Archive for the ‘Poker Tips’ Category

Easing Yourself Into Aggressive Poker Play

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

If you are new to playing poker for real money or are just a generally tight poker player it can be a little nerve wrecking when you think about playing aggressively. After all, if you play aggressively in a high stakes game and lose then you can stand to lose quite a bit of your poker bankroll. However, sometimes you have to play aggressively if you want to maximize your winnings. The following tips can help you ease yourself into playing poker aggressively so that you can maximize your poker winnings.

If you are thinking about playing more aggressively, the first thing you need to think about is your bankroll. You want to play in a game with limits that are affordable, so that even if you play aggressively and lose you won’t be left with nothing. You should try to choose a game with limits that will allow you to make between 200 to 300 big bets, or even more. For instance, if you’ve got only $80 to play with then you don’t want to play in a $2/$4 limit game. It is much better for your bankroll to choose a $0.10/$0.25 game. This way, even if you lose on an aggressive play you aren’t going to eat much of your bankroll.

Also, before you start playing aggressively you want to master strategy. Start out with a free poker game while you are learning about odds and strategy. You only want to play aggressively when you’ve got the nuts and are pretty confident you have a good chance of winning.

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Why You Shouldn’t Write Off Free Poker Games

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

A few times a month I get together with some friends to play poker. Last night, one of my buddies was totally off his game. Usually he kills the rest of us at poker, but last night he was playing worse than I’ve ever seen him play before. I asked him what was up and he told me he was out of practice. He and his wife are saving up for a nice vacation later this summer so he hasn’t been playing poker online.

My friend is a big online poker player, but he only plays for real money. He tries to get in at least an hour a night, but in order to avoid losing valuable vacation money he had taken a break from online poker and his game really suffered because of it. I asked him why he didn’t continue playing free games, just to brush up on his skills, and he said that oddly enough he hadn’t even considered that idea.

If I could only give online poker players one piece of advice it would be this: Don’t write off free online poker games! I understand that playing poker for real money is exciting, but sometimes if you are saving money like my friend, or just want to get in a little bit of free poker practice, a free game can be great.

The next time you are thinking about taking a day, or a week or a month off from your real money online poker games to save money, just switch to a free game. You’ll thank yourself for it when you get back to the real money gaming.

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How To Make More Money In Online Poker Tournaments

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

When you play in real money poker tournaments online, of course your objective is to make money. However, if you stick to playing in the low-limit sit-and-go tournaments you won’t be able to maximize your profits efficiently. Read on for some tips about how to make money when you play in sit-and-go and other tournaments online.

For starters, think about the payoff versus your time. If the first prize in a 1-hour sit-and-go is $5 it’s probably not worth you time, unless your main objective is to work on your tournament skills. You probably wouldn’t do your day job for $5 an hour so think about how much money your time is worth before you sign up to play in a online poker tournament.

It is also important to choose a tournament where you will be competing against other people who play at your same level. If you play against more experience poker players in a tournament then your chances of winning and making any money are pretty slim. Start out with lower level tournaments and work your way up as you win in order to find the perfect level for you. Usually the more experienced players play in more expensive tournaments.

If you need to brush up on your poker skills before you start in with real money tournament play then practice with a free poker game online. Once you are ready for real money play, don’t forget to have fun. Because after all, the time and money isn’t worth it if you aren’t having a good time!

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Adjusting Your Holdem Strategy for Omaha

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

More and more Texas Holdem players are giving Omaha a try. However, if you are thinking of switching to Omaha don’t be fooled by the similarities in the two games – the strategy for Omaha is actually quite different than the strategy for Texas Holdem. Read on to learn more.

For starters, In Texas Holdem it is important to make big bets before the flop when you have good cards, like pocket aces or kings. The purpose of betting big pre-flop is to knock out other players so that you can narrow the table down to only one or two others. However, in Omaha big pairs don’t mean much if you don’t have the other cards to back them up. For this reason, many Holdem players find that they hurt themselves by making big bets too early, only to find that their pocket aces or kings aren’t such great hands. Play more cautiously in Omaha near the beginning of the game and only start betting big once more cards are dealt and you see where you stand.

In Omaha you will also have to adjust the way that you play after the flop. You need to find the right combination of passive and aggressive play. For instance, too many players play too passively when they’ve got a straight after the flop because they think another player may get a flush. If you play this way you’ll never win. Betting a little bigger may knock other players out of the hand before they have the opportunity to get a flush, securing your spot as the winner.

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Online Poker Myths Debunked

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

In the world of online poker there are a log of myths and rumors circulating. I thought I’d take the time to talk about and debunk a few of the most common myths about online poker. Following are some common misconceptions about online poker and explanations of why they aren’t true.

Online Poker Myth #1: All you have to do in order to win is read your opponents.

A lot of players think that they can win big at online poker by simply reading their opponents. These players think that it doesn’t matter what cards you have – if you can tell that your opponent is bluffing or that your opponent has a great hand then you can act accordingly. The truth of the matter is, your hand is the most important factor in your game. If you don’t have a good hand you should fold and if you have a strong hand you should play it accordingly.

Online Poker Myth #2: When you start playing, online poker sites will give you good cards so you’ll stick around.

This myth is just like the myth that casinos put loose slots near the entrances to attract new players. This is absolutely false. Poker sites use software that deals cards in a completely random fashion to ensure fair gaming.

Online Poker Myth #3: There are hacker players out there that can see everyone’s hole cards.

While there have been instances of high level online casino employees setting themselves up with “super user” poker accounts, this type of occurrence is incredibly rare. You shouldn’t worry that anyone can see your cards.

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The Importance Of Environment In Online Poker Gaming

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

One of the greatest perks of playing online poker is that you can play from anywhere that you have a computer with an Internet connection. However, one thing that a lot of people don’t think about when playing online poker is the environment where they are playing. Creating a comfortable environment that will support your chances of concentrating and winning is extremely important.

You want to make sure that you are in an environment that is free of distractions. For instance, an Internet cafe or noisy coffee shop may not be the ultimate environment for poker gaming, as you will have a lot of people around you to distract you from what really matters – the poker game. The same goes for when you play at home. You shouldn’t play with the television on, or while your kids are running around the house. Especially when there’s money on the line it never pays to be distracted.

Your mental environment is just as important as your physical one, when it comes to poker. You want to make sure that you are feeling relaxed and stress free before you sit down to play online poker. If you have other things on your mind you won’t be able to concentrate and play to your full potential.

Sometimes it can be smart to play free poker for a while before you start playing with real money, to make sure that you are in a good environment, both physically and mentally.

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Surviving Bad Beats In Poker

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Nobody, even the best professional poker players in the world, wins all the time. Everyone has bad beats now and then. However, it doesn’t pay to quit completely just because you have a losing streak. Just play through, wait for it to pass and you’ll start winning again eventually.

How do you keep a positive attitude when nothing seems to be going your way at the poker table? For some players the best way to get over a bad beat is to just stick with it, use smart strategy and wait for a win. When you win one hand your spirits should lift and the positive attitude will help you win again and again.

Other players just can’t focus when they are on a losing streak. If you are one of these types of players then continuing to play high stakes games will only eat away at your bankroll. A good way to get through your bad beat without taking a chunk out of your poker bankroll is to start playing free poker or very low stakes poker game until you get back on track. This is a great way to keep your skills polished and avoid bigger losses. Once you start feeling better about your game you can go back to the high stakes games.

Just remember, everyone goes through losing streaks every now and then, but everyone gets out of them. Try to keep a positive attitude and you’ll see that your next winning streak is right around the corner.

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Free Poker Isn’t Just For Newbies

Monday, May 17th, 2010

I’ve been playing online poker for years now, but I still play free poker games on a regular basis. There are a lot of players that think that once you switch to real money poker games you can never go back, but there are a lot of very good reasons for playing poker for free, even after you start rolling with the high rollers.

One of the main reasons I play free poker games is to brush up on my poker skills when I’m in a bankroll rut. We all go through ups and downs when it comes to spare cash – especially when the bills roll around. If you stop playing cold turkey when you don’t have the money then your poker skills will suffer. Playing for free prevents that from happening.

Playing poker for free also gives me the opportunity to try out new poker games and variations that I haven’t played before, without risking my poker bankroll. I usually stick to Hold’em, so if I want to try out other games free poker gives me a great opportunity to do that.

Finally, a free game can be a great way to get into the groove just before you sit down at a real money table. I like to play a few games of free Texas Hold’em to get ready for real money play. If I am off my game then I find out before I lose money on it. So don’t throw free poker to the wayside, it’s got a lot of great perks.

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How To Choose Your Tournament Limits

Friday, May 7th, 2010

When it comes to choosing a poker tournament you have a lot to think about. You’ll have to choose a poker game – do you want to play Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud or another game? You’ll have to decide whether you want to play in a live tournament or play online. However, one of the most important things you’ll have to decide is how much money you are willing to spend. The following tips should help you choose your poker limits.

The first thing you need to decide is how much of your bankroll you are willing to lose. If you only have $500 then you don’t want to spend it all on a single tournament entry fee. If you lose you’ll be left with nothing. Decide how much you can afford to lose without feeling bad and don’t enter a tournament with limits that exceed that amount.

You’ll also want to consider the fact that higher limits generally mean tougher competition. If you are just starting out in tournament play you should start with a low limit tourney. As you improve and find yourself winning more and more often, go ahead and up your limits. If you find you are seldom winning (1 in 10 times) then you should probably sign up for a lower limit tournament until you have improved your skills.

When choosing tournament limits you want to find the perfect balance between skill and bankroll. Choose a tournament that you can afford that is just challenging enough and you can maximize your poker tournament experience.

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The Power Of Positivity In Poker

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

When you get stuck in a bad beat or poker rut it can be difficult to stay positive. However, positivity is one of the most important things if you want to succeed at poker. I have learned over the years that moping and complaining will get you know where. If you aren’t optimistic you have nothing.

Think about the effect negativity has on your game. When you are feeling down, like you have the worst luck in the world it rubs off on everything you do. Your opponents will be able to read your pessimism and take advantage during game play and, as the law of attraction says, negative thoughts bring negative circumstances. The next time you are sitting at the poker table feeling sorry for yourself, do yourself a favor and walk away. Come back when you are feeling more positive and your bankroll will thank you.

If you are feeling negative and can’t stop complaining and placing blame for your losses take a break. Play free poker online until you get back in the swing of things and are feeling better about your game. From experience, I find that when I sit down at the table feeling positive energies I play much better and win much more. Enter game play knowing that you are a strong poker player and you are going to win. When you do this, the right cards seem to come to you.

It may sound cliche, but the right attitude can really pay off. Prepare yourself mentally for that winning streak and you will be far better off.

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