Sitting down at any poker table can be intimidating to the new player. At a table of 9 players, it’s very likely there will be several decades of combined poker experience amongst the rest of the players. This is not only true for live poker, but also for online poker.
So how can a newbie stand any chance against a table of seasoned vets?
Well one thing every new player has going for them is the fact that their moves will almost always be unorthodox. A new player usually won’t know when it’s time to raise or even how much to raise. This plays well into their favour and experienced vets will find it difficult to read which hand a new player may have.
Another way a new player can give themselves a bit of an advantage is to check out some beginner poker strategies so they aren’t completely in the dark when approaching their first table. It also helps to play some online poker for free at any of the various online poker sites.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Size Matters When Betting in Texas Holdem
Picture this: You flop top pair/top kicker and there is a straight draw on the table. You’re first to act with two players after you who limped into the hand, what do you do? Shoot the hostage!
Wait, wrong movie.
In situations like this, it’s important to know when you can draw more money out of the rest of the table, and when it’s time to shut the door and take the pot while you still can; even if it is a small pot. In my last post I mentioned that “many people will often pay small amounts to see if they can draw into a good hand” and this is exactly the situation I was referring to. It’s also safe to say that the only hands which can beat you at this point are two-pair and three-of-a-kind, both of which are fairly unlikely.
If the pot is say, $3,000 and you bet the minimum of $1,000, then you’re giving anyone on a draw odds to call. If however you were to bet the full amount of the pot, or even slightly more than the pot, you’re making a statement that you will not allow the rest of the table to draw into the hands they want, at least not without paying for it. You have to remember that even if there is a player with an open-ended straight draw, the odds are in your favour to winning (at roughly 3:2 for this flop) so anyone on a draw will likely not call you unless they are a massive chip leader, or they are crazy. Even still you make it a tough call for them.
As far as someone re-raising you, generally speaking, the only players who are going to do so in this situation are players with two pair or players with trips. So right away with the right bet, you can easily determine who has what and very likely take down a pot while you still can. While it will not work everytime, in the long run it should increase your overall winnings in Texas Holdem.
Check out Bodog’s poker tips for more useful info on how you can increase your game.
Wait, wrong movie.
In situations like this, it’s important to know when you can draw more money out of the rest of the table, and when it’s time to shut the door and take the pot while you still can; even if it is a small pot. In my last post I mentioned that “many people will often pay small amounts to see if they can draw into a good hand” and this is exactly the situation I was referring to. It’s also safe to say that the only hands which can beat you at this point are two-pair and three-of-a-kind, both of which are fairly unlikely.
If the pot is say, $3,000 and you bet the minimum of $1,000, then you’re giving anyone on a draw odds to call. If however you were to bet the full amount of the pot, or even slightly more than the pot, you’re making a statement that you will not allow the rest of the table to draw into the hands they want, at least not without paying for it. You have to remember that even if there is a player with an open-ended straight draw, the odds are in your favour to winning (at roughly 3:2 for this flop) so anyone on a draw will likely not call you unless they are a massive chip leader, or they are crazy. Even still you make it a tough call for them.
As far as someone re-raising you, generally speaking, the only players who are going to do so in this situation are players with two pair or players with trips. So right away with the right bet, you can easily determine who has what and very likely take down a pot while you still can. While it will not work everytime, in the long run it should increase your overall winnings in Texas Holdem.
Check out Bodog’s poker tips for more useful info on how you can increase your game.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Reading an Opponent in Online Texas Holdem
Here’s a question any good poker player should know the answer to: How can you make a read on a player, without being able to see him? When it comes to online poker, this is the situation players are regularly faced with and there is, believe it or not, a method to get a read on someone even if the only thing you can see from them is a cheesy avatar.
What it will often come down to for getting a read is a player’s betting patterns. Keep in mind this is not just with the current hand you’re engaged in, but also with previous hands. The key to practicing this talent, is sticking to one player at a table to begin with. Pay close attention to his or her actions: Watch how aggressive he is with his betting; pay attention to the hands of his are shown; and especially watch to see if he folds when someone re-raises overtop of him.
Equally as important as betting patterns, make sure you understand what hand possibilities there are on the table, assuming of course there are community cards showing. Particularly, pay attention to any draw that may be on the table (flush/straight draws) as many people will often pay small amounts to see if they can draw into a good hand. If you have top pair but there’s straight draw on the board and your opponent is known to fold on big bets, it may be time to bet hard and take down the pot while you still can.
Also, watch out for “the nuts” or the best possible hand based on what’s on the table. You can often watch your opponent’s betting to get an idea as to whether or not they have the winning hand, and attempt a bluff based on how much they are throwing into the pot verses how much they have in past occasions.
Keep in mind that reading an opponent will always be hit or miss. Oftentimes players, like me, will slowplay a winning hand purposely if they are being bet into by another player. Regardless, if you can master reading an opponent’s betting patterns, you will not only increase your chances of winning in online texas holdem, but also in live play.
What it will often come down to for getting a read is a player’s betting patterns. Keep in mind this is not just with the current hand you’re engaged in, but also with previous hands. The key to practicing this talent, is sticking to one player at a table to begin with. Pay close attention to his or her actions: Watch how aggressive he is with his betting; pay attention to the hands of his are shown; and especially watch to see if he folds when someone re-raises overtop of him.
Equally as important as betting patterns, make sure you understand what hand possibilities there are on the table, assuming of course there are community cards showing. Particularly, pay attention to any draw that may be on the table (flush/straight draws) as many people will often pay small amounts to see if they can draw into a good hand. If you have top pair but there’s straight draw on the board and your opponent is known to fold on big bets, it may be time to bet hard and take down the pot while you still can.
Also, watch out for “the nuts” or the best possible hand based on what’s on the table. You can often watch your opponent’s betting to get an idea as to whether or not they have the winning hand, and attempt a bluff based on how much they are throwing into the pot verses how much they have in past occasions.
Keep in mind that reading an opponent will always be hit or miss. Oftentimes players, like me, will slowplay a winning hand purposely if they are being bet into by another player. Regardless, if you can master reading an opponent’s betting patterns, you will not only increase your chances of winning in online texas holdem, but also in live play.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Practice Makes Perfect
If you’re anything like me, then by now you’ve lost a great amount of money playing Texas Holdem and are starting to worry that you will soon lack the funds necessary to fuel your binge drinking and that you will soon be embraced by the foul cloud of sobriety. What? You mean it’s just me?
Oh well.
Believe it or not I do have a point here; it being: instead of wasting your precious drinking money on another’s liquor supply, why not get in some practice for free online? After all, like anything else in life, the more you practice, generally the better you get. Combine this with regular poker tips written by professional players for the everyday amateur such as yourself (and especially me), and you should be well on your way to turning your poker game into a profitable experience.
Check out Bodog’s Online Poker to play for free and practice your game. Good luck, and see you at the tables.
Oh well.
Believe it or not I do have a point here; it being: instead of wasting your precious drinking money on another’s liquor supply, why not get in some practice for free online? After all, like anything else in life, the more you practice, generally the better you get. Combine this with regular poker tips written by professional players for the everyday amateur such as yourself (and especially me), and you should be well on your way to turning your poker game into a profitable experience.
Check out Bodog’s Online Poker to play for free and practice your game. Good luck, and see you at the tables.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Limping in to a Hand
The term “Limping in” is a poker term which means that a player is calling the bare minimum to play. While this can be a good strategy to allow you play many hands, often times you’ll end up bleeding chips by having to fold other players raises. It can be tempting to limp in to see a flop; however there are a few things you need to consider to make it work to its full potential.
Generally, the rule with limping in is that you're more likely to get away with it the later you are in position.
Limping in while under the gun, or first to act in the hand, will more times than not result in someone after you raising or going over the top(all-in). This is typically how many players end up bleeding chips to the point where their only move is all-in. If you limp in at an early position, you should be prepared to have someone raise after you afterward. You can use this fact to play to your advantage if you want to mask a big hand with slow-play.
In most cases however, it is going to be better for you to raise while in early position if you are going to play.
Contrast to early position, while in late position it is often advantageous to play hands you normally wouldn’t play in early position, like low pocket pairs or suited connectors (hole cards of the same suite that can both be used to make a straight). This is especially true if there are many players in the hand as cards like suited connectors tend to win big, if they hit.
Your likelihood of successfully limping into a pot will differ with every table depending on just how aggressive or conservative the other players are. You will have to observe betting patterns at the table to determine just how much limping in you’ll be able to get away with. Some tables will be every hand, others will be no hands. This holds true for both live and online poker.
See Bodog’s poker hand selection page for a list of what’s best played at each position.
Good luck, and I'll see you at the tables.
Generally, the rule with limping in is that you're more likely to get away with it the later you are in position.
Limping in while under the gun, or first to act in the hand, will more times than not result in someone after you raising or going over the top(all-in). This is typically how many players end up bleeding chips to the point where their only move is all-in. If you limp in at an early position, you should be prepared to have someone raise after you afterward. You can use this fact to play to your advantage if you want to mask a big hand with slow-play.
In most cases however, it is going to be better for you to raise while in early position if you are going to play.
Contrast to early position, while in late position it is often advantageous to play hands you normally wouldn’t play in early position, like low pocket pairs or suited connectors (hole cards of the same suite that can both be used to make a straight). This is especially true if there are many players in the hand as cards like suited connectors tend to win big, if they hit.
Your likelihood of successfully limping into a pot will differ with every table depending on just how aggressive or conservative the other players are. You will have to observe betting patterns at the table to determine just how much limping in you’ll be able to get away with. Some tables will be every hand, others will be no hands. This holds true for both live and online poker.
See Bodog’s poker hand selection page for a list of what’s best played at each position.
Good luck, and I'll see you at the tables.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Five Things to Learn About Holdem Before You Hit the Tables
Nowadays, new poker players are popping up everywhere. This is especially true for Texas Holdem, which is dominating media coverage for poker these days. So where should a new player start? Well here are five simple things anyone should learn prior to hitting the tables.
Hand Order
First off, memorize what beats what in poker. How else are you going to win if you don’t have a winning hand? It helps to keep a poker cheat sheet nearby with a list of the poker hands.
Top Ten Holdem Hands
Now that you have an idea of what beats what, how do you tell when the two cards you’ve been dealt are any good? To help new players out, here, in this humble blogger’s opinion, are the top-ten hands you can be dealt in Texas Holdem.
Pocket Aces
Pocket Kings
Pocket Queens
Pocket Jacks
Pocket Tens
Pocket Nines
Pocket Eights
Ace King Suited
Ace Queen Suited
Ace Jack Suited
The Basic Rules
Without rules, there is anarchy. Somehow, even with rules, poker seems like anarchy sometimes. As you would do with any game before playing, get a good sense of the rules of Texas Holdem before playing.
Terminology
At the tables, you’re likely to hear many different terms you may or may not understand. To avoid that ”British tourist” feeling, be sure to visit Bodog’s poker site for a complete glossary of poker terms so you understand all the funny names players call things (and sometimes eachother).
Etiquette
As with any sport, there are certain “no-no’s” that may or may not go without saying. Improper poker etiquette may result in your ass being hauled away from a table where you're raking in the money (though most friendly tables will allow a newbie a certain amount of slack). See Bodog’s poker etiquette page to assure you aren’t inadvertently doing something you shouldn’t be. Generally these rules apply to both live and online poker.
Now that you have your so called poker bearings, what’s next? Practice of course! Like anything else the more you practice, the better you get. Bodog online poker offers the best free play money tables for starters. If you’re feeling really lucky, they even offer a 110% bonus on the first deposit.
Good luck, see you at the tables.
Hand Order
First off, memorize what beats what in poker. How else are you going to win if you don’t have a winning hand? It helps to keep a poker cheat sheet nearby with a list of the poker hands.
Top Ten Holdem Hands
Now that you have an idea of what beats what, how do you tell when the two cards you’ve been dealt are any good? To help new players out, here, in this humble blogger’s opinion, are the top-ten hands you can be dealt in Texas Holdem.
Pocket Aces
Pocket Kings
Pocket Queens
Pocket Jacks
Pocket Tens
Pocket Nines
Pocket Eights
Ace King Suited
Ace Queen Suited
Ace Jack Suited
The Basic Rules
Without rules, there is anarchy. Somehow, even with rules, poker seems like anarchy sometimes. As you would do with any game before playing, get a good sense of the rules of Texas Holdem before playing.
Terminology
At the tables, you’re likely to hear many different terms you may or may not understand. To avoid that ”British tourist” feeling, be sure to visit Bodog’s poker site for a complete glossary of poker terms so you understand all the funny names players call things (and sometimes eachother).
Etiquette
As with any sport, there are certain “no-no’s” that may or may not go without saying. Improper poker etiquette may result in your ass being hauled away from a table where you're raking in the money (though most friendly tables will allow a newbie a certain amount of slack). See Bodog’s poker etiquette page to assure you aren’t inadvertently doing something you shouldn’t be. Generally these rules apply to both live and online poker.
Now that you have your so called poker bearings, what’s next? Practice of course! Like anything else the more you practice, the better you get. Bodog online poker offers the best free play money tables for starters. If you’re feeling really lucky, they even offer a 110% bonus on the first deposit.
Good luck, see you at the tables.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Drumming With a Bad Beat
Responsible for more snapped keyboards and flung mice than a tornado going through a computer store, a bad beat is basically a high percentage hand being beaten on the turn and/or river by a low percentage hand. It can discourage even the most skillful and experienced players from the game, especially with the attitude of some players today. Don’t lose heart though; there is a way you can get the last laugh in these situations.
Bad beat jackpots are common at most live poker rooms. Bodog, however, brings this bonus to its online poker rooms. Typically there are several conditions that must be met aside from you getting your proverbial poker ass handed to you. The game must be a cash game; there usually needs to be a certain amount of players in the hand; you usually must use both of your hole cards; the beaten hand must be at least a full house aces over kings; and the hand must go down to the showdown.
Visit Bodog’s Bad Beat Bonus page for full details on how you can win big by losing big. This bonus is exclusive to Bodog poker players so if you don’t have an account, sign up for one today at Bodog’s online poker page.
See you at the tables!
Bad beat jackpots are common at most live poker rooms. Bodog, however, brings this bonus to its online poker rooms. Typically there are several conditions that must be met aside from you getting your proverbial poker ass handed to you. The game must be a cash game; there usually needs to be a certain amount of players in the hand; you usually must use both of your hole cards; the beaten hand must be at least a full house aces over kings; and the hand must go down to the showdown.
Visit Bodog’s Bad Beat Bonus page for full details on how you can win big by losing big. This bonus is exclusive to Bodog poker players so if you don’t have an account, sign up for one today at Bodog’s online poker page.
See you at the tables!
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