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Deep Stacked Poker for Super Happy Poker Players

On May 20, 2013

If you are looking at playing good poker, you also need to make sure that you’re studying the stacks. A lot of players look at what to do when they’re short stacked and they’re scrambling, but a lot of players really don’t know what to do when the stacks start getting bigger and bigger. If you’re deep stacked in a cash game, this usually means that you have more than 100 BB’s. Here’s how to make things work when you’ve actually got some room to breathe.

First and foremost, don’t panic! A lot of people freak out when they realize that they have the most chips out of everyone else on the table. Don’t get greedy and start swinging hands around but you also don’t want to be super timid.

Don’t just go all in for the thrill of it — look at the type of hands that you’re playing. AK isn’t the end all, be all hand to have and you can’t just automatically worship AA anymore. AA can be cracked, and that means that you could lose a lot of money chasing a hand that just isn’t meant to be.

Aside from hand strength, you want to make sure that you can throw around a few bigger bets. Getting people to fall out of their comfort zone will always be profitable for you. If you’re in position, then push forward. However, if you are not in position, then you want to avoid doing a c-bet or a 3-bet.

After the flop comes down, you want to make sure that you’re looking hard at all of the flops. You don’t want to chase the river or do something equally silly. That’s just teaching the crowd around you that you can be bullied even though you have such a big stack. Definitely not the image that we want to portray, right?

Not at all.

If you are willing to be aggressive while you have a big stack, then your chances of profit are much higher. Don’t be timid — it’s poker, after all!

Advantages of Playing Blackjack Online

By admin

On May 16, 2013

In Gambling

Playing blackjack can be a lot of fun and there are people that play it offline, people that play it online and people that do both. However, there are some distinct advantages to playing blackjack games online. These are looked at in more detail below.

Playing Time

If you play blackjack offline, then you can only play it when a casino is open or when you have friends willing to play it with you. This will limit you to have often you can play the game. It may be that you wake a 3am and want to play. Even if you have a casino open near to you, it is far easier to switch on your computer and play there, than get dressed and go out of the house.

Opponents

If you play offline with friends or family, then you will not get to play against that many different people. Even if you play in a casino, you will be limited in who you can play against. However, if you play online, you can play against people from all over the word. Not only will this mean you are more likely to find someone you find it fun to play against, but you will get the chance to meet all sorts of different people. People that you would not normally have met.

Interest

It can be more interesting playing online because you can try out all sorts of different sites. They may look different and have different people playing which will make things more interesting for you. It means that you can change where you are playing if you are not happy with the site that you were on really easily. It is much more difficult to do this if you are playing offline as there is far less choice.

Jackpot

Online jackpots can sometimes be a lot bigger than the ones you get playing offline. In fact you may not even play for money if you play with friends and family. It can be a lot of fun, to give yourself a chance of winning a big jackpot and really add to the thrill of the game. Winning prizes may not be what it is all about for you, but it can certainly add to the fun of the game and it may enable you to be able to play for longer, as you have some winnings to play with.

Getting Clarity about the Tight Aggressive Player

By admin

On May 6, 2013

In Poker

Trying to get better at poker is often a matter of analytics. If you’re not analyzing hard data, then you’re analyzing soft data. When it comes to soft data, you have to look at the way other players are playing. Finding weaknesses in their game allows you to change your strategy so that you’re able to actually get money out of them. Increasing your profits this way might sound shady a complete newbie to the game, but veterans have done this for a very long time. It is very likely that they will continue to do so. From here, what you will need to do is make sure that you’re looking at a few player types above all others.

The tight aggressive player is something that we’ve discussed in the past, but it’s time to get a little more clarity on it.

You might believe that the tight aggressive is just like the loose aggressive. However, that’s not the case at all. What you need to know is that the loose player goes into just about any flop that they can. However, the tight aggressive player will not continue with a flop that doesn’t hit him or give them a few outs to look at. The tight player reads his opponents like a book and see who is willing to take the bait at times.

The tight aggressive thrives on making you nervous. They’re going to raise big, they’re going to push in, and they’re not afraid to go all in if they can tell that you will fold like a house of cards. If you’re playing scared money, be warned: the tight aggressive solves this.

The TAG is also a blind stealer of massive proportions. If they know that they can make you pay to play and you do it, you’re going to lose your chips in a hurry. They will be selective about which hands they play, so if you’re in a hand with a TAG that you’ve identified — watch out. They can show their aggression very quickly.

Bluffing is part of the tight aggressive arsenal. However, that doesn’t mean that you can bluff in return. The minute that they realize that you’re bluffing, the game is over. They will call you out in a hurry knowing that you’re willing to play with trash cards.

Tight means just that — tight. The range of a tight aggressive player might not be very big, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be destructive. It’s just a matter of thinking about the game in different “dimensions”, if you will.

There’s a “dimension” of play that means the TAG will steal blinds, push weak players around, and scare off passive players that are hoping for a lucky flop / board.

You can’t play on luck. You have to start playing on skill. And for the love all things strategic, do not allow yourself to play on tilt. Tilt with a TAG is dangerous. You might end up breaking your entire bankroll just to try to get back at one of these players. Not the best move in the world. You just have to get things in motion. Calm yourself down and realize that it’s going to be a battle of wits as well as a battle of cards. There’s no point in letting yourself get worked up.

Good luck — the tight aggressive player is a force to be reckoned with, but trust us — there’s weaknesses involved that you can exploit.

Microstakes Games Have Value

By admin

On April 9, 2013

In Poker

Whether you call them microstakes or microlimits, one thing is clear; a lot of newbies start here. And that’s okay. We love the idea of newbies starting with the lowest of limits because this is where you will build most of your strategy. This is where you’re going to have the time of your life. You’ll meet new poker players. You’ll decide in the microstakes whether or not you want to move up. As much as we love poker online, we realize that not everyone is suited for it. Microstakes let you figure that out in a quick hurry.

For the purpose of this article, micro-stakes refers to 1c/2c and 25c/50c limits. Really, everything under $1 can be referred to as micro-stakes.

Building Your Poker Image

Your poker image matters. We use image in order to scare opponents out of pots, and to otherwise think twice before trying to bluff us. You’re going to find that micro-stakes players tend to play pretty badly. You can’t escape bad poker play, no matter how much you try. Some people just don’t care that much.

Cultivate the image of someone that plays carefully. It’s okay to go tight and play only a few premium hands. You will also find that players around you tend to only go in big when they really have something. You’ll also find calling stations. Cultivating your image is one thing, but you’ll also need to look at the image that others have built — even if they don’t realize that it’s something that they’ve built. The more work that you put in, the more profit that you’re going to get long term. We keep repeating this, but poker is a long term game. It just is — you can’t get lost in hand to hand.

As a side note, you want to make sure that you keep your calm. Some players will make you mad, and it’s tempting to snap back at them. This shows that you don’t have any type of self control as a poker player. That’s not a good thing to try to display to people. You want to show that you’re cool, calm, and in control. You want to show that there’s no reason to mess with you — you’re tough. If you can’t do that, you need to take a break until you can do it. Letting random people get you mad online isn’t good for your blood pressure anyway.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Playing a lot of micro-stakes is the key to understanding them. You can’t do that in 10 hands, 20 hands, or even 50 hands. You need thousands of hands in order to study data. That’s just the way it is. You want to play your best game of poker, and that means that you have to have an understanding of how everything ties together. You’ll be modifying your strategy quite a bit as time goes by, so don’t think that your strategy has to be set in stone. You’re going to be playing to get a better understanding of the players around you. You’ll also find that they aren’t as serious as you, but that’s okay. You can use that to your advantage in some pretty big ways.

The Value of Data

Crunch the numbers. You want long term profitability, not just short term wins. You’re going to be tempted to chase with the chasers, but that’s not a good idea. Yes, they will get lucky. That’s something that you’re going to get upset about more than once, and that’s okay. But you have to know that they’re going to get lucky. They’re going to make plays that you would have never imagined they’d make, and it’s going to make you mad. You might even want to correct them. Don’t. They will not take it well, and you’ll mess up your own game. Take their money instead. We promise that it’ll make you feel better.

When it comes to data like implied odds, you might think that the other players at the table know about this. We promise you that they really don’t have much of a clue about this sort of thing. Players that hang around these stakes often that aren’t real serious about poker aren’t digging in that deep. They want to press a few buttons, see the cards flip, and call it a day. They’re just escaping from work or another time block that’s got them stressed out. Not everyone strives to become a career poker player. You have to know who you’re dealing with.
The Road Ahead

It’s important to make sure that you stay at the microlimits stage until you’re actually profitable. We’re not talking about just a few games here or there. You need to look at thousands and thousands of hands to see how profitable you really are. Getting good poker data is a must. You cannot just “wing it” and hope to survive the higher levels. There are players that’ll eat you alive within a few short hands if you’re not careful. Sure, you might get lucky but poker is about long term play. You want to not just hold onto the bankroll money you bring with you — you want it to grow with time. This is like baking good bread. An aged starter is a great path to good bread. However, starting over and over with fresh starter leads to bread that just isn’t as good. It’s all in the details. You can take your bankroll and watch it grow — which is something that everyone looks forward to. On the other hand, you might want to just take breaks and play only when you’re in the mood. That’s okay too.

Overall, micro-stakes poker has its benefits and disadvantages. You’re not going to make money quickly but it’s probably to grind out a nice little side income over time. Some people do just that, and it hasn’t hurt them in the least bit. You don’t have to be a super high roller in the poker world to get noticed. You just have to show up and be consistent in order to start building a following. Good luck!

Quick Myths and Misconceptions of Beginning Poker Players

By admin

On March 20, 2013

In Poker

Look, poker is something that’s available to everyone — we’ve never shied away from talking about poker, loving poker, and getting other people to play poker with us. However, what you will find is that you need to ensure that you aren’t making the same classic newbie mistakes. We wanted to cover some more misconceptions, because newbie poker players deserve better. You don’t have to get taken for a wild ride as long as you’re willing to push forward to claim some good pots.

For example, let’s start out with the biggest one that gets splashed around: pocket aces. This means that you have AA. It’s a good hand. It’s a great hand. But you have to realize that it’s not a hand that wins every single time. A lot of people put so much stock in the cards that they don’t really think too much about the psychology of the game. You can’t just get sucked into the fact that you have a monster. Remember, if people start folding, then the pot is going to be lost. Make sure that you raise and re-raise before the flop even comes down. This lets people know that you’re aggressive and you might have something.

Now then, when the flop comes down and you study it, pay attention to what you see. You could end up being pushed out even with pocket aces, which isn’t a good idea at all. You will want to make sure that you can think about the road ahead of you — it’s all about winning pots. If you can’t win the pot, then you need to bail. Yes, even if you have a monster. This is even more important when it comes to tournament play, because you don’t want to end up losing your chips. Getting pushed out of the money is never a great idea.

These tips also cover the AK hand — one that gets played a lot just because it’s got such a high value. The truth is that any hand can be beaten, which is why poker captures so much attention. If you don’t get anything on the board that connects, your AK hand isn’t as good as you think it is.

For example, if the board comes down J-10-8-5-2, all rainbow (mixed suits), and you don’t get a flush out of it, it’s not the hand that you should have been in. There’s always time to think about staying alive vs. just winning one pot at the moment.

This is important to consider, especially when you’re really trying to get things off the ground. There’s nothing that says that you have to play each and every hand. This is a newbie mistake that should be corrected a soon as you utterly can.

It’s hard to write a guide about which hands win over which hands, because it’s all relative. The flop can be a cruel mistress to any hand. What ultimately makes poker players successful is what they do with their hands. How successful they can honestly be through all seasons. This is about consistency, which is something that new players really don’t think about.

You’re going to be playing a lot of poker in order to win big money like the people that you see on TV. In fact, you might want to get it out of your head that you need to make big money. Study strategy instead. Avoid gimmicks. Work very hard to get poker to a point where you’re really successful, and the rest will fall into place. Good luck!

Here’s a Good Way to Navigate an Online Poker Tournament

By admin

On February 19, 2013

In Poker

When it comes to the classic online poker tournament, it boils down to one thing: chips. You have to make sure that you are always pushing for getting more chips than everyone else. Sure, this might mean that you have to work very hard, and it might even mean that you have to push forward when you’d rather shrink back. However, it’s all about accumulating chips. When you have a nice fat chip stack, you’re a target — but you also have leverage. You can push against smaller players who are afraid to lose everything. You can play a very aggressive game when it counts, and that’s always a good thing.

The common assumption is that the early stages of a no-limit Hold’Em tournament just don’t matter — we disagree. If anything, it’s all about the early stages. It’s all about those small pots. Even if the blinds go up later, it’s the efforts you put in now that makes a difference.

Here’s a few things that you will need to think about right at the beginning of a poker tournament that can make all of the difference. For the advanced sharks out there, this might be “old hat” to you, but we hope some newbies gain more insight into a game that has captured so much of our collective attention.

First and foremost, it’s all about position. You need to look at where you stand. In a $10,000 main event, everybody is going to be a pretty fierce player — some more than others, but you don’t have any way to rely on just blind luck. You need to be thinking completely about where you are at the table. Are you in the best position? Study the table carefully with each move. There’s no sense in overreacting, but you also don’t want to get too laissez faire about it, if you know what we mean.

Your hand matters too. You should have a good understanding of hand rankings and hand strengths if you’re going into tournaments. If you don’t, this is something that you need to go back and study very well.

Remember that implied odds (something you should have already studied) matter a lot more than the immediate odds. If you’re facing a good player that’s on the button and your pot odds are only so-so, sometimes it’s better to fold. You need to make sure that you are protecting your chips first. Playing out of position isn’t always a wise thing to do — in fact, most people take this risk to their downfall.

How to Enhance an Experience of Playing Online Poker

By admin

On February 14, 2013

In Poker

The popularity of online poker has been increasing by leaps and bounds because of the numerous reasons. Playing this game online is more convenient than playing at a real casino. Online version not just saves ample of time of the players but it also offers a great opportunity to the worldwide players to interact with each other in order to augment the knowledge about the game. For beginners, the real icing on the cake in case of opting for online version is an availability of a forum. Through the help of a forum, it becomes possible for neophytes to understand the intricacy of a game.

Online forum and communities offered by online poker sites do play an important role in attracting the players since obtaining valuable tips related to the game and clearing doubts becomes easier. If you are among those, who were so far resisting from playing an online poker, have a glance on those valuable tips which will boost your confidence.

Choose an appropriate poker room: A lot hinges on the decision regarding choosing a poker room for playing. It a prudent strategy to carry out an analysis of those websites, that offer lucrative array of deals to the new players. As the number of online poker players is increasing significantly over the world, numbers of websites offering this game are also increasing. The obvious benefit of increasing competition is increment in the special offers and lucrative deals to be offered to the new and existing players, both. Various diverse benefits may be in the form of free sign up for beginners, comprehensive poker guide book, an interactive poker guide, etc. Thus, if you turn bit smart, you would be able to figure out that which poker room provides more benefits.

Opt for sites offering low stake: Another smart strategy for new players is to choose that game which offer low stake. Putting a substantial amount in beginning itself, is not a good idea because when a player loses it, he may lose his confidence and morale. Thus, it is advisable to opt for games, offering low stake, in order to ensure a good practice without losing a huge sum.

User-friendliness of a website and quality of software: These are important aspects so do pay a close attention to both. Software should be clean and less complicated. Sound of a game should not be annoying. However, majority of the Software are safe to download but there is no harm in ensuring whether it is virus-free or no.

Tips to Play Texas Hold’em Like the Pros

By admin

On January 5, 2013

In Poker

Texas Hold’em is one of the most popular forms of poker that people are playing throughout the world. Those that want to ensure that they are playing just as good as the professionals will find that the professionals have tips that they are not sharing with everyone. However, these tips are not really something that are that secretive, once the person learns them, as they are mostly based off common sense and from experience of playing the game.

The first tip is to observe those that are playing against. This is one of those common sense tips that the person will learn after playing on the circuit after a few short months. The more that you are able to know what your opponents are doing; the more likely you are to get under their skin at a later time. If you notice how the opponent is playing then you can exploit their weaknesses for your benefit. For example, you should notice the betting patterns that the person is using and you will be babel to tell if they have a good hand or not by the way that they are betting. This is also going to be useful when trying to catch players that are bluffing since they will have some tales about them thats how that they are buffing. Something as simple as running their hand through their hair can show that they are bluffing.

Secondly, have limits as to how much you will bet and keep a handle on this. You should know that you have a chance of winning and losing thus when you have reached a certain limit; you should call it quits in order to ensure that you do not walk away with losing more than the game. With these limits in place you can also prevent your game into turning into an addiction.

Third of all, take your time in making a decision at the table. Look at your hand and play the scenarios out in your head as to how this could go. This could take some time; however, this is a game of strategy not of speed. Though many people see the pros making decision at the drop of hat, they do this because they are pros and they know the game so well and what they are doing. The average person does not have this knowledge yet.

Last of all, you have to know when to fold and when to stay in the game. If you find that your starting hand is one that contains high cards, and then by all means ride this out. However, at the same time if you have low starting cards and a player makes a big bet, then chances are they have a good hand and it is time to get out of the game.

Poker Is Great, But Online Sports Gambling Is Even Better!

By admin

On December 22, 2012

In Gambling

We love poker so much that if it was a crime, we’d probably be on our way to jail! Okay, maybe that’s a bit over the top to say, but if you’ve ever really been interested in poker, you will find yourself saying much the same. Poker is definitely a rush, and we love playing head to head against people that are just as skilled and passionate about the game as we are. Okay, and the fish are nice too — who can pass up taking easy money from fish?

But there’s going to be a point where you get burned out. There’s going to be a point where you’re just not sure if you play another game of poker. There’s going to be a point where you might feel that you just need to walk away. Is this a bad thing? We don’t think so. We think that anything that means that you get to play poker another day is a good thing. If you were to just play poker non stop, even when you’re not feeling up to it, you can end up doing a lot more harm than good. You end up hurting yourself in ways that might not even be understood by you. And that’s where the big problem would be. You really don’t want to find yourself having to make choices like that — losing good poker money through bad decisions brought on by stress.

Might we suggest online sports gambling? It’s just as good as poker, and we dare say that it can be even better. You see, it’s all about being social in the world of sports gambling. You’re watching the big games and talking about it with people that are just as passionate as you are. The nature of poker means that you’re going head to head with people, and that’s hard to deal with in the long run. If you were really going to go all the way with poker, you really want to take breaks. That way, you can come back refreshed with a different perspective.

It’s like going to work every day. Do you really want to work eight hours straight? No not at all — you want to be able to take breaks every now and then to stretch your legs.

Trust us — if you really focus on sports gambling, you’ll have a great break from poker that’s just as fun — promise!