The different versions of Texas Holdem – Which one suits Me?

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The poker game Texas Hold ‘Em is thought to have been invented back in the early 1900s in Robstown, Texas and yet, it has become a massive hit just lately. What has made this game even more unique is the fact that there are various methods of playing, which means it’s pretty hard to get tired of this game. In fact, a little diversity only makes the game better.

The point of Hold ‘Em is quite simple – to make it through all the betting rounds and to make sensible decisions. While most versions of Hold ‘Em have the same or similar rules, it might differ slightly when it comes to the amount of betting. Nevertheless, the most common versions of this game include Limit, Spread Limit, Pot Limit and No Limit.

The Limit version is perfect for those who play poker purely for fun and do not take it too seriously. As the name suggests, the players have a set limit as regarding to the betting amount they can place. In this version, players are limited to raise the bet by a fixed amount of money. If for instance the first player places a bet of $5, the other player can call the bet, or raise it by exactly $5 and so on.

The Spread Limit poker game is quite similar to Limit, but it’s even more “restricted”. In this version, the players have to specify the minimum and maximum amount of raising, thus leading to a more controlled game where the players can know almost precisely how much they’re going to spend or earn.

On the other hand, the Pot Limit can have a more unexpected outcome since the players are allowed to raise the bet by the total amount in the pot. While this game might be a lot exciting for some who like to play “by the edge”, for others it might be a little risky because the game is very unpredictable.

The best poker version to keep the adrenaline flowing is No Limit which is the least predictable game of all. The version is somewhat similar to the others, except there is no maximum raise and some players might even decide to go all in (bet everything they have).

While poker attracts millions of players every day, it is very advisable to make reasonable decisions when deciding which Texas Hold ‘Em version to play. While the game is very tempting and fascinating, it is never a good idea to play the game with huge amounts of money. But luckily, there are always “controllable” Hold ‘Em versions to play which are just as interesting as the others!

Don’t Be Afraid to Play by the Numbers

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The last article here was about playing the psychology of poker, but what about the statistics? This is a hotly debated term in the world of poker because a lot of people think that psychology matters more than the mathematics of poker, but who is actually right?

The truth is that a balanced player will have the skill to calculate the odds of each and every hand while still being a predator on the table. A proper predator will identify weaker players after a few hands and neutralize them by always changing up behavior. Even in the online world there are certain tells that happen, and these are tells that should be avoided.

You just need to make sure that you are always thinking about your actions on the table, because people will definitely be thinking about your actions. Now, this is something that isn’t said to scare you — you just need to always be looking at where you stand on the table at any time.

Some people prefer playing the math of poker because it’s very reliable. Do you really want to stake all of your bankroll on the table for that “sure thing” when mathematically there are too many “outs” to make your play work? You might think that you actually have the best hand, only to find that you really don’t have as good of a hand as you think you do once it’s time for the final showdown.

You have to always think about your hand in respect to the other players on the table. The more players in the game, the more calculations that you will need to do. There are so many variations to poker, but the mathematical side is something that crosses all borders easily.

If you really want to play the math side of poker, then practice is definitely a must. The last thing that you want to do is play a few hands and think that you have mastered the world of poker math. It will take you some time to be able to do all of your calculations on the fly the way other players do. You don’t want to try to rush into heavy poker math in tournaments unless you’ve actually spent hours and hours of practice without risking your bankroll. It might seem strange to play in practice mode, but who wants to risk their bankroll when they don’t have to?

Keep in mind that you also have technology on your side, since you can always look up software that will teach you how to make the calculations yourself. While it’s true that you won’t be able to use helper software when you’re in the middle of a tournament, anything that you can use to help you get the mathematics down is a good thing. There are even free solutions that can help you get started, as a lot of college students create these programs to help new players as well.

Overall, if you’re really serious about making a good run in the world of online poker, you definitely owe it to yourself to play poker by the numbers at least part of the time. Over time, you shouldn’t be surprised if this actually helps you make more money over time — why not get started today?

Does Emotion Ever Have a Place in Poker?

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One of the questions that new players ask all the time is whether or not emotion plays a role in the game of online poker. No matter what variation you’re talking about you’re bound to find a player that wonders really about the power of emotion in poker.

Some people will say that emotion has no place in poker. You should always play the numbers and respect the statistics. However, even the greatest poker players of our time have acknowledged that there’s something about making sure that you are always looking at the player, not just the cards.

Poker is not only a game of math — it is also a game of people. Even the best pot odds in the world can’t predict when someone is going to clumsily go all in. If you’ve been studying your opponent’s movements, you will be able to tell when those calls are genuine and when they aren’t. Reading people will allow you to make even better decisions than if you just decided to stick with the numbers.

The problem that a lot of players have is that they stick too close to just playing the odds without getting a feel for people. Does this mean that you should only think about the psychology of poker? Definitely not. You will need to develop both skills and then make them work on the actual playing table before you can call yourself part of the elite set of online poker players.

Believe it or not, there are still “tells” in online poker that you can use to track your opponents. If someone always raises after the flop, this is a tell. On the other hand, if someone goes all in without warning, this is also a tell. You will need to track really tracking your players if you want to win the psychological side.

To master the numbers side, you will need to make sure that you are truly practicing your online game to the fullest. The last thing that you will want to deal with is not being able to keep up with mathematical players. It might take you a few hands to really master calculating pot odds on the fly, but it’s not like it’s a skill that is impossible to learn. Yet it’s not enough just to know the pot odds — you will need to develop your own system for dealing with what the pot brings you. In other words, you need to learn how to take action no matter what action is being played out on the board. As long as you have the basics of poker math mastered, you can make decisions quickly.

What it will really take for you to get good at poker is to master both skills, and with the poker math side it’s really all about repeating the process until you get it right. Don’t pressure yourself to automatically know everything there is to know about online poker in a matter of weeks, or even a matter of months. Some professional players have said that it’s taken them years before they felt even comfortable at the poker table.

When you’re trying to play poker for the long run, honing your skills isn’t something that you just do once or twice. It’s something that you will do for the rest of your career as a player. Even if you don’t become a professional player, you will want to always make sure that you are getting as much as you can from the world of online poker.

So, if you’re ready to dive in, you still might be wondering about the role of emotion in poker. It definitely has a role, but it will be a different role depending on the type of player you are. Become the predator and study emotions like you would statistics, and there’s nothing that will be able to stop you from conquering the world of online poker!

Don’t Be In a Rush to Go All In!

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Do you go all-in in online poker? We’re not just talking about the psychological concept of playing your best game each and every time that you sit down at the tables. We’re also talking about knowing when to go all in and risk your investment stake and when to walk away. Some players struggle with this for the entire length of their poker careers, and other players think that it doesn’t matter.

If you aren’t considering when and where to go all-in, then you’re definitely doing yourself a disservice. You always want to make sure that you’re thinking about how to go all in and when are the best times to do it. If you just go all in whenever you feel like it, it will create the pattern and appearance of a weak player in no time. This will cause other players to bully you more than they would bully other people, and you don’t want this either!

So, how do you manage to figure out when to go all in and when not to? Good question!

First and foremost, you will need to step back and realize there’s a lot of power in going all in for No Limit Hold’ Em. It makes people feel on edge because you could be bluffing, but you also could have a great hand. Weaker players will try to jump in with you, only to find that they’ve been outplayed. Stronger players will either fold when they know they don’t stand a chance, or call your bluff — especially if you’ve gone all in and lost previous hands with them.

You can strike fear in the board by going all in, but that doesn’t mean that you should go in all the time. It goes without saying that going all in is definitely risky, but risk is definitely a good time. You can’t win big if you don’t play big, you know!

The best way to go all in is when you know that you have control of the board. Do you want to be the player that goes in before the flop even comes down? Definitely not. You don’t want to try to guess that you will have a hand that beats all other hands. Even if you’re holding rockets in your hand, you don’t want to go all in before the flop is called. You could end up having nothing else connect with those rockets and lose your entire stake in the blink of an eye.

An example might help you understand the power of going all in, as well as when to do so.

If you’re in a game where you have a group of players and you’re holding 87s (diamonds), and you’re on the button, you will definitely want to look at what the flop actually is. 87s is something that you don’t want to just fold without looking into it. However, you don’t want to go all in before you see the flop — 87s isn’t strong enough on its own to do that. You could end up having the flop turn against you in a heartbeat, and you would immediately lose your entire stake.

However, if you find that the flop comes down 8-7-9, you might want to push forward. There are two possibilities that come from this flop. One is the possibility of a three of a kind from the full board, and other is the possibility of a straight (or even a flush, if everything is suited on the board).

If you feel confident on this board, you should definitely go all in. For starters, while it’s risky other players will immediately come to the conclusion that you did. They will not want to move against you, and some might fold. A weaker player with a weaker hand might push you, just to see if they can get your chips anyway. This is where you can sit back and watch the action unfold.

Does this mean that sometimes you will lose? Definitely. Poker is indeed still a game of chance, and you will need to keep that in mind with each and every play.

Overall, these tips will serve you well when you’re trying to figure out how to go all in, as well as why this is one of the most powerful aspects of No Limit Poker.

Bankroll Management Is Always In Season!

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We admit it freely: we’re all about playing poker. It’s something that has given us endless hours of entertainment, so when we try to explain something around here, we mean it with full sincerity. Who knew poker could become such a passionate subject? The truth of the matter is that when you really get into playing poker, you want people new to the game not to make the mistakes that you made.

If there’s one mistake that we regret deeply from our “early days”, it would definitely have to be poor bankroll management. You know the rush you get when you’re playing at a high stakes game — after all, where else are you going to make that type of money? We’ve heard bank robbing is profitable too, if you can avoid the jail time. Poker is something that allows you to really rake in good money when you’re good, but you can lose a lot of money.

The mistake manifests like this: you’re playing at a table and you’re pretty sure that you’re going to take all of the pots. However, the cards don’t line up the way you want. You get that rush of having 9-8 suited, only to find that the flop if 3-5-6 — your chances of getting that 4-7 to hit the board on the turn and river is pretty dicey, but you push in anyway, feeling it’s going to be a “sure winner”.

Not so fast. You need to step back and really think about pot odds and other statistics. You need to play poker by math more than you play poker by your gut. Now, you might argue that the great poker players definitely add in some gut intuition in there, but this is because they can actually get away with it. You don’t want to wake up and think that you’re going to naturally be able to do that. It takes millions of hands, truthfully speaking, because you can be at the same level as a Doyle Brunson — and even then, you still have a lot of learning to do. Everyone does — being good at poker definitely doesn’t make you good against every player, which means that there’s always something new to add to your arsenal when you really think about it.


Bankroll management is also about smart financial thinking. We all know that it doesn’t make sense to take out a second mortgage just to make sure that you have money to play poker with, but it doesn’t stop people from putting their rent money at risk just to play one more hand or three of poker. You can qualify for tournaments without breaking your budget. You really should make sure that you have a separate bank account for your gambling money. Let’s say that there’s a problem with your account — do you really want to have your primary source of paying your bills locked out by mistake? Even if you’re working on becoming a big time professional poker player, you will still have to face a cold reality — you will still need to wait for your funds to be transferred back to your bank account. Even if you calculate in this delay, there’s nothing that says there can’t be more delays.

The better solution here is to treat your poker hobby like the hobby it truly is, rather than something that needs to take over your life. Don’t take that the wrong way — we’re definitely pretty committed to poker. Still, we would like you to understand that life isn’t about just playing poker — it’s everything else rolled into one!

Are Pocket Pairs Always Right?

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The hardcore poker players will tell you that poker is truly a game of patience and confidence, but most newbies will just tell you that poker is downright frustrating. Why is poker so frustrating? It’s because there are a lot of things to remember, and everyone that has ever played a hand of poker is going to have different ideas than you on how to actually get the job done properly. You don’t have to play poker like anyone else but yourself, but there are some general guidelines that over time can help you refine your poker game in many different ways.

So let’s go over something that tends to slip newbies up and keep them from winning big pots: pocket pairs. Newcomers to poker either assume that pocket pairs are always right, or they assume that pocket pairs are going to be their long lost savior come back to revive pots that have gotten sickly and faint.

All jokes aside, the truth is that you have to play poker strategically. You can’t just assume that pocket pairs are going to save the day. Never hold onto hole cards when you know that you should fold. A lot of players hold onto 8-8 or 5-5 or even “lucky” 7-7 hoping that you’re going to get an 8, 5, or 7 on the flop respectively. Three of a kind tends to put you in a good position, because three of a kind can indeed turn into a full house. Are the odds always in your favor?

Not necessarily, and that’s the whole point of this article. You can’t assume that you will always be the favorite with pocket pairs, only to get creamed by AK or another premium combo that will blow you out of the water.

So, how do we make sure that we are taking all of our opportunities when they come up? Well, you will need to start calculating pot odds and card odds. If you don’t know how to do that, we have another guide that can help you do that.

Remember how we stated earlier that poker is a matter of patience and confidence? We weren’t joking — sometimes you’ll have to let go of a hand that you really think is killer. That’s never a good thing for the ego, but your bankroll will thank you. In fact, if you really think about this from a bankroll management perspective, you will find that knowing when to handle your cards can help you take care of your bankroll better than just about any other concept or construct.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for advice and bring up specific examples. This means that if you’re not tracking the card history of the hands that you’ve already played, you might want to start doing that. It’s better to know where you stand than to just assume that you’ll automatically remember all of the hands that you’ve played. Remember that in order to move up in the ranks of the poker players you will need to make sure that you actually start thinking like a great poker player. The truly great players play thousands and thousands of hands before they feel like it’s time to change their poker game — either higher stakes or a bigger playing field.

At the end of the day, you are the one that is actually in control of your growth as a poker player. You might have felt at the beginning that asking about the validity of pocket pairs just isn’t important, but this isn’t the case at all. Why not get started today playing a better poker game — you’ll be glad you did!

US Online Poker

The Aftermath of US Online Poker after Black Friday and Black Tuesday

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The US online poker community is in a complete state of bewilderment after the US authorities, including the FBI, shut down thirteen US online poker sites. People are trying to predict what will happen next within the industry but this is difficult. The ongoing indictments are causing further problems for players in the industry.

Some believe though that future for the US online poker industry is not as dire as some are speculating. Gambling firms are adapting and rolling with punches. An example of this can be seen with the company Bodog. They changed their domain name from .com to .eu nearly immediately after the other firms were indicted. Also, Bodog would have gained many customers from the companies that were shut down due to the indictment.

The support of politicians and the general state of the US economy may be important factors in the continuation of the US online poker industry. If some senators and congressman, who are pro online gambling, decide to give their support to the firms, people who are currently considered criminals may be tax paying, respectable business people by 2013.

The US economy remains quite stagnant and there have been no major increases in taxes. Tax revenues are down and this revenue needs to be increased somehow. If these companies were allowed to continue as profit making, tax paying entities then the tax they would have to pay could be substantial. Some analysts estimate that the tax revenue generated by these companies may be as much as $2 billion per annum.

It is expected that this clampdown on these types businesses is far from over. Further indictments are in the pipeline with sports betting sites and virtual poker tables being the next targets by the US authorities. It will not be easy for prosecutors to go after virtual poker tables as many of them are operated from outside the US. This means that they will try to get to the companies who process payments. Previously the US government set up a fake payment processing company in order to acquire evidence against companies suspected of money laundering and bank fraud.

At present, the prospect of internet gambling becoming legal in the US seems remote due to the current controversies. However, many people believe that at some point in the future the industry will be legitimized as it is in the UK and most of Europe.

Las Vegas Poker

Las Vegas – “The City of Poker”

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The largest city of Nevada, and the 28th most populous city of the US, Las Vegas claims to be the Entertainment Capital of the World, and it sure lives up to its nickname. People of all ages and all cultures consider Vegas to be their favorite get-away resort. Fancy shops, large casinos, expensive restaurants, wedding chapels and more can be found on every corner of the street.

Vegas gained its ‘city’ title in 1911 and for 100 years it has become the capital city of fun. Its skyline is unquestionably bright and unique. The tall, extraordinarily shaped buildings can be noticed from far away. In the one hand, it’s the perfect destination for families, considering the great food, huge resorts and fun activities; on the other hand, it’s also perfect for all people who want to let go and enjoy the nightlife. Vegas is a top destination for honeymoons as well!

But what has made this city become so popular within such a short timeline? One of the best explanations would be the easy access from the west coast cities. People worked very hard and they needed to spend some leisure time. Vegas soon became their first choice, considering all the amusing day-activities it offered and the electrifying nightlife.

As of 1995, there were 1,271 gaming licenses in Clark County (the country where Las Vegas is located), 122,800 slot machines and 3,896 live table games including poker. No other county in North America offers that many casinos. Other than that, there are 35 wedding chapels serving thousands of couples every year. The life in Vegas is very fascinating, indeed.

Vegas has often been called “The Marriage Capital of the World”, “Capital of Second Chances” but the most famous nickname for sure is “Sin City”. Despite the fact that there are so many casinos, you would be amazed to hear that the largest casino is not located in the US. (it’s in Connecticut!). But if this amazing place is not the home to the largest casino, it is home to the biggest number of limousines serving the city – over 300.

As a conclusion, the Sin City is not a destination for the faint-hearted; it is only for those who want to see what this thrilling city has to offer and want to have the time of their lives. But the biggest advice for those visiting the treasure of Nevada is to stay conscious. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”, they say.

Play Poker Online

Where to Play Poker Online

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Poker is a table card-game which started gaining international presence in the late 90s. It is a very fascinating game which is outstandingly exciting and fun. It is a big thrill to organize a game night and play poker, but poker is very addicting and the best place to get the daily doze of it is the Internet itself!

What makes online poker unique is the fact that besides for being able to play with friends or complete strangers, you can also play at anytime of the day. Whether it’s the early morning and you want to have some fun before you go to work, or it’s late at night and you don’t feel like sleeping, online poker will always be there.

There are plenty of websites and applications that allow you to play poker on your computer and all that you need is an Internet connection (some applications do not require it at all). There is a wide variety of choices but their essence remains the same.

A quick Google search containing ‘online poker’ can do the magic. It returned 87,500,000 results! The best thing is that you can find a website not only for Texas Hold ‘Em, but for any poker type. Yet, Texas Hold ‘Em remains the most popular choice.

Nevertheless, most people would prefer using Facebook for playing poker. Undoubtedly, this is the best way to play poker on the Internet, because it is a lot easier to challenge your friends and to keep track of your records. And it’s a great way to show off your poker skills to your friends.

Still, there is one more matter that you should look into. Most people play poker online just for fun, to spend some great time and catch up with the game, but some play for money. There is a large number of websites which offer you to play poker for money, and their system is just the same as if you played on a casino. These websites are called ‘online casinos’ or ‘virtual casinos’, and they are very easy to find.

To sum up, playing a virtual game is now a lot easier than it has ever been. Poker is one of these games which can be easily accessed with an effortless Google search. There are plenty of websites to choose from, but most people prefer Facebook. All in all, if you need to practice your poker skills for the Friday Game Night, the secret to your success is online poker which is only a few clicks away!

Rules of Poker

The Basic Rules of Poker for Beginners: A Quick Guide

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“Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually (but not always) hand rankings”. That is how Wikipedia defines poker, a game which you have surely heard of. It is thought this game originates back in the 30s, but it started to gain popularity only recently.

Playing poker is not as hard as many people think it is. It principally involves dealing cards and struggling to find the right combination. In addition to that, the player has to be quite intelligent and open-eyed. If you think you possess these qualities, you can immediately begin learning the basic rules of poker.

There are a few versions of poker, but all of them have the ultimate goal: finding the best combination for five cards before others do. The most valued card in poker is ace, while the deuce is the lowest. On the other hand, the suits do not play any role at all as regarding to the card value.

‘Hand ranking’ is a term you should be familiar with. The player who has the best hand ranking wins the game. This term refers to the cards that a player has in hands, and the entire point of poker is to make the best poker hand possible. There are several types of poker hands, and all of them have different significance and importance.

The most common poker hands are ‘Straight Flush’, ‘Straight’, ‘Flush’ (separate), ‘Four of a kind’, ‘Full house’ and so on. But the list does not end here. In fact, the total number of possible hand rankings is – about 2,600,000 hands! That’s amazing, huh? But let’s take a look at some of them individually.

Straight Flush is a hand which contains five consecutive cards that belong to the same suit. A common example for that would be 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, all of hearts. ‘Royal Flush’ refers to the best straight flush combination possible, which includes these cards: 10, J, Q, K, A. This combination beats all the other straight flush hands.

Full house is another noteworthy hand which includes a combination of three cards of the same rank, and two other cards of another matching rank. An example for that would be 5, 5, 5, A, A. The value of the cards is added up to determine whether the hand wins over another full house hand or not.

While these are only some of the basic rules of poker, you must know there is a lot more to it. Before playing poker for the first time, you must look into the rules depending on the type of poker you decide to play. But they all have something in common – they’re all very entertaining!

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