Your Transformation From Novice to Expert Texas Hold ‘em Poker Player

Word Count:735


Summary:


Your transformation from novice to expert Texas Hold ‘em Poker player begins by making sound judgments using all the information that you have at your disposal. The acquiring of information begins even before your first two hole cards are even dealt to you.



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Your transformation from novice to expert Texas Hold ‘em Poker player begins by making sound judgments using all the information that you have at your disposal. The acquiring of information begins even before your first two hole cards are even dealt to you.

Before the first cards are even dealt you should begin by considering your position at the table. The table should be divided up as follows:

Early Position 2-3 Players to left of the blinds
Middle Position Players 4 through 7
Late Position 8-10
Small and Big Blind

Early Position – When you are seated in early position you are making you’re betting decisions before getting a chance to see what the other players are going to do. You are making you’re decisions without information on what hands your opponents may have. You will not be acting from a position of strength. For this reason, if you do not have one of the better starting hands, you should consider folding.

Middle Position – This position will allow you to play more hands than if you were seated in the early position since you will get to see what the other players in front of you are going to do. There are also not as many players who will act behind you so you are not as susceptible to a raise as you would be in an early position. For this reason, you can play the best starting hands aggressively. Raising and re-raising opponents would be a sound strategy. In middle position you can use a raise to help you determine the strength of your opponents’ hands – Do they fold, call or re-raise? How they react to your raise can tell you a lot about what they may be holding.

Late Position – This is the most advantageous position at the table. You get to see what most of the other players in front of you are going to do. You get to act with the most information available to you. Being seated in late position allows you to play a wider selection of hands. Being “on the button” – the dealer - is the best position. This is because you will act last. You will have the advantage of seeing what all the others in front of you have done. Here again, raising and re-raising opponents would be a sound strategy. Being seated in late positions allows you to play a little looser.

Small and Big Blinds – While these do act last before the flop, you are acting last in every round after the flop. This makes it one of the more difficult positions on the table.

As a general rule of thumb, you should expect to play a tight game when you are seated in one of the early positions and looser when in late position.

You will put yourself on the winning path in limit hold ‘em by playing good hands and showing sound judgment on when to be aggressive.

• There are some very good reasons to be aggressive and raise the pot, especially before the flop, such as:

• You have one of the best starting hands and by raising, you get more money into the pot.

• You want to force opponents with weaker hands out of the game. There is no sense in letting someone hang around and give them the chance to hit the flop.
Others in front of you have folded. The likelihood that your hand is the best increases as others fold.

Of course there are also some good reasons to not raise:

• Someone else has raised.

• You don’t want to narrow the field. An example of this is when you are drawing for a flush or straight. You are risking less up front for a hand that you may or may not make. By keeping more players in the pot, you have the potential to win a larger pot if you do hit your hand.

• You’re raises don’t work. This happens in very low limit games and/or games with poor players. They all react to raises by raising and re-raising. The large pots tempt players to hang around with lower ranked hands and increase the possibility that one of them may hit a card on the turn or river that will beat your hand.

By studying and knowing your opponents you’ll know how they play hands and you’ll know when your raises will or will not work.

WSOP and Poker Tournaments

Word Count:427

Summary:


The World Series of Poker first started in 1970 at Binion's Casino in Vegas and today it is considered the most prestige's poker tournament held any where in the world.



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The World Series of Poker first started in 1970 at Binion's Casino in Las Vegas and today is considered the most prestige's poker tournament held any where in the world. In the last few years the field of players has been enormous in number and the prize money has been several million dollars to the winner of the tournament. They have been showing the poker tournaments on TV and the camera view of what each player is holding has helped to gain a huge TV audience. Three factors have attracted the large number of players to tournament poker. The many televised tournaments that are now shown on TV are one factor of the growth. Another factor is the many satellite tournaments where a player can pay a small entry fee and win the entry into the tournaments. The final factor is the popularity of Internet poker and the many tournaments that offered daily at these online poker casinos, there are literally thousands of them to choose from. This has allowed many young players to gain experience and they now make the final table at many tournaments that are shown on TV.





There is a significant difference between tournament poker and cash game poker. When you lose all of your chips in a cash game, you can purchase more. In a tournament when your stack is gone, you are over in that tournament. So the secret is to maintain your chip total at a good level and try to make the final table where the prize money is the highest. When the blinds are low, the player can take some flyers with suited connectors and lower pairs. When the blinds get really big, the better hands may not come and you need to be more aggressive or you will be blinded out of the tournament. It is easier said than done to wait for really concrete starting hands in tournament play. Aggression is rewarded and the art of the bluff is a big part of the way the game is played. Calling significant raises in tournaments must be done only when you have a solid hand or have many outs that can give you a winning hand. Gambling early on in the tournament on marginal hands is a sure way to get eliminated from the tournament. Of course if the cards are running over you, then you can play almost any two cards in Holdem. For new players the budget tournaments that are held daily on virtually all the sites are a superb place to learn to play tournaments.

POKER TIPS........TO WIN!

Poker is a very popular card game, where players with either fully or partially hidden cards bet into a central "pot." To the player having the best card combination, the accumulated bet in the pot is then handed over.

Before the dealing of the cards, one or more players, depending on the rule, is required to place an initial bet unto the pot. After which, the cards are dealt, face down. Thus the beginning of the game.

Strategy should be developed so that one will learn who plays fair or who the sharper player is. By defining them, one can easily deal with them. Carefully study each players move so you will prevent loss in your cards.

Poker is a game of strategy. Even with bad set of cards, a good poker player still has a high chance of winning. Here are some tips:

*Hand strength. Any hand that is less than a pair should be folded at the earliest opportunity that comes. Don't wait that other cards will remedy the situation, because they will not.

*Display a poker face. This makes the other players wary of your cards. Your expression will let your opponents know how good or how bad are your cards. A point to remember, never project any clue to them, if you will, then make certain that if you do have bad cards, pretend you have otherwise.

Do bear in mind that bluffing will not work if you are a poor player. Meaning players who over estimate the force of their hand. Also, if a player bluffs repeatedly or regularly, expert players will eventually sense their style and would now know if they are bluffing or not.

*Never be afraid to fold. One threatening aspect in poker is placing your bet. As to how much or how little one should bet, feel the game. As you go along, you will then be knowledgeable and know when to bet and when to fold. A rule to keep in mind is, don't expect later cards will improve your situation if you have nothing in your hand. Be free to fold as frequently as needed.

*Control. Bet wisely. This means betting with your head. Bet only within your means. You can not gain fortunes in poker, so stay within your limits.

*No alcohol. As alcohol makes one bolder and daring, it is wise to avoid it at poker time. You might find yourself betting more in not so good cards. Avoid alcohol especially when the stakes are high.

It is important for one to devote a lot of time for the development of your own strategy. The more you play the game, the longer that you are exposed to it, you could then have your own secrets to winning the game.

Beat your Online Poker Opponent

Playing and winning online poker is a science. It is both a skill and an art of mastering things that most players take for granted.

If you are signing up for an online poker game, keep in mind never to choose the “any game at this limit” option. By choosing this, you are also hindering your capacity to take control of your position on every sign up list. There are options that give you the privilege of having the top position by winning and giving up the place by quitting and at the same time you could still rejoin and have you name at the bottom of the list.

Always look for a card room that fits your style. This way you always get the upper hand. If luck strikes in and you get on a bad round, look around the page for another table.

Playing two games at the same time seems a nice idea. It seems that by doing this, you could double your money in one playing hour. This could be true for some players, but remember, it happens for a few and not for everybody. Besides, playing two games at a time would definitely lay down your small blind more and you sure are most likely to tilt. Keep yourself focused on one game. This way you could have the upper hand especially if you’re playing a major, drawn-out pot. Playing one game at a time also helps you play straightforwardly with only one opponent to concentrate on.

There is online software that has proved to be marvelous. However, there are minor glitches that you need to stay away from. This is the “in-turn” button. This button allows the player to act on hand before your actual turn and allows him to go back trying on other moves. But there may be instances that the internet connection may not be at their best. There may be a time that while clicking the “check in-turn button,” the action may already be on you. What will happen is that the “call” button might be popping out on your screen in the place where you are supposed to click the “check” button.

In poker, the only sure way of winning is by showing down the best hand. This is true not only for casinos but for online as well. However, there a number of reasonable ways a smart player could increase his chances of winning. The sure way of acquiring winning poker skills is by checking out how players deal with their games and keeping in mind the right moves.

HOW TO WIN POKER...Is there a sure way?

As poker is very popular today and a favorite game to play among Americans, one may ask, if there really is a sure way to win at poker.

The answer is simple. Study and check out these guidelines, try them at poker time and see for yourself.

Before starting to play the game, keep in mind these simple suggestions:

*Inspect the site. Make sure that it is authentic.

*Read the terms and conditions of the site. Check the maximum payouts and the minimum bets.

*Allocate a budget for the day. That budget will determine how much you are willing to lose or to win in the game. Stick to the limit.

*Do not gamble if you can not afford to lose.

*Practice playing the game. Familiarize yourself with the game first before you play for real money.

At the table, here are some warnings that you should always remember:

*If you do make a big win, do not be greedy, stop. Making a big win and gambling it all over again is a big sign of greediness.

*In poker, overall winnings are what count most. If you are losing, or have already lost your allotted money for the day, don’t try to win your losses back. You won't. Stop. Tomorrow is another day.

*Drinking alcohol is a big no no at poker time. It can serious affect your judgment. So stay away from it while on the game.

*Never take side bets. Usually these are just gimmicks, so that more money will go to the casino.

*Never gamble your hard earned money unless you are very much ready to lose it.

While in the game, here are some important ideas to think about:

*Gaze at your opponent's eye. Survey all their moves. Observe them, to better know them. This way, you will fear them less. This way, you will know when they are bluffing or not.

*Play in silence. Have that conversation with your self as well as think deep to your opponents actions. Concentrate.

*Base your decisions on what the reality is. See all movements as they are. Do not fear, instead, be calm and assess their moves accordingly.

*Don't take it personally. At the poker table, it is always unavoidable that your opponent can irritate you. Never give in to such responses. Stay within the good game. Be cool and objective. This is a bluffing game. But do keep in mind that just because your opponent has bluffed earlier, it does not mean that he does all the time. Think tight. Review each move.

*Think about what your opponents have. Create a situation. So when deciding, you'll have a better chance to be right.

*Know when to stop. Is the hand that you are raising now the hand you folded a while ago? This is a sign that you should go home.

*Play to enjoy. Do not play if you are sad, bored or tired. If you can't play having enjoyment as your goal, then don't play at all!