Poker Tips

Poker Tips

  1. 2012-11-14 11:21:35

    Listen to Your Gut

    There are those on betfair.com that believe that there is a sixth sense. Some call it intuition, some call it gut feel and some may even be as bold as to call it clairvoyance.

    Information flows from your mind in the form of ?hunches.? You have no idea where this information comes from but you know that you should not look a gift horse in the mouth. Your body and mind is trying desperately to let you into a little secret, so it???s important to listen.

    Hunches materialise after biological changes in your body alert the mind that you need a little bit of help. Your heart may beat faster and your throat may go dry. This is your body???s way of telling your mind that it could do with a little support.

    In poker, you will feel this way a considerable amount of time. But there is an internal battle for power raging inside of you. Although your sub-conscious mind is trying to tell you that you should fold, your ego is trying to tell you to call.

    The battle between the ?hunch? and the ego will always rage, and although we can???t help you win the war, we can help you win one or two battles with a simple piece of advice.

    If you think your hand is not good enough, then you are probably right. Listen to your gut and fold your hand quickly. Do not allow the ego to get its thinking cap on.

    There is always another hand, and better ways to make your money, such as playing Betfair Omaha Poker. Let the marginal decisions go and wait until you hold all of the cards.

    Posted by KCasey at 2012-11-14 11:21:35 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

  2. 2012-10-30 11:49:03

    Shutting Down in Poker

    There are a myriad of reasons why people choose to play cash games instead of tournaments, and one of them is the ability to leave the game at anytime.

    This is something that you cannot do in a tournament and why cash games hold such an instant gratification sort of appeal.

    So, why is it so difficult to leave?

    It is true that the ability to leave a cash game whenever you like is paradoxical. Imagine you are ahead in the game; you have won more money than you imagined, so it makes sense to leave.

    Your only problem is that you have not been playing long and, if you leave, people will think badly of you because you haven???t given them the opportunity to win their money back.

    Conversely, when you have lost a ton of cash, you also find it very difficult to leave the game because you want to win the money back.

    So, what should you do?

    There is an etiquette that should be observed in poker; after all, you would not want somebody taking your money and running.

    What you can do is shutdown and play sensible and solid poker for the next few hours. Keep away from the high variance spots with a view of taking home a sizeable profit.

    Players may notice and frown at your behaviour, but at least you are still in the game. Another tip is to always give your opponents sufficient warning that you are leaving.

    This could be one or two hours or even just an orbit or two, but whatever you do, do not just get up and leave in a heartbeat.

    Follow the link for the best poker software available online, and receive up to 40% value back by joining the players??? club: http://betting.betfair.com/poker/.

    Posted by KCasey at 2012-10-30 11:49:03 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

  3. 2012-10-12 12:39:55

    The Rarity of Bluff Raising on the River

    Poker is a game where playing it simple will pay greater dividends over the long-term.

    It takes quite a while to get used to this fact, and people are often influenced by things like televised High Stakes poker, or by watching an online coach destroying four-tables of $5/10 Six Max Cash with a VPIP of 55%.

    This is why the rocks do so well in the game. It???s a given that they are not going to set poker single table tournaments alight, but they can eek out a steady profit by playing it simple.

    In reality, it is not just the rocks that are playing it steady. After a few heavy losses, players soon pull themselves in line.

    With this in mind, let???s focus on the rare act of bluff raising on the river.You are not going to encounter this move often, and if you do it will generally be against a very good opponent. So, if players are not bluff-raising that often, how can we take advantage?

    The best time to take advantage of this knowledge is when you and your opponent end up at the river, and you believe that they have missed their draw. You are also sat with a busted draw and so to win the pot you just need to make a small bet.

    Hopefully, by laying out the groundwork you can see that it is unlikely that you will be bluff raised, and it is also unlikely you will be called by ace or king high, especially at the lower stakes.

    By adjusting your bet size on the lower end of the scale, you lose less when called and it also seems like a value bet from the eyes of your opponent.

    Did you enjoy reading this article? Find more like it on the Betfair poker news website.

    Posted by KCasey at 2012-10-12 12:39:55 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

  4. 2012-09-24 11:59:52

    Four-Betting: Pocket Tens and Pocket Jacks

    When it comes to four betting, your decisions are often made easier when you are holding either trash or the nuts.

    But what about the hands like pocket tens and pocket jacks? How should you best approach these hands when considering four-betting in Sit and Go Tournaments?

    The first important point is to recognize that they are both very valuable hands. If your four-bet sizing is small, for example 2 or 2.5x the size of the three-bet, you could be losing a lot of value.

    Players do not bluff as often as our brains would like us to think, so if we are going to four-bet with these types of hands, and are welcoming action, we are not going to like what we see.

    By betting so small, we may even induce hands like ace-queen, ace-jack, or king-queen to five-bet shove and this is a mistake, as we really want them to fold. By betting so small we give off the impression that they have fold equity.

    So, if you consider these points, you should shove, call, or four-bet somewhat bigger than normal, when you are holding pocket tens or jacks.

    Obviously, your decision will be player dependant. Against your more passive opponents, you can safely call and play some post flop poker; if they are aggressive, then you might be better just shoving, as you may face a lot of pressure post flop.

    If the player is an absolute rock and he three-bets you, then you could even consider just folding and waiting for a better spot, especially if his raise comes from early position.

    Go online for the latest Betfair poker news and tips, as well as the latest from the professional poker circuit.

    Posted by KCasey at 2012-09-24 11:59:52 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

  5. 2012-09-18 08:33:47

    Online Poker: Bankroll Management

    Online poker can be an exceptionally interesting hobby. It challenges you intellectually, it provides competition and, if you play for real money, you can win a few pounds as well.

    But like all hobbies, poker also has the ability to be destructive. It can consume you, become addictive and, if you play for real money, you can lose a few pounds as well.

    In order to enjoy your time on the virtual felt, you need to play without fear. One way of injecting fear into your game is to play for money that you can???t afford to lose. So, to avoid such problems, you need to deploy sound bankroll management tactics.

    The safest and most sensible approach for online poker is to play for free. It gives you time to you learn the rules, the software, and try and figure out what games you would like to play. When you are ready to play for real money, start by creating some rules.

    Here are some examples:

    1. Stop Loss: select an amount that, if you lose, you will stop playing, irrespective of how well you are playing.

    2. Number of Buy-Ins: Select a number of buy-ins that you need in your bankroll to play a particular game or stake. If you decide to play $1/2 cash games with a 30-buy-in rule then you need $6000 bankroll.

    3. Prepare to Drop Down: Taking the example made in point two, if you have a few losing sessions and your bankroll drops to $4000, then you need to lower your game and start playing 50c/$1. You then move back up when you climb above the $6000 threshold.

    If you deploy these sorts of rules within your game, then fear cannot penetrate, and your poker will be fun. However, if you are struggling with poker, why not try European and American Roulette online on intercasino.com?

    Posted by KCasey at 2012-09-18 08:33:47 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

  6. 2012-08-28 11:18:58

    The Beauty of Position

    Each sport has its advantages. In tennis, you have the serve, in soccer, you have home advantage, and in poker, you have position. But what exactly is it, and why is it an advantage?

    Poker is played around a table full of seats. Most of these seats have specific names assigned to them.

    Let???s take a look at a six-handed poker game on Betfair Poker to give you an example of what we are talking about.

    The first seat on the table is known as the small blind, and then you have the big blind, under the gun, the hijack, the cutoff, and finally the button. The button is an imaginary dealer position, and this is where the cards are dealt (i.e. the first player to receive a card is the small blind).

    The benefit of position is acting last in a hand. For this purpose, the closer you are to the button, the better your position is, with the button itself being the best position to play poker from. These facts hold true on almost all forms of poker.

    If you are on the button, then you get to see your opponent???s actions before you make your decision. This allows you to determine weakness and strength, both by physical tells and bet sizings.
    You can also control the size of the pot better from position because you will often be given the final option to raise or to check.

    Positional advantage also gives you more opportunities to bluff. If you smell weakness, and the action checks through to you, then you are in a prime spot to bluff when you are playing your poker from the button.

    Learn more about poker, both the professional and amateur games, on the Betfair Poker News page.

    Posted by KCasey at 2012-08-28 11:18:58 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

  7. 2012-07-19 15:22:45

    Win big bucks in online tournaments

    Playing online casino games is often one of the easiest, quickest, and most stress-free ways of making money???and one of the best ways to do this is in online tournaments.

    Casino websites tend to offer many different games, such as poker and blackjack, which have established tournament options, allowing you to play against real people. There are different versions of individual games to choose from, so you can pick whichever one suits your style best to make sure you start raking in the winnings.

    Prize-pools vary in size, so whether you???re looking for some money for a night out or for a new summer wardrobe, there are games available to suit your needs.

    Even if you are a beginner to online casino games, you can find games aimed at people with similar skill levels to you. This is designed to give you an even better chance of winning.

    If conventional casino games such as blackjack aren???t really your thing, bear in mind that many sites also hold slots tournaments, which are often fast-paced and frantic, making your online experience even more exciting. These game modes are ideal if you have a spare ten minutes to log on and win some cash.

    Some tournaments also run over a few days with large prizes, so for those of you with time on your hands these can be a great way to win big while having plenty of fun at the same time, and even meeting new friends. Even if you don???t finish top of the pile, many websites offer decent prizes for top 5, 10, and sometimes even top 20!

    Written by Kieron, a regular player of livecasino.smartlivegaming.com.

    Posted by KCasey at 2012-07-19 15:22:45 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)