Online Poker Etiquette

There is a huge valley of difference between playing online and live poker. Few things are there which distinguish online poker from playing live. Both modes could be equally enjoyable and challenging. If you are wondering where there are lesser chances of being abused then it’s your mistake. Just by remembering some points, you can enjoy your online gaming with your opponents.
1) When you are playing online first thing is to keep up to date your internet connection. It is found most of the time that you are about to finish a hand but you miss it due to discontinuation of internet .And that’s very frustrating. Make sure it will not happen.
2) Keep an eye on the table timings, while it is your turn to play. Try to think and decide during the given time limit of the online playing room software. However, the time is sufficient to come to a conclusion about your move.
3) Don’t try to fill the chat box with dirty and abusive language. You will get nothing out of  it but the same garbage in return. It will be a misuse of the facility given to you and can be taken back if not used in a proper manner.
4) Another very irritating behavior is, to discuss your cards and hand with some one else while you are out of hand and he is about to act in the existing hand. By doing so, you are just making him strong enough to pull you down in the next round. So better try avoid such things.
Playing online is a very good way of learning through your mistake and improves the game accordingly. No matter, whether you are playing online or live, the out come should be sheer enjoyment. So, try to gain as much fun and joy from your game by remembering simple things discussed above.

How To Be A Winner of Sit and Goes.

Most players ignore sit and goes tournament while they play online .For a player it is very easy to win as well as to grab a large amount of money  if he opt to play in this tournament .Such tournament  has least risk factor. Of course one can be a winner of such tournaments but it will take few seasons to pass.

Here are some steps which leads you to the throne of a winner.

1) Build the bankroll first

Until you don’t have enough bank roll don’t put much of money to buy in the chips beyond your cash limit. Start with small amount and gradually move ahead.

 2) Be tolerant 

 One who has less patience will be there in the game for even lesser time. So be tolerant and stop playing marginal hands. Make your hands strong enough to play. Play tightly in the beginning and let your aggression come out later in the game.

3) Small pairs and suited connectors

 If you are looking out for hands which bring money to you then this is the best option at sit and goes tournament. Try to get the advantage of your hand by all means. Limping with early and mid position would be better. Weak opponents are the forces for you to raise and steal blinds. Suited connectors are also very important key point which should not be neglected at any cost because later in the game it will lose their values so it’s better to use them in the right time.

4) Play of mid game  

 Till mid of the game keep playing tightly. Calling a bet in this stage would be a bit risky affair .At this movement small pairs push you on the highest level at the same time suited connectors disappears completely. Aggression is the weapon to be used now.

 5) Late in the game

 In the late game it’s the position which a main role .Till now there would be less players and blinds reaches to the higher level. The opponent presumes you as a tight player let him be in this illusion now go ahead to raise and steal the blinds.

6) Play of heads up

Aggression is the sole catalyst of this part of game. Be a wrestler who throws other players out of the ring.  High ace is a mamonth heads up and one must take care of it.  High king is also not bad.

Continue playing and maintain your style.

 7) Position

 Playing position is very important. Calling marginal hands in a comparatively early position is not at all a good move. So don’t do it.

 8 ) Multi tabling in sit and goes

Playing with multi tabling option is the key which opens the lock of treasure. Initially two to four tables is enough rather it is a recommendation. If try to go for more tables then your play will get affected. 

 9) Be there

 Despite of much bad beats don’t lose your hope and stick to your place .Don’t get afraid if you have chips in less numbers still there are your winning chances but for that you have to act smartly.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheating in Poker

It’s much skill and less luck in poker. Yes that’s true poker is the game of skills. If a player is having fewer skills than his opponents then he is prone to lose the game. It is also very important to understand the psychology behind poker. So that a new player wont get stuck after making moves bad.

 

A player with less experience is the weakest key for other players to open the lock of treasure of cash .The solution for that inexperienced player is to learn as much as he can and learning should reflect in his game time to time. A players common sense also plays an important role .Till that player has not enough cash should not move ahead .There is no sense in feeding the pot un necessary or to call and check without any purpose.

 

It happens occasionally for some players a particular day becomes unlucky. They becomes the victim of  bad beat in which the player has the illusion that he is having good cards but in reality the river card clears the picture of his defeat .They should fold or rest for a while till gaining the confidence again.

 

There is a strong relation between a cheater and the loser. Sharper, cardsharps are few synonyms used for cheaters. Cheater always tries to peep in to others hand .And also keep an eye over un dealt cards of his opponents. There are different tricks which they use with an intention to deceive others.  Players cheat in a group of 2 or more. There would be a deep involvement of all cheaters and they conspire together .They also send signals to each other about what action is to be performed after a particular hand is dealt .Of course they are partners and they also share the pot after any of them wins though in an undisclosed manner .

Texas Holdem Position

A player’s position on the table has great importance in Texas Holdem .It affects how you play a particular hand. But it’s equally true that position is neglected by most skilled as well as new players. If one wants to be fantastic player he must be very well aware of strategy and way of utilizing the position to get the advantage.

After every hand the place of dealer button is changed and player position only decided by this change of dealer button. It goes counter clock wise player after player. Begins with the player who is sitting left of the dealer .Early position is the term which is used to denote those who get the very first chance to start the game. Just opposite of that late position contains those who get the chance after the players who played earlier. It is very easy now to deduce who are in the middle position.

Late position players get the optimum benefit with compare to the players who played in earlier position the reason is simple they will be playing lately in each round of betting. It gives them the chance to know the action done by every player .They also get to know that what kind of strategy any player has applied. And now they can act accordingly while playing hand of their own. If any one is in the out position it means he‘ll be facing some sort of problem this can hold some one back to possess a strategy

Few points about bankroll

The amount of money which one should spend could be a question for any new player.

But there are answers too:

One who is new to the game and is seeking for joy instead of real game then it’s an advice for him/her not to spend too much amount otherwise there are chances to lose the game. Start with a small amount and put the efforts to convert it into big one.

The appearance of bankroll is distinct for every player who some how succeed to prove themselves champions. Such player manages to build high cash in a prescribed limit. This gives them the benefit to cope up with the hard times in the game.

To spend in higher than two hundred big bets would be hazardous for you .If not you are able to establish yourself as a victorious limit player.

Keeping a record of day to day session is a good practice .It will let you know about your progress in the session and what the frequency of your winning .According to income tax point of view is advantageous .to use Check your bet is considered to be helpful if you are a frequent player.

 

Cometh the Flop -2

Not taking it seriously

 

In most Holdem betting formats, the second round    of betting which comes just after the flop, is at the lower betting limit. For example, in a $5/S 10 hold ‘em game, this second round of betting is a $5 round (the same as the round of betting before the flop). When you first start to play hold ‘em, it might seem to you that many people do not take this particular (lower limit) round of betting seriously! It probably seems quite fashionable to make wild and woolly bets and raises after the flop! Is there rhyme or reason to all this? The answer is generally yes — but, as with many things in life, the aggressive players often overplay the situation.

 

In most of these after-the-flop competitive situations, the more aggressive players are jockeying around (especially when the pot has been enlarged by before-the-flop raises) in order to further their own prospects by Intimidating and perhaps eliminating less tenacious competition. Good Players usually understand what they are trying to accomplish (such as “take the initiative,” “narrow the field,” or grab “the raiser’s edge”). But many  players act aggressively on instinct or are imitating the actions of good players (often inappropriately). Or they may be simply reacting to previous events. There are few reliable inferences from most after-the-flop raises. But note very well that most often these bets and raises are based on marginal cards rather than on truly good cards!

Last raiser’s advantage

If no one has a good hand (a situation which occurs often — perhaps more than one-third of the time), the person who bets, often wins the pot by default. Whenever there is a raise (or raises) after the flop, it is the last raiser who is most likely to win the pot uncalled. Although well under half of the pots are stolen (perhaps between ten and thirty percent depending on the game), being the bettor when no one has much is certainly an edge worth having and hence worth fighting for! You might refer to the (extra) percentages of winning by default obtained by betting or raising as “the bettor’s equity” or “the raiser’s edge.”

There are a number of other tangible benefits gained by betting aggressively after the flop. Some of the positional considerations will be discussed later. Sometimes “image adjustment” is a factor. And sometimes these raising battles after the flop degenerate to interpersonal psychological battles.

An illustrative example of sound aggressive raising strategy after the flop is in the situation where there was a late raise before the flop trapping several callers, thereby creating a big initial pot. The flop comes and one of the early players bet. You have a reasonable (but not great) call, and you would like to compete because of the pot size. But you suspect that the before-the-flop raiser in back of you might raise (frequently on nothing but high cards).

In these situations, sound aggressive “hold ‘em mentality” tells us that if you are going to compete, your odds improve considerably if you take the initiative by raising! Note that you are essentially inverting your normal strategy. You raise with lesser marginal hands(!) and merely call with very good hands!

   

Cometh the Flop -1

The flop hits the table. There is perhaps no more exciting moment in all of poker when so much happens at one time. These three up cards, called “the flop,” can easily turn a great two-card starting hand into foldable mush or turn two junk cards (for example, a typical bad “blind” hand) into pure gold! And note that you see all three of these flop cards (which together with your two hand cards constitutes five of the seven cards), all for the price of one round of betting (the round of betting before the flop). This is quite a bargain, compared with most other forms of poker with open cards, where five cards are seen only after several rounds of betting.

But, as this flop hits the table, you are strongly advised to look around at the other players instead of feasting your eyes on this latest awesome flop (you can look at the flop later). At this particular moment, some very useful information is available to those who know enough to look for it.

Studying players

Quite often even good players make spontaneous facial expressions or other motions (referred to as “tells”) which indicate whether they particularly like or dislike the flop. If this is one of the many hands that you have chosen not to play (that is, you folded before the flop), this is a great time to study the active players to check out what kind of hands they bet, call or raise with, whether they play loose or tight, whether they tend to “chase” or fold when behind, “pay off’ at the end, etc. This is information you must have in your memory banks to help you make subsequent close decisions. But observe inconspicuously; you strongly prefer that your opponents do not become aware that they are being watched (even not-too- bright opponents can pick up on this).

For example, if you have a high pair, one or more higher cards in the flop often sends you to the showers. Even with aces you may face impending doom when a high pair hits the board, or three of the same suit, or even three to a straight such as jack-ten-nine. On the other hand, if you entered in the blind with 7-2 off suit, and the flop hits with three more of these cards (such as 7-7-2), then you have obviously struck gold.

Mike Caro says: “Watch the players, not the flop, even when you’re not involved in the hand. There’s absolutely no reason for you to watch the flop. If you do, you’ll miss the most important tells in hold ‘em. The flop will still be there when you’re ready to look. Pick out one opponent and watch that player watch the flop. Either the opponent continued to stare at the flop for several seconds or the opponent looked away uninterested. Which was it? Make a decision each time you see that opponent look at the flop. Usually when opponents scrutinize a flop and then nonchalantly look away, they like the flop. They’re simply pretending that it doesn’t interest them. Conversely, if they continue to stare as if studying the flop optimistically, it probably didn’t help them at all. I will not discuss their motives in depth, but I devoted a book (complete with 179 photographs) to that complex topic. It’s called Mike Caro’s Book of Tells the Body Language of Poker.”

The flop hits the table. You have scrutinized the opposition. Now it is time to commence firing. What are the main guiding principles? If the flop gives you a lock hand (very unlikely to lose), you should probably check in an early seat about two-thirds of the time (reasons discussed later). If the flop completely misses you, you will probably check intending to fold at the first bet (in early seat, it is rare to bluff with nothing — unless you have some specific knowledge about your opponents). Very good and very bad hands are relatively easy to play. But planning your campaign after the flop with in-between hands is probably the most skill-intensive area in hold ‘em. And your position with respect to the dealer (button) is an extremely important aspect in your planning.

Playing table

Let It Ride is played on a table that is very similar to a blackjac1 and is usually located in or near the blackjack area. In most casinos is easy to find because there is an elevated sign at the table identifying the game. The table has six or seven player positions around the curved side of the table (see illustration). The dealer stands at the flat side with a chip rack directly in front of her and a card-shuffling machine to her right.

 

At each player position are three betting circles. In most casinos they are marked, from left to right: “$“, “2,” and “1” (some casinos reverse the order). These circles are where the three mandatory bets are placed prior to dealing a hand. There is also a red-lighted spot above the three betting circles where an optional $1 bonus side bet may be placed. The spot will light up to indicate which players are qualified for the bonus.

Directly in front of the chip rack are two rectangular boxes, sometimes marked with the numbers “1” and “2.” This is where the dealer places the two community cards (initially face down).

How the game is played

 

The most important goal in Let It Ride is to end up with a five card poker hand that is at least as good as a pair of tens. For players who invested an extra dollar to qualify for the bonus payout, the secondary goal is to get a hand that is equal or better than the minimum bonus payout. Depending on the particular pay table, this may be a pair of tens, two pair, or three-of-a-kind.

 

Start

 

At the start of each game, you have to place equal bets in each of the three betting circles. Most Let It Ride tables have either a $5 or a $10 minimum bet requirement. This is a little misleading because a $5 minimum means you must bet at least $15 ($5 in each circle). However, if you are unhappy with how your hand develops, you can pull back as much as $10 of your initial $15 bet. When you place your three bets, you may also put a dollar on the red bonus spot. This is entirely optional; however, if you do not invest the dollar, you will have no chance of winning the extra bonus, regardless of how good a hand you might have.

 

 

Once all the bets are placed, the dealer distributes three face-do cards to each player from a shuffling machine. The dealer also places two face-down cards on the two rectangular boxes at the center of the table. These are the two community cards that will ultimately be a part of each player’s hand. In some casinos, the community cards are not dealt out until each player has made the first betting decision. You may now look at your three cards, but you aren’t supposed to show them to anyone else.

 

 

Sure winner

 

If your hand is a sure winner (has a pair of tens or better), or if you believe the addition of the two community cards will make your hand a winner, you should let the first bet ride. Do this by squaring up the cards and laying them face down directly behind the center bet.

 

 

Looser

 

 

If the hand appears to be a loser, you should lightly scratch the cards on the table (similar to asking for a hit in blackjack). The dealer will then push the first bet out of the circle so that you may retrieve it. Note that pulling back your bet is not the same as folding your hand. You continue to play—you just have less money riding on the hand. After all the players at the table have made their betting decisions, the dealer turns over the first of the two community cards, and the entire process is repeated. You re-evaluate your hand just as before except that you now have four cards on which to base your judgment. At this time, you can pull back your second bet if the hand does not look good, or “let it ride” if it does. Keep in mind that you may pull back your second bet even if you let the first bet ride.

Poker Hand Ranking

   Below is a list of winning Poker hands, and how they rank, including an example for each type.This hand ranking applies to all kinds of poker games, including Texas Holdem.

The High card: The highest ranked card in the deck is an Ace, and the ranking runs from the Ace down through the cards all the way to 2. 

Pair:Any two cards of the same kind, for example: two kings.

Two Pairs:Two sets of cards of the same kind, for example: two nines and two fours.

Three of a Kind:Three cards of the same kind, for example: three jacks (also called trips or a set when you have a pocket pair and the flop comes with that same card).

Straight:Five cards in sequential order, for example: 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace (Note: the ace can be used both as the lowest and highest card).

Flush:Any five cards of the same suit, for example: 2, 4, 7, 9 and 10 of spades.

Full House:A combination of three of a kind and a pair, for example: three kings and two tens.

Four of a Kind:Four cards of the same kind, for example: four nines.

Straight Flush:Five cards in sequential order of the same suit, for example: 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of hearts.

Royal Flush:The best poker hand, a royal flush, is a straight flush containing: 10, J, Q, K and Ace of the same suit, for example: 10, J, Q, K, and Ace of spades.

Setting hands

Pai Gow Poker uses a standard 52-card deck plus one joker. The joker may only be used as an ace or to complete a straight, a flush, or a straight flush. When used in a straight or straight flush, the joker becomes the rank and suit of the card needed to complete the hand. When used in a flush, it becomes the highest ranking missing card of the flush suit. It can never be used as part of a pair, three-of-a-kind, four-of-a-kind, or five-of-a-kind for any card other than an ace. If it is used alone, the joker becomes an ace. In poker parlance, such a joker is known as a bug. To reiterate, you are dealt seven cards, which you arrange to make two hands: a two card hand and a five card hand. The poker value of the five card hand must be higher than the two card hand. Since this can be done in more than one way, the object is to set the two hands so that they have the best chance of beating the banker’s two hands. The highest possible five card hand is five aces, which consists of the four aces and the joker. The highest two card hand is a pair of aces. The two card hand cannot be a straight or a flush. When you first receive your cards, the best procedure is to arrange them in order, from the highest rank to the lowest rank. Then look for the possibility of a flush or a straight. If you were dealt the joker, check to see if it can complete a flush or straight, or make a pair of aces. Finally, look for pairs and triplets.

                                                                            

Once you have reviewed the hand and are aware of all the possible combinations, set it according to the strategy rules shown in the Playing Strategy section, below. When you have decided how to set your hand, place the cards face down in two stacks with the two card hand above the five card hand. At every player position, there are two boxes. The one marked HIGH is where the five card hand goes, and the one marked 2nd HIGHEST is where the two card hand goes. The five- card hand is sometimes referred to as the back hand, and the two card hand is sometimes called the low hand or the front hand. You should be very careful and deliberate when setting your hand. This is especially true when it contains the joker. The basic idea is to make the two card hand as high as possible without exceeding the value of the five card hand. If you don’t have good enough cards to make two winning hands, you should try for a push by forming one hand that will not lose. For example, if you are dealt the following cards: Dealer assistance If you can’t figure out the best way to set your cards, you may ask the dealer for assistance. The dealer will suggest how to set them according to the house rules, but will not take responsibility for winning or losing hands. If one of the other players is the banker, you should avoid doing this because seeing your cards will give that person a distinct advantage in setting his own hand (he knows what he has to beat), especially if there are few players at the table.