Learn Play Poker

Hey Guys how’s it going?

I am taking it easy this afternoon and winding down as I have a big big weekend ahead, i’m seeing Bon Jovi play at Manchester.

Cant wait :).

Anyone out there going to be going along too? I think it will certainly be a good night.

I have another poker article for you guys too, this one is about poker bonuses from online poker rooms. You may have notice a lot of poker rooms claiming a lot of things but maybe take the time out to read this article before choosing your next place to deposit.

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Poker bonuses are offers online sites make to entice you to play on their site. The most common form of bonus is to give a player a percentage of the first deposit they make.  Some sites will give you 50% of you initial deposit up to a maximum of $100 for instance.  The catch is that you need to bet a predetermined amount of money to release the bonus.  This is where the catch lies.

In principle the bonus idea is great.  It is exactly what they say it is.  You are given free money based on how much you wager at the tables.  You will need to play often to release large bonuses.  The online poker rooms makes its money from the rake which occurs after each hand.  It is to their advantage to have more players at the tables, hence the bonus program.

You need to take the following steps to make the bonus program work right for you.

First, play at the sites that offer the best bonus programs.  When the current program runs its course and you have released the entire bonuses you should find a new site.  IK have hopped back and forth across several different sites. I always have some form of bonus working for me while I play, enhancing the money I earn.  Be sure to read each of the bonus offers carefully.  Some offer more total dollars but take a long time to release the money.  Choose an offer that fits both your bankroll and the amount of time you have to devote to play.

Secondly you cannot allow the bonus program affect your play.  Do not play just to access the bonus. Play when you want to play and while you are in the correct frame of mind to play poker.  You also cannot adjust your betting to release the bonus sooner.  Some people try to create large pots to get more bonus points.  Resist this urge; bonuses are only a good thing when taken in conjunction with your normal strong style of play.  They only become a bad thing for the player when they are mismanaged and affect your style of play.  They are a lot like alcohol in that regard.  Altering your play to achieve a bonus is much like drinking too much or driving while intoxicated.  Playing strong poker to achieve a bonus on the other hand is similar to drinking in moderation or giving someone else the car keys when you have drank too much.

Hey Everyone,

Just a smaller update today. I have got a new article ready for you. This one discusses recommended strategy when faced with a bad hand in online or casino poker. Let me know what you think.

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I define trouble hands in poker as hands that can often win a small amount of money but tend to lose large sums when they are beat. Since Texas Hold’em is the most popular form of poker I will use this game to illustrate my points.

In my opinion and hand with an ace and second card other than king is a trouble hand. You generally cannot win a big pot with this hand unless you flop two pairs. If you flop anything higher than two pair the deck is crippled and you win small. If you flop a pair of aces you generally win a small pot but can lose big when up against ace-king or a higher hand. For this reason I often thrown away these hands pre-flop.

For my money a small pocket pair is a much better hand to play than ace-jack for instance. With the small pair the hand is defined instantly after the flop. You either have a losing hand or a very likely winner. With ace-jack you have a trouble hand if you pair only the ace. You likely have the best holding but are vulnerable. It is a hand that wins small but loses large.

With the pair you not only have a much easier read, you also have a hand that is much better disguised. If you miss the flop and are faced with only a small pair can easily fold to a large bet. If you hit the flop and make a set you now have a very powerful hand that can be played in a variety of ways. If you hit your set with an ace on the flop you can represent a pair of aces and rake a huge pot when faced with an opponent that can beat a pair of aces but not the set you will hit one of every seven times you play with a pocket pair.

The same hold true when playing suited connectors. A hand like nine and ten of diamonds has much more potential than a trouble hand like ace and ten off suit. By throwing the weaker aces away and substituting hands like low pocket pairs and suited connectors you increase your profit potential enormously. You retain the table image of being a tight player and score big when you do hit a hand with hole cards your opponents do not expect you to be playing.

Hey Guys,

Hope you are all well, I am abck at work after a nice bank holiday Monday. For you overseas readers that just means us hard working guys in England (with the least holidays in the world pretty much)actually get a free day off (kinda). Either way I had myself a lie in before initiating a fun evening of gaming and poker with my best friends.

We ended up playing a combination of Mario Kart Wii, Texas Hold ‘em and 7 Card Stud. Loads of fun and I came out the winner of our stud contest (after some killer bluffing) and it was definitely a good win for me.

I didn’t do so good in the Hold ‘em game, mainly because I went all in on a flush and my friend hit a full house on the river (sigh) but thats the fun of poker

This weeks article looks at a response from a question I received from one “Hank Smith” of Suffolk, England. He basically asked me what are free roll poker tournaments and what are they used for?

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Yes all of the freeroll tournaments I have seen offered online are in my opinion good.  It would hard not to define something as good that offers you the chance to win an asset without risking any money.  The key question becomes not whether they are good but rather which ones are best.

Online poker free rolls generally offer a prize in one of two forms.  Some offer cash or physical merchandise as a prize.  These tournaments often attract thousands of players fighting for a proportionally small number of prizes.  The chances of winning a prize are slim even for a great player.  Still you have invested nothing but your time into the venture; if you enjoy playing they offer a venue with no risk.

Some online free rolls offer entrance into tournaments with much larger payouts.  These tournaments are generally much easier free rolls to win.  In most cases the percentage of players that win prizes is much greater.  This allows you to employ a much more normal style than you must use in a large tournament that offers very few prizes.

Choosing free rolls is again a matter of researching what is being offered and finding which ones are best.  All of the major sites offer free rolls but some are much better than others. Your personal style of play is vital to choosing which freeroll to participate in.  I advise that you create accounts on as many of the online sites as you can to maximize the benefit you receive from playing freeroll tournaments.

Once you have entered a freeroll understand the prizes offered and adjust your play accordingly.  One of the major sites offers a multi table tournament freeroll that attracts several thousands players but only pays the top nine finishers.  If you play this tournament you cannot play a normal style of poker.  In a tournament with this structure you need to accumulate many chips very quickly.  You need to take chances and play a much more aggressive style of poker.

There is only in my opinion one potential negative aspect to free rolls. You must not allow them to alter your play when you play for real money with a different structure.  Always keep aware of your objectives. These free roll tournaments can cause you to develop a playing strategy that is flawed when used in a more normal setting. Do not allow yourself to become a reckless and sloppy player.

Hey Guys!

How are you all doing? It’s a slightly mroe relaxed week at work this week, a few people on holiday so not as many demands flying around but I am sure that will change when they get back and have stuff to catch up on

Our tournament went well on Sunday, around 25 players there and it lasted around 14 hours (including the BBQ) and it even snowed halfway through.

Most of the palyers there were decent guys and I think I would definitely attend again. The venue was OK, a little cold but I don’t think they could have predicted the crazy weather conditions so I will let them off there. If they have a larger venue necxt time I have offered to place details on the blog, people will get to hear about it a little more too that way.

Got another part of the Poker Player Series articles for you as well.

This one looks at one of the most frequently asked questions in the online poker world, “How do I Play As An Aggressive Player?”

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Simply put you become an aggressive player by becoming aggressive.  This is much easier for people who are aggressive by nature.  If this is the case it is easy to be an aggressive poker player, you simply allow your true nature to surface while you play.

Becoming aggressive is much more difficult for the person who by nature is more passive.  Aggression is key to winning at poker; you should attempt to cultivate this style if you want to win in the long run.

I suggest that if you wish to change your style to start playing games with very low stakes but not with play money.  Use these games to practice your style, always looking for a reason to bet.  The aggressive player does not need a good hand to place a bet. Surely he will place a bet with a strong holding, but he also bets when other opportunities present themselves.  Aggression is a good trait only when it is accompanied by common sense, you must control your aggression without stifling it.

Before you play at a table I suggest you watch the play for awhile.  Aggressive play works best and is practiced best when sitting with passive players.  Look for opportunities to push these players around with your aggressive style of play.

The aggressive player always follows up his raises with continuation bets.  If you raise a pot pre flop you need to follow up with a bet after the flop no matter what your cards are.  You have made a statement that your cards are strong with your raise.  That statement needs to be affirmed with a strong continuation bet after the flop.

To play aggressively you need to understand that there will be times you will put your money into the pot with the inferior hand. The money you lose in these instances will be offset by the money you gain when forcing players to submit to your aggression and release their hand.  If you win five $20 pots in a row by making other players fold you can afford to bet that $100 in a situation where you are facing 4 to 1 odds against yourself.  You are free rolling because you are playing with money you have already won. When you lose you will be back to even money, when you win however you will earn much more than a passive style of play could ever hope to win.