With the way Texas Holdem is taking over card tables everywhere, it's a good idea to learn how to play and learn how to win if you want to impress your friends, have fun or make some money at a fun and interesting game.
To win Texas Holdem, a person needs to know more than just how to play the game. He or she needs to know about strategy.
Many poker experts and players will tell you that a tight and aggressive strategy is the only way to play Texas Holdem. This involves playing relatively few hands and betting and raising often when you do play.
This strategy, however, will only work if you understand hand-ranking. There are 1,326 distinct possibilities when it comes to the two hole cards a player can be dealt in Texas Hold'em. However, since suits are only relevant for flushes, many of these possibilities are irrelevant. So, that reduced the number of possibilities a player needs to know about to 169 possibilities.
One type of hand to get to know is a pocket pair or a wired pair. This is when you are dealt two of any card. For instance, two jacks, two aces, or two nines.
The hands which are not pocket pairs are either suited hands or unsuited hands. Suited hands are two cards of the same suit and unsuited hands are two cards of different suits. For instance a suited pocket might be an ace and a seven of spaces and an unsuited pair might be an ace of hearts and a seven of diamonds.
Generally, the higher the cards in the pocket and whether they are paired or suited increases the hand ranking. However, sometimes even a highly ranked pocket can turn into nothing after the flop, turn or river.
Some professional players are successful using other strategies as well. While most experts insist on only playing premium starting hands, others suggest a looser betting strategy. Ultimately, this is up to the player.
While some experts disagree on betting strategy, most agree that position is an important element of the game. Players who act later in a hand, have more information than those who act earlier. As a result, players often play fewer hands from earlier positions and more from later positions. This does have a disadvantage since a person's opponents can gain clues to his or her hand based upon the bets made after the flop, the turn and the river.
Those who play no-limit or fixed limit version of hold'em, play different strategically, and many players who excel at one, do not excel at the other. For instance, because of the limit placed on betting in limit games, players cannot bluff as successfully. And in no-limit poker, new players often lack the courage to make the larger bets.
Strategy can also vary between games with lower stakes and games with higher stakes. Small stakes games usually have more players participating in each hand and can have very passive playing strategies or very aggressive raising strategies, compared to high stakes games, which are more stable.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Aggression in Short-handed No Limit Hold'em
The 6-player max No Limit Hold'em tables have exploded in popularity at the major online poker rooms over the last year. I suspect that the reason is twofold. First and foremost, there is less waiting between playing your hands - and let's face it, we humans tend to be an impatient lot. Secondly, much looser play is warranted than in the full ring games. Those two aspects of short-handed action add up to playing a whole lot more hands. As poker players, this is really what we want to be doing anyway. So the popularity of these games should be no surprise.
But playing more hands is a sure way to quick losses, even when short-handed, if you don't go about it properly. Playing like a maniac just isn't going to get the job done. This is because it's just too easy (even for fairly weak players) to develop effective counter-strategies against maniacs. They are the easiest types of players to beat in No Limit, regardless of how many people are at the table. Selective aggression is still the winning approach, as with full tables, just with a much wider range of selection. Most important is playing a style that allows you to take many one-try stabs at small to medium-size pots.
By one-try stabs, I mean that you need to know how to let go of a pot that you are trying to win on the flop if you are called. This is critical. If you can't do it, don't expect to win much in short-handed No Limit cash games. All your accumulated profits will leave your stack in one fell swoop and go to the shark who smooth-called you on the flop. Your next bet will have to be quite large if you plan on continuing with the aggression, and that's when you can expect the shark to raise. When you get called on the flop, just let it go.
The style you need to play in these games is a raise or fold philosophy, especially before the flop. If nobody has entered the pot yet I will raise with any two cards 7 or higher most of the time. If somebody else has entered the pot ahead of me, I won't play anything except super-premium hands, period. You have no business in any pot where you are not the aggressor, barring a rare exception. In fact, I insist on both "power and position" if I am going to see a flop. Power meaning that I am the last pre-flop raiser, and position meaning that I am last to act. On the flop I always bet around 75% of the pot no matter what cards hit the board. Always. If I meet any kind of resistance at all, including a call on the flop, I simply give it up (unless I happen to be holding the World's Fair, which does happen sometimes).
Here is what is going to happen if you play this way: 1) You will steal a lot of blinds, 2) Almost every flop you see will be heads-up or three-way, 3) You will win the overwhelming majority of pots on the flop, 4) The pots you don't win on the flop will be way more than made up for by all the ones you do win, and 5) The rare occasions where you flop a monster against a decent hand will get paid off big-time. You will be the dominate force in your game, and your flustered opponents will watch helplessly as their chips continue to desert them into your stack.
You see, they just can't call that flop bet. Play this way for a while and you'll start to get it. If you occasionally screw up and find yourself on the flop when you are not the aggressor, you will curse yourself for being there playing like a fish, because you won't be able to call that flop bet either. It's like the great San Francisco 49er offense of the late 90's with Steve Young at quarterback, coming at you with those slant plays. The defense knows exactly what's coming, but they still can't stop it.
But playing more hands is a sure way to quick losses, even when short-handed, if you don't go about it properly. Playing like a maniac just isn't going to get the job done. This is because it's just too easy (even for fairly weak players) to develop effective counter-strategies against maniacs. They are the easiest types of players to beat in No Limit, regardless of how many people are at the table. Selective aggression is still the winning approach, as with full tables, just with a much wider range of selection. Most important is playing a style that allows you to take many one-try stabs at small to medium-size pots.
By one-try stabs, I mean that you need to know how to let go of a pot that you are trying to win on the flop if you are called. This is critical. If you can't do it, don't expect to win much in short-handed No Limit cash games. All your accumulated profits will leave your stack in one fell swoop and go to the shark who smooth-called you on the flop. Your next bet will have to be quite large if you plan on continuing with the aggression, and that's when you can expect the shark to raise. When you get called on the flop, just let it go.
The style you need to play in these games is a raise or fold philosophy, especially before the flop. If nobody has entered the pot yet I will raise with any two cards 7 or higher most of the time. If somebody else has entered the pot ahead of me, I won't play anything except super-premium hands, period. You have no business in any pot where you are not the aggressor, barring a rare exception. In fact, I insist on both "power and position" if I am going to see a flop. Power meaning that I am the last pre-flop raiser, and position meaning that I am last to act. On the flop I always bet around 75% of the pot no matter what cards hit the board. Always. If I meet any kind of resistance at all, including a call on the flop, I simply give it up (unless I happen to be holding the World's Fair, which does happen sometimes).
Here is what is going to happen if you play this way: 1) You will steal a lot of blinds, 2) Almost every flop you see will be heads-up or three-way, 3) You will win the overwhelming majority of pots on the flop, 4) The pots you don't win on the flop will be way more than made up for by all the ones you do win, and 5) The rare occasions where you flop a monster against a decent hand will get paid off big-time. You will be the dominate force in your game, and your flustered opponents will watch helplessly as their chips continue to desert them into your stack.
You see, they just can't call that flop bet. Play this way for a while and you'll start to get it. If you occasionally screw up and find yourself on the flop when you are not the aggressor, you will curse yourself for being there playing like a fish, because you won't be able to call that flop bet either. It's like the great San Francisco 49er offense of the late 90's with Steve Young at quarterback, coming at you with those slant plays. The defense knows exactly what's coming, but they still can't stop it.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Keys To Winning Texas Holdem Poker
Texas Hold'em is the most popular game on the market right now and that means it's the game you're most likely to need to know how to play. None of us want to fall behind the times, so it is important to learn to play the game now. And, if you really want to impress your fellow poker players with your skill and winning rate, here's all the tips you need to make your poker game the top game.
1. Watch your opponents. This is the most important tip you need to know. Since only some of the cards are community cards, Texas Hold'em is a closed poker game. If you want to know what's in your opponents' hands, you need to watch for the signs. Some of things to watch for are: sweating, swallowing, erratic breathing, twitching, fidgeting, lip biting, smiling, frowning and any repetitive motions. Many people wear hats and sunglasses to minimize their opponents' abilities to read their physical appearance.
2. Watch your own physical appearance: As you watch your opponents, they are also watching you. Make sure you guard your own "tells" and movements to keep them from reading you.
3. Understand the game. There are two really important things that you need to remember about Texas Hold'em poker. First, you need to know that the two cards in your hand are the only cards you have to beat your opponents and second, the community cards are shared by the others. If the community cards are good, chances are that there are a lot of nice hands around the table. Use this information to influence your betting strategy.
4. Texas Hold'em is a bluffing game. Try it yourself and watch for it in your opponents. The most successful bluffers will have their opponents betting early in a hand and folding late in a hand. Remember, if you're bluffing then you don't want your opponents to make it to showdown when you'll have to show your cards.
5. Know how to evaluate your cards. In Texas Hold'em, players are forced to make a betting decision even before they have a five card hand. In fact, the first round of betting occurs when only two cards are known to each player. When you look at your pocket cards, consider whether or not you should fold. You should always fold if you have two non-pair cards less than 10. Many poker players play very prudently, only remaining in a hand with very high or paired cards that can be part of a straight or flush.
6. Don't waste your chips. Only bet if you have a good starting hand. Many expert poker strategists recommend playing Texas Hold'em with a tight and aggressive strategy. This means betting rarely on a hand and when betting always bet frequently and generously. Texas Hold'em is a game of patience. You must sit through many boring hands to get to a good one.
7. Don't be afraid to fold if you've paid to see the flop. Just because you're in the hand, doesn't mean you should stay there. Remember, a tight game will reap more rewards in the end. The most important thing to remember is not to let yourself get sucked in too far with a weak hand.
1. Watch your opponents. This is the most important tip you need to know. Since only some of the cards are community cards, Texas Hold'em is a closed poker game. If you want to know what's in your opponents' hands, you need to watch for the signs. Some of things to watch for are: sweating, swallowing, erratic breathing, twitching, fidgeting, lip biting, smiling, frowning and any repetitive motions. Many people wear hats and sunglasses to minimize their opponents' abilities to read their physical appearance.
2. Watch your own physical appearance: As you watch your opponents, they are also watching you. Make sure you guard your own "tells" and movements to keep them from reading you.
3. Understand the game. There are two really important things that you need to remember about Texas Hold'em poker. First, you need to know that the two cards in your hand are the only cards you have to beat your opponents and second, the community cards are shared by the others. If the community cards are good, chances are that there are a lot of nice hands around the table. Use this information to influence your betting strategy.
4. Texas Hold'em is a bluffing game. Try it yourself and watch for it in your opponents. The most successful bluffers will have their opponents betting early in a hand and folding late in a hand. Remember, if you're bluffing then you don't want your opponents to make it to showdown when you'll have to show your cards.
5. Know how to evaluate your cards. In Texas Hold'em, players are forced to make a betting decision even before they have a five card hand. In fact, the first round of betting occurs when only two cards are known to each player. When you look at your pocket cards, consider whether or not you should fold. You should always fold if you have two non-pair cards less than 10. Many poker players play very prudently, only remaining in a hand with very high or paired cards that can be part of a straight or flush.
6. Don't waste your chips. Only bet if you have a good starting hand. Many expert poker strategists recommend playing Texas Hold'em with a tight and aggressive strategy. This means betting rarely on a hand and when betting always bet frequently and generously. Texas Hold'em is a game of patience. You must sit through many boring hands to get to a good one.
7. Don't be afraid to fold if you've paid to see the flop. Just because you're in the hand, doesn't mean you should stay there. Remember, a tight game will reap more rewards in the end. The most important thing to remember is not to let yourself get sucked in too far with a weak hand.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
How to Throw a Poker Game in your Home
Before you go and invite all your poker buddies over for a game you better make sure you have everything well planed out. I am sure you have probably gone to a poker game before and nothing was organized, ill bet it was a lousy night, right?
This is because the host was not prepared to meet the needs of his guests, but with the help of this article you will not have this problem
The first thing you need to do is make a list of all the things you will need, this should include, poker table, cards, chips, snacks and beverages, make sure to write down everything your guests may want this way nothing gets forgotten.
For my weekly poker game besides the regular chips and pizza we like to do something a little different the host will cook something for us to eat, if you decided to try this take my word put some thought into what you make. You don't want to make something that take a long time to make or that needs forks and knives to eat, this will slow down the game, and will usually end a poker game early.
Food: I like to make things that are not greasy and can be eaten with one hand leaving one hand always free to play, but every now and then it can be good to cook something different. This year for the SuperBowl we have decided to play poker and watch the game and I am going to make some BBQ ribs and we will eat while watching football and not while playing poker.
Beverages: you should make sure you have a good selection of non alcoholic drinks as well as plenty of beer for your game. Drinking too much can also make your game less enjoyable for you and the other players, no one like to have to constantly be waiting for someone who is going to the bathroom all the time or getting up to grab another cold beer.
Another disadvantage to drinking too much is that your judgment becomes impaired and to win at poker you need to have your head focused. Poker is just as much about reading your players and noticing the smallest change in a person's attitude during the game and if you drink too much you may start to miss things.
Game Related Items: A poker table is not needed to play poker and other then making you feel like you are in a poker tournament in a casino or give you a breakdown of what goes where, it does not really serve a needed function at a poker game. So if you do not have one and can not afford it do not let that stop you from throwing a game.
When it comes to the cards you play with most players just prefer a standard plastic coated playing card to anything else, and I recommend having more then 1 deck just in case a card gets bend, torn or someone gets food or grease on them.
If you are going to be playing with the same players all the time you may want to chip in together and purchase a nice set of chips, the professional weight clay chips. They are not needed for the game but I just prefer the way they feel in my hand when I am playing.
Players: If you are starting up a new game I recommend picking people who are all close t the same level of skills, no one wants to be the fish every week, and it is also so fun when one of your friends wins every week, unless it is you.
If you follow the advice in this article you will not only find you will start playing better but you and your friends will have a better time playing poker.
This is because the host was not prepared to meet the needs of his guests, but with the help of this article you will not have this problem
The first thing you need to do is make a list of all the things you will need, this should include, poker table, cards, chips, snacks and beverages, make sure to write down everything your guests may want this way nothing gets forgotten.
For my weekly poker game besides the regular chips and pizza we like to do something a little different the host will cook something for us to eat, if you decided to try this take my word put some thought into what you make. You don't want to make something that take a long time to make or that needs forks and knives to eat, this will slow down the game, and will usually end a poker game early.
Food: I like to make things that are not greasy and can be eaten with one hand leaving one hand always free to play, but every now and then it can be good to cook something different. This year for the SuperBowl we have decided to play poker and watch the game and I am going to make some BBQ ribs and we will eat while watching football and not while playing poker.
Beverages: you should make sure you have a good selection of non alcoholic drinks as well as plenty of beer for your game. Drinking too much can also make your game less enjoyable for you and the other players, no one like to have to constantly be waiting for someone who is going to the bathroom all the time or getting up to grab another cold beer.
Another disadvantage to drinking too much is that your judgment becomes impaired and to win at poker you need to have your head focused. Poker is just as much about reading your players and noticing the smallest change in a person's attitude during the game and if you drink too much you may start to miss things.
Game Related Items: A poker table is not needed to play poker and other then making you feel like you are in a poker tournament in a casino or give you a breakdown of what goes where, it does not really serve a needed function at a poker game. So if you do not have one and can not afford it do not let that stop you from throwing a game.
When it comes to the cards you play with most players just prefer a standard plastic coated playing card to anything else, and I recommend having more then 1 deck just in case a card gets bend, torn or someone gets food or grease on them.
If you are going to be playing with the same players all the time you may want to chip in together and purchase a nice set of chips, the professional weight clay chips. They are not needed for the game but I just prefer the way they feel in my hand when I am playing.
Players: If you are starting up a new game I recommend picking people who are all close t the same level of skills, no one wants to be the fish every week, and it is also so fun when one of your friends wins every week, unless it is you.
If you follow the advice in this article you will not only find you will start playing better but you and your friends will have a better time playing poker.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Poker Betting Limit: How to Pick One 4 U
Before you head for the nearest empty chair at an open poker table, hold on. There is one very important factor that you must check and verify before you start playing.
What? Check the betting limit of that particular table.
Why? This is what determines the professional skills of the poker players you will face and will also help you calculate approximately how much cash you need for this particular round of betting.
For the Casual Poker Fan:
You should try and begin by selecting a table with a low limit. Here, you will enjoy the relatively casual ambience and friendly opponents, who will not have a lot of experience playing and thus you stand a fair chance of winning. The slight problem with such games is that such kinds of tables are difficult to locate. In addition, those playing at such tables tend to play in a very conservative manner and this slows down the flow of the game. If you are still interested in looking for such tables you will be able to find them at the downtown casinos and gambling halls or at poker rooms not located on the Las Vegas strip itself such as the Palace Station.
Wish to Play Texas Holdem Instead?
Here too, select the lower limit games such as the 4/8 version. In this game, you will be allowed to increase only by four dollars and hence the name. Then, when you come to the last two betting rounds, you will have to double it to eight dollars. Likewise, you can also find the following limits: two and then four, three and then six, four and then eight, eight and then sixteen, fifteen and then thirty, thirty and then sixty and the last one which is pretty different to find (and which unless you are prepared to dish out large sums, you should avoid.) forty and then eight during the last two rounds of betting.
How Many Chips Should You Purchase In Such Games?
What you can do is multiply the end limit by about twenty and then make sure you have that amount. For example, if you wanted to join a table where the limit is two and then four. Multiply four into twenty and you get eighty. So, this is the sum of chips you must bring in to the game by buying them from the cash counters in the casino.
Another option is playing Texas holdem with no limits whatsoever, but beware. Such games pull pros and then you will find yourself at a big disadvantage.
For the Experienced Poker Player:
Most pros prefer playing Texas holdem than other poker games. And such professionals opt for games with no limit or that have a high limit of at least fifteen dollars. Beware, these tables (You can find them in the top casinos such as the Bellagio and others on the strip.) are places where you can lose hundreds of dollars in minutes so unless you are aware of this or unless you want to swim with the sharks because you consider yourself a shark too, stay away.
Conclusion:
Note that sometimes the tables might be occupied and it might take you a while to get a seat. Remember that this is not an online casino where tables are always open. Have patience and wait and do not leave and just join a higher or lower limit table than the one you have decided on. Remember that the outcome of your casino experience depends on this decision.
What? Check the betting limit of that particular table.
Why? This is what determines the professional skills of the poker players you will face and will also help you calculate approximately how much cash you need for this particular round of betting.
For the Casual Poker Fan:
You should try and begin by selecting a table with a low limit. Here, you will enjoy the relatively casual ambience and friendly opponents, who will not have a lot of experience playing and thus you stand a fair chance of winning. The slight problem with such games is that such kinds of tables are difficult to locate. In addition, those playing at such tables tend to play in a very conservative manner and this slows down the flow of the game. If you are still interested in looking for such tables you will be able to find them at the downtown casinos and gambling halls or at poker rooms not located on the Las Vegas strip itself such as the Palace Station.
Wish to Play Texas Holdem Instead?
Here too, select the lower limit games such as the 4/8 version. In this game, you will be allowed to increase only by four dollars and hence the name. Then, when you come to the last two betting rounds, you will have to double it to eight dollars. Likewise, you can also find the following limits: two and then four, three and then six, four and then eight, eight and then sixteen, fifteen and then thirty, thirty and then sixty and the last one which is pretty different to find (and which unless you are prepared to dish out large sums, you should avoid.) forty and then eight during the last two rounds of betting.
How Many Chips Should You Purchase In Such Games?
What you can do is multiply the end limit by about twenty and then make sure you have that amount. For example, if you wanted to join a table where the limit is two and then four. Multiply four into twenty and you get eighty. So, this is the sum of chips you must bring in to the game by buying them from the cash counters in the casino.
Another option is playing Texas holdem with no limits whatsoever, but beware. Such games pull pros and then you will find yourself at a big disadvantage.
For the Experienced Poker Player:
Most pros prefer playing Texas holdem than other poker games. And such professionals opt for games with no limit or that have a high limit of at least fifteen dollars. Beware, these tables (You can find them in the top casinos such as the Bellagio and others on the strip.) are places where you can lose hundreds of dollars in minutes so unless you are aware of this or unless you want to swim with the sharks because you consider yourself a shark too, stay away.
Conclusion:
Note that sometimes the tables might be occupied and it might take you a while to get a seat. Remember that this is not an online casino where tables are always open. Have patience and wait and do not leave and just join a higher or lower limit table than the one you have decided on. Remember that the outcome of your casino experience depends on this decision.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
All-in - When's the right time to push all-in?
I always know when I am at a table playing with a fish. He's the guy that keeps going all-in. Sure he steals a few pots and maybe even gets called sucks out and doubles up. Playing like this in known as loose - aggressive and is generally not the way to go. There is a time and place fore everything loose - aggressive plays well short handed or heads - up. The rest of the time you should be playing tight - aggressive. When the other players spot a loose guy they sit back and let him win a few blinds then take all his chips when he goes all-in with a crap hand. When making a big bet wile playing Texas holdem timing and table image has a lot to do with wining or losing.
The tight part of tight - aggressive means only playing strong or premium hands to begin with. If for instance you are playing loose with an A-8 starting hand. You stay in and see the flop, it comes up A-4-7 . Ye-haw you just hit top pair the problem is you don't know where you stand because of the low valued kicker (8). You will have to bet to see if anybody else has an ace, and if they do you are probably beat. Its better to be the guy with the big kicker raising the loose guys bet and wining. To be able to make an all - in bet with confidence you need to know that you have the best hand, and this begins with the starting hands that you choose to play.
In poker the ability to judge the value of other players hands is as important as knowing the value of yours. Your position at the table can either help you or hinder you. In early position you have to act first and everyone reacts to what you do. Its easy to fall into a trap in earl position so its best to slow play your big hands. However when in late position you have the advantage of seeing how the other players bet and can better judge who you will be up against and what they have. You should only go all-in when in late position and its always best to be the aggressor.
Table image is another thing that can work for or against you. If you bluff to much it will work against you. After I win a hand with a big bet I like to show the other players that they were smart to fold by showing my cards. Later in the game if I feel the need to bluff the other players will fold because of my tight table image my bets get respect. If you find yourself with a loose image at a table don't bluff because you will be called. You will have to wait for the nuts then go all-in and get your call.
Although these concepts are considered basic poker strategy you will find that a lot of players ignore them, especially online. Play tight - aggressive, also pay attention to your table position and table image and you will win big pots and only lose the little ones. When's the time to push all-in? The answer is simple when you know you are going to win!
To read more poker articles visit HoldemKnow-how.com .
The tight part of tight - aggressive means only playing strong or premium hands to begin with. If for instance you are playing loose with an A-8 starting hand. You stay in and see the flop, it comes up A-4-7 . Ye-haw you just hit top pair the problem is you don't know where you stand because of the low valued kicker (8). You will have to bet to see if anybody else has an ace, and if they do you are probably beat. Its better to be the guy with the big kicker raising the loose guys bet and wining. To be able to make an all - in bet with confidence you need to know that you have the best hand, and this begins with the starting hands that you choose to play.
In poker the ability to judge the value of other players hands is as important as knowing the value of yours. Your position at the table can either help you or hinder you. In early position you have to act first and everyone reacts to what you do. Its easy to fall into a trap in earl position so its best to slow play your big hands. However when in late position you have the advantage of seeing how the other players bet and can better judge who you will be up against and what they have. You should only go all-in when in late position and its always best to be the aggressor.
Table image is another thing that can work for or against you. If you bluff to much it will work against you. After I win a hand with a big bet I like to show the other players that they were smart to fold by showing my cards. Later in the game if I feel the need to bluff the other players will fold because of my tight table image my bets get respect. If you find yourself with a loose image at a table don't bluff because you will be called. You will have to wait for the nuts then go all-in and get your call.
Although these concepts are considered basic poker strategy you will find that a lot of players ignore them, especially online. Play tight - aggressive, also pay attention to your table position and table image and you will win big pots and only lose the little ones. When's the time to push all-in? The answer is simple when you know you are going to win!
To read more poker articles visit HoldemKnow-how.com .
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Aggressive VS Passive
Aggressive and passive refer to the amount you bet in any given situation. The more you bet the more aggressive you are. Most professional poker players recommend a tight-aggressive general playing style. The truth is your playing style should be flexible. You need to be able to adapt your style to fit different situations, for instance a ten player sit and go should be played differently then a three hundred player tournament. Table position should also be taken into consideration when determining your level of aggression in a hand. Also you need to be able to react to the other players and their styles.
Generally aggressive works better then passive. When playing texas holdem poker you need to bet when you have good cards because most of the cards played are shared with all the players. Being aggressive makes players on a draw take a big gamble or fold. I like to implement a passive strategy against loose players. When I have a big hand I limp in, then they bet aggressively and I raise the pot with the best cards.
You must play different styles when faced with different situations. In ten player sit and go I start out passive then later in the tournament I change to aggressive. You can win pots with the second best hand by betting big against a passive player. On the other hand you can trap an aggressive player by playing passively. The question in the back of your mind should be what does the other guy have? An aggressive bet can help you to answer this question because if someone calls or raises a big bet it usually means that they have a big hand.
Table position needs to be taken into consideration. When in early position you should ease off a bit so that you have a chance to see what the other players do before you have allot of chips in the pot because it is easy to walk into a trap playing aggressively in early position. Late position on the other hand is where you can turn it up a little as it is easier to judge the value of your opponents hand by the amount they bet.
Aggressive wins over passive most times. All you need to do is pay attention to the other players playing styles, as well as your table position and you will know when to turn it up or down. Take every hand serious and pick your moments, then you will be raking in the chips.
To read more poker articles visit HoldemKnow-how.com .
Generally aggressive works better then passive. When playing texas holdem poker you need to bet when you have good cards because most of the cards played are shared with all the players. Being aggressive makes players on a draw take a big gamble or fold. I like to implement a passive strategy against loose players. When I have a big hand I limp in, then they bet aggressively and I raise the pot with the best cards.
You must play different styles when faced with different situations. In ten player sit and go I start out passive then later in the tournament I change to aggressive. You can win pots with the second best hand by betting big against a passive player. On the other hand you can trap an aggressive player by playing passively. The question in the back of your mind should be what does the other guy have? An aggressive bet can help you to answer this question because if someone calls or raises a big bet it usually means that they have a big hand.
Table position needs to be taken into consideration. When in early position you should ease off a bit so that you have a chance to see what the other players do before you have allot of chips in the pot because it is easy to walk into a trap playing aggressively in early position. Late position on the other hand is where you can turn it up a little as it is easier to judge the value of your opponents hand by the amount they bet.
Aggressive wins over passive most times. All you need to do is pay attention to the other players playing styles, as well as your table position and you will know when to turn it up or down. Take every hand serious and pick your moments, then you will be raking in the chips.
To read more poker articles visit HoldemKnow-how.com .
Is Online Poker Rigged?
Online poker is not rigged. The poker sites make their money from the rake not you loosing a hand. With that being said the question you should be asking yourself is what do I need to watch out for while playing online? There are hackers that claim they have programs that allow them to cheat. But I don't believe them. If you are being cheated the culprit is most likely another player at the table not the online poker site.
The rake is the money the online poker site collects from the players each hand. It is a percentage of the money that is bet. At most sites there is a cap on the rake, therefore it is in the sites best interest to leave things alone and have many players making mostly normal small bets. The reason you may see more big hands like a straight flush or four of a kind online is the play online is generally loose especially at low money tables. The more players in a hand means its more likely that a someone will draw a monster hand. Its not the way the program is shuffling the cards.
Hackers that claim they have hacked the poker sites are usually trying to sell you some kind of cheater program. These programs don't work and are nothing more than a scam. The online poker sites are super secure these days. A reputation of security and fairness equals new customers and cash to a poker site, so they go to great lengths to achieve this.
If you have been cheated online it was most likely wile playing against two or more players that were in collusion. This is when two players secretly communicate with each other about their hole cards and betting strategy. To guard against this watch for players that always play slow before the flop because this is when they are communicating and plotting against you, also look out for a guy that keeps raising and reraising with nothing because he's trying to jack up the pot for his partner or push out players that may win. Poker sites watch for players that only play together. The cheaters quickly get spotted by the players or the poker site and are not anything to worry about.
Where there's money involved there will always be cheaters but online poker is not rigged. Pick an established poker site to play on and you will be all right. The play online is different then it is at a casino, however you are less likely to be cheated online because no human ever touches the cards. If you spot a cheater always turn them in.
To read more poker articles visit HoldemKnow-how.com.
The rake is the money the online poker site collects from the players each hand. It is a percentage of the money that is bet. At most sites there is a cap on the rake, therefore it is in the sites best interest to leave things alone and have many players making mostly normal small bets. The reason you may see more big hands like a straight flush or four of a kind online is the play online is generally loose especially at low money tables. The more players in a hand means its more likely that a someone will draw a monster hand. Its not the way the program is shuffling the cards.
Hackers that claim they have hacked the poker sites are usually trying to sell you some kind of cheater program. These programs don't work and are nothing more than a scam. The online poker sites are super secure these days. A reputation of security and fairness equals new customers and cash to a poker site, so they go to great lengths to achieve this.
If you have been cheated online it was most likely wile playing against two or more players that were in collusion. This is when two players secretly communicate with each other about their hole cards and betting strategy. To guard against this watch for players that always play slow before the flop because this is when they are communicating and plotting against you, also look out for a guy that keeps raising and reraising with nothing because he's trying to jack up the pot for his partner or push out players that may win. Poker sites watch for players that only play together. The cheaters quickly get spotted by the players or the poker site and are not anything to worry about.
Where there's money involved there will always be cheaters but online poker is not rigged. Pick an established poker site to play on and you will be all right. The play online is different then it is at a casino, however you are less likely to be cheated online because no human ever touches the cards. If you spot a cheater always turn them in.
To read more poker articles visit HoldemKnow-how.com.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Learn How to Bluff In Online Poker like a pro
By all of my other articles on online poker playing, you should know by now, that poker games like Texas hold'em is not just a simple card game with a set of rules you play and hope to win. Yes you use cards and you mix them and the dealing of cards has some factors of randomness, but its how you play your cards that matters, not like rolling dices and hoping to get a 6 eyes.
One of the factors that a lot of poker players use s bluffing, a bluff can be when you have a bad hand, acting like a big shot making some big bets, trying to scare your opponent away, or trying to make him bet even more because you know you can beat him.
You could also do the opposite, if you have a good hand, try not to let the opponent know, catch him like a fish, let him bet, or even go all in, then you catch him like a big fish and win all the money, Now that good poker.
But bluffing is a tricky thing to do, most people get somehow caught trying to bluff and then they will loose a lot of money.
The great thing about bluffing is sometimes to reveal your bluff if you have won, not to brag but to piss your opponent off, so it affects his playing.
The very first thing you need to see about is the position you strike from. Late position is the ideal spot to start bluffing. But still don't bluff always, cause then people will try to catch you.
Its very important to find the right guy to buff, a very bad victim is the aggressive guy, the one that bets a lot, and uses the forces of luck. (He will break down by him self at some point).
Never overdo the rising when bluffing, remember you don't want to be catch in bluffing. You want him to think that you are forcing him to bet to the pot because you have a big hand, when you actually have a bad hand and can accept to win what's already in the pot.
Bluffing online is not as easy as in real life, not that its easy in real life, cause then you have to think about not revealing anything with body language, which would be fatal, and a very known looser factor.
One of the factors that a lot of poker players use s bluffing, a bluff can be when you have a bad hand, acting like a big shot making some big bets, trying to scare your opponent away, or trying to make him bet even more because you know you can beat him.
You could also do the opposite, if you have a good hand, try not to let the opponent know, catch him like a fish, let him bet, or even go all in, then you catch him like a big fish and win all the money, Now that good poker.
But bluffing is a tricky thing to do, most people get somehow caught trying to bluff and then they will loose a lot of money.
The great thing about bluffing is sometimes to reveal your bluff if you have won, not to brag but to piss your opponent off, so it affects his playing.
The very first thing you need to see about is the position you strike from. Late position is the ideal spot to start bluffing. But still don't bluff always, cause then people will try to catch you.
Its very important to find the right guy to buff, a very bad victim is the aggressive guy, the one that bets a lot, and uses the forces of luck. (He will break down by him self at some point).
Never overdo the rising when bluffing, remember you don't want to be catch in bluffing. You want him to think that you are forcing him to bet to the pot because you have a big hand, when you actually have a bad hand and can accept to win what's already in the pot.
Bluffing online is not as easy as in real life, not that its easy in real life, cause then you have to think about not revealing anything with body language, which would be fatal, and a very known looser factor.
How to Play Casino Poker in 5 points
When playing casino poker everyone needs help sometimes. There are five main rules to make the game easier of all players, no matter how skilfully they play. The first rule is to rejoice. There are lots of sites that offer all kinds of games, and it's often daunting for a beginner to join an online poker room where everyone seems more experienced. Telling other game participants that you are new to the game can give you advantage. If a person sees an inexperienced Rule2 is to pay attention to the twists in the game. It is necessary to take care of how your game is played. Simply paying attention to the way the other game participants are playing can help improve your timing very much. It is quite common in a game of poker to wait a some time, but no more then two minutes before you place a bet. This is to create suspense while still maintaining the speed of the game, and also to settle that the game is player, some will be tolerant towards you. This is the key to having fun and winning the money. You may even pretend as though you are inexperienced so game participants will enable you to supervise the situation. However, most game participants are only noticing their personal play ignoring others. Therefore, no need to concentrate on any other player during a game session other than your own hand. This way, the game will run gently, and you'll be having fun. The third rule is to collect information about the room you're going to play in. A lot of players sit down to play a game without taking anything in. There are often deals that are offered by the poker room, from point redemption when buying items, to free games being offered as a taster. The personnel in the poker room are there to help all game participants, so if there are any queries you might have, these are the people to assist you. It isn't a requirement that you enter a poker room and begin playing, and it is possible to observe others playing a game to define the experience level of each player before deciding whether or not to play. The penultimate rule is to limit yourself. If you're not experienced in the game, then it's recommended to start small, and build your way up to the extremely fast, highly experienced games. This rule is used for collecting prizes or cash values. Placing a small bet means that if you do happen to lose, the money lost should be an insignificant value. Finally, the fifth in casino poker is to have a rest from time to time. Play shorter sessions to avoid gaming with time-wasters, or people who want to eat, drink and chat instead of competing in a fun game of poker. It is recommended to start with a slower paced game before you work up to the faster paced ones. This is so that the newer or unexperienced players can have a chance to obtain refreshments as and when needed without disturbing other people.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Playing Poker on Saint Martin
Holiday
I have just returned home from a two week vacation to the Caribbean island Saint Martin with my family. It was a whole lot of fun, especially seeing my almost 2 year old son enjoying the ocean and the pool at our hotel. Besides that, my girlfriend and I went out eating and drinking almost every night, together with a couple of friends from the States (who came over to join us for a week), while my mother was babysitting our son. It's been years since we went out this frequently, and this holiday was very enjoyable, even though my mother came along. ;)
On a couple of occasions I went playing poker in two of the 12 casino's the island counts. St. Martin is partitioned between two different nations (Dutch and French), and the casino's are only allowed on the Dutch side. Some of the Saint Martin casino's are small, have lot's of slots and no poker rooms. Very few players (except for some huge Americans and locals) could be found playing, mainly because it's currently low season, but some others were larger (not massive like Las Vegas, but respectable) and offered also a couple of poker tables.
The Atlantis Casino
I was recommended by my brother who's a resident of St. Martin to go to the Atlantis Casino, very close to the French border (not that there is an actually crossing line). They host 3 multi table tournaments per week. A $75 Rebuy and Addon on Saturdays and Sundays, and on Wednesday a $150 freezout. Because I had only one night off, I had to make a choice between one of these three poker tourneys. I decided to pick the $75 R&A on Saturday since I was very eager to play in real life.
When I arrived at the Atlantis Casino I felt really excited. This was my first time to play in a live tourney, besides the games I play with friends. I made sure to come in time, so I would not miss registration. After I registered I sat down at the bar for an espresso seeing more and more poker players arrive. At 9 PM everybody was called to their table. I was sitting at table 4, seat 10, just right to the dealer who was quite cute, but not very friendly.
The Atlantis Casino has 8 tables, and about 64 players were registered (8 per table). Many of the players were French. It kind felt like some of the men sitting at my table were celebrities, looking at their clothes, watches, polished nails, and age differences between them and their accompanying women. The Atlantis Casino is also very close to the Low Lands area on Saint Martin, which is where the very rich have their mansions, so it could definitely be the case. In any case, they held a whole lot more of cash in their wallets than I did. ;)
Everybody received 2000 starting chips, and immediate rebuys were allowed. Because of this some who could afford it started with double the amount I had. As I didn't want to spend too much money, I just decided to wait for the good hands, not risking a quick rebuy. The main reason I decided to play anyway was to have a good time!
5 Hours, 6 Hands
For a while I kept folding... but when nobody bet while I was sitting on the big blind, I was able to see my first flop. This is one of the few hands I didn't remember very well when analyzing afterwards, but one of the two cards in my hand was a 9. With another 9 on the flop I decided to call a small bet, even though I had middle pair with also at least one over card (K) on the table. The fourth street didn't help me. When everybody checked up to me I decided to make a small informational bet. I got called by just "the French Goth-father", an older man dressed up in all white clothes. The river came, and again it didn't help me. I do remember there were a few over cards, so I was ready to lay my hand down. Don Corleone instead just checked, so I could see the showdown for free. I checked and took away the pot with only a pair of 9's.
Cowboys
Just a couple of hands later I got dealt pocket K's. I really felt uncomfortable (nervous) and wanted to hide all my tells, but I did raise about three times the big blind. The only caller this time was "the Writer". I gave this name to the man sitting on seat 7. This was the type of guy that you couldn't miss when walking into the Atlantis Casino. He had long curly brown hair, and I put him on fifty-some years. The girls around him seemed at least 30 years younger. He had such typical expressions that it was very amusing to observe him, and by the looks of it he also didn't mind to drink a few now and then. Anyway, as you can understand... this was one of those men that beat me straight away if we would have count the money in our wallets. Though, "the Writer" was definitely not a good poker player, sometimes you just don't believe the hands people show.
This hand started perfectly when I hit trips with the flop, what a shame that it was just me versus "the Writer". I raised about half the pot size, and hoped he held the other K in his hands, having top pair or perhaps even 2 pair. He called, and I decided to bet a bit more after the turn card. Unfortunately he folded without showing his hands.
Because of my conservative way of playing, people respected my stealing attempt while sitting in late position. With this move I managed to raise my stack up to 4000, just before the break.
Pizza Time
Pizza's came in for all players when the break began. Most players left their seats for a slice or two, including me. Players were given the opportunity to addon for $75 right after the break. At first I didn't want to, but when I noticed that everybody got 5000 extra chips to their stacks, I decided to put in the money so at least I could still compete. I gave the tournament director 80 bucks, got my chips, but never received the change... Oh well, I couldn't really care since I was having a great time!
For a while I was back to folding pre flop, since I received only trashy hands not matching my tight way of playing. As time ticked by, I was finally dealt a reasonable starting hand. I was in late position and decided to call a bet of three times the big blind with AT suited of Diamonds. I was the only caller, so I needed to hit on the flop to make this hand work out. There were two Queens on the flop, and I don't remember the third card. What I do remember is that the third card, and one of the Queens were Diamonds giving me a nut flush draw. Chasing the flush unfortunately cost me more than half my of stack, dropping to less than 4000. My opponent was a smart player, a bit scary since it was a guy wearing eye brow make-up, but he made sure to get as much as he could giving me the proper calling odds after the river. He showed AQ, and took the pot.
Another Table
Not much later they moved me to another table together with a guy sitting on the small blind. This was actually a frustrating move, since I had plenty of tells on some of the men at my table. When I was moved, the manager switched me from big blind to small blind, and the other guy got "my seat". Of course I had to lay my first hand down, and he showed the nuts making him win a nice pot. Don't let me bother you telling how that feels!
The second play was actually quite good for me. I was sitting on small blind, and the button moved all in to steal my chips. I needed to make a move sooner or later, so I decided to call with pocket 3's. My read was good, he showed K8 off-suit and my three's held up. The man acknowledged my play, and complimented me for the call. I doubled up to 6000 and was ready to sit and fold for another while.
That "other while" didn't last very long because only three hands later I was dealt pocket Queens. This was my best hand, besides the Kings in the early stage of this tournament. To play this hand I had to face a few arguments. My stack (low compared to most opponents at the the table) made it do or die time, I was in early/middle position, and didn't have a lot of information about the other poker players. The man just in front of me raised twice the big blind. I didn't think he had a better hand than I did after thinking for a few seconds. Isolating him seemed to be the best play, thus moving all in was the right play IMO. The two players right after me folded, but the third one also moved all his chips in. Oops, I didn't see this one coming! The man who made the initial bet called and we all opened up. He showed AK off-suit, the man after me showed a pair of sevens (Hearts and Diamonds), and I was happy to hold the strongest hand. Unfortunately luck wasn't on my side. The flop had a King, the turn an Ace, and the river was a Hearts completing the lucky flush of Hearts for the guy holding sevens, and ending my tournament.
The End
After being eliminated I actually felt a bit miserable. I over thought my play, and thought about alternative plays I could have made. Until this very moment I'm still confident that moving all in was the best decision.
It was past 2 AM, the total pot was over $16,000 and I stayed observing the tables for a short while. Not much later I decided to leave the Atlantis Casino on Saint Martin, leaving me with a wonderful memory of my first life poker tournament. This experience cost quite some money, but was well worth all of it. I loved sitting at the table with "the French Goth-father" and "the Writer", I loved staying alive for 5 hours just playing a total of 6 hands, I just wish that I held one Hearts in my hand on that last play. ;)
I have just returned home from a two week vacation to the Caribbean island Saint Martin with my family. It was a whole lot of fun, especially seeing my almost 2 year old son enjoying the ocean and the pool at our hotel. Besides that, my girlfriend and I went out eating and drinking almost every night, together with a couple of friends from the States (who came over to join us for a week), while my mother was babysitting our son. It's been years since we went out this frequently, and this holiday was very enjoyable, even though my mother came along. ;)
On a couple of occasions I went playing poker in two of the 12 casino's the island counts. St. Martin is partitioned between two different nations (Dutch and French), and the casino's are only allowed on the Dutch side. Some of the Saint Martin casino's are small, have lot's of slots and no poker rooms. Very few players (except for some huge Americans and locals) could be found playing, mainly because it's currently low season, but some others were larger (not massive like Las Vegas, but respectable) and offered also a couple of poker tables.
The Atlantis Casino
I was recommended by my brother who's a resident of St. Martin to go to the Atlantis Casino, very close to the French border (not that there is an actually crossing line). They host 3 multi table tournaments per week. A $75 Rebuy and Addon on Saturdays and Sundays, and on Wednesday a $150 freezout. Because I had only one night off, I had to make a choice between one of these three poker tourneys. I decided to pick the $75 R&A on Saturday since I was very eager to play in real life.
When I arrived at the Atlantis Casino I felt really excited. This was my first time to play in a live tourney, besides the games I play with friends. I made sure to come in time, so I would not miss registration. After I registered I sat down at the bar for an espresso seeing more and more poker players arrive. At 9 PM everybody was called to their table. I was sitting at table 4, seat 10, just right to the dealer who was quite cute, but not very friendly.
The Atlantis Casino has 8 tables, and about 64 players were registered (8 per table). Many of the players were French. It kind felt like some of the men sitting at my table were celebrities, looking at their clothes, watches, polished nails, and age differences between them and their accompanying women. The Atlantis Casino is also very close to the Low Lands area on Saint Martin, which is where the very rich have their mansions, so it could definitely be the case. In any case, they held a whole lot more of cash in their wallets than I did. ;)
Everybody received 2000 starting chips, and immediate rebuys were allowed. Because of this some who could afford it started with double the amount I had. As I didn't want to spend too much money, I just decided to wait for the good hands, not risking a quick rebuy. The main reason I decided to play anyway was to have a good time!
5 Hours, 6 Hands
For a while I kept folding... but when nobody bet while I was sitting on the big blind, I was able to see my first flop. This is one of the few hands I didn't remember very well when analyzing afterwards, but one of the two cards in my hand was a 9. With another 9 on the flop I decided to call a small bet, even though I had middle pair with also at least one over card (K) on the table. The fourth street didn't help me. When everybody checked up to me I decided to make a small informational bet. I got called by just "the French Goth-father", an older man dressed up in all white clothes. The river came, and again it didn't help me. I do remember there were a few over cards, so I was ready to lay my hand down. Don Corleone instead just checked, so I could see the showdown for free. I checked and took away the pot with only a pair of 9's.
Cowboys
Just a couple of hands later I got dealt pocket K's. I really felt uncomfortable (nervous) and wanted to hide all my tells, but I did raise about three times the big blind. The only caller this time was "the Writer". I gave this name to the man sitting on seat 7. This was the type of guy that you couldn't miss when walking into the Atlantis Casino. He had long curly brown hair, and I put him on fifty-some years. The girls around him seemed at least 30 years younger. He had such typical expressions that it was very amusing to observe him, and by the looks of it he also didn't mind to drink a few now and then. Anyway, as you can understand... this was one of those men that beat me straight away if we would have count the money in our wallets. Though, "the Writer" was definitely not a good poker player, sometimes you just don't believe the hands people show.
This hand started perfectly when I hit trips with the flop, what a shame that it was just me versus "the Writer". I raised about half the pot size, and hoped he held the other K in his hands, having top pair or perhaps even 2 pair. He called, and I decided to bet a bit more after the turn card. Unfortunately he folded without showing his hands.
Because of my conservative way of playing, people respected my stealing attempt while sitting in late position. With this move I managed to raise my stack up to 4000, just before the break.
Pizza Time
Pizza's came in for all players when the break began. Most players left their seats for a slice or two, including me. Players were given the opportunity to addon for $75 right after the break. At first I didn't want to, but when I noticed that everybody got 5000 extra chips to their stacks, I decided to put in the money so at least I could still compete. I gave the tournament director 80 bucks, got my chips, but never received the change... Oh well, I couldn't really care since I was having a great time!
For a while I was back to folding pre flop, since I received only trashy hands not matching my tight way of playing. As time ticked by, I was finally dealt a reasonable starting hand. I was in late position and decided to call a bet of three times the big blind with AT suited of Diamonds. I was the only caller, so I needed to hit on the flop to make this hand work out. There were two Queens on the flop, and I don't remember the third card. What I do remember is that the third card, and one of the Queens were Diamonds giving me a nut flush draw. Chasing the flush unfortunately cost me more than half my of stack, dropping to less than 4000. My opponent was a smart player, a bit scary since it was a guy wearing eye brow make-up, but he made sure to get as much as he could giving me the proper calling odds after the river. He showed AQ, and took the pot.
Another Table
Not much later they moved me to another table together with a guy sitting on the small blind. This was actually a frustrating move, since I had plenty of tells on some of the men at my table. When I was moved, the manager switched me from big blind to small blind, and the other guy got "my seat". Of course I had to lay my first hand down, and he showed the nuts making him win a nice pot. Don't let me bother you telling how that feels!
The second play was actually quite good for me. I was sitting on small blind, and the button moved all in to steal my chips. I needed to make a move sooner or later, so I decided to call with pocket 3's. My read was good, he showed K8 off-suit and my three's held up. The man acknowledged my play, and complimented me for the call. I doubled up to 6000 and was ready to sit and fold for another while.
That "other while" didn't last very long because only three hands later I was dealt pocket Queens. This was my best hand, besides the Kings in the early stage of this tournament. To play this hand I had to face a few arguments. My stack (low compared to most opponents at the the table) made it do or die time, I was in early/middle position, and didn't have a lot of information about the other poker players. The man just in front of me raised twice the big blind. I didn't think he had a better hand than I did after thinking for a few seconds. Isolating him seemed to be the best play, thus moving all in was the right play IMO. The two players right after me folded, but the third one also moved all his chips in. Oops, I didn't see this one coming! The man who made the initial bet called and we all opened up. He showed AK off-suit, the man after me showed a pair of sevens (Hearts and Diamonds), and I was happy to hold the strongest hand. Unfortunately luck wasn't on my side. The flop had a King, the turn an Ace, and the river was a Hearts completing the lucky flush of Hearts for the guy holding sevens, and ending my tournament.
The End
After being eliminated I actually felt a bit miserable. I over thought my play, and thought about alternative plays I could have made. Until this very moment I'm still confident that moving all in was the best decision.
It was past 2 AM, the total pot was over $16,000 and I stayed observing the tables for a short while. Not much later I decided to leave the Atlantis Casino on Saint Martin, leaving me with a wonderful memory of my first life poker tournament. This experience cost quite some money, but was well worth all of it. I loved sitting at the table with "the French Goth-father" and "the Writer", I loved staying alive for 5 hours just playing a total of 6 hands, I just wish that I held one Hearts in my hand on that last play. ;)
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Las Vegas: Top 5 Poker Rooms in Las Vegas
If you want to experience live poker action at the gambling Mecca of the world, here is a guide to the top poker rooms in Las Vegas. You can read here updated info on each of the recommended Las Vegas poker rooms including their game variety, limits and tournaments.
1) Bellagio Casino and Hotel
If you want to experience Las Vegas poker action and hang out with pros, the Bellagio is the casino for you. It is one of the classiest poker rooms available in Las Vegas. It is so popular that you might find yourself spending over an hour at the waiting list and then find yourself stuck with a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs.
The games offered are Texas Holdem, Omaha and stud games, and you can also join one of the tournaments, but note that this involves playing No Limit Holdem. As for the table limits for the regular games, these are as follows:
a) Limit Holdem: 4/8, 8/16, 15/30, 30/60, 60/120, 75/150 dollars and up.
b) No Limit Holdem: 200 dollars buy ins with 2/5 dollars blinds.
c) Omaha: 6/12, 15/30, 20/40, 30/60, 50/100 dollars and up.
d) Stud Poker: 1/5, 4/8, 8/16, 30/60, 75/150 dollars and up.
2) Mirage Las Vegas
If you are tired of waiting for a table at Bellagio, the poker rooms at the Mirage can be an acceptable alternative. It resembles Bellagio's with its luxurious atmosphere, variety of games and its huge popularity among pros as well as tourists.
The games offered are Texas Holdem and Omaha, Stud and as the Bellagio, playing in a tournament means getting involved with No Limit Texas Holdem. As for the limits of each table in a regular game, they are:
a) Limit Holdem: 3/6, 6/12, 10/20, 20/40, 40/80 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: between 100 and 500 dollars buy ins with 2/5 dollars blinds.
c) Omaha: 5/10 dollars.
d) Stud Poker: 1/5, 5/10.
3) Excalibur Las Vegas
If you want to play in a less stressful environment, check out the poker room at the Excalibur casino. You can play spread limit Holdem with the lowest limits available on the Strip and enjoy beginners friendly rules such as limitation on three raises. The room has been renovated recently and the poker tables and seats are very comfortable.
At the Excalibur, you can play Texas Holdem or 7 Card Stud, and the limits are slightly lower:
a) Limit Holdem: 1/3, 2/6 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 dollars buy ins with 1/3 dollars blinds.
c) 7 Card Stud: 1/5 dollars and up.
4) Binions' Horseshoe Hotel and Casino
If you want to play at the same room where the first WSOP took place, you must visit Binions' poker room. Although the casino has been renovated and went through many changes since the days of Nick the Greek, the ghosts of the past still haunt the place, but in a good way.
Here too you can play Texas Holdem, No Limit Holdem in their own tournament, Omaha and Stud games for the following limits:
a) Limit Holdem: 2/4, 4/8, 10/20 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 dollars minimum buy ins with 1/2 dollars blinds.
c) Omaha: 4/8 dollars.
d) Stud Poker: 1/5.
5) Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
If you want to follow in the steps of the 2006 WSOP champions, check out the Rio poker room. You might be surprised from the size and the small variety of games, but the thought of sharing the same location with contemporary gaming legends adds a certain appeal to it.
Other than taking part in the tournament where you can participate in some No Limit Holdem, you can pick from Texas Holdem, 7 Card Stud, Omaha or a few other variations according to what players request. The limits are as follows:
a) Limit Holdem: 2/4, 3/6, 4/8 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 dollars minimum buy ins with 2/5 dollars blinds.
1) Bellagio Casino and Hotel
If you want to experience Las Vegas poker action and hang out with pros, the Bellagio is the casino for you. It is one of the classiest poker rooms available in Las Vegas. It is so popular that you might find yourself spending over an hour at the waiting list and then find yourself stuck with a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs.
The games offered are Texas Holdem, Omaha and stud games, and you can also join one of the tournaments, but note that this involves playing No Limit Holdem. As for the table limits for the regular games, these are as follows:
a) Limit Holdem: 4/8, 8/16, 15/30, 30/60, 60/120, 75/150 dollars and up.
b) No Limit Holdem: 200 dollars buy ins with 2/5 dollars blinds.
c) Omaha: 6/12, 15/30, 20/40, 30/60, 50/100 dollars and up.
d) Stud Poker: 1/5, 4/8, 8/16, 30/60, 75/150 dollars and up.
2) Mirage Las Vegas
If you are tired of waiting for a table at Bellagio, the poker rooms at the Mirage can be an acceptable alternative. It resembles Bellagio's with its luxurious atmosphere, variety of games and its huge popularity among pros as well as tourists.
The games offered are Texas Holdem and Omaha, Stud and as the Bellagio, playing in a tournament means getting involved with No Limit Texas Holdem. As for the limits of each table in a regular game, they are:
a) Limit Holdem: 3/6, 6/12, 10/20, 20/40, 40/80 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: between 100 and 500 dollars buy ins with 2/5 dollars blinds.
c) Omaha: 5/10 dollars.
d) Stud Poker: 1/5, 5/10.
3) Excalibur Las Vegas
If you want to play in a less stressful environment, check out the poker room at the Excalibur casino. You can play spread limit Holdem with the lowest limits available on the Strip and enjoy beginners friendly rules such as limitation on three raises. The room has been renovated recently and the poker tables and seats are very comfortable.
At the Excalibur, you can play Texas Holdem or 7 Card Stud, and the limits are slightly lower:
a) Limit Holdem: 1/3, 2/6 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 dollars buy ins with 1/3 dollars blinds.
c) 7 Card Stud: 1/5 dollars and up.
4) Binions' Horseshoe Hotel and Casino
If you want to play at the same room where the first WSOP took place, you must visit Binions' poker room. Although the casino has been renovated and went through many changes since the days of Nick the Greek, the ghosts of the past still haunt the place, but in a good way.
Here too you can play Texas Holdem, No Limit Holdem in their own tournament, Omaha and Stud games for the following limits:
a) Limit Holdem: 2/4, 4/8, 10/20 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 dollars minimum buy ins with 1/2 dollars blinds.
c) Omaha: 4/8 dollars.
d) Stud Poker: 1/5.
5) Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
If you want to follow in the steps of the 2006 WSOP champions, check out the Rio poker room. You might be surprised from the size and the small variety of games, but the thought of sharing the same location with contemporary gaming legends adds a certain appeal to it.
Other than taking part in the tournament where you can participate in some No Limit Holdem, you can pick from Texas Holdem, 7 Card Stud, Omaha or a few other variations according to what players request. The limits are as follows:
a) Limit Holdem: 2/4, 3/6, 4/8 dollars.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 dollars minimum buy ins with 2/5 dollars blinds.
Micro Stakes Poker
How to play micro stakes poker
Since most of our visitors come for poker freebies, free cash bonuses, and freerolls, we have put together this article that takes them to the next step, playing poker for real cash. It's a waste to throw away your free cash not knowing what you should actually do!
Basically there are two types of poker players, i.e. cash game - and tournament players. This article is focused on lower limit cash games, thus it's not about tactics and poker strategies.
Some of the online poker rooms promoted on our website offer free poker money, or instant poker bonuses. 90% of all players that benefit from such a deal waste their free bankrolls within minutes because they are playing above their personal play level, and don't consider bankroll management to be very important. Let me tell you this, those two aspects are key factors to develop a successful poker career. Remember, you're (most probably) looking for free poker money, you aren't a poker professional yet!
The best way a beginner can learn to play profitable poker is to start playing for real money. People tend to play a lot more seriously at a real money table than they do at play money tables. Still, there is no guarantee that you won't find your self in a situation being sucked out by a loose player.
Bankroll management
Since playing poker involves a lot of poker skills, and a bit of luck, there will be times that you simply won't win. This is why your poker bankroll should always be sufficiently large, so that you will survive these those periods of bad luck. The default recommendation for a full table (more than 6 players) is a bankroll of 300 times the big blind. For instance, if you are playing $0.05/$0.10, your bankroll should be at least $30. Your bankroll should be even higher when you're playing tables with 6 or less players.
When you actually start to consider bankroll management, you're definitely on the right track, and it should already be easier to determine your personal level and limits to play.
Knowing your poker skills and level
First of all it's important that you know the basic aspects of poker before you even think about playing for real money. Practicing at the play money tables can be helpful to learn poker rules, and understand some of the game aspects.
When ready, you might want to sign up at VC Poker for their free $10 bonus (using poker bonus code: FreeMoney together with our link). Since your starting bankroll will be only $10, it is wisely that you don't play at any limits higher than $0.02/$0.04, better yet to start playing at a $0.01/$0.02 limit and bring the full buy-in to the table.
Be patient when playing, even though calling an all-in move for just a few bucks looks easy, don't do it if it the odds of winning at poker are not in your favor to make the call. You don't want to waste a proportional percentage of your poker bankroll!
VC Poker will give you another $25 for free if you generate enough Action Points. This can easily be accomplished breaking even, thus don't make any risky moves that might end your game straight away, wasting a possible $35 free. Trust me that you can move up a level without a doubt when you have the additional bonus released. If you can accomplish that, then you're definitely ready to make the switch from micro - to small stakes.
Making your first deposit
Most commonly recommended are of course those online poker rooms that offer some kind of free poker money. Though, if you're ready to make your first deposit we advice you to select a poker room that offers an upfront bonus. A poker bonus relies on the amount of money you'll actually deposit. Therefore you should always ask yourself if you're not going to waste a significant poker bonus when making a minimum deposit, just to get some free cash.
Good luck!
Since most of our visitors come for poker freebies, free cash bonuses, and freerolls, we have put together this article that takes them to the next step, playing poker for real cash. It's a waste to throw away your free cash not knowing what you should actually do!
Basically there are two types of poker players, i.e. cash game - and tournament players. This article is focused on lower limit cash games, thus it's not about tactics and poker strategies.
Some of the online poker rooms promoted on our website offer free poker money, or instant poker bonuses. 90% of all players that benefit from such a deal waste their free bankrolls within minutes because they are playing above their personal play level, and don't consider bankroll management to be very important. Let me tell you this, those two aspects are key factors to develop a successful poker career. Remember, you're (most probably) looking for free poker money, you aren't a poker professional yet!
The best way a beginner can learn to play profitable poker is to start playing for real money. People tend to play a lot more seriously at a real money table than they do at play money tables. Still, there is no guarantee that you won't find your self in a situation being sucked out by a loose player.
Bankroll management
Since playing poker involves a lot of poker skills, and a bit of luck, there will be times that you simply won't win. This is why your poker bankroll should always be sufficiently large, so that you will survive these those periods of bad luck. The default recommendation for a full table (more than 6 players) is a bankroll of 300 times the big blind. For instance, if you are playing $0.05/$0.10, your bankroll should be at least $30. Your bankroll should be even higher when you're playing tables with 6 or less players.
When you actually start to consider bankroll management, you're definitely on the right track, and it should already be easier to determine your personal level and limits to play.
Knowing your poker skills and level
First of all it's important that you know the basic aspects of poker before you even think about playing for real money. Practicing at the play money tables can be helpful to learn poker rules, and understand some of the game aspects.
When ready, you might want to sign up at VC Poker for their free $10 bonus (using poker bonus code: FreeMoney together with our link). Since your starting bankroll will be only $10, it is wisely that you don't play at any limits higher than $0.02/$0.04, better yet to start playing at a $0.01/$0.02 limit and bring the full buy-in to the table.
Be patient when playing, even though calling an all-in move for just a few bucks looks easy, don't do it if it the odds of winning at poker are not in your favor to make the call. You don't want to waste a proportional percentage of your poker bankroll!
VC Poker will give you another $25 for free if you generate enough Action Points. This can easily be accomplished breaking even, thus don't make any risky moves that might end your game straight away, wasting a possible $35 free. Trust me that you can move up a level without a doubt when you have the additional bonus released. If you can accomplish that, then you're definitely ready to make the switch from micro - to small stakes.
Making your first deposit
Most commonly recommended are of course those online poker rooms that offer some kind of free poker money. Though, if you're ready to make your first deposit we advice you to select a poker room that offers an upfront bonus. A poker bonus relies on the amount of money you'll actually deposit. Therefore you should always ask yourself if you're not going to waste a significant poker bonus when making a minimum deposit, just to get some free cash.
Good luck!
Avoid Common No Limit Texas Holdem Tournament Mistakes
1. Early Position Raise : One of the biggest mistakes I see players make is not respecting someone who raises in early position. Remember he has another 8 people after him at the table who he has to fade, so chances are that he is holding a big hand.
2. Protect Your Hand: Don't give players an opportunity to draw out on you, make them pay for it. If your holding top pair and there is flush or straight potential, don't let them get any free cards to draw out on you with. Bet the pot or double the pot as to thin the heard.
3. Thin The Heard: If your holding an average hand, say pocket 10s and there have been no preflop bets yet, go ahead and make a bet, I prefer to triple the pot. You certainly don't want the guy next to you who has King Deuce to hit his King on the flop and beat you. Your bet should thin the heard down and will lesson your chances of getting out drawn.
4. Chip Lead: Listen people, if you have the chip lead tighten up a little. There is no sense in getting involved in too many pots. I see it all too often, someone has the chip lead and calls a raise with crap. Then he catches one of his cards and gets committed to the pot and ends up losing 20% of his chip stack to the pocket rockets. You want to hold on to the chip lead, don't play anything but good cards and let the other players on short stack weed themselves out and you will find yourself at the final table.
5. When you have the nuts and someone betting into you: I was watching a friend of mine play a tournament online and although he made several mistakes that I corrected him on, the biggest mistake he made was pushing someone out of the pot by re-raising him on the turn when he should have slow-played the hand. Let me give you the scenario. My friend Mike was dealt 10-hearts and K-hearts. Someone raises preflop and there are 4 callers including Mike. On the flop came K-diamonds, 10-diamonds, K-spades. Yes, he flopped the dead nuts. The first player checks, the second player who was the original preflop raiser bets $100. Next player re-raises $100, the third and fourth players fold, lastly its up to Mike. He just called the bet which was the proper play.
Next card on the turn was 3-spades, no help to anyone. Original player in first position bets $200, second player calls, and what does Mike do, raises the pot $600 and the other 2 players drop out. You need to ask yourself "What am I trying to accomplish with this bet." What was Mike trying to do, make everyone fold. Number one he has the dead nuts, he already has position so it is imperative to give the other players an opportunity to catch their card. The proper play was to continue letting the player bet into you, then take him off on the river. He might have had 2 diamonds and hit his 3rd diamond on the river and you could have taken all his chips.
You want those players to get so committed to the pot that they simply cant lay down their 2 pair or their flush or their set. Remember in no limit poker you can always raise the pot or even go all in on the river so its really quite simple. If your playing NL Holdem and someone is betting into you when you have the dead nuts and are in position, let him continue betting into you and do the raise on the river as to maximize any chance you have at getting most or all of his chips.
6. Common Sense: Common sense supersedes all the advice given to me over the years. Use your head for crying out loud. My friend Mike was on the big blind and there were no raises preflop, so he got to see the flop for free. There were 7 people in the hand and the flop comes A-hearts, K-diamonds, -10-diamonds, now Mike was holding crap, 6-7 off suit. Well nobody bets and it comes around to Mike and he triples the pot. It goes around the table and one guy calls, another raises, then another goes all in.
Of course Mike folds but common sense tells me with a flop like that everyone got a piece of it, whether its a gut shot straight or 4 to a flush or just top or second pair. My experience has been that usually players discard their low cards and stay in with their big cards or pocket pairs. When a big flop like that comes up common sense tells me when there are 7 other people in the pot that a few if not all of them caught some part of that flop. What a horrible time to try to buy one. Chalk another mullet move up to MIKEY lol.
7. Play like a champion: Try to imagine yourself at the WSOP final table playing for 1.5 million. Then ask yourself how would Doyle Brunson play the hand. Take your time and you will probably make the right call. Remember skill will only get you so far, you also have to be lucky and not get too many bad beats to snap a big tournament off so don't get discouraged if you made the right play and lost the hand. If you played the hand like Doyle would have played the hand and you get a bad beat, well that's just part of poker so you might as well get used to it now.
8. SURVIVAL . Your goal of course is to snap the tournament off, but your first priority should be to get into the money. Just use your head and play smart.
9. Study Your Opponents: Study your opponents and make note of their tendencies. For example, if you have a player that calls just about anything, obviously it would not be wise to try to steal a pot against him as he will probably call you with his low pair. Conversely, if you have a player like that and you have a strong hand, bet more than you normally would as you will probably get a call out of him unlike if your playing against a good player that would probably fold his average hand.
10 . Realize The Amount Of Players Left In The Tournament And Where They Stand In The Money: If your in a tournament that pays the top 9 places and you have 11 people left in the tournament, this may be a good time to steal a couple of pots if your in position. They are trying to get into the money and wont risk their chips unless they have a premium hand. On the other hand, once everyone is in the money, if your going to play a hand make sure it is one where you are willing to risk a large part of your chip stack on.
My experience is when it gets down to the money players, you see many people on the short stack going all in so although it may be tempting to play that 9-10 suited, it may not be a hand you want to risk a large amount of chips on.
2. Protect Your Hand: Don't give players an opportunity to draw out on you, make them pay for it. If your holding top pair and there is flush or straight potential, don't let them get any free cards to draw out on you with. Bet the pot or double the pot as to thin the heard.
3. Thin The Heard: If your holding an average hand, say pocket 10s and there have been no preflop bets yet, go ahead and make a bet, I prefer to triple the pot. You certainly don't want the guy next to you who has King Deuce to hit his King on the flop and beat you. Your bet should thin the heard down and will lesson your chances of getting out drawn.
4. Chip Lead: Listen people, if you have the chip lead tighten up a little. There is no sense in getting involved in too many pots. I see it all too often, someone has the chip lead and calls a raise with crap. Then he catches one of his cards and gets committed to the pot and ends up losing 20% of his chip stack to the pocket rockets. You want to hold on to the chip lead, don't play anything but good cards and let the other players on short stack weed themselves out and you will find yourself at the final table.
5. When you have the nuts and someone betting into you: I was watching a friend of mine play a tournament online and although he made several mistakes that I corrected him on, the biggest mistake he made was pushing someone out of the pot by re-raising him on the turn when he should have slow-played the hand. Let me give you the scenario. My friend Mike was dealt 10-hearts and K-hearts. Someone raises preflop and there are 4 callers including Mike. On the flop came K-diamonds, 10-diamonds, K-spades. Yes, he flopped the dead nuts. The first player checks, the second player who was the original preflop raiser bets $100. Next player re-raises $100, the third and fourth players fold, lastly its up to Mike. He just called the bet which was the proper play.
Next card on the turn was 3-spades, no help to anyone. Original player in first position bets $200, second player calls, and what does Mike do, raises the pot $600 and the other 2 players drop out. You need to ask yourself "What am I trying to accomplish with this bet." What was Mike trying to do, make everyone fold. Number one he has the dead nuts, he already has position so it is imperative to give the other players an opportunity to catch their card. The proper play was to continue letting the player bet into you, then take him off on the river. He might have had 2 diamonds and hit his 3rd diamond on the river and you could have taken all his chips.
You want those players to get so committed to the pot that they simply cant lay down their 2 pair or their flush or their set. Remember in no limit poker you can always raise the pot or even go all in on the river so its really quite simple. If your playing NL Holdem and someone is betting into you when you have the dead nuts and are in position, let him continue betting into you and do the raise on the river as to maximize any chance you have at getting most or all of his chips.
6. Common Sense: Common sense supersedes all the advice given to me over the years. Use your head for crying out loud. My friend Mike was on the big blind and there were no raises preflop, so he got to see the flop for free. There were 7 people in the hand and the flop comes A-hearts, K-diamonds, -10-diamonds, now Mike was holding crap, 6-7 off suit. Well nobody bets and it comes around to Mike and he triples the pot. It goes around the table and one guy calls, another raises, then another goes all in.
Of course Mike folds but common sense tells me with a flop like that everyone got a piece of it, whether its a gut shot straight or 4 to a flush or just top or second pair. My experience has been that usually players discard their low cards and stay in with their big cards or pocket pairs. When a big flop like that comes up common sense tells me when there are 7 other people in the pot that a few if not all of them caught some part of that flop. What a horrible time to try to buy one. Chalk another mullet move up to MIKEY lol.
7. Play like a champion: Try to imagine yourself at the WSOP final table playing for 1.5 million. Then ask yourself how would Doyle Brunson play the hand. Take your time and you will probably make the right call. Remember skill will only get you so far, you also have to be lucky and not get too many bad beats to snap a big tournament off so don't get discouraged if you made the right play and lost the hand. If you played the hand like Doyle would have played the hand and you get a bad beat, well that's just part of poker so you might as well get used to it now.
8. SURVIVAL . Your goal of course is to snap the tournament off, but your first priority should be to get into the money. Just use your head and play smart.
9. Study Your Opponents: Study your opponents and make note of their tendencies. For example, if you have a player that calls just about anything, obviously it would not be wise to try to steal a pot against him as he will probably call you with his low pair. Conversely, if you have a player like that and you have a strong hand, bet more than you normally would as you will probably get a call out of him unlike if your playing against a good player that would probably fold his average hand.
10 . Realize The Amount Of Players Left In The Tournament And Where They Stand In The Money: If your in a tournament that pays the top 9 places and you have 11 people left in the tournament, this may be a good time to steal a couple of pots if your in position. They are trying to get into the money and wont risk their chips unless they have a premium hand. On the other hand, once everyone is in the money, if your going to play a hand make sure it is one where you are willing to risk a large part of your chip stack on.
My experience is when it gets down to the money players, you see many people on the short stack going all in so although it may be tempting to play that 9-10 suited, it may not be a hand you want to risk a large amount of chips on.
7 Winning Texas Holdem Poker Strategies
The tips and strategies below will increase your chances at winning Texas Holdem poker.
Play Tight
One winning poker strategy is if everyone at the Texas Holdem poker table plays loose, then no one can win. The players will trade pots back and forth while the casino slowly rakes all their money. The better Texas Holdem players will lose less, but in the long run, no one can win. It's also true that no one can win if everyone plays tight. The tight players will trade smaller pots back and forth while the casino rakes all their money. The better Texas Holdem players will lose less, but no one can win.
Position
Another winning poker strategy is that most Texas Holdem poker players agree that more hole cards can be played profitably in late position than in early position. Any Texas Holdem hole cards that win money in early position will certainly win more money in late postion. Any hole cards that lose money in early position are probably not worth playing in any position.
Rakes
Casinos and poker rooms either rake each pot or charge the players on a time basis. It's part of the poker player's overhead. There are various methods of collecting from the players, but it really boils down to just two ways. If the money is taken from the pot, it's a rake. If the money is collected from the players equally, it's a time charge although it might be called something else.
Tokes
Tokes are an important part of the dealers' income and part of the poker player's overhead. You want the dealers to make their money, but keep your toking affordable.
Play Records
A fifth winning poker strategy is if you don't keep records of your Texas Holdem poker playing, start now. Make a form on your computer and print some copies. If you have the software, set up a database on your hard drive. At least get a notebook and a calculator. If you need to make notes in the casino, write on the back of a keno ticket and copy the information to your play records when you get home. Accurate play records will tell you a lot about yourself, your strategy and your opponents.
Strategy Variations
Another winning poker strategy is Texas Holdem poker players and Texas Holdem experts know that you should vary your play to confuse and bewilder the other players. If you play every hand the same way, you risk being labeled a robot by your fellow players and you won't get any respect at the poker table. Not only that, you'll have to endure all the poker articles and player remarks about how easy you are to beat in Texas Holdem poker because you're so predictable.
Practice
The most important winning poker strategy is that every serious poker player should practice on a regular basis. They must practice if they want to win. Poker is a very competitive arena, and you should practice your strategy if you want to play winning Texas Holdem poker.
Play Tight
One winning poker strategy is if everyone at the Texas Holdem poker table plays loose, then no one can win. The players will trade pots back and forth while the casino slowly rakes all their money. The better Texas Holdem players will lose less, but in the long run, no one can win. It's also true that no one can win if everyone plays tight. The tight players will trade smaller pots back and forth while the casino rakes all their money. The better Texas Holdem players will lose less, but no one can win.
Position
Another winning poker strategy is that most Texas Holdem poker players agree that more hole cards can be played profitably in late position than in early position. Any Texas Holdem hole cards that win money in early position will certainly win more money in late postion. Any hole cards that lose money in early position are probably not worth playing in any position.
Rakes
Casinos and poker rooms either rake each pot or charge the players on a time basis. It's part of the poker player's overhead. There are various methods of collecting from the players, but it really boils down to just two ways. If the money is taken from the pot, it's a rake. If the money is collected from the players equally, it's a time charge although it might be called something else.
Tokes
Tokes are an important part of the dealers' income and part of the poker player's overhead. You want the dealers to make their money, but keep your toking affordable.
Play Records
A fifth winning poker strategy is if you don't keep records of your Texas Holdem poker playing, start now. Make a form on your computer and print some copies. If you have the software, set up a database on your hard drive. At least get a notebook and a calculator. If you need to make notes in the casino, write on the back of a keno ticket and copy the information to your play records when you get home. Accurate play records will tell you a lot about yourself, your strategy and your opponents.
Strategy Variations
Another winning poker strategy is Texas Holdem poker players and Texas Holdem experts know that you should vary your play to confuse and bewilder the other players. If you play every hand the same way, you risk being labeled a robot by your fellow players and you won't get any respect at the poker table. Not only that, you'll have to endure all the poker articles and player remarks about how easy you are to beat in Texas Holdem poker because you're so predictable.
Practice
The most important winning poker strategy is that every serious poker player should practice on a regular basis. They must practice if they want to win. Poker is a very competitive arena, and you should practice your strategy if you want to play winning Texas Holdem poker.
How To Find Out Odds In Poker
If you already have amassed a considerable number of years under your belt playing poker in any of its various incarnations, you are surely already well aware that while it can be quite simple and easy for even the most inexperienced player to understand, the various permutations that the game has gone through can be quite confusing and befuddling to even the most veteran players. Even the recent development of numerous online poker web sites on the Internet has not made the game any less difficult. On the contrary, the move has retained much of what makes poker such an intriguingly challenging game while providing a whole new slew of challenges for the modern day poker player to contend with.
Of course now that the large number of players who have gained experience in this arena has leveled the online poker playing field, it is as difficult as ever to stand out in a crowd populated by experts and all manner of hustlers. This has given rise to host of websites offering various tool, tips, tricks and enhancements that are designed not only to improve your poker game but to positively devastate all online opponents as well. Hey, it is still pretty much a free world the last time that we checked, and anyone who can get their hands on whatever it is that can help them win big, is free to do so and more power to them. The fact of the matter is that the game has changed radically since its inception and these are only a small part of the many changes that the march of time has brought to this most hallowed and venerable leisurely pursuit.
A very popular online poker related affiliate web sites on the Internet, offers many such poker related software tools, among them Sit & Go Shark which offers users the opportunity to be personally coached by hugely successful poker player and master strategist Roy Rounder, drawing from his extensive database of time proven money making poker strategies. Useful for the experienced players as well as the novice, Sit & Go Shark will have anyone making the big money in no time.
Another tool that drastically increases the odds for you winning a game is Poker Usher. This is a software tool that helps players locate which poker tables are the easy ones to beat. Poker Usher uses a system to classify all opponents and monitors their results carefully. Completely unique tool and quite handy, it gives your players a clear advantage over the enemy.
Perhaps the most useful tool would be the Hold 'Em Genius which teaches users a way to determine odds in poker hands. This particular tool features advanced odds calculation, including pot odds, immediate outs, and up to the minute instant betting advice. Designed with eye-catching graphics, it is quite easy to use and a tremendously good value for players of any level. With this tool in your arsenal, you will be on your way to conquering poker tables anywhere.
The very popular online poker site, online-poker-reviews.biz offers reviews of poker software tools like the Hold 'Em Genius review
Monday, September 17, 2007
Spice Up Your Home Poker Game With A Casino Quality Poker Table
With the recent poker boom it seems like everyone is getting into the game. You can't turn on your TV without seeing poker somewhere on some channel. The next logical step is home poker games. It's easy to set up and nearly everyone knows how to play now. The only thing you need is a few poker buddies, some poker chips, and a deck of cards. But what if you wanted to take it a bit further? What if you could have a casino quality poker table right in your own home? Believe it or not, you can.
What if I told you that you could build your own casino quality poker table top for under $200? I'm not talking about those cheap flimsy folding table tops that you see online. I'm talking about a durable all wood table top with a real casino style padded rail and a nice padded playing surface. The nice thing is that anyone who knows how to use a saw can build one.
The supplies you need are as follows:
2 Sheets of ½" plywood
2 Sheets of closed cell foam (1" for the rail and ¼" for the playing surface)
1 Sheet of vinyl to upholster the rail
1 Sheet of fabric to upholster the playing surface
Wood nails, Staples, and Adhesive
The first thing you need to do is decide the table that you will be placing your table top on when you play poker. You need to measure and cut both sheets of plywood to the size of that table's top. This should give you 2 identical pieces of plywood that also match the size and shape of the table that will be supporting your finished product. Once this is done you need to cut a 4.5" ring off of one piece and a 2" ring off of the other piece of plywood. These two rings of wood will later form the padded rail.
The next step is to upholster the playing surface. To do this all you need to do is fix the sheet of ¼" foam to the smaller of your 2 pieces of plywood, cut off the excess, and add felt. Once the foam is trimmed down to size just lay the wood (foam side down) on top of the felt and staple it around the edges after pulling it tight. You may want to have a friend help out with this part to make sure that you get the felt tight on the surface of the table.
The place where most people struggle with this project is when they are trying to build and upholster the padded rail. To start you need to place the 2" ring of wood on top of the 4.5" ring and screw them together. Then you will use the 1" sheet of foam to cover the rail but don't cut off all of the excess like you did with the playing surface. You want to leave enough foam on the inside and outside of the rail so that it can wrap around and pad the sides of the railing as well as the top. Once the rail is padded and trimmed you need to cover it with vinyl just like you covered the playing surface with felt. When you are stapling the inside you will find that you need to cut the vinyl to make it fit properly without any wrinkles. This isn't a problem; just make sure you don't cut too much away.
With both the playing surface and the padded rail complete all you need to do is place the rail over the playing surface and screw them together from below. The finished product is a durable poker table top that has the same look and feel of any casino table in the world. If you like you can also build legs and have the table be a permanent fixture in your game room. Now... Shuffle up and deal!!!
What if I told you that you could build your own casino quality poker table top for under $200? I'm not talking about those cheap flimsy folding table tops that you see online. I'm talking about a durable all wood table top with a real casino style padded rail and a nice padded playing surface. The nice thing is that anyone who knows how to use a saw can build one.
The supplies you need are as follows:
2 Sheets of ½" plywood
2 Sheets of closed cell foam (1" for the rail and ¼" for the playing surface)
1 Sheet of vinyl to upholster the rail
1 Sheet of fabric to upholster the playing surface
Wood nails, Staples, and Adhesive
The first thing you need to do is decide the table that you will be placing your table top on when you play poker. You need to measure and cut both sheets of plywood to the size of that table's top. This should give you 2 identical pieces of plywood that also match the size and shape of the table that will be supporting your finished product. Once this is done you need to cut a 4.5" ring off of one piece and a 2" ring off of the other piece of plywood. These two rings of wood will later form the padded rail.
The next step is to upholster the playing surface. To do this all you need to do is fix the sheet of ¼" foam to the smaller of your 2 pieces of plywood, cut off the excess, and add felt. Once the foam is trimmed down to size just lay the wood (foam side down) on top of the felt and staple it around the edges after pulling it tight. You may want to have a friend help out with this part to make sure that you get the felt tight on the surface of the table.
The place where most people struggle with this project is when they are trying to build and upholster the padded rail. To start you need to place the 2" ring of wood on top of the 4.5" ring and screw them together. Then you will use the 1" sheet of foam to cover the rail but don't cut off all of the excess like you did with the playing surface. You want to leave enough foam on the inside and outside of the rail so that it can wrap around and pad the sides of the railing as well as the top. Once the rail is padded and trimmed you need to cover it with vinyl just like you covered the playing surface with felt. When you are stapling the inside you will find that you need to cut the vinyl to make it fit properly without any wrinkles. This isn't a problem; just make sure you don't cut too much away.
With both the playing surface and the padded rail complete all you need to do is place the rail over the playing surface and screw them together from below. The finished product is a durable poker table top that has the same look and feel of any casino table in the world. If you like you can also build legs and have the table be a permanent fixture in your game room. Now... Shuffle up and deal!!!
How to make it in the music industry
Most teens have dreams of being the next Britney Spears or Lars Ulrich, but little do they know that these people spend many years learning to sing and play their instruments
Lars Ulrich the drummer from Metallica spent much of his youth not hanging out with friends or watching TV, but listening to music and learning to play the drums, and his hard work and dedication is what made him one of the most successful drummers in the world today.
Most famous musicians and singers do not win a contest like American Idol and just become famous in 12 weeks, most musicians have to practice several hours every day and spend every night playing in local bars and clubs, then if they manage to make enough money most young bands will travel the country in a small van and play at bars across the country trying to make a name for themselves.
In the end most bands wind up wither in New York or Los Angeles, because this is where the music industry is the strongest, and if they have managed to make a name for themselves and create a good buzz for their bands maybe a record producer will give them a listen and decide to sign them to a contract. This does not mean they are going to be famous far from it.
Once a band gets a contract this usually means it gets even harder, the record label will keep you touring for as many as 2 years spent on a tour bus in the United States and Europe playing almost every night then getting back on the bus to go to the next show.
This is what life is like when you want to make it to the top, but if you want it bad enough, living out of a bus, eating your meals in truck stops and never getting any privacy will not be a problem for you.
This is no different than trying to be the best at anything, the best poker players did not wake up one day read a book on poker and become the best. They had to spend many years in back room poker games, and playing in casino poker rooms all the time, and losing thousands and tens of thousands of dollars along the way.
Eventually they become skilled in the game and learn the ins and outs and are then able to make some good money, but everyone no matter what it is you are trying to do has to pay their dues, it does not matter if you are trying to become a famous rock star, the poker player to win the most World Series of poker tournaments, the worlds best online layer of any Popular Casino Game or your dream is to own the most online casinos and sportsbooks.
Remember nothing worth having comes easy, if it is really worth having you will have to work heard to attain those goals, and with that heard work and some luck as well you will be able to attain your dreams of playing your own music in front of a packed arena full of screaming fans.
Some Poker Tips For Winning
Poker is a very popular card game, where players with either full or partially hidden cards bet into a central "pot." To the player having the best card combination, the total bet in the pot is then handed over.
Before the dealing of the cards, one or more players, dependent upon the rule, is required to place an initial bet into the pot. Afterward, the cards are dealt, face down. Thus the beginning of the game.
Strategy had best be developed so that one will learn who plays fair and who the better player is. By defining them, you can easily deal with them. Carefully study each player's move so you will prevent loss in your cards.
Poker is a game of strategy. Even with a poor hand of cards, a good poker player nonetheless has a good probability of winning. Here are some tips:
*Hand strength. Any hand that's smaller than a pair should be folded at the soonest chance that comes. Don't delay believing that other cards will remedy the situation, because they will not.
*Show a poker face. This makes the other players suspicious of your cards. Your facial expression will let your opponents know how good or how bad your cards are. A point to recall, never project a clue to them, if you do, then make a point that if you do have bad cards, pretend that you have differently.
Do bear in mind that bluffing will not work if you are a poor player. Keeping in mind that players who overrate the strength of their hand. Besides, if a player bluffs repeatedly or on a regular basis, adept players will eventually sense their style and would now know if they're bluffing or not.
*Do not be afraid to fold. One forbidding aspect in poker is placing your bet. As to how much or how little one should bet, feel the game. As you continue, you will then be versed and know when to bet and when to fold. A rule to remember is, don't anticipate that later cards will rectify your situation if you have nothing in your hand. Be free to fold as often as needed.
*Control. Bet with wisdom. This means betting with your head. Bet only within your means. You can not win fortunes in poker, so keep inside your limits.
*No intoxicant. As alcohol makes one bolder and daring, it's wise to avoid it at poker time. You may find yourself betting more in not so good cards. Avoid alcohol particularly when the stakes are high.
It's of importance for one to give a good deal of time to the development of their own strategy. The more you play the game, the longer that you're exposed to it, you could then have your own secrets to winning the game.
## End of Article
Before the dealing of the cards, one or more players, dependent upon the rule, is required to place an initial bet into the pot. Afterward, the cards are dealt, face down. Thus the beginning of the game.
Strategy had best be developed so that one will learn who plays fair and who the better player is. By defining them, you can easily deal with them. Carefully study each player's move so you will prevent loss in your cards.
Poker is a game of strategy. Even with a poor hand of cards, a good poker player nonetheless has a good probability of winning. Here are some tips:
*Hand strength. Any hand that's smaller than a pair should be folded at the soonest chance that comes. Don't delay believing that other cards will remedy the situation, because they will not.
*Show a poker face. This makes the other players suspicious of your cards. Your facial expression will let your opponents know how good or how bad your cards are. A point to recall, never project a clue to them, if you do, then make a point that if you do have bad cards, pretend that you have differently.
Do bear in mind that bluffing will not work if you are a poor player. Keeping in mind that players who overrate the strength of their hand. Besides, if a player bluffs repeatedly or on a regular basis, adept players will eventually sense their style and would now know if they're bluffing or not.
*Do not be afraid to fold. One forbidding aspect in poker is placing your bet. As to how much or how little one should bet, feel the game. As you continue, you will then be versed and know when to bet and when to fold. A rule to remember is, don't anticipate that later cards will rectify your situation if you have nothing in your hand. Be free to fold as often as needed.
*Control. Bet with wisdom. This means betting with your head. Bet only within your means. You can not win fortunes in poker, so keep inside your limits.
*No intoxicant. As alcohol makes one bolder and daring, it's wise to avoid it at poker time. You may find yourself betting more in not so good cards. Avoid alcohol particularly when the stakes are high.
It's of importance for one to give a good deal of time to the development of their own strategy. The more you play the game, the longer that you're exposed to it, you could then have your own secrets to winning the game.
## End of Article
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How to Texas Holdem
How does a player learn to play Texas Holdem? The simple answer is to watch some TV tournaments or buy and read some of the very good books that are out on how to play this most popular poker game. A short lesson for the game is it is a seven card game for each player and the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.
The play of a Holdem hand is fairly simple. Each player is dealt two cards face down. A round of betting follows. Three cards are then dealt face up in the center of the table. These are common to all players. A round of betting then follows. A single card is then dealt face up and another round of betting follows.
A final card is dealt face up and another round of betting completes this hand. The player with the best poker hand out of the five-card flop and the two cards in their hand wins the pot. As with other poker games, the best five-card hand will take down the money. During the betting that follows any of these dealings, each player has an option of calling, raising or folding their hand.
The best starting hands are pairs starting with aces and going down to pairs of queens. Other starting hands of merit are ace king suited and ace king not suited. Lower ranking hands may be played at the discretion of each player. If the player is on a rush, the starting-hand can be almost any two cards. Luck has taken over and good play is coming in second.
Holdem forces all players to gamble on the cards yet to be dealt. Either the next cards dealt will make the players hand or make their hand a loser to another player. The only time a player usually knows they have a sure winner is after the last card is dealt.
Holdem lends itself to the bluff. The reason this can work is the amount of money bet and the face up cards on the table. If a player is willing to carry the bluff bets forward then the other player is put in a bind since they do not know for sure what you have and they can guess, due to the flop cards that are face up. A good player must learn how to bluff and when to do it. The second best hand and not the best hand win many a Holdem pot. Bluffing does work.
The play of a Holdem hand is fairly simple. Each player is dealt two cards face down. A round of betting follows. Three cards are then dealt face up in the center of the table. These are common to all players. A round of betting then follows. A single card is then dealt face up and another round of betting follows.
A final card is dealt face up and another round of betting completes this hand. The player with the best poker hand out of the five-card flop and the two cards in their hand wins the pot. As with other poker games, the best five-card hand will take down the money. During the betting that follows any of these dealings, each player has an option of calling, raising or folding their hand.
The best starting hands are pairs starting with aces and going down to pairs of queens. Other starting hands of merit are ace king suited and ace king not suited. Lower ranking hands may be played at the discretion of each player. If the player is on a rush, the starting-hand can be almost any two cards. Luck has taken over and good play is coming in second.
Holdem forces all players to gamble on the cards yet to be dealt. Either the next cards dealt will make the players hand or make their hand a loser to another player. The only time a player usually knows they have a sure winner is after the last card is dealt.
Holdem lends itself to the bluff. The reason this can work is the amount of money bet and the face up cards on the table. If a player is willing to carry the bluff bets forward then the other player is put in a bind since they do not know for sure what you have and they can guess, due to the flop cards that are face up. A good player must learn how to bluff and when to do it. The second best hand and not the best hand win many a Holdem pot. Bluffing does work.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Texas Holdem for newbies
The first step for a new player who wants to learn how to play Texas Holdem poker properly is read one of the hundreds of good books available about the game. You can find a massive selection of poker books at online stores such as amazon or ebay, or have a look in your local bookstore. Another good way to learn the game is by watching some of the poker tournaments on TV closely watching how the professionals play; the commentators usually explain the player's actions reasonably well, and talk you through the game. When starting out you should always play at the low limit tables until you begin to grasp the basics of the game.
The play of a hand is as follows: Each player is dealt two cards face down before the first betting round, unless you have placed a small or big blind bet you have the option to continue or fold. The next deal is to the center of the table with the dealer placing three cards face up for everybody to see. This is followed by two more deals of one card each and one card to the center of the table with rounds of betting between, eventually making a total of five cards in the center of the table. These five cards are common to all of the player's hands. When all of the betting is completed the player with the best five-card poker hand created from the seven cards that make up his hand wins. Occasionally the five cards in the center might be the best hand and in this case all of the players who are still in the game would tie and share the pot.
Your starting hands and the advance play are the main reasons to read and watch the way good players play the game. Excellent starting hands start with pocket aces and decline in value to lower pairs. Ace King suited or unsuited are reasonable starting hands, but can also be chip burners if the flop does not pair either the ace or the king. Just watch any tournament on TV to see how often this starting hand is beat by a low pair or forced to fold by aggressive betting.
When you bet and are raised by two or more players, its best to fold unless you have a really great starting hand and you are confident. If two players continue to raise it is unlikely they are bluffing. If the table folds or checks to you and you are the last potential better you should consider betting with a raise since they have all checked to your call. When playing poker you should watch out for the "sand bagger" this is a player who has a good hand but plays it quietly waiting until the end to place a large bet, you can sometimes figure these players out by betting or raising. Some say poker is a game of luck, but there is defiantly a skill element involved, which you can learn over time.
The play of a hand is as follows: Each player is dealt two cards face down before the first betting round, unless you have placed a small or big blind bet you have the option to continue or fold. The next deal is to the center of the table with the dealer placing three cards face up for everybody to see. This is followed by two more deals of one card each and one card to the center of the table with rounds of betting between, eventually making a total of five cards in the center of the table. These five cards are common to all of the player's hands. When all of the betting is completed the player with the best five-card poker hand created from the seven cards that make up his hand wins. Occasionally the five cards in the center might be the best hand and in this case all of the players who are still in the game would tie and share the pot.
Your starting hands and the advance play are the main reasons to read and watch the way good players play the game. Excellent starting hands start with pocket aces and decline in value to lower pairs. Ace King suited or unsuited are reasonable starting hands, but can also be chip burners if the flop does not pair either the ace or the king. Just watch any tournament on TV to see how often this starting hand is beat by a low pair or forced to fold by aggressive betting.
When you bet and are raised by two or more players, its best to fold unless you have a really great starting hand and you are confident. If two players continue to raise it is unlikely they are bluffing. If the table folds or checks to you and you are the last potential better you should consider betting with a raise since they have all checked to your call. When playing poker you should watch out for the "sand bagger" this is a player who has a good hand but plays it quietly waiting until the end to place a large bet, you can sometimes figure these players out by betting or raising. Some say poker is a game of luck, but there is defiantly a skill element involved, which you can learn over time.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
WSOP and Poker Tournaments
The World Series of Poker first started in 1970 at Binion's Casino in Las Vegas and today is considered the most prestige's poker tournament held any where in the world. In the last few years the field of players has been enormous in number and the prize money has been several million dollars to the winner of the tournament. They have been showing the poker tournaments on TV and the camera view of what each player is holding has helped to gain a huge TV audience. Three factors have attracted the large number of players to tournament poker. The many televised tournaments that are now shown on TV are one factor of the growth. Another factor is the many satellite tournaments where a player can pay a small entry fee and win the entry into the tournaments. The final factor is the popularity of Internet poker and the many tournaments that offered daily at these online poker casinos. This has allowed many young players to gain experience and they now make the final table at many tournaments that are shown on TV.
There is a significant difference between tournament poker and cash game poker. When you lose all of your chips in a cash game, you can buy more. In a tournament when your stack is gone, you are finished in that tournament. So the secret is to maintain your chip total and try to make the final table where the prize money is the highest. When the blinds are low, the player can take some flyers with suited connectors and lower pairs. When the blinds get really high, the better hands may not come and you need to be more aggressive or you will be blinded out of the tournament. It is difficult to wait for really solid starting hands in tournament play. Aggression is rewarded and the art of the bluff is a big part of the way the game is played. Calling significant raises in tournaments should be done only when you have a solid hand or have many outs that can give you a winning hand. Gambling early in the tournament on marginal hands is a sure way to get eliminated from the tournament. Of course if the cards are running over you, then you can play almost any two cards in Holdem. Playing in the budget tournament games which are held daily on the top sites are the best way to learn how to play tournament games.
There is a significant difference between tournament poker and cash game poker. When you lose all of your chips in a cash game, you can buy more. In a tournament when your stack is gone, you are finished in that tournament. So the secret is to maintain your chip total and try to make the final table where the prize money is the highest. When the blinds are low, the player can take some flyers with suited connectors and lower pairs. When the blinds get really high, the better hands may not come and you need to be more aggressive or you will be blinded out of the tournament. It is difficult to wait for really solid starting hands in tournament play. Aggression is rewarded and the art of the bluff is a big part of the way the game is played. Calling significant raises in tournaments should be done only when you have a solid hand or have many outs that can give you a winning hand. Gambling early in the tournament on marginal hands is a sure way to get eliminated from the tournament. Of course if the cards are running over you, then you can play almost any two cards in Holdem. Playing in the budget tournament games which are held daily on the top sites are the best way to learn how to play tournament games.
Friday, September 14, 2007
No Limit Holdem Strategy
The most basic strategy is do not play unless you can afford it and also are better than average cash player. No Limit tournaments are a different matter as the most you can lose is your buy-in.
No limit poker is all about knowing when to push a hand and when to fold it. No limit poker is a game of serious aggression and not for the timid of heart. It is a game where money is power and can be used as a weapon. This is true in both cash games and tournaments. Watch any tournament and you see players go all in with small pairs and other players with better pairs fold. The aggressive player usually an advantage in a No Limit game.
Unless you are on a rush of cards and winning hands be careful of calling large bets on the come. Hunches can be valid, but realize that a hunch may be just a strong wish.
Tournament play is far different than cash play for the basic reason that the buy-in fee for the tournament limits the cost of the game. A cash game is only limited by the willingness of the player to buy more chips.
A limit game is not advantageous to an aggressive player as the amount that can be bet is set. A no limit game lets the player decide the amount that can be bet at any time. This also opens the game to more bluffing and position play. Two players that both hold ace king may be decided by who gets to bet first and the size of the bet. Here position may decide who wins the hand.
Cash game no limit or even high limit is a game where the experts play and is not for an amateur in most cases. If the money is important to the player they should pass on the cash game, as the size of the bets will influence the way they play and could lead to poor decisions.
On the other hand, the non-expert can win a no limit tournament because the money loss is limited to the buy-in fee. This is one of the reasons why you see so many young players at the final on the TV tournaments. That reason and the fact that they have played for hours on the Internet make them very dangerous.
Anyone paying for the buy in fee can play in a no limit tournament game. This definitely not true for the no limit cash games.
No limit poker is all about knowing when to push a hand and when to fold it. No limit poker is a game of serious aggression and not for the timid of heart. It is a game where money is power and can be used as a weapon. This is true in both cash games and tournaments. Watch any tournament and you see players go all in with small pairs and other players with better pairs fold. The aggressive player usually an advantage in a No Limit game.
Unless you are on a rush of cards and winning hands be careful of calling large bets on the come. Hunches can be valid, but realize that a hunch may be just a strong wish.
Tournament play is far different than cash play for the basic reason that the buy-in fee for the tournament limits the cost of the game. A cash game is only limited by the willingness of the player to buy more chips.
A limit game is not advantageous to an aggressive player as the amount that can be bet is set. A no limit game lets the player decide the amount that can be bet at any time. This also opens the game to more bluffing and position play. Two players that both hold ace king may be decided by who gets to bet first and the size of the bet. Here position may decide who wins the hand.
Cash game no limit or even high limit is a game where the experts play and is not for an amateur in most cases. If the money is important to the player they should pass on the cash game, as the size of the bets will influence the way they play and could lead to poor decisions.
On the other hand, the non-expert can win a no limit tournament because the money loss is limited to the buy-in fee. This is one of the reasons why you see so many young players at the final on the TV tournaments. That reason and the fact that they have played for hours on the Internet make them very dangerous.
Anyone paying for the buy in fee can play in a no limit tournament game. This definitely not true for the no limit cash games.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Why Online Poker Differs So Much From Live Poker.
Why do these people complain? Well, in the main, these people are regular poker players, both online and offline, they have an understanding of poker that many online players don't have. Let me try and explain...
In live poker, it is usually your own money with which you are playing, you tend to play poker as it is intended to be played, a game of skill rather than a game of chance. The way that you play the cards you are dealt differs greatly depending on the situation you are in. If the game is against people whom you play against regularly, you know their "tells", the way they play and, as a result, your game is different to the way you would play, say for example, in a casino against strangers. In that situation, you need to "read" your opponents, a skill that very few players actually master. Your game would be different to accommodate the unknown factors of your opponents.
Now to online poker and why players call "fix" or call other players "donk". Why do these "bad beats" happen? Well, the simple answer that most sites give is "more hands are played online" which, of course, is very true but that's not the whole or even the main reason.
What we get with online poker is a "simulation" type effect, online poker players play like they are playing a computer game. There is no sense of danger, or fear, etc and that's purely because of the computer game effect. How many of you play console, computer or arcade driving games? And how many of you who do play these games drive those simulated cars like it doesn't hitting walls, other cars, or people at speeds that in real-life would kill you or others? Of course you do, because the aim is to have fun, it's a GAME; it's NOT REAL. That mental attitude is brought to online poker, the skins don't make it any easier to remove the GAME from the reality. To many online players, online poker is a GAME, and not a game of skill, just a game, even a game of chance, a lottery if you will, and they play online with that mentality.
Then there is the "favourite" or "lucky" hand, the hands that, at sometime in the past, have yielded a success that lives in the memory. A success that, however "lucky" it was, gives players the mentality that they can't lose with that hand, or that they will win more than they lose by playing that hand. With online poker, with so many hands being played, and so many "simulated" poker players treating poker as a game of chance rather than skill, these "lucky" hands do tend to yield some rather surprising successes, but, nonetheless, it is still down to chance. Players that forever play 8-3 off suit because they hit a full house in 2001 and won $x with it tend to forget the rather hard beats they take because they play it every time. "8-3os is my lucky hand, I never lose with it", well actually, yes you do, and probably more than you win, but when you do win it tends to be a large pot and the beats are forgotten again.
Online poker players don't have the ability to look into the eyes of the guy that's just raised them to 20 x BB, they don't have the opportunity to see him willing them to call his AA with their "lucky" hand, they play poker like a game, period. That mentality, coupled with some amazing luck, (in some cases), gives those same players a feeling of invulnerability, just like playing a computer game.
How do we solve it? In simple terms, you can't! Not now, not ever. Why? Because online poker is a different game to live poker, with different skills required. Sure, you might be able to educate the odd "donkey" that Ace-rag is not a good hand, but in most cases you will hear the "It's my lucky hand" excuse.
Real-life players, (oops, did I say that?), need to change their games to accommodate the differences in online poker. I tend to play a much tighter game online than in live games. It doesn't do me much good as it generally means the "bad beats" I suffer are far more obvious, and expensive, than those that I suffer in live play. I have more success online by playing a tight game than I would playing a more "normal" or "loose" game, and I do win far more than I lose, it doesn't alter the amount of "bad beats" or "donks" that I encounter though, it just means that I tend to be more of a spectator when the bad beats are happening than a victim.
Put simply, stop whining, stop moaning, play your own game, but change it to suit the conditions, and HAVE FUN. After all, Poker is a GAME, and online that reality is so much harsher than in live play. Most of all, online you need luck, lots and lots of luck, I wish you the very best, (except when you play me).
In live poker, it is usually your own money with which you are playing, you tend to play poker as it is intended to be played, a game of skill rather than a game of chance. The way that you play the cards you are dealt differs greatly depending on the situation you are in. If the game is against people whom you play against regularly, you know their "tells", the way they play and, as a result, your game is different to the way you would play, say for example, in a casino against strangers. In that situation, you need to "read" your opponents, a skill that very few players actually master. Your game would be different to accommodate the unknown factors of your opponents.
Now to online poker and why players call "fix" or call other players "donk". Why do these "bad beats" happen? Well, the simple answer that most sites give is "more hands are played online" which, of course, is very true but that's not the whole or even the main reason.
What we get with online poker is a "simulation" type effect, online poker players play like they are playing a computer game. There is no sense of danger, or fear, etc and that's purely because of the computer game effect. How many of you play console, computer or arcade driving games? And how many of you who do play these games drive those simulated cars like it doesn't hitting walls, other cars, or people at speeds that in real-life would kill you or others? Of course you do, because the aim is to have fun, it's a GAME; it's NOT REAL. That mental attitude is brought to online poker, the skins don't make it any easier to remove the GAME from the reality. To many online players, online poker is a GAME, and not a game of skill, just a game, even a game of chance, a lottery if you will, and they play online with that mentality.
Then there is the "favourite" or "lucky" hand, the hands that, at sometime in the past, have yielded a success that lives in the memory. A success that, however "lucky" it was, gives players the mentality that they can't lose with that hand, or that they will win more than they lose by playing that hand. With online poker, with so many hands being played, and so many "simulated" poker players treating poker as a game of chance rather than skill, these "lucky" hands do tend to yield some rather surprising successes, but, nonetheless, it is still down to chance. Players that forever play 8-3 off suit because they hit a full house in 2001 and won $x with it tend to forget the rather hard beats they take because they play it every time. "8-3os is my lucky hand, I never lose with it", well actually, yes you do, and probably more than you win, but when you do win it tends to be a large pot and the beats are forgotten again.
Online poker players don't have the ability to look into the eyes of the guy that's just raised them to 20 x BB, they don't have the opportunity to see him willing them to call his AA with their "lucky" hand, they play poker like a game, period. That mentality, coupled with some amazing luck, (in some cases), gives those same players a feeling of invulnerability, just like playing a computer game.
How do we solve it? In simple terms, you can't! Not now, not ever. Why? Because online poker is a different game to live poker, with different skills required. Sure, you might be able to educate the odd "donkey" that Ace-rag is not a good hand, but in most cases you will hear the "It's my lucky hand" excuse.
Real-life players, (oops, did I say that?), need to change their games to accommodate the differences in online poker. I tend to play a much tighter game online than in live games. It doesn't do me much good as it generally means the "bad beats" I suffer are far more obvious, and expensive, than those that I suffer in live play. I have more success online by playing a tight game than I would playing a more "normal" or "loose" game, and I do win far more than I lose, it doesn't alter the amount of "bad beats" or "donks" that I encounter though, it just means that I tend to be more of a spectator when the bad beats are happening than a victim.
Put simply, stop whining, stop moaning, play your own game, but change it to suit the conditions, and HAVE FUN. After all, Poker is a GAME, and online that reality is so much harsher than in live play. Most of all, online you need luck, lots and lots of luck, I wish you the very best, (except when you play me).
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
How To Play Omaha Hi Lo Poker
Omaha Hi Lo Poker is a table-game in which the players at the table are each dealt four cards face down. After a round of betting the dealer then places three new cards in the center of the table face up. After a round of betting the dealer then places another card face up with the first three. This is repeated again until finally the last card dealt there are now five cards face up on the table.
Each player can use any two cards from their hand and any three from the five common cards in the center of the table to make the best high hand.
The same is done for the low hand except that the low hand must consist of five any five cards that are eight or lower and not of matching value. Ace two three four five makes up the best low hand. If there is a qualifying low hand, the high hand and the low hand split the pot equally between them.
The rule that the low or the high hand must always use two cards from the player's four is initially a trouble spot for new players as they forget this rule and bet a hand not using the two from their hand. After doing this once or twice, the new player gets this rule forcefully engrained in their mind.
The other part of Omaha that catches new players is the fact that lower hands very seldom win. Three of a kind is not a winner as often as it is in Holdem. There are many straights, flushes and full houses dealt in this game as each player has nine cards to make a hand. Ace deuce is a good starting hand for the low, but another player or two often ties it. When this happens, the high hand wins their half of the pot and the low hand players split what is left. What this means is you do not go crazy raising the hand with a low hand nut winner as it can be tied. The nut high hand can bet with impunity as the high hands are rarely tied.
The best hand that can be dealt in Omaha Hi Lo is a hand that is a scooper. This hand wins both the low and the high. Examples would be a five high straight or a five high low and an ace high flush. When you have this type of hand you are likely to win more than half the pot and very likely all of it.
Each player can use any two cards from their hand and any three from the five common cards in the center of the table to make the best high hand.
The same is done for the low hand except that the low hand must consist of five any five cards that are eight or lower and not of matching value. Ace two three four five makes up the best low hand. If there is a qualifying low hand, the high hand and the low hand split the pot equally between them.
The rule that the low or the high hand must always use two cards from the player's four is initially a trouble spot for new players as they forget this rule and bet a hand not using the two from their hand. After doing this once or twice, the new player gets this rule forcefully engrained in their mind.
The other part of Omaha that catches new players is the fact that lower hands very seldom win. Three of a kind is not a winner as often as it is in Holdem. There are many straights, flushes and full houses dealt in this game as each player has nine cards to make a hand. Ace deuce is a good starting hand for the low, but another player or two often ties it. When this happens, the high hand wins their half of the pot and the low hand players split what is left. What this means is you do not go crazy raising the hand with a low hand nut winner as it can be tied. The nut high hand can bet with impunity as the high hands are rarely tied.
The best hand that can be dealt in Omaha Hi Lo is a hand that is a scooper. This hand wins both the low and the high. Examples would be a five high straight or a five high low and an ace high flush. When you have this type of hand you are likely to win more than half the pot and very likely all of it.
Poker Rooms With Omaha Tournaments
While Omaha Poker is becoming more popular online the number of Omaha tournaments is still small in comparison to other forms of the game (especially NL Holdem). This article looks at the various types of Omaha Poker Tournament available online.
Poker Rooms with Omaha Tournaments #1 - Sit-n-Go Omaha Tournaments
Sit-n-Go Omaha tournaments are single table tournaments which start whenever enough players (usually 10) join. Paying the top 3 places these tournaments are a great way to gain Omaha tournament experience at a low cost. The most popular Omaha sit-n-go tournaments are usually the pot limit Omaha-high variety, fixed limit and Omaha hi-lo sit-n-goes are also available and fill up fairly quickly at the larger on-line poker rooms.
Poker Rooms with Omaha Tournaments #2 - Pot Limit Omaha Tournaments
Pot Limit Omaha is the most popular variation of Omaha poker played in online tournaments. Regularly scheduled games on many sites exist with buy-ins ranging from a few dollars to over $200. Occasionally bigger buy-in Omaha tournaments are scheduled as part of special events such as the Poker Stars WCOOP and Full Tilt FTOPS series.
Poker Rooms with Omaha Tournaments #3 - Limit Omaha / PL Omaha Hi-Lo
If your preferred games are fixed limit Omaha poker or pot limit Omaha hi-lo then the number of tournaments available is going to be slightly smaller. The larger poker rooms such as Party Poker, Poker Stars and Full Tilt have tournaments which cover all of the above variations. Fixed limit Omaha tournaments usually feature smaller buy-ins and smaller fields than the pot-limit variations of the game - sticking to the higher traffic sites will ensure the best selection and largest possible field sizes.
Poker Rooms with Omaha Tournaments #1 - Re-Buy Tournaments
Many online poker rooms offer re-buy Omaha tournaments. These allow you to buy in again should you lose your stack during the first hour. Many opponents will play wild and loose because of this fact - meaning the chip stacks can grow rapidly. Re-Buy Omaha poker tournaments usually allow an additional 'add-on' at the end of the first hour. For one more buy-in players get to add an additional 1500 or 2000 chips to their stacks. When considering whether to join a re-buy Omaha tournament bear in mind that the total cost require to compete effectively can be several times the advertised buy-in.
Poker Rooms with Omaha Tournaments #1 - Sit-n-Go Omaha Tournaments
Sit-n-Go Omaha tournaments are single table tournaments which start whenever enough players (usually 10) join. Paying the top 3 places these tournaments are a great way to gain Omaha tournament experience at a low cost. The most popular Omaha sit-n-go tournaments are usually the pot limit Omaha-high variety, fixed limit and Omaha hi-lo sit-n-goes are also available and fill up fairly quickly at the larger on-line poker rooms.
Poker Rooms with Omaha Tournaments #2 - Pot Limit Omaha Tournaments
Pot Limit Omaha is the most popular variation of Omaha poker played in online tournaments. Regularly scheduled games on many sites exist with buy-ins ranging from a few dollars to over $200. Occasionally bigger buy-in Omaha tournaments are scheduled as part of special events such as the Poker Stars WCOOP and Full Tilt FTOPS series.
Poker Rooms with Omaha Tournaments #3 - Limit Omaha / PL Omaha Hi-Lo
If your preferred games are fixed limit Omaha poker or pot limit Omaha hi-lo then the number of tournaments available is going to be slightly smaller. The larger poker rooms such as Party Poker, Poker Stars and Full Tilt have tournaments which cover all of the above variations. Fixed limit Omaha tournaments usually feature smaller buy-ins and smaller fields than the pot-limit variations of the game - sticking to the higher traffic sites will ensure the best selection and largest possible field sizes.
Poker Rooms with Omaha Tournaments #1 - Re-Buy Tournaments
Many online poker rooms offer re-buy Omaha tournaments. These allow you to buy in again should you lose your stack during the first hour. Many opponents will play wild and loose because of this fact - meaning the chip stacks can grow rapidly. Re-Buy Omaha poker tournaments usually allow an additional 'add-on' at the end of the first hour. For one more buy-in players get to add an additional 1500 or 2000 chips to their stacks. When considering whether to join a re-buy Omaha tournament bear in mind that the total cost require to compete effectively can be several times the advertised buy-in.
How to get back in shape
Before starting to work out make sure you get a full physical from your doctor and a letter stating it is ok for you to do physical activity. Many gym and aerobic centers will require this before letting you start.
Depending on how long it has been since you last did regular exercise it is recommended that you start off slow and gradually build up your workout to harder levels.
It is generally recommended to start off at the gym with just the treadmill and the lifecycle for the first week or 2. This is to wake the muscles up and to slowly get you prepared for a harder workout.
You will generally want to find a speed on the treadmill that is a pace you can keep up with little discomfort and do it for 20 minutes. After this take a 5 minute break, stretch a little and have a drink of water, then go back and increase the speed just a bit then do another 20.
Remember that pushing yourself too far is taking a gamble that you may not be able to live with. In a casino you can put everything you have on the roulette table and maybe you win and maybe you lose, but in the gym if you push too hard you can die, so take things slowly.
Many people make the mistake of getting back into an exercise program and going all gung ho an trying to get back in shape in just one hour, well let me tell you this will not work. The only thing this will do is make you very sore the next day and you will not be able to workout that day, and it will make you lose interest fast in the gym. Discomfort in ok pain is not.
Depending on how long it has been since you last worked out, I recommend working out 4 or 5 days a week. This may seem like a lot but if you were trying to win a poker tournament you would go to a casino or an online casino and poker room to practice almost every day right? So you will have to do the same with the gym.
Working out 5 days a week does not necessarily mean you have to go to the gym every day. I recommend the gym 3 times a week and the other day or 2 you can just go for a long fast paced walk around your neighborhood. Try to vary the things you do so that you do not work out the same parts of your body 2 days in a row.
Most professionals will tell you that if you work out your arms and chest on a Monday do not exercise those muscles again for at least 48 hours. This is to give the muscles time to heal and grow. It is this straining and resting of the muscle that makes it grow not just the working it out. If all you did every day was work the same muscle group in a few days the muscle would be more likely to tear in a painful experience and the only thing you will be able to do for several months will be playing in an online casino from your laptop in bed.
Is 2-7 Offsuit Really A Bad Poker Hand?
In texas hold'em, 2-7 offsuit is the worst starting hand you can possibly have because your chances of making any kind of winning hand are slim. You could make a straight or a flush but you will only be using one of your cards, and if you do make a pair it's unlikely to be a winning one.
Despite this, however, in my experience a lot of players have a soft spot for this hand because it's so bad, and because in theory you have very little chances of winning the hand, it presents a challenge.
Therefore, it can encourage some players to bluff with this hand, particularly if they have table position, and can sense weakness amongst their opponents. They can then take great delight in flipping over their 2-7 offsuit, and seeing the reactions of the other players.
In most situations this hand should of course be an instant fold, but it's important to note that at times your chances of winning with this hand are not as bad as most people think. For instance, when you're playing no-limit heads up play, or find yourself against just one other player, it can become a playable hand.
Many less experience players fail to fully understand probabilities, and therefore automatically assume they have no chance of winning with this hand, but this assumption is wrong.
Let me demonstrate this point with a few examples.
Assuming you're holding 2-7 offsuit, your chances of winning against Ace-King (offsuit) are approximately 32.5%, Ace-King (suited) 30.5%, Ace-Jack (offsuit) 32.5%, and 10-6 (offsuit) 34%, so as you can see you would not be that much of an underdog in any of these possible scenarios.
In fact, if you believe that your opponent has two different cards, ie not a pair, then you are always going to have roughly a 1 in 3 chance of winning, which are pretty good odds.
Even if you are unlucky enough to find yourself up against a pair, your odds of winning are still reasonable.
For instance, you would have a 12% chance of winning against a pair of Ace's or 9's, for example, and a 28% chance against a pair of 4's.
There are also occasions when you would prefer two low cards like 2-7 to a higher combination. A classic example would be in a multi-table tournament which you are on the verge of going out of. In this case going all-in with your 2-7 would in most cases put you up against maybe just one other player, who would probably hold at least one of the higher valued cards. Therefore at least you would have two live cards, and could win if you hit a 2 or a 7.
So to conclude, although 2-7 offsuit is not the hand you want to see at any time, there are times when this hand is not as bad as you may think.
## End of Article
Despite this, however, in my experience a lot of players have a soft spot for this hand because it's so bad, and because in theory you have very little chances of winning the hand, it presents a challenge.
Therefore, it can encourage some players to bluff with this hand, particularly if they have table position, and can sense weakness amongst their opponents. They can then take great delight in flipping over their 2-7 offsuit, and seeing the reactions of the other players.
In most situations this hand should of course be an instant fold, but it's important to note that at times your chances of winning with this hand are not as bad as most people think. For instance, when you're playing no-limit heads up play, or find yourself against just one other player, it can become a playable hand.
Many less experience players fail to fully understand probabilities, and therefore automatically assume they have no chance of winning with this hand, but this assumption is wrong.
Let me demonstrate this point with a few examples.
Assuming you're holding 2-7 offsuit, your chances of winning against Ace-King (offsuit) are approximately 32.5%, Ace-King (suited) 30.5%, Ace-Jack (offsuit) 32.5%, and 10-6 (offsuit) 34%, so as you can see you would not be that much of an underdog in any of these possible scenarios.
In fact, if you believe that your opponent has two different cards, ie not a pair, then you are always going to have roughly a 1 in 3 chance of winning, which are pretty good odds.
Even if you are unlucky enough to find yourself up against a pair, your odds of winning are still reasonable.
For instance, you would have a 12% chance of winning against a pair of Ace's or 9's, for example, and a 28% chance against a pair of 4's.
There are also occasions when you would prefer two low cards like 2-7 to a higher combination. A classic example would be in a multi-table tournament which you are on the verge of going out of. In this case going all-in with your 2-7 would in most cases put you up against maybe just one other player, who would probably hold at least one of the higher valued cards. Therefore at least you would have two live cards, and could win if you hit a 2 or a 7.
So to conclude, although 2-7 offsuit is not the hand you want to see at any time, there are times when this hand is not as bad as you may think.
## End of Article
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How to Play the Game Omaha Poker
Omaha Poker is similar to Texas Holdem as it is a high hand poker game. The differences are several. The player must always play two cards from the four they are dealt face down. There is no rule like this in Holdem as the player can play the board to make up their hand. In Omaha the player must play three from the common board of five cards and two from their hand. The other difference is the player is dealt four cards and the flop is still the three deals of three cards and then one card twice. Like Holdem these five face up cards in the center of the table are common to all players.
The betting is just like Holdem, a round following the four cards dealt to each player and then rounds of betting after the three card center deal and the two subsequent one card deals. At he end of the betting the player with the best poker hand from two of the four they have been dealt and three from the common Flop is the winner of the pot.
Winning hands in Omaha are skewed to the higher hands because each player has nine cards to make their hand. Three of a kind is common. Straights and flushes show up with far greater frequency than you see in Texas Holdem.
If a pair shows on the board, there is a good likely hood that three of a kind or better is the likely winning hand. If there are three cards of the same suit, then it is very likely there will be a flush hand If another player is calling bets when three suited cards are present it can be assumed that they have a flush or at least three of a kind. If a paid show in the flop by the river, then it is likely in this scenario that the player has a full house. Be very careful about raising on hands that can be beat this easily.
Experienced Omaha players have a decided advantage over new players in this game as they know what is likely to be the winner based on the flop and will not gamble that the other players missed their hands when these flop combinations show up. Omaha rewards experience far more than any other form of poker other than Omaha Hi Lo. A newcomer will do far better playing Holdem than they will in playing Omaha. If a player is willing to read and play free games to learn then Omaha can be a playable game for the new player. Experience is the name of the game to become a winner at Omaha.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
How to Choose an Online Poker Room
With the plethora of online poker informational sites on the internet these days, you'll never have to look far for recommended online poker rooms. With the enormous amount of real money poker rooms vying for your business, where do you start as a new player? Instead of following the site with the most advertising dollars, choose a poker room based on your priorities. Are you mostly a middle stakes cash game player looking for a big bonus and lots of players or is the poker software and support more important to you? Before you make the plunge and deposit into a new poker room (which is no easy task these days) keep in mind what will make for a positive experience for you personally.
Every online poker site worth its weight in chips offers a bonus on your first deposit. Most often, the bonus is some percentage of your total deposit usually ranging from 10-100% and having a maximum bonus cap. However, bonus numbers can be misleading. While a poker site may give a 100% bonus, the playing requirements to ever see that bonus are so steep that it is probably useless for all but the highest stakes players. Other sites may offer a lower total bonus amount but have realistic playing requirements. A select few may even give you the cash upfront in your player account. Before deciding on the poker site with the biggest bonus numbers, look closely at the terms and make sure that you'll actually be seeing that bonus money. Choose a bonus that works within your playing habits.
Another consideration should be finding poker software that fits your individual needs. If you're playing online poker simply as an enjoyable hobby, perhaps you should look for pleasant graphics and an overall relaxed feel. If you're a serious multi-table player looking to maximize your hourly rate, game speed and simplicity will be more important to you. Even seemingly small features like a "Bet Pot" button or the ability to move your avatar around the table can become an incredibly convenient necessity over time. Experiment with the poker room's software and make sure that you're comfortable with its features.
Like any other sport or competitive game, you play poker to win. As skill and experience certainly prevails over luck in the long run, learned poker players want to find loose games filled with poor players. Certain poker rooms seem to attract more inexperienced players than others and a quality poker room review should give you an idea of the overall player strength. Even without a review, check the poker software for average pot and flop percentage information. Flop percentages over 40% and average pots 20+ times the big blind usually indicates a looser game. Make sure that you won't be diving into a shark tank by checking out the competition before you play.
Finally, an extremely important consideration in the current online gaming market is the ease of deposits and withdrawals. With limited payment options remaining for US players, it is essential to choose a poker room that can accommodate your banking methods. The easiest remaining deposit methods include the ePassporte e-wallet, cash transfer, and other proprietary e-wallets. Also, ensure that the poker room has easy withdrawal methods such as payment back to your e-wallet or express paper check service.
With poker's popularity reaching all-time highs, there certainly is no shortage of online poker sites reserving your seat at the tables. Before making your decision of where to play, do a little more research about the site's promotions, bonus terms, software, and banking methods. Before depositing, take a little extra time to ensure that your priorities are met by a potential poker site. Make the poker room earn your loyalty.
Every online poker site worth its weight in chips offers a bonus on your first deposit. Most often, the bonus is some percentage of your total deposit usually ranging from 10-100% and having a maximum bonus cap. However, bonus numbers can be misleading. While a poker site may give a 100% bonus, the playing requirements to ever see that bonus are so steep that it is probably useless for all but the highest stakes players. Other sites may offer a lower total bonus amount but have realistic playing requirements. A select few may even give you the cash upfront in your player account. Before deciding on the poker site with the biggest bonus numbers, look closely at the terms and make sure that you'll actually be seeing that bonus money. Choose a bonus that works within your playing habits.
Another consideration should be finding poker software that fits your individual needs. If you're playing online poker simply as an enjoyable hobby, perhaps you should look for pleasant graphics and an overall relaxed feel. If you're a serious multi-table player looking to maximize your hourly rate, game speed and simplicity will be more important to you. Even seemingly small features like a "Bet Pot" button or the ability to move your avatar around the table can become an incredibly convenient necessity over time. Experiment with the poker room's software and make sure that you're comfortable with its features.
Like any other sport or competitive game, you play poker to win. As skill and experience certainly prevails over luck in the long run, learned poker players want to find loose games filled with poor players. Certain poker rooms seem to attract more inexperienced players than others and a quality poker room review should give you an idea of the overall player strength. Even without a review, check the poker software for average pot and flop percentage information. Flop percentages over 40% and average pots 20+ times the big blind usually indicates a looser game. Make sure that you won't be diving into a shark tank by checking out the competition before you play.
Finally, an extremely important consideration in the current online gaming market is the ease of deposits and withdrawals. With limited payment options remaining for US players, it is essential to choose a poker room that can accommodate your banking methods. The easiest remaining deposit methods include the ePassporte e-wallet, cash transfer, and other proprietary e-wallets. Also, ensure that the poker room has easy withdrawal methods such as payment back to your e-wallet or express paper check service.
With poker's popularity reaching all-time highs, there certainly is no shortage of online poker sites reserving your seat at the tables. Before making your decision of where to play, do a little more research about the site's promotions, bonus terms, software, and banking methods. Before depositing, take a little extra time to ensure that your priorities are met by a potential poker site. Make the poker room earn your loyalty.
Texas Holdem Overview
When it comes to playing online poker, or for that matter live poker, it is not all about the cards that are in your hand, but what the other people playing against you think you may have in your hand. A good bluff is often worth more than a handful of good cards. This game of chance is becoming extremely popular in eastern parts of Europe. Visit http://www.pokerroom.com/ for more information.
It is vitally important to be able to bluff well. If you haven't yet learned how to do this, you really should do so as soon as possible. Bluffing is absolutely essential to winning any significant amounts, and if you can't bluff then anyone who can will have the edge over you. Of course, it is just as important that you once you have learned to bluff, you do so wisely. Some people become addicted to bluffing, and do so at every opportunity. This will only result in people realizing you are bluffing, and calling you on it. You need to avoid being caught bluffing, as if you can bluff but people think you can't you will be much better off.
For those first starting out, the variety of poker games can be a bit daunting. Luckily, there is one game (Texas Holdem) which is essentially the standard. So if you learn this, then you will be able to play with most people you meet. Better then this, it can be learnt in just a few minutes, although it takes years to master fully. So you can learn the rules, start playing, and be reasonably good in only a few hours practice. The most important thing to remember is that there are only two cards of yours that your opponent cannot see. You have to decide if you stay in right off, which is a pretty big decision to make with only two cards in hand. You can check out some advice and probabilities at http://www.pokerroom.com/texas-holdem, which may help you out. And of course, if you need to practice, you can play free poker online at several different sites including pokerroom.com.
Texas Holdem Overview:
1. To play poker one player will have a dealer marker in front of them. Each game that spot will change to the next person to the left.
2. A standard 52-card playing deck is used.
3. To start the game, the dealer gives each player two cards face down- these are the hole cards.
4. You have three options on your turn: you can call, raise, or fold.
5. The amount you can bet will be different depending on the type of game being played.
6. After everyone has finished their bets, the dealer burns one card and flips over three (the flop).
7. There is another round of betting.
8. Next, the dealer burns another card and flips one more onto the table, the turn card.
9. Another round of betting ensues, beginning with the player to the dealers left.
10. The dealer then burns a final card and flips over the river card.
11. Each player has to make the best 5-card hand they can with the two cards in hand, and the five on the table. You can see a list of the possible hands at http://www.pokerroom.com/
12. There is one more round of betting.
13. The players who are still in will show their hands.
14. Whoever has the best hand, is the winner. If the top two hands are the same, then they share the prize.
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