More Poker Superstitions

Gambling and superstition go hand in hand! Poker players – along with gamblers in general – often have specific rituals they follow before or during play which they believe will bring good luck. Sometimes it involves wearing a particular article of clothing or jewelry or it might require carrying a specific item. And it often involves the environment in which they gamble. There are a number of superstitions that have been around for many years and others that have popped up more recently in places like luxury hotels on the Las Vegas Strip where resorts will go to great lengths to honor the sensitivities of their poker playing guests. An example of the foregoing is a multi-million dollar renovation undertaken by the MGM Grand in 1998. While the hotel management states the face lift was done for purposes of beautification of the five year old resort, it was also admitted that part of the decision to remodel the hotel’s entrance was based upon folklore and beliefs of their Asian guests – many of whom play Texas Hold’em Poker. Prior to the renovation, players entered the casino by walking through the mouth of a lion. It was very quickly discovered that this important segment of their gamblers believed that walking through a lion’s mouth was considered unlucky – which resulted in the renovation of the entrance to the MGM Grand. A casino manager who must remain nameless reports that one of his regular poker players keeps chocolate in his pocket while at the gaming tables. This man throws a piece of candy on the floor before he places a bet in the belief that the devil will be distracted by the candy and leave him alone to have good luck. He reports that another of his regulars hits himself in the head three times when he is losing on the theory that he is “shaking things up”. Yet another is said to bring voodoo dolls dressed like the dealers into the casino so that he can control the cards dealt to him. Some other superstitions held by poker players include the following: • When you play poker, wear an article of dirty clothing to keep away evil. • Blow (or spit) on your cards for good luck – preferably when no one is looking. • If you are playing on a wooden table, be sure to choose a seat that lets you lay your cards with the grain instead of against it. • Don’t cross your legs while playing or you will “cross out your luck”. • Never gamble in a room with a dog in it. • Wait until all the cards have been dealt before you pick up yours and be sure to pick them up with your right hand. • If you are dealt the four of clubs, discard it immediately unless it is absolutely necessary to your hand. Some poker players believe if this card is dealt to you in the first hand, you should throw down your cards and leave the game because it signifies you will have nothing but bad luck. • Do not allow any other poker player to place their foot on the rung of your chair. If you want to bring another player bad luck, place your foot on their chair. Two factors of good luck agreed upon by most poker players include the color red and being well dressed when you gamble.

Online Video Poker Casinos - Best Places To Play

Good cards are a must when the stakes are high. Either that or a really convincing bluff, but no one can pull that off all the time. If one is to play online for large stakes then they are going to want to find a poker room that’s going to deal them decent hands when it counts. Some poker sites constantly deal crappy hands that can keep a player down on his luck. Here are some tips to choosing the right online video poker casinos to try your skills at. One site is Paradise Poker. Some people know this site as the best place online to play poker. On this site there are constantly tournaments going on and a player will always find several high stakes games to enter. People have mentioned that this online video poker casino has the most pleasing graphics and yet it is not crowded with all sorts of unnecessary icons. For those players worried about the security of their money, Paradise Poker has shuffle card reviews from a highly recommended company, Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Another good site to play poker at is Party Poker. With all of Party Poker's efforts to get their name out there, all of the players they have brought to their tables have certainly rewarded them. It is worth noting, however, that although they do have quite a large amount of customers; their customer service is nothing to brag about. Party Poker is created by the people that started CardPlayer Cruises, which includes, Mike Sexton. Every year Party Poker hosts a rather large tournament known as Party Poker Million, which is also quite a draw for online poker players. Poker Stars has never have a time where there is not a large tournament going on that anyone can enter. Popular with most of the free roll players, the site offers some fun stuff in the programming that keep them coming back time after time. Although the interface may appear rather chaotic with extensive graphics that can be used as player icons. The Poker Room offers a variety of options, such as multi-table tournaments, as well as Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud and a number of casino games. For those players worried about viruses, no download is needed in order to play on Poker Room. In addition to a good links section, players can play a free roll with play money, including tournaments. Ultimate Bet may not have the financial status to back it up, but it certainly has a number of well-known players such as Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, and Russ Hamilton that add to the sites credibility. One nice characteristic about this room is that it includes a handy feature where players can minimize the playing table to a smaller bar, allowing them to play multiple tables easier. Prima Poker, more of a group of poker sites rather than a single room and boasts almost no waiting time before the beginning of the next poker game. With twenty-one sites from which they use to create a game, therefore, it doesn‘t matter what site you are connecting from, you can still play poker with a full table. It is important to know, that this site uses a third party software and therefore, updates may be slow to arrive at the site. These are, of course, just a starting point for choosing which online video poker casino to play at. The internet is loaded with online casinos, be sure that the one you pick is reputable and safe for play.

Different Types of Poker Players

Defining Poker Players Being able to read poker players is a talent that takes time to recognize, but the more experience you have playing poker, the more you will pick up on the character styles of players. Basically, there are three main types of players: 1. The Aggressive Player 2. The Conservative Player 3. The Juvenile Player The following is what you can expect when coming across each type of these players: The Aggressive Player Aggressive players will do everything in their power to manipulate and put pressure on you to try and get you to do what they want. They usually will choose to raise or fold, which will affect other players by pressuring them to call or muck. Great aggressive players show a lot of confidence, and can be unnerving opponents when the stakes are high. If you give them the chance, they will control your every move and will take all of your money. The only way to outsmart the aggressive player is to not let them intimidate you, and learn how to play their game. Know your cards, know the other players and give the aggressor a taste of their own medicine. The Conservative Player The conservative player is a player who only takes necessary risks, and will not foolishly bet if the cards aren't right. The conservative player is one who knows the rules inside and out, and has an excellent memory and analyzing skill. If he or she has the hand with the best odds, they will sneak up without the other players suspecting them to take the pot. When playing against a conservative player, you will find that they will fold more often than take a risk, so be wary of the quiet opponent who stays within the hand carefully checking and calling in the first few rounds, only to raise the stakes in the later rounds. The conservative player is a very tactical opponent, and like the aggressive player should never be underestimated. The Juvenile Player The juvenile player is probably the easiest player to recognize, as their poker style is incredibly immature, abrasive, cocky, overacting, careless and foolish. The juvenile player will seldom win any of the bigger pots, takes stupid risks and is usually the first to lose all of their money. Just by the above description it should come as no surprise that these players are disliked and not respected by other players. They are easy to take advantage of, so use them as a way to gain a high chip advantage early in the game. The quicker these players are out of the game, the more money you will have to play with. To learn more about online poker strategies - please visit: http://www.pokerscrubs.com

All You Need to Know About Poker Chip Cases

A case to protect and secure your chips, cards and dealer button is imperative to protect your investment and provide the necessary security for your chips. The chips will remain safe under lock and key during play leaving you to concentrate on your play. You can quickly determine if any chips are missing after a playing session when you rack them into the case. Poker chip cases come in a wide variety of styles, materials and price ranges. Most chip sellers offer complete sets with an included case. Inexpensive, readily available plastic chips need not be protected so the case may be as simple as a shoebox but once you move into midrange and better casino style chips you should definitely consider a quality lockable case. Plastic Case Entry level carrying case for chips that usually is not lockable and provides a simple method of storing and carrying you gaming chips. Plastic cases boast the lowest cost but the shortest life of the specialized chip cases. Lack of security requires constant vigilance of chips during the game. Vinyl Case The vinyl case is a step above the plastic case and provides greater protection for the poker chipset. The case is usually constructed from wood or plastic covered with a vinyl material. The case may or may not be lockable. A major concern issue with vinyl cases is durability. The weight of a 500 chipset of 11.5 gram poker chips is close to twenty pounds and places considerable stress on the carrying case and handle. The failure mode for most vinyl cases is separation of the handle from the case due to the weight. Metal Case The metal case is the most common and popular poker chip carrying case. Most metal cases are constructed from structural aluminum in a wide range of styles and price ranges. The quality of metal cases varies considerably so it is important to comparison shop and choose wisely. Some metal cases are not all metal and may have plastic panels and parts in their construction. Some are not lockable. Others have sharp corners. Exceptionally lightweight metal sheets will not last long. The ideal medal case is medium weight all metal (aluminum preferred) construction with added reinforcement in the critical stress areas plus keyed locks to keep chips secure. The finest all metal cases are constructed from aircraft quality aluminum with removable flocked chip trays, high security barrel locks, machined from solid stock handle fittings and hinges. This case is the top-of-the-line in metal cases and accordingly the most expensive chip case. Wood Case Another chip case option is the quality wood case with custom brass fittings. Wood cases are available in many styles and price ranges form the low end pine models to the major splurge, carved exotic wood with inlayed precious metals handmade by a master cabinet maker. Most affordable wood cases are constructed from pine, mahogany, oak and other hard woods, the best feature quality construction and finish, heavy duty handles and hinges, keyed locks and well fitting removable chip trays. As with all the cases, wood cases come in a variety of qualities and prices befitting those qualities.

Hot Tips to Bluffing at Poker and Texas Holdem

Learn the most important tricks to bluffing. Learn when to bluff, when not to bluff and even when to bluff that you are bluffing. Bluffing in Poker and particularly in Texas Holdem is a very useful tool, but if it is not used properly it can be a very dangerous tool to try and use. If used right bluffing can give you the appearance of having a good hand when you have nothing and scare the other players into folding their hands, but if it is not done right then all that happens is that you lose some money. 1) Check to see that the group of players playing for the pot is small. The biggest reason why you should do this is that it is easier to fool a small group than a large one. Another viable problem is that if the players are many, some might simply be dumb and not fully understand the true extent of your bluff. Whatever the case you have to take into consideration that a large group is tougher to bluff. Do not argue. It is simply so. 2) Do not bluff if your hand is weaker than a pair and to be on the safe side, better to have at least two pairs even if these are weak. Note that a player or two will remain in the game even if they have no hand whatsoever. They hope to learn how others play so that they will be able to beat them in later rounds. Such players can be caused to fold if you bluff well. Other than that, always take into consideration that some player will always remaining thinking you are bluffing. So, at least have a good enough hand to beat them. 2) Do not bluff with nothing. Bluffing should be used to make a weak hand look better but not to try to make nothing look like something. Bluffing should only be done if you hold at least one pair. Some players will not back down from your bluff especially in the beginning of the game. They are trying to feel you out and see how you react in different situations. To fool them you are going to have to become a good actor. d) If you win a round of betting and the other Texas holdem players see that you did it with a big hand, then for the next few rounds you are at a big advantage. The memory of your high-value Texas Holdem sequence will linger in your opponents' minds and this will help you tremendously if you bluff. Each other player will think twice before challenging your hand. e) Since you are playing Texas Holdem, pay attention to the cards that the dealers places face-up on the poker table. If you find that the cards down make up a weak pair, then start bluffing. Others will think you have the card to make up a triple, and will back off in fright. 6) Pay attention to how the other players at your table but and what their hands are at the end. Poker players who only bet when they have strong hands are the easiest to beat. All you have to do is wait till they are not betting and you know they have a weak hand so if you push them they will fold for fear of losing any more money on a bad hand. Closure: Bluffing is not very different than lying on a test or to friends. If you are a good liar, you will be able to bluff with a lot more confidence than others. But you need to reduce the amount you lie because whereas in life people tend to believe you, in Texas Hold'em, players tend not to believe you.

Bad Beat Poker – It Happens

If you ever see an angry poker player carrying on and throwing a fit about a hand, you can generally assume this player has taken a bad beat. “Bad beat” is a poker term referring to having a strong dominating hand lose to a much weaker hand held by another player. If you’ve read my previous uplifting article about bad beat jackpots, you might be excited about the possibility of experiencing a large bad beat in a brick-and-mortar casino, but most players hope they can defy the laws of the universe and never have to experience bad beat poker. It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing online poker or brick-and-mortar poker, players are constantly getting frustrated and complaining about bad beats. If I had a dollar for every bad beat story I’ve heard in my life, I wouldn’t be sitting here playing a $20 online multi-table tournament; I’d be vacationing at the beach. Generally it’s the better and more experienced players who are amazed at losing to large underdog hands. Newer players often don’t realize the odds of a bad beat poker hand like pushing all in with AdJc and miraculously beating AsKs by spiking a Jack on the river. Experienced and educated poker players need to take a step back and realize that bad beats will always happen when playing poker. Most decent poker players always talk about how amazed they are when they experience a bad beat, and they try to claim that it always happens to them. One thing that experienced players don’t realize is that if they are constantly playing with weaker opponents and experiencing bad beats, it’s because they always have the dominating hand. You hardly ever see an advanced poker player lay down a bad beat on a much weaker player, especially in a no-limit game. The reasoning behind this is because as the better player, he generally has the better hand going into an all-in situation, so it seems like weaker players never experience bad beats. Players have to learn to take pride in generally making the correct play with the better hand and simply brush it off when they finally experience a horrifying bad beat. Another common topic arises when talking about bad beats: how bad beats seem to happen far more often while playing online poker than when playing in a casino. For years players have spread myths and rumors that online poker is rigged. These players accuse the online card rooms of creating large action hands for the players involved in a game to drive up the size of the pot, which spikes up the casino rake. These myths and rumors are exactly that: all fake. All online poker rooms experience rigorous pattern testing and verification to provide completely random hands for all games at all times. The truth of the matter is, when playing online poker, you see far more hands than when you are playing in an actual casino. Playing brick-and-mortar poker, you might be dealt around 30 hands an hour, depending on the game, the dealer, and the other players at the table. However, while playing online poker, you are probably seeing 50+ hands an hour. You might be experiencing double the number of hands as compared to casino poker, which might make it seem like bad beats are dealt more often, when actually their occurrence is generally about the same. If you are playing two tables at once in an online poker room, you are easily seeing 40-50 more hands per hour than if you were playing one table in a brick-and-mortar casino. One last fact about online poker and bad beats is that the majority of players are more hesitant about calling large all-in situations when playing in actual casinos with actual money chips in front of them. Often online players, especially newer players, don’t have a problem pressing the “Call” button on their monitor, even in situations where they shouldn’t be calling. After all, it only takes one click of a mouse. If the same player were forced to push out $85 in chips in a $1/$2 brick-and-mortar casino no-limit game, he might think twice about his hand strength before throwing his money away. So, all in all, no player can truly avoid receiving or giving bad beats in poker. Taking a hard bad beat sticks out in your head much longer than laying a bad beat down on another player. To keep your game sharp, you must learn to simply blow off bad beats, remain focused, don’t get frustrated, and understand that other players making bad calls is exactly what you really want. These are the players who keep you in the money and make you a winning poker player. As I finish this article, I am dropped from my multi-table tournament, 6 spots before the money, when my pre-flop all-in with AK gets called by KQ, and my opponent turns a Queen. It happens, that’s poker, next tournament please. Internet Poker Betting and Casino at http://www.WagerWeb.com/Sporstbook

3 Card Poker Strategy

When you break out the 52-card deck and deal a hand of 3-card poker, the first strategy you need is a firm understanding of the rules. Rather than competing against other players, you are competing against the dealer. You need a better hand than the dealer (and at least a pair) to win. Each of you is dealt three cards, and the cards are shuffled after each hand. Because there are fewer ways to make a straight with 3 cards than a flush, straights rank higher. Aces are high or low. You can make two bets: the Ante and the Pair Plus. The Ante is the fee charged to you for playing the hand. The Pair Plus is your bet that you will get a hand with a pair or higher. You don’t have to make both bets, but you do at least have to bet the Ante to stay in the game. You ante when you put your bet on the game table’s Ante spot. Both you and the dealer are dealt three cards face down. Your next decision? Are these cards good enough for you to bet or should you fold? Fold and lose the ante. Bet and you place your bet that equals the ante in the game table’s Play spot. Win and you get the Ante and the Pair Plus payouts. The dealer has to have a Queen or better to stay in the game. If not, you get payment on their ante only if it pays even money (1 to 1) – and as long as you didn’t fold. Ante Payout - A straight gets a 1 to 1 payout. - A three of a kind gets a 4 to 1 payout. - A straight flush gets a 5 to 1 payout. Pair Plus Payout - A pair gets a 1 to 1 payout. - A flush gets a 4 to 1 payout. - A straight gets a 6 to 1 payout. - A three of a kind gets a 30 to 1 payout. - A straight flush gets a 40 to 1 payout. Remember these tips to help your strategy: - If you have a Queen or better, bet the Pair Plus. If not, fold. - A dealer will get a Queen about 66% of the time. - The house has a 3.4% advantage.