Jumat, 28 September 2012

Online Poker, Cheating Could Cost You

Online Poker, Cheating Could Cost You

All over the world, poker seems to have taken the internet by storm. It's all over the television, in movies, and it seems to be a good portion of the SPAM I receive each and every day! With such popularity, people are of course flocking to play for themselves, but not everyone has a bunch of friends willing & able to get together for a Friday night game. But this is the internet age, and if it's worth doing in person, it's twice as worth doing alone in a room with your keyboard.

Enter the Online Poker Room

Many people would rather play in the privacy of their home, against people they never see in person. There are many reasons for this, as well as many advantages to the poker player. Fewer distractions, no concerns of your bad poker face, no worries that someone is going to peek over your shoulder and see your cards... or can they? Rumour has it online that it actually is possible to cheat, even at these so-called "safe" online poker rooms.

Cheat the Casino? Doesn't the House Always Win?

While it may be extremely challenging to directly cheat the online poker rooms themselves, it's less challenging to cheat the other players individually. And not everything is actually "cheating" either. Many of the techniques that can be learned that are specific to online poker, have more to do with good strategy as well as leveraging the inherent advantages playing online poker has, than they have to do with cheating per se. But there are a few tricks that aren't talked about much, but that are downright... well, "unethical" at least.

So Why DO Cheaters Always Win Anyway?

It's a natural attraction. Poker players that have chronically lost money to the game, want a chance to even the score, so they decide to turn to cheating. It's easy to think that "nobody gets hurt" when it's just you and the computer - it doesn't feel like there are real people on the other side of the poker table. The fact is however that there are real people, and you are going to have to deceive them if you want to cheat them out of their money. Numerous techniques have leaked onto the internet recently, and many of them involve cracking the random number generators that the poker sites use, or analyzing thousands of hands of play in order to predict card patterns, etc. These techniques, while they may give the online poker player an edge, really are not terribly effective in my opinion, although they never fail to sell informational books on the subject.

Seeing Hole Cards - The Holy Grail!

But one technique in particular has been getting a lot of attention recently, and that is the claim that it is possible to actually directly see your opponent's hole cards. In particular there is a video circulating in YouTube that shows this technique being used, and it is pretty scary. I've spoken with numerous diehard poker players and many of them have confirmed that this sort of technique is definitely possible. There is debate about how practical it is, but then as the saying goes, "nothing worth doing is easy." If at the end of the day it made you a guaranteed winner, I think a little difficulty is worth overcoming.

Player Beware - Know Thine Enemy!

Ultimately if you play online poker, you need to stay aware of what's going on around you. Don't get sucked into visiting websites that other players direct you to, for it could be a trick to steal your credit card or other sensitive information. Practice basic internet security and smart surfing, and you should remain safe. Of course you're still more likely to lose your money playing online poker legitimately than to have someone take your money by cheating at online poker, and for that you can blame only yourself. Or maybe the online poker room.

Kathy Hildebrand is a professional writer who is easily bored with her "day job" assignments. So, she researches anything and everything of interest and starts writing. Writing about an extremely wide variety of subjects keeps her skills sharp, and gives her food for thought on future paid writing assignments.

More of her research and articles can be found at her web site and other sites around the internet.

What Is A Poker Shark?

A poker shark is a very good player who feasts on the average player. By the end of the night, the shark will have most of the other players' money. Some people think a poker shark is a player who goes in almost every hand and calls or raises a lot. This is not a shark; this is a player who may get lucky for awhile, win for awhile, but by the end of the night will have to rebuy in. This is the type of player you want playing at your table.

The last time I was in Las Vegas, I met, got to know, and became friends with what they call a poker shark.

Lucky for myself before I got to know this particular Poker Shark, he did not take me for any of my money when I sat down and played at his table. On the next night he was getting ready to play, we sat down and talked for a while. He told me everything he had observed about myself as a poker player. when I thought about it, everything he had perceptively picked up about my play and told me was true.

Usually my game is Limit Hold-em. But that day I sat down at a $1-2 No Limit table, which is not my regular game at all. The Poker Shark told me what he had seen in my play the previous night. He told me I was very nervous when I sat down. He was correct in his observation because I don't normally play No Limit. He then went on to tell me different things about me; from the way I played with my chips when I had nothing to the way I touched my chips when I did have something.

He basically knew everything about what I did and how I played and he was right. Then we started to talk about the other players at the table from the night before and he told me everything that the other players would do which would give away if they had hand or not. It was unbelievable how fast he could read a player who had just sat down at the table.

He told me some of his techniques in how to read players. He explained what players do with their chips and what he would notice about their expressions. But to this day, I find it very hard to read other players and am still trying to use the Poker Sharks tricks and techniques.

This particular Poker Shark would come to the poker room around 12am in the morning knowing that many of the Players would already have a few drinks in them and were ready to lose their money to him. He played $1-2 No Limit. In the 7 days I played at the Poker Shark's poker room, I watched him "play the players" and win $600 to $1000 every night and then go home.

A Poker Shark living in Las Vegas like this one, makes a very good living feasting on the fish he finds coming to the poker table every night. I learned a lot talking to him and watching him play over the week; much more than I ever learned reading a book. He is probably the best player I have played against.

So the next time you lose all your money to an older gentleman in a Vegas Poker Room, it just might be my poker friend shark...

Allen Silvester is a Canadian Poker Player who is one of the Managing Editors of Poker Reviews Vegas.

Read more information on players' experiences in Vegas Poker Rooms at: [http://pokerreviewsvegas.com]

Free Poker Online Guide To How To Use The Shuffle And Breathe Method To Win More At Poker

This free poker article about the Shuffle and Breathe technique, a simple method anyone can use that can significantly improve poker results (and lot of other things too)

That's because the technique is not a game tactic, rather it is a mental approach based on the ancient art of Tai Chi and meditation.

The Shuffle Up and Breathe technique is not designed to teach you the game of poker, the strategies or its etiquette. It's designed to help you fully realize the poker skills you already have and develop the discipline to use them wisely.

Let's start with what the technique does:

First, it's important to note that having the greatest poker skills in the world will do you very little good if you can't use them when the going gets tough. As with any game, sport or profession you don't win by being an armchair theory expert! If you let your mind or emotions take over, you're locked out - you become purely a reactionary player.

The technique then is designed for balancing and controlling thought and emotion. To form a connection of mind, body and breath.

It is a fact that the mind always follows the breath. When you have a busy mind, you're breath is laboured. When your thoughts begin to slow, you regain control of your emotions and most importantly, your game.

That's why you can use the "Shuffle up and breathe" technique to:

a) Control your breathing.

b) Calm your mind

c) Before, during and after every game, or indeed, any other time in your life.

The technique will help live and focus on the present moment. Not the past or future, but right now. It's about really getting into 'the zone'.

Use it to reduce stress

A lot of life is stressful, but when you add poker games with maybe thousands of dollars at stake to the mix you can end up tired and ill. If you can reduce that stress to a level you can always handle you'll feel better and you'll play better.

Further, by using this technique, you'll become better at discovering your tells and those of others, controlling emotions, developing discipline and time and money management

All of these skills can be used at the poker table, in the office or in any meeting. Learning to stay balanced is the key to success in all areas of life, especially in poker. Consistent use of this technique will result in a clearer mind that makes clearer choices and better math and moves with a great reduction in error.

So - at last - how to do this amazing technique?

It's simple. Focus on the tip of your nose and follow your breath with all your attention. All the way in and all the way out again. You will even feel the friction of the air as it goes in and out.

It's that easy. Your mind will follow the breath and begin to instantly calm. Use this technique before, during and after every game.

Personally, I use it every time I am dealt a hand. If you practice this technique every day and you will find a dramatic increase in your skills and in the quality of your like.

Good players define Luck as the point at which skill meets opportunity. Be ready for it!

Just remember to Shuffle up and Breathe.

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Plus the NoPayPOKER blog contains a huge poker training series, pro written lessons from basic how to play poker for beginners courses to master. Join today and you will get a free bankroll and can get playing free online poker immediately.

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Learning Semi Bluffing From Poker Training Sites

Let's face it, there are many people out there who love poker, they love going to casinos to get as far as possible from their everyday routine and to experience the rush poker games provide. These very same individuals may have heard of online poker once or twice in the past, it is very likely that if you are reading this article you are one of them. However playing online poker does require a bit of knowledge before you decide to jump in, that is the most basic rule of pretty much anything in life and it is not any different with online poker.

If you know how to play poker in real life then you are ninety percent there, the only thing you now need is the knowledge of how to use the software provided by online gaming sites in order to get in the game, this is where poker training sites really come in handy, not only do they show you how to use the software in poker sites but they also show you interesting techniques you may have not known in the past.

Some of those techniques are:

- The art of Semi Bluffing
- Monster Flops
- Playing AK Out of position
- How to Recognize Bluffs in 3 bet pots
- How to combat short stack players

Between many others. Today we are going to talk about the art of Semi Bluffing.

Semi Bluffing

This is a technique you can apply whenever you see you don't have a very good poker hand but have outs to improve it, such as a flush or a straight draw. The opportunity presents itself on the turn so you want to ensure you only do it when the turn card improves your position, that way even if you get called you still have a pretty good chance of making the best hand. At the same time you wouldn't really care if your opponents fold their hands because the hands they are folding are most likely superior to yours and as we said before if you are called you still have a chance to win what should now be a pretty decent pot.

The Semi Bluff strategy is particularly effective against tight players because they are very likely to fold to double barrels a lot. You can identify tight players by looking at their stats.

This semi bluffing strategy can be quite profitable if used properly if you analyze your probability ratios which are usually of 30% or 3 to 1. This is often a good play because your opponent or opponents don't have to fold very often in order for the semi bluff to become profitable and you are always optimizing your hand in order to improve your chances of success.

If you don't apply this technique then it is very likely that the only chance you have to win is to hit your hand. Make sure to practice this powerful technique which is sure to dramatically improve your success rate while playing poker.

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Poker Games - Have Fun With Online Card Games

There are numerous sites that offer online poker games. Some online casinos offer you to play free game of poker. Since there are various kinds of poker games available online, so you need to make a befitting choice.

Poker games are part of the card family betting games, where rankings are important, depending on the kind of poker hand that is being played. Though the basic rules of the game remain the same, however, dealing of the card changes depending on the format of poker. This also varies from casinos to casinos along with the bonuses and the wager of the players.

Why should you play Online Poker games?

Poker involves a complex set of rules in the betting techniques, which can be a bit overwhelming to a new player. Since there is a variety of poker games to select from, the poker gaming sites are the best place to make a selection and learn the game at your own pace.

There are free tutorials regarding techniques and terminologies of poker. These online sites not only help you to learn the gaming and betting techniques but also the ways to play free poker sites. These sites allow you to practice on the probability skills, essential for winning poker.

Some online poker gaming sites allow the novices to register with free poker rolls and gamble a very meager amount of 1¢.

As a beginner you do not have to be bothered or embarrassed of the mistakes that you make, while you play poker.

Few online poker games

Here are few most popular ones offered by the online casinos:

Omaha: Though the technique of Omaha Poker is different from Texas hold em, the betting structure is similar. This is a community card game where 5 community cards are used. To make a hand, the player must use 2 cards from the 4 cards, that are dealt face down, and 3 cards from the 5 community cards.

Texas hold em: This is the most played poker game online. Texas hold em involves a betting technique which is quite complex with several rounds of it. The player is dealt two cards facing down and there are 5 community cards, which can be used by any player to make a hand. The game is played head-to-head, either with a single player or multiple players.

Draw Poker: In this, the player is dealt with the full hand but with the cards facing down. Later the players can change or discard the cards and be dealt with new cards to improve their hands.

Stud Poker: This happens to have the maximum betting rounds, making it a bit complex in technique, mainly in the Seven card Stud Poker. In this, the players are dealt with 3 cards face down and 4 cards face up. The betting starts after the 3rd card is dealt till the 7th card. Two extra cards are dealt so that the players have the opportunity to make the best hand possible.

Apart from these poker games there are Community card poker, Razz and few more. Select a legitimate online poker game site and start gambling and try your luck.

Monica Wehner had been associated as an advisor to many online poker game sites. Her knowledge and insights on poker games will help the gamers to be better equipped and understand the benefits of online poker gaming sites.

How to Win at Texas Hold 'Em Poker Online - Simple ABC Technique

Success at online poker can be very simple if you follow this simple ABC technique. All you need to do is practice and be patient; your time will come.

If you want to win online you have to have the patience of a saint; before starting any tournament make sure you have all the time in the world and don't have to rush! The players that make the final tables are always the ones that have patience; they only play the best starting hands and let the rest of the players battle it out and put each other out of the game.

Here's a simple ABC strategy that you should follow if you want to be successful at online poker.

A. Select a big table where there is plenty of action.

The reason for this is that if there are hundreds of people in the tournament the more less skilled players there will be, which is great news! Poker sites such as P.K.R have tournaments that run all day long and always have hundreds of players.

B. Select a Buy in and Blind level that suits you.

Don't start off playing at the high buy in tables, you need to start small and work your way up. you must crawl before you walk and the experience you will gain will help you when you are ready to start playing for big money.

C. Fold nearly every hand.

This is where discipline comes in and is by far the hardest step. New players find this extra hard and often throw caution to the wind then they fold before the flop then hit something, but trust me for every hand that you would win you would probably lose five! Stick to the plan no matter how bored and frustrated you may get.

D. When you hit a hand, bet aggressively.

When you hit and bet aggressively you must win the pot, as soon as you hit a monster hand start betting strongly and make the others fold, don't slow play or try and set people up, just bet big and force them to fold! If you don't bet enough and let other get a look at the flop they could get lucky and hit, don't give them a chance unless their willing to pay big! The fact that you have been folding so many hands will show that you are only playing monster hands which will put nearly every player off challenging you.

E. As the game goes on mix it up every so often.

When a few players have been knocked out start playing slightly looser, play hands that you would have been folding but only from late position as this will let you see how the others are playing. As you have been playing super tight all game the other players will think you have hit again even if you haven't got that strong a hand.

F. Never go all-in.

The ABC strategy is to get you to the last table so you make some cash so never go all in unless you know you are guaranteed to win the pot. The last thing you want to do is go all in against a player who is short stacked and double him up! A lot of players call in with short stacks hoping to get lucky as they know they are on the way out, and the last thing you want to do if give the opportunity to double up!

These ABC techniques are so simple yet very effective, you just have to have the time and discipline!

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Preflop Strategy - Winning Techniques and Strategies

Before understanding why a preflop strategy is important when playing poker, it is even more important to understand the meaning of the word 'preflop'. Understanding the terms and meanings of poker will be of great help to people who are new to the game of poker.

The game of poker involves many stages and it may differ from one poker game to other. Preflop is the stage just preceding the flop. Preflop strategy is the strategy which is adopted during the foremost stage when the first two poker cards are dealt just preceding the flop. In the poker game, the player can opt for checking holdings, folding his cards or placing bets.

Every poker needs to adopt the right preflop strategy and make the right moves so as to emerge the winner. In the event of certain scenarios, one should know how to play and hence the preflop strategy should be planned well in advance. The difference between a winner and a loser in the game of poker is the quality and implementation of certain plans and techniques. Preflop strategy when implemented in the right manner and at the right time will be of great help to the player.

This pattern is observed when players play smaller stakes and a player may go unprovoked in pre-flop. The opposite player will toss the playable hand and other players may also follow suit. Some players get fed up and folds the cards and will usually end feeling miserable as they will lose their money to kings or pair of aces. This is however not a winning strategy but it can be used as a tactic which can be cashed profitably.

There are many preflop strategies which can be adopted when playing poker. First and foremost, understand the greater the number of players, greater are the chances of a player having a good poker hand. When there are few players, there is lesser competition. Greater the number of players, greater and bigger is the competition.

The second preflop strategy is understanding the opposite player's style of playing. Once you consider this, you can then adopt the right techniques and play in such a manner that you get the advantage.

Another important preflop strategy which needs to be adopted is that if you have a limited bankroll, exercise caution and care while playing. A player with a bigger bankroll can afford to take greater risks and play aggressively. You also need to consider the table position when playing. Players in the late position have a greater ability when it comes to influencing the pot size as compared to early position players. This is a very important preflop strategy. The dealer has an advantage as he gets an advantage of playing his cards in the end after all the players have played.

While is it is essential to know about poker rules, it is also important to know about the preflop odds especially when playing Texas Hold'em poker in order to succeed at the game.

Maximize Outcome in Poker

The number of poker players are rising, and has been since poker first was broadcasted at television. The interest in poker today is higher than ever before, and it seems like nothing is going to stop its popularity. Poker is about more than just money, but money is of course the reason most people begin to play the game, but most people doesn't know how to maximize their winnings.

When you've first learned to play poker, you know the basic rules: The best hand wins, in spite it isn't actually the best hand that wins always. Poker is also a game about trust, and you shouldn't always believe in how your opponents play his or her game, because your opponent could be bluffing. You might have heard, that they can't bluff in online poker, but they can, and remember always, that your opponents call could be a bluff and also remember that it is very common to loose against a bluffing opponent, so even though you think your opponent is bluffing, consider folding your cards.

Techniques to master

To recognize a bluff is essential in poker. If you master the technique, you are on the way of becoming a real poker professional. A wise man once said about poker: "It takes only a few minutes to learn, but a life time to master." This is a quote that every poker players should keep in mind, because it is impossible to win every single hand in poker. Even if you know what your opponents are holding, you could lose, though the chances are very very small.

When you want to maximize your outcome in poker you should know when to raise, and most importantly; when to fold. It doesn't sound logical, but knowing when to fold a hand is maybe the most important technique that a poker player should know. If a player doesn't know the time to fold, he will lose a lot of money. Not just a few cents, but many thousand dollars over time, and losing money is the complete opposite of maximizing outcome. If the game you are playing is developing a way, that only allows you to win a lot of small amounts, then win all the small amounts you can, and try to avoid participating the betting rounds where your opponents are playing unusually aggressive. If they play such, they are likely to have a great hand, if they have played softly most of the game.

Go to the table with a lot of money

Another way to maximize your outcome is to simply scare your opponents. If you are up against a player in a ring game that has come to the table with a lot of money, he can allow himself to play more loose than other players, because e.g. a $1 bet for him, is less worth than a $1 bet for the other players, and all the other players at the table knows that. It's a great technique to remember, and it should be remembered by any who sit at a poker table. If you haven't got any money on your bankroll, you should have considered using a bonus code when you signed up. E.g. at the biggest online poker room in the world, PokerStars, they offers a bonus up to $600 if you uses a PokerStars bonus code when you sign up, and at the most popular American poker site, Full Tilt Poker, they use the term Full Tilt Poker referral code.

You can find the latest PokerStars bonus code and Full Tilt Poker referral code among other things, such as poker player biographies and news at http://www.FTPokerBonus.com

Gain an Edge in Online Poker With Advanced Poker Strategy

There are many advanced poker strategy moves that one can learn to gain an edge in online poker. Among some of the best advanced poker strategy techniques are check-raising, playing position, and trapping your opponent. However, in the online poker world, these strategies are not nearly as effective for two reasons.

Why Advanced Poker Strategy Fails Reason #1

The main reason you might find it difficult to pull off an advanced poker strategy like check raising or trapping, is because of the large amount of inexperienced players online. The fact that you check to induce a bluff or with the intent of raising or trapping usually does not work because many novice layers see your check as a sign of weakness.

When your opponent perceives you as weak, he is likely to call you all the way down to the river and suck-out on you. Additionally, when your portrayal of weakness is against an opponent that believes you are bluffing, he may call you with his draw and give you a bad beat.

Typically, playing weak online gives the impression to novice players that you are trying to bluff or steal or that you truly do not have a good hand.

Why Advanced Poker Strategy Fails Reason #2

Another reason that advanced poker strategy fails online is that the computer generated software behind the poker clients typically is not as true to the statistical odds as it is in live play. The fact is that poker software fails to have the capacity to truly randomize decks and present the cards in the same manner that a live game would.

This is the reason so many flush draws, straight draws, and constant bad beats occur online. The software normally gives a draw-heavy board and puts a lot of superior hands at risk against drawing hands. The fact that you may have the best hand on the flop is largely irrelevant online because of the added computer software that makes draws more often than statistically probable as in live play.

The Solution

Of course, there is a solution to the problem of online poker, and that is to use advanced poker strategy geared for online poker. The check raising, trapping, bluffing, position play, and other methods so effective in live play are largely ineffective in online play. To counter the software anomalies and the novice players, who call down anything, one must understand better how the software works and how to manipulate it to your advantage.

Gaining an understanding of the poker client software and how it works to produce draw heavy boards and constant bad beats, is as simple as learning live advanced poker strategy. If you wish to become a better player online and cash more often, just like in live poker games, you need to study how the online poker game is different and how to adapt your game for it.

Paul Westin is a professional Poker player and has written several books and articles in trade magazines about poker, including the award winning Online Poker Code. Learn more about the poker algorithms and programs that control online poker and how to gain an edge. Discover the Online Poker Code to see how you can become a profitable and professional poker player online!

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Free Poker Guide to the Easy SMART Card Eliminate Losers Technique

I have been playing "proper" serious money and fun money free poker for most of my life but mainly free poker for the last four years.

At first it was easy but as time went on I found it harder to win as I got caught up in the world known as the "Easy Play Trap".

The poker "Easy Play Trap" is when you think you have to play every hand to win. You post and play every hand praying the flop with give you a hand.

The problem with it is that you lose more and even worse anyone with any skill learns how you play really easily which makes things even worse.

This is especially a problem on free poker sites where it is all to easy to not care. No problem is it's just for fun but a very bad habit if you have aspirations to play live or online poker for money later.

Then last year I started playing what I call "SMART". "SMART" players think of the odds of playing each hand based on your starting hand. The two cards in your hand give you an idea of what your chances of winning before the flop.

"SMART" poker means as follows:

Singles - A - K - Q - J

Married - AK - AQ - AJ - A10

Average - 10 10 - 9 9 - 8 8 - 7 7 - 6 6

Rare - AA - KK - QQ - JJ

Terrible - 2 7 - 2 8 - 2 9 - 2 10 - 3 8 - 3 9 - 3 10 -4 9 - 4 10 -5 10

Singles should be used cards from the same suite.

Playing singles with low off suites is generally hazardous because some times it is the kicker that means a win. Watch the flops to see how the cards are falling as if there are more small off suites hitting with a single you might want to try.

Married and Rare hands are your best possible starting hands before the flop and requires you to think first. Going all in with a Married or Rare hand before the flop is good but may also be a killer. Watch the other players for a time to get an idea of what they play before going up against them.

Average poker hands are good to begin with but the flop truly provides a picture of how you will play your hand. On an average a third will fall with the flop when holding a small pair. If not, and there is a small bet, try the turn but never the river as odds are against you.

Terrible are poker hands I try not to play because they normal are losing hands. True you might get lucky but if you do not have any money in the pot why waste the time and money on a chance. High blind and there is no raise, yes play, however low blind, forget it and wait for a better hand.

During a recent live game I was down to 80 in chips with the blinds at 10 - 20. I was not getting a hand and we were down to three players. Being "SMART" I came back and won the money.

And how do you learn to play "SMART"...The sensible way is to learn your skill on free poker sites such as http://www.nopaypoker.com Don't get put off or sidetracked by all the Easy Play "farm animals" you'll find trapped on such sites, that is part of the territory in the land of free online poker sites. Then, once you have demonstrated consistent winning ways move up to low stakes games and stay there until you repeat the success and then move up again...WSOP one day, who knows!

5 Tips To Improve Your Online Poker Game

Online poker is a very dynamic game, with lots of people having different strategies and game plans. There is no 'right' way to play, there are just different preferences that people have, however some techniques are used as standard with good poker players. This article will cover 5 techniques which are commonplace in high standard poker, but not so common in low stakes (which means you can gain an advantage over other players at low levels).

1. Don't slow play big pairs. After studying thousands of hands involving big pairs (Queens / Kings / Aces) it has been proven that the best way to play the hand is aggressively. There are 3 outcomes to playing aggressively pre-flop; your opponents fold and you win the hand, your opponents call/raise and you have the best hand or your opponents call/raise and you do not have the best hand. If you're holding Queens / Kings / Aces the chances of your opponent having a better hand are negligible. If you slow played the hand there are countless opportunities for your opponents to outdraw you, and make you lose the hand.

2. Don't overplay medium pairs. A medium pair is normally considered 5 - Jack. A medium pair isn't great unless you hit trips on the flop (which is about 15% of the time), otherwise you can't have much confidence in the hand. 10s and Jacks can be played aggressively if there are low cards on flop, but it's not worth calling a raise with these cards pre-flop (however you can bet if no one has raised before you).

3. Always use bonuses. There's no point sticking to one poker room if all the other poker sites are offering sign-up bonuses. Many poker rooms offer 200% deposit bonuses, so if you wanted to sign up to a $50 tournament, you would only need to deposit $25. There are currently hundreds of poker rooms to take advantage from by using this strategy.

4. Play at the right level. If you are new to poker then you should play at low stakes. Once you have confidence that your poker game is solid, you can start to move to higher stakes. Many poker players start too high, thinking the low stakes don't give enough reward for winning. Use these staked games to practise, build your bankroll and perfect your game.

5. Don't show your hand. Whenever you show another poker player your cards (when you don't have to) they learn more about the way you play. You don't want other players being able to read you - so don't give them any information unnecessarily.

These 5 gems are fundamental for playing a solid poker game, use these online poker tips along with the best poker bonuses to kick start your online poker adventure. You don't just want to play poker, you want to profit from poker!

Find the latest Online poker tips at Profit from Poker - the fastest growing online poker resource on the web.

WARNING - Some tips found at http://profitfrompoker.co.uk are considered controversial.

Poker Techniques For Beginner Poker Players

It seems like on of the hardest things to do in playing No Limit Hold'em poker, is to know how to play pocket pairs, especially online. Of course, everyone can play A-A, but I am talking about how to keep from losing all your chips when you have a low to mid pocket pair. What do you do from middle position with 5-5? How do you play pocket 8's? These are questions that many beginning players struggle with, as well as seasoned vets as well.

First of all, conventional wisdom will tell you to raise with your low to mid pocket pair in order to push other players off their hand, thereby eliminating me of the hands containing over-cards which could beat you after the flop. However, particularly online, you are still going to be called by players holding K-Q, or A-T, or Q-J, etc. So, if any of these over cards come on the flop, your pocket pair of 6's is now worthless and you have to give up the chips you have invested, or as many beginning players will tend to do, invest even more chips in a hand where you only have 2 outs (the other 2 6's).

What I like to do with small to mid pocket pairs is limp in if I can, or if not perhaps call fairly minimal raises. It is seldom that a hand like 6's will hold up until the River, so you are really just wanting to see as many streets as you can for as cheaply as you can, in order to try and hit your set. If you do hit your set, it is most time likely to pay off in a big way, as it is extremely hard for other players to recognize that you hit it. This is why I like to see flops with pocket pairs as much as I can; the potential big pay off.

Of course, there are always exceptions to this strategy: I may push all in with any pocket pair at certain stages of a tournament, depending on my chip stack as well as many other factors. I may also make raises if I feel the other players will fold and I can steal the blinds or antes. But, overall, low to mid pocket pairs, while they have huge potential, are better off not investing too many chips in pre-flop. If you do, you will be forced to make difficult decisions after the flop and that is something that you do not want to have to do.

Chris Wilcox has over ten years experience playing poker both online and offline and provides up to date, cutting-edge, current, information to the Online Texas Holdem community through his books and website. He authored a book titled The No B.S. Guide to Winning Online No Limit Texas Hold em. He is co-founder of Poker Publishing, LLC a Nevada based company which specializes in teaching others how to improve their online poker game.

Mobile Gambling Online Poker - Cheating Methods to Watch Out For

This issue must be addressed, and you must understand how to avoid it. It is just a fact of life that people are going to take advantage of other people in an unfair manner when given the opportunity to get an edge.

Whether it's stealing from your local job or taking millions from innocent people through accounting frauds, it's wrong. I am going to tell you these common cheats not so you can go try them yourself, but to prepare you for what to look for. Cheating is for losers and I don't expect anyone who is reading this to ever cheat. Cheating is common in poker and you have to know how to avoid it and what to look for.

Cheating at the Corporate Level

It has even happened at the corporate level when a top level executive was caught using a server exploit in which he used to see other players hole cards. Eventually stealing millions from customers in the mid-part of 2007 at Absolute Poker. He was finally busted and this lead to the biggest scandal in poker. If you want updated info on this you'll have to Google it.

Cheat One "Instant Messaging"

The first thing to look for is slow tables. You want to avoid these at all costs. Most of the time the players aren't just trying to be concise about their actions, they are cheating. Another reason to avoid slow tables is because the more hands you play per hour the higher your profit is going to be.

A common way that people take your money is by working in teams. They will sit down at a table with two or three other friends and suck every penny out of any poor soul that sits down. They do this through a technique called Aiming. They use AIM (automated instant messaging) to tell each other what they have. It may not seem like a big help to each other but it is. Knowing that six cards are out of the deck can improve your odds by almost 12%.

Let me give you an example of how it can help them even more than that. Say they were aiming and one player had 9 2, the other hand 4 7, and the third hand 2 j. All three of these players folded pre-flop. The flop comes 2 2 A. If you're sitting with an ace and you have someone betting like he has a two I think the aimer just might know you don't have a two.

A ring game consists of ten players. These are hot spots for the cheaters because they can play against more players and use more people in their team and still keep their profit level high. These advantages that the cheaters have will make it almost impossible for you to win unless you're just getting the cards that night.

Cheat Two "Co-Op Raising"

Another thing to look out for at tables is players with large stacks. Many times players will go in with a partner and raise re-raise each other pushing other unsuspecting opponents out of a pot. The raising and re-raising is supposed to make you think there are two very strong hands at play. Even the average player understands that when you've been raised and then re-raised in a hand that it's time to run unless you have the absolute nuts. If you see weird folds where no matter what the player had he should have called due to pot odds then you should be suspicious as well.

Most of the time they are doing this with junk hands but as a good player you know the right play is to fold. Now that you know what you are looking for you can use this cheat to your advantage. If you spot two players constantly raising and re-raising each other but are never showing their cards you can trap them. Just calling in this spot will pay you off enormously. Most of the time they will only go to the river card betting big. By this time it doesn't matter because they just raised and re-raised you enough to double your stack.

Cheat 3 "Chip Dumping"

This is probably the most common and easily executed cheat online. The most common place for this cheat is in a 100 player or more $100 buy-in or above tournaments. I have heard of as many as 7 guys working together to pull of this cheat because it increases their odds of winning enormously.

The process involves chip dumping. These players work in teams and dump their chips to each other and finally to one end guy. A guy who started out with 1000 chips just got 12,000 or more handed to him. I don't know about you but if I double up early in a tournament only twice I'm almost guaranteed to make it to the final table.

The only thing that gets in the way of these cheaters is that you don't start at the same table as your team-mate. This is OK because as soon as the players end up at the same table they dump whatever chips they have to each other. It's pretty much a guaranteed way to make it to the final table. In tournaments where first place walks with 50 or 60 thousand it is worth the effort to these cheaters.

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How to Maximize the Check Raise Technique in Poker

One of poker's greatest weapons is the check - raise technique. But you must know how to use it properly to maximize its benefits.

Nowadays in poker, check-raise is one of the most common techniques used by players to deceive their opponents. Essentially, this technique involves a player checking during his betting turn and let his opponents behind him to open the betting round.

Once his opponents have placed their bets, the player will then re-raise the bet in the same betting round. Despite the hype surrounding the check-raise strategy, it is an overrated technique that is situational dependent. A double-edged sword, using it wrongly can be a costly mistake.

Nevertheless, this play is also a controversial technique and is not allowed by some casinos and house games. The majority of poker players use check-raise as a bluffing or intimidation strategy. The criteria for it to be a bluffing strategy require that you pursue your game passively while as an intimidation strategy, you need to adopt an aggressive stance generally.

Furthermore, you cannot place equal emphasis on this technique with regard to offline and online game play. Online players react differently to that of an offline player. Thus, you have to really differentiate the circumstances when this technique can be effective. Because you cannot use check-raise frequently, its effectiveness is very much debated as well.

To string along your opponents, you also need to be able to gauge what kind of players they are. Loose and aggressive players will generally take the "bait" while with tight players; you will require more analysis before you can try the check-raise technique on them.

Next step: Fortunes are made every day playing online poker. But you need a proven system and strategies to follow to make it work for you. Go to: http://www.PokerTrainingWeekly.com and become an official "Certified Poker Expert" and start winning more every time you play.

Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy - Poker Tournament Fundamentals

This is the second in the Texas Holdem Strategy Series, focusing on no limit Texas Hold'em poker tournament play and associated strategies. In the first installment, we examined a real-world tournament scenario and how to handle a particular class of difficult players - the "maniacs", aggressive, wild players that are commonly encountered in today's poker tournament venues.

In this article, we'll examine the techniques that were used more closely to best these players, along with stitching a Texas Hold'em tournament poker strategy together with some good poker tournament fundamentals.

Let's begin with some foundational elements of any winning tournament poker strategy - clearly understanding our priorities. In poker tournaments, each player's primary objectives are:

1. Survival - first and foremost, surviving to play at the final table, and ideally to be the last surviving player (the winner!) is of paramount importance.

2. Building and Protecting that Chip Arsenal - to survive increasingly large blinds and tougher competition at the latter and final tables, a player must build up and sustain a "chip arsenal" - a substantially large stack of chips - early enough in the competition to be capable of surviving and taking various necessary, calculated risks from time to time.

This must be accomplished without risking the entire tournament and building that chip arsenal in the process. Failure to build an early chip lead is a sure ticket to being eroded away once the blinds and antes increase, chewing away at your stack until you're cornered or dead.

3. Sustained Focus - concentrating on your game plan, attacking when the right cards and situations present themselves and converting those opportunities into "profits", while avoiding killer momentary lapses of reason (i.e., making occasional mistakes by not paying close enough attention). Focusing like this over an extended period of time is much more difficult than it seems, requiring a constant vigil, self-awareness and self-discipline.

4. Adaptability - as the tournament progresses, it's critical to recognize when the game dynamics change and quickly adapt to new conditions such as:

o Number of players at the table

o Style of the players

o Size of your chip stack vs. opponents'

o Odds the pot is giving you, especially as blinds and antes increase

o New players arriving that are initially unknown quantities

o New table you've been moved to and avoiding mistakes.

Since Texas Holdem tournament events are specifically designed to progressively eliminate players, your foremost objective must be to survive and protect your stack of chips. Taking unnecessary risks is a formula for disaster and an early trip home...someone can always get lucky against you.

Demonstrating the patience to hold back and attack at the most opportune moments, when the odds favor your success, and with a proper battle plan in mind is critical. While others are visiting and socializing, daydreaming, watching the waitresses, and otherwise taking their eyes off the ball, when you're at a tournament table, it's time for your focused attention on the game at hand. This kind of extended attention span becomes increasingly difficult to maintain, so rest up before playing in a tournament - do not play when tired if you can avoid it.

I also recommend against alcohol while playing, as it leads to impaired judgment and fatigue.

Here are some basic guidelines to use when playing in poker tournaments or at any table where there are many players that you don't know well:

1. Prepare and Refine your Battle Plan - when you enter a tournament, you're going to be fighting a "battle" for survival - against the blinds, the antes, fatigue, as well as against the other players. Would any good military commander go into battle without having first surveyed the battle field, understood the enemy and its tactics, and without having a well-conceived battle plan which takes these facts into account and ensures success? Of course not! If they did, they probably wouldn't live to tell about it.

You shouldn't go into a poker tournament without having completed some pre-planning for the battle ahead either. Think about your plan and several things you'll do in each typical situation ahead of time. Refine this once you're at the table as your battlefield unfolds before you.

2. Start out slowly. Be patient. Use the early tournament period, while the blinds are still low, to study everyone at your table, identifying the most likely prey, understanding their habits and play styles. Use this time to mentally prepare and refine your "battle plan" for transferring their chips into your stack. It's best to formulate several strategies during your pre-tournament planning, and then refine each one as you see how the game is actually shaping up, the types of players at your table and how you'll approach each situation.

3. Set the Stage - play a few "ugly" hands early, limping in occasionally and feeling your way around the table with the other players while the blinds are still low, playing a few hands you wouldn't normally even consider. This prevents you from starting out with a table image as a solid or tight player; otherwise, you may not get the action you'll need when you do get those pocket rockets (AA) and great opportunities later.

4. Know Your Own Table Image - Everyone develops a "table image". Be aware of your own table image, and be careful to mix your game up along the way so that you can't easily be "typed". Once others can predict your behavior and your likely reaction to a given situation, they'll definitely use it against you. For example, if you play mostly premium hands and fold at the first sign of trouble, other players will quickly type you as "weak" and will steal you blind, taking advantage of that knowledge by representing hands they don't actually have so you'll fold. If you project that image, know it, so you can trap them with a good hand - make the most of it, since that will definitely destroy your weak table image...

In the first article, I let several aggressive players push me around a little early on, then limped in and dropped out on a few draws, so they all thought I was a tight, weak player and a good target for their aggressive style of play. Letting them push me around some, while not losing much to them, conditioned these aggressive players to push me even harder when they absolutely shouldn't have - a huge error on their part that I converted into a chip leadership position.

5. Be Careful, Protect Your Stack - You must protect your stack and survive until you get some good hands you can use, so be careful to expend that chip depot deliberately and judiciously - always with purpose. When a player raises you significantly, you must think: 1) how much of my stack can I afford to invest in this one hand, 2) can I win this hand if I play it fully, and 3) what kind of play will yield me the most chips and give me the best overall odds to win against this particular player.

6. Get a Real Hand and Extract Its Value - don't go up against maniacs and aggressive raisers without a real hand - and definitely, do not challenge them while you're chasing a draw! Their strength is their bravado and wild, aggressive betting style - it's also their biggest weakness. When you do get a real hand that you believe is a winner, you must get the most value for it by extracting as many chips as possible from the other players:

o Hit aggressive players head-on, triggering their aggressive response systems, and be willing to stick it out with them, re-raising them all-in if necessary since you know you're likely in top position, or

o Trap them with a check-raise play. You can often just let aggressive bettors take the initial lead, betting into you and thereby become pot-committed, leading them to putting many or all of their chips at risk. That's another reason you'd better have a real hand whenever you challenge the aggressive players - they typically just will not fold or back down, and

o Bet enough to extract a significant chip "profit" from the opponents, without forcing them to fold, if you're sure you have the winning hand.

7. Pay Attention and Focus Outwardly - watch everyone and everything that's going on at your table. Don't daydream, and for Pete's sake - do not focus on your own hand! As a general rule of thumb, spend 3 times as much energy and time trying to determine what other players are holding (especially when you're not in a hand), gauging their play and betting styles, and refining your battle plan - than you do thinking about your own hands and play. You won't be playing that many hands if you're a good poker player, so use this available time wisely.

8. Play the Pot Odds - most people think too much about their own hand and what they might draw next. That's because calculating and playing the pot odds isn't yet second nature to them. If that's you, then you definitely need to get the poker odds ingrained into your subconscious mind, so they're second nature and you don't even need to think about them while you're playing. Find yourself a good Texas Holdem poker odds calculator, practice with it, and you'll learn the odds of drawing each type of hand and find that you don't need to think about them.

9. Bluff for the Pot from Good Positions - as the blinds and antes increase, the size of each hand's pot becomes substantial. Bluffing for these pots from proper positions (e.g., acting late with a big bet, acting first with a semi-bluff hand and bigger bet) is a good way to hold your own while everyone else struggles against the blinds.

10. Play the Player - the key to winning in poker is to get other players to make the wrong play, which you then profit from. To do this, knowing your opponents, understanding what kinds of hands they play, whether they'll fold when bluffed, and knowing when it's time to lay down your hand to simply survive and play another is crucial.

The alternative is to do what many players do - just leave most everything to chance and play the game in a random, unpredictable fashion with whatever hands you're dealt; a.k.a. "gambling".

They say "those who fail to plan, plan to fail", and that "hope is not a strategy" - a couple of my favorite sayings that come to mind...have a plan, and execute it.

You must be prepared to mix up your play enough that players aren't sure what to expect from you. It's helpful to "shift gears" from one mode of operation to another from time to time. It's also recommended to play the opposite from everyone at the table; e.g., if most everyone is playing tight overall, then loosen up your play and take advantage of them by overplaying some hands, going on some draws, and a few semi-bluffs. If the table becomes loose, tighten up and attack with a good hand or trap them.

Remember, aggressive players' egos usually can't handle being overtly raised or publicly challenged. They expect to be the preeminent raisers and dominate the game, so they'll often re-raise or go all-in in order to leverage their aggressive position against you. Be ready! You can just about count on it. When they push you at the wrong time, sock it to 'em! You can use these types of players to build up your chip arsenal and possibly earn yourself a seat at the final table.

There aren't any absolutes in no-limit Texas Holdem tournament strategy, which is one of the things that make it so entertaining and challenging. These are just a few good tips and techniques that will help you get started and do reasonably well against some good players and some aggressive ones.

Finally, it's been said "if you can't spot the sucker at your table, it's probably you!" I love this saying, because it's so true. If you do your pre-planning and have confidence in your game plan, along with an ability to observe the opponents and apply the proper techniques against different kinds of players, you'll go far in Texas Holdem poker tournaments.

So, there's your first set of Texas Holdem poker tournament strategies. I sure wish someone had condensed things down like this for me when I first started playing. It would've saved me years of learning it the hard way. Enjoy.

Good luck!

Rick

Rick Braddy is an avid writer, Texas Holdem player and professional software developer and marketer for over 25 years. His websites and Texas Holdem poker software specialize in helping people become better Texas Holdem poker players. If you're a poker player, be sure to visit his BetterHoldem.com Texas Holdem poker website today and learn how you can play better Texas Holdem, too.

A Selection of Guessable Poker Bluffs and Techniques

Poker is widely regarded as a game for reading and analysing your opponent, checking there actions, and there habits of the game are an absolute must. There are a few tips which we will now go through, that you can use to outwit your opponents on your next poker game.

First and foremost you should select one player on the table, which you think you will end up playing the most against, and then concentrate on his form of play. Watching every hand he plays will give you a major advantage as to which techniques he actually uses and his style of play.

You should keep an eye on how players perform; as if they suddenly start doing anything differently, then you will know they are the most likely to have a tell.

Usually the way in which poker works is the person that acts the strongest most likely are the weakest and vice versa. You should always keeps this in mind and then target the strongest players.

A great technique to seek on your opponents, is if players start making a big bet and then hold there breath, this is usually a sign that they are bluffing, and you should easily be able to conquer them. Also do look out for players that have been quiet for most of the game, and then suddenly start talking as they probably have a strong set.

Players who have a tendency to use chips to aggressively bet are usually very weak and do not have a clue on what to bet on, this is a major time to exploit there weakness.

These tips will help you along your way, but should only be used as a guide. Every player is different and each player has there own individualism. So what one player may do another may not. For example, some players may know that you are trying to outwit them, and will turn a trick back on you, so if for instance, if you are waiting for a person to hold there breath, this player may have already analysed you, and be performing this act by purpose so that you think they are a weak player.

Poker is a very entertaining game and if you are good at it, you can earn yourself a great part time income, a lot of people have quit there day jobs from potential earnings that poker can bring in itself.

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Advanced Betting Techniques in Texas Hold'em Poker - The Slow Play - Part 1 of 3

Winning poker comes down to being able to squeeze a profit out of marginal situations. The object is not to win every hand played, but to win every hand you play. The best way to do this is to out bet your opponents. Every bet made should have a purpose. Either it is made to induce a weaker hand to fold, or it is made to maximize the winnings on the hand.

Since there are many opportunities to outplay your opponents, you have to know which opponents you can outplay. It is difficult to finesse weak players. The slow play often backfires because one of the loose limpers will hit a hand. The bluff does not work, since these players call with any two cards. The following sections demonstrate many of the advanced aspects of the game and how best to play them.

The Art of the Slow-play

The slow-play is when you intentionally under-bet in order to disguise the strength of your hand and attempt to trap an opponent with a weaker hand. Unlike the bluff, the slow-play is effective against both strong and weak opponents. Bad opponents simply bet their hand, so if they have something or they are simply on a draw, they are going to pay you off.

You should not slow-play when there is a flush or straight draw on the board. You should only slow-play when your opponent has a poker hand that is not likely to improve enough to beat yours. Suppose the flop is AD-7H-KC and you hold 7D-7C, and you put your opponent on an Ace or King. It is usually more profitable to bet the hand aggressively on the turn. This way you can get at least one extra large bet by letting your opponent make the initial raise for you.

The flop is the primary round to use the slow-play. On subsequent betting rounds, your opponents give you action for one of two reasons. Either they improved their hand on the next street and their hand is now worth betting, or they think their mediocre hand is good because you did not show strength the previous round.

If you slow-play the turn, you are sacrificing an opportunity to make money on the turn. The only reason to slow-play here is if your read on your opponents is that they will fold with any bet you make. If this is the case, then it may be worth checking to see if you can get a bet from them on the river, since winning a pot with one round of betting in it is better than winning one with no money in the pot.

Some players want to slow-play a monster hand on the turn so they can make the big raise on the river. This is another example of trying to be too complex in betting. Because of their desire to raise on the river, they slow-play the turn and forgo an opportunity to make good money from several opponents. On the river, these plays usually end up isolating a single remaining opponent, who may or may not call a raise.

While another player is thinking of the big river raise, you should concentrate on building the pot at every opportunity when you have the premium hand. Do not attempt fancy slow-plays. They often cost you money from missed betting opportunities or from your opponent hitting a hand on the turn or river.

When Not to Slow-Play

If you should hit quads or a full house, do not over play the hand. If your opponents are playing out of position, they frequently do not bet the turn or river, instead they check or call. If you slow-play the turn, this type of opponent does not start throwing in raises and re-raises on the river. Therefore, just keep betting the turn, despite the improvement. They rarely put you on quads, so try to get some action on the turn. Do not stop playing your style of play and slow-play when you have a great hand. That becomes an easy tell to spot and makes your play predictable.

Remember that the act of betting does not automatically give your hand away. This is especially true if you have been constantly changing gears and mixing up your table image throughout the gaming session. Also, never overlook the fact that another player with an inferior hand may slow-play the flop with the intent to open up on the turn. Letting them do so allows you to hide the strength of your hand when they do raise or re-raise. As with the bluff, the slow play is not as useful in limit poker as it is in no-limit. With only a small bet, most players that are going to stay in the hand will do so for at least one additional bet.

Representing Your Hand

A strong bet can represent a strong hand. This is especially true when betting after the flop. If an Ace or King shows on the flop, you can represent an Ace or King in your hand by betting. Often, it is what you represent that is more important than what you actually have, especially if you have put your opponent on a medium or weak hand.

Daniel L. Cox is the editor of Poker Insider Magazine, an e-zine dedicated to poker. He is also the award-winning author of "Winning Blue-Collar Hold'em: How to Play Low-limit Ring Games and Small Buy-in Tournaments" and three upcoming books on poker. He can be found on Twitter at PokerInsiderMag, where he gives you a daily poker quote or pokerism.

Thinking of Becoming a Poker Dealer in Casinos? Learn the Techniques!

Poker... it has been the hottest game since the movie "Rounders" came out. From house games to bars to casinos everyone is playing or at least learning how to play. Did you also know that Poker Dealers are one of the most lucrative jobs around right now? Casinos are constantly hiring and the pay is excellent. Not only do you work for a high base salary, but you also earn big tips from the players. You can earn over $200 per day! Sounds great doesn't it?

Well, this article will teach you how to become a great dealer without actually going to dealer school and spending $3000. If you are motivated and want to make great money for a new car, house, or if you just want to build a poker bankroll to become a pro... read on!

There are many reasons why you would want to become a poker dealer. You like the interaction, you enjoy the game, and you want to learn how other people play and learn their tendencies and in turn get better at your own poker skill. Maybe, you actually want to make a great career of becoming a Poker Dealer. But the bottom line is, it is a lucrative industry and there is money to be made.

Many of us nowadays have outstanding loans, credit card bills, card payments, and it is often difficult to save money because your job doesn't pay well at all. So if you are trying to start a poker career, building a bankroll with all these outstanding bills can be extremely tough. If you decide to become a poker dealer, not only will you earn a good buck, but you will be right in the middle of all the action, learning, watching the game, which will in turn make you into a great poker player.

Like I said before, a poker dealer school could run up to $3000, money which you might not have. Also these poker schools teach you how to deal other games like blackjack or Pai Gow, which you do not need to waste your time on to learn. You want to be a Poker Dealer! The courses also run a few months, which take up time and a lot of energy. You need to focus all your time and energy on Poker, because this is the game you want to make a living with.

What if I told you there is an easier way to learn how to become a Poker Dealer, and it doesn't take up much time.

The best online poker training course is dealer training. This program is top of the line and there is no other training program like it. In Dealer Training, everything you need to learn such as certain mechanics of dealing, best known techniques, any other responsibilities you need to know will be this trainings priority. Once you are done with this course, you can be sure that your skills will be more than enough to deal at the best casinos there are. You can bet on it!

This in-depth poker dealer training course is all you need to become a successful poker dealer. So if you don't have time and a lot of money to spend on a land based course, try this dealer course now! You won't regret it!

Basic Poker Techniques

Texas Holdem Poker is probably the most famous form of poker, where raising is an important part of the game, but not the most important: Imagine you are bluffing a pot with a large bet: whatever your opponent does, you will either be better or worst off (worst if he calls, better if he folds). When someone at that table makes a large bet, you have three options: fold (I don't want to play these cards), call (I want to see more cards) or raise (I am happy with those cards). Therefore, there are more options in calling/checking than in raising the pot.

Let's go over some of the betting techniques for playing on the internet:

The raises:

It's all about timing.

OK so you are after the big blind, and you call with a mediocre hand (J9). If you really are going to call, leave it a couple of seconds before you call; this might give the impression that you got a great hand, but are devising a strategy for winning big on this pot. Than when the dealer or one of the blinds raise, you can do a super fast all in. that way, it looks like you were just waiting for a player with a hand good enough to call so you could go all in with your fake pair of aces.

Same thing when you are small blind: you have called with a bad hand (78) but still want the money; Give it a few seconds before you check the flop. If the player raises instantly, you can either fold if you think he has a good hand, or go all in, pretending to have a two pair trips. Do not try these techniques more than once a round (every time the button goes round the table) or you will loose big time to people who noticed you are a looser.

Similarly, poker is all about timing, so if you have not had a good hand for a while, raise the pot a fair amount, and place a large bet provided someone is not already doing this.

The Calls:

Calls are my favourite way to make money. Calls allow you to do whatever you want with your opponent if he is speaking before you: if he raises and you call him quickly, he will be put off next round, which is when you bet large if he checks, and raise again if he raises. By that point, if he does not have an amazing hand, he will think you do.

But even more fun, is to have a huge hand (AA, KK, AK, QQ) and calling all along. It can be dangerous to allow players to see cards when you have a pocket pair in case a flush or even two pairs come out, but if there is a strong hand available on the table, you will see it coming with a medium sized raise (1.5-2x the minimum bet).

When you have a flush draw on the flop, meaning you have 4 cards of the same suit and need a fifth one, you have a chance of around ½ of making it (2 times 1 out of 4). This means that you could go all in, but you d have about as many chances of getting it than not, therefore take a long, long time to call instead. This will give your opponent the creeps, whether he raises or not, giving you the edge on the pot.

Folding:

is annoying, but usually wise. When you play ten players, you usually want to see around 25-30% of the flops, so make sure you only play on your good cards.

Charlie Young writes for Pentasia the world's leading recruitment website for iGaming Jobs. If you are interested in working for an online betting company, casino or online gambling job please visit Pentasia for more information.

Advanced Betting Techniques in Texas Hold'em Poker - Part 2 of 3

Winning poker comes down to being able to squeeze a profit out of marginal situations. The object is not to win every hand played, but to win every hand you play. The best way to do this is to out bet your opponents. Every bet made should have a purpose. Either it is made to induce a weaker hand to fold, or it is made to maximize the winnings on the hand.

Since there are many opportunities to outplay your opponents, you have to know which opponents you can outplay. It is difficult to finesse weak players. The slow play often backfires because one of the loose limpers will hit a hand. The bluff does not work, since these players call with any two cards. The following sections demonstrate many of the advanced aspects of the game and how best to play them.

Representing Your Hand

A strong bet can represent a strong hand. This is especially true when betting after the flop. If an Ace or King shows on the flop, you can represent an Ace or King in your hand by betting. Often, it is what you represent that is more important than what you actually have, especially if you have put your opponent on a medium or weak hand.

Shuffle Up and Steal

The most common place to steal the blinds is from the button. If no players have made a raise in front of you, and only the blinds are remaining in the game, a raise often accomplishes the steal. Statistically the blinds should fold unless they have a strong hand. If you do not raise, but simply limp in, the blinds normally check to see a half-price or free hand, since they already have an interest in the pot, whether they like their cards or not. It is a good place to pick up extra chips, but it is not going make you rich. It is often a way to end the hand quickly and have a new hand dealt with more players and more money available.

One thing to remember here is that some players, known in poker terms as defenders, are maniacal in their defense of their blinds. These players protect their blinds in situations that do not make statistical sense, solely to keep someone from stealing their blinds. Save your blind steals for other players who do not defend them as strongly, unless you have an extremely strong hand. With this strong hand, taking on the defender is often the correct move. A strong bet may entice the defender to free up a large quantity of chips. Though trying to take advantage of a maniacal defender is not always successful, it can be highly profitable in the end.

Stealing the Pot

Stealing the pot is easiest if you are the last player to act and the action was checked to you. At this point, a bet will reduce the number of remaining players or allow you to collect the pot without opposition. Do not use this ploy exclusively, as better players catch on quickly and begin check raising against your (most likely) poor hand. It is good to use this ploy to steal the pot when you have an excellent drawing hand, such as a nut flush draw. Players more often tend to "check to the raiser." If you draw to your hand, you now have a larger pot to win. If you do not hit, you can always check, hoping the final card makes your hand.

Check-Raise

A check-raise is declining to bet when you first have the opportunity with the intention of letting another bet, so that you can then re-raise. Your intention is to lure them into a false sense of security, allowing your raise to increase the pot. After they commit to a first bet, they are more likely to call a second bet. If your re-raise is strong enough, they may decide to fold.

Check-Call

The check-call is often useful when you have a mediocre hand and you are unsure of its strength against the other hands. It is also very effective early in a session to set up opponents for a winning check-raise later. When playing a moderate hand, especially in limit games, it is not a bad move to check first, and then call an opponent's raise, rather than raising on your own. After a few times, this pattern establishes a passive table image of a calling station. Opponents become confident betting into you and you can later make them pay when you aggressively play a solid hand.

The check-call, as well as the check-raise, is a great weapon with an extremely loose player to your left, allowing them to do all of your raising, thus masking the true strength of your hand. Unfortunately, the check-call can be dangerous for a mediocre hand when up against an opponent with premium cards. Another drawback is that, if no one else raises, the other players receive a free card.

Value Bet

When you are positive you have the best hand, a value bet may be your best move. This bet is one that is small enough to entice a call on the river. In a limit game, it is easy to add that final bet. It is only a single bet and does not cost much, and the second best hand nearly always calls. For many players in a no-limit game it can be much harder to call. You want to make the bet small enough to call, but large enough to punish your opponent for making it. Do not give your opponent a free showdown at the river. You do not want your opponents to think you actually want them to make a call.

By making it appear you did not want a call, you might get an opponent to pay off your bet on the river. Most players only bet on the river if they have a strong hand, or, less frequently, as a bluff attempt. If you do not get the call, that is fine. Do not show your winning cards, collect the pot and leave your opponent wondering if it was really a bluff.

The Continuation Bet

A continuation bet is one where you start out betting strong pre-flop and keep pressing the bet all the way to the river. This is most effective with premium hands that improve on the flop, but you can also use it successfully if the flop did not improve your hand. By showing strength when you have a premium hand, other players assume you are doing so when you are on a draw or making a bluff.

The Squeeze Play

The squeeze play is a tactic best made in a no-limit game. When a player re-raises after a raise, it makes the players between the raisers afraid of being squeezed "Between a Rock and a Hard Place." This is also known as "Stealing with Equity." Do a squeeze play when you have a good hand and you suspect another player is on a draw. For example, you have top pair with the best kicker. Making a large raise or re-raise could force others off their hands, since the odds are against them making the straight or flush draw. Your aim is to change their pot odds to make it inadvisable for them to call.

Raising Under the Gun

In a limit game, this is when the person under the gun (or the first player to bet) raises rather than checks the bet, forcing the other players to call two bets at once. In a no-limit game, it is a large over bet or an All In bet. Your intention is to limit the number of players left in the hand. This move amounts to a reverse steal, since normally only a player with an exceptionally strong hand would raise so far out of position. Players who are notorious bluffers often do this. The effect almost certainly causes players to fold, but the ones remaining are equally as aggressive or have a premium starting hand. Often, players raise under the gun as a means of betting to gain information. It is best to use this tactic when only a few players are left in the hand.

Daniel L. Cox is the editor of Poker Insider Magazine, an e-zine dedicated to poker. He is also the award-winning author of "Winning Blue-Collar Hold'em: How to Play Low-limit Ring Games and Small Buy-in Tournaments" and three upcoming books on poker. He can be found on Twitter at PokerInsiderMag, where he gives you a daily poker quote or pokerism.

Simple But Powerful Poker Techniques

There are some basic rules that you need to follow while playing with the game of poker. Usually players who are experts at playing poker don't make decisions in haste. They instead act as crooks and play a safe game while using the poker chips. They won't play a speedy game but will act wisely and play a slow game thus taking decisions that are slow but will indeed help them in the long run.

Do not expect luck to favor you in the initial stages of the game. You have to help yourself and have to be smart enough to take your own decisions in the start. Do not simply put money in the pot unless you're 100 percent sure that you are the one who's going to win the hand. Remember that you have to be very shrewd during this part of the game and your foolishness can lead you to loss. If you think you are going to loose then don't waste your money in that.

Do not have pride while you are playing the game at the poker tables because being aggressive and developing rivalries while you play can lead to a disaster, that is you will erode your own cash. Be humble and have a friendly nature that is pleasing. In this way you will save as well as collect some money too. One has to even pretend to be calm and cool at the poker tables.

If you have learnt that someone else had good cards as compared to you then don't hesitate to through a good hand. Surely it can harm you in a way but it's all a part and parcel of the game. You may be considered as a fool because you bluff. You can then accordingly utilize the chip set. But do not worry about that. Let another person bet before raising the bid and you patiently wait.

You have to take advantage of your opponents. Even if they commit the slightest error, you have to avail through this error. But when you have all the power at your side do not proclaim or show off. Instead pretend as though you are weak and helpless and have nothing at your hand with everything going against you. Use your playing cards accurately.

If your cards in the start itself are good and strong then you can bid in a stronger way and have your opponents out of the pot. When one is playing the poker game one has to be well disciplined and has to have confidence in himself.

Do not sulk thinking about the losses that you went through in the game but in turn you can use these losses to boost yourself and learn through your errors. These rules are not only prescribed when one uses certain kind of chips or playing cards but also while playing with the clay chip and the casino chip as well.

Tony Flores is co-owner of magicacepoker.com. Find great Texas hold 'em chip sets for your game room at the online store. Read more about poker strategies to get well informed about the game of poker.

Meditation Can Help Improve Your Poker Game

Playing poker requires a player to concentrate and focus. Being a competitive poker player means also handling a lot of stress and varied emotions. However, you can now say goodbye to stress and anxiety which can hamper your game and decision making skills. You can use different relaxation techniques to improve the state of your mind and thereby your concentration and focus.

Today, poker is highly competitive and there are many skillful players around who compete at different tournaments. The way a poker player observes another player's tells and then makes an effort to modify his tells makes all the difference between winning and losing. A player who can put aside all the distractions and regrets is the one who is most likely to win and have a competitive edge over his or her opponents.

Meditation is one way a player can channelize his thoughts and concentrate on the game. Many famous poker players use the art of meditation to achieve results. They favor Zen Buddhism that teaches meditation and focus. However, there are many Eastern philosophies that practice meditation and you can learn any form of meditation as long as it has a positive effect on your game. Meditation has proven to be highly effective in enhancing a player's ability to concentrate, leave a previous bad hand behind and focus on the hand that he or she is playing. Meditation makes the mind sharp and keeps the player attuned to what is happening at the table. It, therefore, improves a poker player's power of observation while helping him to keep calm and focused without portraying his tells.

Another relaxation technique that seems to help some poker players concentrate is hypnosis. This method can make a player relaxed, enhance his concentration and focus, and help a player improve his emotions. It is believed that some poker players use hypnosis as a way to bring out the best in them at poker tables. It helps them to stay positive, do away with fear of failing and invokes motivation.

Neurolinguistic programming is another form of relaxation and concentration that is quite similar to hypnosis. It is often referred to as NLP and it is believed that this self-help tool can improve a poker player's power of observation, ability to listen and provides him with a knack of discerning other players' behavior, gestures and verbal communication. So, a poker player through NLP can sharpen his mind and pay close attention to what is happening at the table rather than getting distracted by things on the sidelines. Many poker players use NLP to lead an opponent on. Most of them do this unconsciously by letting an opponent doubt his hand and getting him to fold. Basically the opponent starts associating certain gestures that a poker player uses repeatedly. On the other hand, NLP can also be used by a player to bluff that he has the best hand when he does not.

The fact remains that there are many methods that can help a poker player improve his concentration and focus. It goes without saying that these methods make the brain sharp and enhance the player's ability to make the right decisions. Of course, any relaxation technique that a player adopts needs practice. Without practice a player will not be able to get the desired results. However, slowly but surely the player will notice an improvement in his playing abilities and concentration.

It is always best to start with the basics and start incorporating them in your day-to-day life. Once the relaxation technique becomes a habit, a poker player will automatically start using it at the poker table to get a winning edge. At this point it is important to stress that no amount of relaxation will help you become a better player if you do not also have strategies of playing poker. While relaxation techniques give you a mental edge over your opponents, strategies help you win the game.

When it comes to playing poker, a player is always required to sit and focus for extended periods of time. This can become a pain if a player does not have the ability to relax and focus. So, besides having the necessary skills to win at poker, a player also needs to have confidence in his abilities. This is where relaxation techniques help players. They learn to put aside mistakes and focus on what is happening at the moment and give it their best shot. Meditation or any other relaxation technique teaches a poker player to be self-disciplined. They learn to believe in themselves and use various psychological tactics to help benefit their game.

Online author and publisher since 1999 Mr. Fabiano has written articles for online and print magazine and is a frequent speaker at Gaming and Online Marketing conferences. His portfolio of gaming sites includes http://www.PokerShark.com and http://www.CasinoFan.com

Poker Strategies to Apply in Texas Holdem

If you love to play poker games, you understand the need of developing the right poker strategies and techniques so that you will win in the game as much as possible. Who doesn't want to win more often? So, in your quest to master the poker game, we've provided some poker techniques that could help you improve your game along the way. Here are some tips that can help you win in your poker game.

Value Your Position in The Game

In Texas Hold'em, one of the most important aspects that you need to consider is your positioning. This always relates to the time that you need to act in hand. For instance, if you are the first person who has to bet for a flop I game. This will be an early position. Being in a late position happens when you are the last to bet. If you are wondering why your position is such a big deal to your game, it's because it'll allow you to see the actions of some other players. When choosing your position, that is also the time that you will need to make your betting decision. Most of the time, you can make easy decisions if you know what others will do in the game. So, maximize your chance of winning the prize pot the moment you flop or draw for all-in bets.

Reading is the next strategy. Make sure that you combine reading with position techniques. You need to read your opponent's style. This does not mean that you need to see and read his cards physically. There are other ways you can read your competition. For example, if he is aggressive, then that player may just be bluffing. There are also times when the players bet is somehow suspicious. In addition to that, you have to also read the board of the game. These are all factors that should be pointed out so that you can win in the game.

The next aspect will be related to math. Take note that math is an essential part in the game. There are a lot of other variables when it comes to Texas Hold'em and you need to know math and statistics to help you decide on the right move. This is most especially needed when you are playing No limit Texas Hold'em. Aside from that, bankroll management and your poker chips are your main considerations.

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Texas Hold'em - Basic Skills, Strategies and Techniques to Win More at Texas Hold'em Poker

Learning basic Texas Hold'em strategies is a key fundamental to building a successful poker player.

As you know, Texas Hold'em is the most popular form of poker in the world. You must develop proper Texas Hold'em strategies before you start playing.

You must first familiarize yourself with Texas Hold'em basics and hone your Texas Hold'em skills to improve your chances of winning. Technically speaking poker is a game of chance and every player has an equal chance of winning or losing a particular game.

It is in your best interest to be aware of the Texas Hold'em basics like the commonly used terms and minimum and maximum permitted bets in a game. With a solid grounding in the basics, you can chart your own Texas Hold'em poker strategy depending on your experience and skill sets.

Texas Hold'em poker can have fixed limits on betting where you cannot wager above the table maximum for a particular game. You must first place the minimum bets and the double your bets in these fixed limit games.

If you can guess your opponent's cards and then bet accordingly, it implies you have a desirable degree of Texas Hold'em skills. You must observe other players and their betting behavior to get an indication of their hands. You must be spontaneous in your betting so that your opponents can never guess your next move.

If you have strong cards, you can bluff for a while and get your opponents to place all their cards on the table. Your Texas Hold'em skills indicate how well you can outsmart your opponents to win the jackpot.

Poker Player Styles and Types

As a part of the Texas Hold'em strategy, you can categorize players in to distinct types and then play accordingly. A passive player is one who calls in every round of the game and you never know if he has weak cards or strong cards.

He may lack proper betting skills and hence give you a chance to make money. The next type of player is one who is will continue to raise in successive hands even though he may have average cards. Such players raise the stakes of the game but you can lose a lot of money if this player wins at your expense.

Another player is one who holds on to his cards and will make a raise only with the best cards. Such players limit the game to a low value so avoid games with such a player. The other type of player is one who has the skills but is a little risk averse.

If you encounter such a player at your table, you must adapt your Texas Hold'em strategy to take advantage of such an under confident player. The best player who is a threat to you is the smart player with the best skills and the best cards. He plays a few cards and the best you can aim for is to get back your money against such a player.

Best Gambling Strategy

The best gambling strategy is to pass the bet if you do not have good cards or are sure to lose. This gives you time to analyze other player's cads and then to make your best gambling move. You must know the number of raises allowed in a game to plan your Texas Hold'em poker strategy.

You must learn to classify the best Texas Hold'em starting hands into three types, the big cards, the draws, and the milking cards. A big pair will have aces, kings, queens, and jacks in different combinations. A draw hand would comprise of smaller value pairs while a milking hand can be a pair of deuces or better that can lead to a flush or a straight.

A part of the best gambling strategy is to occupy the last position on the table. This gives you ample time to study every player and to guess his cards. Based on this you can weigh your hand and then play accordingly to maximize your wins and cut your loss.

This also gives you an opportunity to guess whether the game is tight or loose and then to play your best starting Texas Hold'em hands accordingly.

Based on the above discussion you can formulate Texas Hold'em strategies for betting, and deciding when to check and when to raise. You learned about the best Texas Hold'em starting hands and the different types of players that you might meet. This knowledge can help you to formulate a basic Texas Hold'em winning strategy.

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Top 5 Best Online Poker Strategy Techniques

Perfecting your game with the best online poker strategy techniques is the only true way of winning more often. The best online poker strategy is to master the game, however there are many more tips that can help you improve along the way. Include in this article are the top 5 poker tips to help you win.

Position

One of the most important aspects of Texas holdem is position. Position relates to when you will act in a hand. For example if you are the first person to bet after the flop, this is called early position, and if you are the last to bet this is late position.

The reason position is so important is that it allows you to see the actions of others before you must make a decision. In knowing what others will do, can make your decision easier in many cases. Learning how to use position is one of the best online poker strategy techniques. It can help you maximize the pot when you flop a monster or fold your draw when someone bets all-in.

Reading

Combined with position is reading your opponent, another best online poker strategy. Although you can not physically see your opponent, there are many other ways to read your opponent. Has he been aggressive, does he tend to bluff, or is his bet suspicious? All of these questions will help you decide to make the right play.

In addition to reading your opponent, you need to be able to read the board. Did the board flush or straight? Is there a draw, and is your opponent likely to chase his draw. All of these factors play an important role in learning the best online poker strategy to win.

Mathematics

Math is a vital part of the game, since there are many unknown variables in Texas holdem, statistics and knowing math will be able to help you make the right decisions. For example if a flush draw has a 34% chance of coming on the turn, do you want to risk all your chips?

A good study of mathematics as applied to No limit Texas Holdem is one of the best poker strategy techniques to make a part of your game. Furthermore, it allows you the opportunity to win in the long term mainly because you have the advantage of using the skill over luck. While other players HOPE for their hand to win, you will know the real odds of your hand winning.

Bankroll Management

Your bankroll is the amount of money you have to play and invest in your poker career. Being able to properly manage your bankroll is the key to survival. Just like a business makes a profit on their products; your bankroll needs to profit from your play.

The best online poker strategy to use in relation to your bankroll is to preserve your money, and to invest it wisely. When playing cash games do not take huge unnecessary risks, and when playing tournaments your buy in should never exceed 10% of your bankroll.

The Chips

Chips in any poker game are the lifeblood of your career, you must learn to treat your chips as a precious commodity and to allow those chips to build you more chips. Respect not only the game itself, but respect the value of your chips. Use your chips as a weapon against your opponents and protect those chips from your opponents who want them. Chip protection is the best online poker strategy as it relates to survival in the game. You can use these best online poker strategy techniques to help improve your game and win more cash by building your bankroll.

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