The Perfect Poker Hand

7 Critical Factors You Must Know Before You Play Any Hand in Texas Hold’em

2008-02-04T12:46:00.003+11:00

by: PD Laughlin

Being a poker professional I receive tons of emails and questions about how to play certain hands or what I would do in a particular situation. In this article I’ve outlined seven critical factors you need to be aware of any time you play Texas Hold’em poker.

Use this article as an outline to help make the best possible decisions when playing poker. All of these factors are very important to understand if you want to be a successful Texas Holdem player.

1. Table Position.

The first thing to notice when playing Holdem is where you’re at on the table. There are good positions and bad positions.

The best position is when you’re on the button. That is the Dealer Button. The reason for this is because you get to act last and see what everyone else does before you.

The worst position in my opinion is the small blind. Since you have a little money already in the pot you may play marginal hands that you wouldn’t otherwise. Thus you get yourself into a lot more pots when you really shouldn’t be. Most of the time these come back to bite you.

2. The Read on Your Opponents

The read you have on your opponents is all important. Depending if you’re playing against real loose players or real tight players will greatly help in choosing what hands to play and how to play them. The best way to get a read on your opponents is to simply watch how they play when you’re not playing.

3. Number of Players at the Table

The number of people at a table is important mainly because it will increase or decrease the strength of your hand. If you have a full table of ten you’re A,T suited won’t be nearly as strong as if your playing at a short-handed table of five or six. All of a sudden that A,T suited is now very strong.

4. Number of Players in the Hand

This goes along with rule number two but with a slight variation. When everyone at a full table folds except for you and one opponent; immediately your hand strength has grown stronger.

However, you need to be aware of one thing. You must be aware of all the other cards that were folded. Granted you won’t know what they were but you can make an educated guess based on the read you have on other players. Most of the time your opponents folded because they didn’t catch a monster hand. Even if there are loose players at the table and they folded. You know they folded junk or they would still be in the hand.

Therefore if you have a low to middle pair the likelihood of you hitting trips on the flop diminishes. So you need to proceed with caution. On the other hand if you have A,Q suited be aggressive in your play.

5. Your Cards

What are your cards? This is important. Right? Now you will see some of the pros talk about how they don’t even have to look at their cards sometimes because they know their opponents so well. If you’re reading this my guess is you’re not one of them. Therefore, the cards we’re dealt have a dramatic impact on our ability to win. We must be patient. And when the right hands are dealt we need to be ready to pounce and win big pots.

6. Chip Stacks

The reason chip stacks are important is because people play differently when the size of their chip stack changes. For example, if you’re the short stack you may play more tightly waiting for that right hand. At the same time if you’re the chip leader you may get so aggressive and try to bully people around and steal blinds. Now I’m not saying either way is the right or wrong way to play. It’s just important to know how your opponents begin to change their play as their chip stacks change. How do you change your play when you’re the short stack or the chip leader?

7. Table Action

What’s going on before you? Does the guy to your right always lay down big raises? It’s important to pay close attention to what the action is doing before it comes to you. If someone raises, and then two people reraise and you’re sitting on QQ you may want to lay it down. You can safely assume someone if not two people have AA and KK leaving you on the short end of the stick if you choose to play.

Remember, poker takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. Understand and use these seven critical factors to help you master the game and win a lot more when you play Texas Holdem poker.
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About The Author

PD Laughlin is an author and professional Texas Holdem player. He has done extensive research and discovered the very best way to earn a living playing online poker. Discover his secrets at http://www.win-at-holdem.com.

Photo: Courtesy of www.GamblingPlanet.org

Avoiding Tilt When Playing Poker

2008-02-04T11:02:00.000+11:00

by: John Woods

Avoiding Tilt

Everybody has suffered from going “on tilt” at some point. Even the best players do and if they think they don’t they are wrong. They just have not noticed because they might only do it slightly.

Going on tilt does not have to mean you just lose it all together and blow your stack, it can just mean you start to play worse than normal and not play your best game.

The trick is to know when you are going on tilt, why you are going on tilt and what to do about it. If you can do this then you are on your way to taking those poker site bonuses along with other player’s money.

Here are a few of the main reasons you might go on tilt.

YOU ARE TIRED

If you have been playing for a while or late into the night then you are likely to get tired. If you are tired you start to lose concentration and make mistakes. If that’s the case then call it a night and play again tomorrow when you are refreshed and fully alert.

YOU HAVE HAD A BAD BEAT

This happens to everyone, somebody hangs in with a hand they should have folded and makes their hand with the river card to beat your solid hand that was winning from the off. Get over it, easier said than done but if you lose your cool and let it get to you then you will start to make mistakes.

YOU ARE HAVING A LOSING RUN

You have been having a run of bad luck and think it has got to turn round sometime. It will if you stick to the strategy but if you think you are due a change in luck and play a poor hand then you only have yourself to blame when you lose again.

YOU HAVE NOT HAD A DECENT HAND FOR A WHILE

You have not had a decent starting hand for ages and Q 7 unsuited looks like a hand worth having a go with because a Q is the highest card you have had for a while. Its not, you have to be disciplined and wait for the good hands, they will come. But even a good hand can be beaten so you still have to consider what the other players might have when one finally comes along.

YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR DEPTH

You have built up your bankroll and decided its time to take on the high rollers. You start to feel intimidated by the size of the bets, you start to check when you should be raising or worse still fold winning hands because you are worried about losing your money. You are out of your depth, there’s no shame in it, drop back to a smaller stakes game where you feel comfortable.

There are many other reasons why you might go on tilt but as a rule if you feel you are then you should turn off the computer. If you don’t feel you can correct it there and then, switch it off and come back another day. ____________________________________________________________________

About The Author

This article was written by John Woods of http://www.TexasHoldemStrategy.co.uk

The complete on-line resource centre for the texas hold'em poker enthusiast with Texas Holdem Strategies, information, news, software, books, T-Shirts and £000’s in fantastic bonus offers.

Photo: Courtesy of www.lsureveille.com

5 Insider Poker Secrets to Stealing Blinds Before The Flop

2008-02-04T10:54:00.000+11:00

by: P D Laughlin

Successfully stealing blinds in Texas Holdem poker is a secret weapon of many poker pros. However, like anything else this is a learned skill and one that takes as much know-how as it does experience.

To be able to consistently steal blinds from your poker opponents you must master these five insider poker secrets.

1. Be Aggressive

First and foremost you can not win and steal blinds if you’re not an aggressive player. If you are overly conservative and wait for only the best hands and monsters to play you’ll never be able to steal blinds.

On the flip side, if you’re too aggressive and try to steal blinds every time you will get called and risk losing your chip stack. Choose your spots.

2. Reading Your Opponents

You also must have a read on your opponents. When I play it only takes a few hands before I can get a read on my opponents. Sometimes I misread but that is rare.

Once you understand what your opponents do a on a consistent basis you can choose the right time to go over the top or place a big enough bet to get them to fold and steal their blinds.

3. Understanding Your Position

If you’re playing at a full table it is best to steal blinds when you’re on the button. Typically later in a tournament when the blinds are getting larger and more expensive for people to get into the hand they will fold to you. When that happens lay a bet 3-7 times the big blind and watch them fold their blinds to you all day long.

4. What is Your Chip Stack

If you’re the short stack stealing blinds can be your saving grace. At the same time, however, it can be your death.

If you raise big or go all in for five hands in a row someone is bound to call you. So you better have something to play with. However, if you do it periodically chances are you will steal the blinds on a consistent basis.

When you’re the chip leader go nuts! You will be able to bully people around and steal their blinds almost at will. Sure every now and then you’ll get called and beat but you’ll have the chips to gamble with.

5. Are the Blinds Worth Stealing?

Early in a tournament or a sit-n-go game the blinds are so small that they aren’t worth stealing. Wait until the blinds grown larger and can actually make a difference to your chip stake.

Finally, remember if you steal the blinds one time around on a full table you’ll be in good shape. When the blinds start to rise you can start to steal more and really make it beneficial to your chip stack.
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About The Author

PD Laughlin is a successful Webmaster and publisher of http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com. He provides free information on Poker Skills, Strategies and Systems on his website http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com.

Photo: Courtesy of www.PokerMad.co.uk

Insider Poker Secrets: How to Avoid Bad Beats and Going on Tilt

2008-02-04T10:47:00.000+11:00

by: P D Laughlin

Being on a tilt is a poker term used to imply the condition of a player when he is frustrated and on an aggressive losing spree. Sounds like a scary situation but do not be surprised if you find yourself on a tilt every once in a while.

Coming to a tilt situation is not hard but avoiding it is harder. Most players reach a tilt after they have suffered a bad beat. For instance, you had a great set of cards in a game; the flop was a set of reasonably good cards.

Assuming that these are great cards to play with and you decide to do some aggressive betting. Follow this up with a few more good cards. You end up betting a lot of money and finally your one of your opponent has a straight of a flush or something. You end up with potentially good cards but no-win and end up losing a lot of money. In poker, this would be a bad beat.

If you are someone who thinks really positive or just plain lose sight of ground reality, you may tend to bet in a very similar manner in the subsequent games. Since you are playing with opponents, a smart adversary will recognize your vulnerable situation and put you on the defensive.

A player, who in on a beat is quite a lonely and frustrated soul. Most likely, such players are likely to lose perspective of the game and end up playing on cards that would have otherwise been discarded. Any decent opponent will play the bluff at this and the beat player will lose more money. This is when he hits a tilt situation, where the losses far outnumber the wins.

If you are new to Texas Hold ’em bad beats, do not worry. To avoid bad beats, you can do some very basic things, by following tilt situation. Bad beats in Hold 'em are very common. This is especially so because the game is quite dependent on chance and there is no question of chance favoring one player and not the other but it sure seems like that sometimes.

The first rule when playing poker is to play calmly and never bet too aggressively, in the crazy sense. This is also a great way to avoid a bad beat. If you do not bet like crazy, you will not feel frustrated even losing a few dollars. Getting your hopes up and wagering money without substantial results can be quite a bad experience even for very experienced players.

The next situation to tackle if you do end up with a bad beat is to avoid a tilt. A single beat cannot do as much damage as a tilt. The moment you realize you suffered a beat, take break to calm yourself.

If you can leave the table altogether, do so just to unwind and take a break. If you are at home, go dig into the cooler for a cola or a beer. Take the break time to focus on other things. If you are in a casino, try to check out the games at other tables.

Anther smart thing to do to avoid a tilt is to fold your cards after a beat unless you are dealt a formidable hand. Most players should avoid playing unless they are dead sure it is a great textbook "monster" hand.
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About The Author

PD Laughlin is a successful Webmaster and publisher of http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com. He provides free information on Poker Skills, Strategies and Systems on his website Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com.

Photo: Courtesy of www.stochastix.wordpress.com

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Playing Online Poker Vs. Playing At A Poker Table

2007-12-18T01:01:00.002+11:00

by: Donovan Baldwin

The differences between online poker and more traditional poker table games are sometimes not as obvious as they may seem.

Unlike sitting down at a poker table with friends, online poker has an added dimension these days. There is a lot of pressure from many quarters to make online poker illegal, particularly in the United States. You will almost always know if the table game you are playing is in an area where poker is legal, but it is getting harder to know if this is true about poker played online.

In spite of these gray areas, millions in the U. S. and around the world regularly enjoy participating in online poker games from the comfort of their own homes. Just to give this some perspective, in 2005, the revenue from online poker was reported to be in the vicinity of $200 million.

Not only is online poker generating huge amounts of revenue and creating new millionaires, among players, site owners, and affiliates of poker sites, but, due to its pervasive influence, the appeal of poker in general is growing. The public is not only gaining knowledge about poker, but is showing an interest in all things poker. From the tables to the chips at the table, to the people who play at the tables, poker is huge.

Poker players such as Chris Ferguson (Jesus), Annie Duke, and her brother Howard Lederer (The Professor), and Hoyt Corkins (The Alabama Cowboy), to name a few, had never been heard of by the public a few months ago. Now they are celebrities in their own right. Even people who have been celebrities, such as Jennifer Tilly, Ben Affleck, and Mimi Rogers have traded in the bright lights of Hollywood for the green felt of the poker table - at least on occasion.

While many of these famous people play in tournaments sitting at the table with the celebrities of poker, most mortals enter the poker arena via online poker websites such as partypoker.com, pokerstars.com, ultimatebet.com or fulltiltpoker.com.

Sitting at a poker table can be intimidating, particularly for the new player and just is not that inviting for the beginner. They are apt to feel out of their league, and, if others at the table have more experience or are strangers, they are apt to feel intimidated.

The online poker experience is quite different. There is an anonymity which protects the psyche of the "newbie". They can watch games as long as they want before actually taking part. Additionally, most online venues will have tutorials and practice games for beginners that help ease the learning process. Sometimes the main site will actually have a completely separate site set up strictly for the beginner. Another helper for the beginner is that online games tend to have buttons labeled for the various actions and often include on-screen prompts for the appropriate action.

Internet poker sites also offer a range of limits so that the beginning player can actually start betting pennies. Not only is the betting easy, but so is the access. Unlike a table game, an online game can be found 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world that there is a computer and an Internet connection.

There are, however, two drawbacks to playing online, particularly if one's goal is to eventually participate in the highly televised poker tournaments occupying more prime time slots on TV. First, there is the hurdle of actually sitting and playing at the table itself. No amount of online preparation can duplicate or offset the first few times you find yourself in a chair across from a Doyle Brunson, Chris Moneymaker, or Daniel Negreanu.

Second, although it IS possible, it is exceedingly difficult to bluff at an online poker game and even harder to learn how to read your opponents.

Look on the bright side, however. It IS easy to learn basic poker skills and improve your technique online, and you won't have to worry about your poker face!

Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin

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About The Author

Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer and Unversity of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. Find information on how to play poker at http://donovanbaldwin.com/cbmall/poker.html.

Photo: Courtesy of www.TexasHoldEmPoker.info/ (Titan Poker)

7 Secrets to Making a Great Living Playing Online Poker

2007-12-18T00:07:00.000+11:00

by: P D Laughlin

Making a living playing online poker is certainly not for everyone. However, it can definitely be done. And for some it can be accomplished easier than you ever thought possible. Follow these seven steps and discover if making a living playing online poker is right for you.

1) Know What Games to Play

If you want to make a decent living playing online poker you must know what games to play. Yes, I can tell you which ones are more profitable than others but this decision is also dependent on you as an individual.

You personality and behavior traits are important ingredients to deciding which games to play. For example, if you are an impatient person don't play Free Roll tournaments. These tournaments usually take a minimum of fours hours to complete and the payout is very low for the time invested. You may be better off playing short-handed sit-n-gos.

On the other hand, if you're a fisherman who can sit out on your boat for six hours and not worry about even getting a bite on your line than big tournaments may be worth it to you.

2) Know Where to Play

Believe it or not some poker rooms are better to play than others. I have my list that I play at exclusively. But this has taken some trial and error and research to figure out. The reason I play at the rooms that I do is because, frankly, they're easier to win at. They have more inexperienced players that I can beat easily.

3) Use a Proven System

Flying by the seat of your pants is not an acceptable nor winning poker strategy. If you're new to poker it may be wise for you to do some research on different poker strategies to discover what works best for you. Don't worry you can always adjust it and update to fit your personality and playing style. But please understand you must have a system and apply that system if you want to win consistently.

4) Manage Your Bankroll Properly

Don't jump into a $100 sit-n-go 10-person table if you're just starting out. Get a feel for the game by playing at the smaller buy-ins and then move up the ranks to the larger buy-in tables.

I will say this. The money is made at the larger buy-in tables. For example the $30-$50 buy-ins. The reason? Because you don't have as many crazies as you do at the $5 tables. What I mean is anybody and everybody will play like a fool when they're only risking $5. But when they're playing with $30 or $50 they play a lot differently. However, they can still be beat quite easily!

5) Know When to Stop Playing and When to Keep it Rolling

If you're down on your luck stop playing for awhile. It makes no sense to keep playing when the cards aren't coming for you. On the other hand if you're on a winning streak play as long as you can. There is no reason to buck the trend when its going your way.

6) Schedule Quiet, Uninterrupted Time to Play

To be really successful in online poker you need to play in an uninterrupted, quiet setting. I do poker coaching for some of my students and it kills me when they have their two year old in their lap trying to play poker. How can the possible stay focused? They can't! Don't make that mistake.

7) Know What Time of Day to Play

Everyone is different here. Some say don't play during the day because that's when all the pros play. Others say don't play at night because that's when all the pros play. To me it doesn't matter when you play as long as you are following a sound strategy and system.

However, if you are mentally weak and need a perfect time of day to play. Test it out for yourself and then make a plan to play at that time every day.

Follow these seven steps and you'll be well on your way to making a living playing online poker.

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About The Author

PD Laughlin is a successful professional poker player and publisher of http://Win-at-Holdem.com. He provides free information on Poker Skills, Strategies and Systems on his website http://Win-at-Holdem.com.

5 1/2 Poker Betting Strategies You Must Master to Win More Pots

2007-12-17T23:54:00.000+11:00

by: P D Laughlin

In poker, you place bets due to one of two reasons:

1) you feel you have the best hand and you want to increase the size of the pot or

2) you feel your opponent has a weak hand and they will fold if you bet.

Make sense?

Sure, you can add variations to the above but that's really what it comes down to. In order to maximize your winnings it's not how many pots you win but how big the pots are when you win them. To ensure that you are getting the most money every time you bet follow these 5 ½ simple betting strategies:

Stealing Blinds

When you're sitting in prime position, aka the Dealer button, and everyone folds to you and you raise the big blind this is called “blind stealing”. The reason its called “stealing” is because most of the time the blinds will fold to a raise. As long as it is a larger enough raise. Even if one of them calls it can still be a good bet because now the pot is bigger and you're in a position of strength. You can now represent the flop much easier. Making it more likely that you can still win the pot with an inferior hand.

Steal-Raise

When you're last to act and everyone checks to you its wise to place a bet to accomplish one of two things. First you want to limit the number of people hoping to see a cheap flop. Second, in some cases you'll be able to get everyone to fold and you have in essence stolen the pot by placing a “steal-raise” bet.

You'll see this happen often. However, do not use it too much because you'll be an easy read for your opponents. This strategy is really effective when you have a strong drawing hand like a nut-flush draw. Most people will “check to the raiser” so when you do hit your flush you'll have a much larger pot to claim.

Check-Raise

Check raising is simply checking to your opponent with the hopes that they place a bet and then you can come over top of them with a larger bet. This is a common practice for people that like to slow play. It is also something a lot of players hate to have happen to them. That's a good thing. Because if you have a strong hand and you Check-Raise and they get upset they are no longer thinking clearly and now you have the advantage.

However, this is also a strategy that you don't want to use too much. The reason being is because you'll be giving your opponents a lot of information they can use against you later in the game.

Opener

Some people feel the “opener” is a reckless move because most people that do it are bluffing and therefore easy to read. The “opener” happens when the first person to act raises the big blind. Most of the time this type of bet is placed because you want to eliminate all the chasers and people hoping to see a cheap flop. Sometime it even works as a backwards steal-raise because you may get everyone to fold and you can steal the blinds so-to-speak.

One note of caution however. If and when people do call your “opener” raise you can put them on a strong hand. Or at least you'll know that they are an aggressive player and you need to proceed with caution.

Feeler

The feeler bet is similar to the opener. But it can happen even after the flop. When the hand is moving slowly and everyone is simply checking it may be wise to place a “feeler” bet to see what happens. You do this to “get a feel” of the strength of your opponent(s) hands. A lot of the time most of your opponents will fold. Other times someone will come over the top of you. Either way at least now you have some information on your opponents that you can use to beat them.

Squeezing

A “Squeezing” bet is used to limit your opponents pot odds in a short-handed game. You use this bet when you have a strong hand and you've put your opponent on some kind of draw. The odds are they will not hit their draw so you place a bet and make them pay to chase after their draw. This way you'll be able to increase the size of the pot or they will fold to you as they do not want to risk chasing the draw.

All-in-all, to maximize your winnings and make you a better poker player you need to use all of these betting strategies. And you need to use them at various times and really mix up your play to keep your opponents guessing. You never want to get into a rut and allow them to get a read on you and your play. When you can maintain the advantage over your opponents that's when you'll start to make big bucks.

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About The Author

PD Laughlin is a successful professional poker player and publisher of http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com. He provides free information on Poker Skills, Strategies and Systems on his website http://Learn-Texas-Holdem-Strategies.com.

Photo: Courtesy of www.elitepokerchips.com/

Bad Folds in Poker

2007-12-10T11:51:00.000+11:00

by: Mika Ollila

Many experienced players have learned how to play well in pre-flop. They know exactly when to call, raise, or fold. Surprisingly, these same players make horrible decisions post-flop, especially when they are playing in low-limit hold’em games. Their problem is not because they call down too often, but because they fold when they should not. These players probably believed that they should be playing a smart tight-aggressive play. And this is why they fold most of the time unless they are holding a very strong hand or have a good draw. But what actually happens is that they forget to take into account the odds they are getting.

For example, in the big blind, a player has a King and an Eight of spades. One of his opponents raise in middle position and four other players call. This player also calls. On the table, the flop is made up of a King of clubs, a Ten and a Deuce of diamonds. Then, the small blind bets out. Our poker player is inclined to fold. But it is going to be a bad fold. Analyzing his cards, he still has great odds for his money, although his kicker is not exactly the best. He has a top pair and he might even end up getting trips or two pairs. Admittedly, there is a pretty good chance that one of his opponents will win. But the pot has so much money that our player should at least call one bet.

Making a bad fold can be the biggest mistake that a poker player makes. To avoid this mistake, a player must remember that there are actually two major decisions he should make. One is in pre-flop, and second is on the turn.

In pre-flop, the player will decide whether he wants to play his hand or not. In the flop, this player will usually make or call a small bet, thus, flop decisions are not really significant. In the post-flop, on the turn, the player will consider odds, his hand, and his opponents’ hands. When this player decides to call the turn, it will be advisable for him to also call the river. When he does both, it means that he is making two big bets. This may seem risky but it will be tragic to fold a winning hand on the river.

Supposed the pot is raised pre-flop and only one bet is made post-flop, a player may fold at the turn. Obviously, he lost. But the money he lost is certainly less than what he would have lost if he had called to a showdown.

Lastly, the river is not a good time to fold. There are only two situations in which a player needs to fold on the river. First, a player must fold when he misses a draw. And second, if there is much betting and raising. This indicates that the player’s hand is probably the weakest.

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About The Author

Mika Ollila is the owner of Rakeback.com (http://www.rakeback.com), which provides poker rakeback (http://www.rakeback.com) services for online poker players.

Photo: Courtesy of http://sucksatpoker.com

Being Successful At Poker Room Betting

2007-12-07T14:52:00.000+11:00

By Zulfiqar Dodhia

The key to success in poker is strictly reserved for the player who is well versed, educated and has its rules and strategies at hand. There is a common misconception that the game of poker is based on luck and chance exclusively. A better description of a poker game would be to say that success is dependent upon probability and skill. The higher the level of understanding an individual has with respect to the game, the more likely are they to win at poker room betting.

When it comes to poker room betting, the importance of patience cannot be overstated. This fact is repeated again and again in pop culture, like when one refers to a person's poker face and whether they have a good one or not. Whether you play online or in a real land-based poker room, the game is based not just on the cards that you have, but also the ones that you don't have.

Your poker face has the power to influence your poker room betting perhaps more than any other factor. It is not only about what cards you have but also what poker face you behave and the versatility you create therein. If you get your poker room betting right, you can win as much as possible. Even so, it's not advisable to bet a whole lot of money if you don't have a prosperous hand.

If a player understands the odds of winning at poker and the strategies involved, he has the ability to become a great poker player.

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About the Author

Zulfiqar Dodhia is an expert article writer, who specializes in providing readers with tips and strategies to maximize their winning chances in casinos and poker games.

Photo: Courtesy of SemiProPoker.com

Thinking and Decision-Making in Poker

2007-12-05T13:02:00.000+11:00

by: Mika Ollila

Thinking is the greatest preoccupation of any poker player. Good thinking is vital so that a player can beat the game and win the pot. And a lapse in concentration can be fatal.

What does one need to achieve the kind of thinking necessary for poker? First is discipline. This means that a player must be able to direct his mind on what he is supposed to think. He should not allow his mind to dwell on inconsequential things such as how the tie worn by his opponent is mismatched with the jacket.

Second is objectivity. A player should evaluate the odds (card odds, investment odds, edge odds) before choosing to bet, raise, bluff or fold. He should not raise simply because he was irritated or he wants to get even.

And third is tenacity. A good player should not lose his concentration. He should endeavor to stay at such level of thinking that does not allow distractions or intense emotions. He should not spend precious minutes staring at his cards before deciding what to do next. He should just take a quick look and then immediately plan his strategy. For such is the only way to make the poker game beneficial to his pockets.

There are two kinds of thinking that a good player employs during a poker game. These are “objective thinking” and “analytical thinking”.

Objective thinking involves the astute planning of what action to take. He assesses the potential of his hand and weighs investment odds against edge odds. He formulates several strategies on how to best win the greatest possible pot. And he stays alert for further developments that will help him decide more precisely about which strategy he will eventually use. To simplify, objective thinking is similar to “thinking ahead”.

Analytical thinking goes hand in hand with keen observation. The goal of analytical thinking is to understand the personalities of the opponents. A good analysis will allow a good player to interpret the actions or movements of his opponents. From such actions, the good player can infer accurately the hand of the other players.

Analytical thinking is at its finest when the player is not involved in a hand. He studies his opponents, takes mental notes of their movements and creates future strategies.

For example, one opponent has the quirky habit of inhaling (perhaps to relax himself) when he gets a good hand and exhaling (perhaps as a substitute for a sigh) when he gets a busted hand. A good player can influence this opponent to either fold or bluff.

Another opponent, when calling a bluff, hesitates and purses his lips, then makes a $20 raise. Depending on the hand of the good player, he will decide whether he will call the bluff, fold, or make a bluff of his own.

Thinking is indeed vital in any decision making in each poker game. It can establish control. It can win the pot. And, if nothing else, it can make a player forget his nervousness.

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About The Author

Mika Ollila operates http://www.rakeback.com, which offers http://www.rakeback.com/poker-rakeback services to online poker players. With rakeback players can save 27-50% on poker costs.

Photo: Courtesy of LasVegasVegas.com

Texas Holdem Strategy - Top 5 Online Poker Tells

2007-12-05T12:49:00.000+11:00

by: Micheal Thorn

Online poker tells can be read just as easily and be just as profitable as being able to read someone heads up in person. Although you cannot physically see the opponent, there are many different things your opponent can do to give away his hand. A few things to look for are:

• The Whiner

When a person gets beat by a dumb play by his opponent, drawn out on, or completely bluffed, keep an eye on the chat box. Most of the time the player will type obscenities into the box or engage in a heated argument with his opponent. Keep an eye on which players are “chatting” and keep a note on how frustrated they are. If a player continues to complain through several hands they are obviously frustrated to the point where their actions will become irrational and detrimental to their game. In other words, on tilt. A good way to make some money when a player is on tilt is to wait for a strong hand then bet it weak. The player on tilt will then raise you trying to steal the pot. I like to just call and then check, where the tilting player will bet even larger to compensate for his last bet. All you have to do now is put him all in and 9 times out of 10 he will call out of frustration.

• The Thinker

Most of the time when a player takes a long time to act they are trying to represent more strength than they actually have. They want you to believe that they are considering raising so that you wont. Sometimes more advanced players will take a long time when they have a strong hand to provoke a bet to steal the pot. Be sure to take note of any players using this tactic and be cautious when this situation arises with them.

• Raise Raise Fold

Another way to tell if a player is on tilt is if he frequently raises pre-flop then folds at the first bet or a raise to his own bet

• Betting the Turn

Frequently in online Holdem, if a checks then calls on the flop, but then bets out at you on the turn it is typically a signal that they missed their draw and are taking a stab at the pot. Re-raise them.

• Consistently Slow to Act

It is also worth mentioning that sometimes when players consistently take a long time to act, they are usually involved in multiple tables. This type of player will typically fold to most bluffs because he is simply playing odds and premium hands. However if this player calls or raises you, be ready to lay your hand down.

Although poker has to do with odds and calculated guesses, it also has a lot to do with your opponent. The more you watch your opponent and know what he does in certain situations the better chances you have at making good calls and taking his money. Some good sites for not only playing normal cash games, but also small nickle blind and free tables is http://UltimateBet.com and http://PartyPoker.com. Good Luck!

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About The Author
Micheal Thorn is an avid poker player both online and in the poker rooms. He writes about anything and everything to do with poker. For more articles about poker visit Texas Holdem Strategy.

How to Utilize This Important Poker Strategy to Increase Your Chances for Walking Away a Winner

2007-12-05T12:07:00.001+11:00

by: Darren Takenaga

There is a saying which basically states that the game of poker can be learned in minutes and yet takes a lifetime to master. Yes, the rules are easy to learn. However, poker is a multi-faceted game. This means that it takes more than knowledge of the rules to walk away from the table a winner.

To excel in poker, a player must know about the other aspects of the game. A winning player must be adept at “reading the opponents” or “knowing the odds” or “money management.” However, there is one strategy that is most important and stands above all the rest. This one strategy must be learned early on and must continually be honed and improved to win.

This strategy is called “bluffing.” Bluffing is the act of betting a weak hand with the intent of driving the other players out of the pot.

There are different types of bluffing. One form is betting with a hopeless hand (or a powerhouse hand with the intent to lure the other players into a trap). Another form is betting on the inexpensive betting rounds to get a free card later on in the hand when the cost of bets doubles.

Yet another form is semi-bluffing, which is betting with a hand that has a chance to outdraw the other hands, but probably is not the best hand. With a semi-bluff, the player can win by causing the other players to fold, or if the opponent calls, the bluffer may catch the card he needs.

As mentioned, bluffing itself has many strategies. It may seem confusing how a beginner may start to master this strategy. The best way is to learn general rules and tips. A beginner can then come to the table with a good foundation for bluffing and winning.

Here are the top 10 tips on how to bluff.

1) Limit bluffing against one or two opponents at the most.

2) Getting caught bluffing can work out in your favor, especially if you can get opponents to call when you do have a strong hand.

3) Avoid bluffs against experts or novices. Experts can see through bluffs, and novices just keep calling.

4) Only bluff if there’s a chance to succeed, rather than to just advertise. Bluffing is not 100% successful, so bluffs can be picked off no matter how much of an expert you are.

5) Do not bluff on a hopeless hand when there are cards still to come. In those cases, you can semi-bluff to get the opponents to fold or hope that you can draw a card that will give you a strong hand.

6) A good time to bluff is when all your opponents checked on the previous betting round.

7) Bluffs that represent specific hands (flush, straight, etc) have a higher chance of succeeding.

8) Bluffing against players who checked the previous round is easier to bluff against than those who bet.

9) A players seen as selective and aggressive will have a good chance of succeeding in a bluff.

10) You can attempt to bluff with nothing, but if you have enough to beat a draw, save the bet and try to win in a showdown.

Remember that mastering the strategy of bluffing is an ongoing endeavor. Find more resources and learn from other players. Bluffing is definitely one of the most important strategies that a poker player must utilize.

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About The Author

Darren Takenaga offers more tips and strategies for winning Texas Hold ‘Em poker at his website. Visit http://www.PokerInsiderSecrets.com At the website, you may subscribe to the Free ezine which offers more helpful information on winning poker more often.