Monday, October 31, 2005

Poker Terminology - learn the poker lingo and poker jargon you need


Experienced players of Texas Hold’em and other styles of poker will know what follows but it’s handy to have a page you can tear out with all the poker terminology or poker lingo you’re likely to encounter online or off. For beginners it’s an essential piece of kit, so print it out and stick it to your PC, or bookmark this page for handy reference.

Read poker article here: Poker Terminology

Texas Hold Em Strategy For Picking The Best Poker Table To Play At


How To Make Sure You Enter A Good Game

Let's look at a good strategy for some online Texas hold 'em. First things first. How do you make sure you enter a good game? Spend some time watching who's playing and how. Look for a mid-sized game as it gives you more choice of who you can sit alongside.

Watch everyone play. Decide if they are superior to you. Note who's aggressive, who's playing tight, who semi-bluffed or bluffed, who's weak and who check-raised. Steer clear of games with plenty of early pre flop or post flop raises. Definitely keep away from games where an experienced player is mopping up no-hopers. When you think you've sussed a table that's about at your level, try to sit to the right of a tight player and if possible to the left of a loose player.

It's worth waiting for this situation if you can smoke it out. Think: right/tight, left/loose. The reason for this classic choice is that with the loose guy on your right, you're always pondering the hand after the call is made. Furthermore, it'll be easier to steal blinds from the tight player of your left. Try this today online and see how it pans out.

Finally, always remember the words of Doyle Brunson, "Poker is more art than science, and that's what makes it difficult to master. Knowing what to do (the science) is about ten per cent of the game. Knowing how to do it (the art) is the other ninety per cent. You not only have to know when to bet, when to raise, and when to fold, you have to be able to do all of those things with finesse."

Now none of us are Doyle Brunson and thankfully you're unlikely to come up against him online, but today's tips would certainly meet with his approval.

GETTING TIMED OUT
A lot of new online players ask about timing out. The timer system is needed in online poker because the action dependes on multiple remote players clicking the on-screen prompts within a reasonable time. Otherwise the game would grind to a halt. Most sites allow fifteen to twenty seconds once the action buttons display. Usually an interface shows the countdown to the player required to take action. If the player fails to react within the twenty seconds, he or she is timed out and their hand is automatically folded. This doesn't happen a lot but it's in everyones' interest for the sake of the game's enjoyment that things proceed at a viable pace.

Source: Texas Hold'em Strategy

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Jack Straus, Legend of Poker


The vociferous poker player Jack "Tree Top" Straus fondly remembered...

Jack Straus was a great champion of poker back in 1982 and like most of the immortals in the game he’ll be remembered best for his vocal outbursts.

If God had wanted us to hang onto money he’d have made it with handles!” was perhaps one of his most notorious.

In many a tussle with the great opponents of his day Jack described his best characteristic as...

Read Jack Straus article here to find out!

How to stay off tilt when playing poker



How to avoid getting "emotional" and betting recklessly...

Online poker players know about (and fear) going on tilt, that sudden state of reckless betting, so let's examine the danger.

The best possible way to avoid tilt when playing online poker is to stay aware of signs that indicate that you are starting to slide. Usually by the time you realize you're on tilt, it's too late, and you've lost most of your stack. Some of these signs are obvious and some are more subtle. If you fail to recognize these signs, you will never be able to get out of those losing streaks. You're Tired. Avoiding fatigue is the best physical way to stay off tilt. Any indication that you are tired is a sign that it's just a matter of time before you make a mistake. Decision making is impaired when players are tired. If you are constantly yawning, have heavy and tired eyes, and have fallen asleep for a few moments at the computer, then it's time for you to end your session immediately. Set a time for you to end your nightly session and stick to that. If you are experiencing sleepiness before that deadline, have enough sense to walk away.

Catch That Wave.
If you are experiencing a wave of frustration from catching cold cards, experiencing brutal bad beats, or missing your big draws more so than normal, that's another early warning sign that you are headed on tilt and you may even be there already. You have to calm yourself down or walk away because frustrated players tend to press more. They'll play more hands out of position and chase draws when they do not have the correct odds to call.

It only takes a few moments to waver from your game plan. You can play perfect poker for several hours then misplay one hand, which can set you on tilt for the remainder of the session. To avoid that trap, stay focused. You also need to figure out holes in your game, identify those mistakes and plug the leaks. The fewer mistakes you make, the better the chances that you will avoid tilt.

Stifle It.
Don't allow other players to get you on tilt with their taunting comments in the chat. In the real world, there is more of a professional decorum among the players in a poker room or casino. Online, you have the advantage of hiding behind a computer screen. That anonymity allows people to get away with poor behavior which wouldn't be tolerated in real life. There are players who will let loose a heavy flow of racial insults, curse words, and harassing statements. The best way to handle those players is to ignore them. Better yet, most online sites have a function that allows you to turn off the other players' chat. Utilize that function and ignore the chat.

Pay attention to the status of your normal life.
Usually when bad things are happening to you, that negativity spills over to your play on the tables. The best way to sidestep tilt is to avoid playing cards when you are having a terrible day. Sometimes the thought of poker for medicinal purposes sounds soothing. However, the serious player sits down at the table to win, not to escape from his problems. If you run away from your problems, they will eventually track you down, even at the poker table.

Sometimes you can go on tilt for a few hands during a session. Good players will be aware when something sets them off their optimal game and they quickly get back on track.

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Sometimes you can play by the book, get great cards, and still find yourself on the losing end of pot after pot. That's the formula for the most common occurrence of tilt. You begin to question how you've been playing, when there have been no flaws in your game. Simply put, other players are making mistakes and getting lucky. There's nothing you can do about that except move on and keep on playing a solid game.

The worst part about going on tilt is allowing your darker emotions to get involved. That stems from frustration combined with a struggling session. After an inferior player sucks you out on the river, your first instinct may be to "get him back." Your agenda has shifted from playing your natural game towards carrying out a personal vendetta against another player. Remember that in the long run, the best players are rewarded for solid play. Instead of trying to get that money back instantly, focus on the bigger picture. That money will eventually come back to you.

Accept the outcome of every hand and then forget about it and move onto the next hand.
The beauty of online poker is that you play quite a few more hands than you do in a casino. That gives you more opportunities to forget about bad beats. Also accept that there is a decent amount of luck involved with poker and sometimes you come out on the bad end of that luck.

The best way to avoid tilt when playing online is to turn off the computer. It's not like you are in Las Vegas and have to board a plane to fly home. You do not have to drive home to leave your local card game at your buddy's house, because you are already home. Log off and save yourself from seriously damaging your bankroll.

For More Great Poker Articles Visit Our Main Site @
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Friday, October 28, 2005

Online Poker Tells and How To Spot Them!


How To Read Poker Tells Online ...and Offline!

"Tells" are a part of poker tradition. A tell is a behavioural giveaway that an opponent may signal if dealt a good hand. You look for that subconscious gesture. A widening of the eyes? Why do you think the champs wear sunglasses? They're cutting down the odds of a tell.

Okay. So what use are online poker tells where there are no facial expressions? The answer is the nature of the tell needs to be looked for in terms of online behaviour. For example: if an opponent bets quickly it's likely a signal of a weak hand. Think about it. If you land a good hand, the first thing you do is think about your strategey for playing it. That takes time? You don't need time to figure out a four of hearts and a ten of spades is not likely to send a shiver down Johnny Chan's spine. You get the idea? Make a mental note of the time each player takes to make their decisions. These can be valuable tells.

Obviously your own behaviour at the table is already giving off a tell to other experienced players. What's the defence against this intrusion on your game? A good tip is to try to take more or less the same amount of time to reach every decision. This sheds the light of confusion and players who are focused on this element of your game will become irritated which is another landmine in your armoury.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
"There Are A Few Simple Secrets
That All The Online Poker Sharks
Don't Want You To Know. In fact,
These Poker Pro's Will Pull Every
String Possible To Keep You From
Cashing In On Their Massively
Hidden Income Streams.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are a few other observations worth making for online poker tells.

The online check box enables you to "fold", "call any" or "raise any". If an opponent is swift to check the "raise any", this is a likely giveaway of a good hand. A player who hits "check" is probably betraying a weak hand and similarly an opponent who hits "call any" is more likely looking for cards to complete a hand with potential and is not getting ready to fold yet awhile.
We'll return to online poker tells in a future column but as a parting shot here are a couple of poker tells that'll help you identify a beginner. If you yourself are a beginner, these closing tips will be even more valuable.

A beginner's mind set is often to pretend weakness with a good hand and bet on a weak hand. Look for the tell tale signs as a game progresses.

Here's something else newbies do. If a beginner receives a high card and checks and then bets when he receives the three of hearts, you can figure that he's paired the high card previously. It's unlikely he's raising on a pair of threes. It's more likely a smoke screen tempting you in if you say have a pair of sevens.

From: http://www.all-the-aces.com/Online_Poker_Tells.html

Learning Omaha poker


For those of you who haven’t played Omaha yet, here’s a useful walk-through. The game has basically grown out of Texas Hold’em and the rules are therefore more or less the same. There are two main differences that you need to be aware of to learn Omaha. Read about them here: Learning Omaha Poker

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Poker Betting Strategy


How much you are allowed to bet on each hand depends on the type of poker game you are playing: no limit or limit.

You need to have your poker betting strategy in place.

Pot limit hold 'em games tend to draw tight play from wily older players who have a pretty good grasp of their craft. With a pot limit game, you can find yourself with Kings under the gun wanting to raise a little more but not allowed to do so.

In a pot limit game, you can only raise the amount to call plus the value of the pot. This means that you can nly bet three and a half big blinds at this point, enabling your opponents to call as they follow on in the hope of success, leaving you vulnerable to the outcome of the flop. These situations suit pro players more than enthusiastic beginners.

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The rush with no limit is the deception and bluffing... and busting other players. It's all drama. THe poker TV channels have caused a huge new interest in no limit games where the adrenalin can really get pumping as players and eccentrics bluff for the pot or make the big bet. Here are some tips on how to stay alive in the shark pond.

Don't let the towering piles of chips intimidate you. It's only the structure that changes in no limit. Your focus now is the ratios if the amounts you bet. No limit often boils down to "What do I do when faced with a bet large enough to make my legs numb? Is it a gigantic bluff or a honey trap luring me into a killer hand that wipes me out?"

A lot of conservative poker players answer this question by always electing to play limit.

Here are the key factors of your poker betting strategy to remember in a no limit game.
  • Protect your good hands.
  • Seize opportunities to bust people.
  • Raise five times the big blind on a strong hand. The more players who call before you, the more you should raise. This enables you to limit the table to only a few callers. You want to give drawing hands an unattractive price to call.
  • Don't make your bet so large that you end up with no action on a strong hand.

Source: poker betting strategy

Online Poker Table Selection


How to choose the best online poker table to maximise your chances of success

A smart thing to do before choosing a poker table to play at online, is to check out the lobby area. Look for the names of players you recognise from previous games and see if they have recently started playing in higher stakes games. If they are, it’s significant. It’s likely to mean one of two things: Either they’ve had a...

Continue reading article at: Online Poker Table Selection

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

The Top Strip Poker Sites


Discover the best strip poker sites on the web! Play virtual poker against sexy models who strip as you win.

See article: The Top Strip Poker Sites

----------------------------------------------------
>>>> Awesome online Texas Hold'em Poker Seminar Videos - Check it out! <<<<
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Texas Holdem Basics


The basics of online Texas Hold'em for those just beginning their online poker playing adventure!
For the benefit of everyone whose online poker career is commencing today, here are the basics of the Internet´s most popular card game: Texas Hold´em.
(Ed: Here's an article on texas holdem history.)

IN THE BEGINNING
Before any cards are dealt the first two players on the dealer´s left must post “blind bets” to ensure that action is encouraged from other players at the table. These bets are known as the small and large “blinds”. In a $10-$20 game of Hold´em the small blind will be $5 and the big blind $10. Two cards are then dealt face down to each player. These are known as hole cards.

Article continues here >>>: Texas Hold'em Basics


Tuesday, October 25, 2005

First time online poker players


What you need to know when playing poker online for the first time...

FIRST TIMERS
To those of you just deciding to start playing poker online we’re going to run through some of the essential points.

Is money you deposit with a large branded site safe? Yes it is. The reason the online industry has expanded so fast is that it has gained the trust of the general public and it’s now in nobody’s interest for that goodwill to be lost. Online gaming requires safe, secure payment systems enabling players to place bets and receive their winnings in an easy manner.

ENTER THE E-WALLET
NETeller has been going for over six years now, along with a few similar companies, such as Click2Pay, ePassporte and Firepay. All of these services allow online gamers to have what is effectively an “e-wallet” with which to conduct their internet finances. These are all easy, proven, honest, swift systems and it means you can now play poker online without any concern about identity fraud and credit theft.

WHAT PC DO I NEED?
Poker and casino software these days will run on the most basic of computers. Windows is still dominant as the software of choice but even Apple PC’s are supported by the big casino and poker sites now.

CAN I PLAY FOR FREE?
Yes you can. Open a “free play” account with the poker or casino site of your choice and they’ll give you a generous supply of chips so that you can come to grips with your game of choice. Dailystarpoker.com offers “freeplay” poker and casino activities.

IS THE SOFTWARE EASY TO USE?
Yes it is. Go to your site of choice (dailystarpoker.com is typical of the big branded sites) and download the poker room “client”. This is the easy to load software which will connect you to the servers. To install, all you have to do is double click on the icon and the software will self-install. Once installed you’ll be connected to the poker room which will offer you a clear registration window.

After a few simple registration questions you’ll enter the lobby area where you can select the game you’re interested in. If you want to take instruction on any particular game you’ll find the tutorials are very simple to follow with lots of visuals. If you want to play for real money right away go to the “cashier” in the lobby and establish where and how you want your winnings paid. Again the process is very straightforward and you only have to do it once. Have fun!

See it at source (there's a funny picture of first time poker players):
First time online poker players

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Monday, October 24, 2005

Poker Scalping


A poker strategy of preying on new and vulnerable poker players in order to win consistent hourly wages from playing poker.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About The Author


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

Texas Hold'em Poker Beginners: How to get Play Money


A beginner's guide to playing Texas Hold'em with play money and becoming familliar with the various types of Texas Hold'em games. Plus, "ring"games explained.

Read poker article here: Texas Holdem Poker Beginner: How to get play money

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Online Poker Tells


Online Poker Tells
How To Read Poker Tells Online ...and Offline!


"Tells" are a part of poker tradition. A tell is a behavioural giveaway that an opponent may signal if dealt a good hand. You look for that subconscious gesture. A widening of the eyes? Why do you think the champs wear sunglasses? They're cutting down the odds of a tell.

Okay. So what use is a poker tell online where there are no facial expressions? The answer is the nature of the tell needs to be looked for in terms of online behaviour. For example: if an opponent bets quickly it's likely a signal of a weak hand. Think about it. If you land a good hand, the first thing you do is think about your strategey for playing it. That takes time? You don't need time to figure out a four of hearts and a ten of spades is not likely to send a shiver down Johnny Chan's spine. You get the idea? Make a mental note of the time each player takes to make their decisions. These can be valuable tells.

Obviously your own behaviour at the table is already giving off a tell to other experienced players. What's the defence against this intrusion on your game? A good tip is to try to take more or less the same amount of time to reach every decision. This sheds the light of confusion and players who are focused on this element of your game will become irritated which is another landmine in your armoury.

Here are a few other observations worth making for online poker tells. The online check box enables you to "fold", "call any" or "raise any". If an opponent is swift to check the "raise any", this is a likely giveaway of a good hand. A player who hits "check" is probably betraying a weak hand and similarly an opponent who hits "call any" is more likely looking for cards to complete a hand with potential and is not getting ready to fold yet awhile.

We'll return to online poker tells in a future column but as a parting shot here are a couple of poker tells that'll help you identify a beginner. If you yourself are a beginner, these closing tips will be even more valuable.

A beginner's mind set is often to pretend weakness with a good hand and bet on a weak hand. Look for the tell tale signs as a game progresses.

Here's something else newbies do. If a beginner receives a high card and checks and then bets when he receives the three of hearts, you can figure that he's paired the high card previously. It's unlikely he's raising on a pair of threes. It's more likely a smoke screen tempting you in if you say have a pair of sevens.

POKER JOKER
Jim: "We were playing poker at midnight using tarot cards."
Bert: "How'd it work out?"
Jim: "I got a full house and four people died!"

Source: All The Aces: Online Poker Tells

Hot supermodel teaches you how to play poker


We reveal where to find the secret source of poker knowledge dispensed by a red-hot poker babe...

So you've heard all about this poker craze and you want to learn to play poker online. You could read all the many free poker articles, poker tips or a poker column to get clued up, but if you don't like reading wouldn't you prefer to have a red-hot supermodel coach you through the basics?

Scientists have shown we pay much more attention to what we are being told if we are aroused. And we pay more attention to attractive people than to unattractive people. So if you want to learn to play poker, who better than a famous supermodel (and a crack poker player to boot!) to teach you?

These high quality poker videos stream right onto your PC, one after the other. They are really high quality and the poker instruction is concise, useful and to the point.

Continue poker article here (tasty pic too!): Hot supermodel teaches you how to play poker

Snooker World Champion Stephen Hendry playing poker at the Bellagio


This free poker article relates how Stephen Hendry, 7-time Snooker World Champion, is turning his hand to poker and how he got on playing poker at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Go read it: Stephen Hendry plays poker at the Bellagio

Poker radio, and the Supreme Court of Poker


This poker article talks about the latest poker radio station to hit the airwaves playing pokerrelated interviews and talk shows 24/7. It also looks at the shannigans of The Supreme Court of Justice - happy to enforce a ban on poker in certain parts of the USA, while holding regular high stakes games of poker between its members and staff.

See: Poker radio and the Supreme Court of Justice

The best poker radio shows


Discover the world's best (and, let's face it, only) poker radio shows. That's right now you can listen to your own internet radio shows 24/7 as you play online poker! Don't worry if you can't catch them live though, as most archive their shows so that you can download them at your convenience. This poker article lists them all.

See : Poker Radio Shows