Poker Blogging

After sitting at the online poker table for a while, have you sometimes felt like the other players knew the strength of your hands? If you bet your strong hands, everyone else would fold. Or if you had a medium-strength hand in a heads-up situation, your opponent would bet aggressively, forcing you to a fold.

This is a feeling that many online poker players experience regularly, making them feel predictable and vulnerable. The reason is that their opponents might be using poker software aids to profile them, aids that give them a distinct advantage. There are many such online poker tools to choose from and it is not easy to know which ones can help you build your confidence.

If you play online poker, the most useful type of poker aid that you can possibly use is the head up display, or HUD in short. These programs create overlays over the online poker tables where you sit with your opponents. These transparent overlays show your opponents’ betting patterns and playing style, using players’ stats such as aggression or tightness.

There are two kinds of HUDs. The first one relies on a local hand histories database while the second kind uses a massive remote database. Local HUDs can be standalone programs or parts of so-called poker tracker programs such as Hold’em Manager. These software collect the hands that you have played online, analyze and massage them so that they can display a neat summary of the playing style of all players that you encountered in the past. The HUD calculates and displays looseness, aggression and other relevant statistics next to each player at the table.

Many online poker players already use these software. The first secret is that if you wish to build up your online poker confidence, you have to acquire an informational edge over your opponents. One way to gain such an edge is by getting data mined observed hand histories. Thus you will obtain new information about players that you never met before. So that the next time you sit down and your neighbor is Gambling-Donkey-K4 for instance, the HUD will immediately inform you that he is a dangerous player with whom you should avoid most confrontations.

Otherwise if you had no information at all about Gambling-Donkey-K4 when you first sit down next to him at the virtual table, it could have cost you a lot of money just to find out his high skill level. Acquiring this type of special knowledge can only boost your confidence. Getting additional data mined hands is particularly helpful when you start at a new poker room or when you try to move up to a new stake level, as in such case any HUD can only be blank and useless at the beginning.

Some vendors sell such observed hand histories from pokerstars and full tilt poker, even though these two poker sites forbid the practice. The good news is that it is not legal for online poker rooms to scan your private computer information for detection of files such as hand histories. Hence it is perfectly safe for you to get as many as you want. Some players have bought millions of them.

The first secret is a unique method for enhancing your local poker tracker database by buying additional bulk observed hand histories, if you already use a poker tracker software or if you are planning to start using one. In the same range of poker tools, and this is the second secret, there is another software tool that is a powerful universal HUD. This online poker product brings online poker to the next level.

This tool is called pokeredge. Poker-edge uses a large network of computers working 24/7 to collect millions of online poker hands. This army of computers has only one task, to connect to online poker rooms for recording observed hand histories. This massive data mining operation is then used to feed into pokeredge’s HUD. The benefit for you is that you neither need to have played poker hands beforehand, neither maintain a local poker tracker nor buy hand histories. All background work is done automatically.

The advantage of either using pokeredge or purchasing bulk hand histories is the same, that is to say gain extra knowledge about future poker opponents that you should not normally have. Having more knowledge can only increase your confidence. The difference between the two secrets is that poker-edge players’ stats are huge and universal as they include information about millions of online poker players playing at over one hundred sites. If you use it, you will know instantly the hidden playing patterns of your opponents whenever you sit at nearly any online poker table.

It is your choice to get either an enhanced local poker database or a powerful remote HUD. But if you fail to act after gaining the knowledge of the two secrets for building online poker confidence, then you are sure to wonder at times “Why am I under the impression that my opponents know the strength of my hands. But I do not know anything about theirs?”





By: Oliver deMetz

I play in a free league here in town and have done quite well. I’m one of the better players but would like to improve my game. I have already won a seat to their National Championship in vegas and one of the events in next years WSOP. They both are No Limit events.

What I’m looking for is advice on how to improve my game. I already read a new poker book about once a month as well as try to play more at the casino tournaments. I go at least once a month to their 100 person $35 dollar buy in. They pay out the top 10 and I have made it to the money 3 out of the last 5 times I played.

So is their anything more that I can do to try and get ready for the WSOP next year. It starts back up again in June. I have a little over 6 months to get ready.

Any and all help would be great.

Thanks.

Online Poker is without a doubt one of the most convenient and easiest ways to play poker being that you never have to leave your house and you can bring the feel of Vegas into your house and never change out of your pajamas. While it may not hold the same excitement as traditional face to face casinos it is still convenient none the less.

Poker has been around for almost 200 years and it’s no secret that the recent online version of poker is a phenomenon. It has certainly without a doubt changed the face of poker and how poker is played and to this day continues to boom with players and activity. It was around the mid 1990’s that online sports books were showing up along with the launch of some online casinos.

The first operational online casino was developed in 1994 by a major online casino software supplier called Microgaming. Although, this was released in 1994, it wasn’t until 1998 that the first online poker room was brought on to the internet and established. The very first online poker room was named Planet Poker and not long after it’s launch became a relatively small poker room but still enjoyed it’s time as the only sole poker room playable online.

Many other poker rooms copied it’s structure with a rake structure set at %5 and up to a $3 max rake. While the industry constantly and drastically changed since 1998, it’s no surprise that the rake structure has remained consistent and for the most part, the same.

Around 1999, Paradise Poker was introduced onto the web and in no time at all became a top industry leader and it was also around this time that a successful poker player named Dutch Boyd developed the online poker firm called Poker Spot. Poker Spot was launched in May of 2000 and it was the very first online poker room to offer tournaments to it’s players in September.

In 2004, Online Poker drastically boomed because of increasing popularity and demand for online poker rooms and it was because of virtual playing tables that the industry’s revenues skyrocketed. When new firms such as Full Tilt Poker and Noble poker were introduced, the industry saw even more entry from new players skyrocketing profits even higher.

Today, many major successful online poker firms are considering becoming public companies. It was in October 2004 that a company called Sportingbet purchased Paradise Poker for almost 300 million dollars. Now there are many online poker rooms that are candidates for public offerings as the value of poker rooms continues to climb higher and higher.

Poker took the online world by storm almost as much as cell phones when they were first introduced. Online Poker rooms offered so many things that a live casino could not such as playing from your home and less money being risked. Online Poker is here to stay and I honestly can’t say I see it going anywhere anytime soon. Whether you’re a novice or beginner, Online Poker is one of the most convenient ways to play no matter who you are, whether you play for fun or for real money.





By: Tyler James Ellison

Online poker is a lot different from poker played offline, as you have no idea who you are playing with. In fact, this proves to be a good thing for people playing online.

There are several people who are masters at the game offline, but they lose everything when they try to play online. The reason is that these people make money through tells at offline casinos. They understand when to bluff and when to go big by reading others. Many people think poker tells are the body language of players but it is actually any activity that reveals critical information about the game to an opponent.

Online poker is not just clicking a button and either winning or losing, like most people believe. The major part of playing online poker lies in analyzing the betting patterns, such as the speed of the bet, raise or call, size of the bet etc. Since most online players play regularly, there is standard behavior to be expected.

Also remember that most of the players online are not experts and they enjoy calling. Usually the psychology of online players is that they play loose than when they are playing a live poker game. The reason behind this is that these players only play with non-tangible assets. This is precisely the reason why off-line casinos use chips on the table. It hurts to see the chips go because they are tangible. Online players are less careful even when their chips are taken away because they are just numbers online. They are not likely to bother about the consequences of losing a hundred or even a thousand bucks, until they lose it all. For people who truly play a thinking game, this can prove to be the greatest advantage of online games that far outweighs the fact that there are not too many tells that can be taken advantage of.

Trying to use bluffs is an exercise in futility. A fool cannot be bluffed and there is no point in trying to bluff when playing online. Most people playing online have no idea what the other person is going to do and a foolish player cannot be expected to fold.

All the opponent has to do is click a button and the money disappears and they load quicker than they have lost. This carefree attitude towards money is what makes online poker game great and potentially very profitable to the “smart player”. You must ensure that you do not behave like the others and in fact you should be in a position to take advantage of their behavior.





By: Matthew Smith

I set some private tournaments up at Full tilt PW is posted on my forum for members.

Seriuosly, this is getting crazy. My boyfriend and I have been together for 7 months and every weekend for the last month or so he has been at the poker hall. I don’t know what to do, I know he loves to play and it’s cool with me if he goes and plays a couple tournaments on the weekends, but he will go and spend the WHOLE weekend there. I thought the weekends were supposed to be for couples to hang out and stuff. But, all he wants to do is play poker. I want to just sit and watch a movie or something, just be together. I got mad today (I have told him how I feel in the past) and he told me he didn’t care if I got mad, and just left the house. I don’t know what to do, I love him and our relationship is really good otherwise, I just don’t like feeling second to poker. Is this normal or am I just overreacting?

Online poker has become incredibly popular over the past several years and it looks as if it will continue to do so. However, despite its worldwide popularity there are a lot of questions people have about online poker and would like to know the answers before they start betting their hard earned money online. Fortunately, there are answers to these questions. Just continue to read and you should find the answer to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding online poker and gambling on the Internet.

FAQ #1 What is Online Poker? First and foremost, individuals are unsure what online poker actually is. Basically, online poker is just like playing poker with your friends or at a casino and the cards are dealt automatically by the computer. This means no dealer mistakes! You must download software from a gambling site to play online poker and most of them have the appearance of a virtual room of gamblers playing poker. Each person’s screen name is denoted on their seat or at the table. So, it is as if you are playing with a group of friends, but on your computer screen. You can also place bets and pay in or receive payments through a variety of payment options available.

FAQ#2 Is online poker safe? People distrust the Internet and don’t like giving a website their banking information or other personal information due to the high increase in identity theft and other similar crimes. However, the majority of online poker sites are incredibly safe and use the same type of security software that online banks use. As a result, if you feel comfortable banking online, managing your stocks, or shopping on your favorite website, then playing poker online won’t prove any riskier and your information won’t be at risk.

FAQ #3 How do you know if a site is legitimate? There are many online poker sites out there and while many of them are legitimate and will pay out as they claim, there are always a few cheaters in the mix that simply want to take your money. So, like anything, take caution and pay attention to the site you are considering gambling with. Look for security measures, seals from Internet organizations, or Visa verified, things of that nature. Also, check out the years of operation, amount of players, and read the internet for a variety of reviews about the website. Any website that has been around for a while, is a member of Internet organizations, and provides strong security measures is safe to play. Others that do not should be avoided.

FAQ #4 Is online gambling legal? Online gambling is neither legal or illegal, so to speak. This also depends on where you live, but in general gambling online has no precedent in the United States that says it is illegal. However, there are no gambling websites registered in the United States either. So, gambling online is up to you and you should realize that technology is way ahead of legislation, but if you hear about any laws being worked out regarding the illegality of poker online you might consider clearing out your account instead of getting caught up in a bad situation. However, at the moment, millions of Americans play online every day and there are no laws as such at the moment that prove online gambling is illegal.

FAQ #5 How do I receive my winnings? A favorite question regarding online poker is how an individual collects their winnings. Typically, when signing up each player must choose payment options. This means ways to pay money in and a way to receive winnings. Many times it is through a bank account or an intermediary. Options like PayPal, American Express and the like do not work with online poker sites in case the sites turn out to be illegal and they are fined with aiding and abetting fines. Each website pays out at a different rate, so make sure you read about that before signing up with a particular gambling site.

FAQ #6 What if something goes wrong? Since you are playing online in real time you can expect that at some point something will go wrong. This might be with your computer, the server, the website, or any number of things. The best thing to do is immediately contact customer service and they will help you solve whatever problem to the best of their ability.

FAQ #7 Is it easy to cheat? Cheating at anything is possible if you are determined to do it, even online poker. However, for those individuals who choose to collude they are risking being found out. The reason for this is online gambling websites have high tech tracking software that keeps up with each player and every game they have ever played, as well as all the other players in the room. So, if you believe a player is guilty of collusion and you report them then an investigation will take place to figure it out.

There are many questions that individuals want to know before they begin playing their first online hand of poker, however these are a few of the more popular ones. If you have any questions about online poker or gambling then make sure you know the answers before playing. A great resource is the gambling website you are interested in as all information will be laid out for your perusal and you can decide if the gambling website meets your standards or not. Regardless, once you have found a good online poker site simply enjoy playing the game you love at any time of the day or night.





By: Jeff Dragt

Dalton Mcginty is on channel 27 doing a commercial every 15 to 30 minute intervals, Dalton, we know you’re out there. I think it’s a prime channel he is advertising on… Oh wait it’s actually the channel for the Star poker tournaments, wow what kind of audience is he trying to reach?

I am still trying to remember what it was that he said? I was too busy looking at his phoney facial expressions to even notice what was actually coming out of his mouth. The question is how much is this advertising costing the province of Ontario? Who is investing in his re-elections campaign and why? what are the companies getting out of it, I am assuming he is getting the money from companies and not tax payer money? Right?

The world of online gambling is so tempting that gamblers strive to get the identity of professional players so as to increase their fun. It is quite true that every online game possesses the quality of clinching the interests of people however when it comes of poker, you will surely be thrilled and excited by its interesting moves.

Online poker games are increasingly becoming one of the noticeable games available over the internet. After having weeks and weeks of experiences and endless wins, players act as professional and earn the title of a professional online poker player. After countless wins and few losing sessions, many people have in fact, become professional online poker players and it is a growing phenomenon.

Play online poker and play neck to neck with the online professional players. However, for becoming a professional in the game, you need to be really disciplined than the average player. Above all, you need to fulfill strict guidelines given for these players for managing their money. Most of these players will play in sit and go tournaments as well as ring games but aren’t necessarily pulled into the much larger tournaments except the tournaments which warrant further inquiry into the purse.

If you nurture a desire to fulfill the goals of becoming a quality professional poker player, you need to get the good hand in the strategy of poker playing. For practicing, you can try out, free poker game and stay ahead of the competitors. To pursue a career of a gambler, you need to be really tricky and intelligent enough to understand the virtual gaming market.

Gambling as a Profession

Over the years, gambling is not considered as a respectable career. In addition, it is banned in so many countries too. However, with the availability of online gambling market, the development of online gambling has reached to a new height.





By: Synapse India

when i go play poker i wear a coat, glasses and an iPod, i do ok, but do people take me seriously or do i look like an ass. If i start playing tournaments can i still wear that stuff like i do at the 3 6 table