Poker

Variations Of Poker

Other than No Limit Texas Hold Em, there are many other forms of poker. This article is dedicated to forms of poker other than No Limit Texas Hold Em, and how to play each game.

Limit Texas Hold Em

Like No Limit Texas Hold Em, Limit Hold Em is played with players being dealt 2 cards down, 5 community cards (Flop, Turn River) and 4 betting rounds. This is where the similarities end. Limit Hold Em is played with betting limits, unlike No Limit. In Limit Hold Em, players are allowed 1 call and 3 raises, which caps the action. So if the blinds are 50/100, player 1 can only call the 100. Player 2 can raise to 200, Player 3 can reraise to 300, and Player 4 can cap the action at 400. This means player 1 has to call 300, Player 2 has to call 200, and Player 3 has to call 100.

Another major difference between No Limit and Limit is that in Limit Hold Em the betting limits change on the turn. In Limit Hold Em, when the blinds are 50/100, the minimum bet pre flop and on the flop is 100. This bet doubles on the turn and river to 200. The same 1 call and 3 raise max rule applies to all betting levels.

Some things to keep in mind when playing Limit Hold Em are try to play premium hands and don’t try to play every hand. Just because it is a limit game doesn’t mean you should chase all your draws or play any 2 cards. You’ll go broke doing so. When you have a hand, bet! By allowing players to see free cards, you’re giving them the opportunity to win the hand by catching there card.

A lot of people frown on playing Limit Hold Em because of their experiences playing in casinos. In low limit cash games at casino’s you will find a lot of loose players. They have to change their game in limit hold em tournaments because the blinds will increase regularly, making it impossible to play bad cards for a cheap price.

Pot Limit Texas Hold Em

Pot Limit Texas Hold Em is played just liked its no limit cousin, with the only difference is the maximum one can bet is the size of the pot. Lets say preflop the blinds are 50/100, and the there is 150 in the pot ( just the blinds) and player A bets the pot. In order to bet the pot, player A has to call the big blind, then bet the size of the pot. So player A’s total bet is 350, since he has to call the big blind. Lets say after the flop there is 1000 in the pot and player a wants to bet the pot. Player A only has to bet 1000 since there was no outstanding bet to call.

Pot Limit games do allow players to go all in, but the pot has to be large to enough for a player to do so. Your position really affects how you play in Pot Limit games. If you bet the pot from 1st position, the bet is small enough not to scare anyone out. But a pot sized bet from the button will usually be enough to win the pot.

Royal Hold Em

Royal Hold Em is Texas Hold Em with a twist. Royal Hold Em is played with only 10’s, Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces. This game can be played with up to 6 players. Royal Hold Em can be played in any format, but it’s generally played as a limit game with a lot of action.

Pineapple

Pineapple can be played 2 different ways; Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple. Both games are played like Texas Hold Em, except all players are dealt 3 cards instead of 2. In Pineapple, players must discard one of the 3 cards they were dealt before any betting occurs. In Crazy Pineapple, players play all 3 cards to the flop. One of the players hole cards must be discarded before any betting occurs on the flop.

Both games can be played as limit, pot limit, or no limit games. Crazy Pineapple can also be played as a Hi/Lo game, meaning the best hand wins half the pot and the low hands wins half the pot. Although it’s usually not played as a money game, Pineapple is a good dealers choice game and a way to mix things up

Omaha

Omaha is a community game like Texas Hold Em, with a flop, turn and river. In Omaha, players are dealt 4 cards instead of 2, and thru out the whole hand players must use 2 of their hole cards at all times. Omaha can be played as either a limit game, or as a pot limit game, which it normally is played as. Some online card rooms offer it as a no limit game, but this defeats the true game itself.

Omaha is one of the few games that a player can flop the nut straight and fold because of potentially bigger draws hitting. Lets say Player A flops the nut straight with 2 clubs on the board and bets the pot. Player B re bets the pot, and Player C re bets the pot. Player A can assume both Players B and C are on flush draws and fold his straight since if the 3rd club comes, he’s done for.

Omaha is a game where players really have to read the board, looking for flush draws, and also full houses if the board happens to pair. Hand selection is very important too, since even less hands are really playable in Omaha because of how the game works. Ideally you’d want all cards to work together is some way, like pairs with hi connectors. AAJT double suited is the best starting hand for this reason. [Read more…] about Variations Of Poker

Want Bigger Wins this Summer in Poker – Get Your Heads Up Game Right

By Martin

Summertime poker games can definitely pass the time quite fine, but you want to make sure that you have your wits about you. There will be plenty of players in the game that are easy to beat, which might give you a false sense of confidence. But watch out, as there are players that are waiting for you to have your guard down. That’s when they’re going to strike. They might let you pick off all of the weaker players, only to beat you in the final rounds.

The reality of poker is this: there is a vast difference between finishing first and finishing second. And don’t get us started on the difference between finishing second and finishing third, or any of the other places. The money drops off, leaving you frustrated. After all, if you’re going to put part of your bankroll into SnG tournaments, you might as well get good money out of it.

The nice thing about SnGs is that you don’t have to put too much money into it in order to get a good ROI. You do, however have to be aware of the heads up battle. You don’t want to get all the way down to the end and not have any idea of what to do. If you’ve been taking a break from poker for a while, you might be a little rusty. So here’s a quick guide on what to do, how to play, and your thoughts during the game.

First and foremost, you need to make sure that you’re thinking a bit ahead of each and every hand. Some players feel that you should just react to whatever the other player is doing at the time. But this sets up a rough time for one big reason: you’re not going to be able to discount bluffing. Bluffing can throw off your strategy. A lot of players bluff at the heads up stage. Instead of just going with whatever the other player does, put in some strategy on your own. Push if you have a great hand. This isn’t the time to back down, or try to play a monster hand soft. You must push in when you have something big. Yes, there’s a chance that the other person is going to back down. That’s what you want. You’re basically sending them the message that you’re not to be messed with.

Eventually, someone will make a play that they shouldn’t. This is where the game will ultimately be decided. You want to wait for your opponent to go in when they really shouldn’t. Give them the illusion that you’re at a weak position, and they’ll dive in. Their assumption is that you’re on the rocks, but this assumption will be the end of them.

It can take time to practice this, and that’s okay. Go for some free poker games where you can really practice your strategy. Your perfect strategy will fall into place if you give it some time!

Sharp Poker Turns Ahead – Are You Ready

By Martin

One of the toughest things to do in poker is to handle the “ups and downs” of the game effectively. While some players handle poker’s hairpin turns with ease, many more players are shocked at how volatile the game really is. Just when you think that you’re riding high, you have some setbacks that you have to deal with. Just when you think that you’re far ahead of the competition, a series of “dumb moves” can leave you scrambling for chips.

Maybe the old saying should be amended: all’s fair in love, war, and …poker.

But you’re not in the business of making dumb moves. You’ve found the best game in the world for honing your critical thinking skills. You can either go to the top of the heap in poker, or you can fall from grace in the blink of an eye. Some people say that winning at poker is luck, but there is truly a strong element of skill in the game. Luck can only carry you so much.

Setting the Tone for a Great Poker Game

If you’re trying to navigate the sharp poker turns ahead of you, think about this first: every player has to act on the information that they have in front of them, as well as the cards that they’re working with. More sophisticated players also look at what cards could possibly be held in another player’s hand at the table. This is critical in figuring out how strong your hand really is.

Don’t Forget the Psychological

Poker isn’t just a game of luck or skill alone. It’s also a battle of wits. You might think that you have the strongest hand, and you might even feel confident about that. But do you really have the best hand at the table, or are you going to be pressured by the other players? There’s no need to think that you’re always the strongest hand, but you shouldn’t automatically think that you’re the weakest. There are plenty of players that actually play weak hands strong just to see who will clear out of the pot. Sometimes it pays off big time to challenge them at the showdown to see what they’re really made of.

The place you indulge all of your big poker dreams at can really make a difference in your performance. If you know that you’re at a well-known, high quality casino, then you know that fair play is the name of the game. Unfortunately, plenty of people fall prey to “fly by night” places that don’t treat the player as a valued customer. You deserve better, so make sure that you play at a reputable casino. They know how to keep the poker fun going for a long time!

Summer Is Coming, Tighten Up Your Poker Skills Now

By Martin

Do hotshot college students give you pause? With the rise of Texas Hold’Em as THE top online poker variant, there are plenty of people that will be flooding the poker rooms this summer. If you’re relatively new, you might be excited, as there’s some fish that will be swimming your way. Yet assuming that every newbie is a fish would be a fatal error. You must make sure that you’re looking at your skills more than their skills. They will reveal themselves in short order. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to reach for better profits than before. Otherwise you could end up just spinning your wheels, losing money, and losing a bit of sanity as well.

Let’s get down to business, shall we?

If you’re trying to play any type of serious poker online, you need to get a heads up display. This is going to give you more statistics than you have without one, and they’re relatively inexpensive. Not only will they give you data about how well you’re doing, but it’ll also be able to give you some insight on the people that are playing.

Refreshing yourself on poker theory can also make the difference. When you’re in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to make mistakes that can eat away at your poker game long term. There are times where letting someone else have a small pot can open the doors for you to have a bigger win down the road. It also gives you a chance to see how far another player will go to get what they want.

Keeping a deep focus is equally important here. We’re not big fans of multitabling, because it’s hard to concentrate equally on multiple targets like that. If you’re a super veteran and you thrive on that type of challenge, more power to you. But if you’re trying to battle the new wave of players in the summer, you really have to go one table at a time.

Speaking of tables, playing at a room that you already like is better than trying to check out a new place. Yes, bonus hunting is fun but sometimes we like to play where we know how everything is set up. Just our opinion though; you’re free to test out what works for you.

New players can often go “all in” when you least expect it, especially on pots that were a surefire winner for you. Instead of getting angry, just let it go. There will always be bingo players, not just in the summertime. Allowing them to get in your head is how you’ll go down in flames.

Good luck and enjoy the heat — both on and off the poker table!

Big Stack Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy

By Martin

So you love playing poker, huh? We do too! There’s nothing like being at the table, playing a few hands, and finding yourself the chip leader at the table. The skies are all blue, the grass is a warm green, and the sun’s high in the sky…for now. Yes, we said it — this is only temporary. Let’s be honest for a second: just as the little stack gets all of the heat, the heat shifts to the big stack just as hard, if not harder. Everyone wants to be you, and that means taking you down a few pegs. There are a lot of warnings that you need to consider when you’re the big stack.

For example, if you’re the chip leader, be prepared to get bluffed out. If you’re susceptible to dumb plays, then they’ll use those dumb plays to hack away at your chip empire. What’s more is that you’ll even have newbies that will play straight garbage against you. Anything to psychologically unnerve you. But hey, if it works… it works. You need to make sure that you’re always staying one step ahead of these people. You can’t just assume that everything’s going to move smoothly merely because you WANT it to. Poker is about strategy. For the love of everything shiny and wonderful, don’t just play from the gut. For one, you won’t gain anything, and you can lose all of your chips.

Be cautious going all in. If you don’t have the nuts, don’t go all in. I don’t care what you have in your hand. There’s no need to get sloppy merely because you have more chips. Now, when you’ve studied a hand and you really do have something to push in with — PUSH!

Reviewing your game is the mark of a smart player. You’re in the moment when you’re playing, so you won’t catch everything. But reviewing old games at your leisure lets you see the things that you wouldn’t have picked up otherwise. It’s not always easy to look back at your games to see all of your mistakes, but it’s something that you really need to do.

When you’re the big stack, you have a lot of responsibility. Don’t let it go to your head, and definitely don’t get cocky. If you start getting arrogant about it, chances are good that you’re going to find yourself not staying the big stack for very long.

So You Lost a Poker Game – Now What

By Martin

Poker is something that you will lose at…occasionally. Even the great poker players, like Scotty Nguyen lose from time to time. Doyle Brunson has lost. Hellmuth has lost. It’s a thing. You’re going to lose. It doesn’t matter how good you are, because poker is also a game of luck. Sometimes the luck is with you, and you’re on fire. But there are times where the luck with someone else. You can either get mad, and ruin your poker playing or get strategic, and work your way out of the funk.

I like to call it the funk because everything just feels rotten. You don’t feel good, you feel like giving up on the game, and you feel like you’re not as sharp as you should be. Well, the truth is that you really aren’t as sharp as you should be. You’re angry. You’re upset. You’re hurting. You wish that you could rewind that. You start thinking about all of the crappy plays that you made. You get upset. You want to fix things but you know that it’s not going to change anything. You worry. You panic. You try to move on but you’re sucked back down with all of your mistakes.

Now, some people think I’m trying to be funny, but I grew into poker thinking this way. I worried how I would look if I had a bad streak. Then I had a bad streak. I realized that I wasn’t as bad as I thought. It wasn’t the end of the world, for one. For two, there were plenty of chances to bounce back. There were weaker players that basically jumped into my table looking for a fight. The poker community isn’t as large and spaced out as you might think. So when someone’s having a bad time, some sharks like to come sniffing around. I was ready for that, and I pulled off some really good wins.

But what you want to know is …what do you do when you lose? That’s the million dollar question. The answer is simple: you move on. You don’t dwell on it. Yes, you want to go over the game and see what you can learn. But beating yourself up is entirely the wrong response. You don’t want to beat yourself up. You don’t want to have other people beat you up. You don’t want to feel like the moron just because you made a different decision. If anything, you want to be able to make the right decisions for the right reasons. There are mistakes made in poker that are truly tough to recover from. Will you recover from them anyway? Of course. Folding a monster hand because you got sucked into a bluff is one of them. But you know what? There’s always going to be poker hands. There’s always going to be chances to win. They’re always going to be another game, another tournament, another opponent that’s happy to try to take you down.

At the end of the day, it’s how you carry yourself. I’ve got good news: you will be amazed at what you can do when you realize that the worst really isn’t as bad as you think it is. The even better news is that as you go through mistakes in poker, you’ll seal them up faster and faster with time. You’ll be that star player that everyone looks up to. But it all starts with learning how to control your own mind. That’s really the long and short of it, so good luck!

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