Poker Blogging

Online poker can be a hobby that provides hours and hours of entertainment. It is a game that requires patience, wits, and guts. Playing against different players can help you build up your poker skills over time. However, many players tend to spend all their time on the games, and not enough time reflecting on their game play. What does that mean?

For example, a poker hobbyist may play for hours and hours each day without much improvement. This is because the strategy used is pretty much the same. Without reflection, the poker strategy becomes stale, and there is very little room for improvement. To avoid this problem, intelligent poker players spend a little time each day browsing poker related sites. They find out how other players think, and what they do during a game. In this way, they are able to think out of the box and outwit other poker players during a game.

So where to start learning more tips and strategies about poker?

Community sites.

Community sites support members with the same interest. These sites can be in the form of forums or social community sites such as Facebook. You will be able to start new discussions or join in existing discussions. In the process, you make new friends. And what do friends do?

Friends tend to share knowledge with one another. This is a great experience, and any poker player who is not involved in this process is missing out.

Joining a community site is simple. On most sites, registration is free. Simply create an account, and start participating. The key here is not to be stingy with your knowledge. Share, share and share! Over time, you find that other members tend to reciprocate and post great stuff for you as well. That is when you learn. Try this. After all, there is nothing to lose.

Poker information sites.

These are sites that provide general poker information such as tips and strategies. Sometimes, you may come across a great article that shares some exclusive strategies. Be sure to share them with your friends.

Poker review sites.

These are sites that offer information about the best places to hang out. There are a plethora of online poker sites on the Internet. It’s sometimes hard to decide which are the more reliable ones. That’s why review sites are useful. You get to learn about special features, special software, and maybe even some member comments. You may then decided for yourself whether you want to go ahead and join the poker site. In addition, review sites also list special bonuses for comparison. The higher the bonus, the lower the risk.

So where do you find all the above sites?

Well, a good place to start is to visit an online poker directory. Such a site is solely dedicated to listing poker related sites. You can find forums, review sites, informational sites, and more. So spend some time browsing an online poker directory, and enjoy your hobby even more!





By: Gen Wright

There are tens, if not hundreds of online poker rooms that you can choose of. Many players simply try one and stick with it, but they may lose on big opportunities. There are differences between even the major poker rooms that you should know of.

The most important things to consider when choosing an online poker room are their competition, games and of course the promotional bonuses they offer. The three poker rooms listed here are all very good, but even they have differences.

Poker Stars

Poker Stars is perhaps the best thought of poker room online. They have been in business since 2002 and are often recommended as a secure and reliable option for poker enthusiasts. The down sides are that the competition is not as easy as on some sites and that they don’t offer significant promotions for new players. However, the respectable number of players and their deposit bonuses for existing player make up well.

Titan Poker

Titan Poker is a relatively new arrival to the online market for poker rooms, having been founded in 2005. Their quality of service warrants inclusion in the top three and they also have some pretty good promotions, if you know where to look. The only real downside to Titan Poker is that the number of games is low. You will be hard pressed to find any other games than Hold’em with enough players, but that may well change as the room matures up.

Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt is the third best poker room, and though it loses to Poker Stars and Titan Poker, it does so by a very narrow margin. Their frequent and amazing promotional bonuses definitely justify giving Full Tilt at least a go. One thing you might not like about Full Tilt is the generally tight nature of players. That does not mean you cannot make money, but most prefer meeting a loose aggressive type any day of the week.

The world of online poker often undergoes changes as new sites spring up and old rooms close. That is one of the reasons you might want to try more than just a single poker room – to have a backup, if your preferred one fails. Another good reason are the new player bonuses offered by most major poker rooms.

The three poker rooms above are all good options, if you are interested in testing some new rooms. They are all very good poker rooms, picked from among many other fine ones. If you have not yet joined them, you will most likely benefit from some form of bonuses or promotions for each of them.





By: Sutocu

With the aid of technology, a lot of things that we do nowadays are made easy with the internet. There is a continuous increase in the number of people using the computer and the internet for shopping, for reviews, watching movies, listening and downloading music, acquiring online education, and yes, even playing and gambling. One of the most famous card games ever made available on the internet is poker. More people are learning the basics everyday and of course, with every experience, poker players just keep getting better and better. In playing online poker, online poker rooms serve as the venue. You can play poker in these rooms via the internet at the comfort of your own homes.

With all the online poker rooms available, how do we choose one? With the hundreds of sites, which one do we go to? The main answer to this is to choose one that meets the player’s qualifications. Here, we will be going over the different online poker room qualities to the advantage or disadvantage of the player, whether a newbie or an expert player.

Most online poker rooms easily get a player’s attention with bright flashing lights and big bonuses. Although you may consider them, you must also look farther than the bright lights and big flashing $$$. Some poker players choose a simpler presentation but more stable software and support poker room. If having the right software enables you to play better and faster, then choosing that online poker room would be your best bet.

It is also important to know if you want the flashy atmosphere over the simple graphics yet comfortable playing environment. In some rooms, the flashier it is, the slower the loading. So if you want to focus on speed and does not want to pay much for the room’s hourly fees, it is always safer to choose the simpler one.

Another come-on for most poker rooms is the bonus that they offer. The bonus range is usually from 10-100% of the initial deposit the player gives. There are some poker rooms which offer huge bonuses like 100% but additional caution must be given because the high-bonus rooms usually have steep requirements which are hard to reach. For starter poker players, the low to medium bonus rooms are usually more advisable.

Another consideration in choosing online poker rooms is the amount of money you are willing to stake. Some poker players do not actually play with real money but even online poker games are more exciting using real money. Before playing, it is best to know how much you are willing to wager. If you want to win more, you usually tend to deposit more. But if you are after enjoying the actual game and not really for the amount, then money is not a major factor. With or without big money, playing poker is fun and stimulating.

Online poker room ratings are also a good way of evaluating and choosing them. Read and research and look for player’s forum where you can get the pros and cons of a particular room.

In the end, the ultimate decisive factor is the player’s priorities. The money, the bonus, the ratings, the room atmosphere will just be secondary once you finally find r room that is suitable to your needs and preferences. Ultimately, the goal is to win, learn and to have fun!





By: Sean Moronse

Poker is a game that, when played live, is always in the company of others. Although the idea is not necessarily to rob friends of all their money, poker players often find themselves organizing games with their best buddies to test their skills and just have a great time.

There are various reasons that would entice a person to host a poker tournament at their house, but usually for those who play poker more as a hobby or as a secondary occupation outside of whatever their main job would be, it is usually just an excuse to have a party and drink a few beers with your friends while playing a few friendly rounds of poker. Maybe if you’re in college you’ll invite your pals from Chemistry 101 to try their luck at a $5-$10 buy-in Texas Hold’em tournament, while those with a bit more money at their disposal might organize a $1000 buy-in tournament for their colleagues over at the yacht club.

Going through the steps to organize a tournament are not always done out of the goodness of a person’s heart: sometimes people organize these tournaments illegally in order to earn a profit, and among these tournaments have been some of the most cutthroat and exciting poker matches that can be found.

Regardless of what a person’s intention is for setting up a home tournament out of the comfort of their musky basement, this is a surefire recipe for hosting successful poker games at home:

Homegrown Poker Tournament Soup:

-1 Cup of “Poorly lit Poker Room”

-A dash of “Suitable felt table and chip set”

-1/2 a teaspoon of “Well armed guards who only allow those with a password in”

-3 Cups of “A well stocked bar and a cooler full of ice-cold beer”

-A few sprinkles of “A clear guideline for tournament conduct and game rules”

-1/3 cup of “An impeccable invite-only list to prevent cheating strangers”

-Finally, slowly stir in “Good vibes” as an emulsifier

-Freshly chopped chives as a garnish

Now that the recipe has been introduced, below is an easy-to-follow set of instructions so that anybody can execute an exquisitely prepared tournament from the comfort of their home.

Finding the Proper Room

Setting is everything while attempting to create the perfect environment for a poker tournament. There’s no point in holding a poker tournament inside a well-lit Lysol-smelling living room that you begrudgingly allowed your wife’s mother to decorate. Nobody likes playing poker with pictures of furry kitties and a blonde Jesus Christ staring at them as they attempt to take as much money off their closest friends as possible. It might sound crazy, but most people just don’t like that.

Instead try to secure a damp, poorly-lit basement where people can light up their cigars and drink their martinis without having to constantly look over their shoulder for your landlord or the cops to show up. Keep the lights low so that nobody is tempted to wear sunglasses and to preserve the feeling that playing a poker tournament in somebody’s basement is “shady”.

Equipment

If the host wants to plan a legitimate tournament, proper equipment is an absolute must. If clay chips are not available then they had better be made of solid gold, because plastic chips absolutely cannot be tolerated at an underground poker tournament. This isn’t Las Vegas, but if the intention is to get the ambiance right then high quality chips are crucial. Many people may not think so, but having proper chips and a decent felt table are important for the overall vibe during the tournament. In order to get people to cough up big bucks for an exciting tournament, it better look like a legit poker basement with good gear.

Protection

Although it may sound ridiculous, it’s not such a bad idea to hire a couple of well armed guards to watch over the entrance to any high-stakes private tournament. If there is going to be a high attendance with a higher than average buy-in, then it may not be such a bad idea to have somebody there with bug muscles and whatever other means may be necessary to ensure the safety of the players at the tournament and the money for the prize pool.

When the original rounders like Doyle Brunson were making their way from city to city across the United States, they give accounts of certain tournaments being so well guarded that they could have held off the Army long enough for players to escape if needed. Fortunately these days there aren’t too many big busts that happen when poker tournaments happen, but one can never be too safe. The biggest threat is probably that somebody could get wind of the tournament and try to barge in with a gun and take all the money that is likely be sitting there.

A wise option could also be to have the players deposit their buy-ins into a neutral 3rd party account – so that nobody has to bring cash – and dole out the winnings directly into the winners’ bank accounts. This system would prevent a repeat mugging like the one that recently happened in Australia. Point being, investing in a little security is never a bad idea especially while running a seriously bit tournament.

Hospitality

When guests are staying at a hotel there are certain qualities they look for in order to determine whether or not they will recommend others to stay there or return for another visit. The most important factor is hospitality. It is no different when hosting a poker tournament. In order to guarantee that players will come back for another tournament the host must learn to be hospitable.

When playing cards at a poker tournament, hospitality generally means booze. A poker tournament without alcohol is like going to watch the Dodgers play and not eating a Dodger Dog: the game still goes on but nobody understands why. If the host chooses to serve alcohol to their guests, the type of alcohol can be very important.

Vegas serves free alcohol to people playing in $2 hands, why shouldn’t guests at an underground tournament who are easily paying anywhere from $500-$1000 a hand not be able to have a couple drinks? Beer is always an excellent choice at a reasonable cost, although Bud Lite, Coors Lite and Millers Lite must be stricken from the grocery list. Consider offering a delicate and fruity Hefeweizen or a bold Amber Ale for the classier drinkers. Coronas are acceptable only because their incredible advertising continues to convince legions of ignorant beer drinkers that what they are guzzling down with a lime and salt might actually be beer rather than rubbing alcohol.

Clear Tournament Rules

Any self-respecting poker tournament will have a clear set of all the rules laid out for the players to see. Before starting any poker tournament the rules must be announced out loud to all the players, so that everybody present will have the same opportunity to understand the guidelines they should abide by.

Almost as important as having a clear set of rules is making sure that there is a competent dealer present who understands them better than anybody there and will constantly remind the players precisely what is going on so that there are no misunderstandings.

When thousands of dollars are on the line the last thing a tournament host wants to deal with is a heated debate sparked by the incompetent dealer who accidentally showed the burn card. A great deal of heartache can be avoided by taking these small precautions.

Invite Only

This should be the most obvious point for anybody planning on hosting a poker tournament, but unfortunately this advice goes unheeded to the chagrin of the host’s poker buddies. It is an unfortunate truth that anywhere there’s an underground poker tournament, there are shady people with lots of cash handy waiting to try their luck. Oftentimes this money comes from drugs.

Having strangers over for a poker tournament where thousands of dollars are on the line can (and often does) spell disaster. Even if there is a guard present and a scuffle is quickly dispersed, the very fact that there was a fight at somebody’s poker tournament will discourage many players from returning.

Good Vibes

It doesn’t matter how much the tournament buy-in is or who wins in the end; all players know the stakes beforehand and also that the odds of winning are strongly against them. Make sure to invite players who are going to show up with a smile on their face and still have a smile on their face when they leave, regardless if they win or lose.





By: Gilad Chudler

I wanted to test out full tilt’s poker site but i had no money to deposit, i joined a $100 freeroll that consisted of 2700 players and i started playing. I finished 2nd and got $12. I then played a sit and go, (one table tournament) and was down to $380 in chips and came back to win the tournament, i got $4.50 for that. Then i decided to play a sit and go with 180 players and i finished 18th. I think if i deposit i can earn some money. Am i good?
I have played in more than just three tournaments, lol, i have been playing for more than 6 months now and have won money at different sites! My question stated that i was trying out Full tilt and i was successful.

I really do not understand why you have to pay taxes on, online poker or why so many people on here give other people grief about trying to get around it…cause really 25% for federal is kinda crazy on something they had nothing to do with,
As if you were too win $50,000 on a site not based in the US they would be expecting 1/4 because all winnings even out of country are taxable which is really stupid (just another way for unk Sam to do us dirty but as so many people asked on here if you were too deposit a grand or so here and there the IRS would never know …as for all these people giving you guys hell tell them to screw off, cause these guys like paying taxes to fund a war that is pointless and cant be won its either that or there to bad at cards to play or were raised/ or gay with an IRS MAN LOL oh and those poker sites are not required to report to the irs cause there not in the us and remember the rest of the world thinks were a joke in the first place

ok, i’m in an online cash game with blinds $5-$10. I have $300 and i’m in the big blind holding 8, 4. The button player only has $60 left and he goes all in. I call because it only cost me $50 more and plus i’ve been hitting cards all night.
He flips over k,k and i turn over 8,4 offsuit. flop comes out ace, 8, 4 and the turn and river was a blank. I end up winning the pot and this guy is pissed!
He couldn’t believe i called on 8,4 and starts calling me a donkey. What the heck is a donkey and why do people think we care if they called us donkies? Does that make someone feel better by calling another person a donkey at the poker table?
He said i shouldn’t be calling with 8,4. Are there rules against me playing weak hole cards?

I’m playing a poker game tonight, and I need a strategy to beat my competition, they are amateur and they call close to anything.
It’s tournament style, One buy in.

I was wondering if anyone knows a good online poker site, not necessarly a European one, but with good tourneys, and especially some that start around 10 or 11 pm, not at 4:00am, like most U.S player targeted rooms… for the moment I play at Bugsy’s Club, which I like but the hours are just too off.

Any recommendations?

What I love is cheap SAT tournaments that lead to good prize tourney.

Thanks

Avid

i love to play texas hold’em, i play casually usually dong well but last weekend i went to a tournament and came out with 900 bucks. my question is, which website is the best as far as playing to show skills and possibly one day be sponsored to go to the WSOP or WPT? Which one has the most ‘perks i guess you could say to being associated with it….im only 19 right now so i cant play all tournys but hey i turn 21 in one and a half years, so i need to get started now. anyway, any imput would be great…ps, for all you poker guys, i sign in as UNTstud on fulltilt.com as of right now, and will likely try to keep it wherever i go next…..so beware!!!