Poker Table Tops – An Affordable Way to Play Poker During an Economic Recession?
The above question asks whether Poker Table Tops are an affordable alternative for Poker Players in today’s economic climate? And whether or not Poker Table Tops make the playing of Poker more accessible to general members of the public, the ordinary Poker player?
This question is not posed merely to promote the product of Poker Table Tops. It ponders if the affects of the recent / present Recession, which has resulted in growing unemployment, reductions in take home pay and subsequently disposable income and the limiting of individuals earning potential, has led to the playing of Poker in casinos to become an unaffordable luxury for many Poker Players.
In attempting to put forward some kind of rational and logical argument to the question that is posed by the title, one must first ask ‘Who is the ordinary poker Player?’
According to eCOGRA (e Commerce On-line Gaming Regulation and Assurance) the typical on-line poker player was:
Male 73.8%
Age 26-35 (26.9%)
Play two to three times per week (26.8%)
Have played for two to three years (23.6%)
Play between one to two hours per session (33.3%)
Play one table (24.1%) or two tables (24%) at a time
Play both cash games and tournaments (34%)
Play at big blind levels of $0.50 to $2.00(US) (61.2%)
Play with 6-10% of their bankroll on the table at any one time (23%)
Claim that they are average in terms of skill
Feel that there is slightly more skill involved in poker than luck (31.9%)
Travel over 100 miles to play poker at least 2 times per year (38%)
52% Internet Poker players have a bachelors degree or higher
75% of those who did not and would not try internet gambling where married while 56% of internet gamblers were married
37% of casino goers gamble online as compared to 5% of the general population
The above statistics not only show the general make up of the ordinary Poker Player but also their playing habits. Granted the above statistics are applicable to the on-line Poker Player, however eCOGRA went on to state, “Most studies suggest that demographics of online gambling are broadly similar to those of the offline gambling population, with a spread of income, gender and education.”
Given the ravages of the world wide Recession money has become a scare commodity and people are retreating from the high streets. With less money in people’s pockets there is less money for people to spend to help boost the economy.
With any recession people are left to re-evaluate their finances. Usually their little luxuries in life are the first to be sacrificed in their home budget. These luxuries include those trips to the casino to play the great game of Poker. It isn’t a free and desirable choice, it’s a choice dictated by the effects of a failing economy.
Granted on-line Poker offers the ordinary Poker Players the opportunity to play the game but that, in my opinion is impersonal. For me there is nothing like the feel of playing Poker in a room, face to face with your opponents, yet being part of the camaraderie that exist between players.
One could purchase a Poker Table for his / her home. This provides one with the opportunity to reproduce that Casino feel without having to travel. However it does also provide some difficulties. Furthermore, the cost of a Poker Table could be anywhere in the region of $2000 but in these recessionary times the luxury of having $2000 spare is not one luxury many people have.
Another option is to avail oneself of the many manuals on-line that illustrate how to build a Poker Table for between $200 & $300. Unfortunately not everyone has the skills or the desire to build one.
Further to the above, not everyone has the room to store a full size Poker Table in their house. As a result of the Recession, many people have had to downsize on their homes. Be it through choice, enforced sale or by eviction, people have had to seriously curtail their living habits and lifestyles. This includes reducing the living area / space in which most of us live. A full size Poker Table may not be a practical option.
Here is why I believe Poker Table Tops allow the ordinary Poker Player to play Poker during the Recession: Poker Table Tops allow all players to enjoy the game with like minded people in the comfort of their own home without the burden of high cost and with an added bonus of convenience. The cost of Poker Table Tops is relatively cheap compared to other products. Some affordable options start at around just $29. At this low cost, one can still enjoy the face to face intensity of playing Poker, Octagonal or Rectangular shaped Poker Table Tops can fit up to 8 to 10 Poker players at any one time.
Unlike Poker Tables, Poker Table Tops are not bulky items, lay them anywhere on any surface and quickly prepare them for playing on, they are just as easy to store away. This allows one to recreate that casino feel without having to sacrifice much needed space in their home.
I do not profess to be an Academic on this topic. This piece is based on my opinion, an opinion formed by witnessing more people looking for cheaper and more sustainable ways of maintaining a lifestyle they had prior to the world wide Recession. In that I believe Poker Table Tops allow the ordinary Poker Player an opportunity to keep playing Poker in a truly competitive and fun atmosphere, while not having the added expenses that were incumbent when travelling to the casino during the good times.
Therefore, in answering the question posed by the title, ‘Poker Table Tops – An easy way to play Poker during an economic recession?’ I would answer ‘Yes, in my opinion Poker Table Tops do indeed offer an easy way to play Poker during a recession.’
Looking for the best range of poker table tops online? We can help you find them – just click on over to -> http://pokertabletopshop.com for more info.
How To Play Poker – Learn Important Information To Help You Improve Quickly
There are many sites today that teach how to play poker and improve your skills; these really aren’t hard to find. Here is some important information to help you learn poker as quickly as possible.
First of all, by far the fastest and quickest way to improve at poker is to play it via the net. Very simply, there are few games online today that have made as big a splash as online poker. There are a ton of websites today that offer you the ability to play and improve your skills, and many times without paying a dime. This way, you can play against thousands of other players, many of whom are better than you.
This is a great way to improve your skills, because, whereas if you confined your playing to your friends or neighbors, you don’t have nearly the access to there players as you do online. This way, you can easily find players who are better than you, and play against them, which will help you to improve very quickly, because it forces you to step up your game.
Also, often times the bigger internet poker rooms will give you a lot of playing tips, and often times from professional players who hang out there. In fact, you can even play against the pros, another great way to improve your skills.
One of the most important things these games show you how to do is to figure out the best hands you should play, and which to simply walk away from. You will learn great tips such as how to bluff, and also be able to tell when somebody else is faking as well.
Here are some quick tips for how to not only improve your skills with these sites, but also profit as well. First of all, remember that with online poker, you can play in what are known as freerolls-where you don’t play for any money, just for fun.
Also, you can play for cash as well. Of course, many people are interested in making money with these games, because it sounds like an easy way to profit. Don’t be fooled-there are many great players on the net today, and making money can be quite challenging, especially when you’ve first started.
Also, remember that, in addition to your playing skills, anther extremely important aspect of making money with online poker is the site you are playing at. If you make the wrong decision about the site to play at, regardless of how good a player you might be, you will not make any money-period.
Keep in mind, some sites only offer very small payouts, and if you are interested in making serious money on the net, they simply are not worth your time. Even if you only want to play free poker online, making the right decision here is crucial if you want to learn poker as quickly as possible.
In order to choose the top sites to take your game to and learn how to play poker, make sure to read an online poker room rating, and check out important things such as their reputation (very important) their security, and how many players play there. Typically, the smaller sites won’t offer great payouts, and also the competition will generally be inferior as well.
However, the larger sites will offer a much wider range of players to play against and also often times professionals hang out there, which is great because they will be able to give you tips and help you improve your game. Try to confine your search to the top 10 poker sites, becuase these will offer you the best competition and also the highest payouts, should you choose to play for cash, either now or down the road.
Finally, as I alluded to above, make sure the site is secure. Again, very simply, if a site doesn’t offer a lot of security, your personal information will be at risk. Don’t ever give your credit card number to a site that can’t be trusted. Again, the only way to figure out which sites are the best is to read reviews of the top ones and then make your decision.
Yes, it might be tedious, but it will be well worth the effort. The bottom line is, the best way to learn how to play poker is to simply start playing on the internet, and learn by trial and error. Yes, its’ always good to read how to material to help you improve, but the bottom line is, you will simply never improve your game unless you actually get out there and start doing it.
If you want to read great reviews of the top poker sites to play at, such as a Poker Stars Review, visit poolandpokertips.com. Also read a Full Tilt Poker Review and anything else related to poker.
Learning to Play Poker
Texas Hold’em has quickly become a staple on TV, in casinos, and in living rooms around the country.
You must know how to play, and how to play well. Whether you want to beat your friends in a friendly home game, or make some money playing online or at a brick and mortar casino, or compete in a tournament, the following tips will show you how you can begin a journey which can be fun and rewarding.
You can begin by…
PLAYING FOR FREE
Admittedly, playing poker free without anything at stake is usually boring and unrewarding.
However, the majority of online poker sites still offer the option to play poker using free money. Anyone who opens an account receives a small sum of play money he or she can use at the play money tables. There they can play in the same manner that the real money tables use.
Now clearly the level of competition and the quality of the strategies are not those you will usually find at a real money table. That is not to say that the free tables are not without purpose. Since the site will keep records of the amount of free money you win, there will be a steady increase in the level of play as you start entering into tables where the stakes are higher. For instance, if you were to start out with 1,000 dollars and slowly work your way up to a sum of 20,000 dollars, allowing you to enter into tournaments where the buy-in is 3,000 and up, then you would be playing against higher caliber opponents. As a result online poker for free does have its own level of competition and depth.
When you have mastered the play money tables, you can then begin playing at the real money tables. Take the time to play for free and think of the decisive advantages it presents:
Gain a knowledge of the best starting hands in Texas Hold em.
You learned to harness the power of position at the poker table.
You have grown in your understanding of betting and the various betting strategies
Grasped the ability to speak poker slang without looking like an idiot at the tables.
You understand there is a proper code of conduct known as poker etiquette.
So what are you waiting on? Do a search on online poker reviews and find the poker-client that best suits your needs. While you begin learning to play poker for free, you should…
BUY THE BEST POKER BOOKS
A large number of poker players find their introduction to the game of Texas Holdem through some of the best poker books.
With Texas Hold’em experiencing such a rapid growth in the past several years, there are more poker books than ever before, however you want in your possession the best poker books. Read poker book reviews and find the top poker books especially for beginning poker players. However, take the time to search the Internet for information on how to play poker and the different Texas Hold em starting hands before starting out.
Good poker books can help you improve techniques to your game that you may have not known or have ignored. You also might find that during a bad poker run, re-reading your favorite poker book can help you return to the essentials and point out some probable weaknesses in your game.
Do yourself a favor and read nothing but the best poker books that will help you to learn how to play poker. Now there is one other tip you should utilize if you want to learn how to play…
FIND A POKER COACH
If you are serious about learning to play poker and wanting to win money, you should consider a poker coach. You are aware every professional athlete has a “go to person.”
Hank Haney tutors the prolific Tiger Woods to keep him in check and perfect his swing. Heck, even Michael Jordan himself had a mentor. Every paid athlete regardless of the sport has a tutor or a trainer to maintain his or her discipline… Always helping with strategy and perfecting the game.
Poker is a people game and coaching is a people thing. A poker coach can see what you are doing wrong and immediately correct you. That is hard and perhaps impossible to do on your own.
If you’re serious about playing poker then you should take playing poker serious enough to find a good poker coach. Having someone to critique your play may save your bankroll down the road.
Learning to play poker takes a minute to learn and a life-time to master. With the aforementioned tips it will make learning to play easier. Good luck at the tables.
James Rice is an avid writer and a knowledgeable Texas Holdem player providing valuable tips and advice for those interested in playing online Texas Holdem and online Texas Holdem strategies. His frequent articles found on the web, provide useful and accurate Texas Holdem information and insight.
http://www.learntowinholdem.com/best-poker-books.html
http://www.learntowinholdem.com/poker-coach.html
Pros and Cons of Playing Poker Online
Online poker has become hugely popular with the internet producing players who have gone on to conquer real world poker tournaments and allowing people to learn to play poker in the comfort of their own homes. Obviously there are benefits to playing poker from home, but there are also some downsides that may not obviously become apparent and the differences between real life poker and online poker can often be significant.
Pros of Online Poker
The first big advantage of online poker is it offers unrivalled variety compared to offline options. There are literally thousands of poker games occurring at all times of the day and night and of course every conceivable variety of poker game is available to play if you look in the right place. This is something which few players actually take advantage of, but switching up the game you play each time will improve your playing style and your poker knowledge in general. You could even perform ‘multi-tabling’, having multiple game windows running simultaneously to instantly boost the hourly winnings you take home from online tables.The second advantage is the lower cost buy-ins and the lower rake rates which internet casinos take from each game. Because there are no croupiers, security or buildings to maintain it’s a lot cheaper to play poker online, with some tiny minimum bets and some sites even offering free poker games which can serve as an invaluable learning resource. Finally there’s the conveninence that playing online affords over real life poker. You can play in your dressing gown, you can play dressed as a Storm Trooper, you can play first thing in the morning or last thing at night and you don’t need to pay for casino drinks or food whilst you’re playing, which mount up if you go out and play poker in real life. You can play poker online whilst you’re performing other tasks.
Cons of Online Poker
The first negative side of online poker is the speed at which hands are played. Because there’s no delay in dealing or sorting out bets you’ll get through a game much quicker, so it’s a lot easier to lose money quickly, particularly if you’re a beginner. The speed also can contribute to a couple of other issues. Firstly it will be a lot harder to follow what’s going on in a game, like following the folds and keep a track of the prior actions on the table as you are able to do in real life, as some people fold instantaneously or have their computers do it for them automatically in certain situations. This style of fast play can also lead to a simplified, mechanical and ultimately boring poker lifestyle, which in the end is more likely to lead to a habit forming gambling problem. The second most obvious issue is the lack of physical contact with other players, meaning it’s a lot harder to out-bluff an opponent or observe any tells which will let you know when a player is bluffing. This can make high risk bets a lot riskier than they would be in real life. It’s very hard to recreate the feel of a poker table online, though some companies do try and do this more than others.
