maandag 23 augustus 2010

40’s Night And A Friendly Game Of Poker

In my early post-college years a few select friends, Sam and Pete, shared the same interests that I did – older women and poker. We started going out on Thursday nights to a certain bar that would usually have women in their 40’s recently divorced or single for other reasons. We called it 40’s night. We would usually hit the bar around 8 pm, after the gym and after a few beers. Some nights were dead; others were a bit more exciting. On this one particular night we ran into three other women, Dawn, Melissa and Kelly. Melissa was sporting a t-shirt that said “Double D” scrawled on with a sharpie marker. First instincts were, I guess she must want someone to ask. Thinking it had to do with her anatomy we headed over to strike up a conversation. Turns out the Double D, meant Delightfully Divorced, not what we were thinking. Melissa and a few pals were out celebrating her recent divorce which happened to be finalized that day. After exchanging pleasantries and drinking until closing with them, they asked where we were headed too. My on again – off again girlfriend was at our house (I was with Sam and Pete for moral support) and Sam was living with his Aunt so those two places were out of the picture. Pete’s girlfriend was out of town visiting her parents and was not due back until the next morning, so we headed there. After bringing out the good stuff to drink and the poker case and chips, the suggestion of a friendly game of strip poker came up. All agreed it was just for fun. Well after several hours of drinking and poker, we found ourselves down to our boxers and Melissa’s interesting Double D shirt draped over a chair. The girls were actually playing, while the rest of us did a lot of staring. At about 3:00 in the morning there was a jiggling at the front door, then a gasp, then a scream. Pete’s girlfriend had gotten in early and wanted to surprise him the next day. She was hoping to climb into bed and have him wake up to her smiling face. Instead she was treated to several half naked women along with her almost naked boyfriend. After that night, my on again – off again girlfriend got a call and became my never again girlfriend. And Pete, well, Pete ended up having to go to the emergency room to get some reconstructive work done on his little Pete.

maandag 12 juli 2010

WSOP: The World Series Of Poker

The world series of poker is the ultimate challenge out there for both internet and real poker rooms players. The truth is that if you enter the WSOP you stand a chance to win lots and lots of money. But that is not the only reason. Just the fact that you made it there is a huge realization both for you as a player and for you as a person. If you want to really be a part of the poker world then WSOP is the place to start. With all the media attention you will be getting and with all the famous people that are going to be around you, you will get a chance to real show your skills and to improve them greatly since you will be surrounded only by the best of the best. Being in the heart of all these events and agitation is a quite exciting and fun thing to do in your poker career. Nowadays, because of the satellite tournaments that are played in order to gain entrance to the WSOP, you can easily enter the world series of poker with a limited bankroll. The entrance fee for some of these tournaments can be as low as $40 and with that kind of money you can get to play in the end for over $2.000.000. (the tax required to enter the WSOP can be paid from the money won in the qualifying satellite tournament, so you will really only invest $40). Still, when looking at it mathematically we realize that even entering the WSOP is a very lucky situation and that a many people lose a lot of money trying to enter it and even when they do they just lose instantly their $10.000 bankroll. The WSOP is opened for every person over 21 years old and it can be won even by a skilled player no one has heard about that comes from a satellite tournament. This happened in 2003 when such a player won about $2,500,000 investing just the $ 40 entrance fee to the satellite tournament. Young talents arise every year and ore and more players take part in the WSOP as years pass. You have a chance of winning even this great tournament if you have studied enough, if you learn every day new things and practice every day your strategies and approaches and if you manage to keep an overall good attitude so you can play your best hands and strategies.

zondag 27 juni 2010

Beginners Tips For Texas Holdem

Though Texas holdem is a version of the poker game you need more practice and learn the game perfectly to be a real master of the game. So it is quite a disheartening for a newcomer to think about winnings as they don’t have enough practice. Though the players can not became a champion overnight, you have the chance to play very good and win in the game provided you have the right strategy for the game. Here are some great tips for the novice players. - The first basic thing that a new player should learn about the Texas holdem poker is to go through its rules like the betting structure, the positions and the terminology that are associated with the game. When you are new to the game and don’t have proper practice, you should avoid playing in games where real money is involved. - The basic goal that you should aim for is to formulate the best poker hand which is higher than the other player’s hands. You have to keep concentrate on the game unless the opponents will form straights and flushes while you are think you have a better hand. You have to play attentively and better if you can guess what your opponents have in their hands. - In case you are playing face to face with players, you should know how to control the emotions and possibly restrain it to your self. There are players who have enough experience to read out the opponents. Your body language will tell them everything about your hand. So you should try that others can not get anything about your hand through the emotions. - Another important decision that a player should make is to whether call or fold before the flop. Many advises that players should fold in case your card value is less than 10, however some players call in the same situation when they have 8 or 9 of the same suit that will increase their chances of straight or a flush. The amount for the blind should be decided accordingly. When you have better had you should bet better rather than betting for each hand. - In case you have decided to call before the flop, you have another option of folding after the flop opens. In case you have less than a pair which is necessary for the straight or flush then you can fold. - In case you are the first one to bet after the flop, you should check other cards to know whether you can add to the pot. Again when you have a strong hand by checking you can actually make others belief that you have a weak hand and they act accordingly. These are the things that you should know better though there are many more things that you should learn to be a master.

maandag 10 mei 2010

An Introduction To Online Poker

According to studies, around eighty million Americans enjoy playing poker. With the growing number of online poker sites, more people are joining the burgeoning pool of enthusiasts who enjoy this game. Apart from offering a wider range of games and sites, online poker gives you the opportunity to play with more seasoned players from across the globe. You can rub shoulders with professional poker players online, and perfect your gaming skills. It is difficult to find the best site to play poker. It all depends on what you want at that time. If you are keen to have good tournaments and good customer service, Poker Stars is where you should anchor. On the other hand, if you are using Linux or Mac, you should frequent websites which offers Java-based services. In a nutshell, there will be only a handful of poker sites where you would find a real poker game. These sites don’t indulge in gimmicks to lure traffic, as they are popular for their content. Worrying about losing the deposit money is a genuine concern while playing online. Playing with established poker sites can safeguard you against these risks. These sites are regulated by gaming commissions, backed by leading financial companies and therefore assured to give winners their due. However, keep your eyes open, as these commissions are not authorized by the government and work fairly only to maintain their own reputations. Online poker forums are an excellent source for beginners and experts to meet and discuss the fine points of the game. They can offer advice and feedback which is free and very helpful. Using a credit card is considered wise while funding online poker games. They work as a safety net for problems like overcharging and scams.

vrijdag 23 april 2010

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is an American card-playing derivative of the centuries-old game of Chinese Dominoes. In the early nineteenth century, Chinese laborers introduced the game while working in California. The game’s popularity with Chinese gamblers eventually attracted the attention of entrepreneurial gamers who substituted the traditional tiles with cards and modeled the game into a new form of poker. Introduced into the poker rooms of California in 1986, the game’s immediate acceptance and popularity with Asian poker players drew the attention of Nevada’s casino operators who quickly absorbed the game into their own poker rooms. The popularity of the game has continued into the 21st century. Pai Gow tables accommodate up to six players and a dealer. Differentiating from traditional poker, all players play against the dealer and not against each other. In a counterclockwise rotation, each player is dealt seven face down cards by the dealer. Forty-nine cards are dealt, including the dealer’s seven cards. Each player and the dealer must form two poker hands: a high hand of five cards and a low hand of two cards. The hands are based on traditional poker rankings and as such, a two card hand of two aces would be the highest possible hand of two cards. A five aces hand would be the highest five card hand. How do you get five aces in a standard fifty-two card deck? You are actually playing with a fifty-three card deck since one joker is allowed into the game. The joker is considered a wild card and can be used as another ace or to complete a straight or flush. The highest two hands win each game and only a single player having the two highest hands simultaneously can win. A dice throw from a cup containing three dice determines who will be dealt the first hand. After the hands are dealt, players must form the two poker hands, keeping in mind that the five-card hand must always rank higher than the two-card hand. When all players have set their hands, the dealer will make comparisons with his or her hand rank for payouts. If a player has one hand higher in rank than the dealer’s but a lower second hand, this is considered a tie. If the dealer beats both hands, the player loses. In the case of both player’s hands and both dealer’s hands being identical, the dealer wins. In casino play, ofttimes allowances are made for a player to become the dealer. In this case, the player must have the funds for any payoffs due winning players. Of course, the player acting as dealer can corner some large pots if he can beat most of the players. Some casinos rule that players cannot deal or bank two consecutive hands, and some poker rooms will offer to co-bank 50/50 with any player that elects to take the bank. In all cases, the dealer will ask players in turn if they wish to be the banker. In Pai Gow Poker, you are dealt “static” cards which means you have no opportunity to change cards to possibly improve your hand. However, as in traditional five-card draw, there are strategies to make the best of what you have been dealt. An example is keeping the flushes or straights in the five-card hand and the two cards remaining as the second high hand. If you are lucky enough to draw four aces and a joker, you can keep three aces in the five-card hand and strengthen your two-card hand with the other ace and joker. Two pair? Keep the higher pair in the five-card hand and the other two matching cards will make up the second hand.

donderdag 4 maart 2010

How To Play Poker

Without question, Poker is the most common card game in Las Vegas and Internet casinos. Learning how to play Poker is essential for anyone looking to have fun and make some money at casinos. Once you learn the basics of how to play Poker, you can practice online and play for fun. The basic rules for most variations of Poker are the same, so learning how to play Poker will allow you to change your game and get more enjoyment from your play time. Many people learn how to play Poker by participating in home games, visiting internet casinos or watching live Poker tournaments like the World Series of Poker. A few basic rules will get you on your way. The first step in learning how to play Poker is to memorize the hand ranking. The object of Poker in just about every variation is to form the highest possible five-card hand. From highest to lowest, the order of Poker hands is Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card. Before you figure out any other rules of how to play Poker, you should know the hand ranking off the top of your head so you can concentrate on the game. There is more to learning how to play Poker than hand ranking. You should also familiarize yourself with the various types of Poker that are commonly played in casinos. Stud Poker, which is usually some variation of five-card or seven-card stud, is a Poker game where you try to make the best possible hands from the cards you are dealt. Variations of seven-card stud, such as Omaha and Texas Hold ‘Em, are more common than five-card stud because with seven cards, the game relies more on skill than luck. Draw Poker is another type of game you should investigate in learning how to play Poker. Most casinos don’t offer draw Poker because the odds are excellent for players, but you can find draw Poker games in many for-credit Internet casinos. In draw Poker, depending on the game variation, you can discard a certain number of cards after the initial deal and get that many new cards to make the best possible hand. Knowing how to play Poker will let you participate in the most exciting card game around. After you learn how to play Poker, you can work on your bluffing skills (actions you can use against live opponents to make them think your cards are better than theirs so they will fold, or withdraw from the game) and maybe even find yourself with a seat at the World Series of Poker. Practice your Poker skills online or with friends so you can learn all the tricks about how to play Poker.

maandag 15 februari 2010

Bellagio Poker Room Reviewed

Introduction: The poker room in the hotel Bellagio is lavishly designed, but that is not what I have examined. In the following article, you will be able to read about the different poker games and tournaments offered as well as the poker tables, odds and gaming pros and cons. The Bellagio devotes poker to three large sections. The first is the standard game room where one can participate in regular holdem and Omaha games. The next is a special section for those wanting to play for high cash betting. This section is called Bobbys poker room. The third game section is a location that can be hired and is called Club Prive. Advantages: 1) A regular WPT tournament venue, playing poker at this casino gives you the chance to play where celebrities have been but also allows you to enter and watch those games live. 2) No one (not even the high stake pros) is allowed to smoke in any of the casino halls. This means that your poker gaming environment is smoke free. 3) The Bellagio caters to all poker tastes. It offers game tables where one can play different variations of poker as well as different pot limitations and wagering regulations. A big plus is the daily no limit games that they run. 4) The Bellagio bar serve high-priced alcohol and cocktails and do not charge for these drinks. In addition, you can keep your valuables and money in special safes that they give you. 5) Three different tournaments take place at the Bellagio. The first is as I stated above: the No Limit Holdem countdown. But there are two more highly popular tournaments. From Sundays to Thursdays, the buy in amounts to fifty dollars as well as a starting sum of five hundred and if you prefer the weekend, then the sum multiplies by two into a thousand dollars and an eighty dollar buy in. Cons: 1) Because the poker room at Bellagio is highly esteemed and brings in many enthusiasts, you will have to wait for quite some time until a chair opens up. If you are in Vegas during the weekend, the waiting might stretch up to an hour or more. 2) Mainly because of the reputation that the Bellagio has gained through the years, and also because many poker pros prefer this poker room to others in Vegas, winning at this location is tougher than any other poker playing room in Vegas. 3) Because the Bellagio serves the finest booze and because their bartenders have the ability to whip up cocktails that will make you ask for more, this is not a very ideal place to bet money at. 4) If you play at one of the high stake rooms such as Bobbys Poker rooms, you will be competing against world professionals and not just local self-named experts. Conclusion: If you consider yourself a professional or at least have respectable skills at playing this card game, then the poker room at Bellagio is the one to pick if you are in Vegas. But, if you are relatively new to the game, stay away from the Bellagio and choose another Las Vegas poker room unless you want to lose all your money and fast.