The most popular variant nowadays seems to be Texas hold'em, but there are also other poker games that are enjoying a great mass of fans.

- High-low split.

In this type of game the pot is to be split between the biggest hand and the lowest one. So here you not only have to chance the big hands, for a change here you can have some fun and go after the lowest hand possible. A low and would generally be something that has a 3 in it and all other cards are ranked below 8. The ranks of poker are applied here also, so hands have the same meanings. This means that a very low unsited straight that is also broken like this example: 7, 6, 5, 3, 2 will win the low.

- The kill game.

The kill game is a game with limit that has been previously fixed. This applies to any games that have this rule specified and it means that a player that has won once, and the right after that he wins another pot, then the stakes will become double from that moment on.

- The Wild Cards.

In any poker game, the ones that make the rules can add wild cards. This means making Queens wild or wild Sevens.

- The twist round.

Some games include a different round called a twist round. In a twist round a player can add another bet on the table and in exchange of it he can change cards he does not like, by practically buying new ones from the deck.

- The striped deck.

A stripped deck means that poker will not be played with all the cards. Firstly poker was played with only 20 cards. This is still done sometimes, mostly in European countries and mostly when there are 3 or 4 players on the table.

- The community cards

This is the category of poker games that includes Texas hold'em and Omaha hold’em. The community cards are the cards that can be seen and used by everyone.

No matter the type of the poker game, some basic rules remain the same, as the betting style, the value of hands and their rankings and strategies that can be adapted from one game type to the other.

Read up on all of your favorite poker players including Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth at http://www.poker-player-profiles.com/ today.

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Poker Freerolls and their Benefits

2006-02-14T16:46:00.000-08:00

Are you new to online poker? Maybe you are new to poker period and would like to learn.... You know you can play for free at all online poker sites using free chips. This is a great way to tweak your game. Most sites also however host freerolls in which you can win real money prizes with no risk or investment. The site puts up a prize for the top finishers and anyone is free to join these tournaments. These prizes range from $50 to $5000 spread among the top finishers with the biggest recorded freeroll in history being the Paradise Poker Million Dollar Freeroll. This freeroll is so huge that it has been widely advertised on television.

If you feel like your uncomfortable playing for real money just yet or you don't have the bankroll to cover any possible losses, then freerolls are your answer. If you finish in the money you can even snowball that free money into a large bankroll. There have been stories recently of people cashing out over two thousand dollars all off a $35 freeroll win. In fact now there are so many sites offering freerolls on a daily basis you literally won't be able to play them all. As this article is being written, the author is surfing the net and seeing multiple ads for freerolls, even one claiming to have a Million dollar jackpot. Now if this isn't the best way to get new, timid players into the poker world I don't know what is.

Online Poker website with top notch Poker Freerolls

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Poker Online Freeroll Tournaments

2006-02-12T19:14:00.000-08:00

Poker online freeroll tournaments are a huge way to leverage a player's way into major tournaments and to win big money at no cost to the player. Casinos and poker rooms offer them to reward active players and to recruit new ones. Generally by playing a number of hands using real money, invitations are extended to play in tournaments at no risk. Players are also sometimes given points based on their play that can be redeemed for cash entries to the tournament of their choice.

It is always a good idea for players to review the poker room or casino's policy for gaining free entries to these tournaments. Sometimes by playing 50 to 100 hands, you can meet the requirements or standards for being given a freeroll. Or by being one of the top ranked real money players for the month, you can receive an invitation. On occasion one can be given an entry simply for being a member who plays with real money. The rewards for entering such tournaments can be huge such as receiving a seat to the World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour or other major tournaments where the entry fees range from $10,000 to $25,000. Others reward top finishers with real money cash and/or satellite entry to other cash prize tournaments.

Choices expand greatly when using earned points with a particular online poker room. Players accumulate these points mostly by playing in raked cash games, multi-table tournaments and tournaments that include a paid fee. These points, depending on the poker room, can be redeemed for things such as actual cash or prizes. They can also be the ticket for entering some of the most prestigious poker tournaments on the Internet worth millions! As these points are rewarded for each raked hand of play, experienced players may want to focus on heads-up or shorthanded games instead of the full-table games. This is because the pace of these types of games are much faster and points can be accumulated at a quicker rate. Also higher limit tables generally play faster than smaller limit games that attract newer players who may not wish to risk the larger amounts per hand. Plus the single pot games over split pot should be a better choice for accumulating points as the decision making is not as complex, hence a speedier rate of play.

An experienced player should keep in mind that with so many people getting into poker, the prize pools for online tournaments often go into the six-figure range. And that it is worth it to keep in mind how they can obtain greater options for freerolls like what poker room to join with when considering where to play poker. For beginning players the advantage in using freerolls whenever offered or available is huge when starting out as it gives additional leverage to the player's bankroll. Just keep in mind, the more you play the more free entries that will be offered to you.

Tom Howze is a webmaster for 7 sites that relate to online gambling, World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour events and updates. For more information, please visit 2005 World Series of Poker . He can be reached at webmaster@justgambleforfree.com for questions.

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Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy - Sit and Go Poker Tournaments

2006-02-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the fourth in my Texas Holdem Strategy Series, focusing on no limit Texas Holdem poker tournament play and associated strategies. In this article, we'll examine the "Sit and Go" tournament - the most popular online poker tournament format today.

When I first started playing in Sit and Go tournaments, I was beginning to think they called it "sit and go" because you sat down, played a little, then it was time to go do something else since you'd just been whacked and knocked out of the tournament! These tournaments can be really tough, since they're effectively like being at the "final table" of a regular tournament.

The recent popularity of playing online Sit & Go tournaments sometimes amazes me. On any given evening, you can try to jump into a Sit and Go (SNG) table on Party Poker, for example, and easily find yourself competing just to get into a seat before that table fills up, forcing you to go find another table (especially on lower-entry fee tables). I've seen times when it can take up to 10 attempts to get into a Sit and Go tournament table during prime time. That's because there are literally thousands of players across the world who are hungry to get into these tournaments and hopefully win some money.

All of the major online poker rooms now offer Sit and Go format games now, so you can find a place to play just about everywhere. You can think of these games as being very similar to small "satellite" tournament games that surround the bigger poker tournaments at traditional poker tournament venues. They also somewhat resemble play at a final table in a regular tournament, with one key exception - nobody at this table earned their way to this tournament table - they simply paid their entry-fee to play there. Because of this, the broad range of players and skill levels you're likely to encounter varies wildly - one of many challenges you'll face in Sit and Go play.

Generally, there are two types of Sit and Go tournaments offered. Single table and multi-table tournaments. Nowadays, there is also a faster game, sometimes referred to as "Turbo" mode SNG tournaments. In these games, the tempo of the tournament is much faster (blinds go up every 5 minutes instead of 15 minutes), with the blinds increasing much faster and less time allowed to make your decisions. This is a very challenging game format, but it does move along much faster than a traditional Sit and Go tournament.

You can also get into 4-player and heads-up (2 player) games, which just effectively puts you into the poker tournament final table, short-handed mode of operation immediately, so you can play the end-game out from there. I don't really prefer these games, though, since there are far fewer players and therefore the pool size available to win is much smaller and not as worthwhile.

In general, two-table Sit and Go's are much more profitable, since they begin with more players (18 to 20), making the prize pool larger and more attractive. Once you know how to play and win in these Sit and Go tournaments and can adjust your play appropriately, the number of tables and players really doesn't matter as much, since you'll be able to adapt your play quickly as the situation changes around you.

Some of my favorite places to play Sit & Go tournaments include Party Poker, Poker Stars and PrimaPoker's Captain Cook's poker rooms. There are many awesome poker rooms out there, with a wide range of players frequenting each of them. They are all very similar.

There are a number of different entry-fee levels to choose from, typically ranging from $5 up to $5,000. There is very little difference in playing in the lower limit games in the $5 to $30 range. When you get above the $30 threshold, the level of players you'll encounter improves dramatically. The poker room site typically takes a "rake", a fee of around 10% for hosting the tournament, and the balance of the funds go into the prize pool. In single-table SNG tournaments, the payout goes to the top 3 finishers. In two-table games, the top 4 places are generally paid.

In higher entry-fee games, you'll be playing against some very good players. In these high tier games, you'll encounter some of the best, most dangerous players around. If you're interested in getting into these high stakes games, one way is to win enough at the lower stake games so that you earn, or leverage, your smaller entry-fees into the bigger games, a traditional way that satellite games work and a good approach to take.

I play in a lot of Sit and Go tournaments and regular tournaments, both online and in casinos and poker rooms. Throughout all of this, I have finally learned how to win consistently at Sit and Go tournaments. There are some key areas that you must focus on and shore up in order to properly "shape" your play and end up in the money.

You'll need a well-rounded approach, though, to place in the money consistently at Sit and Go tournaments, including:

* Playing Position Correctly - you'll need to know how to use position in the Sit and Go tournament to your advantage, which hands to play in which positions and how to keep from losing your chips from poor positions. Earlier in the tournament, it's best to be more conservative with your play by only playing the best hands from the best positions.

* Adjusting to Changing Conditions - the key to winning Sit and Go tournaments is adjusting your play style and approach as the blinds and number of players increases. Done correctly, you'll end up in the final 3 in the money up to half of the time (no approach you can take will allow you to win all of the time). As the game progresses, you must adjust or the blinds will eat you up.

* Winning Heads-up Play - arguably one of the most misunderstood, yet most fun part of any tournament, is playing heads-up against another good player. Learning to play winning heads-up poker means the difference between being the Winner and 2nd Place - a huge difference in payout in all tournaments goes to the winner, along with the recognition as the champion, so you must learn to play great heads-up poker. In general, you must play much more aggressively heads up than you would otherwise.

* Beating Aggressive Players - see my article on playing vs. aggressive players, which will definitely make a difference for Sit and Go play, as it explains how to take advantage of aggressive and wild players, without losing all of your chips in the process.

* Online Tells - there are many different special tells that you can use when playing online. Do you know them? Do you use them? If not, chances are they're being used against you! For example, when players use checkboxes online and make a lot of their decisions ahead of time, then suddenly they're not using the checkbox (because they're taking longer), that could be a tell that they're having to think things through more, which could be a tell. If they use checkboxes and act instantly, chances are they don't have a very good hand, so didn't even need to think about it (just clicked the checkbox and now waiting on the next card).

* Successful Bluffing and Blind Stealing - one of the most important moves in poker is bluffing the opponents, and in tournament play, you must be capable of successfully bluffing in order to survive the blinds and antes and to win heads-up. You can't bluff weak players, so don't even try. You'll need to learn how determine the style or type of the players, so you'll recognize who to bluff.

The next time you're thinking about playing a poker tournament, give the Sit and Go a try. It's a fast-paced tournament, where you'll have the opportunity to experience first hand what it's like to play at that Texas Holdem poker tournament final table. You'll go through a sequence of fast play and changing conditions, starting from a full table of 10 players, progressing rapidly to only 5 to 6. Then, if you're a good enough player, you'll find yourself in the most dangerous position of all - where you're one of only 4 players remaining, so you're only one seat out of the money. The key goal is surviving to the heads-up phase, so you get a shot at being the tournament winner, who receives the bulk of the prize pool.

So, you can practice for bigger tournament events by playing in Sit and Go tournaments and that way you'll be very comfortable when you do make it that final table in a big Texas Holdem poker tournament, and you'll have a lot of fun and gain some great Texas Holdem tournament poker experience along the way.

Rick Braddy is an avid writer, Texas Holdem player and professional software developer and marketer for over 25 years. His websites and Texas Holdem poker tournament e-course helps people become better Texas Holdem tournament players. If you're a poker player, be sure to visit his Texas Holdem websites today and learn how you can play better Texas Holdem, too.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Braddy

Texas Holdem Poker - Today

2006-02-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

The Texas Holdem poker phenomenon has taken the country by storm. There are reportedly over 100 million active poker players worldwide. Poker’s popularity is largely the byproduct of technology and several recent trends: 1) online gaming, where players engage and socialize in real-time over the Internet, and 2) the broad publicity created by high profile TV shows like the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and World Poker Tour (WPT).

With all the poker-mania, there’s a modern day "gold rush" underway today. Analyst estimates are a bit sketchy, but some estimate that people will spend up to $4.5 billion U.S. in 2005 on poker-related items of every kind, including:

* Online poker room play

* Poker tournaments

* Online poker room financial brokers (e.g., Firepay, NetTeller, Citadel and others)

* Casino poker rooms

* Game units for your TV

* Poker chip sets and dealer buttons (you can even get "collector" edition dealer buttons signed by the pros - got some as Christmas presents this year!)

* Poker tables and instructions for how to build poker tables

* Poker software (poker odds calculators, poker games, home tournament organizers, tournament director kits)

* Texas holdem poker rule and starting hand cards

* Poker schools and training courses

* Poker books and strategy e-books

* Poker hats, shirts and clothing items

* Local poker clubs

* Free Texas Holdem poker stuff of every kind imaginable.

To give you an idea of how many people are now playing with real-money online, have a look at PokerPulse.com. PokerPulse keeps tabs on the top online poker rooms and tracks how many real-money poker games are running at any point in time. Some estimates based upon these statistics suggest that online poker room companies are turning over in excess of $110 million U.S. every 24 hours, with hundreds of thousands of online players active any given evening.

So, with the worldwide inertia that poker has today, how far can it go? Will it be like the CB Radio - a brief flash in the pan and then suddenly - poof! Will it be just another fad and memory, with occasional reminders like Smokey and the Bandit? Hard to say for sure, but with the momentum, advertising and so many young people, including many teenagers and children playing across the Internet, it could be that the poker big bang has occured and its expansion has only really begun...

As with many new, controversial phenomenon such as poker, there's the social morality aspect and question: Is playing poker gambling? Is it really just a game of skill? The question of whether online poker rooms are just as much about gambling as traditional casino games and online bookie operations is certainly one that is shaping some industries, and creating some others. Before we look for the answers to those questions, let's explore what the actions of certain parties might lead us to believe.

For example, the traditional credit card processors (MC, VISA, AMEX, PayPal, and others) decided to discontinue use of their credit card services to fund player's online poker accounts. Today, there's a whole cottage industry that has sprung up to fill the enormous demand for transferring funds between bank accounts and online poker room accounts, processing untold millions of dollars each day.

Try advertising a poker-related item through Google's AdWords or the Yahoo/MSN equivalent (Overture) and you'll quickly find they have a category known as "Gambling URL" that'll come into play. Any website that could be related to online poker rooms is considered a "gambling" site and advertising services are thereby refused. So, what happened as a result? Well, aside from these companies losing advertising revenues, it's forced the poker industry into fierce competition for the poker-related search "namespaces". Try searching for something using keywords like "Texas Holdem poker" and see what you find.

It's amazing at how clogged up the search engine namespace has become, with every search engine optimization (SEO) technique and trick known to man being used by poker website owners in an attempt to gain visibility, page ranking and routing of more visitor traffic to their websites.

In my opinion, the answer to the question "Is playing poker gambling?" is - it depends. It depends on the player's skill level. If you're a highly-skilled player, then IMHO it's not gambling - it's playing a sophisticated game like chess, where you not only must defeat the opponents but you must also use strategy and play the odds in order to win.

You beat the odds by playing only certain starting hands from given positions at the table, adjusting your play based upon the game situation, understanding other players' styles, and by developing a strategy for winning, throwing your weight (chip stack) around at the right times, and by sitting out at other times. No, it's far from gambling for many of us. However, for those who don't possess the requisite skills, it is gambling more often than it's not, since skill is much less of a factor for such players. Since the basic rules are deceptively simple, people often have no idea why they're beaten.

What makes it very different from traditional casino gambling games, though, is that you're not playing against the house. The online poker room takes a "rake", a percentage of the money that's in play (e.g., 10% or so), which is how the online poker room generates revenues. It doesn't really matter who wins or loses, since the poker operator always gets paid for hosting the game.

I'll cover popular online poker rooms in a future article in more detail, but suffice it to say, there's gold in them there hills and the claims have been staked by the market leaders, who are raking in fortunes providing their sophisticated online service businesses to millions of eager players worldwide.

Since these business aren't allowed to operate within U.S. borders, they're virtually unregulated (at least by U.S. standards) and new ones continue to pop up every month. Now I don't want to make it sound like everyone who plays online is playing with real money - quite the contrary. There's an enormous number of players who just use "play money" and have a real blast playing and socializing via the use of instant messaging and interactions through the online poker room site.

So, is the poker phenomenon a trend or just another fad that's destined to take it's place in our video library, beside Smokey and the Bandit and that CB radio wave that crested in the 1970's? Hard to say for sure. One thing is for certain. A lot of people are having fun playing in online poker rooms, at traditional casinos and in their own home games - while an army of others are supplying that demand, and making a boatload of money in the process.

Until next time - Good Luck!

Rick

Rick Braddy is an avid writer, Texas Holdem poker player and professional software developer and marketer for over 25 years. His websites and Texas Holdem poker software helps people become better players. If you're a poker player, be sure to visit his Texas Holdem poker websites and learn how you can play better Texas Holdem poker, too.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Bradd

Psychology of the Poker Card Games

2006-02-12T18:57:00.000-08:00

Being a good poker player requires a variety of skills, not the least of which is being a good psychologist. Tells are the habits and quirks that let players know when their opponent is bluffing or holding a strong hand. Tells reveal different things for different players. Some people play with their chips when they are bluffing and others when they have a good hand. As you play more often, you will become a better interpreter of tells. Try to notice any tells that you might be exposing yourself. It's harder to pick up on your own behavior, but remember that just as you are watching other players, other players are watching you.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF CLASSIC TELLS:

• CHUCKING CHIPS: If a player throws the chips into the pot with an exaggerated motion, he is probably putting on an act to appear confident.

• HIDING THE GOODS: Often when players are cover- ing or "guarding" their cards, it means they've got something good.

• CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU: By staring at thei cards, players try to deceive other players into thinking theyve got a great hand.

• SIT UP STRAIGHT: If a player has good posture, it might just mean a good upbringing. But players subconsciously sit up straight or lean forward with strong cards.

• AND THE OSCAR GOES TO. . . : Overacting, particularly among novice players, is a common way to try to fool other players. Someone with a good hand might act unusually quiet, while someone with a bad hand might act overly elated. However, if the person seems genuinely happy, he or she probably has good cards. With a strong hand, players tend to relax and let their true emotions show you just have to know what to look for.

• "ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME?": Actually, if a player is looking away from the table, he might be feigning indifference and have a good hand. Players with good hands often don't like to call attention to themselves.

• PUTTING YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH ISN'T: Occasionally players with good hands will subconsciously cover their mouths when betting.

FEELING STRESSED?: Anxiety can come out in poker through shaky hands, a high voice, and even an expanding chest.

• "NEVER COUNT YOUR MONEY WHEN YOU’RE SITTING AT THE TABLE": People who start fingering their chips are often planning their attack. This "ThE main reason people fail could be a sign of anxiousness.

• DON'T PEEK: Players who habitually look at their hole cards are often still working to improve their hand. the!j could—in poker and in

• CHIP ARCHITECTURE AND THE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHTS OF POKER: While it is hardly a science, aggressive players tend to have loose stacks of best game always." disorganized chips while conservative players often —Mike Caro, keep their stacks nice and tidy.

More poker tells at Top3poker.com - Major pro poker players site.

Joni B and Nick S.
Content writers for Sweden Poker - sweden-poker-online.se and the Germany poker site: pokerdeutsch.de - Deutsch poker

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Your Online Poker Face

2006-02-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

If you play online in the same poker room, under the same poker name you will probably at some point meet players that remember you. If you have taken good notes when you play, you will remember how they play. These players probably have some notes on you.

Some people who play online do not buy into the "online poker face" belief. However, "the online poker face" exists. The trick is learning to decide which poker face you will use for the day. If you feel like you are not very good at this, then switch rooms frequently and play at different times of the day. If you are "readable" then you are "beatable" and ome of the more "telling" signs are discussed here.

If you notice a player that is only playing the top hands, it is safe to say he or she is a "tight player". You will also be able to determine the "loose" player who will inevitably show some weaker hands at the end of the hand after raising the pot before the flop. Don't be that player. It's alright to occasionally show some weaker hands at the end of the pot, but not after a ridiculous raise before the flop.

Another sign some of the more skilled online players will note is how quickly a player will bet. It is a sign of skill if you wait a moment before betting. It's perceived as weakness if you auto-check or auto-fold. Think about your next move and think about the poker face you want the other players to see.

Another good rule of thumb is to mix it up a bit. Be aggressive when you may not need to be but can afford to do so, then "limp" into the pot with A-A and take your opponents for all they are worth!

David Walker runs free bets and UK poker websites. A free email course: "Seven Days to Better Betting" is available at both of these websites.

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Defending your Blinds in Poker

2006-02-12T16:11:00.000-08:00

Some players will not let you check your bb if all other players have folded around to the dealer button or small blind. Some players often raise every time to try to steal the blinds and remain the aggressor. This strategy is especially used in short - handed games where there are only 3-5 people and the blinds come fast. The question is do you just flat call and treat it like a normal case scenario or do you 3 bet it and re-raise him and become and remain the aggressor.

A good strategy against this is to try re-raising this type of player 2 or 3 times in a row (if they are continuing to try to raise your blinds every time) and see if they stop. Typically a player like this preys on weak players who will give up 15 - 20 BB before leaving the table, so showing aggressiveness may frustrate them to get off their game or just simply leave the table. Now of course the beauty with online poker is that you could also get up and choose another table, but sometimes you want to stay at the table your at and just remove one or two particular players. In this case, giving them a case of their own medicine is a good strategy. You see, if you keep folding, or calling the bet and folding, you are giving them proper odds to keep doing it. Re-raise them with strong and medium - strong hands and against these particular players do not take their bets to be as valuable as normal or tight players.. in fact their worst nightmare is looking at someone who won't take their crap... who won't give up their money that easily.

Kyle Healey is the owner of a Online Poker website with top notch Poker Articles

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Three Key Skills of Playing Poker by Black Jack

2006-02-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

Why play poker? It seems like a simple question, but the answer is both complex and personal. There are many different reasons to play or not play poker, and often these reasons will dictate what type of player a person is and what limits he or she should play.

Poker pros are commonly described as tight and aggressive. A good player is nothing like that; in general he masters at least three critical elements of poker.

Math skills

Good poker players know general percentages. They know that you have about 1 in 8 chance of hitting a set when holding a pocket pair, and that you have about a 1 in 3 chance of completing a flush draw at the flop. They know the importance of 'outs.' Outs are simply the number of cards that will improve your hand. Count your outs, multiply them by two, and add two, and that's roughly the percentage shot you have at hitting. They can figure out the 'pot odds.' Knowing outs is meaningless unless it's translated into rational, calculated betting. Knowing you have a 20% chance of hitting, what do you do then? Well, simply once you figure out your chance of hitting/winning, you divide the size of the pot at the river (i.e. the current pot plus the amount of money that you think will be added through future bets) by the amount you have to put in. If you have a 20% chance of hitting and the bet to you is 50, if the pot at the river will be greater than 250, call. If not, fold.

Discipline

A poker player does not hope to get lucky; he just hopes others don't get lucky. Good poker players understand that a different game requires a different discipline. A disciplined no-limit player can be a foolish limit player and vice versa. A disciplined limit player is always very tight preflop. The player will not play too many hands, only the ones that have a very good chance at winning. However, a disciplined no-limit player is VERY different. This player is not so concerned with paying too many blinds; instead, he or she does not want to get trapped. The main difference between a disciplined limit and no-limit player is that the limit player avoids piddling away his stack bit by bit while a disciplined no-limit player avoids losing his whole stack in one hand. Hence, a disciplined no-limit player can play a lot of hands. But a good no-limit player knows when to toss hands that will get him or her in trouble. A disciplined player knows when to play and when to quit. He !

recognizes when he is on tilt and is aware when a game is too juicy to just quit while ahead.

Psychological Skills

A good player is not a self-cantered player. When a poker pro walks into a poker room, he always empathizes with his opponents. He tries to think what they think and understand the decisions they make and why they make them. The poker pro always tries to have an answer to these questions:

What does my opponent have?
What does my opponent think I have?
What does my opponent think I think he has?

Knowing the answer to these questions is the first step, manipulating the answers is the second and more important step. If you have a pair of kings and your opponent has a pair of aces, and you both know what each other have and both know that you each know what the other has, why play a game of poker? A poker pro manipulates the latter two answers by slow playing, fast playing, and bluffing in order to throw his opponent off.

Good poker players know that psychology is vital in a no-limit game than in a limit one. Limit games often turn into math battles, while no-limit games carry a strong psychology component and frankly are more fun to play!

Want to learn more about the game? Learn the tricks of the trade by registering on our website www.cardscenter.com

About The Author

Black Jack is of course a pseudonym. Behind it a professional poker player hides who just enjoys teaching you one or two aspects of the game. For more check out www.cardscenter.com

Insider Tips For Finding A Great Online Poker Room

2006-02-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

Even though they look pretty much the same and they're all selling essentially the same few games, all Online Poker Rooms are NOT created equal! The differences can go far beyond the look and feel of the software. After you've played at several different rooms, you'll start to see the tell-tale signs of a quality room as opposed to the "back alley" type.

Here's a few things to consider before you plunk down your money.

The Number Of Players

It simply doesn't matter how great the software is or how many game variations Are Offered. If you're sitting alone, staring at the virtual walls ...What Good Is The Poker Room? The great pokerrooms always have lots of real money players --- Playing!

Cash Outs

Don't let a big bonus or huge game selection be the only criteria you use when selecting a Pokerroom. Make sure you understand how to cash out, where your money will go and how quickly you'll get paid. Remember, what good is your bankroll if you don't have access to it?

Customer Service

Before you purchase, know the customer service options. Is there a toll free phone number? Is there Online Chat (my personal favorite)? Or is email your only option? Make sure you can contact a rep when you need one. Here's A Tip: Before You Purchase, Contact Support and Ask a few questions, Just to see how responsive and knowledgeable the staff is. Great Pokerrooms know how important Customer Service is and will make sure their reps are well trained!

Bonus/Comps

Free Money at sign-up is always nice! But, it's really not very important. Remember, there are always play through requirements and the more "Free Money" you get the more you'll have to play before you can actually cash it out.

More important then a sign-up bonus is the ongoing comps that are offered. Poker can be a very exciting game, where you have a pretty good chance of consistently winning. Once you find a poker room that you like, chances are you'll be playing there frequently. A good comp program can directly add to your bottom line!

Ease of Use

I'm including the entire poker room "experience" in this category. Starting with the first time you visit the site, through the download and sign up process, making a deposit, choosing a table and of course, the actual game-play. The easier it is to get all of this done the better. A clean, simple homepage and intuitive, easily installed software are important factors that shouldn't be overlooked.

And Finally...

I've outlined what I think are the most important factors in any Pokerroom. Of course, you'll need to consider your own factors also...

For Example:

* Do You Like Frequent Tournaments?

* What Table Limits Are You Comfortable With?

* Are You Interested In Multi-Table Play?

An hour or so of research before you actually make your first deposit can go a long way toward improving your online playing experience.

About The Author

David Olsen has spent entirely too much time writing about Online Gambling. His latest site gambling site http://www.playvideopoker.us/poker_rooms/ is dedicated to finding and testing the webs video poker and poker rooms.

Texas Holdem Tournament Poker Strategy - Betting Is Communicating

2006-02-09T12:49:00.000-08:00

The "Language" of Poker Bets

We humans are very perceptive creatures. We are able to communicate in many different ways with one another. By saying something, by saying nothing, by shrugging our shoulders, by winking, delaying, etc. These are all forms of communicating.

Do you realize that when you place a poker bet you are actually communicating something to the other players? Understanding what you are communicating with your betting, and understanding what the other players are communicating with their bets is one of the cornerstones of good poker play.

By mastering this form of poker communications, you will find yourself becoming a truly formidable poker player. If you ignore this betting language, you will consistently lose - it's as simple as that.

When a player calls, it often just means they're limping to see the next card with the hope of improving their hand. When a player checks, it typically means they're not too happy with their current hand, and would like to see another card before making any move. Yes, they could be trapping, but that's the exception, not the rule.

When a player bets, they're communicating that they like their hand and they want some action, so they're risking more chips in order to take control of the action or just take the pot. Whether this communications is "real" or not depends - upon what style of player they are: tight, solid, loose, maniac, etc. and how this player communicates.

If you've been paying attention (like you should be), you'll have a pretty good idea of how "honest" this player typically communicates (bets/plays). Aggressive players who play a lot of hands and raise a lot to drive people out of pots can be generally considered "dishonest" and can't be trusted to communicate (bet) honestly.

Tight/solid players are relatively honest, usually betting more in accordance with the true strength of their hand, making them easier to read most of the time. Learn to read these different player's betting signals and you'll be amazed at how much your game improves.

Decide how "honest" or "dishonest" you want your betting signals to be that the other players are reading from you. Try mixing these signals up a bit so the other players can't quite tell what to expect from you and it'll help by causing them to make more mistakes against you, resulting in bigger winnings.

Now, let's have a look at an example situation. Let's say you're in a game with 9 people at the table, and on the button, so you'll get to act last and have the most information to work with. Your starting hand is good, but not great, such as a 67 spades-suited connector. The action comes around and half of the players have dropped out, and several players have limped in. You go ahead and limp in as well, wanting to see the flop like everyone else. The flop comes: 4s, Jc, 9d - not exactly what you'd hoped for. The first three players check. The 4th player throws out a bet of 3 times the big blind. So, where are we?

Ignoring your hand for just a moment (since we're talking about betting and communicating - right?), everyone except the 4th player communicated that they didn't really like the flop, then the 4th player placed a decent bet. Is he trying to steal the pot or does he now have a pair of Jacks? Since we've been watching these players' style of play all along, and we quickly realize that this is a fairly tight player, we would correctly conclude that this basically "honest", tight player has hit that pair of Jacks.

On the other hand, if the 4th player had instead been playing loose with lots of bets and raises, stealing many pots and pushing people around quite a bit, then they can't be trusted since they're fundamentally "dishonest" with their betting communications patterns.

See how this works? Now, about your hand. You need to fold either way here, since the odds of you making a flush or straight aren't good, and there's an overpair of Jacks that's possible and likely based upon what's being communicated (and someone could also be trapping that checked, too).

So, what are you communicating with your bets? Are you even thinking about that? Before you fire out a bet, you need to consider what "message" you want to send the other players, and make sure your intended message gets through, in order to affect the other players' actions and control the outcomes more often.

What are the others communicating to you with their bets? What kind of "communicator" are they? Honest or dishonest? Consistent or variable? How much do you believe what they're telling you? Are you really listening, or just looking at your own hand too much?

So, Betting Is Communicating. Become truly fluent in this "poker language" and you'll be amazed at how much it boosts your winnings.

Good luck!

Rick

About The Author

Rick Braddy is an avid writer, poker player and top professional software developer and marketer. Visit his Texas holdem website at http://www.poker-sidekick.com websites to learn more.

Poker Positioning Strategies

2006-02-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

There's a board game that originated from the Philippines called Game of the Generals. Only two players can play the game and the winner is usually the one who has the better strategy when it comes to positioning key players of the game.

The flag is the most vulnerable and must therefore be protected at all costs. The spy is the highest ranking official in the game and can ironically be defeated by the lowest ranking officer, the private. It depends on where you position all your players in order for you to win the game.

It's almost exactly the same process when it comes to winning a game of poker.

Positioning is a very important aspect of poker and unfortunately, it's also an aspect that most new poker players tend to overlook. First time poker players tend to believe, you see, that everything depends on their cards alone. I assure you that it's not. In poker, everything matters and expert poker players are aware of this. That's why for them, positioning is quite an important factor because a good position in a game of poker, especially when it's something like the Texas Hold'Em version, can give you an advantage over your fellow players.

The Starting Positions

It's always difficult to be in one of the starting positions because you're ultimately forced to reveal your hand in the first few rounds without having any idea on what types of hands your opponents are holding. The key to surviving the next few rounds is gauging what type of opponents you're facing and see if it's possible to bluff your way through. It's also a good sign if you're facing a few opponents and you're holding large suited cards in your hands.

The Middle Position

This may not be the best position to have in poker but it's certainly a shade better than having an early position in the game. With the middle position, you have better chances of calculating the odds of winning and being able to get the cards you need. If you've been given a slot in the middle position, simply try your best to hang on and do stick with small suited cards.

The Last or Late Position

Alas, this is the best position that you can have when playing poker, especially when there are around ten players or so which is often the case in Texas Hold'Em Poker. If you’re still not that good in playing poker, being in the last position will then give you the upper hand. As others before you will reveal their cards first, use this to your advantage and just calculate the odds as best as you can.

About The Author

John Grant is a long time Poker Player that has now devoted his time to write and educate about poker on his site http://www.poker-room-holdem.com this site has an active poker forum as well http://www.poker-room-holdem.com/board/index.php.

Steps to Play Online Texas Hold em Poker

2006-02-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

Steps to Play Online Texas Hold em Poker

The steps involved in playing online texas hold em are usually well-described by the website you choose. Commonly this involves downloading the site's poker interface, depositing some money via a credit card or third-party provider, and then taking your digital bankroll into the game of your choice.

Online Texas Hold em sites will often have hundreds, even thousands, of games going at once. An average site would have perhaps 5-40 different 'tables' of $10/$20 hold 'em going at once. You often have a choice of how many people you want to play with--4-player to 10-player tables are typically available.

The Online Texas Hold em site will usually have a neatly designed interface that allows you to browse through the various games going on until you find the limit, number of players, so on, that suits you. You will also be told the screen names of the players at the table (before entering it) and the amount of their stack. Very often you will get stats telling you how fast the hands go at a particular table, how many are played in an hour, on average, and what the average pot is. These should all factor into your decision of where to "sit."

Once you click on a particular game, the table interface will open up. The graphics usually include a table, chips, cards, and avatars representing the players at the table. Often you'll click on an empty seat, taking the form of whatever avatar you or the interface chooses, and then buy in. The buy-in is generally a range, such as $100-$1000.

Once you've done that, all that's left is to wait until the next hand, when you'll be dealt in. Some websites will give you some starting options to choose from governing game play and what to do on your behalf in the case of a disconnection. Others do not. (How does the website make money? On the "rake," usually only a few dollars, which they pull out of the pot when it reaches a certain level. This amounts to quite a bit when you’ve got hundreds of games going on at once.)

Cards come quick at Online texas hold em tables, and people are generally antsy--especially at the play tables. You might get rude comments or even an "abusive" vote if you take too long. You don't have to pay too much attention to this, though if you’re sitting at a table where everyone's going fast, and then you think for 30 seconds each time, you might consider switching tables--not least because the torrent of criticism you're likely to get could very well throw you off your game.

James Brian, a Texas Holdem enthusiast who lives in Florida. James OBrian is a leading Poker professional and earns handsome money, playing Online Texas Hold em Poker for money, using his techniques enumerated in the Free Texas Holdem Poker ebook at http://www.TexasHoldemAdvisor.com

About The Author

James Obrian, a Texas Holdem player and who lives in Florida. James OBrian is a leading Poker professional and earns handsome living, playing Online Texas Hold em Poker, Check out the Free Holdem Poker ebook at http://www.TexasHoldemAdvisor.com.

Casino Reasoning and Strategy Content Arguments

2006-02-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to drop in tonight in between casino hopping to say something to the online casino naysayer crowd: A few days ago I spoke with a gentleman who indicated to me that he somehow "trusted" the land based casino hs goes to, but does not trust the online casinos because he somehow just "knows" they are not going to ever give him a win, and that even if he did win, that they would never pay because they are so far away. HMMM, I could easily see this guy was mesmorized into believing a real falsehood. I personally know that online casinos love to pay their winners, because they know the customer will never come back if they don't, and their name would be mud too.

HIS was really faulty reasoning to me, and I asked him to tell the absolute truth about how often he wins at the land based casino he goes to. He stopped telling lies after awhile and finally admitted that usually he loses, but once in a great while he wins a big jackpot of about $1500 to $4000 on video poker or keno. OK says I, but how much did you spend getting the last jackpot? He did not like that question because he knows the answer is that he has spent too much playing day after day, and has not come out ahead. People who love to gamble in casinos never really stop to add it all up until it's too late, and they are broke. I think he really didn't know exactly, and was happier not knowing.

The house is always in the best position to win, and the odds favor the house. This is true in the land based brick and mortar casino, and in the online caaino. I asked the guy "if you didn't play in all this hubbub and noise, would you be able to take the time needed to make better decisions about how much to bet and which machines to play? He admitted after much argument that he would like to try an online casino after all, since I convinced him that a cup of coffee and his familiar PC in the home office was a much better environment to gamble in that the old brick and mortar casino that he has to drive to for an hour, and then drinks beer in, and then loses money in. I also recommended that he look for more games where skill is needed, and to bone up on those games (roulette for one).

This guy is typical of many folks who are not realizing the wonder and greatness of online casinos, in that there is never any waiting for machines on a crowded night, and no one is getting drunk and running into you while you play in the privacy of your own home. The house always has the odds in their favor, but you can win more often if you study the games and understand that you can instantly close out a machine that is not paying in an online casino, and click over to the menu and select another slot machine or card game, and your money balance goes with you. Choice and flexibility is what they offer.

When you go to the old favorite casino down the road, it can be crowded, and when your good old favorite slot machine is not paying, can you easily dump the dollar coins out and move? Often it is just too difficult on a crowded night, and a person will simply obsess over the game they are losing with, and keep playing until the money is gone. The distractions in land based casinos are numerous. The distracions keep you in a state of confusion, and you tend to lose track of time and of how much money you really have to spend. Have you ever looked up on the wall of a casino and seen a clock? Nope, because they don't want you to know what time it is!

I am not saying that the first time you deposit money and play in an online casino that you will win, but they start you off much better than their counterparts in the land based casinos do. Many online casinos will offer a first time players Bonus on top of the initial deposit, and they have various promotions where a person can earn another bonus later during the session. Online casinos also offer game tutorials which are much easier to understand than the game help files in big casinos. Have you ever tried to understand those things? Many online casinos also offer Free Slots, and I challenge you to find me a free slot machine in a brick and mortar casino! I have never seen one that you could play all night, but online casinos have them.

I love to gamble, and I do so usually in the privacy of my own home during off peak times of the day, or in the evening when all is quiet. I drink soda or coffee, iced tea or milk, and I carefully consider every move I make in the online games I play. Compared to the previous record I had in the casinos I traveled to in my car, I am doing much better and have won a much higher overall percentage than before. Now I am learning how to play poker online, and that is really fun.

So, how do you feel about the difference between online casinos and land based casinos? I also must admit that I have not completely given up playing in brick and mortar casinos. I now mix it up about 80% online and 20% land based casino. And, I am purposefully not mentioning the names of any land based casinos because I don't want to get sued for defamation or worse. I like both, and using high integrity online casinos is important while gambling online. I like to take trip to Vegas once in awhile, or if I can't leave I just go to the Vegas Red Online Casino.

Here is a great website with only high integrity online casinos listed. Every casino listed is one that always pays the winners, and they all have 24/7 online support available if you need it.

http://Online-Casino-Gambling-Websites.com

About The Author

Franklin Banker is an internet marketing professional who also plays casino games and poker from time to time. He has considerable experience in picking winning casinos, but is the first to admit he is not always a winner. His online casino website is http://Online-Casino-Gambling-Websites.com and his online gambling blog is http://casinowinmoneyonlinepoker.blogspot.com/.

How to Tip the Odds in Your Favor at Online Casinos

2006-02-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

Let's face it; all games in online casinos are games of chance. Some people can win on pure luck, but the rest of us need to tip the odds in our favor. This can be done very easily by playing games that have better odds, and by playing games that require some degree of skill.

Playing the games with better odds can help you win more often and collect more money. In games like roulette, there are many different types of bets all offering different odds. The best bets can sometimes be the one's with the worst payout. In roulette betting on many numbers lowers payout, but increases your chances of winning. Games like craps can have worse odds than others, so it is advisable to stay away from those types of games.

The best games to play in online casinos are the games of skill like poker and blackjack. In poker, you are playing other players, so if you have higher skill then you can make quite a bit of cash. Tipping the odds in your favor is easy in games of skill because all you need to do is study up on how to play the game better. In blackjack you are playing the dealer. Blackjack is slightly tougher than poker in terms of odds because you have to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. Even the odds in blackjack can be tipped in your favor if you are smart with when to take a hit and when to stay.

Online casinos also have slot machines. The odds in slot machines are pretty bad. The payouts can be great, if you know exactly when to press the buttons, but there are still odds against you, one of the bad things about online casinos is that you are not physically present in a casino. Therefore, games that you usually have a physical impact on do not serve you as well. Video poker is also not as good because you are simply playing against a computer. You only win if you get certain hands, so skill is not as important. In online poker where you sit down at a table against other players, you can bet well, and make a lot of money. Video poker is completely random.

Online casinos are great places to have fun and make money. It is important to know a lot about every online casino game that you play. Stay away from games that you have no impact on, and try to play the games that require a certain level of skill. Following these suggestions will tip the odds in your favor and increase your chances of having a very successful and fulfilling online poker experience.

About The Author

Josef Gagne is very familiar with online casino gambling strategy. Learn more at http://www.casinochoice.co.uk.

Online Video Poker

2006-02-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

Playing video poker isn't hard. Winning at video poker, though, is another story. If you want to master the rules and begin collecting the knowledge needed to win, you might want to try online video poker.

Online video poker is in many ways better than casino video poker. It is somewhat the same as home video games are compared to old arcades. Once, the big game machines were best, but now the home computer has caught up and in some ways surpass the machine experience. Online video poker on a home computer is often as colorful and exciting as the casino experience. The online video poker experience comes closest to capturing the casino experience of any online gambling versions on the internet.

Online video poker allows you to see a lot of hands from the comfort of your own home. The "own home" part may be most important. You are able to sit and relax at home, concentrate on the strategy of the game, away from the hustle and bustle of the casino. You can go at your own pace, while listening your favorite music and drinking a Pepsi...or whatever it is you drink these days. Whether you like deuces wild or jacks or better, whether you like to play one hand at a time or multihand, there is some kind of online casino offering the game you want to play.

Just like a casino, you must pay per hand in online video poker. You get the same payouts, though sometimes there are bonus offers online. The competition for costumers is fierce, because it is a world full of potential casino affiliates, so you will find great deals at the online casinos. Almost all online casinos offer play money, free video poker games. These allow you to practice and (sometimes) win special prizes.

There are literally thousands of online video poker games these days, so you should not have any trouble finding the game suited for you. Shop around, have a look at the many options. I recommend any casino powere by Microgaming, Playtech, or Realtime Gaming software for online video poker. For the beginning simply wanting to look at hands, you can look at a thousand hands a week if you are willing to play online video poker just ten hours a week. And let's face it, most of us play that much poker in a week in our sleep.

You have permission to reprint this article on your website, but only if you use the article in its entirety, including this paragraph and the links contained within it. Please visit our site for more free gambling articles. And also visit us if you like poker and want to read a review of Absolute Poker.

Poker and Cigars - Together Forever?

2006-02-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

At one time those who sat at a poker table considered cigars and poker as part of the same package. They freely puffed on their cigars as they rolled their hands over their piles of poker chips. Men skilled at the game of Texas Hold 'em were usually equally skilled at the art of lighting and maintaining a smoking cigar. The cigar enthusiasts at BuyDominicanCigars.com mourn the day in age when this scene was easy to find. Many of us think this pastime may become a thing of the past unless the current trend is reversed.

At the dawn of the last century, and for a period that lasted until well into that century, all manner of gambling establishments were populated by cigar smokers. Blackjack tables, as well as poker tables had rings of cigar smoke floating above them.

A host at a poker game or at a game of blackjack might be called on to provide an implement for the cutting of one or more cigars. Such hosts needed to furnish guests with more than poker chips and a pack of cards. They also had to provide their guests with plenty of cigar ashtrays. Preparations for a long poker or blackjack game demanded more than just the accumulation of drink and snack foods. Such preparations also included the purchase of extra butane lighters.

Now however at the start of the 21st century things have changed. Now the city and state rules and regulations have called for a ban on the use of cigars at a game of Texas Hold 'em. In fact, if one now walks into a gambling casino one cannot find a single soul puffing on a cigar. There may be cigar smokers at such establishments, but they no longer feel free to smoke while they play poker. A visit to Hollywood Park in Inglewood, CA uncovers the confined area into which the cigar and cigarette smokers have been moved. It is a small room in the corner of a larger room. It usually contains several small chairs and one large chair. That large chair has the ability to provide someone with a message.

Customers just slip a quarter into the arm of the chair and then sit back for five minutes. Then the frustrations that those same customers might have felt at not being able to smoke a cigar while playing poker are apt to disappear. And of course one is free to smoke a cigar or a cigarette is this same room. Because the smokers are unable to busy themselves with the playing of poker or blackjack, these rooms frequently have on the walls some interesting posters. Since Inglewood is located close to the Filmmaking capital of the world, most of the posters focus on early Hollywood and the early entertainers.

Even if one has no interest in smoking a cigar, and even if one has no desire to get a message, still it is fun to examine those posters. A close examination might allow one to find the picture of Kirk Douglas when he was just a young man. One could look at that picture and appreciate why he became such a star. One might also wonder what he would say now regarding the current rules, rules that prohibit the once accepted combination of cigars and poker.

About The Author

Jeff Hudson is the owner and creator of BuyDominicanCigars.com, a site that offers a wide range of premium cigars from the Dominican Republic and other fine cigar producing countries.

info @ buydominicancigars.com

Poker Scalping

2006-02-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if Poker Scalping is a recognised term for what I'm about to explain, but for me it sums up a strategy used by a lot of professional gamblers.

That strategy in a nutshell is that of preying on new and vulnerable poker players in order to win consistent hourly wages from playing poker.

Every day thousands of bad poker plays go online at the nets largest poker site and play badly and lose their money. That money is won not just by good poker players but also by poker players who play systematically. That is they play tight they know their odds and they play business like.

These professional players are winning and winning big with some making regular six figure salaries year in and year out.

There is an unlimited supply of bad players to win from and more are added daily. All you have to do is to have a strategy and some tools.

Now maybe "preying on new players" is strong language, but what you have to keep in mind is that these players will lose to somebody and that while they are losing they are getting an education. And to be honest if you dive in to a financial transaction without any real knowledge of what you're doing, other than what you have seen on TV then you have to expect to pay for your education.

There are an unlimited number of players and more come online everyday and the added bonus is that nobody cares if you are winning. No casino heavy looking over your shoulder, no bookmaker cutting your bets. The casino takes a rake from everything you win and all they care about is that you play, they want you playing at their tables.

So how do you get some of this action. Well you need to make sure that you aren't one of the TV poker suckers. You need an education.

Your first step to earning regular poker income is to join a poker room and spend a little time familiarising yourself with the set up, get familiar with the software, watch some games and play some free games.

Your next step is to formulate a simple set of rules that you will play by. You can do this by buying the best poker strategy books over at Amazon. Or you can do it the way we did. And that's by learning from the professionals that already win regularly.

There are a number of guides available online that will teach you how to play to win and if you visit our resource page at www.betting-school.com/pokscalp.html we will tell you which ones are worth their weight in gold.

If you get started today there is absolutely no reason why you couldn't be making an extra thousand or two next month and before you know it you will be a six figure winner.

Remember you don't need to be lucky when you have a plan. For resources that will ensure your success with this strategy visit www.betting-school.com/pokscalp.html

About The Author

Darren Power is the webmaster at www.betting-school.com a site dedicated to winning bets on all sports.

MTT Poker Win Frequency

2006-02-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Multi Table Tournaments (MTT) are currently very popular due in large part to the success of televising the World Poker Tour Tournaments and the World Series of Poker Tournaments. Thousands of players try their luck and skills daily online and in brick and mortar tournaments. However, few players appear to give much thought as to whether they should have even entered the tournament. They seem to enter just to compete. It doesn't seem to matter how many people have entered the contest. The lower the entry fee, the larger the tournament field. It's not unusual for One, Two and Five dollar tournaments to attract 1500 to 2500 entrants.

A player is able to practice and compete for very little cost. But is that really true? Just because the entry fee is small doesn't mean that the expense was worthwhile. If you don't have the skills to get to the final table, and more importantly, win then you would be better off buying a lottery ticket. Two dollars spent weekly on a couple of lottery tickets might actually result in a lucky win. Two dollars spent on a MTT will never result in enough lucky cards to result in a win if you don't really have enough poker skills and you aren't improving. You may not even make a final table.

So how do you measure whether you should enter a Multi Table Tournament? To begin, you should only enter a tournament if you intend to play to win. Don't enter to practice. Always strive to improve your skills but only enter because you want to win. Because the entry fee is low, a commonly seen strategy is the maniac or suicidal aggressor. This type of player is allin early and often. The strategy is to double or triple up quickly. If they lose, they rationalize that that is the price to be paid in order to gain a quick chip edge. But this strategy is only worthwhile if they would also employ the same strategy when the entry fee is $10,000 instead of $2. If such a player wouldn't go allin early in a high dollar entry tournament, such as a WPT event, then why waste their time and money developing a strategy that might only help once in a lucky while at a low dollar entry tournament.

To reiterate, only enter a tournament because you want to win. Don't enter just to practice. Equally important, enter with a strategy that you feel can be applied to higher and higher entry fee tournaments. Why consign yourself to being a $1-$20 tournament player. Play to win at this low level. But play to win with a strategy that will also win at the $100-$1000 entry level.

And how do you know that you are developing a winning strategy and set of skills? You know because you've made the final table and you've won. But even this isn't enough. You have to reach the final table and win in a profitable manner.

In other words, you need to know your MTT win frequency. Once you know this number then you know what size tournaments you should enter. You begin to find this number by first making an educated guess. Make an estimate of the number of tournaments that you will need to enter before you win one. For example, you guess that you'll win a tournament within your first 50 entries. Assuming you are correct and you do win a tournament by your 50th entry then first prize needs to pay more than 50 times the entry fee or you still lose money.

Say, for example, you enter 50 ten dollar tournaments. At the end of 50 entries, you've spent $500. For the typical tournament, first prize pays out 20 to 30% of the total tournament entry fees. If the tournament you entered pays out 25% to the winner and at least 200 people enter at $10 each then the total prize pool is $2000. 25% of 2000 is $500. You've won. Congratulations! You've just broken even and spent all of that tournament time to make nothing. If each MTT averaged 4 hours to complete and on average you lasted about 2 hours per tournament then you've spent 100 hours to make nothing. In other words, every tournament you enter must pay out more than the number of tournament entries you estimated it will take in order to win. If you win only once every 100 tournaments then you need to enter tournaments that pay out better than 100 times the entry fee for first place. To enter smaller paying tournaments ensures that you will earn less than the total cost of your 100 entry fees.

But what about the times that you finish in the money but don't win or reach the final table? Consider those finishes as nice but they won't pay the bills. Typically, 60 to 70% of the total prize pool is paid out to the final table. That means you need to make the final table to have any chance to make any decent money. Any other finish lower than ninth or tenth will only pay out enough to cover the cost of a few tournament entries. Finishing as high as 40th earns you about .4 (4/10 of 1%) to .6% (6/10 of 1%) of the prize pool. In dollar terms, this is about 3 to 7 times the entry fee. Just to break even you need to finish no lower than 40th every 3 to 7 times you enter a tournament.

In other words, your in the money finishes will only help to subsidize your total cost of entry fees until you finally win or consistently make the final table.

Thus, in order to know which tournaments are worth your while to enter you need to track the entry fee, the number of entrants, the number of places paid, your finish and the amount that you won. Only then will the poker skills and strategies you've worked to develop pay off for you.

To be a truly successful Multi Table Tournament player you need to know your win freqency. Only then will you know if the size of the tournament and it's payout structure are worth your while to enter. Without this knowledge, you are reduced to being an ostrich player; i.e. a player who plays with their head in the sand, never knowing if their occasional wins or in the money finishes have any chance of ever paying off. Without knowing your win frequency you can never step up to the higher entry fee tournaments with any level of confidence.

Be assured that the top pros know their win frequency. Without this knowledge they would quickly be bankrupt. To enter 100 WPT tournaments costs $1 million. (100 x 10,000 = 1,000,000). If a pro enters and wins a WPT tournament once every 100 times than he/she needs to win more than $1 million when he/she does win in order to make any money. If, for example, a player finally wins a tournament on his 100th try and the first prize payout is 35% of a $2,000,000 purse then he would win $700,000. That's great, right? No really! Remember, this is the 100th try. He has spent $1 million dollars. By not knowing his win frequency, this player is still $300,000 in the hole and quickly going bankrupt. With luck, this player has made $300,000 from some in the money finishes in some of the other 99 tournaments that were entered before. But this only brings him to break even.

In other words, this player needs to improve his win frequency to 70 or less if he is going to continue entering tournaments where the first prize payout is less than his win frequency.

As mentioned, winning a tournament that matches your win frequency will only result in a break even. To truly succeed in tournament play you must enter tournaments that have a first prize that exceeds your personal win frequency. A good rule of thumb is to enter tournaments that pay a first prize of at least double your win frequency. Thus, if you can win one of every 100 tournaments you enter then the first prize purse should be at least 200 times the entry fee. For example, a tournament entry fee of $100 should have a first prize purse of $20,000 if you are able to win once out of every 100 entries. One hundred entries would cost you $10,000 and you've won $20,000. You've now made $10,000. If, as in the earlier example, you've spent an average of 2 hours per tournament then you have 200 hours invested. This means that you have made $50 per hour for your efforts ($10,000/200=$50).

Simple economics guarantees that the amateur and the pro will slowly go bankrupt if their win frequency is less than the payout for the tournaments that he/she wins. So ignoring your win frequency number will only guarantee your eventual exit from MTT poker. Don't let this happen to you. Take the time to track your results and then you can choose the tournaments that payout at a rate that will make you a true winner when you do win it. Never enter tournaments that payout a first prize that is less than twice your MTT win frequency. Without knowing this number you will never really make money in MTT play.

About The Author

Joseph Miyamoto, additional articles at http://loveablerogues.com. Contact me at poker@loveablerogues.com.

How the U.S. Is Getting Beat in Online Gambling

2006-01-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

Gambling lore is filled with tales of the lucky novice who walks into a casino and breaks the bank. This year it really happened. The fortunate neophyte is Vikrant Bhargava, who is from Rajasthan, India, and admits that he had never set foot in a casino until recently and still isn't all that fond of gambling. But in a single day in June, he and two colleagues walked away with the poker purse of all time: more than 1 billion in cash.

What distinguishes reality from myth is that Bhargava, 32, wasn't playing poker. He is the marketing director of PartyGaming, a company based in Gibraltar that operates the world's largest online poker site, PartyPoker.com Bhargava joined the firm in 2000 when it was an Internet start-up based in the Dominican Republic that was trying to establish a niche in the then novel world of online gaming. Today PartyPoker boasts that more than a million people have played for money on its site this year, the vast majority of them Americans, who are technically circumventing the law, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Flush with success--and with profit margins of 60%--the firm went public on the London Stock Exchange this summer. The June 27 IPO, which valued PartyPoker at 10 billion, was Britain's biggest this year. Bhargava shared the pot with two other reclusive co-owners: a Net pornographer named Ruth Parasol, who switched from carnality to cards in the late 1990's, and Anurag Dikshit, an Indian software whiz whom Bhargava met when both were students at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. They are not three of a kind, but they did cash out about one-fifth of the company. "Poker became a monster," says Bhargava, who sold stock worth 210 million and still retains almost 9% of the firm's equity.

Gaming is going global, and to stock markets, with a force that's making fortunes for a cluster of little-known industry outsiders and giving monstrous headaches to regulators, legislators and traditional casino companies. Poker is growing most rapidly; this year an estimated 2.7 billion will be spent on Internet poker games, almost double last year's take and 10 times that of 2002. That breakneck growth can't continue--one reason PartyGaming's stock drifted below its IPO price--but other casino games like blackjack, as well as lotteries and sports betting, are finding new homes online. According to Warwick Bartlett, who runs the British firm Global Betting & Gaming Consultants, almost 12 billion will be wagered over the Internet this year, or close to 5% of the world's total gross gambling yield. Over the next five years, the consultancy estimates, the total take will soar to about 22 billion, or about 7.5% of the industry total. "You've got at least 10 years of strong growth in the sector," Bartlett predicts.

What makes the numbers more extraordinary is that online gaming is either banned or legally questionable in several of the countries where it's thriving. In the U.S., where it is hard to avoid televised poker tournaments, the DOJ is unequivocal: it deems Internet gambling illegal, period. And nearly unstoppable. The DOJ admits that it faces hurdles in bringing to heel companies not based in the U.S. But it has pressured credit-card companies to reject gaming-related transactions and "urged" Internet providers and radio stations not to air online-gambling ads. Yahoo! and Viacom's Infinity Broadcasting are just some of those that are complying rather than cross the feds.

The U.S. legal situation is "absurd," says Mark Davies, international marketing director for the firm Betfair, based in Britain. "Poker is a game played by many tens of millions of Americans. It is played by Presidents and judges. It's strange to say it's illegal just because it is online." In other places, from Hong Kong to Sweden, online wagering similarly runs up against a thicket of restrictions. In Britain, where punters regularly wager in betting shops, online gaming is now legal, which is why companies such as PartyGaming have gone public on the London Stock Exchange.

But in much of Continental Europe, online gambling is bringing unwanted competition to state-owned monopolies, which provide a hefty chunk of tax revenue to national treasuries every year. In Sweden, as much as half the nation's fixed-odds betting has moved from the state monopoly to an online firm based in Malta. The U.S. is losing about 7 billion a year by prohibiting Internet-gambling companies, says Las Vegas attorney Anthony Cabot. Says Eugene Christiansen, chief executive of Christiansen Capital Advisors, based in New Gloucester, Maine: "They have to stand by and watch British and other countries' companies eat their lunch."

That juicy meal is being shared by PartyGaming and a fast-growing number of competitors. They have names such as 888.com Betandwin.com and Empire Online, and are mainly based in exotic, low-tax jurisdictions such as Gibraltar, Malta or Canada's Kahnawakee Mohawk Indian reservation. Says Richard Segal, an experienced British casino executive who joined PartyGaming as CEO last year and sold more than 15 million worth of stock in the June IPO: "It's like bees around the honeypot."

Some gambling-industry lawyers are building up a body of international case law to bring their clients onshore. In the U.S., for example, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2002 that only sports gambling is covered by the Wire Act, a 1960's law aimed mainly at mobsters that prohibits anyone in the gaming business from transmitting bets by wire communication. And in March the World Trade Organization in Geneva upheld a complaint by Antigua that U.S. restrictions on cross-border Internet gaming amounted to a breach of free-trade rules. Says lawyer Mark Mendel, who represented Antigua: "They say all Internet gaming is illegal throughout the U.S., but that simply isn't true."

Lawyers for online firms, especially those seeking to reassure potential investors before an IPO, cite such cases as critical precedents. Not all are convinced: one of Wall Street's leading law firms, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, recently warned investment-banking clients to steer clear of online-gaming companies because of concerns about their legality in the U.S. Should the DOJ decide to crack down, the gaming firms, at least, have an exit. PartyGaming's prospectus takes pains to point out that the company has no tangible assets or physical presence in the U.S. Indeed, one reason co-founder Parasol plays no official role at the firm other than shareholder and keeps a very low public profile--she refuses all interview requests--is that as a U.S. citizen, she's potentially at risk and doesn't want to harm the company, according to lawyers who know her.

This odd legal standoff in the all-important U.S. market shows little sign of ending, as neither Republican efforts to stiffen the laws nor Democratic efforts to loosen them are getting anywhere in Congress. In the face of such inertia, gaming firms are getting brazen. One British outfit, Sportingbet, runs ads on ESPN for its Sportsbook.com site and recently put up a huge billboard in New York City's Times Square featuring a pretty model and the slogan EVERYBODY BETS. PartyGaming CEO Segal says big American media groups seem less reluctant to air gaming ads than they were. "The U.S. is a clear example of prohibition not working," says Peter Collins, an expert on gaming regulation at Britain's Salford University, who advised the British government on its new gaming legislation.

The headache for regulators may be just beginning: the next big thing in the industry is gambling on mobile phones. In the past few months, PartyGaming and several other companies, including land-based British bookmakers such as Ladbrokes, have launched pilot wireless-gambling projects; in PartyGaming's offering, mobile-phone users can download the software free by sending a text message and then play roulette or slot machines for fun or money.

For PartyGaming's Bhargava, the world could hardly look more different from six years ago, when he took a blind leap and joined the company. After his studies in Delhi in the early 1990's, and business school, he worked at Bank of America and British Gas before heading to Mexico for a change of scenery. On a whim, he e-mailed his former college friend Dikshit, who, it turned out, had just set up a software company and was trying to develop a gaming start-up for Parasol, a lawyer by training. Parasol's history has filled the pages of British tabloid newspapers this year largely because of her involvement in online pornography and her investment in a company that made adult videos--activities that, ironically, have fewer legal encumbrances than gambling. But by the time she joined up with Dikshit and Bhargava, she had severed those ties. "She's not a porn queen. She's an entrepreneur," Bhargava told TIME.

The trio's timing was propitious. Internet poker was already available in the late 1990's, but the technology was clunky and the game less popular than sports betting and lotteries. Dikshit created a version that enabled multiple players to participate, and PartyGaming quickly went after the market leader at the time, Paradise Poker. "We weren't ready for the launch when we did launch" in August 2000, Bhargava recalls, shuddering at the site's initial reliability problems. The breakthrough came a year later, when the company hired a well-known poker player, Mike Sexton. He came up with a gimmick that got gamblers' attention: a 1 million first-place prize for an all-comers tournament.

When poker took off in the U.S. after the Travel Channel began televising tournaments in 2003, PartyPoker was holding aces in the hole. The contests, with peephole cameras under the table capturing the action and graphics showing each player's odds of winning, proved a smash hit for the cable channel. PartyGaming paid a bargain 7,000 per 20-sec. spot to advertise on the show. "We saw our market share go up from 20% to 50% in a fairly short period," Bhargava says. PartyGaming spent a whopping 52 million in the first half of this year to entice paying customers to the site--more than triple the amount it spent a year ago and up from just 10.6 million for all of 2003.

That hefty increase in acquisition costs is a plus, though, because it amounts to a formidable obstacle for new competitors. PartyPoker can afford the ante. In the first nine months of this year, the average daily "rake"--it's cut of the amount bet--rose a third, to more than 2 million. Despite a summer stock swoon, market players are still betting that online poker isn't a short-term fad. One thing hasn't changed: you won't find Bhargava in a casino, online or real, anytime soon. "I can see myself playing poker off-line, but I can't find low-limit games," complains the centimillionaire. "Online is very different: that's entertainment." Besides, he's already won that game.

Texas Holdem Poker Rules

2006-01-27T01:33:00.000-08:00

The descriptions below assume a familiarity with the general game play of poker, and with poker hands.

Play of the hand

Play begins with each player being dealt two cards face down. These are the player's hole cards. These are the only cards each player will receive individually, and they will only (possibly) be revealed at the showdown, making Texas hold em a closed poker game. The hand begins with a "pre-flop" betting round, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind (or the player to the left of the dealer, if no blinds are used) and continuing clockwise. After the pre-flop betting round, the dealer deals a burn card, followed by three face-up community cards called the flop. The flop is followed by a second betting round. This and all subsequent betting rounds begin with the player to the dealer's left and continue clockwise. After the flop betting round ends, another card is burned, and a single community card called the turn (or fourth street) is dealt, followed by a third betting round. A final burn card is followed by a single community card called the river (or fifth street), followed by a fourth betting round and the showdown, if necessary.

Betting structures

In casino play, it is common to use a fixed limit and two blinds. The limit for the first two rounds of betting is called a small bet, while the limit for the third and fourth betting rounds is called a big bet and is generally double the small bet. The small blind is usually equal to half of a small bet, and the big blind is equal to a full small bet. (In some cases, the small blind is some other fraction of a small bet, e.g. 10 is a common small blind when the small bet is 15; this occurs mainly in brick and mortar rooms where higher-denomination chips are used. The double-blind structure described above is relatively recent; until the 1980's, a single-blind structure was most common.)

Occasionally, the fourth bet is larger still (a big river bet), and the big blind is sometimes less than the small bet, in which case it is treated the same way a sub-minimum bring-in is treated in stud poker. Antes may be used instead of, or in addition to, blinds; this is especially true in tournament play. The game also plays very well at the no-limit level, and many tournaments (including the above mentioned World Series championship event) are played with this structure.

In no-limit hold 'em, any player may wager all of the chips that he has on the table at any time. This is known as an "all-in" wager. If another player still in the hand wants to call the all-in bet, but doesn't have enough chips on the table to match the bet, he may call for the number of chips he has in front of him. The original bettor then takes back the part of his bet that exceeds the amount of the call, unless there is another player also in the hand who calls the bet, in which case a side pot is created between those two players for the amount in excess of that matched by the caller with the fewer chips.

The showdown

If a player bets and all other players fold, then the remaining player is awarded the pot and is not required to show his hole cards. If two or more players remain after the final betting round, a showdown occurs. On the showdown, each player plays the best five-card hand he can make from the seven cards comprising his two hole cards and the board (the five community cards). A player may use both of his own two hole cards, only one, or none at all, to form his final five-card hand. If the five community cards form the player's best hand, then the player is said to be playing the board.

If the best hand is shared by more than one player (e.g. if no player is able to beat the board), then the pot is split equally amongst all remaining players. However, it is common for players to have closely-valued, but not identically ranked hands. In particular, kickers are often needed to break ties. Nevertheless, one must be careful in determining the best hand, because often the board nullifies kickers. (See the second example below.) Straights often split the pot, and multiple flushes may occur. In the case of flushes, the flush is awarded to the player with the highest flush card which completes a flush and beats the board's flush cards. If there is a flush on board, (i.e. if all the board cards are the same suit), then under cards in that suit do not play, and if no one has a card in the flush suit beating the board, then the pot is split. The sole exception to this rule is the case of a straight-flush.

The best possible hand gave the five community cards are referred to as the nuts. The lowest possible nuts are three queens (this occurs with, for example, 2 3 7 8 Q on the board, with no more than two cards of any one suit).

Online Poker

We suggest that you practice at any online poker room at the free tables before wagering your own money. Many online poker rooms will offer you sign up bonuses so that you can play for money, but minimize your risk and capital outlay.

Two Black Aces - Learn to Play Poker

2006-01-27T01:21:00.000-08:00

I opened the pot with a raise in a $30-$60 hold 'em game with two black aces. A player who was trying to play well, but lacked experience, called my raise cold behind me. He played solid starting hands, but often appeared unsure of where he was relative to other players' holdings. The big blind, an aggressive player, also called. We took the flop three handed. The flop came 8-5-2 with two clubs. The big blind checked, I bet, Mr. Try-To-Play-Well called, and the big blind check-raised. This, of course, required a moment or two in the "Roy Huddle."

As a general rule, I re raise with big wired pairs and a player(s) yet to act behind me. One pair is not an easy hand to have hold up with many opponents. I ran the current situation through my brain to determine if this was a situation I wanted to play in the "conventional wisdom" manner.

The big blind was an aggressive player who would check-raise with any pair. He wouldn't play any hand that made two pair with that flop for my raise coming in. He had a set or a pair, or was making a play on the pot. His range of hands was such that it was highly likely I had him beat.

If he had a pair, the correct play on the flop would be to raise me and blow out the player in the big blind. If he had a flush draw, he should semi bluff-raise me. He knew enough about poker to know that both of those plays were correct. Therefore, I did not put him on having a pair or a flush draw. There was some chance he had flopped a set and was slow-playing. He also could have a hand like A-3 suited or A-4 suited, although the chances of that hand were greatly reduced, as I held two of the aces. From my previous observations of his play, he seemed to always take one off with over cards, but I believed he would likely fold over cards if I made it three bets.

With the range of hands he could hold, calling would be a better play with all of them other than the A-3 suited or A-4 suited, which was his least likely holding. Calling would give him an opportunity to catch a pair, or better yet, a club draw (with which he would be drawing dead, as I held the ace) should he hold over cards. Also, not re raising minimized my risk if he happened to be slow-playing a set.

I flat-called the raise, as did Mr. Try-To-Play-Well behind me. The turn card was an off suit queen, and the big blind led into me. I now was faced with calling once again to trap the player behind me or raising.

When the queen hit, I noticed that Mr. Try-To-Play-Well stiffened a bit. I felt the queen had hit him. I took a moment to think if he would raise with one pair on the turn, and decided he was unlikely to do so. Therefore, I raised, thinking he would call the raise if he hit and hoping the big blind would not three-bet.

Things went according to plan. Mr. Try-To-Play-Well called the raise, as did the big blind. Notice that if the big blind had a draw or top pair, I could have chosen to flat-call the turn if a dangerous-looking card came, thereby saving equity. I am not saying I would have chosen to do so in this spot, but playing my hand in the manner I did gave me that option.

The river was an off suit deuce. The big blind checked and I bet once again. I was called by Mr. Try-To-Play-Well, and the big blind folded. I turned over my aces, and he showed a K-Q. I never found out what the big blind held.

I believed I got full value out of my holding based on the situation. Lots of poker players (and business people) focus on saving money more than making money. They fail to understand the value behind getting full equity out of your decisions. I see this error very often in inexperienced no-limit players who constantly push their whole stack forward and lose calls they want (because they have the best of the bet) and could have gotten had they not been overly aggressive.

Conceptually, if you have the best of the bet, you want your opponents to make the call. If your opponents are correct in calling the bet, you will do better over the course of time if they fold. With that concept in mind, you want to fold opponents'' hands that are correct to call with and manipulate opponents into calling bets that are incorrect to call. Conceptually, the smaller the pot and the weaker they are drawing, the more inclined you should be to trap them. The larger the pot and the stronger they are drawing, the more you should try to shut them out of the pot.

Remember this: The cards will always break even, but the chips won't. And, of course, it's never bad to start with aces.

The New Face of Poker - Internet Poker

2006-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

There are several online poker rooms that offer Poker games against real people for real money. Millions of people from all over the globe play Poker on the web. The different players at the table are represented graphically and players can play for super small stakes such as $0.01/0.02 limits or for larger stakes such as $100/ $200 limits. Players use online payment systems to buy chips and place their wagers.

Internet Poker gives players the freedom to play anytime of the day or night, playing in the comfort of their own homes. For those wanting to improve their Poker skills, the internet provides a means of practicing and learning about Poker strategy online anytime 24/7. There are dozens of different online tournaments and hundreds of different online games going at any given moment. Internet Poker players can also take advantage of added features provided by the online poker rooms such as hand histories, detailed player's stats, color coding opponents, and being able to analyze a table's stats to look at the average pot being played.

Online Poker Tournaments

Most of the Online Poker Rooms offer a wide variety of Online Tournaments, many of them with huge money payouts. From Limit Seven Card Stud to Pot Limit Omaha to No Limit Texas Holdem tournaments, there is always a huge selection of different Poker tournaments on the web for both new players and professional players alike. Online Poker Rooms offer both single and multi-table tournaments. The larger online tournaments consist of literally thousands of players. In addition, many of the larger Rooms offer their most loyal players Private Tournaments in which players can set up their own online tournament structure inviting the players of their choice.

Old School vs. New School

Some Poker players say that they find online poker just not the same experience as home games or playing in a casino. Indeed online Poker is different in many ways from the traditional game of Poker. Internet Poker is a whole new variation of the game.

The main obvious difference is that you are not sitting right across from your opponents, removing any and all ability to watch your opponents' reactions and body language. The new world of playing Poker online brings a new form of Internet Poker tells in which one watches and analyzes the speed at which an opponent bets. You don't have to see a player in person to identify a tell. As with traditional Poker, the concept is still the same - get to know your opponent's playing style and habits, because every action your opponent makes could potentially give you information on what kind of cards they are holding.

Although some players will still prefer to play their weekly home game, the past few years have seen a tremendous jump in the number of online Poker players - millions of people worldwide now participate in online Poker games and tournaments. The software and graphics are also becoming more and more sophisticated. With the popularity of Internet Poker growing each day, the new face of Poker is here to stay.

About The Author

Oscar Daylight
Webmaster of The Poker Play Zone
http://poker-play-zone.com

Satellite Poker Tournament Strategy

2006-01-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

Satellite poker tournaments are becoming increasingly popular. Many people are using satellites to work their way to the prestigious and expensive tournaments like the World Series of Poker. What are satellite tournaments? They are generally small tournaments that award a seat (or seats) at a larger tournament as the prize.

Since many of the large poker tournaments are very costly to enter, satellites can be a good entree for a less experienced or cash-poor player. For example, it can cost as much $10,000 to buy a seat at a tournament like WSOP. This is prohibitive for some, however they have a chance by winning a satellite tournaments that can have a buy-in as low as a much more affordable $100.

There are different types of satellites and good players adjust their poker strategies based on the type of tournament they are playing.

Satellite Strategy for Single Winner Tournaments Some tournaments have only a single winner; these are also known as winner-take-all tournaments. The only way to win one of these satellites is to get all of the chips, so this type of tournament is not well-suited to those with conservative strategies. Of course, luck plays a part, but bold and gutsy play is required to take it all.

Satellite Strategy for Multi-Winner Tournaments Satellite strategy needs to vary when you play a tournament with multiple winners. Some satellites offer only a winning spots, but tend to have low buy-ins. Others have higher buy-ins but offer more advancement seats to winners. Make sure you look at the number of entrants that will be allowed and figure out how many seats there are per entrant to choose the best satellite.

Once you are in the game, your satellite strategy needs to be based in part on the part of the game you are in. While you need to earn the most chips possible, conservative play in early stages is often rewarded since it will allow you to stay in the game. Since the goal in this style of satellite isn't to be the winner, but to be one of the last players standing, it is important to play for longevity; hence, a strategy that risks you going broke in early hands s not a good idea.

As the stakes rise, you need to get a little more aggressive. You need to start taking pots. In addition, you do not want to risk your stack getting too small compared to other players, because that will attract aggressive players to attack in order to knock you out of the game. You need to get to the latest stage of the game, but you also need to get there with enough chips to finish the game.

If you manage to enter the final rounds of the game with an ample stack, you need to capitalize on your lead. Since other players may start to be conservative at this point, fearing getting knocked out, you have the opportunity to play more aggressively and scoop up the pots. Consider playing a hand that you might have folded on in the early stages of the game.

Always remember where the money is (or the satellite seats are) and keep your eye on the number of players remaining when implementing your satellite strategy. In addition, it is important to make your play while you have enough chips to make a difference. It is better to get knocked out with a bold play on a nothing hand than to fizzle out when you finally do not have enough chips to ante.

About The Author

Article by Lise Larsen. She teaches you how to play poker at http://chipsandpoker.com.

4 Poker Tips the Pros Won't Tell You

2006-01-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

In the past few years, professional poker playing has exploded in popularity. The biggest players are winning substantial amounts of money. However, none of the professional poker players are sharing their secrets. In reality, the best players in the world aren't doing anything really spectacular other than following basic poker tips. What makes the best players so amazing is their ability to utilize all of their strengths and capitalize on the weaknesses of others. Anyone can significantly improve his or her poker game by following these four easy tips.

1. Observe your opponents. This is probably the most crucial part of poker. When playing against someone, the more you know about them, the easier it will be for you to take advantage of their weaknesses. It is always a good idea to observe an opponent's betting habits. Some players bet extremely high when they have a good hand. Other players will attempt to make several seemingly small raises. Anyone who consistently raises after each flop might have a good hand. However, some players will try to bluff. Noticing patterns can help you adjust to the moves of your opponents. This will help you save money, and possibly have the great gains.

2. Bet wisely and watch your money. Every poker player should set limits when going into the casino. The pros don't have to worry about money so much, but the average player definitely does. Set a limit and do not exceed it. Being money conscious can help ensure that if you have a bad day at the tables, you don't put yourself in debt. Along with managing money is managing bets. Some players like to bet high (high rollers), but this can lead to drastic losses. Some of the best players bet moderately, and increase their bets slightly when they have a good hand. The best advice for betting is “avoid the extremes.” Don't bet too little, because you will end up losing money in the long run. At the same time, don't bet too much because you might lose a lot of money on only one hand, and that is never good.

3. Take your time. The pros seem to think very fast, but that is because they are pros! You don't have to make decisions too rashly. Take time to look at your hand and figure out what you have and bet accordingly. Also, take the time to survey your opponents and surmise what hands they might have. The pros are always thinking and are simply faster than the average player. It is important to realize that every poker player has to think logically and make educated guesses.

4. Know when to fold, and when to stay in. Many players do not understand the best solutions for folding or staying in. The best players understand their chances and only stay in when they have at least one type of hand. Having two face cards is a good reason to stay in, but having two different low number cards might not be such a strong hand. When observing other players, if you notice high bets from a player who does not bluff, then you should probably fold. Knowing when to take risks and when to be conservative is a very important element to being a solid poker player.

The pros may seem like they are doing impossible things, but they are really just following basic tips. Poker is a game of chance, but you can always tip the odds in your favor by studying your opponents, being smart with money and betting, and thinking through your decisions. Play smart and you will notice a great increase in your poker winnings.

Poker Lingo For Amateurs

2006-01-20T07:35:00.000-08:00

The World Series of Poker has sprouted many followers in the last couple of years. Amateur tables are popping up all over the world and friendly cash games are everywhere come Friday night. Whether it is for thrill or profit the so called sport of poker has the attention of many onlookers year round. While Amateurs know the basics of the game they usually get lost in all the poker lingo spoken at the casino poker tables. While some is lingo is made up by experienced players to throw off the amateurs, some are actually well known terms in the poker world that any amateur trying to make it big should know. Below is a guide to all the poker lingo you could ever want to impress your friends or intimidate an experienced opponent. Take a look.

Ante: The initial money thrown into the pot to induce betting. This is done before the flop.

All In: When a person decides to put all his chips in to bet on a certain hand. No Limit Hold ’Em is the most popular game and All Ins are allowed as many times as a player wants. In Limit Hold ’Em you cannot bet more then the pot itself.

Backdoor: Backdoor is a reference to when players are chasing a card that has not come up yet but has a good chance to. Having 4 cards of the same kind is a backdoor flush draw, having four cards in a row is a backdoor straight draw.

Bad Beat: A Bad Beat occurs when a player has a large advantage over the other and the last card beats the big hand by luck. Bad beat is usually used to imply that the player with the weak hand should not have been in the hand at all and it was by mere luck that he won his underdog hand.

Blind: In Texas Hold ’Em, the game uses blinds instead of antes. The blinds are forced bets to induce some money in the pot by the two people sitting to the left of the dealer. The first person to the left of the dealer is the “small blind” and bets a smaller amount. The second person to the left of the dealer is the “big blind” and bets twice what the small blind has.

Bottom Pair: The lowest pair out of the cards out on the table.

Check: When a player decides to not bet he calls “Check”. This is the option of betting zero dollars.

Check Raise: When a player checks with a strong hand hoping another opponent will raise. The player then re-raises with his strong hand thus getting more money out of his opponent in the pot.

Drawing Dead: When a player is trying to make a hand that will still not win the pot.

Flop: The first three cards that are “flopped” onto the table. These are also called community cards.

Heads Up Play: When there are only two players playing a certain hand they are considered “heads up”.

Muck: A pile of unused cards usually in front of the dealer. These come from folded or burned cards. To “much your cards” is to fold them by throwing them into the muck pile.

The Nuts: Likely the favorite expression of any poker player. The Nuts indicates a hand that is mathematically unbeatable with the cards on the table.

Offsuit: When the two cards you are dealt are of different suits.

Pocket: The two cards dealt to you in Texas Hold ’Em that only you can see.

Rake: The total amount of money that the casino’s dealer takes out of every pot.

The River: The last card to be flopped on the board. The 5th card to come out in a Texas Hold ’Em game.

Short Stack: The short stack is referring to the player with the least amount of chips at the table.

Tell: A tell refers to a players action when he or she has a good or bad hand. Some players take off their sun glasses when they have a bad hand. Other players tend to itch their right hand when they have a good hand.

The Turn: The fourth card to be flopped onto the table in a Texas Hold ’Em game.

These are the necessary terms in order to keep up with the pros. There are hundreds of other terms in the world of poker, yet they are much less needed or too experienced for the amateur. Learn this lingo and impress your friends or play at experienced tables and wow the crowd. Lastly, poker is a great game, but the greatest player in poker knows one this: When to know you're beat. Everyone likes to hold ’em, but sometimes you get that feeling and you just have to fold ’em.

About The Author

John Harding is a respected poker author. More articles can be found at http://www.poker-prophet.com Poker Prophet.

Why TV Poker Can Make You Wealthy!

2006-01-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

There’s an awful lot of poker on the television these days. If you wanted to you could probably watch poker on the TV almost round the clock and the big events like the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker receive massive coverage.

Poker is great to watch on TV, it is about psychology and people more than it’s about the cards and so it attracts a large percentage of non-players. People love watching other people in real situations and poker is the latest reality TV craze.

The apparent simplicity of Texas Holdem draws the TV audience and holds them, like all great games and sports it is incredibly simple to understand but extremely difficult to master. Everyone from teenagers to grannies can work out the basics – three of something beats two of them! It’s only a short step to fill in the other hands on the ranking table.

TV Texas Holdem also has a very powerful addictiveness about it. Very quickly you will start to like some players more than others, in some cases people will become fans of certain players and follow their progress. If you start watching early on in a tournament, poker has the ability to hold the attention in such a way that you need to stick with it until the end to see who wins.

OK you're asking, but how will that make me wealthy?

Well, remember all of these non-players who start watching poker on the TV and get hooked by it’s sheer entertainment value? Very soon some of them will be saying the four little magic words to themselves, the four words that will make you money.

"I can do that!"

Yes of course they want to join in. After all it looks so easy when the professionals raise all-in with a Jack high and steal the pot on a complete bluff against two pairs. What they don't realize is that it takes years of practice to develop the instinct to know when they can bluff like that. The other point they miss is that TV will edit out the majority of hands and will give a distorted view of the play, it will look like these big bluffs can be pulled off every two or three hands!

Position is of course the other great unknown to the new player. Again to create a more exciting spectacle for the viewer, there is a disproportionate amount of heads up play shown on TV. The non-player absorbs this and takes two false impressions from it, one that you should see the flop almost every hand, and secondly that a good heads up hand is a good hand in any circumstance.

So along come these rookies to the Internet tables, full of hope and expectation. They've watched Phil Hellmuth take a big heads up pot with pocket Queen Seven and thinks it is OK to call with it when he's first in to play in a 10 player tournament.

This is very good news for you if you've played Internet Texas Hold em poker for any length of time at all. All these novices entering the arena on a daily basis eager to try out the new found skills that they've learned from the TV means rich pickings for you.

And it’s not going to stop anytime soon. TV poker coverage is getting bigger all the time, and every time Texas Holdem is shown, another new "expert" is born!

How to Download and Install Casino or Poker Software

2006-01-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

Most times you need to download some casino or poker room software in order to play poker online, the most popular poker games on the net is Texas hold em poker no-limit or limit, Seven Card Stud and Five Card Stud. The software is free for you to download and use for playing e.g.. free Texas hold em poker. Downloading the free poker or casino software

Browse to the casinos or poker rooms website e.g. Free Texas Hold em Poker Download and click on the "download free software now" or "Click here to start playing." When you initiate the download and it is complete a new window will popup, asking you to either run the program or download and save it onto your computer. I recommend clicking "run the program", when you click, the program installation will start.

You have to choose the place or directory to install the casino or poker room software, but there’s usually a easy guide within the installation that can guide you with this.

When you're done installing the free casino or poker room software, you are almost ready to play.

The last step is the signup to the casino, which can be done from within the installed casino software, by clicking it’s logo on your desktop or in your start menu.

Some poker rooms and online casinos offer their new players a free bonus or signup bonus. This you can use to help you get on your way to a wonderful world of casino or poker gambling.

Playing Poker: Moving From Online Games To Real Life Casinos

2006-01-18T00:59:00.000-08:00

Let’s say you have played online poker for a while and now are curious about real poker rooms. When you go for the first time in a casino, things get different and you might face some emotion you will have to hide like anxiety, hesitation and even fear. Even if you get a little intimidated at first because of the huge rooms and the agitation all around you must go past that quickly and remember that is it all about poker here too.

When you first enter you will see many poker tables everywhere and people at each table, girls that serve drinks and persons that bring the chips or take them. The management employees will be dressed elegantly and they will be all over you since the moment they spot you, trying to make you as comfortable as possible. The overall atmosphere won't be quiet as you might expect. People come in casino mostly to have fun, they are usually middle-aged or older persons that try to escape for a while the tumult of everyday life, so they will talk, laugh or even get mad once in a while.

Before heading for your casino, be aware that most casinos have a dress code so make sure you are dressed as you should. And also, if you are a young poker player, online you can play from the age of 18 in most poker room but in a casino you won't be able to enter unless you are 21(the legal age).

Very near the entrance in a real casino you will find a board that tells you which tables have available places and who is waiting to sit down at which table. There will be a worker next to that board that is there to ask you what you want to play and to direct you to the table as soon as a place is available.

Your chips will be brought to your table by the chip runner and you can place then on your rack as you find it suitable and convenient. You can now start playing hands at your table. In the unreliable case (for the casino) in which you win a pot straight from the first tries, then you should know that in real casino, because the dealer is a real person and not one of the players, people tips the dealer each time they win. Simply take some of your chips and hands them over to the dealer. Tip some amount that won't influent your overall winning for the day.

There are a few things that you should try to avoid if you wish to be welcomed and to come back again. You are not allowed to curse at people. Everything must be civilized, of course. Also, do not scream at dealers or offend them, they are doing they job and they do not take sides. It is possible that you won't be allowed to use your cell phone, so better turn it off when entering the casino. And lastly, do not slow down the game speed. Avoid having the dealer remind you several times that it is your turn, it is still a poker game not a night out with friends.

Why No-Limit Poker is Better Than Poker

2006-01-17T05:44:00.000-08:00

If you are a tight-aggressive player, you need to consider playing No-Limit Hold 'em if you aren't already. With proper play, not only can you expect to increase your hourly win rate, but you can make it much more difficult for your opponents to draw out on you.

First of all, let's explain the fundamental differences between Limit and No-Limit. In Limit Hold 'em, you can only raise the amount of the big blind and most cardrooms and online poker rooms will cap the betting at 3 raises. In No-Limit Hold 'em, the only betting rule is that the minimum be at least the size of the big blind. You can bet your whole stack if you want to.

Sure, it takes more knowledge, experience, and courage to play No-Limit (NL) well, but it will pay off for you if you play it right.

To get you started, the standard raise in NL is 3-4 times the big blind. After the flop, a good bet to make when you have a strong hand is about the size of the pot. If you're looking for information on the flop, you might consider a bet of 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the pot. You also might consider making only a small bet if you're holding a monster hand and want to get called. Or you could always check-raise in that situation. Also be aware that the value of drawing hands that play well in limit games like K-J suited goes way down in NL play. Better hands to have are big pocket pairs or suited connectors.

So, why is it better to play NL? Simple: It's much easier to make a lot more money. Playing NL, you can afford to play only your strong hands. For example, in a two hour poker session you can play only one good hand and still make good money. You can more than double your stack on any given hand. In Limit poker, you have to constantly be winning pots to come out ahead. The blinds come around too quickly to sit on your hands. You have to work hard, play for a long time, and play your best game at all times to make good money at Limit poker.

Think about this: Most good poker authors will tell you that a good Limit player can expect to make about one big blind per hour. So, in other words, you can expect to make $10 an hour at a Limit $5/10 game if you play it right. On the other hand, if you buy-in for $500 at a $5/10 NL game, go all-in on your first hand with pocket Aces, get called by one opponent with pocket Kings and he doesn't improve, you've just won another $500 without breaking a sweat. That's an average of 50 hours of Limit gameplay.

Also, you can make your drawing opponents always go against the odds. In NL, you control the pot odds that your opponent is getting. If you see two suited or connecting cards on the board, betting the size of the pot into one opponent will make them go against the odds to draw. Sure, they're still going to hit their draws occasionally, but at least you made it a bad play for them to do so.

It takes the right personality to play at NL games. You can't be timid, and you have to know how much to bet at the right times. If you can't do that, then stick to Limit poker for now and come back to try NL if and when the time is right.

As a Limit player who converted to NL, I can tell you that it isn't too difficult to adapt your game. I can also tell you that after I learned to play NL, I never sat down at another Limit table. You can also tell you that after I learned to play NL, I never sat down at another Limit table.

Why Online Poker Websites are a Safe Way to Play Poker

2006-01-17T05:43:00.000-08:00

Frequently, whenever anybody thinks about the idea of making a purchase online or transmitting their credit card information via the internet, they may tend to wonder about the safety aspect surrounding these types of internet transactions. The same kind of worry rings true for those individuals that are interested in entertaining themselves by utilizing online poker websites as a gaming establishment alternative. They may tend to ask themselves whether or not this is a safe thing to be doing or if they may be jeopardizing things such as their bank account and overall financial safety by doing so. Another way in which a prospective online poker player may question safety and legitimacy aspects of an online poker website is with regard to collusion among some of its online poker players. However, it may help you to rest a bit easier after reading the following text and learning about the different ways in which safety concerns are being addressed with regard to gaming websites such as online poker websites.

The best way for an individual to utilize the internet in order to exchange money on the web is to use something referred to by some individuals and organizations as a “digital wallet”. This type of safeguarding mechanism works in a way in which an established, forthright company, which we will refer to as the payment systems company for the remainder of this article, is the medium between the online poker player and the online poker website. The online poker player will submit his or her credit card information via the internet to the payment systems company and the payment systems company will then pay the online poker website. It is important to note the fact that the online poker player’s financial information will never be seen by the online poker website and will only be seen by the established and valid payment systems company.

Once the poker player wins, the online poker website will pay the online poker player through the payment systems company and the poker player will then be able to gain access to the money by way of an electronic funds transfer from the payment systems company to the poker player’s bank account that is provided or via a check. If the online poker player loses in the various online poker games, then the money will be transmitted from the online poker player’s credit card to the online poker website company by the payment systems company. This type of system ensures that the poker player’s financial information is not being unnecessarily distributed to various companies and websites. It will allow the poker player to have peace of mind, knowing that his or her financial information is safe from outside prying eyes. Also, oftentimes these payment systems companies will have free protection established for the individual utilizing their services should their information get into the wrong hands. In the slim chance that this might occur, the payment systems company would refund all money to the individual harmed by the financial hijacking. This also allows the individual online poker player to feel more relaxed when dealing with an online poker website.

Another fear that individuals have with regard to playing poker games via an online poker website is that collusion may be present among other players. By definition, collusion is a secret agreement between two or more persons to commit a fraudulent act. This type of thing may occur if two poker players utilizing the same online poker website are working together to defraud other players out of their winnings. They may try to do this by working together and communicating by telephone or maybe even by using a network and playing poker on the same website in the same house. There is a specific way in which online poker websites address this issue.

The way in which online poker websites address this issue is by having a system where they can monitor all hands that are being played each time by individual players throughout the online poker games. Should the online poker website investigate and feel that there is some sort of collusion going on, they will take matters into their own hands to resolve the situation. It is good to know that most online poker players are aware of the fact that online poker websites monitor all activity occurring within each game and this in and of itself may help to prevent any potential thoughts of collusion on the part of the online poker players. It is also beneficial to know that online poker websites are doing their part to prevent any possible collusion among online poker players as it hurts their business greatly should people be colluding to defraud other players and the company itself out of any potential winnings.

Prospective online poker players may also be fearful of playing online poker if they feel that other individuals will be able to hack into the system and see other players hands throughout the games and then base their wagers and folds on what they can see is being held by other poker playing individuals at their virtual table. The online poker websites have also addressed these types of issues by engaging various brands of software that use encryption methods to prevent any type of hacking on the part of poker players. Again, by protecting the large influx of online poker players that utilize their website to engage in online poker games, the online poker website is protecting itself as well. If their company is seen as having a less than desirable website in which to play poker, they will lose a lot of potential online poker players which will ultimately put them out of business in a quick manner.

These are just a few safeguards that are taken by online poker websites to ensure the safe playing arena for its online poker players. With all of the technology out there these days, you can rest assured that these online poker websites are doing all that they can to make sure that your online poker playing experience is a safe and gratifying one.

Online Poker Bots - Threat or Not?

2006-01-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

Online games from chess and backgammon to 1st person shooters are rife with people who use computer assisted play or computer robots - even when there is no money at stake. With the appropriate program any player is able to play at a world championship level ruining the game for honest players. What makes online poker different, given that there are huge amounts of money at stake?

In this article I will explain how I developed a poker bot and what I learnt from this experience. My conclusion is that although it is possible to construct a poker playing bot the threat from poker bots to the online poker player is extremely small to non-existent.

"Games" Theory

For interest and college courses I had previously written computer playing programs or bots for games including chess, Connect 4, Othello, backgammon, bridge and various others. For games such as Connect 4, Othello, chess and backgammon where all players have the same available information about the game state, the theory on how to construct expert bots is well known. Deep search techniques, looking many moves ahead, are used for games such as Othello and chess. Recently (10 years ago) it was discovered neural networks could be taught to play backgammon better than almost any human player. Games such as poker and bridge contain hidden information where the players can see their own hand but not that of the other players. The published theory behind writing expert computer bots for these incomplete information games is decades behind the complete information games and there are doubts techniques will be developed so that computers can play at expert or world championship level. At present the best techniques for these incomplete information games seem to involve some form of simulation and opponent modelling.

Anatomy of An Online Poker Bot

There are 3 basics parts to a poker bot.

1) Data Gathering - observing the game state and history

2) Data Processing - using the information from the data gathered to determine whether to fold, call or raise.

3) Output - Pressing the appropriate button on the poker room client.

My Poker Bot

My program was written in early 2004 with Microsoft .Net C++ and was developed to play at one online room only. For the technically minded the program relied heavily on MFC and the Win32 API.

1) Data Gathering

My bot gathered information about game state and history from online poker tables by taking repeated screenshots and analysing the image. To begin with I just observed games, taking screenshots automatically so I could gather data on the position of the cards, chips and button. By determining the color of a certain few pixels I was able to gather all this information about the state of the game.

Eventually I was able to gather data from multiple poker tables (4 at a time) by repeatedly bringing each window to the foreground and taking a screenshot. From this screenshot I was able to determine my cards, board cards, button position, who was left in the hand, pot size and player bet sizes.

2) Data processing

This is the component that eventually bought my poker bot project to an end, unable to develop a strong enough strategy to win consistently. I tried various rules based, neural net and simulation techniques. At best my bot was able to make a very small profit at $1/2 and $2/$4 limit hold’em, but nowhere near the thousands of dollars a week I envisioned earning when I started the project. In the end it just wasn’t worth my time to continue to put resources into developing my poker bot further.

3) Output

This was the easiest component to write. This involved programmatically moving the mouse pointer to the appropriate screen co-ordinates and then sending a mouse down/mouse up command signalling a left-click. I did give consideration to adding the ability for the bot to use chat but never progressed that far.

Conclusion

Although you might run into a poker playing bot whilst playing online the odds are it plays very poorly. At any level of play you are much more likely to run into an expert human player than an expert computer player.

About The Author

Harrison Elliot

This article was written for Review Poker Rooms - Online poker room reviews plus useful news, articles and links.

reviewpokerrooms.com

3 Quick Tips to Help You Play Online Poker Like a Pro

2006-01-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

Online poker has exploded in popularity. More and more players are winning big money in tournaments and other money games. In order to win, you have to play like a pro. The best players are educated on all aspects of poker. These three tips should help your poker game improve vastly.

1. Don’t be afraid to commit to the pot. When you have a very good hand, you should always bet a fairly large amount. You can try to draw players into the hand with slowly increasing bets. If you make a large bet, and a player re-raises you, don’t be afraid to call. Some players attempt to scare others off by re-raising. If you know that you have a solid hand, then don’t be scared off by a re-raise. Committing to the pot is not bad when you know you have a solid hand. Someone who folds a good hand because of a raise is generally just throwing his or her money away. The best players play with a significant amount of confidence. Confidence is shown when you stay in a hand that you know you have a good chance at winning. In the end, poker is still a game of chance. The players who are willing to take chances (when they have a reasonably solid hand, of course) have the most success.

2. Avoid underbetting the pot. This goes along the same lines as “commit to the pot.” If you simply bet a small amount after every turn, then more players will be inclined to stay in. This increases the chances of someone hitting cards and beating you. The ideal betting scenario for someone with a good hand is to bet just enough to keep one person in. Or, if it is one on one, bet high enough to scare people off. This again relates to confidence. The best players are confident in their hands, so they don’t worry about betting too much. Tentative players may last longer than players who bet a lot in the beginning, but the winners are those who know exactly when to be tentative and when to be aggressive.

3. Know what to do with a draw. If you have a draw (you need one more card to have an awesome hand), you have to be very careful. For example, needing only one more card in order to have a flush is very nice, but many players get over excited. Players sometimes bet extremely high in these instances and then end up losing the hand. It is important to know what to do in case of a draw. You should either check or bet small. The only time you should bet high is if you think that the other player does not have anything.

It is difficult to win consistently in online poker. There is always new competition, and lady luck will not always be on your side. However, the pros always play smart poker, and make good decisions. These tips should help you make better decisions and have greater success with your poker game.

About The Author

Laura Bastowe writes about a variety of online games but specializes in online poker. Learn more at http://www.whichpoker.com.

Poker – Know Your Limits

2006-01-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

Whether you’re playing poker in a casino with your chips right in front of you or playing an online poker game in an internet casino, it’s easy to get carried away when you’re betting. If you’ve had to hitchhike home from Las Vegas because you broke the bank or if you are on the verge of getting a divorce due to the fact that you can’t afford to pay the internet bill because of your internet casino habit, take the problem seriously. There are meetings and support groups available for you. Ask your doctor for help.

However, if your problem is a little less serious than that: you tend to get a little overzealous with your betting when stakes are high and the heat of the online poker game is at a boiling point, then here are a few things for you to try. You can have fun playing online poker without losing your shirt – or having to worry about money at all. All you need to do is set a few guidelines for yourself!

-Set a limit. Just like you might hand your credit cards and ATM card over to your best friend and go to a brick and mortar casino with a specific amount of cash in your pocket, so too should you go to an online casino, use your credit card for one specific amount and then put it away.

-Enjoy a free amateur game. If you’ve bet your limit but still feel like playing online poker, play a few free amateur games. Most internet casinos have plenty to offer. If you enjoy yourself, maybe the next time around, you’ll throw your money onto their online poker table.

-Keep track. By all means, don’t lose track of how many deposits you’ve made into your internet casino account. Just because you might forget doesn’t mean it didn’t happen!

About The Author

Adel Awwad is the webmaster of Online Casinos - Copyright © 2005 http://www.casinoguide.ws All Rights Reserved.

Poker: A Social Thing

2006-01-14T12:15:00.000-08:00

There is a very good reason why people enjoy a regular poker game with their friends and work colleagues. It is fun. It is relaxing. It is social. It is an excuse to eat sandwiches and chips and forget about trivial things like bills and pressures at work. Whether you bet with chocolates, peanuts, cat food coupons, your spare change or a bankroll, poker is a social thing.

The problem with the weekly poker game is that it is only weekly. Being able to escape into that alternate world where the only thing that matters is the game should happen more often than that, shouldn't it? Great news: it can. When you play online poker at Internet casinos, a great poker game is only a few clicks away, anytime of the day or night. And there are always real people out there playing with you, so you can maintain that same social feel in an Internet casino.

Online poker games are a great means of escape. Much cheaper than most trips to Las Vegas or Atlantic city, an Internet casino is an inexpensive way to enjoy something you usually have to wait for all week, or in the case of a real Las Vegas vacation – all year for. No more vying for that boring company conference in Las Vegas just so you can hit the tables. At an Internet casino you can play online poker and enjoy yourself without having to worry about making any meetings!

Meet new friends or get to know the regular players at your favorite Internet casino. Online poker is a great way to socialize from the comfort, privacy and safety of your own home; and hey – all your drinks are on the house! So, what are you waiting for? Get involved in an online poker game today!

About The Author

Adel Awwad is the webmaster of Online Casinos Copyright © 2005 http://www.casinoguide.ws. All Rights Reserved.

Learn Poker

2006-01-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

Winning at poker isn't about winning the most pots, its about winning the most money. You can do this by winning more and bigger pots and by losing less money. Here are a few tips on how to do both:

Don't call with any old cards!

Some people will call with anything, with the belief that any two cards have the same chance of winning. This is essentially true, but some are much more likely to get you the pot than others - why waste money time after time calling to see the flop when you might hit a straight? Save that money and watch as other players waste theirs! You'll be ahead just by not calling! See the section on starting hand ranking for good starting hands. Remember that checking’s free, so unless you're playing speed or turbo hold ‘em, always check, no matter what the cards.

If you are playing speed or turbo and you don't have many chips left, its probably best to fold bad hands rather than checking, so you can get better hands in before the stakes are raised.

If the flop doesn't fit….

If you decide to call and the flop doesn't fit (if the flop doesn't help your hand), fold.

Don't call with the hope that you'll hit that third ace on the turn, you've already seen three cards and it didn't turn up, so what makes you think it will turn up when just one card is dealt? A good starting hand doesn't mean a thing if the flop doesn't improve your hand! Also remember that calling the flop gives you three cards for the price of one.

Let’s say you had two aces (say diamonds and spades), then the flop comes, and its something like 2 clubs, 7 clubs, 8 spades. Someone on your table could have flopped two pair, or be one away from a flush or a straight. There could be someone with a pair of twos who’s itching to take your money after he flopped three of a kind!

You don't have to defend your small blind!

When you pay the small blind, and then you get the opportunity to call, don't think of it as only paying another 50% to see the flop. Its actually an opportunity to save 50% on bad hands. Fold if you haven't got a high ranking pair of cards. You'll soon see your chip level increase.

Bluffing won't always work!

Don't bluff thinking that you'll always scare the other guy away. I'm not saying don't ever bluff, just be wise about it. If the flop’s three diamond cards, and you've got two spades, chances are someone’s flopped a flush. And if you bluff that you've got the same by raising huge amounts, you better hope he doesn't have an Ace of diamonds in his hand because he knows he has the nuts, and it won't matter to him if you're bluffing or have two diamond cards - he knows he can't be beaten!

Of course this also works the other way: say three club card are flopped, and you suddenly go from checking the first hand to going all in, people are going to assume you've flopped a flush, and most will fold.

Or, say you check the flop, and your opponents check too - this indicates that all have bad cards. Then the turn is revealed to be a king, you could raise at this point, pretending to have a pair of kings, or three of a kind, and the others might fold. Another good time to go “all in” is when a pair is revealed in the flop. This might hint to people that you have three of a kind, maybe even quads or a full house.

You can also bluff to improve the pot. Imagine you have Ace, King spades. Don't raise, just call (check if given the opportunity). Imagine the flop is three spade cards and you now have “the nuts” - the best possible hand. By checking/calling you will have made sure that you don't force anyone to fold and some may now have the confidence to raise you, thinking they can push you out of the game. If this happens you could keep calling them or raising them with small amounts. This will ensure that when you win the showdown you will have a lot more money in the pot!

Figure out if your opponents are good or bad players

Don't raise or go all in with bad players, unless you have a good hand! They tend to call anything thrown at them, and so can't be bluffed!

Don't give in to your gambling gremlin!

Try not to find excuses to play badly. If you find yourself reasoning with yourself as you push all your chips to the Centrex that the other guy is probably bluffing and your pair of twos can take him, take a step back, have a drink and say to yourself: “I'm tilting!”

The phrase “tilting” is taken from the world of pinball, where players who have lost yet another ball tilt the machine in order to try and get the ball back in play. This also happens to poker players after a bad beat (where someone gets lucky on the river and beats their quad aces with a royal flush!) and they try and win their money back by playing stupid hands.

Go all in when you have to

When playing tournaments and you're down to quite a small amount of chips, think about going all in. To make the point clearer, here’s an example:

Let’s say I'm in an online tournament and we're down to two people. My opponent has 3000+ chips and I have 940. The stakes are about to be raised to 300/600 (300 for the small blind, 600 for the large blind), so in about two hands time I'm going to be out of chips whether I want to play or not. I go all in with a Jack, six unsuited (something that should never be done under normal circumstances!). He calls, because (a) he has plenty of chips, (b) my chips didn't hit the 1000 mark and so no 1k chip is on the table (this chip has an amazing ability to make people run away), (c) he knows its my last attempt at getting some chips back and he thinks (or knows??) that I'm tilting.

Anyway, he has something like king, jack, and the flop reveals three ‘nothing’ cards. It’s the same with the turn, and it looks like he’s going to win with king high card, when the river reveals a six. I win nearly two thousand chips with a lowly pair of sixes. This evens out the playing field and he now tilts because I win with a lucky river card!

I'd love to finish this story by saying that I won, but if I remember correctly he went on to win a place in a $50,000 final and I got a pop up window saying “Your position: 2nd.”

Poker isn't fair

Well, actually it is, but it will seem like it isn't many times. Statistics prove that if a group of poker players play for an infinite amount of time they will all have the same amount of chips at the end. But no poker game lasts an infinite amount of time, and even a lifetime doesn't scratch the surface of infinity, so people will seem to have lucky and unlucky streaks. These lucky streaks can be explained by way of another example.

Say you toss a coin ten times. In theory it should land heads up 5 times, and tails the other five. But it will probably be more like 8 heads and two tails, because the amount of coin flips is so small that probability doesn't get a chance to show its face. Now do it a thousand times and probability will win out and it will be much closer, more like 55:45. It’s the same with poker. A poker game is equivalent to the ten coin tosses. The game is so short that the probability of discrepancies in the predicted card pattern are very high. So one guy could get all the good hands and another guy could get nothing but garbage all night!

The trick is to not let yourself get dragged into a situation where you lose money because of this. If you’re on a losing streak, go home. Maybe tomorrow, you’ll be the one with four aces every hand!

Learn Poker at www.learningpoker.co.uk

About The Author

Dylan Jones

For further poker joy visit www.learningpoker.co.uk

Where To Sit When Playing Texas Holdem Poker

2006-01-13T22:05:00.000-08:00

This article is focused on Texas Holdem Poker in the Limit variant and the selection of seat you make both before you begin and shortly thereafter.

Do you like your seat at the Texas Holdem poker table? Do you want to change it? When should you change? Do you know what to do? With these strategies, you’ll understand more about how your place at the table can affect your game.

Figuring Out Where The Best Seat Is At Your Texas Holdem Poker Table

This all depends on what types of players are around you at the table. After a few hands, or by pre-play observation, you get to know who is not playing many hands, who will be in every pot, who is raising and who is calling. Here are some guidelines on selecting or moving seats in Texas Holdem (Limit) Poker.

Who are the players to your right that will act before you? You want two types.

1) A loose player

2) Aggressive players.

This is because when they act before you, it will provide you with information on how your hand will play.

Examples of Loose Players At Your Texas Holdem Poker Table

It is important to know the style of player before you. For example, if loose players call, then that goes a long way to helping you decide whether your suited connector hand will have the correct odds to see the flop. If an aggressive player raises you first then chances are the odds are not there to cold call.

Now, reverse the situation and act before these guys. You are dealt 78 hearts, a great hand to make money in a multi-way pot. You may not be sure that you will get called so you fold.

Sure enough the loose players call, but you didn’t know that because they were acting after you. Also, imagine you have the same hand and you decided to risk calling only to be raised by an aggressive player to your right. This results in everyone else folding and leaving you to call one more bet to see the flop playing heads up out of position with an aggressive player.

This is not a pretty picture.

The Advantages Of Passive Players At The Texas Holdem Poker Table

It is good to have a passive player to your left. This is because they don’t raise much, call a lot, and seldom bet. A calling station will not give you many problems and you will not gain much valuable information from them.

Keep tight players on your left also, these players seldom play money hands so you won’t be in many pots with them. They are also great to have on your left because if it is a folded round to you in late position, it’s great to raise them and steal their blinds.

With these success tips at choosing your position at the Texas Holdem Poker table, you’ll be at an advantage. Just remember, in the end, it’s Lady Luck that will turn the tides so remember to keep a cool head and don’t let little mistakes keep you from winning.

About The Author

Gabriel James is a semi-professional poker player turning over 12,000 hands of Texas Holdem Limit Poker per month online. He is writes for www.texashold-empoker.com.

Lessons in Texas Holdem Poker (Limit)

2006-01-13T14:05:00.000-08:00

Want to know how to get the upper hand at Texas Holdem Poker? Take in these tips by semi professional player Gabriel James.

Texas Holdem Poker, in the Limit variant, is a measured, mathematical game. You will need strategies that are designed to help you make the most money for the least effort. There is no magic formula but I will be giving you tips on how to maximize your earnings potential.

Everybody knows you need to have good starting hands to be successful but that is far from the end of the story. There are many other important points that need to be addressed.

In this article I will concentrate on small stake limit holdem cash in both live and online games.

The Home Texas Holdem Poker Game

Johnny Moss once said he’d bet his own grandmother in a hand! And this is where a major problem exists as money brings out the worst in some people.

I think home games have their place when played for friendly stakes or for small buy in tournaments. However, as soon as the stakes go up sometimes friendships go out the door. I’ve heard from several of my friends involved with boy’s poker nights (small fee tournaments) that have moved to cash limit, and finally moved on to No Limit cash. The major reason for these moves being the involvement of Jack Daniels! Usually it works out fine but on a few occasions friendships were tested. If you are going to play at home make sure you play for fun or small money.

On Texas Holdem Poker – Online

What a great concept – any day, anytime you can find a game waiting for you for any stakes you please.

Want to play a sit and go tournament for $5, sure no problem.

Want to play $300/$600 with the best in the world then - yes it’s out there.

In order to win the most, you need to select the correct game to sit down in. As I said, this article is for the small stake Texas Holdem Limit player, so any statistics I produce have that in mind. I say small stakes which I take to mean $0.5/$1 tables up to $5/$10.

Log on to your online poker site and arrive in the lobby. Order the tables by stake and scroll down. You see five tables that are ten handed and so you decide to go on the waiting list.

Do you wait for the next available seat?

That depends. If all of the tables have average pots of Seven Big Bets (a big bet is the value of the bets on the turn and the river, which in Limit Texas Holdem play are double the size of the pre flop and flop bets) then it doesn’t matter which one you wait for. If all but one table have less than five big bets and there is nobody in the queue for the table with more than five big bets then it is worth waiting for that one.

Why do I put emphasis on average pot size? Well, the bigger the pot the more you stand to gain when you win a pot. The tables that have five big bets or less are probably full of “Rocks” (tight players) and you will not be able to extract the maximum value for your hand, or they will fold to any aggressive play you show them. Therefore your earnings per hour will decrease at these tables. Go for other tables with the highest big bet per pot average.

More Methods For Picking A Table With Texas Holdem Poker

Another way that you can see which table to choose is to look at the statistic “average seen flop”.

This is the percentage of players that have seen the flop per hand. Some online poker sites display this in the lobby. If you are playing small stakes Limit Texas Holdem, any table average with 35% or higher should have your mouth watering.

Some poker sites allow you to maintain a buddy list. I highly encourage you to do this. Say you were playing $2/$4 Texas Holdem and a player on your table is constantly calling down cold calling pre-flop and showing down things like 6 of clubs 4 of spades from early position they need to be added to your buddy list.

When you next log on you can check your list and see if they are playing. Even if they are playing higher, it may well be worth moving up to take their money. This is especially the case if you can sit to their left and make isolation raises to get them heads up with you. (I digress into poker statistics which we will get onto in due time).

This is only the beginning and I’ve just brushed the surface into how to maximise your earnings starting with game selection. At first, it may be about the right tables. Try these tips and look for more of my suggestions about Texas Holdem Poker.

About The Author

Gabriel James is a semi-professional poker player turning over 12,000 hands of Texas Holdem Limit Poker per month online. He is writes for www.texashold-empoker.com.

Texas Holdem Poker: Semi-Bluffing and Defensive Betting

2006-01-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

Seems like most people are always talking about pre-flop strategy, so I wanted to talk a little bit about how I play after the flop. Maybe I can help others, or maybe they have advice to improve my play.

I think that two of the most important plays after the flop are the semi-bluff and the defensive bet. That is because these are the plays you make when you havent hit a hand but you have a good drawing hand. Its easy to play a hand when you flop a monster. But I think that these two are the best ways to play a drawing. Each one is played depending on you opponent(s) and your postion. So heres how I play it, so tell me what you think.

Early Position - Tight Opponents:

A semi-bluff works fairly well in this position. Come out betting and if a tight player didnt hit a hand hell probaly lay down, and if hes unsure you may get a call. But watch out, if that tight player comes back over the top it may be time to get away.

Early Position - Loose Opponents

This is were I like to do a defensive bet. Decide how many chips you are willing to risk on your draw and bet. This is usually a much smaller bet than normal. Its been my experience that the loose player will usually just call a bet rather than re-raise. However, if you check to them, theyre more likely to throw in more chips than your willing to pay.

Late Position - Tight Opponents

This is the best time to do a semi-bluff, especially if most of the table checks. If thats the case youll probaly pick up the pot now. If a player before has bet, you have to decide if he has a hand or not. If not, then reraise and hell probably go away since he was trying to steal the pot. If you think he does, well then its time to calculate your odds, and decide if the pot odds are worth the call.

Late Position - Loose Opponents

This one is a bit tricky, because its harder to put a loose player on a hand. And if your in late position against loose player, chances are they have already bet. This is were I usually decide to take a chance and come back over the top of them and hope they dont call, and if they do, well then its time to gamble. Chances are though even a loose player will go away if you come back strong enough.

Remeber though that these are moves I only make after the flop comes and I have a decent drawing hand (usually not a gutshot either). Maybe four to the flush or the open ended straight, for example.

* You can comment on this article at http://www.texasholdemforums.com/showthread.php?t=2349

Brandon Pierce is an avid poker player and is a staff member at http://www.texasholdemforums.com. TexasHoldemForums is a large online texas holdem poker community with thousands of players and dozens of private tournaments and games for members every week. They have a large group of players who play poker professionally and several of the members have played at the World Series of Poker. This wealth of experience ensures every member can improve their game in some respect.

The Legality of Online Poker

2006-01-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

The topic of whether online poker is legal or illegal is frankly quite interesting. Typically, gambling is managed by each individual state, and as a result some states have legalized gambling and casinos and others do not. However, the internet is not something that can be managed by each state because it is global, there are no controls so to speak by individual countries, states, or governments on the Internet because it is like another world. But, back to the legality of poker online, a question that has no answer or many answers depending on how you look at it. There is no precedent set for gambling online, as a result there is no way to say that gambling online is legal, illegal, or none of the above. In fact, you could answer yes, no, or maybe, and be just as right with any of these answers. The Wire Act is one issues people say that makes gambling online illegal because it bans gambling by phone, however there is no precedent set that makes this statement valid regarding Internet gambling. As a result, while there are plenty of ways to infer gambling online is illegal, there is no way to prove so until a precedent is set. Setting a legal precedent requires someone being charged with playing online poker and then being found guilty. As of yet, not one single American soul out of the millions who play online poker each and every day has ever been charged, fined, or convicted of this act.

You might find this information not very helpful because your question is whether or not you can safely play poker online and not worry about breaking the law or being subjected to prosecution or fines of any type. Well, there is no outright answer, which favors playing poker online because there is nothing saying you absolutely cannot play poker online. Even if your state does not have legalized gambling or casinos, you can still play poker online and not worry about the authorities catching you and giving you a ticket. At the moment in time, finding all the online poker players, and fining them is not the main goal of states, and until there is some definitive statement regarding online poker you should play your heart away. Additionally, the fact that no legal precedent exists regarding online poker means you really have nothing to worry about.

However, if you are really concerned about the legality, or illegality, of playing poker online you should play and keep your ear out for any new information on the subject, or else avoid the game altogether because if you are so worried about the legality of online poker you won't really be able to enjoy playing the game.

Online Poker Beginnings Poker and gambling has been popular for years, however many states have outlawed the activity relegating die hard fans to travel to the likes of Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or even the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina to play their beloved game. However, not everyone can afford to travel to one of these destinations to play poker, nor do individuals have the time to do so on a regular basis. So, what was the average person who loved poker supposed to do if his buddies couldn't play one Saturday night? Before online poker there were few options, now, no matter where you live you can play poker online to your hearts desire. You can play at night, in the morning, while eating lunch, or working as well. Online poker allows you to play your favorite game whenever and wherever you like!

At first, people thought this was an amazing idea, but they were also very cautious as well because the Internet was new, there was little understanding on how one could actually win money in an online poker game and then receive the money, there was mistrust, and simply confusion. But, the poker websites started offering security measures, large bonuses, and benefits for online players and little by little individuals started playing poker online.

The first players of online poker shared their success stories with friends and family members, as well as boasting about the security measures and the safety of playing online. This word of mouth advertising in addition to the advertising by the online poker sites really attracted new players and now in just a few short years online poker sites are some of the most popular sites on the web and there are people who play online poker every single day. If you had asked poker players 20 years ago what they thought of playing poker at home on a computer rather than in the casino you probably would have gotten some really strange looks and resounding negative responses. However, the age of the Internet has changed people and whether it is shopping, paying bills, or playing poker online the Internet is making everything easier and more accessible to the masses. Before, poker was a game of the wealthy who had the money to spend on a long vacation to a poker hot spot. Now, poker is a game of the every day man or woman that enjoys a hand of poker, but has neither the time nor the money to travel all over the country to play.

This huge growth in online poker is what has so many people worried about the legality of it and whether or not laws will be passed to regulate online pokers sites. While the future is unknown regarding online poker sites and whether they will be considered legal, illegal, or just another website remains to be seen, but until then simply log on to your favorite online gambling website and play to your hearts desire.

About The Author

Jeff Dragt is a writer for http://www.onlinepokerchaser.com

Online Poker FAQ

2006-01-13T11:18:00.000-08:00

Online poker has become incredibly popular over the past several years and it looks as if it will continue to do so. However, despite its worldwide popularity there are a lot of questions people have about online poker and would like to know the answers before they start betting their hard earned money online. Fortunately, there are answers to these questions. Just continue to read and you should find the answer to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding online poker and gambling on the Internet.

FAQ #1 What is Online Poker? First and foremost, individuals are unsure what online poker actually is. Basically, online poker is just like playing poker with your friends or at a casino and the cards are dealt automatically by the computer. This means no dealer mistakes! You must download software from a gambling site to play online poker and most of them have the appearance of a virtual room of gamblers playing poker. Each person's screen name is denoted on their seat or at the table. So, it is as if you are playing with a group of friends, but on your computer screen. You can also place bets and pay in or receive payments through a variety of payment options available.

FAQ#2 Is online poker safe? People distrust the Internet and don't like giving a website their banking information or other personal information due to the high increase in identity theft and other similar crimes. However, the majority of online poker sites are incredibly safe and use the same type of security software that online banks use. As a result, if you feel comfortable banking online, managing your stocks, or shopping on your favorite website, then playing poker online won't prove any riskier and your information won't be at risk.

FAQ #3 How do you know if a site is legitimate? There are many online poker sites out there and while many of them are legitimate and will pay out as they claim, there are always a few cheaters in the mix that simply want to take your money. So, like anything, take caution and pay attention to the site you are considering gambling with. Look for security measures, seals from Internet organizations, or Visa verified, things of that nature. Also, check out the years of operation, amount of players, and read the internet for a variety of reviews about the website. Any website that has been around for a while, is a member of Internet organizations, and provides strong security measures is safe to play. Others that do not should be avoided.

FAQ #4 Is online gambling legal? Online gambling is neither legal or illegal, so to speak. This also depends on where you live, but in general gambling online has no precedent in the United States that says it is illegal. However, there are no gambling websites registered in the United States either. So, gambling online is up to you and you should realize that technology is way ahead of legislation, but if you hear about any laws being worked out regarding the illegality of poker online you might consider clearing out your account instead of getting caught up in a bad situation. However, at the moment, millions of Americans play online every day and there are no laws as such at the moment that prove online gambling is illegal.

FAQ #5 How do I receive my winnings? A favorite question regarding online poker is how an individual collects their winnings. Typically, when signing up each player must choose payment options. This means ways to pay money in and a way to receive winnings. Many times it is through a bank account or an intermediary. Options like PayPal, American Express and the like do not work with online poker sites in case the sites turn out to be illegal and they are fined with aiding and abetting fines. Each website pays out at a different rate, so make sure you read about that before signing up with a particular gambling site.

FAQ #6 What if something goes wrong? Since you are playing online in real time you can expect that at some point something will go wrong. This might be with your computer, the server, the website, or any number of things. The best thing to do is immediately contact customer service and they will help you solve whatever problem to the best of their ability.

FAQ #7 Is it easy to cheat? Cheating at anything is possible if you are determined to do it, even online poker. However, for those individuals who choose to collude they are risking being found out. The reason for this is online gambling websites have high tech tracking software that keeps up with each player and every game they have ever played, as well as all the other players in the room. So, if you believe a player is guilty of collusion and you report them then an investigation will take place to figure it out.

There are many questions that individuals want to know before they begin playing their first online hand of poker, however these are a few of the more popular ones. If you have any questions about online poker or gambling then make sure you know the answers before playing. A great resource is the gambling website you are interested in as all information will be laid out for your perusal and you can decide if the gambling website meets your standards or not. Regardless, once you have found a good online poker site simply enjoy playing the game you love at any time of the day or night.

About The Author

Jeff Dragt

For more poker information please visit http://www.bluffmaster.com.

Poker Bankroll Requirements

2006-01-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

Your bankroll is the amount of money you have set aside to play poker with. Some players can easily add to their bankroll from outside sources while others have no way to add if they lose theirs. If you fall into the latter category, it is very important to not play at limits that exceed your bankroll. One very important point you should know is that until you become a consistent winner it doesn’t matter how big your bankroll is. The only thing that will matter is how much you have to lose. For this reason, the information below is written for you assuming you are a winning player overall.

The first rule is to not confuse bankroll and buy-in. A buy-in is the amount you sit down in a game with or the entry fee in a tournament, not the entire amount you have available to play poker with over a period of time. For example, you may have a bankroll of $10,000 to play 15/30-limit holdem. If this were the case you would probably buy-in for between $500 and $1,000.

I have seen bankroll size suggestions ranging from 200 times the big bet at the level you are playing at ($800 at 2/4) to 300 times the big bet ($1200 at 2/4). My recommendation, particularly for holdem, is to start with 300 times the big bet. I play much better when I have this cushion. I have played at levels that I had much less than 300 times the big bet in bankroll and it sometimes hurts my play. This is a psychological hurdle but when reduced to facts it makes sense. 50 times the big bet is a common downswing, even for professional players, and nothing to become too concerned about if you are still playing well. However, if you start with only 100 times the big bet, if you are down 50 big bets you have lost 50% of your bankroll. If you had started with 300 big bets and are down 50, you have only lost roughly 17% of your bankroll.

If you are a very sound Omaha/8 player, you can play with a 200 big bet bankroll. This is because Omaha/8 is a much more mathematically direct game than holdem, or in other words there is less short-term variance or luck. Because of the short-term variance in holdem, even professional players may see a 200 big bet downswing at times. For this reason, that extra 100 big bets may keep you from being forced to drop down a level before the cards turn in your favor.

About The Author

Wes Young runs a poker web site at http://www.pokermonger.com where you can find information about poker strategy, poker room reviews and unique poker articles. He also publishes a weekly poker column. For information visit thepokercolumn.

Poker: Which Cards Should I Play?

2006-01-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

After you have got your two cards, you need to decide whether you have a chance to get anything with them or not. Whether it’s useful to put more money into this game or not.

Firstly, there are certain cards you should always play (if they are suited): AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ

Why these cards?

These cards have the highest possibility to beat others – to get high pairs, full houses, flush or four of a kind possibilities. Of course, you do need to think about how much money you need to put into the game as well. For example, AA is the best pair you could have at all. But even with that pair there’s a chance to lose. So if you have AA, no flop has been dealt yet and someone calls ALL-In, then you need to think first whether you are ready for the risk or not. Yes, you do have a great chance to win this game, but these chances are never 100% sure. What if the other guy is bluffing and he has 10 and 3….but then from the flop he gets two more threes…or 10 and 3. There’s not a big chance for that to happen, but it’s possible and you do need to keep that in mind.

Secondly, there are all the smaller pairs like 22, 33, etc. With these cards you should call only when you’re one of the latest callers or somewhere in the middle. Never call with these cards if you’re the first one to call.

Thirdly, all kinds of suited cards (with a picture on it) like Q5, K6, etc.

And if the cards are suited then also hands like 98s, 97s, 96s,87s, 86s, 85s,76s, 75s,65s, 64s,54s, 53s,43s can be played with, but play these cards only when you’re in the end of the ring, one of the latest callers.

When talking about unsuited cards, then simply put – don’t play with anything smaller than pictures. QJ is okay, Q8 isn’t.

Some other poker pro’s can definitely disagree with me here just a bit, but these are the basics. This is a bit simplified look into it, but it should give you the general idea of what to play with and what not to play with.

About The Author

Tom Corrier has been playing poker himself for some time now and even if he can't be considered a total pro, there are definitely some useful hints that you can take advantage of. You can read more from him at Gamblingdudes.com - Profits from online gambling

When Playing Internet Poker, Be Disciplined!

2006-01-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

A conventional blunder made by a large number of neophyte (and an outrageously excessive sum of persons that ought to know better) players is feeling the need to participate in any hand dealt. A thriving card player just participates in 20-30% of dealt hands. Just as a skilled ball player that might be able to ink a million dollar contract by keeping a batting average of .300, the successful poker player realizes that the large amount of the time another player will run away with the pot.

Having this in mind it could be vital to play aggressive when you attain a hand that you are confident in. Remember that a good amount of of the time additional players at the table are prepared to lay down their hands. Be ready to cause the weak players out with your aggressive bets. Do you believe that you have the leading hand? If so, increase the wager! The number one reason for being aggressive remains to have folks with poor hands lay down early on, due to the fact that a certain number are apt to hang on looking on the miracle draw to take the hand. By forcing their hand early you are decreasing the odds of those miracle hands as well as also ensuring you win the pot. It's consistently better to pull down a tinier pot than take a gamble that another card player draws a miracle hand late in the game.

Your table reputation is additionally especially monumental. Form a firm table image by not bluffing early in your play. Bluffing early identifies you as a bluffer and individuals should spot your bluff A large amount of the time. Play good cards and throw down poor hands, have the opposing persons at the table notice you are clearly playing top quality cards. This creates the opportunity for you to use a healthy bluff later on in the game due to the fact that you have conditioned the others individuals into believing that once you raise you hold the cards to take the hand.

Contemplating other poker players and their betting tendencies can be equally as valuable. It can be overly easy to become wound up in your personal game and miss the "tells" the other card players might be exhibiting. Recognizing if they wager aggressively or by and large call with a strong hand empowers you and also your gambling decisions.

Most essential of all may be appreciate when to quit! Everyone must consistently be smart and focused while at the poker table. Burnout spells mental mistakes and winds up losing you bucks. Frustration is a new signal that you may be ready to call it an evening, or at the very least take a rest. Play sharp and you ought to win smart.

About The Author

J Finney

For free online poker news and reviews, visit http://www.poker-weblog.com today!

An Introduction to Poker Odds Calculators

2006-01-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

Introduction

Knowing the true odds in a poker-playing situation will often make you rethink the way you play a hand. Most players use intuition, and are often quite good at doing this, to guess what the odds are and therefore how to play a hand. However there is a more exact (although less practical) way to determine odds and that is with poker odds calculators. These can be found at many places on the Internet, downloadable or Internet based, and for free or for sale. In this article I will be using the Free Online Poker Odds Calculators that I have developed to demonstrate the basic principles behind their use.

Hand Odds Calculators

This group of poker odds calculators allows players to enter the player and board cards, hit a "Calculate" button and have the results displayed about how often each player will win, tie or lose. These poker odds calculators can be found for all types of games from Texas Holdem to Draw Poker. Free online examples of these calculators are Texas Holdem Odds Calculator and Omaha Odds Calculator. Use these to get a feel to how certain hands fare against each other. Quite often you will be surprised that your intuition does not correspond to the true odds - for example in Texas Holdem Ace/King suited is only a 50/50 chance against a pair of twos before the flop.

The shortcomings of these types of odds calculators are that they assume a player will not fold and extra money that may be added in future betting rounds.

Tournament Equity Calculator

Tournaments are a form of poker where players start with an equal amount of chips and continue playing until one player has all the chips. Prizes may be paid for multiple places, the number depending on the event. A question that is quite often asked is "Given the amount of chips each player holds at a certain point in a tournament, how much prize money on average should each player win?” This is where a tournament equity calculator comes in (see Poker Tournament Equity Calculator for an example).

A valuable fact that is learnt from this type of odds calculator is that the value of chips decrease as the player gains more chips. For example doubling the amount of chips a player has increases that player's equity less than double. This would mean that in tournaments you should fold more often than in cash game, especially with marginal hands. If you play a lot of single table tournaments, Party Poker SnG tournaments like I do for example, you will find many situations where a tournament equity calculator can help point to the right play. This is particularly true as you get close to the prize money or "bubble".

The limitations of these types of calculators are that they usually assume equal skill levels and disregard the size and position of the blinds.

Conclusion

Poker odds calculators can be a very helpful resource in the arsenal of serious poker players. However one must take care not to overemphasize the results given and to realize the assumptions and limitations of these calculators.

About The Author

Scott McIntosh is the developer of http://www.reviewpokerrooms.com.

Online Poker- Get Ready For Challenge, Fun And Excitement

2006-01-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

You love to play poker. You’ve tried to find your friends for a late-night game. Everyone seems to have plans. Don’t worry, you’re still going to have a great time playing online poker.

Just as in every other aspect of life, the Internet has opened up wonderful great new opportunities in the world of poker. Site that offer online poker are some of the most visited sites. They’re very popular for the more experienced poker players as well as the “newbies.” Online poker is a non-threatening way for those that have never played the game to learn and have lots of fun.

Traditionally, when you thought of poker, you would envision a bar room full of the questionable types, or a back room filled with smoke, where betting and danger evolved. All that has changed. Playing online poker you’re just as likely to be playing against the stay-at home mom or the office professional, as you are the average Joe who likes to play poker.

Online poker brings the game to every corner of the world, and allows everyone to enjoy the challenge and the excitement of winning. Don’t worry about gambling away the kid’s college money. Online poker offers you the chance to bet with free money as well as real money. So, whatever your cup of tea you’re sure to find an online poker site that will suit your desires.

You’ll find your favorite poker games online, everything from Texas Hold’em to Caribbean Stud Poker. If you’ve played it offline, more than likely you’ll find a version of the game when you search for poker online.

For many, poker online is more fun than playing offline. There’s many reasons online poker is so popular. Mainly it’s fun and exciting. Also, you don’t have to go anywhere except to your computer to play. Online poker is available anytime of day or night. If you’re not one of “the guys”, you can play online poker and no one will know the difference. Poker online is also a great way to learn and become skilled in a variety of poker games. That way when you do get the chance to play offline you’ll be ready.

After a few rounds of poker online, you may not even want to play offline. The excitement online is just as real, and the fun is great. It will liven up your day no matter what’s happening in the real world. Give online poker a try.

About The Author

David Olsen has been writing about online casinos and casino strategy for over five years and is considered an authority in the online gambling world. His latest website is all about the many video Poker with special attention paid to Online Poker. Visit His site to learn more http://www.playvideopoker.us/poker_rooms.

Texas Hold'em Rules: One Of The Favorite Games Of Poker

2006-01-12T19:25:00.000-08:00

A refresher for the returning champion, and a quick guide for the beginner. Knowing the Texas hold'em rules can make all the difference in your game and the winnings you take home. Even a long timer may need a refresher every now and then. Take a moment and read below to be on your way to enjoying and understanding the game.

In the game Texas Hold 'Em you use a standard 52 card deck. After the cards are shuffled or as with Internet Texas Hold'em you make your start by placing the predetermined amount of money into the pot, which is also called, posting the blinds. This occurs before any cards being dealt.

Often the first player (the player directly beside the dealer on the left) puts half the minimum in the pot and then all other players put in the full minimum bet. By doing this, there is always money to play for in each hand.

When the initial bet is made, next each player receives two cards face down. These cards are known as the hole cards. After looking at your hole cards, betting will commence again. At this point, you can call (which means you put in exactly what you must to stay in the game), you can raise the bet, or you can fold and try again next time.

The dealer will then discard their top-card (this is called burning) and place three cards face up in the middle of the table. Those cards are community cards. Keep in mind any combination of your hole cards and the community cards can be used to make the best five-card poker hand. Placing the community card is called the flop.

After the flop, the bets begin again. Then there is another card placed in the community pile face up. That card is called the turn. After the turn another round of betting occurs. Then the fifth and final card is placed in the community pile. This card is called the river.

After the river card the final round of betting occurs. By the Texas hold'em rules everyone still in the game reveals his or her hand. The person with the best hand wins.

These are the general Texas hold’em rules. Texas Hold'em poker is a fabulous game of chance and strategy. Take your chances and have a great time playing. On thing that is great about Internet Texas Hold'em is the others players can’t read you to try to find out if you’re bluffing. Online or off, Texas Hold’em poker is a great combination of luck and strategy.

About The Author

David Olsen has been writing about online casinos and casino strategy for over five years and is considered an authority in the online gambling world. His latest website is all about video Poker and Online Poker. Visit His site to learn more http://www.playvideopoker.us/poker_rooms/.

Play Poker for a Living

2006-01-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

No alarm clock. No boss. No traffic. Just poker for living!

Sound fun? Well, playing poker for a living definitely has its perks. I can barely remember what it's like to warm the car up on a cold winter morning or to put on a dress shirt for work. I haven't set my alarm clock in over a year.

People often respond that playing poker must be the best job in the world, and certainly because I choose to do this I agree, but before getting into it, be sure to look at all the factors of playing poker for a living.

Sleep schedule

If you are a true online poker grinder, you know that you basically have a night time job. This is can be very difficult if you are married (like me) or are involved in a relationship. My wife tells me that “you can play poker anytime….hang out with me tonight”. What people that don’t play poker for a living don’t understand is that the tables are 10 times better during night time hours. Thus, it becomes irrelevant to play poker during the day. A typical day is waking up at 2 pm and going to bed at 5 am. Better get used to it, or find another profession.

Get physical

Playing online poker all night can be exhausting. Devoting the full attention that successful poker requires for hours on end is extremely tiresome. Getting some kind of daily exercise is essential to solid poker playing. It’s a fact that your brain works better with exercise. Get out of the house and go for a walk to cure those bad beats.

Ups and downs

Every poker pro will tell you they win money. Some truly are, some just have a bankroll and will become a pro fast food worker when their Pacific account runs dry again. But even the real winners don't win every day. That might be discouraging to hear, but it's a fact you must recognize. It can be frustrating to work for 8 hours and actually come out with less money in your pocket than when you started. That doesn't happen at your typical 9-5 job. If you can't handle losing money every once in a while, don't even think about playing online poker for a living.

About The Author

Rich Spaulding coaches players at www.pokernoise.com. PokerNoise.com offers free poker coaching for the average player looking to improve their game.

Choosing the Right Online Poker Room

2006-01-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

Choosing an online poker room now a days is a much more difficult task then it was a just a few years ago. Online poker has grown by leaps and bounds just in the past few years and the number of rooms has grown and is growing at a rapid pace. When choosing an online poker room you should take into account at the very minimum the following: safety, quality and comfort. These are the 3 things that Gambling Guru, http://www.gambling-guru.com, takes into account before beginning any of our online poker leagues.

Safety

By safety it is meant as to how safe is it to move money in and out of the poker room. Take this into account first and foremost whenever trying out an online poker room. Since the industry is not heavily regulated by governing bodies and is mostly self-regulated you need to know you can trust the poker room you choose to handle your money.

For this reason it is best to stick with poker rooms that have established themselves in the industry and have built a solid player base. Poker rooms such as Paradise Poker, Absolute Poker, PokerRoom.com and Party Poker have proven to be stable online poker rooms that are going to be around for the long haul. All of these poker rooms not only have proven to be reliable, but have also not rested on their past accomplishments. Each of these poker rooms also has a 3rd party check their poker algorithm to make sure it is working properly and deals fair hands time and time again. This quality check makes sure these poker rooms remain at the industry forefront.

Quality

Quality can mean different things to different people when discussing online poker rooms. In this case it refers to a couple different things. Here it is referring to software quality. Choosing an online poker room which is satisfying visually, in game play, and in reliability is important. Most online poker rooms now offer versions of their software to download and try out playing with play money before commiting to playing for real money.

Gambling Guru recommends choosing a room which is satisfying visually in order to maximize the online poker playing experience. Some rooms take extra steps to make the table seem more life like. For example poker rooms such as Pokerroom.com have added people as avatars to their tables. Other rooms such as Paradise Poker do not have people at their tables, but have added options where a player can order a drink or snack from a menu. This is something that personally keeps players entertained, however so slightly, while waiting in between hands.

Another option to balance into the equation is the quality of the game play. Make sure that the room choosen offers all of the features you need to make game play fun and easy. Decide if it is easy to follow the action going on at the table. Some rooms such as Pokerroom.com highlight the player whose turn it is to act. This seems obvious, but some rooms don’t offer this option. The player must keep track of the action in the chat dialogue box. If however, you are playing multiple tables, then you may want to be able to quickly click back and forth between tables and find out where the action is visually without having to scroll through a chat box to find out.

Finally, take into account software and server reliability. This is listed third here, but may be the most important factor in choosing an online poker room. It is definitely no fun to have to be constantly disconnected from the room during play, especially when a crucial decision must be made. If you find you must battle this problem often with your online poker room it will add additional stress to the online poker experience.

Comfort

Most importantly you need to feel comfortable with the poker room you have chosen. This means you must take every element from above into consideration and decide if the online poker room you have chosen is right for you. If you don’t feel comfortable with the poker room in any of the above categories then I would suggest finding a new place to play online poker. Whether you are logging on to play for poker for fun or to try to make a career out of playing online poker, you need to have confidence in the poker room to deliver your money, deliver answers to your questions quickly and accurately, and deliver an enjoyable playing experience.

If you would like more information regarding online poker rooms that Gambling Guru supports, you can read our Poker Reviews at http://www.gambling-guru.com/poker_reviews.php

About The Author

Alan Campbell is a journalist who writes for the Gambling Guru and other online gambling publications. He has gained experience in the entertainment and gambling industry and has a background in online marketing.

Related gambling resources: Browse over to Gambling Guru to learn more about online casinos, playing poker online, sports and person-2-person betting and explore the gambling articles archives.

Poker Expected Value

2006-01-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

A successful Texas hold em player is one who maximizes his return or minimizes his loss with each decision he makes. Expected value (EV) is essentially the amount one would expect to win or lose if this decision were to be repeated millions of times. (rememer your precalculus "limit as n goes to infinity"??? didn't think so!)

Every poker decision, whether it be to bet, raise, check/call, check/fold, check/raise has an expectation of success or failure. Those that will lose you money in the long run are said to have negative expected value (-EV). Folding always has an expected value of zero. You will never gain or lose money by folding. Folding, though it has an EV of zero, may often be your best decision from an EV perspective.

Let's look at a few examples. Expected value is not always easily calculable, even in limit texas holdem, but every time you play you should try to analyze your decisionmaking with EV in your mind. For instance, you're playing 1/2 and in the small blind with 84o on a flop of K96 rainbow. The small blind checks and only you and a tight player are left. There is three dollars in the pot. Should you bet? You are risking one dollar. Betting has a positive expectation if you can expect the other two to fold more than one in four times. If you try it four times and it succeeds once, you win a three dollar pot and lose your one dollar bet the three other times, making it a 0 EV play. (We're discounting the chance that you are called and catch runner runner or win in some other very unlikely way) Remember, we analyze each decision on its own Expected Value merits. If you are called and catch an 8 on the turn, you must again analyze your decisions based on their likelihood of success or failure in the long run. Poker, and Texas Holdem in particular, is a game of short term variations, but you must continue to make the correct EV decisions and you will be a winner in the long term.

Another example: You are holding A8 of spades, again playing 1/2. There are 3 limpers ahead of you and one behind you. The flop comes K96 with two spades. The first player bets and the other two in front of you call...you should raise! As we've seen in the Poker Odds section, you have about a 35 percent chance of hitting your flush. You will not win each time you hit it...perhaps someone has flopped a set or two pair and will hit a full house, etc. You may even occasionally win if you spike an Ace. Anyway, it is pretty clear that your odds of winning the hand are better than 25 percent, and with 3 players in the pot ahead of you, you want to get more money in the pot while you have an advantage from an expected value standpoint. Now, there are other factors that will enter your head and should be taken into account. If the original bettor reraises you and the other two fold, you've now put 2 dollars in and gotten the others to put 6 in. Now we may or may not be in positive EV territory, depending on what our opponent has. Also, we must consider the fact that our raise may have bought us a free card or may have gotten someone with an Ace and a better kicker or paired side card to fold. As you can see, there are many factors influencing the expected value of our decisions. We may not always be sure we've made the correct poker play, but it's extremely important that our thinking process runs along these lines.

Even preflop you must think along expected value lines. You may be holding AJs in the small blind. Six players, most of them very loose, limp before you. A raise is in order. Think in terms of expected value or pot equity. Your hand figures to win more than one in every seven times against the starting hands held by the others, so a raise is in order. Again, evaluate each decision on its own merits. If you miss the flop in this instance, checking and folding may be your best option from an expectation standpoint. Or, it may not...you may have an overcard, gutshot and back door flush draw...again, do the math in your head and arrive at the correct decision.

Finally, remember this...in general, a bet has a higher expectation than a check/call. You will sometimes win by forcing people to fold. Now, there are times when this is not correct due to the threat of a raise (if you're planning on calling), but always bear it in mind. In Texas Holdem, aggressive poker is winning poker.

About The Author

Gregg Dwyer is a professional online poker player. His texas holdem tips, hints and lessons can be found at http://www.HitTheFlop.com.

How To Win Poker...Is There A Sure Way?

2006-01-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

As poker is very popular today and a favorite game to play among Americans, one may ask, if there really is a sure way to win at poker.

The answer is simple. Study and check out these guidelines, try them at poker time and see for yourself.

Before starting to play the game, keep in mind these simple suggestions:

* Inspect the site. Make sure that it is authentic.

* Read the terms and conditions of the site. Check the maximum payouts and the minimum bets.

* Allocate a budget for the day. That budget will determine how much you are willing to lose or to win in the game. Stick to the limit.

* Do not gamble if you can not afford to lose.

* Practice playing the game. Familiarize yourself with the game first before you play for real money.

At the table, here are some warnings that you should always remember:

* If you do make a big win, do not be greedy, stop. Making a big win and gambling it all over again is a big sign of greediness.

* In poker, overall winnings are what count most. If you are losing, or have already lost your allotted money for the day, don’t try to win your losses back. You won't. Stop. Tomorrow is another day.

* Drinking alcohol is a big no no at poker time. It can serious affect your judgment. So stay away from it while on the game.

* Never take side bets. Usually these are just gimmicks, so that more money will go to the casino.

* Never gamble your hard earned money unless you are very much ready to lose it.

While in the game, here are some important ideas to think about:

* Gaze at your opponent's eye. Survey all their moves. Observe them, to better know them. This way, you will fear them less. This way, you will know when they are bluffing or not.

* Play in silence. Have that conversation with your self as well as think deep to your opponents actions. Concentrate.

* Base your decisions on what the reality is. See all movements as they are. Do not fear, instead, be calm and assess their moves accordingly.

* Don't take it personally. At the poker table, it is always unavoidable that your opponent can irritate you. Never give in to such responses. Stay within the good game. Be cool and objective. This is a bluffing game. But do keep in mind that just because your opponent has bluffed earlier, it does not mean that he does all the time. Think tight. Review each move.

* Think about what your opponents have. Create a situation. So when deciding, you'll have a better chance to be right.

* Know when to stop. Is the hand that you are raising now the hand you folded a while ago? This is a sign that you should go home.

* Play to enjoy. Do not play if you are sad, bored or tired. If you can't play having enjoyment as your goal, then don't play at all!

About The Author

Ace Blackwood is highly seasoned and adept gambler. Visit his Online Gambling Resources Blog here: http://www.push-button-online-income.com/online-gambling.

World Series of Poker: History

2006-01-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

When you hear the term, the World Series of Poker, most people today think about ESPN coverage and thousands of people all laying down $10,000 to become the next poker millionaire. The top players are cult icons and have turned their fame into small fortunes, hocking chip sets, instructional videos, books, video games, and websites. But it hasn’t always been that way.

The idea for the World Series began in the summer of 1949 when Nicholas "Nick the Greek" Dandolos approached Binion’s Horseshoe owner Benny Binion to set up a match between Dandolos and the legendary Texas road gambler, Johnny Moss. Binion did so with the stipulation that the game would be played in public view.

Crowds gathered at Binion’s Horseshoe to watch this marathon contest that lasted five months with breaks only for sleep. Moss ultimately won an estimated $2 million. When “The Greek” lost his last pot, he arose from his chair, bowed slightly, and uttered the now-famous words, "Mr. Moss, I have to let you go." Binion, always a promoter at heart, noted that the public had gathered outside the casino each day to watch the game with the fervor of dedicated sports fans, and he was amazed at the attention the event had attracted.

However, it wasn't until 1970 that Binion decided to re-create this excitement and stage a battle of poker giants - dubbed the "World Series of Poker" - to determine who would be worthy of the title "World Champion." He sent word out to find the best poker players in the country and 38 top pros showed up. They played for several days mixing different games. In the end, the decision was democratic in that the champion was decided by popular vote. After the first vote when each gambler voted for himself, Binion changed the rules so that no man could vote for himself. Naturally Johnny Moss came out on top. Thus the WSOP was born.

It wasn’t until 1971 that the tournament structure was born. Binion created the freeze out structure where everyone would play until one man had all the chips after each put up $10,000. Only 6 men would put up that much money (5 of the 6 eventually won a World Series title). And again, Johnny Moss was victorious.

Through the years men became relatively famous by winning the title. Amarillo Slim Preston won in 1972. Doyle Brunson won in 1976 and 1977. Stu Ungar won in 1980, 1981, and later in 1997. And Johnny Chan won back to back in 1987 and 1988. Chan was later immortalized in the movie Rounders.

The size of the tournament changed dramatically a couple of times. One addition that Binion created was a satellite tournament. These were tournaments set up so that players who didn’t want to put down the full $10,000 buy in, could put up $1000 and play with a smaller tournament with 9 other players with the winner gaining an entry into the Main Event. This satellite concept quickly spawned many more entrants and other similar ideas (such as larger satellites with an even smaller buy in) grew around them.

In 2003, the World Series of Poker took a turn. The World Poker Tour had exploded and ESPN decided to televise the entire main event with hole card cams to give the viewers a look into the mind of the great players. And an unknown with a perfect name came out on top. Chris Moneymaker turned the poker world upside down with his victory over the greats of the game. And the poker phenomenon was born.

In the last few years, many of these satellites have begun to take place online. The boom of this online satellite system has been a key driver in the expansion of the WSOP and other poker events. Combined with the Moneymaker win, the size of the main event has gone from 613 in 2002 to 5619 in 2005.

Today, the legacy Benny Binion left the poker community ranks as the oldest, largest, and most prestigious gambling competition in the world. In 2005, with 5619 entrants, $7.5 million for first, and players from around the world, the WSOP has grown from a small gambling convention to an international sporting event.

About The Author

Tim McGinty began playing poker in 1997. Besides writing articles and opinions, mostly about online poker, for Case Ace Poker, Mr. McGinty spends time teaching new players. He can often be contacted for questions or advice at the poker forum.

caseacepoker.com

Simple Online Poker Tells

2006-01-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

Until you become a consistent winning online poker player, your main concern should be developing a strong set of starting hand standards and learning how to play those cards properly.

The first, and most obvious, online poker tell is the use of pre-selected actions in the poker software. These usually exist in the form of “check/fold”, “check any”, “call any”, “call/raise any”, and “raise any”. Some software has more options than others but the check/fold button is pretty universal. Watch for players that use this – especially out of the big blind. You’ll know when a player uses it by seeing an instant check when it gets to their turn. This usually indicates a very weak hand.

Since the big blind had to put it money regardless of his hand, he’ll usually be holding trash. If you see an instant check preflop and a quick check on the flop, go ahead and bet out regardless of the board. Much more often than not you’ll pick up the small pot right there. This works especially well when there’s a face card on the board. Of course, you can manipulate this by occasionally clicking the “check any” from the big blind when you have a strong hand. Your opponents will believe that you clicked “check/fold” and you can set them up for a check-raise on the flop.

On the other hand, you might occasionally see someone put in an immediate raise. This happens most often in limit hold’em, and you should be wary when you see this at your table as it usually indicates a strong hand. This can be also be used as a bluff if you don’t overdo it. Some of your opponents are also savvy enough to use this as a bluff so think about fighting back if you see this move from a frequent bluffer.

Another important tell in online poker is the time it takes for your opponent to take an action. If your opponent always acts quickly on his turn and then suddenly hesitates when you bet into him he’s giving you a huge tell. He’s letting you know that he doesn’t have a simple decision. Use this information along with any notes you have taken on the player to help you make a decision. A long pause and then a check usually indicates weakness whereas a long pause and then a bet/raise usually indicates strength. My favorite way to manipulate this is by hesitating and then just calling when I’m in position on the flop or turn. This conveys that I’m probably on a draw and usually elicits another bet when they think that I missed or still drawing. At this point, you can throw in a raise. Of course, you should realize that better opponents will also do the same thing.

You can also find out if your opponents are playing at multiple tables. If your particular poker room software doesn’t have a Find Player feature, just look around at tables of similar limits. If you find them at 3 or 4 other games, this can affect your strategy. Multi-table players are usually a bit more distracted and don’t have time to make sophisticated plays. They usually play more of a straightforward game so you can get a fairly quick read on their style. Remember to take notes and try playing more aggressively against them to take advantage of their distraction.

The chat box may also give you insights on your opponents. If a player is constantly chatting it up he probably isn’t paying as much attention to his game. Another common occurrence you’ll see is a player steaming about a bad beat, swearing, and being an overall nuisance so you can obviously peg him for being on tilt. Opponents who like to downplay the strength of their hand are usually holding a strong hand. I don’t recommend trying to fool the table using the chat since it’s just downright childish and players can easily mute your commentary. On a side note, I find that disabling the chat altogether helps cut the annoyance factor in half.

Finally, and this is the least credible tell you can pick up, is the player name/avatar chosen by an opponent. Players with the word “TILT”, a picture of a fish, a wacky face, or similarly loose-seeming characteristics are often tight and conservative players. As I said, this isn’t completely reliable but these visuals tend to somehow dig their way into poor players’ subconscious. Occasionally, you can elicit that extra call or two when you have the nuts just by portraying a loose style visually.

In online poker, psychology doesn’t factor in nearly as much as at a brick and mortar cardroom but there are certain tells you can still pick up on and manipulate. Remember that the instantaneous check usually means weakness so try it sometime when you’ve got pocket Aces. Watch betting time such as the slow check (weak) and slow raise (strong). Keep an eye out for multi-tablers, and go for the throat on chat box tilters. Finally, “FishyFred” could be a better screen name choice if you want the occasional extra call. Remember, master your online poker game first and then take your game to the next level by spotting weaknesses and tells around the virtual table.

About The Author

Joshua Heilpern is an experienced online poker player and writer. He also runs Online Poker Reviews - http://www.beatthefish.com - and The Most Haunted Online Poker Rooms - http://www.hauntedpoker.com.

When to Stay in Texas Hold 'Em - Part 1

2006-01-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

The most important skill in online poker or live poker is reading your opponents hands. If you know what your opponents have then it's going to be hard to lose.

In texas holdem, much depends upon the first three cards. Unless you have something to start with, you're not apt to have anything worthwhile at the finish. There are some optimistic players who argue against this texas holdem strategy, but the law of averages is against them. They look at it this way. If you take three aces, shuffle them in with four odd cards and deal them out, you will still have three aces, regardless of the order in which they turn up.

That is very true, but the texas holdem strategy doesn't hold with seven cards taken at random, since there is no guarantee that three aces will be among them. Surprises do pop up in the final cards of a seven card deal, but not as often as people think. They are inclined to remember such hands and overlook those that turned out to be a total bust. So a hand that starts out with good cards is really the only type of hand to play and a good texas holdem strategy to follow.

That raises this texas holdem strategy question: just how good should the first three cards be? The answer to that texas holdem strategy question depends to some degree on whether the game has a high or low limit, as well as the type of players involved. Keep this in mind -- if you play a tight game when everybody else is taking chances, some of your best hands may lose out, because of the chance of surprise hands cropping up. So you might as well get in the swim yourself, though not too deeply.

Since we have mentioned three aces, we may as well mark it as the ideal holding to start off a hand of texas holdem. With two aces as hole cards and a third as an up card, you are likely to have the pot won then and there, since the average winning hand in texas holdem is probably around three nines. The presence of an ace as an up card does not give away the fact that you have two others in the hole; in fact, it may create the impression that your other cards are not too good and that you are counting on a lone ace to bolster them. However, but the time five or six cards have been dealt, with no other aces appearing among them, other players may suspect that your hand is better than they thought.

When to Stay in Texas Hold 'Em - Part 2

2006-01-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

The higher the trio the better, not only because it may win over another set of triplets, but because high cards are logical to hold.

This type of hand is loaded with prospects that should never be ignored. You don't get it very often, but when you do, you have up to a 40 percent chance of hitting a straight or flush for a very likely win; and such hands are hard to make without strong help to start. The ideal setup consists of three high cards of the same suit in sequence, with a combination like the queen, jack and ten of hearts rating as the best. This gives you a chance of filling with the following combinations: any ace-king; any king-nine; or any nine-eight for a straight. Also, any two hearts out of a possible ten make a flush. If your two cards toward a straight both happen to be hearts, you'll have a straight flush for a clincher, but don't expect that very often.

Other sequences of three cards in a single suit offer the same hopes of a straight or flush, down to a hand such as 5, 4 and three of spades. But the higher brackets offer you better insurance if you happen to pair up a couple of your original cards. With Q-J-10, if you miss on your straight or flush, but happen to get another queen and ten, you'll have a high two pair, which has a fair chance of winning, or perhaps get two queens, jacks or tens for three of a kind.

Starters like A, K, and Q of diamonds are not as good, as they limit your chances for a straight to a ten and nine. Starters like K, Q and J of clubs are limited to ace and ten, or ten and nine, to make a straight. Spaced starters, such as Q, 10, and 8 of hearts, or 9, 7, 6 of diamonds are also somewhat limited, but all are worth staying with.

Thus, if your fourth card fits with either your prospective straight or flush, stay right through to the finish, since you have three chances at filling on the fifth, sixth and seventh cards. If you miss on the fourth card, stay for the fifth; if it hooks up with your original three, stay for the sixth and seventh, which will give you two chances for your straight or flush. But if you haven't improved by the fifth card, it's not worth the risk to stay any longer.

There is an exception to this Texas hold'em strategy. If you happen to make a high pair on your fourth or fifth card, you can stay for the sixth or even seventh card, hoping to make a high two pair or three of a kind. This sometimes puts you back in the running toward a straight or a flush. For example:

Your Hand: king of hearts (down), jack of hearts (down), queen of hearts (up), five of clubs (up), king of diamonds (up), nine of hearts (up)

With the king, queen and jack of hearts for starters, you are dealt the useless five of clubs, but you stay hoping for a fifth card that will help toward a straight or flush. When you are dealt the king of diamonds, it just about ruins your hopes, but instead of folding, you stay on the chance of making two pair or three of a kind since there are eleven cards that will do it (3 fives, 3 jacks, 3 queens, and 2 kings) and you have two more to come. Then for your sixth card, up pops the nine of hearts, which gives you a dozen chances to fill a straight or flush on the seventh card.

In short, you wouldn't have stayed for that possible payoff, except for the prospects offered by the king of hearts which are still good. However, there are times when you would pass up such chances with this Texas hold'em strategy; and that's when other players have something better showing on the board, like three of a kind, four cards to a flush, or two pair that could mean a full house. In this case, the Texas hold'em strategy we suggest is to fold.

When to Stay in Texas Hold 'Em - Part 3

2006-01-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

However, there are times when you would pass up such chances with this texas holdem strategy; and that's when other players have something better showing on the board, like three of a kind, four cards to a flush, or two pair that could mean a full house.

Texas Holdem strategy: Three to a Flush
Here, with starters like king, nine and four of spades, you have up to a 20 percent chance of making a flush, but some tight players would quit unless they were dealt another spade on the fourth card. Usually it's worth staying for a fifth card, particularly if the betting is light. Starters like jack, ten and 5 are good because you have three to a flush and two to a straight. If you miss a diamond on your fourth card, but are dealt a queen or a nine, you will have three parts to a straight as well as three to a flush, which makes it worthwhile to go for a fifth card.

Texas Holdem strategy: Three to a Straight
This can be handled like three to a flush. Nice, even if the suits are different, as ten of spades, nine of hearts, and eight of clubs; but nicer with two of the same suit, and jack of diamonds, ten of hearts, and nine of diamonds, as a diamond for a fourth card will give you three parts to a flush as well.

Texas Holdem strategy: Pair in the Hole
A hand like ten of diamonds, ten of hearts and queen of spades is good and even better if your up card gives you a start toward a flush, as nine of diamonds, nine of clubs, and king of clubs; or a straight, as queen of clubs, queen of hearts, jack of hearts. It's tough, though, if some other player has an up card of the same value as your hidden pair, cutting your chance of triplets in half. A hidden pair is very nice to hold if you make a full house, as many players will figure you for a three of a kind and nothing more.

Texas Holdem strategy: Split Pair - One Down, One Up
Some players fold on this, particularly with a low pair, like 10 of diamonds, four of clubs and four of hearts, as they think that staying on the visible four of hearts gives away the fact that they have another four in the hole. However, a high pair -- say six of clubs, king of diamonds, and king of hearts -- may convey that you have a low pair in the hole and are hoping to pair up the king of hearts to make two pair. If you do catch another king, you will have triplets, which can fool the opposition very nicely. If your split pair also has two cards toward a flush or a straight, you will have that much more reason to stay.

Texas Holdem strategy: Two to a Straight Flush
Jack of hearts, 10 of hearts and six of spades is a potential prospect and so is two to a straight or flush; but you will need immediate help from the fourth card and generally from the fifth as well. Two parts of a mere flush or a mere straight are apt to be useless; so is anything less.

Poker: Game Of Skill - Part 1

2006-01-12T16:28:00.000-08:00

A lot of people seem to think that poker is all luck or mostly luck, which simply isn't true in the large scheme of things.

It's true that you cannot control what cards are going to come your way, but you can control how you play the cards that do come your way. It's also true that you should expect to have about the same amount of so-called luck in poker as everyone else after so many thousands of hands.

Since you can expect to have about the same luck and same cards as everyone else in the long run, the difference is in how you play those cards. The more skilled players will win more and lose less with the same cards as a lesser skilled poker player. You have the option of when you want to put more money in the pot and when you want to not put any or anymore in the pot and that is one place where the difference can be made, and is what will make some people win at poker and some lose at poker in the long run.

Since you should expect about the same distribution of cards as anyone else in the long run, the difference lies in the decisions that you make. There are many things you can do to gain an edge on your opponents and make better decisions than they do, which I will explain throughout this site - how to gain an edge on your opponents in poker. If you flipped coins with someone it would be silly to think that he would get many more heads or tails than you after thousands of flips, assuming the coin weighed evenly and that no measures were taken to influence how the coin landed.

It's the same with poker. It's silly to think someone else will end up getting a much better run of cards than you do in the long run. You can expect your cards to even out the same way you can expect the flip of a coin to even out to about half heads and half tails over time. The casinos operate on smaller edges than you will often have in poker, yet they are always coming ahead. Is that luck? No, of course not. They know that they have an advantage in the long run.

When I play poker it's often a lot like me being the house and most of the other players being people that come to play at my private casino. I should also point out that after the last card has been dealt to everyone, that chance is no longer involved at all and now it comes down to how well you know your opponents and your wits and experience and being able to fill in all the missing information.

I have always had a very hard time trying to explain where skill plays a role in poker since it has always been so obvious to me, it's hard for me to understand how so many people can't see it the same way that I can, but hopefully some of you will have a better understanding of the skill involved after reading this and if not keep reading the other pages and visit other sites and do some heavy thinking about the game and maybe you will get it eventually if you don't get it already.

Poker: Game Of Skill - Part 2

2006-01-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

Online poker and poker played in public card rooms differs very much from the home games you may be used to.

The structure of home games will often reduce the skill factor to some degree. I have never played any poker game in which I could not see where my skill would play a role. Skill plays a much bigger role in online and casino poker than the majority of the world’s home games.

When you picture poker skill as when fat Uncle Eddie makes it five dollars and laughs real hard, then you have a lot to learn! Open up your mind a little bit and forget about all of your prior poker experience if you have only played in some occasional home games. You can gain an edge in home games poker, but it is often less obvious in how to do so than in a lot of the home game poker that people play.

Final Comment:
There are, without a doubt, ways to do things better than your opponents do to gain an edge over them, big enough that you can expect to win in the long run. You will have to read over this site and other sites and study some books and get tons of playing experience and do a lot of thinking on your own to truly understand how, or at least most people will.

You can't do it without at least some sort of effort, but if you are willing to do what it takes to turn yourself into a winner at poker, I think unless you have some sort of emotional or mental problems, you can become a winner at poker since a large majority of players will never put forth the kind of effort it takes to become significantly better than the competition. People with emotional or mental problems are going to have a hard time ever winning.

Poker Education

2006-01-12T15:51:00.000-08:00

There are several things you can do that will improve your poker game and you should continually be doing them. It's hard to become a really good poker player and it's hard to continue to be a really good player as well.

Play the Game:

There might be no substitute for what you gain just by playing. No matter what other sources can improve your game, this is where it all gets put to use. This is where all the things you have learned from books or just by thinking on your own will get put to use. It doesn't take very long to get a little bit rusty at poker. You probably don't want to force yourself to play, but try to at least get in an hour or two a day if you can. If you play too often you can become a little less perceptive and it can work against you, so you just kind of have to find a balance between playing enough to stay sharp and not playing so much that you are becoming a little bit numb to what is going on around you.

Read, Work Math Skills, and Think:

Read and study books directly related to poker and also ones that have not been written specifically on poker, but still might help your poker game. Books such as memory improvement, improving concentration, and psychology. Of course not all poker books have a lot of great information, but I have gotten my moneys worth out of almost all of them. A lot of the poker literature out there contains a lot of the same concepts, but is often presented in different ways. For me just being able to look at an old thing in a new way helps me to grasp something a little bit better sometimes. Maybe the writer will present something a certain way to enable you to more completely grasp the subject so for this reason, I suggest that if you plan to take poker seriously you should read a lot of the available books. Think about what has just happened after a hand or after the session is over. Take some time to reflect on plays that you have made and plays that others have made. Think about the hands you lost on and mistakes that you seen others make and things that they might have done well.

Learn From Others:

If you watch closely you might be able to pick up something from another player that you would like to use in your own game. In my earlier days I remember watching a player do this specific move that I had never seen anyone do before and this one thing alone helped out my poker game a lot. Watch for the common things that make people lose in your poker game. When you see A5 lose to an ace with a bigger kicker nearly every time you see it showdown when there has been heavy raising, remember how everything took place and compare it to similar situations you have observed. Remember what types of hands are losing a large majority of the time and in what situations that you might be able to identify later.

Poker Betting Methods

2006-01-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

You must have developed a great betting strategy playing the regular limit, no-limit and pot-limit games. Now let's see some other methods of betting involved mainly in private games. I will just cover a few for example Set limit, Straddle method, Freeze out and Running out of money. So let's discuss each of them. These methods bring in a lot of excitement and fun when playing private games.

Set limit:
Here players agree to a minimum and maximum bet where there is enough opportunity for them to make good raises. It is important because if you raise a decent amount of chips then you might force other players into folding. Also there is an agreement on a minimum ante by every player before the cards are dealt, so, there is some money in the pot before you start playing. To stay in the game each player must bet an amount equal to the previous player or raise the stakes up to the maximum as agreed before the play.

Straddle Method:
Here first a player bets an ante and the next player doubles the bet called straddle before the cards are dealt. Now the third player can either fold or double the straddle depending on his cards. The betting continues and each player must bet at least the same amount as the previous player. Here showdown occurs when no one else raises or the maximum bet is reached as agreed before the play.

Freeze Out:
Here the betting is same as in regular games but with few exceptions. Betting is arranged using an agreed method and the objective is for one player to win all the chips. When a player runs out of chips, there is an immediate showdown and the player with the best hand wins the pot. Games like these are already marked as Freeze out tournaments.

Running out of money:
Again the betting here is same as in regular games but with few exceptions. If a player runs out of money during the game a second pot is opened by the remaining players. Now that player has to wait until one player remains or there is a showdown. If one player remains then he definitely wins the second pot or else a player with the highest hand wins the pot. Now the hand that won the second pot is compared to that of the player who ran out of money. The player with the best hand wins the first or original pot.

Little-Known Poker Tips That Bring Big Profit

2006-01-12T00:53:00.000-08:00

We're going to discuss things that very few players know. But after I tell you about them, they'll become part of your poker wisdom. And then you might feel smug because others don't know these things.

Pause two-and-a-half seconds before you bluff:
This is serious advice. If you bet instantly or wait too long, you might make opponents suspicious. You are likely to trigger their calling reflexes.

Most opponents want to call. They didn't come to the cardroom to be bored and throw hands away. So, they have a bias toward calling, and anything you do that seems even slightly suspicious can trigger their calling reflex.

I have carefully observed opponents in this regard for many years. While I have no conclusive scientific answer, counting mentally, "One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand -" seems to work best before you bluff.

Now, be aware that the length of time may be different for various situations and for specific opponents. No two people react precisely the same way to stimulus, but two-and-a-half seconds seems like the perfect pause against most foes.

However, if you determine that an opponent already has mentally surrendered on his hand, bluffing instantly may be better. Doing so doesn't give the opponent time to reevaluate. He is prepared to fold, and you take advantage of this with an instant wager. Usually, though, an instant bet just makes opponents suspicious. Also, if you pause too long before you bluff, opponents become suspicious and are likely to call.

Wait the two-and-a-half seconds. Try it. And remember, your bluff isn't likely to succeed most of the time whether you pause appropriately or not. But in limit poker games, you only need to win once in a while to justify a bluff. That's because the pots are much bigger than the wagers, making the rewards much bigger than the risks.

An opponent clearing his throat after betting has a medium-strong hand and almost never anything else:

Often you'll hear a player (always a male) clear his throat after making a bet. This is a little-analyzed, unconscious male trait. It is a way of preparing psychologically for whatever may come. Players tend not to do this when they're bluffing. Then, they're typically quiet and unmoving, fearing that any action may trigger a call. And, if they have especially strong hands, they don't have to prepare themselves for the possibility being beaten. Thus no throat clearing.

Two-handed bets are more likely to be called:
Use this technique sometimes when you're sure you're betting the best hand. The two-handed action looks suspicious to most opponents and triggers their calling reflex. I have been using this technique successfully for years, but I guess I'll have to stop after blurting that out. Damn!

Opponents engaged in conversation who don't pause when they first look at their freshly dealt hand are likely to fold:

Observe and use this information to mentally move yourself to a "later" position (with reduced opening requirements).

When you know opponents waiting to act behind you won't play, you can be much more aggressive in attacking. This wins extra profit and helps your image.

When players first look at their hands and see something they like and intend to play, it is natural for them to pause and consider exactly how they will proceed. Raise?

Just call? Lure players into the pot? All these questions and many more go through their minds. So, if they're carrying on a conversation, they will pause or stammer when they see a playable hand. In the absence of this pause, usually cross them off the list of possible threats and pretend you're in a later position. You can then play slightly weaker hands because not as many opponents have a chance of beating you.

One way to maximize your sandbagging profit is to threaten to call after checking:

Players may bluff, thinking you're insincere about your verbal remark or gesture indicating a call. If they have medium hands, they feel safer about betting them, not thinking they'll face an uncomfortable raise. But that's exactly what they'll face.

By threatening to call, you've actually forced your
opponents into what I call "either/or" evaluation. Either you'll call or you won't. In addition to making it seem safe for your opponents to bet marginal hands, often they may try to bluff, seeing their chances for success as a virtual coin-flip. The third possibility (and the truth), that you'll raise, seldom occurs to them.

Try to identify opponents who are playing at a limit above their norm:

These players typically are uncomfortable. They are more likely to just call with borderline hands than to raise. They often can be bluffed. The unfamiliar, higher limit makes them among your easiest-to-beat, most predictable foes.

Even if you know you'll earn more (on average) if everyone passes, often you should still try to get called:

How come? If you could get everyone to pass, you would. Unless you hold an unusually strong hand, there's usually more money in the pot right now - comprised of blinds, antes, and initial bets - than you can expect to earn on average (considering wins and losses) by playing to a showdown. But usually, players will call, even if you don't want that to happen. So, your biggest profit, in those cases, is usually to encourage extra calls from weak hands.

Great Law of Betting:
You should only bet if the value of betting is greater than the value of checking. Never forget that checking can have value as a poker weapon. It has the value of deception, and more. Checking and then calling may earn more than betting and hoping to be called. There's actually a lot more to this concept, and the reasoning gets fairly complex. But, today, just remember the big premise.

Repeating: In order to justify a bet, the value of betting must be greater than the value of checking. If you begin to thing about wagering that way, you'll earn a lot more money.