Derwael Poker

True winners in the game of poker know how to maximize winnings. If you are playing the different variations of poker, you need to know which one you are best. This way you can make most of the skills and take advantage of the game.

The best way to know which poker game you are best at is by monitoring your statistics for each and see where you really excel.

Longhand Limit Hold ‘em

This poker game requires true understanding of the different hand values and patience. Most hands will lead to a showdown and a poker player who can read his opponents commands some advantage. It is very hard to bluff in this kind of poker and folding on the river is way too risky.

Shorthand Limit Hold ‘em

Technical and people skills are very important in shorthand limit games of hold’em poker. There will be a lot of bluffing in this game so knowing how to analyze people is a great advantage. You need to blend some good aggression and other fancy moves in your arsenal.

No Limit Hold ‘em

Technical skills and people skills are equally important in No Limit Hold em. The technical skills will lead you to the right bets and right calls during the game. The people skills will determine your poker strategy as you read how other players will do with their hands.

Pot Limit Omaha

The set of skills you need for the pot-limit Omaha is similar to those you use in no limit hold’em. The main difference though is that you need to deal with higher variance in Omaha and also have to gamble more. You will be dealing with huge swings and avoid tilting in pot-limit Omaha compared to the other variations of poker.

What a beautiful feeling it is when you check the cards that you get and see a pair of Aces, Kings, or Queens. These are the best hands you can get pre-flop but still the strength comes with some tough plays. Misuse them and you may still end up losing some money.

Let us try to look into the scenario of a 9-handed Texas no limit game with blinds set at $1-$2.

Early position

If you get the big pairs and you are playing under the gun, then you might find yourself in an uncomfortable position since you do not know what will the other players will do after you bet. Do something to make an impression around the table. Push in a max of five times the big blind. This will be a good raise since it will be demonstrating some strength but still enough to lure those who has a T-T or a J-J.

Middle Position

If you are about 3 to 5 seats from the button, then you will see some people making their moves before you decide on what to do with your big pairs. If another player makes a bet of three times the big blind, no other callers, then go for a re-raise with chips double the amount of your opponent’s.

What if someone else joins the fun and re-raise. This will be the time to evaluate your move depending on your stack and how the competition is playing. Maybe lay it down if you have a Q-Q or go all in with A-A or K-K.

Late Position

When you are on the cut off  then place a bet that is enough to scare off you opponents. Or maybe bet enough to isolate one competition.  Remember that you should be healthy enough to ensure you of the pot.

Knowing how to play aggressively in a game of poker is a very important attribute that one must have. Aggressiveness means placing some bets or raises when needed and not just calling or checking.

Being aggressive in poker most of the time open a lot of doors for you. Let me be clear that being aggressive does not mean that you bet on every chance that you have or play every card that you are given.

It is knowing when to be aggressive that is important. You should know when you got the advantage so you can bet or raise. Aggression is very useful when you are able to keep your cool and focus so you can pick the best spots where you can push in more chips to the table and win.

Playing with Aggression in Poker continued »

Poker is a very popular game in USA and Europe. Like every other game poker has it its unique set of do’s and don’ts. Poker players are supposed to follow these poker etiquettes. If any of the players do not follow this rule they are dismissed from the location.

A proper decorum should be maintained while playing the game. A friendly atmosphere facilitates the progress of the game. Most of the poker players comply with these rules in order to save the matter from getting aggravated.

Most of the players should know about the smoking areas and the non smoking areas in a casino. It is common sense that players should adhere to smoking in permitted areas.

Do you know about poker protocol? continued »

I have to say this is much less awesome than I had been hoping. When Full Tilt Poker announced they added Tom ‘Durrrr’ Dwan to their Team Full Tilt I was hoping to see Tom in “Poker Face” commercials like Ivey’s and Erik Seidel‘s – but no – this is just pure “I AM TOM DWAN AND I RESPECT TEAM FULL TILT” crap we KNOW isn’t true… :p

I am a huge, huge fan of Gus Hansen, but Phil Ivey is just pure genius in every hand he plays. I kind of feel sick every time I see a hand from this tournament – at least Gus “The Great Dane” had Ace high here…

Welcome to the wonderful world of Poker. As a beginner you must be trying your level best to decipher what do some of the typical words like check, all-in and so on mean?

As you are aware that poker is a dynamic game with its own set of concrete rules and regulations the poker players use a typical lingo while playing poker as well. This article would help you to understand some of those basic terms.

If a poker player is too engrossed in his game and has forgotten that it is chance then the dealer would state ‘Your action sir/madam’.

If a situation arises of a third heart appearing on the poker table and the players are playing in a keen manner the poker player needs to assume that someone on the poker table has made a flush.

The term all-in is a very common phrase that is used while playing poker. It means that your chips are over during betting or in the process of calling all your chips that you have betted so far are at stake. You cannot dig your pocket and you are not permitted to pick up the chips you have betted as well.

Ante is the term which refers to a meager amount of money which is used to start the pot on the poker table. This gesture is generally used in the mature phases of the game and it is used is ring games where blinds are missing. Antes and blinds perform the same function of initiating the pot but there is a stark difference blinds and antes. Blinds are preferred over antes to for the entire flop and draw games especially in the poker tournaments.

Poker Glossary for Beginners continued »

Poker After Dark, a breathtaking piece of poker between poker geniuses Patrik Antonius, Tom “durrr” Dwan and Ilari “Zigmund” Sahamies. Durrr plays the hand very strongly, Patrik can have no clue he’s throwing away the best hand, and Zigmund making the best ever call on this Poker After Dark Cash Game…

Looking at this hand, you just see the difference between a complete amateur faking to be a professional like Eli Elezra and an absolute top professional poker player like Barry Greenstein. The man plays the hand to the sky, and has complete air. I’m such a fan of the ever so strong Bear – he just HAS it.

Poker is type of a card game. It differs in many aspects like dealing of the cards, whether high or low hand wins the pot, limits on bets and the number of rounds of bets allowed. The game goes as follows:

• The first round begins with a forced bet.
• Then the game proceeds left.
• Each player in turn must either match the maximum previous bet or fold.
• The player that matches the bet may also increase the bet (i.e. raising)
• The betting round ends when all the players have either matched the last bet or folded.
• If all but one player fold on any round then the remaining player collects the pot, without showing his hand.
• If more than one player remains after the last betting round, the hands are shown and the winning hand takes the pot.

However, it should be noted that poker is different from gambling games. The money in the pot is voluntarily placed by the players who rationally believe that the bet will have a positive expected value.

Poker has many variations in terms of card dealings and betting.

1. Straight: A complete hand is dealt to each player, and player bet in one round. Raising and re-raising is allowed.
2. Stud: A prearranged combination of cards is dealt to each player of face down and face up rounds, followed by a round of betting. Like ‘seven card stud’.
3. Draw: A complete hand is dealt to each player, face down and after the bets, players can discard unwanted cards and deal in new ones. Like the ‘five card draw’.
4. Community: The players are dealt an incomplete hand of cards, face down, and community cards face up are dealt to the center of the table. Like ‘Texas hold-em’.

Understanding Poker continued »