Poker For Beginers

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Omaha

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– September 28, 2010Posted in: Guides

There are 2 main styles of community card games (also known by the general term of Hold ‘em) and of these, Omaha is one. It is a more recent incarnation of that general style and it goes by the name of Omaha Hold ‘em, in some places, because of this or it can also be found by the name of Omaha High. While not quite as popular as its sibling poker style Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha is indeed quite popular both in the casino setting and in online poker rooms around the web. It should be noted that some do consider it to be more of a so called thinking man’s poker style because it can take longer to examine all of the choices that are possible with this variant of poker – especially if a high low split game is being played. This means that those just starting out will probably want to opt for an easier style to learn first such as 5 Card Draw or even Texas Hold ‘em, that is a bit more straight forward for the beginner. Still, Omaha is the O in the game of HORSE and those who plan to go pro will need to know how to play its different versions if they want to be able to take part in the big events.

Due to the number of Omaha varieties being played around the globe, this is the style of game where one must definitely make sure they have checked the hose rules with the dealer. An 8 or better game that is a PLO (Pot Limit Omaha) will be totally different than a No Limit Omaha Hold ‘em game. The game first originated back when it was brought to the attention of the owner of the Golden Nugget, a famed casino in Las Vegas. This is why it is sometimes called Nugget Hold ‘em by older players or those who are more prone to being traditional with their terms. The goal of this style of game is generally to create the highest ranking hand, but in games like a high low split, the goals will be slightly different since the highest or lowest hand is capable of winning. Again, this adds to the complexity and is the reason that Omaha is not usually chosen as the very first game that a poker player will be taught how to play.

Omaha Hold ‘em differs from Texas Hold ‘em because players receive 4 cards at the beginning of the game in Omaha, but only 2 for Texas Hold ‘em. Other difference are also present.

World Poker Tour Will Be Making a Stop in Oklahoma

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– September 7, 2010Posted in: News

It seems that things just keep getting wilder in the world of poker, both traditional and video style, with all kinds of tours and tournaments expanding from the base of popularity that both games enjoy on the web these days. The circuit games of the World Series of Poker have been looking to add more stops along their tour for quite some time now and many new places in the United States have been added to the bill for the 2010 through 2011 season’s schedule. One of the states is a surprising choice according to many experts in the poker industry: Oklahoma. While this state obviously played a very strong development during the Wild West past of the game of poker itself, it does not have quite the same level of population as many other states in the Midwest region, not to mention the whole of the US itself.

This time, the Series will pay a visit to Durant, OK where it will stop in at the Choctaw Casino Resort in January where it will become the very first event for the series that is not part of Harrah’s establishment. There will 54 tournaments and ten ring events, as well, as Oklahoma becomes the 13th stop in the US leg of the series. Along with poker tournaments, video poker is making a big splash all across the web for those who might not be able to get to an area where a Series event is being held and sites such as http://www.onlinevideopoker.com are being lauded as a great way to get into this emerging scene which has been noted for offering larger cash prizes than at any time in the past. Those who might not be close to the nearby cities of Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Fort Worth or Dallas would do well to check out what the site offers so that they have a chance to get in on some hot poker action that is definitely growing in popularity.

For those looking to get in on more poker experiences, video poker can be a good place to start since it is a more one on one version of the game that offers a far easier learning curve. To learn more about the various options than video poker on the web now offers, one can click here to find out about the various places to play and strategies to help improve the odds of winning, as well.

Crazy Bets Becoming Big Part of Pro Poker Celebrity

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– August 1, 2010Posted in: News

Those who love the sport of poker obviously enjoy the concept of taking risks in the hopes of a much bigger pay off at the end. Things are that much more intense for those who derive their entire livelihood from this sport as full time pro poker players. In recent years, these folks have become veritable stars and with that stardom has come a lot of trappings of being a celebrity – including taking on all sorts of stunts that can entertain the fans and give them even more to love when it comes to tracking their favorite pros. Two of poker’s current big names, Mike Matusow and Ted Forrest are known for making all sorts of crazy bets like the one from 2008 where Forrest bet Matusow that he could not loose 60 lbs and win $100,000 for doing it. Since both of the stars are well known as high stakes champs, they are likely candidates for the bet they now have made. This time, Forrest himself will be challenged to try and drop some pounds for the potential of a $2 million win if he can pull it off, but the goal is much harder.

Forrest will need to get his weight down to 139 pounds without using any form of pills or other supplements, nor will he be able to undergo a surgical operation to achieve the goal. Weighing in at 188 lbs and standing 5′ 11″ tall, it will be a sheer test of will, but already the star is down to nearly 170 lbs say experts. If this bet can be won, it could give amazing results in the media that help poker’s profile raise world wide.

Finland Poker Event Draws Players to Big Showdowns

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– July 12, 2010Posted in: News

Poker has quickly become the type of card game that gets played on a regular basis all around the world, and much of this can be said to tie directly into the fact that the game worked its way onto the web where it was able to reach billions of people across the globe with a brand new way to have fun and win some big money. Parts of Europe have really embraced the poker tradition and all sorts of different contests, tourneys and tours have started to crop up there, one of them being a poker tour in Finland. This year’s 2010 Helsinki Midnight Sun tour provided an inspiring Main Event that has the local media talking about Ramzi Jelassi, a talented pro who is with the Red Kings Poker Team. Recently, Jelassi took part in the Midnight Sun tourney with a buy in over over 2,800 euros, pitting himself up against more than 130 other players. The Swedish poker pro managed to bring down 117,000 euros for his troubles, setting an impressive pace for himself in what has proven to be his 4th money finish. He began in August of 2009, winning the IPT San Remo and impressing critics with his skills.

In addition to his IPT San Remo win, Jelassi had snagged 2 other wins aside from 2 EPT money finishes that got his name in front of a lot of people on the inside of the pro poker world. His talents managed to get him exactly what else he was after, as well: the famed Midnight Sun Gnome that goes to the winner of the whole tournament.

Australians Loving Their Video Poker Machines

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– May 12, 2010Posted in: News

In Australia, the term for the video poker machines that have become such a big part of the Down Under culture is ‘pokies’ and many say that Aussies really do love their pokies more than many other countries. However, it looks like the Land of Oz is taking things even further now in the city of Maribyrnong where venues have spent in excess of $33 million to get more poker machines from an auction offered by the local State Government. Thanks to new gaming regulations that have gone into effect, the city will be able to up its current offering of 463 machines to a total of 511 – an impressive number for a single city. Since those running the venues were able to get involved in a price club that offered them set prices during the time before the auction, they were allowed to do this or wait to bid during the auction itself. Some of the venue owners actually decided to take both routes to try and get the best deals and the Yarraville Club is an example of a club doing exactly that. It bought up 38 machines, doling out over $56,000 each for them at auction and another 40 machines for $21,000 less during the pre auction sales event through the club offer.

The venues that ended up spending the most money was the owner of Highpoint Taverner, the Courthouse, Braybrook Taverner and the Powell Hotel, the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group Limited. This group spent over $8 million to acquire 101 machines in all.

Top Players Lay Out $50k to Play Big

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– May 12, 2010Posted in: News

The world of pro poker has been getting more and more lucrative for many of the big fish in the gambling world, but a new stage has been set in terms of some of the most expensive buy ins so far. The World Series of Poker, an event well known for inviting in the amateur level players from across the globe, has always been known for easy access and helping players go pro by getting huge name recognition, publicity and of course, the famed bracelet if they win. Now, however, a brand new competition has been announced for 2010 that is going to involve a total of 8 unique forms of poker and be open to the true elite of the poker world. This particular contest is called The Poker Player’s Championship and people have been shocked to hear that the fee to enter is a whopping $50,000 that must be paid up front. Clearly, only the best of the best would risk this kind of cash to make it to the top, but the sheer power of the win could bring many to the surface who have been waiting for a chance to win in a field of the world’s finest poker players and take home an enormous pot.

The event will take place over the course of 4 days and out of the 57 different events offered at the Series, this is easily the most expensive. The 8 games offered mean that pros will need to be very well rounded in their poker skill sets to be able to achieve greatness in so many different forms.

Seven Card Stud

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– April 12, 2010Posted in: Guides

Those who are hoping to have a very high level of mastery in poker will obviously want to try all of the different varieties of poker offered today, but of these one is sometimes over looked and this is 7 Card Stud. This is a game that had its actual hey day a long time ago, back when the United States was first being settled. These days, Texas Hold ‘em and other games are far more popular, but that does not give players an excuse to avoid learning this game. After all, Seven Card Stud is the S in HORSE – the style of poker played that involved 5 of the poker styles today. HORSE is a big part of top poker tournaments and elite players always know how to play each of these games. In a home game situation, 7 Card Stud is a fine choice, but remember to keep the games small if there will be new players since they are far less likely to fold.

The reason why folding is important in 7 Card Stud is because since each of the players will eventually wind up with 7 different cards, it is all too easy to use all of the cards in a standard 52 playing card deck. In order to avoid this, new groups should consist of smaller numbers of players, less than 7 preferably. Older and more veteran players tend to fold more so they are able to have groups of 9 or more, but this rule should be remembered. In a standard 7 Card Stud game, the first round involves laying down 3 cards to each player. Of these cards, 2 will be called downcards and they are laid with their faces down on the table. The other card, known as an upcard is has its face up. That means that at the beginning 3 of the total 7 cards are already out for each player. This leaves 4 more rounds – assuming that there is a showdown where the players will try to beat each other’s hand. The 7 cards can be mixed and matched to create the best possible 5 card hand which is the standard goal of all poker variants.

As players become more experienced with 7 Card Stud, they will want to get better about knowing the rules in a specific casino or house they are playing in because these can sometimes vary. Each round a player will place their bets or decide to fold. Whichever sounds best to them is what they will end up doing and it is crucial to be wise about decisions made in this regard.

Recent Study Shows Curious Trend Among Modern Poker Players

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– April 3, 2010Posted in: News

Things can get a little hazy in any pro sport and poker turns out to be no exception. Like the sports of basketball, baseball, football and even official global competitions like the Olympics, there will always be controversies over which substances the players involved should or should not be using. A recent study in Florida from the the Nova Southeastern University’s College of Pharmacy has shown that the use of substances used to enhance the players’ performance are a lot more wide spread than people think. It isn’t HGH (Human Growth Hormone) or steroids like some other, more physical, sports might be at risk for their players using, but something that might surprise many. In all the study found that more than 80% of poker players around the world will freely admit that they take substances during their competitive events that are designed to help them do better at the tables they are playing at.

The most shocking aspect of this admission is that these players are actually engaging in this activity knowing full well what they are doing and disregarding the potential frowns of the competition judges. The most common culprits among most players? According to the research they are: coffee products and commercially available energy drinks. These are the substances the study found most rampant among players and it turns out that adoption rates for these caffeine based creations have risen in the past few years. Experts jokingly state that they can see an epidemic approaching, but many in poker are happy that the study did not reveal any sort of terrible problem that might put their friends at risk.

List of Poker Hands

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– February 12, 2010Posted in: Guides

Four of Kind (Quads) – This is when a player has 4 cards that are the same rank like a 9 or a King, across a variety of suits. If 2 players both have Quads then they will compare and the highest value Quad wins. If they are the same (such as 2 Quad 9’s) then the 5th card, known as the kicker, will be the tie breaker with the highest value kicker determining who wins.

Straight Flush – In this kind of hand, there will be 5 cards, all in a sequence, that are part of the same suit (ex: Diamonds, Hearts, etc). If one has, for instance: 7, 8, 9, 10 and Jack, all of Clubs, then they have a Straight Flush. An Ace can stand for a 10 or 1, as the player needs. If all of the cards in the sequence are a 10 or higher then the player is holding a Royal Flush. Whenever 2 players both have a Straight Flush, the higher value hand wins.

Full Boat – This is called a Full House, more commonly, and is composed of 3 cards sharing the same rank alongside 2 other cards sharing another rank. When 2 Full Boats are compared, the 3 cards are compared first and if no winner is found then the Pair is compared. Whoever has the higher value is always the winner.

Straight – When 5 cards of the same rank are in sequence in a hand, this is a Straight. Cards that are all the same suit on top of this are part of a Straight Flush which has a higher value. When comparing Straight hands, the top cards are compared first, then the next highest, and so on until a winner is found.

Flush – This is 5 cards in the same suit of any rank. These hands can be in sequential order and when they are, this is a Straight Flush which is ranked higher. If 2 players both have a Flush then the highest ranking card will win. If that fails to determine a victor, the next highest card is checked and so on down the hand.

One Pair – This is simply a pair of cards that share the same rank along with 3 additional cards that do not match the Pair. If 2 players both hold Pair hands then they will compare them for the highest value, but if they tie there, then they go off kicker cards to find the winner.

Two Pair – A player holding 2 cards that are both in the same rank and having another card that does not match is said to be holding a Two Pair. Players will compare their Pairs to determine who has is the winner of a showdown. The highest pair wins, but if the pairs both end up tying then the highest kicker will determine the victor.

Trips (Three of a Kind) – This is when there are 3 cards of the same rank, just as the name implies, along with 2 cards that do not match. If 2 players hold a Trips hand then the player with the higher value Trips will win. If they both tie then the kickers are compared beginning with the highest value kicker in each hand, until a winner is found.

High Card – If a hand is composed of cards with no similarities then it is the High Card that is compared in the showdown to find the winner.

Poker Rules

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– October 17, 2009Posted in: Guides

For those who are new to poker, it might seem as if it could be a very tough game to learn, but the good news is that it is actually quite simple to learn to play poker. A home based setting might be the easiest way to go and to be sure, players should not start out with the pressures of actual wagered money in the beginning unless they are playing something along the lines of a penny ante game. In this situation, players will be able to make the beginner mistakes and move on without any kind of dent in their finances. It should be noted, though, that as easy to learn as poker is, mastering the different versions of the game is a whole other story all together. One will probably need to play a whole lot of games before they can expect any sort of consistent results and this is okay because it is how we get better at anything. The main thing to understand is that by having a good understanding of the rules a player gives themselves an advantage right out of the starting gates.

Poker is, in all cases, a game that makes use of 5 cards that each player has which are referred to as a hand. It is from this hand that the scoring of the game will be judged. Each of the possible hands in poker have a value from the lowly One Pair right up to the power of a Royal Flush. As the game progresses from one round to the next, the players will each either draw cards or have them dealt and from these cards they will try to form the most valuable hand they can in an effort to beat their opponent and be able to be the one that wins the pot that is at stake during the game. As a player improves their understanding of the game they will come to be their own expert at creating the best possible hand from the cards they have access to and this is the part of poker where skill comes into play – it is in making the decisions that a true poker star is born. So, the first thing to begin studying is the value chart of the hands so that one knows exactly how to put together a hand that can win in any given situation.

Once this aspect of the game is understood, it is a very short leap to the next parts of the game that will make a big difference and really bring in solid results game after game. It is important to realize that in poker the ability to know when to lose is just as important ad knowing when to win. This is because one will play a lot of poker games over the course of a night and it is totally impossible to win each and every one regardless of skill. The best poker players know when to call it quits and fold, any person who wants to get good at poker will need to know how and when to do this. Knowing the odds is the smartest way to understand when one should fold.

Poker For Beginers