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Best Guide Where to Play Poker and Free Online Poker February 2, 2010

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We often talk of strategies, against whom people we have to play, which tournament we have to play … but the most important thing is where we have to play poker games and tournaments and do we play paid or free online poker.

If you want to play real life opponents in the flesh, then my preference is to play people I know rather than hitting a casino. Casino’s get a large chunk of the pot which leaves less for the players, plus, I know that people I am playing against wont cheat.

Internet online poker is another option, and my option of choice. There is an infinite number of players and many choices of poker room.

I will divide rooms between free and paid, not including those that play purely for fun and are 100% non profit. We want to win some money after all!

Here are some things to check to make sure the room is good:

The payment: Make sure that you choose a poker site that has quality and security certificates. Also read all of the small print to make sure that you can withdraw the money after you have put in the hard work to win it.

Are the games played enough for you to win? In real money games the room must run a rake and take a small part of the pot. Tournaments take a commission and there is a minimum number of participants to do them profitable. Does the room have enough members playing at once in the games and tourneys you want tom play to make it worthwhile? You should be able to see this easily by keeping an eye on their poker games software where numbers of players are shown.

Some sites offer an eye catching bonus if you sign up with them. Remember to read the small print to check the rules on withdrawing this . Make sure you read and fully understand this. Some rooms are better than others. Its key to remember that wherever you choose to play, the casino or site will always win, however some do it nicer than others.

If I am playing pay poker then I spend most of my time at Titan Poker, however if I am playing free online poker the I head for NoPayPOKER.com. NoPayPOKER.com even give you $25 US to play with when you join, and there is no catch as long as you spend it at their site.

If you’re new to poker or don’t want to risk much or any money or just play fun poker then free online poker non-payment rooms are the ideal alternative: they get their money from advertisers, donations and not from player deposits and losses.

The only problem in these rooms is an acceptable limit of withdraw the money, which is entirely logical for the costs of proceeding that involves a payment. That’s the price you pay I guess.

Having spent time on over 30 online poker sites, I fully believe that NoPayPOKER.com is the free online poker tournaments site to play at, and Titan Poker if you want to play cash games.


A Free Poker Strategy for Bounty Poker No Limit Holdem January 12, 2010

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Many poker players are opting to play in bounty poker tournaments no limit games as they are an ‘edge of your seat’ type of poker game. The bounties originate from each player’s buy-in and in many cases as much as half of it will be placed on your head as a bounty if someone takes you out in the game. We’re now also seeing bounty poker on free poker sites where the site play or virtual currency is used instead.

In this game it is even more important to build your chip lead early in the game as playing bounty games differ some what from standard no limit poker in that it is usually played in an even more aggressive, looser fashion due to the bounties placed on everyone’s head.

You can play this game in a couple of different ways.

You could stick to your normal game play, looking out for the final winnings and seeing the bounties as an added bonus. There are more risks than usual in doing this because of the bounty hunters calling with very average hands anytime a low stacked player is in the hand and possibly hitting an unexpected hand but if you have built that early chip lead you should still be in a good position even if you do lose with your premium cards.

The other way of playing would be to be aggressive when playing and build your chip stack by taking out as many bounties as possible. While dangerous, this is an effective tool and will still get you to the final prize at the end.

I use a combination of them both, building my chip stack early in the game while most of the players left still have a decent stack, then, if during this process I have taken enough bounties to cover my buy-in I become much more aggressive, keeping in mind that i want to make it to my final destination which is to win or at least place in the prize pool.

If you have not tried bounty poker, do so, it is one of the most entertaining poker games online now and most poker sites offer at least some version of it. Check out a free poker site and test out the game before putting any of your own money forward.


Free Poker Guide to Types of Poker Games December 29, 2009

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In the last few years poker has grown massively around the world, whether its pay poker, free poker, online poker play or casino poker play. Here is my guide to the types of games that are available and how they are played.

First up is the Holy Grail No Limit Texas Holdem Poker - The most popular paid and free online poker game type. Texas Hold’em can also be played with a limit as well as no limit. This is played with Blinds (to initiate action) and sometimes antes. You get two hole cards followed by a round of betting.

Next up is the flop, three community cards followed by another round of betting.

After that is the turn (one community card) followed by another round of betting.

Last up is the river same as the turn but final card.

Now for the betting in limit style you can only increase the bets by the minimum value. In no-limit you can bet as much as you want at any point. Best five card hand wins.

The next game is Omaha - This is similar to holdem but you get four hole cards instead of two. Betting is the same though. The difference with Omaha poker is that you need to use 2 hole cards and 3 community cards to complete your 5 card hand.

Next up is Omaha hi-lo - This is exactly the same as normal Omaha, however the only difference is that the high hand and low hands (8 or below) split the pot.

Seven card stud - This is played by players being dealt two cards face down and four cards faced up and one card down. After the first two cards dealt down and one up the low card will be what they call the bring in bet this initiated betting etcetera. Now after this is completed a round of betting will occur after each card dealt. Best five card hand wins.

Seven stud hi-lo - This is virtually the same as normal stud, however a the high and low hands split the pot.

Razz - This is a version of seven stud but the best low hand wins.

Badugai - This is a four card triple draw game where the goal is to make best low hand with a card from each suit.

Five card triple draw - This is standard five card draw with 3 draws at making the best low hand.

Finally Horse - This is a mixture of multiple games and is the most difficult one of all.

Hopefully you found my guide to the types of poker games you can play useful. As always good luck and if you’re new start out playing on free poker sites and learn before you start risking real money, then you can go and win big.


Free Poker Profit Management and Double Bluffing Strategy December 22, 2009

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This approach is just as applicable to free poker games as it is to paid, practice it with the free money and chips and you’ll be doing it naturally when the time comes to play with real green.

The first rule before you even start to play any poker game is to set your limits on the cash and time you spend playing. You DO NOT want to spend an hour losing money over and over again. I tend to set myself three conditions. Upon meeting one of them I quit the table and take a break from poker.

My first rule is to limit the amount I can lose in a game. It may appear that it will cause slow progress in the world of poker, but at the same time it also prevents becoming a worse player and going backwards. A penny saved is a penny earned, and those pennies will build up over time if you restrict your losses and have PATIENCE!

The purpose of this is to prevent a huge blowout of all your money and thus causing you to miss out on a huge win after lots of bad calls. Here are my three rules that I stick to:

1. Quit playing and have a break if I have used up half of the cash flow I started with.

2. If I have doubled the money I have bought in with, and start losing it, quit and come back later. On a side note never risk losing a big hard earned stack by going all in. I made this rule and adhere strictly to it so that I never make a loss on what I have earned.

3. If you’re going nowhere (played for 20-30 mins in my case) and haven’t made significant gain or loss then quit and come back later, chances are your luck will be better.

If you have joined a game to win big, then remember, its not the cards you are playing against, it’s the other players. It’s no use going all in with a royal flush knowing you’re bound to win, and watching everyone at the table fold.

A rather general guideline (no more rules!) is that players tend to bet big when bluffing, and small when they have a great hand to try and squeeze as much cash out of everyone as possible.

This may not always be the case though. First look at the players at the table, try to guess their playing styles, notice patterns in their behaviour and then apply this guideline to them. It works for me I would say around 80-90% if the time.

A good poker player will try and do this to you, so always vary how you play after you hit the table! If you make yourself seem predictable and easy to read. E.g. start off by folding weak hands and only playing the good ones. When people see that you raise whenever you get a good hand, and fold on weak cards they will write you off as unable to bluff, and you can bluff your way through the next couple of weak hands, with most being too scared to call your bluff.

If you have a rubbish hand and have no chance of winning, make it clear that you are bluffing. Then as soon as a good hand does come along (it will eventually, it’s all just about PATIENCE) then you can bet big, people will probably call your bluff, and you can just rake in their cash.

If you’re a poker beginner start out playing free poker games and learn before you start risking real money. You’ll find that many free players don’t do rules very well and play silly but you will get a lot of experience in general game aspects on free poker sites so that you won’t waste too much money when you play for the real thing.


Free Online Poker Tips - You’ll Never Win a Tournament Until You Read This December 14, 2009

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The first rule of good free online poker playing is to have patience. For example, I’ve gone 20 hands or more on various sites and will fold due to terrible cards. In time some good cards will appear. You just have to wait.

Most players tend to go all in if they have an A and another card. This is a mistake. If you do go all in, then there is every chance that you will only get one player who takes the bet. I prefer to bet low and get all nine people to put their money in. Wait until after the flop to bet. Make sure a possible straight or flush won’t beat you. It’s worth the wait.

Avoid betting on cards that you hope to get in the future. For example you have 4 cards to a straight and someone goes all in. Just fold. Odds are not in your favour to bet.

Playing online poker means that you cannot see if people are using their poker face, but you can still watch players and learn how they play their game. I see a lot of people bet $400 on opening bet and then go all in after flop. These people generally have nothing.

Then along comes the aggressive player. There will always be one of these at the table, they have more money and bet high every hand. Its worth just letting them get on with it and not letting it get to you. The right hand will come for you.

If you are a gambler, make sure your down cards will make a straight, or you have a pair. Never bet 2/9, 2/8, K/3 for example. All you have here is a luck bet.

I have found that playing free online poker games to perfect my play is the way to start playing poker, there are many sites that you can play at and not pay a penny but still win real cash.

Poker is all about patience and only a little bit of luck. If you are patient in every game and tournament that you play then you wont go far wrong. Next time you are on the free online poker sites try it out.


Guide to Hand Play Techniques in Free Poker Games December 7, 2009

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After many years of playing poker, I wanted to share my top tips on how I play my hands when playing free poker games online.

If poker is a new game or hobby for you then hopefully the tips I can offer will be of great help.

Pocket pairs: Aces the 10s 4 x the big blind. 7s,8s and 9s 2 times the big blind. 6s and lower I just flat call. 4s and under if a big raise is made I fold.

Ace/King to Ace/10 I raise 3x the big blind. Ace/9 and lower I just flat call and depends on the kicker if a raise is made I may just fold. Lower kickers like 2-5 should be folded with a raise made.

I generally like to play mid suited connectors like 7/6 of hearts I’ll play to see a flop no raise just call and if the bet is too high I fold them.

Many players prefer to play small suited connectors, but I prefer to avoid these. Every now and again I will, but it depends on how the other players are playing and my gut feelings.

I will also play connectors i.e: 8/9 off suite for the big blind price.

Now any cards that are more than 5 apart should be folded unless they are face cards.

Any cards that are 3 cards apart ie:7/4 can be played but only at right price and if they are suited.

Cards that are 2 cards apart i.e: 6/4 can be played suited or not for the right price and I never raise with these or call a big raise.

This is just how I like to play my poker, but of course every player is different. Maybe some of my tips will work for you, and some others wont. My best tip is to go with your gut instinct and hopefully it will be right.

Remember, free poker games or for money, poker is a GAME, relax and have fun.


How Free Poker Sites can propel you to a full time poker career November 30, 2009

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The World of Poker is expanding at the speed of sound as more and more people worldwide find their way on to a poker table, mostly starting with free poker sites they hear about from friends or family.

Recently a whole new concept of poker has begun, where you can play free poker online and still win real cash. These specific sites get their funding from advertisements and require no input of your own cash.

Not everybody makes a living out of playing poker, many wouldn’t want to due to the lack of guaranteed income. But if that’s not you then you can still play and enjoy, indeed, most people play for fun and entertainment to pass a couple hours of the day before or after work or social time.

Anyone can play poker, it only takes minutes to learn how the game is played, but, as the saying goes, a lifetime to master. To get the best start begin with free poker sites.

Playing Free Poker and Winning Real Money is Easy
If you can manage to choose the right online free poker site then you will never have to submit any cash of your own and you can win a bit of extra cash. You will probably not win millions this way, but free money, is free money!

Even without this the next level can now be reached for free from the get go - How?
When online poker first started you used to have to put up some cash and then the site would match what you put in. But now some of the majors are ditching even this and offering flat out free starting money on the basis that they know enough people will play with them to make it work and them a profit.

You can’t get a better offer anywhere else I know of. Play, socialise and interact with People from all over the globe for free!

Television coverage has also helped to contribute to the amazing growth of Poker popularity by showing Players who have basically won millions of dollars for almost or no entry fee or money paid. Poker god Chris Ferguson for example, is well known for having turned an initial bankroll of $1 into $20,000! So it can be done, start low and slow on free poker sites and from there, learn and practice and one day, who knows…


Guide to Common Mistakes in Free Online Poker November 26, 2009

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With the popularity of poker in today’s society, and a growing interest in free online poker, there is a plethora of information to help one better themselves and become more educated to the game. Many professionals have written books on strategy with bountiful information to develop skills necessary to improve the art of you game.

Also, there is a myriad of tools to assist in your game such as online odds calculators and software to analyze another players style of play. Although all of these resources help develop, educate, and hone skills necessary to become the best possible player, there are a few pragmatic tips to help players survive.

Playing too many hands is a big mistake in poker, by reducing the amount of hands you play you can reduce your chance of losing. Playing too many hands depletes your bankroll rapidly by buying into a hand only to fold when the flop is unfavourable. Even worse, is the money lost in chasing and get tired to the hand because you caught a part of the flop. This style of play is detrimental to your bankroll and can cost you dearly. The dangers of playing too many hands are greater than the rewards.

Another common mistake when playing poker, is to over value a big pair. If you are holding a big pair and there is an over card on the board, then the best option is to fold. Over valuing and continuing to call bets with a big pair can only deplete you bankroll. If someone is betting, and your big pair is not materializing, you are probably beat. Identifying that big pairs don’t always win, will help you to fold and hold onto your bankroll. Not committing your whole stack to a big pair in poker is wise and smart free online poker play.

Thirdly, another tip is to recognize tilting symptoms and get away from the game. Tilting is an emotional disturbance or upset and can lead to disastrous results when incurred. Recognizing tilting symptoms is the first step. The next step is to recover from tilting by getting up and walk away from the game and take a break. This break will allow you to recover from the tilt and remove the emotions. It will also save you from making additional mistakes that will have a negative impact on your bankroll. Understanding that there is “no justice” in poker will help you overcome bad beats and prevent you from tilting.

These practical tips are simple and easy to incorporate into your poker strategy and style of play. They will also help you to hold onto your bankroll an even increase your profit. There are many skills to develop and hone to make you and excellent player and with time these will serve you well. But, understanding and implementing basic, common sense strategies will prevent you from pitfalls and a negative impact on your bankroll.

Playing free online poker games is a brilliant way to learn how to play poker and make real money without any risk to your own finances.

Take note of these tips and you should be beating the other players in no time!


Free Poker Online How to Know When To Quit November 19, 2009

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When playing free poker online I am the first person to admit that I struggle to quit a game. I find that I spend more time playing cash games when I am losing than when I am winning. This is something that needs improving in my game, and I need to learn to walk away when I am losing. Quitting isn’t easy, and knowing when to quit is a skill that’s not easy to learn. There are obviously no clear rules about quitting that need be followed, but there are factors that you should consider when you’re in the middle of a cash game session.

Fatigue

You always want to be on top of your game, and certainly want to avoid feeling sleepy when playing. This is when you are likely to make some big mistakes and are likely to lose. Free poker online is way too easy to play nowadays without even leaving the house, leaving you more vulnerable to playing when tired.

You should be aware of when your energy is waning and think about quitting. Trust me: Players will know when you’re playing fatigued-especially in live play. I would also suggest that you avoid talking to other players about how long you’ve been playing or how many hours you’ve worked during the day. The sharks will smell the blood in the water and take advantage of you. If you’re tired, you should quit.

Fish

When you’re playing bad players, you should generally play longer sessions. This is particularly true if these bad players have been playing for many hours. This follows from what I said earlier about fatigue. Bad players will play even worse when they’re tired. Sure, you’ll play worse too, but you’ll still be better than them.

Some people make the mistake of quitting too soon when they’re ahead. If you’re winning and playing weak opponents, you should keep playing for as long as you can.

Tilt

Some people have poor tilt control. If you’re prone to tilting, you should seriously consider quitting a session as soon as suffer a bad beat. I know this advice is a bit extreme, but you always need to remember that money saved is money earned. When you’re tilting, you’re not playing your best game and will likely end up losing a lot of money. For those who have better tilt control, you may not need to quit. You may just need to step away from the table for a bit to clear your head before returning to continue the session.

If you don’t know when you’re tilting, I suggest bringing friends along with you to the table who understand you and your game. You should tell them to take you aside when they notice that you’re tilting.

Running Bad

There will be times when you just can’t win. Sometimes you just can’t win when you have the best hand. It happens to everyone. It’s the universe’s way of reminding you that luck does play a role in everyone’s life.

When things don’t go your away, you should consider leaving your session. This is even truer for people with tilt issues. Taking bad beats will leave you feeling frustrated and will take you off your game.

Running Away From Problems

There are times in all of our lives where we feel troubled on personal matters. Nobody should gamble to avoid issues elsewhere in your life. Always try to sort out problems before taking part in a poker game.

So, if you are ever feeling any of the above then chances are, it is time to get out, whether you are playing free poker online games, or poker in a casino.


Free Poker Tournament - Highs and Lows and Crash and Burns November 11, 2009

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Whether I am playing in a Free Poker Tournament online or sitting at a casino table, the highs and lows of playing are still the same.

My most memorable poker tournament was when I played in a $1k Winner Takes All tourney at a local casino. I felt I was in with a chance, so paid the $50 buy in and secured myself one of the 20 seats. From the start the action was immense.

I was surprised at some of the “donking”, but that soon settled down to some real action. After our first break we were down to 8 players on the final table. I had a decent chip stack and kept with my game plan of holding tight. I prefer to play in poker tournaments rather than ring games as I have the patience for the tournaments. Ring games can wipe out a stack rather quickly or, in some cases, double it fast. With poker tournament play you have an advantage without breaking as quickly, if you have the patience for it. The key to this type of play is patience and playing premium hands. You may lose your blinds but in the long run you will still be in good position to make the final table.

After our second break it was down to 3 of us. Quickly the low stack was taken out and I was heads up with my opponent. Our stacks were fairly even, his a little more than mine. I was on the big blind with pocket pair 3s. My opponent slightly raised the blind and I called, as it wasn’t more than a third of the pot. On the flop came 33A. To say my heart leaped would be putting it mildly. I had flopped quads. My opponent pushed all in quickly and I had him on a boat with pocket Aces. Of course I immediately called, and was thrilled. I pegged him right and he did indeed have pocket Aces.

On the turn came a 9, and my knees started to shake from excitement. This would be my first win at a live Winner Take All poker tournament in a casino. I have been there before when playing in a Free Poker Tournament online, but never in a casino. Now the river comes and against all odds it is an Ace. How often do you see that, quads beating quads, in my years of playing not often at all. I was so dejected yet I had to respect the hand. My only real disappointment came in that I didn’t qualify for the bad beat jackpot of $3,500. First it was a tournament, and the bad beat jackpot is only for ring games. Secondly, had it been a ring game, the jackpot only qualifies if you have quad 9s and above.

Looking back on how I played in the tournament I feel that I wouldn’t have changed anything. The only way I may have had he pushed all in pre flop I would have folded. But that isn’t how it was played.

What I realised from playing in this tournament was that whether I am playing Free Poker Games online or buy in games in a casino, that pretty much anything is possible. Even the smallest of “outs” can come when you least expect it. I was disappointed in the loss, but shook hands with my opponent and gracefully congratulated his win. You have to respect great poker game hands, regardless of who wins them.