Best Online Poker

Poker Table Tops – An Affordable Way to Play Poker During an Economic Recession?

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:38:55 +0000

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.’

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How To Play Poker – Learn Important Information To Help You Improve Quickly

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:56:55 +0000

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

admin — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 08:17:55 +0000

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

Play Poker Online – Become a Millionaire Today!

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:58:55 +0000

People are always looking into the possibility of hitting big time, whether in number or card games. They incessantly try their luck by playing repeatedly until they find the perfect match to win the game and beat other players. This is not surprising at all, because like in poker, you could even win $10, 000 if you play poker online. That is a huge sum for extra cash from a game.

Poker is a very popular game that has gone mainstream, especially in America. So how do you play poker online then? If you know the basic rules in playing poker, online poker would not be a hard time to adjust. However, you need to understand that there are particular differences between poker in a casino and poker online.

You cannot cheat if you play poker online. Playing only happens on a virtual table, which means you do not play face to face for them to read your physical reaction. You have more options on how much to play and where to play since there are a lot of poker rooms open for playing. Nevertheless, of course, you cannot lay you bet on a table when you play poker online. So what happens is that you make some sort of a deposit to the software’s cashier in the poker room of your choice to have your chips for the game while unlike in real online poker room or casino poker where you deposit it to a real cashier. If you want to quit the game, you can always pull out the chips. For withdrawals, check is the most commonly used form.

Apart from these mentioned differences, the rules, the hands, and the overall game are similar to a regular poker room. Still, if you play poker online, there are guidelines that you need to remember. Like when you want to bluff the other player, facial expressions are typical with that of real poker room, but with online poker, it is more useful and visible to bluff through your bets. When you give a high stake for your card, the other online player will get the feeling that you have good cards and ready to beat him down.

You also need to remind yourself that it will take some time to establish a reputation in online poker. Since online playing is a free move, players will go around as often as they want to so this gives you and other players greater possibility of playing with numerous players if both of you did not like each one’s game styles.

Well, like in any competition for that matter, establishing your personality and the style of your game is always a long journey for everyone. You may win or lose, then lose again. That is what game is all about anyway. If you happen to have a soft heart for competition and no patience to put up your name in any activity, then you cannot play poker online or any related gaming.

Go to www.PokerOnlineSchool.com for a free e-course on how to dominate the competition in cash games and sit-n-go’s using the best play poker online strategy around. Our poker online school teaches you through interactive audios, videos, and guides on how to continually profit from playing poker online.

Pros and Cons of Playing Poker Online

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:31:55 +0000

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.

Poker Lessons – Learn To Play Poker Free

admin — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 06:56:55 +0000

Poker lessons are a necessary and required skill to learn to play poker free. Like any activity, whether it is sports, music or a professional career, all require some sort of guided lessons to become successful. The best poker lessons are learned through experience and self-education. However, one could spend hundreds of hours in that respect. Therefore, an alternative to learn to play poker free is through shortcut methods. The best shortcut method is learning tricks of the trade from professionals and applying that to your poker game experience.

For example, if I teach you to raise in the hijack position with small suited connectors, you will never experience how well that works until you actually try it. For that reason, I encourage my poker students to learn to play poker free by playing in online poker freerolls. Then applying the strategies that I instruct for an experience of how those lessons work in a real life situation. After picking up a few lessons, you should find opportunities to use them in each poker tournament or cash game you play. Expanding your knowledge through each lesson will also expand your earnings.

Another example of a poker lesson; while most Texas Holdem players are familiar with bluffing, the majority have limited knowledge on how to execute a proper bluff to win a pot. Learning poker lessons on how to bluff will not only improve your game, it will increase your bankroll. Furthermore, if accomplished according to professional poker lessons you receive, you rarely get caught bluffing.

The first step to learn how to play poker free is by reading well thought out poker lessons from professionals. Avoid the hype and misinformation found all over the internet. Although every poker player has an opinion on how to do this or that, the bottom line is learning from a professional source are your best bet. Additionally, you should shy away from poker lessons that cost money until you have reached the point in your game that you can no longer learn from all the free sources.

Plenty of top professionals do NOT make a habit of revealing some of the most effective poker strategy to the public. (After all, why would they?) Therefore, you must learn how to play poker free by experiencing those lessons and then consider paying a professional to teach you one on one in the future. You can start today on your venture to learn how to play poker free, by joining a blog that has plenty of lessons and articles available at no cost.

Alternatively, you can find a multitude of free ebooks on the subject of poker lessons and how to learn to play poker free. A first step in the right direction is grabbing your free copy of How To Succeed as A Professional Online Poker Player. Just click the link below and get started on your first free poker lessons to win money!

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Learn How To Play Poker – Instructions On How To Play Poker

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:40:55 +0000

Poker has always been a popular card game, both as a pastime and for gambling. Many people consider it to be the purest card game (discussions with the bridge fanatics can become heated) and is one of the most popular forms of gambling worldwide. Anyone can learn how to play poker, but not everyone will be good at it. If everyone knew how to play poker well, then those of us who do wouldn’t have anyone to take money from.

That’s one of the basic rules of playing poker, if you don’t see a sucker at the table, then you’re it. Outside of a friendly game with limited stakes, if you don’t know how to play poker you will lose. You absolutely must know the rules, the hands and the odds to do well. You might get lucky and have someone in your game who is just playing for fun, but you should assume that everyone you play with knows how to play poker and play it well. Once you do know how to play poker, you’ll have fun playing (or just watching on TV).

Pro Poker

With the rise of televised poker tournaments, poker is now in the mainstream. It seems everyone knows how to play and is willing to discuss it at the bar or the watercooler. The professionals who play do it for a living. As with anything else, if you want to learn how to play poker, watch the pros. They all have important traits for the aspiring poker player to study: they pay attention to cards in play, they know the odds and they don’t waste money on foolish bets. If a pro makes a move you wouldn’t, figure out why they did it before you rely on your strategy with money on the table.

Poker takes a lot of practice to learn, and there are a few ways you can do that without spending a lot of money. Many of us ‘charge’ for lessons by playing for money with people trying to learn how to play poker. This is an excellent learning aid as having real money out during lessons concentrates your attention like little else will. But, there are things you need to know before you sit down at a table. Find a computer poker game you like, there are many inexpensive or free poker programs offering a wide variety of play styles. There are also many online poker sites that offer free play. Practice at your computer before you go online, free trials are a waste of time if you haven’t memorized the hands yet.

Poker Is Not Gambling

So you’ve learned how to play poker, you know the odds and understand why a flush beats a straight. The mechanics are second nature and you’ve gotten over drawing to an inside straight. Now it’s time to get serious and start winning at poker.

When you first start to learn to play poker, it looks like a game of chance. Many people believe that their luck will even out if they play long enough. Try and arrange to have as many of these people at the table with you as possible, they bring the money you will be going home with.

Poker is not gambling. There are cards, they get shuffled, money changes hands. Sounds like gambling right ? No. Not at all. Poker is a game of skill. The pros understand this.(‘about even, or maybe up a little’ is shorthand for ‘I always lose and try not to think about it’) Over time, even just a few hours, the luck will even out. And the people who play for a living have mastered the skills in reading their opponents. If you understand how individuals bet, how they respond to bluffs and can tell when they’re probably bluffing then… stay with me… the cards in your hand never matter. If you can get everyone to fold, then you never show your cards (never let anyone examine your cards after winning a hand without a showdown). That’s the pro secret, play the players, not the cards. The cards are simply how you manipulate your opponents. Learning to play poker is learning people.

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Playing Poker Online – What You Really Need to Know

admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:49:55 +0000

Online Poker vs. Online Gambling:

Poker is a game of skill, and every decision you make is about maximizing your Expected Value or EV for short. The term “EV” will be used throughout this article and will be seen in two ways. A player can have +EV, which is positive Expected Value or – EV, which is negative Expected Value. Poker is not gambling and the following explains why.

Most gambling games have a negative EV for you, and a positive EV (5.49% in this case) for the casino. In the short run you could win, but in the long run, if you played typical gambling games 1000 times, the casino would always end up winning by about 5.49%. As you can see these types of gambling games are in favor of the house. Poker pits you against other players and not the house. In a full ring game (9 players) or shorthanded game (6 players), the goal is to make the best EV decisions against the many other players playing worse (making -EV decisions) than you.

A simple example would be if you were dealt KK before the flop came (preflop), which everyone knows is a good hand preflop. This hand has a high chance to win against all other hands preflop. If you played and raised “all in” with this hand against a player who played and called every all in, you would have a huge advantage as you will be a favorite every time, making it a +EV decision. This is an exaggerated example and playing one hand would not be the smartest idea. What you would do is play say the top 20% of hands because against a person who plays maybe 70% of their hands, you again, will be making a +EV decision every time you play with him. It’s likely that your starting hands will have a lot higher probability to win. This is just scraping the surface, and there is an EV attached to every decision and every situation. Many online poker sites provide starting hand charts for beginners to use, which would be the simplest way to improve your EV.

In addition, there is always variance and in the short term weaker players might get lucky, but that’s also what attracts them to come back and keep playing. In the long run, a good player who always makes +EV decisions will always end up a winner. This is why poker is not gambling but a game of skill and understanding how to exploit your opponent’s mistakes.

Is it safe to play online poker?

Absolutely, some sites have over 50,000 people playing at one time. Major sites like Full Tilt Poker run advertisements on the TV and the web and are even listed on the stock market. They allow you to play poker online for free or real money. Any negative publicity would affect their business so these sites often provide the best customer service. Keeping your password secure is your responsibility and if you do this, your money will be safe. Online poker sites have no incentive to cheat when dealing hands since they want to be extremely fair so you continue to play, which allows them to earn their income in the form of “rake.” This is a very small percent of the pot (usually less than 1%). In poker, you are playing against the other players, and not the house.

Obviously if the poker site seems shady, you have never heard of it, they don’t advertise on TV or the web and there aren’t members playing on a regular basis – you wouldn’t be depositing your money there!!! With that said, most of the major poker sites are very safe and reputable.

What are the best online poker rooms?

There are three major sites for playing online poker. Full Tilt Poker, Pokerstars and Party Poker have lots of traffic, play money tables, plenty of freeroll tournaments and have very good customer support. If you’re a beginner you should play at Full Tilt Poker or Pokerstars when you start. Other sites like Party Poker call you up after you sign up and require some form of id verification to activate your account. Some people may like this extra security, and can certainly go that route. Full Tilt Poker and Pokerstars do not require this. Overall, all three sites are incredibly safe and well known.

Many sites state “Deposit and get another $600!” Do they really double your deposit amount after depositing?

That depends on the site. Some sites give you a very small portion (around 10%) of your deposit instantly, but that is rare. What typically happens is you deposit $600, and then after you accumulate a certain amount of player points, they will give you the full $600. This is to ensure depositing players are also active. With online poker sites such as Full Tilt Poker these points are achieved very quickly.

Online sites will publish poker bonus codes which must be entered upon account creation. After that, the amount you earn depends on the time you spend playing and the stakes you play at. When a player reaches 400NL limit, which means 2 to 4 dollar blinds and have a good percent of wins, they can make up to 5K a month. This is of course if you treat playing like a job and dedicate several hours every day to playing. Ultimately job freedom and the lure of easy money that is just a click away, is what draws so many people to online poker.

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How To Play Poker For Beginners – Free Online Poker Guide Part 2

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:58:55 +0000

In part two of the How To Play Poker For Beginners free online poker lesson series we will step on from part 1 where we outlined the bare bones of the game. Now it is time to get into specific detail and learn each part of a hand of poker so that you can (cautiously!) start to play.

The Blinds

In part 1 you learned that the 2 “Blind” players have to place bets before cards are dealt. If you are not sure what is meant by blind bets, small and big blind then you need to go back to part one of the guide for a definition.

So, the action starts as the blind bets are laid by the Small and Big Blinds (SB and BB). Now it’s time for card dealing!

Moving clockwise around the table from the Dealer (DB), each player receives two cards dealt face down, one card at a time. These are also called Pocket Cards or hole cards.

Now the betting begins; and, after all, isn’t that why you decided to take up the game of poker? That is why I’m sure you now find yourself seated at a free online poker tournament table isn’t it? Isn’t that betting and winning buzz thing the reason why you’ve joined a free online poker site?

Of course it is, the game of poker is all about winning money! With the possible exception of the social side anyway, the table and lobby conversations, though if you are at all serious about money then this is a very minor reason.

At this stage in the hand (holding 2 pocket cards), each player is betting on what hand they feel their pocket cards may lead to.

The betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the Big Blind (BB).

This player is often referred to as the ‘Under The Gun’ (UTG) position at the table. This is because the Small and Big Blind position players were forced to lay down bets before they got any cards.

Thus, both the SB and BB are already taking part in the hand; albeit not voluntarily, at least not yet; they’ll have to wait until the betting comes around to them.

And, with this round of betting, each player has three choices:

1) To fold. You do this if you think you have rubbish cards, also called “rags” cards. You won’t lose anything as you have no chips in play but you will now sit out the rest of the hand.

2) To raise. You raise if you think you’ve got good cards.

3) Or to call, (match) the Big Blind. Usually when you think that your pocket cards hold some potential.

A 4th option you might have heard about, checking, often available in subsequent betting rounds, isn’t an option at this stage.

Once the betting comes round to the SB (Small Blind) if this player wants to fold then they lose their blind chips, if they have terrible pockets then this may well be the best thing to do. Or, this player can call the Big Blind (by simply putting up the difference between the Small Blind and the Big Blind).

Or as SB you can choose to Call whatever Raise has been made, make a new Raise or Re-raise the bet amounts to a new level. I advise you watch and learn this process at the start and as SB keep it simple and just Call the BB unless you have awful cards in which case fold them.

Next it is the turn of the BB (Big Blind). If there has been no raise then the BB can Check (do nothing and let the play pass by), or Call, Raise or Re-raise.

About Raises

As this is a No Limit Texas Hold Em tournament, the amount of any one raise is only limited by the number of chips the player who is doing the raising is in possession of. If say the chip stack is 1500 then the player can raise by any amount upto 1500.

Should he opt to make a 1,500 chip bet, it would be called an All-In bet. Any time a player raises with all their chips it is called Moving All-in.

And, of paramount importance, especially since you are at the introductory level of the game, make certain that YOUR usage of an All-In bet is significantly limited.

Please do not become yet another free online poker ‘chip-flinger’ (someone who tosses chips around without regard to the quality of their cards).

Once the opening round of betting is completed it’s time to see ‘The Flop’. Things will now start to get really interesting!

The Flop is the set of three cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table by the Dealer.

1) Each player can use these community cards’ to build their hand.

For example, you have pockets of 10 and Jack Diamonds (suited)

The flop shows Queen, King, Ace Diamonds…well, you’ve won already, stay calm (poker faced) so the others don’t know, you’ll want to be moving all in at the end to win maximum chips…

OK extreme example, highly (incredibly) unlikely but this is the principle. Read up on what hand beats what to learn about card combinations.

2) Again, as afore mentioned, the middle of the table where these cards are dealt is typically referred to as ‘The Board’.

3) With ‘The Flop’ exposed, it’s time for another round of betting. And, the betting that will occur is based on the 5 cards currently available to each player, i.e., 2 Pocket cards and 3 Board’ cards.

The betting commences with the player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button, regardless of whether the Dealer is still active in the hand or not.

The player to the left of the Dealer Button will keep the initial betting action for the rest of the hand. Later, you’ll come to learn that this is the worst position to be in at the table.

Apart from that, the betting process is the same as it was in ‘pre-flop’ betting. However, keep in mind, all of the players who were dealt ‘Pocket’ cards may not be currently playing the hand as they could have folded during the opening round of betting.

So, whichever remaining player is ‘to the immediate left’ of the Dealer Button (DB), it is that person who is the first player to act; throughout the hand providing he doesn’t fold.

He is able to check or bet.

A) If he checks, he’s simply passing the options of checking or betting to the player who sits to his left.

B) If he doesn’t check, and decides to bet, then those who follow will have 3 choices:

1) They can fold

2) They can call

3) Or they can raise. But, since a bet was made, those that follow don’t have the option of ‘checking’.

Once the round of betting has finished, it’s time for another card to be dealt face up on The Board.

This fourth card is called The Turn card, or 4th Street, and, again, the card can be used by all of the remaining players (those players who have not folded). It’s another ‘community card’.

Thus, each remaining player now has access to 6 cards, 4 Board cards, and 2 Pocket cards. Now there are 4 cards on The Board, one additional card to come.

It is now time for the fifth and final community card to be dealt: The River, or 5th Street.

And, given that all the cards have now been dealt, each player remaining in the hand can see what their best five card hand is. Therefore, it’s now time for the final round of betting. And, once the betting ends, the hand is over.

It’s time to see who wins.

Each player who has remained in the hand shows their cards, starting with the last person to initiate a bet. At a cash or free online poker site the software will handle the process of showing the cards.

The winner is decided via use of the universal poker hand rankings. You’ll find that my article ‘What Beats What’.

If a player wins a pot because every other player has folded, he can decide whether or not to show his cards or not.

The majority of people don’t, and it’s typically advised by me never to show your cards. If you’re not required to do so; keep ‘em guessing!

Yet, when you reach an ‘advanced level’ of play, you will get a whole different perspective from me. You see, there are occasions when ‘deceitful strategies’ will be added to your acquired set of playing skills. And, a part of the ‘deceitful strategies’ will have you showing your cards. Not now though.

Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Free Online Poker Rules Part 2

In part 1 you learned the bare bones of poker, the structure and concepts of the game. Now that you’ve read part 2 you should now understand the actual mechanics of a hand of poker. In part 3 we are going to move on to more poker words and terminology, all those crazy card and hand nicknames will be unveiled! But as long as you’ve understood the first 2 parts you can now go and start to play poker though I advise you read up on what cards beat what first so you have some sort of idea whether you should fold, call, raise or check!

Also, critically, at this point I strongly urge you not to try and play on sites where real cash is involved, you cannot help but lose all or nearly all of it 99% certain!

Be patient (by the way that is a key poker skill you will need to master) and begin out on one of the excellent free poker sites you’ll find online. Later when you are more skilled there is lots of time for you to win a pile of cash and the time spent playing free online poker will set you up for this.ã??

Nick is from top free online poker site NoPayPOKER.com. NoPayPOKER is USA legal and uses faux currency which makes it totally risk free and so is the perfect place to learn how to play poker for beginners as well as practice your game if you are more experienced or want a break from the stress of money sites!

Playing Poker: What Motivates the Top Poker Players

admin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:46:55 +0000

Why do we play poker? But especially why do you play poker? This might strike you as an odd question but it is very important for your future success in the world of poker. The reason why you play poker is at least as important as the way you play poker.

We can categorize somehow the reasons why we play poker, we can properly analyze them and after that we can use them to improve our actual gaming style.

If we could ask several hundreds of players “Why do you play poker?” the odds are quite big that their answer would be “For the money”. But if we could access their last year statistics we would see that some just didn’t win any money at all, or at least that they didn’t win more that they lost. If money is the only reason these people play poker they why do they keep on doing it? Of course, there are many more answers that they don’t really want to admit. This happens because there are many other motivations that push us to play poker just as great as the desire to win many, but many of them are even greater.

And when you come to think about it, you can surely find many many reasons: fun, the love of the game, competition, making friends, the desire to beat the best there is in the world of poker, and the list can go on and on. But if you understand the various reasons behind your game you will eventually manage to change your view about winning and losing or you will be able to choose the perfectly fit games for you, the ones that will bring you the most success.

In his book, “Psychology of Poker”, Alan N. Shoonmaker explains in detail the importance of understanding personal impulses in order to find the answer to the question “Why do we play poker?”

I will take the liberty to speak a little bit about this theory.

Take a pen and a piece of paper and write down the following:

Money

Making friends

Relaxing

Pleasure

Competition

Just passing time

If you can think of additional reasons, write those down also. Now you will have to think hard and find within yourselves the real reasons you play poker for.

Once you did that, write after each reason a percentage, even if it is 0%, just keep in mind that all of them added must equal 100%.

If someone would play poker 20% for Money, 10% for relaxation, 50% for pleasure and the remaining 20% for competition, then he would be what is called a loose player most of the time, playing many hands and staying in the game as much as he can just for the thrill of being there. This is the most important think for him and it influences his style of playing.

If you manage to carefully and correctly analyze your own situation you can eventually change some parts of your game you don’t like or improve the ones that you consider are good.

In many types of competitions, the battle is firstly within yourself and only after that with your opponents. Bad mistakes in poker are made when you are too proud, when you question your ability and doubt your self all the time, when you are too scared or shy when you must take an action or when your thoughts are just somewhere else.

If you play poker just with friends to pass the time, then you must choose games with low bids, so your bankroll will last longer. If you are playing to relax then stay out of the games with poker fanatics and choose some games with less involved players.

The answers can be various and they only depend on you. But answering the question is a must if you wish to improve your game.

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