Posts Tagged ‘Free Poker’

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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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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UIGEA Goes Into Effect For Banking Institutions

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Most real-money online poker players in the United States are familiar with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which puts limitations on online gambling within the United States. However, not many were aware that the act did not officially go into effect until this month. June 1 marks the date in which banks and other financial institutions are officially responsible for complying with the act.

How will this act affect real money poker players on the web? Fortunately, not much. According to Steve Kenneally, VP of the American Banking Association, most banks and financial institutions have already been complying with the terms of the UIGEA since it went into effect in January of last year.

John Pappas of the Poker Players Alliance debunks rumors that this month marks doomsday for online poker in the United States. He says, “Many people believe that any ill effect of the UIGEA has already been felt over the last four years. While I can’t make any guarantees, I do have a sense that this will be more of a blip on the radar screen than a catastrophic event, as some may have predicted.”

Only time will tell if the official enforcement of the UIGEA will affect the real money online poker scene and force all US players to revert to playing free poker. However, the outlook doesn’t look too gloomy. Poker activists continue to try to get the UIGEA overturned.

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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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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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Gearing Up For The World Series Of Poker

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

The World Series of Poker is quickly approaching. The tournament starts a month from now and satellites and qualifying tournaments are heating up. If you are participating in any of these qualifying tournaments and gearing up for the tournament of your life then you should start preparing for go time!

For starters, it’s important to understand that the WSOP is a highly competitive tournament with very good poker players. For this reason, it is important to be prepared. If you have practiced your skills with free poker games and low-limit games and worked your way up to higher limit games over time then you may be on par with the other WSOP players. However, if you have only played free poker games on the Web you may not stand a chance. However, if you have what it takes and manage to make your way to the WSOP on a satellite tournament you’ll have to get busy practicing.

Playing in deep stack tournaments is the best way to prepare for the World Series of Poker. WSOP players generally start out with a lot of chips so you have to get used to playing in that sort of environment. You’ll also want to gain experience playing the final table, in the event that you make it far in the WSOP. A great way to practice final table action is with sit & go tournaments on the web.

Practice makes perfect, and if you make it all the way to the WSOP you’ll be glad you are prepared!

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Annie Duke Releases Free Poker App For iPhone

Monday, April 19th, 2010

I’ve mentioned time and time again the playing free poker online is one of the best ways to practice and improve your poker skills. Annie Duke is taking free poker practice to the next level with her new iPhone app, Annie Duke Poker Tutor.

Annie Duke’s iPhone application offers poker players the chance to be tutored by the best. Annie is one of the top poker players in the business, with more than $3.6 million in poker winnings, a WSOP bracelet and the title of best female poker player in the world. Through her application, she offers users with insightful tips and tricks of the trade. Her tips aren’t just the average, run of the mill tips you can find anywhere. Each day she offers up a new tip that is several paragraphs long and is aimed to really help poker players improve their game and play to their full potential.

In addition to the tip of the day, the Annie Duke Poker Tutor application also includes an overview of the rules of poker, a Texas Hold’em odds calculator, and Annie’s favorite poker links. The tips are extremely helpful, but many players will find value in the odds calculator alone.

If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, I would recommend getting this application. After all, it’s free so you have nothing to lose. You can read Annie’s tips, put them to use with free online poker and watch as your skills improve.

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