Can You Go From Rags To Riches Playing Poker?

Can You Go From Rags To Riches Playing Poker? by James Woolley

You will probably have read about various different players starting off with relatively little and going on to make a fortune from playing poker. In this article I’m going to be discussing whether anyone could potentially follow the same path themselves.

Well in theory you don’t even need to start off with any money at all to become wildly successful. In theory you could do what a lot of new players do when they sign up to an online poker site, and that’s taking part in freeroll tournaments.

This is a great way of getting tournament experience and is also a way of building up your bankroll because a lot of these tournaments offer some prize money for reaching the latter stages of these tournaments, even if the amounts are relatively small.

Over time as you become a more accomplished tournament player, you will hopefully have built up a bankroll and you can then either continue playing freerolls or make the step up to real money cash games and tournaments.

By taking part in these real money games you can potentially grow your bankroll a lot quicker simply because there’s more money to be won.

One thing to bear in mind though. You have to slowly advance to the next stages of your poker career otherwise you’re in danger of blowing your bankroll completely and having to start again from scratch.

Everyone goes through bad patches, even the pros, so make sure that as soon as you have built up a decent sum of money, you only risk a small percentage of this amount entering tournaments or taking part in cash games. In poker money management is everything if you are going to successfully grow your bankroll over time.

As your bankroll grows you can take part in higher stakes games and grow your money faster if you’re successful, but always make sure you don’t risk more than you can afford to lose, and allow for a possible losing streak, so you have more than enough money to hopefully recover.

The internet has of course produced many of these rags to riches stories, simply because online poker is so convenient and you can play 24 hours a day if you so wished honing your skills as much as you want.

You only have to look at Chris Ferguson, one of the top poker pros, who has recently been attempting to turn nothing into $10,000. He began by playing in the freeroll tournaments and amazingly he’s managed to not only achieve this goal but do even better than this. Starting off last year, his current balance stands at just under $23,000 at the time of writing.

There are many others who have achieved similar success so it’s definitely possible for people to make a lot of money from poker starting out with very little, or even nothing in some cases.

Poker 101 Guide - Learn To Dominate The Poker Table!

Poker 101 Guide - Learn To Dominate The Poker Table by Egon Vennik

Poker 101 - Learn To Dominate At The Poker Table! Playing online poker is one of my favorite games. Are you interested in learning how to dominate the poker table? I hope you do, because I’m interested in teaching

If you are new to the game of poker it can seem a bit daunting to learn a new game, especially a game like in example no-limit texas hold’em. You will find articles from the simple things like poker etiquette to the advanced concepts like table image and manipulating your opponents.

What Can You Learn From This Guide? You will be able to learn everything that you need to become a successful online poker player. It is my goal to guide you and help you avoid all the mistakes I made in the beginning. And if you ever have any requests for this website I will be happy to try and make it happen!

Where to Start? If you’re new to the game I recommend you start by learning the Proper Poker Etiquette, Poker Rules (see below) and lean the commonly used terms in Poker games. And proceed to the Beginners Guide to Poker. When you’re done with those you should check out the 10 tips on bluffing page with all its articles. If you know all of these then you can pick and choose what interests you the most. Whether it is Styles or Strategies its up to you By the way, don’t forget to look at our poker hand rankings page.

Not really into cash games? No problem! Check out the Texas Holdem Tournament articles. Perhaps you’re not looking for any of those. In that case I can offer you an articles about Poker Chips.

Are you looking for independent reviews and bonuses on different Online Poker Rooms? I can definately help you out with that

Poker Rules

Rules for Poker Games - Texas Hold’em Texas hold’em (in it’s no limit form) is often referred to as the cadillac of poker. It’s the game played at the World Series of Poker, and by far the most popular poker game to be found in any casino. It’s a variation of seven card stud, where every player is dealt two cards face down, followed by five cards dealt face up in the middle of the table for everyone to use. Read on: Texas Hold’em Poker Rules

Rules for Poker Games - Omaha Hi Omaha Hi is a variation of Texas Hold’em. Every player is dealt four cards face down instead of two, which allows for a lot more possibilities, and increases the overall strength of most winning hands. Read on: Omaha Hi Poker Rules.

Rules for Poker Games - Omaha Hi-Lo Omaha Hi-Lo is more popular than Omaha Hi, and most popular in it’s pot limit form. It’s a split pot game, meaning half of the pot goes to the high hand, and half to the low hand. Like Omaha Hi, every player is dealt four cards face down, followed by five community cards dealt face up. Read on: Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Rules

Rules for Poker Games - Seven Card Stud 7 card stud is the most popular version of stud poker, and is the most commonly played game in households worldwide. Every player is dealt a total of seven cards, three face down, and four face up. Read on: Seven Card Stud Poker Rules

Rules for Poker Games - Five Card Stud Five Card Stud is a variation which has been around for hundreds of years, though the variation played in today’s casinos is much different from the five card stud games played in the 1800’s. The strategy, game play, and game flow are much different than Hold’em, the world’s most popular poker game, mostly due to the fact that vastly different hands win pots in five card stud. Five Card Stud is one of the easiest poker games to learn. It requires patience and exceptional observational skill for players to succeed. Read on: Five Card Stud Poker Rules

Rules for Poker Games - Five Card Draw Five Card Draw is one of the variations which typically spawns a lot of home-made variations due to its simple nature. Five Card Draw is one of the easiest poker games to learn. It is a poker game which requires a lot of luck to succeed since there is relatively little betting involved and hands can change so dramatically after the draw. Read on: Five Card Draw Poker Rules.

Rules for Poker Games - Lowball and Razz In both Lowball and Razz the object is to get the lowest hand. This really twists the hand ranking chart around, but luckily players do not usually have to worry about learning how to tell the best hand. Read on: Lowball and Razz Poker Rules

Rules for Poker Games - Crazy Pineapple Crazy Pineapple is a variation of Texas Hold’Em. There are two main differences in the game however, which make it very different and very interesting. Give it a try when you need a change of pace. It is not offered at most poker sites. UltimateBet is one of the few places you can find this unusual game. Read on: Crazy Pineapple Poker Rules

Rules for Poker Games - Triple Draw Triple Draw is the first game where the highest hand does not win at least a portion of the pot. Triple Draw is a Low Hand game. The most common variation of Triple Draw, and the one I am going over the rules for, is called Deuce to Seven. This refers to the best possible low. Another version called Ace to Five is also played and I have put the differences between the two games at the bottom of this page. This game is not often played online but can be found at UltimateBet. Read on: Triple Draw Poker Rules

But Before You Start … Remember to have patience and fun while you learn! This is not a quick way to making thousands of dollars per day as some of the salesletters out there tell you. On the other hand it is not going to be brutally hard either if you apply yourself. And if you have fun while learning then time stops being an issue.

It takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master Have Fun! Egon Vennik

source: http://www.u-pkr.com/tutorials/guides-2/poker-101-20/

Texas Hold’em Betting Strategy!

by: David Olsen

If you’re just learning to play one of the most important things you can spend time learning is basic Texas Hold’em betting Strategy. Some of the most important things to learn are basic to poker betting strategy in other poker games as well.

Here’s some very basic terminology, relating to Texas Hold’em betting strategy. The most common type of betting in Texas Hold’em is a fixed limit. In a fixed limit game, there are two betting amounts. The low and the high. We’ll use a $5-$10 Texas Hold’em table as an example. For the first few rounds each bet must be in increments of $5.00. For example if the bet is at $10, you can only call or raise it to $15.00. Then depending on the game, at some point, the betting limit doubles, all bets would then be made at $10.00 increments.

The basic Texas Hold’em betting strategy in this game is to concentrate on what you think the other players hand are based upon any clues you have. Remember, in betting the most important is to understand your opponents and bet accordingly without the other players at your table being able to predict your next Texas Hold’em betting strategy.

In the above scenario, most casinos will limit the number of raises in a single round to three or four. The number of raises in a single betting round should also be carefully evaluated into establishing your Texas Hold’em betting strategy.

As you probably already know a check is as bet of nothing. It allows you to stay in the game without increasing your bet. If no bets have been made during the round and it is your turn to bet you can check (bet nothing) and pass to the next player. Once you become more comfortable playing, a round including checks can be a golden opportunity to employ Texas Hold’em betting strategy. Of course you’ll need to evaluate the likelihood of your hand carefully and your opponenets. But this can be a winning opportunity.

In the instance above, the opportunity to bluff may enter your mind. A word of caution about using a bluff - A bluff works best when no one is expecting it. If your play is conservative, most people won’t expect you to bluff. Using a bluff occasionally, when it’s least expected is a good Texas Hold’em betting strategy. Another consideration in learning Texas Hold’em betting strategy is that if you never bluff your opponents will know you have a good hand when your bets are aggressive, thus they will fold.

Texas Hold’em is a game of chance, but learning effective Texas Hold’em, betting strategy can improve your chances greatly. The more experience you get, the better your strategy should become. Don’t allow yourself to ever get into a predictable routine during games. You’re setting yourself up for loss if you do.

For more wins and lots of fun, take some time to learn effective Texas Hold’em betting strategy.

Betting Strategies used in Roulette!

Depending on whether or not you’re playing on an American or a European wheel, you’re going to find that roulette is either a difficult game to win, or an easy one. Given that American wheels have added spaces to their wheel, it’s much easier to win a bet on a European wheel, so seek them out if they’re available. You’ll be playing against a much lower house advantage, and this will make it easier to design a workable betting system. If you’re not sure how to go about doing that, though, there are a few methods that people have found to be useful at the roulette table.

While people do follow certain betting methods at the roulette table, they are really based more on probability, not on the game itself. After all, roulette is a true game of chance, so strategizing only takes you so far. Still, you may find yourself a system that will make you comfortable when playing roulette, and that will take off a lot of the stress that games of chance can bring.

The most common method of betting in roulette is known as the “Martingale” system which first came about in France during the 18th century. In this system, you start off with a fixed bet; let’s say $5, since that is a common minimum bet at roulette tables. You bet with this amount until you lost, at which point you double your bet continuously until you win. Once you do win, you will be betting enough to get back all the money you lost previously, and then some. Just make sure not to start off betting at the maximum, because you won’t be able to double from there. There is also a system called the Anti-Martingale system where the gambler reduces the amount of a bet after a loss.

Progressive betting is also a fairly common system. You start off betting a fixed amount, and whenever you win you will increase your bet by that much. So if you start off betting $5 and win, your next bet will be $10. Win again, and it’s $15. When you lose, subtract the initial amount and you’ll have your next bet.

These are only a couple examples of betting techniques other roulette players use. Once you play enough, though, you’re likely to develop your own strategy. Finding one that’s comfortable for you will be the best thing you can do in the game.

Poker Strategy - Become a Better Player by Learning some Important Poker Strategy

by Martin Vachon

Poker is a game of skill and you can become a better player by learning some important poker strategy. If you are new to poker, you should start by reading the game rules. Make sure you understand all of the rules very well before you start playing. Also, it is essential that you learn how poker hands are ranked. If you know how to play poker and you want to improve your game, here are some key poker skills that will help you become a better poker player.

If you want a more complete strategy guide, have a look at the basic poker strategy and advanced poker strategy from IPM.

Math Skills:

To be a good poker player, you need to know general percentages. For example, you should know that you have about a 1 in 8 chance of hitting a set when holding a pocket pair, and that you have about a 1 in 3 chance of completing a flush draw at the flop.

Poker players need to know the importance of outs. Outs are the number of cards that will improve your hand. Count your outs, multiply them by two, and add one, and that’s roughly the percentage shot you have at hitting.

Good poker players can figure out the pot odds. Knowing your outs is one thing, but it is meaningless unless it’s translated into calculated betting.

Discipline:

In order to win steadily at poker, the most important skill to master is discipline. Indeed, all other skills are dependent on discipline. You must have the discipline to wait for a good hand, a good game, the right opportunity, etc. Discipline means that you do not play in games where you lack edge, that you refrain from playing hands that will get you into trouble, that you manage your money expertly and that you learn from your mistakes. It is imperative that you keep your emotions under control at all times and not go on tilt. Do not, under any circumstances, play drunk or when you are tired or emotionally troubled. As well, you should constantly ask yourself if you are playing your best game.

Observation:

If you continually study your opponents, you will learn a lot. Most of the time you spend playing you will not be involved in a hand, and you should use that time to observe your opponents. Watch how each player plays their hand and use that information against them. It is important to listen to what they say. A lot of players will tell you what kind of hand they threw away or why they played a hand in a certain way. Try to figure out what they are holding and put them on hands whether you are involved in the pot or not. Consequently, when you are playing a hand with them, you will know what their checks, bets, calls and raises mean. Pay equal attention to your own game and think of your table image at all times. You will notice that some players do not examine the game at all and, therefore, your table image is virtually non-existent when playing against them. Just as you search for tells in your opponents, look for tells in yourself. When you spot one in an opponent, consider whether or not you are displaying that very same tell.

Moneybookers And Online Gambling!

There are a variety of different methods now available for financing your online gambling but one of the most convenient is Moneybookers. This UK-based firm enables you to conduct transactions using your e-mail account and that includes making deposits at casinos. Moneybookers is very easy to use and set up and they cover a wide range of over 35 countries around the globe so you shouldn’t have any currency problems. Transactions are nearly instantaneous and they also offer same day payments. Like all e-wallets you must first register with Moneybookers using their online registration form. You can remain anonymous if you want to although by validating your account you gain a higher transaction limit. The more solid your verification details the higher it gets and if you struck it rich at a casino you want to be able to get to your winnings.

With its pan-global customers Moneybookers supports 12 languages although currently, there are no Moneybookers services to the US. This means that you cannot make a deposit to an online casino or payout if the casino is US operated so Moneybookers is not an option for US gamblers at the present time. This means that at present Moneybookers is not an option for US gamers. To open an account you can use all of the usual methods such as credit cards, checks, or wire transfers. Once registered you conduct all of your business by sending e-mail. To make a deposit or withdrawal from a casino you just send an e-mail. You can even send cash to other players that are using Moneybookers.

All of Moneybookers internet transactions are covered under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the European Union directives for e-money. Moneybookers is also authorized and regulated by the UK’s Financial Services Authority. Although there are charges for making withdrawals these are well below what you would pay in a bank and currency conversions are based on the daily exchange rates as published by the Central European Bank. All of your transactions are recorded and you can easily export a list of your transactions to your computer. This is a great way to maintain your own records of what goes in and out. They also have an online messaging center for customer service support.

An handy advantage to using Moneybookers is that you don’t have to give out your credit card or bank details every time you want to play at an online casino. All of you personal information remains with Moneybookers and all you send out is an e-mail. There are plenty of casinos that accept Moneybookers so you won’t be limited in finding places to play either. As its popularity grows more and more online gaming houses are expected to adopt this method.

General Texas Holdem tips - How to spot on-line cheating!

by Itay

I can honestly say that playing on-line is probably the safest place to gamble. As for cheating, the most popular cheating in on-line gambling is player coordination. Even though the top websites do their best to spot these kinds of players - players who play at the same tables a high percentage of the time, it is something you should pay attention to. Players can contact each other by phone, skype or on any other way and reveal their cards to each other. By doing so, they gain more information about what the other players possibly hold. Another advantage is by playing in a way that makes the pot bigger when one of them holds a great hand.

Spotting cheaters:

1.Two players who re-raise each other frequently in order to limit the competition.

2.If one of these players folds a bet after re-raising in the previous round even when the pot is relatively big.

3.If you see that these players never go until the ’show down’ together, and if they do, one of them has a trashy hand.

4.Whenever it seems that one of the players is playing very badly but not consistently. For example: when raising a player who showed a lot of strength, or, When a player folds after expressing strength on previous rounds of betting, if all other players except one have folded.

5.Too much ‘check raising’ in the game - in order to spot this act you will have to retrace their steps. If the one that took the pot has check raised very often and another player put a small bet that drives other players to call and then, the checker gives a big raise.

6.When they hardly play aggressively pre-flop. What should you do? Get out of the game or report them to the website administration.

Examples:

1.The game is short handed; there was a pre-flop raise by player no. 3, no. 4 calls, no. 5 raises, 1 and 2 fold. Then no. 3 re-raises, no. 4 folds and so does no. 5 - no. 3 takes the pot.

2.’The sandwich’ - there is no raise pre-flop, after the flop players 1 to 5 check, no. 6 bets, no. 7 calls and no. 8 raises. Then players 1 to 5 fold, no. 6 calls and so does no. 7. After the turn, no. 6 bets, no. 7 calls, no. 8 raises, no. 6 and 7 calls. After the river no. 6 checks, no. 7 checks, no. 8 bets and no. 6 folds - this is probably a sign that 6 and 8 are co-operating.

General Texas Holdem tips - Loose game play!

As Texas Holdem gets more popular, the more unprofessional players play the game, and the looser it becomes. It is not rare to see a 10 player table where 8 of the players see the flop. There are many adjustments a player must make when playing in these loose games:

1.Play more hands than you usually play. You should do this for several reasons: you don’t want to be considered a ‘rock’ and not get paid when having a good hand. You want to exploit the presence of bad players by participating in more pots against them.

2.When the reason for raising is to eliminate the competition, oppose to making the pot bigger, Use it carefully. You should raise less before and after the flop because it won’t knock players out of the game, and you would only reveal your strength. Instead, bet or raise after the turn, when the bets are doubled.

3.The value of the suited hands goes up as well as other flush or straight drawing hands. Especially when you are going for the best flush or straight possible.

4.When the pot is very big make decisions aimed at taking the pot, rather than winning the most possible money. This includes decisions such as ‘check raising’ against the suitable opponents in order to eliminate the competition.

5.Keep the bad players in the pot - sometimes it is smart not to raise just to keep the bad players in the pot. You should do this unless it’s very important for you to eliminate the competition. For example: three players are in the game (good player, you and a bad player). You have Ace and 3 and the flop is Ace, 5 and a 4. The good player bets, you call, and so does the bad player. The turn is a Jack. The good player bets, and you call so that the bad player stays in the game. By doing so, if you hit a straight, two pair or trips, he might call you after the river, and he will make it less profitable for the good player to go for a bluff because he knows he will get paid by at least one of you guys.

For more Texas Holdem free tips and video lessons go to myholdemtips.com.

General Texas Holdem tips - Heads Up Vs. Multi-way Pot!

Many of the concepts discussed on the strategy category are suitable for ‘heads up’ situation. When playing in a multi opponent’s pot you should make some adjustments:

1.Bluff rarely - you will probably get called by one of the opponents. Bluff only if:

a.The pot is worth it

b.You have a very tight image Or if you don’t care about getting caught bluffing once in a while, in order to mix your game style.

2.Semi-bluff less - when playing against many opponents, the chances of being re-raised are higher, and you will have to call a double bet. In addition, you will not get the free card later on as much as you would in a heads up game. For example: if you hold an Ace of diamond and 8 of diamond, the board is King of diamond, 8 of hearts and 3 of diamond, and there are 5 players in the pot, it could be a smart decision to check, and call if anyone bets.

3.Slow-play less - when playing against many opponents, the chances of getting paid if you bet are bigger. The chances of someone catching a miracle card against you are bigger, and the pot is usually bigger as well. All these examples conclude that you should slow-play only with a ‘monster hand’, and the chances that someone will call your bet are extremely low with the cards on the board. For example: if you hold a pair of 77 and the board is Ace, 7 and 3, and the pot is quite big, you should go ahead and bet.

4.The pot odds are increasing - because there are more players in each pot, you are getting better ‘pot odds’ for your drawable hands. You will probably get called by at least one player when you do hit your cards. Remember, that if you aren’t going for the nut draw, like an Ace high flush, or the biggest straight possible, you could be facing a better flush or a better straight. In conclusion, in games and hands with many opponents, hands like small and medium pairs, suited connectors or even Ace 4 suited, go up in value where hands like AJ, KT, and even AQ go down.

For more Texas Holdem free tips and video lessons go to myholdemtips.com.

How To Shoot Craps!

Most people begin shooting craps at home. Just in case you’ve never played the game at all or are a beginner we’ll start with the fundamentals of play, and then touch on betting.

You throw a pair of dice, two cubes, bearing dots 1 to 6 inclusive. If the dots total 7 or 11 on the first roll, you win your bet, and the throw is called a “natural.”

Should the dice add to 2, 3 or 12 on the first roll, it’s “craps” and you lose. You keep the dice, however, and throw again.

When you as the shooter win, it is called a “pass.” When you lose, it is called a “missout” or “miss.” This is not always decided on the first roll. Instead of a “natural,” “7, 11″ or a “crap” - 2, 3, 12 - a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 may appear. Then, any such number becomes your “point” and you try to “make the point” by rolling it again before a 7 appears. Here, 7 is no longer lucky. Also, 2, 3, 11 and 12 have no significance when you are trying to “make the point.”

You keep on shooting until you “pass” by bringing up the needed “point” or until you “miss” by rolling a 7. If you “pass,” you win the bet, keep the dice, and proceed to make another bet.

BETTING

The following combinations should be committed to memory even before you pick up a pair of dice:

- There’s just one way to roll a 2: 1-1 - There are two ways to roll a 3: 1-2, 2-1 - There are three ways to roll a 4: 1-3, 2-2, 3-1 - There are four ways to roll a 5: 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1 - There are five ways to roll a 6: 1-5, 2-4, 3-3, 4-2, 5-1 - There are six ways to roll a 7: 1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1 - There are five ways to roll a 8: 2-6, 3-5, 4-4, 5-3, 6-2 - There are four ways to roll a 9: 3-6, 4-5, 5-4, 6-3 - There are three ways to roll a 10: 4-6, 5-5, 6-4 - There are two ways to roll an 11: 5-6, 6-5 - There’s just one way to roll a 12: 6-6

Now let’s start the private game. Each player rolls the dice to determine who comes closest to 12 in one roll. The highestand starts the game.

The shooter bets whatever amount he wants - for our purposes here let’s say it’s a dollar - and places that amount in the center of a circle formed by the players.

Now the money or the “center bet” is covered or “faded” by one or more players. That is, one player may put down a dollar and cover all of it, or two or more players may choose to take a portion of the bet. Anyway, the money is faded and the shooter rolls the dice.

To get the game off to a good start, we’ll say the shooter rolled a 7, a “natural,” so he wins. Remembering the probabilities in dice, there are exactly 6 such combinations out of a possible 36. (11 would have been a “natural” too - with only two ways to roll it). Our shooter was pretty lucky here.

With two dollars in the center, he can either “let it ride” - bet that amount on the next roll, or draw a portion of it and bet the remainder on the next roll. Also, he can draw the two dollars and pass the dice to the next player on his left. But that is rare.

Let’s say that the shooter chooses to “let it ride.” He shoots again and this time it’s a 3 - “Craps.” So he loses the money but retains the dice. Out of 36 possible combinations, there are only 2 ways to roll a 3. (Of course, 2 and 12 would have been “Craps” as well - and there’s just one way to roll each of those numbers out of a possible 36 combinations). So our shooter wasn’t too lucky this time.

See how exciting this simple game can be. Have fun!

Poker Tells!

Poker Tells!

Even good poker players give a tell once in a while, and an expert player picks that tell. We, at MyHoldemTips.com divide poker tells into two groups: voluntary and involuntary. By spotting these tells you can figure out how weak or strong your opponent’s hand is. Examples:

1.When busy, most of the players tighten up. If a player is eating, talking with a friend, speaking on the phone, or handling his I-pod, when he is in the pot, he is usually strong. If he raises, I’d stay in the pot only if I had a premium hand.

2.Intimidation signs - when a player tries to intimidate, I usually know he has a weak hand. For example: when he shouts: “I raise”, when he leans on the table, bets very quickly, or tosses his chips on the table.

3.Weakness signs - when a player tries to show that he is weak, I usually know he has a great hand. For example: if he puts his chips neatly and quietly into the pot, leans backward, or if he bets slowly.

4.Be careful of the speech - when a player gives a speech like: “a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do”, before he raises or goes all in, I know that he usually has a very strong hand.

5.If a player puts the bigger chips into the pot ($100 for example) when he has 4 chips of $25, he is usually strong. People like their bigger chips and put them on the table when they think they will come back to them.

6.Double-checking for the suit - when a flop has three cards of the same suit, and a player double-checks his cards, he will most likely have one of that suit and is checking to see which card it was. 7.A quick call means a drawing hand most of the time.

To summarize, the rules of “the tells” go as follows: when a player acts weak he is strong and when he act strong he is weak. When spotting these “tells,” try to disappoint your opponent - if he plays weak while holding a great hand, fold or check. If he acts strong while holding a weak hand, go ahead and bet or raise. Just remember two things:

A.You gain the most reliable information about a player by watching his betting patterns rather than poker tells.

B.Experts will trick you with reversed tells if they think you are paying attention.

Learn more Texas Holdem tips at http://www.myholdemtips.com

Poker Psychology & Tells - The Tight Aggressive Player (TAP)

Introduction - this is the style of winners. It’s very difficult to become a TAP because it’s not a natural style. One must control his motives and emotions in order to become a TAP. These players play only when they’ve got a competitive edge (like business organizations), so you should try to avoid them.

Go to myholdemtips.com for more Texas Holdem free tips. Recognize the TAP - since they are the best players, they are the hardest to recognize. You may sometimes think that they are loose aggressive and sometimes put them on a tight passive game. If someone is a TAP you should know that he has learned the game and mastered it. Therefore he hides his motives and creates an image that fits the situation. In order to recognize him, you should pay attention to his betting patterns. You are probably dealing with a TAP if they: don’t play many hands, when they play a hand they often bet or raise, they can fold good hands and have good percentages of winning when there is a showdown. Another way of spotting a TAP is to watch if they are still paying attention to the game even after they’ve folded their cards.

Playing against a TAP - reading their hands is very hard; they play differently with the same cards according to their ability to analyze the situation. Because of this, you should:

1.Avoid playing against them, and play your best hand when they are in the game.

2.Focus on them when you are playing, especially when you fold.

3.Vary your game; don’t let them read you easily.

4.Avoid raising unless you have a premium hand. If they call you, they will probably take the pot and usually raise you.

5.’Check raise’ and bluff less. But use the semi-bluff when possible.

6.Learn their game.

Where to sit - Sitting to the left of a TAP and acting only after they have, usually allows you to avoid playing against them. If you do play against them, you are in usually in position. If you sit to their right, you can prevent them from stealing your blinds and button.

In conclusion, you should make the decision after analyzing the style of the other players at the table.

Learn more Texas Holdem tips at http://www.myholdemtips.com

Poker Psychology & Tells - The Tight Passive Player (TPP)

Introduction - the tight passive player (a.k.a the “rock”) is the most boring player you can find. You will see fewer players and fewer chips in every pot when there are rocks at the table. You should even consider not playing at all in a table with many rocks, and realize that they don’t give or get any action. It is hard to take their money but since they are very predictable, it is hard to loose money to them.

Recognize - sometimes it’s hard to recognize them because they are not noticeable. They can sit for hours and you don’t hear them. The “rock” is timid of aggressive playing; He will usually bring the minimum buy in to the table. He gives free cards, hardly bluffs, and is bluffed easily.

Playing Against - reading “the rock’s” cards is the easiest of all players. When he bets you know he has a strong hand and you should play accordingly:

1.The most important thing is to control your need for action. You must tighten up your game.

2.Bet less aggressively. Remember that if he calls, he will probably beat you. If he doesn’t want to call, even a small bet will drive him out of the pot.

3.Don’t ‘check raise’, or slow-play against a rock. He will just check back to you even with strong hands.

4.Bluff and semi-bluff after considering with what kind of a hand he would play. Use is more often when a scary card comes.

5.Don’t induce bluffs because it just won’t happen.

6.Steal his blinds frequently.

7.Steal the button frequently.

8.Prefer playing in short handed games against a TPP because stealing the blind is more important and you can win more pots with almost nothing.

Where to sit - sit to his immediate right. You can steal his blinds and get the button and you’re not afraid of being raised because it happens rarely.

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When and How To Bluff Your Poker Opponents!

Bluffing is used to deceive other player’s into thinking you have a better hand when you really don’t. In order to make the bluff work, you need the other players to think you actually have a better hand by betting or raising.

Bluffing should be done at the right time and done sparingly. Remember, everyone is looking for their own opportunity to bluff. Here are some reason why you shouldn’t bluff.

When Not to Bluff Player’s Expect You to Bluff: You were caught bluffing and now labeled as apoor bluffer. Don’t stick you hand in the cookie jar until you rebuild your reputation as an honest player, then try to bluff later.

Against Too Many Players: The chances are that someone has a made hand and they’ll stick with it.

Against Bad Players: Bad players have no idea what’s going on. They’ll call you regardless, because they aren’t concerned with what you have. They want to improve their own hand, so they’ll call just about anything.

You lost a Series of Hands: Players will expect you to make some crazy moves to make your money back (playing on tilt). They’ll be ready to call you down.

Again, bluffing should be used sparingly. Here are some scenarios where a typical bluff should be taken into consideration

The RIGHT Time to Bluff

Against Weak or Tight Players: Once you have a general idea of how your opponents play, your biggest targets would be pounding the weak and tight players who tend to fold easily. However, bluffing too early won’t make them budge; they may not believe you have a better hand or maybe holding a strong hand of their own. (Refer to the table image section)

Few Players in the Pot: It’s easier to trick a few individuals (1-3) rather than a small group. Fewer hand out there, the chances of someone making a reasonable hand are slim.

Everyone has checked and you’re last to act: Betting will force a few players out of the pot, but not all (also known as squeezing). It’s pretty common to see someone bluff and bet on the button, so most of the time players will call because they won’t believe you have the better hand. It’s also a good strategy to see where you stand.

You Bet Preflop and Missed: You’re holding an A Q and bet preflop, and the flop comes down K -8 -5 . Other player’s may still think your hand is strong because of your bet preflop. So a bet on the flop would make your opponents thinking you’ve hit nicely on the flop. Player’s Fear You: If you won a hand through a good play, and see your opponent a bit aggravated or show respect by commenting on your hand, then trick them in the future by running the same play that beat them. They will more likely fold to your bluff if you play it right.

Semi-Bluffing

A semi-bluff is a partial bluff with some truth in that play. With a semi bluff, you can either win by them folding right then, by improving to the best hand, or by catching a scare card and betting out on the following round. You should have general knowledge of calculating odds before attempting a semi-bluff. Here are a few examples of when to semi-bluff. Example 1: You’re holding 8 8 in the pocket, someone raises preflop and you call. The flop is a rainbow of 3 - -9 . It’s likely your opponent has overcards (AK, KQ, A10). You don’t want your opponent to catch any of his cards on the turn of river so bet to get the pot then and there. Example 2: You are holding a J 10 and the flop comes down as Q -9 -5 . At this point you have an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw. You should be concerned with someone having the king or ace of hearts. So betting at the pot might make them fold or give you an idea of where you stand.

How to and When to bet in No Limit Texas Holdem!

A bet is a declaration that you have a good hand. When a player raises, they are proclaiming they have the best hand and they’ll wager money on it. Typically, players are supposed to raise when they have a good hand and those who have a bad hand are suppose to fold. If everyone stuck to this policy, there would be no need for any strategy. However, most players play contrary to this idea and attempt to be cunning and deceptive. The following descriptions are strategic plays:
Blind-Stealing: When you are on the dealer button and only you have the blinds are left, a raise is often called blind-stealing. This may cause the blinds to fold, stead of simply checking. This strategy will never make you rich, but ends the game fast so you may be dealt a new hand (and adds a few chips to your stack).

Blind stealing is a tremendous tactic within a tournament game, especially when the blinds become very high.

Steal-Raise: If you are the last to act and all players have checked to you, a simple raise can limit the number of active players or take the pot. This move is only recommended if you’ve hit a piece of the flop and want to see where you stand.

Check-Raising: The act of checking to your opponent with the intention of luring them to raise, so that you can reraise them back. Your intention is to lure them to feel secure about their hand and betting so you can reraise back at them. For example, I was in early position and was holding AQ and the flop came down as Q-A-A. I didn’t want to scare anyone out of the pot so I checked and waited for someone to bet. My opponent bets, and I raise him back with a substantial amount that kept him thinking for a minute.

The Opener: Raising when you’re first to act. This strategy is used to limit the number of players and is an information bet (usually players with strong hands will call). Many will fold, but the ones remaining will either be equally aggressive or truly have a good hand.

Squeezing: Raising when suspecting another player or players may be on a draw (players looking for a straight, flush, etc). Raising discourages players taking a chance on their draws. For example, I was holding a suited hand J10, and the flop came down as 2-A-8 with two clubs on the community. One more club would have gave me a strong flush possibility, but my opponent bet a strong amount that wasn’t worth gambling if I didn’t hit my flush.

Poker Psychology & Tells - The Loose Aggressive Player (LAP)

Introduction - a game with a LAP (a.k.a a maniac) is very exiting. The pots are very big and if you can fine-tune your game, this can be a very profitable one. However, if you are short stacked, the stakes are too high for you, or you find yourself nervous or going on tilt, don’t play this game.

Recognize - the LAP is the easiest to recognize. He usually has extroverted manners, his presence can’t be missed at the table, he is in almost every pot, betting and raising frequently. Playing Against the LAP - reading the LAP isn’t easy because he plays so many hands. However, many LAPs give signs before they act, and you should make a few adjustments when playing against one of them:

1.Pick your starting hands more selectively and call less often.

2.Be more aggressive after the flop.

3.’Check Raise’ and slow-play much more often.

4.Pay attention to his tells - how he handles his cards or his chips before he folds or raises. The LAP is usually very extroverted, and has difficulty hiding his emotions.

5.Don’t bluff, but induce bluffs by him. The LAP lives for the bluff.

6.Call bets that you wouldn’t have in other games on forth and fifth streets against him.

7.Try to isolate him and go heads up against him by raising his bet. For example: if you are sitting to his left and he bets or even raises, re-raise with AJ. By doing so you will make it harder for anyone else to call. Where to sit - the answer is very easy, you want to sit to his immediate left. By doing so, you can decide if you want to play your hand only after you see how he acts. His frequent bets and raises won’t cost you much since you’ll play only your better hands when he raises, thus making your winnings bigger.

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Poker Psychology & Tells - The Loose Passive Player

Introduction - the loose passive player (a.k.a. the calling station) plays for fun. He wants to pass the time, and his main goal is not winning. In a loose passive game there will be more showdowns and more pots will be won by marginal hands.

Recognize the calling station - he tends to check or call rather than bet or raise. He socializes with the other players and is pretty relaxed during the game. He looses a lot and consistently. Playing Against a LPP - reading the LPP’s hand is quite difficult because he plays almost every hand. Reading his bet is pretty easy: when he bets, he usually has a very strong hand and when he raises he almost certainly has the nuts or very close to the nuts.

Adjusting your game to the LPP is very important -

1.Bet and raise against them more often with good hands.

2.When they bet, call only with a very good hand. When they raise, run.

3.Don’t bluff before and after the flop. They will call with almost nothing.

4.Try to bluff after the river only if you think the LPP didn’t hit his draw.

5.Don’t slow-play. The LPP will just check you right back. Where to sit - there are advantages in sitting to the left or right of an LPP. If you sit to his left, you can raise and eliminate the competition and go for a heads up game against him or steal the button. If you sit to his right, you will not afraid of any raises that will make you pay more for a hand that you wouldn’t have paid two bets for. On the other hand, it’s very hard to steal his blind. In conclusion, you should make the decision after analyzing the style of the other players at the table.

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Betting your draws!

When playing NL Texas Hold ‘em, I believe one of the worst things in the world that you can do with your draws is to never bet them. I see this all of the time when playing poker, where my opponents will do a lot of check calling with their draws. When they do this, it tells me one of two things. Either they are on a draw, or they just don’t like their hand very much. Either way, if that draw doesn’t hit on the turn, I’m putting more pressure on you, because I know I’m ahead in the hand. It’s just a play I’ve never understood, flop that nut flush draw and just check and decide to call whatever bet someone else throws out there. If you’re willing to call $100, or even a $200 bet, then why not lead the betting yourself? If your willing to call, you might as well bet! When you call, there is no chance that you will pick up the pot just by getting your opponents to fold their hand. Also, when you never bet your draws, it makes it a lot easier for your opponents to put you on a hand when you do bet.

If you are check calling all of the time, then all of a sudden you are now betting at the pot, that should put a red flag up for your opponent. Why is he betting all of a sudden? He seems like a pretty passive player, and now, he’s betting? Passive players don’t like to bluff, so I’m sure he now has something. I’m going to fold and not pay him off.

When playing poker, that is the worst thing that you can have happening. When you make your hand, you never get paid off. This is why betting your draws can be more profitable when you do hit your hand. Like I said earlier, it makes it a lot harder for your opponents to put you on a hand, and now they don’t know that you just made the nuts, and they will be a lot more willing to pay you off with weaker hands.

By betting your made hands and non-made hands, it also puts pressure on the rest of the table. It makes you an aggressive player and helps give you control of your table. Believe me, most of your opponents are not going to want to get involved in hands with you, knowing that you are going to be constantly putting pressure on them. Add in the fact that they never know where you are in a hand, it is a bad combination for your opponents to be in. You have to constantly keep your opponents guessing.

So, by betting your draws, you will be able to pick up some hands without your draws getting there. Also, now that you are betting your draws you should make more profit on them when you do make your hand.

Good luck and hope to see you at the tables.

Poker Psychology & Tells - Recognize Player Styles

The style of a play refers to a pattern of actions made by a player. There are two basic style dimensions: passive aggressive and loose tight. These two dimensions create 4 general styles.

If we scale the dimensions in a square where 1 is very loose and 9 is very tight as well as 1 for very passive and 9 for very aggressive, the corners of the square represent the most extreme types of players, very loose and very aggressive. Of course, most of the players are located somewhere in the middle of the square. First, we’ll explain how to recognize the style and then we’ll explain how to play against these extremes. You should adjust your game according to the type of player you’re playing with.

The player types: The Calling Station - the loose passive player. We call a player a ‘calling station’ if he tends to check and call a lot and rarely bets or raises. This is the worst possible strategy in Texas Holdem. In Texas Holdem you should be patient and fold many of your starting hands, and you should play aggressively when actually playing a hand. Otherwise, by checking and calling you are in a constant chase for your cards and when they come and you bet no one is paying you. The Maniac - the loose aggressive player. The maniac tends to play many hands and plays them aggressively. He takes many risks, bluffing even when chances are he’ll get called. Sometimes he over-bets, and usually it takes less than a minute to spot this kind of player.

The Rock - the tight passive player. He doesn’t play many hands but when he does, you should know he has a very strong hand and should usually fold. These players have a lot of patience, hate risk, and can sometimes sit without playing for an hour. The Winner - the tight aggressive player. This is the best style for playing Texas Holdem. It’s difficult to adopt, but once you do, you will start winning. The tight aggressive player picks his hands selectively, but when playing those hands he plays aggressively. Betting and raising are usually the best actions to take. By doing so, you increase your chances of winning the number of pots, and when you do, the pots are larger. On the other hand, some of your losses would be higher; therefore you mustn’t be in many pots when playing aggressively and should especially be careful of hands that tend to be second best, like AJ for example.

Maintaining the Chip Lead in Hold ‘em Poker!

Great. So you have used some clever strategies, made good decisions, and you find yourself as the chip leader. The only problem is, you don’t know how to maintain the lead. This is a very common problem for new and experienced players alike. Below I will outline three very simple ways that you can keep your stack high once you have made it to the top.

Be the Bully

Have you ever been at a table with a bully? This is a chip leader who has a significantly larger amount of chips than anyone else at the table and uses them to scare other players off of large pots. I remember when I first encountered this type of player and I decided that I would never be the bully. But you know what, it works. The trick is just not to get too big headed. So throw your weight around and let the other players know who the boss is.

Don’t Get In Showdowns With Big Stacks

When you’re at the top, you may be tempted to try eliminating your closest competition. This can end up being a fatal error because if you lose the hand, you will probably have the shortest stack afterwards. Instead you want to aim for the medium and small stacks. This way you are risking less chips as well as making more room at the table.

Don’t Get Cocky

Being in the lead tends to make players loosen their betting strategy and make calls and bets that they know they normally wouldn’t make. Newsflash: having the most chips DOES NOT improve your odds. The only thing it improves is how many chips you are now able to lose.

Being in the lead offers you many new strategies and opens up opportunities for larger gains. Remember to throw your weight around occasionally when you are in the lead, but not every hand. If you get caught, you can pay big and probably lose respect at the table, making bluffing nearly impossible.