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Play Free Poker Sites Players Guide To How To Beat More Experienced Poker Players August 3, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Free Poker Tips.
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Typically, the sage advice for average poker players who play free poker and find themselves playing a pot against good players is for the average player not to play the pot at all. Normally this is not a problem, in cash games, when the novice realizes he or she is out of depth all the player has to do is bailout and find a more suitable table. But in tournament poker, it is not so simple to avoid being trapped on a table with some good or even exceptionally talented poker players.

In this article you will learn why good players will generally easily beat the novice, and, if you are a novice or less advanced player what you can try to do to survive and even prosper if you find yourself circled by hungry sharks!

A good player can defeat a novice player because a good player knows the general pattern of a novice player, given the Board cards, the novice’s actions and his position. Good players can also put them on a hand.

The good player knows when the novice has a suited connector; a pocket pair, or even, in some extreme cases, a Set. The good player knows to play a Straight weak or even fold it when the Board pairs and the novice suddenly dumps down loads of his chips.

Let us make some systematic analysis about our novice player. For the purpose of this we will say that a player wins a pot when, (a) he wins the hand in a showdown or (b) he makes all his opponents fold. If we want our novice player to win a pot against a good player, what kinds of hands should he play, and how?

For example, if the novice aims to win the showdown. Then the novice player will have to pass through the preflop, flop, turn and river against the good player. At each stage the good player will get more information from the novice player than the novice player can get from the good player.

If the good player has more data, then he knows immediately whether the novice player has a good hand or not. He can continue to showdown and probably win a big pot, if he keeps on value-betting our novice. Or he can lose a small pot, if he slows down and just checks. Or he is able to make the novice fold.

Imagine our novice now tries (b) to make his opponents fold. (Let us assume the Board will help him only a little, and his hand, from the flop up to the river, will not be of showdown quality.) During the flop, turn, and the river, the good player will extract more inferences from the Board cards than the novice player will.

If our novice, who usually has the tendency to get excited, overrepresents a hand unnecessarily, then he will just be called by the good player (unless he plays really strongly, but he can’t overdo this either).

From these, we gather that the pieces of information needed to make a decision is:

1. Your cards.

2. Your perception of the opponents’ cards.

3. The Board cards.

4. Tells your opponent gives away.

5. Tells you give away to your opponent.

6. Previous tendencies of each player.

7. Position.

Both the novice and the good player has (1) and (3), but the good player’s judgment is generally more accurate with all these criteria. A good player, for example, will believe that 8-7 (his cards) is not so nice-looking in a flop of 10-7-3 (the Board cards), but a novice player may. As for (4), (5), and (6) which stems from (1), (2) and (3), the good player is usually more aware of these. And good players care more for (7) than novice ones.

So if our novice really wants to play a pot against a good player, he cannot really rely fully on the information above, for he cannot interpret them well. So our novice should look for a spot in which the good player also cannot rely on most of the information above, so that they will be on equal footing. When is it? Answer: Preflop. How to play? All-in.

Preflop, your perception of the opponent’s cards is less accurate than after the flop falls. Also, since there are no Board cards yet, tells are less reliable. Finally, because a novice is less likely to have previous tendencies resulting from experience, the good player has little hold on (6). And preflop all-ins are dependent on hand strength mainly than position.

By moving all-in you can make your opponent fold (which is a win) or entice him to a showdown. Don’t call yourself all-in, however, unless you have a premium hand. Once your opponent does this move, if he is a good opponent, he knows you are vulnerable.) When he does want a showdown, he is deprived of postflop information that will increase his chances of making an good decision. At this point, even though good player is still good, he has to play in terms of novice play.

The good hands the novice may have are still the traditional all-in hands: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, etc. A-K (or similar) is quite shaky, but if you can lull someone with 7-7 to play with you, you are still about 50-50 with him.Whereas if you take him to the Flop, he will have more possibilities to play his 7-7 better than you would play your A-K, and you will be defeated most of the time. Let us say your chance to win above is just 25% postflop; why not take the 50-50 instead?

In summary

If you are new to poker then know this seems a lot to take in, the fact is though that while poker is easy to learn it is harder to be good at, hence the mad “chip flinging” you will see on many free online poker tables. Most people it seems can’t be bothered to learn, they are happy to play for what they call fun when in fact it’s a lot more fun to learn to play and win more often!.

Yes it is crazy that so many play with so little skill, but it is also very good news for you as a player who aims to learn to play well. That’s because once you learn to play poker with above average skill and are able to combat the “all-in-all the time” donk maniacs then you can take them apart in coldly calculated massacres anytime you like. This can mean really good easy money in low stakes money online games and in free poker games that pay out real cash such as those found at http://www.NoPayPOKER.com.

As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and play free poker tournaments to learn to play poker free good and get your skills finely honed.


Learn How To Play Poker Tips For Whym When And How To Call In Poker Games July 29, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Free Poker Tips.
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Whether you play free poker games or play for the biggest stakes imaginable a common theme is that aggressive players do all the betting and the raising, and get all the chips.

Those who just call are deemed to be passive. This is because calling puts you into a decision which the bettor hopes you to make. But if you have tons of reasons to call, and you have contemplated about it very carefully, you can call with no shame.

Here is one such hand (Shame on him if he folds):

BLINDS 60k/120k, ante 15k

PREFLOP:

A has 5h-5d, raised to 310k (under the gun)
B has Kc-10c, calls 310k (from middle position)

A’s raise from under the gun signifies a strong hand, but let us add that A is a strong aggressive player (somewhat on the loose side) that can represent any hand. Also, A can make everyone fold. B with his K-10 suited is ideal for calling, and he does just that.

With K-10, you need to be more careful if in case a King comes up. With a King, A may have K-J or A-K (A-K, especially from a raise under the gun). I don’t think B is aware of this, maybe because he hasn’t seen the Flop yet. Here it is:

FLOP: 10d-4c-2d

Now only a 10 comes and this is better for B. Those who do not have flush draws with two Diamonds may play a J-10 or a 10-9 strongly, and the King kicker is very strong.

A bets 535k

Because A raised under the gun, he tries a continuation bet. If he gets called, he can put B on a flush draw or a small pair (like 7-7), so he can frisk away later with not much loss.

But B may want to end the hand with his Pair of Tens, probably because overcards can fall. Moreover, A has been too aggressive all throughout, as we said, and it may be with two face cards or A-x, so B returns A’s favor:

B raises to 1.61m
A needs 1.075m to call

Because A has been representing a strong hand so far (raising under the gun and continuation-betting), he might as well stay consistent. Moreover, A may think that B raised because he thought A had nothing, and he is trying o push A out of the pot with something like K-J or a Flush draw.

As for the possibility of a Ten in B’s hand, why would A think B had a Ten? Even if B did, he would just call (commonly) and then check-check it all the way, because a Pair of Tens is not so strong, especially if faced with a three-bet like this:

A moves all-in 3.075m
B needs 2.5m to call (Pot now about 7.5m)

Maybe A moved all-in because his Pair of Fives have value on a board with only one overcard and whose caller may have a Flush draw. In this case, the caller may still be reluctant because even with a Flush draw with two overcards, it’s still a draw. But he might also be thinking that B is playing him, so he plays back.

Now B is put on the decision which calls for a call.

Here are B’s reasons why he may not call (which B may be thinking, but which will be my reasons for so doing):

(1) A three-bet plus all-in may signify J-J or higher, which is very likely if only small cards are on the table. Or: even a Set which A may have used to trap with.

(2) He is getting approximately 3-to-1 on a call (2.5 million to win approximately 7.5 million), but he should call only if he is getting 4-to-1 (21% chance of hitting Two-Pair or Trips), which is the right price.

(3) If he calls, he will have six 6 million or so chips left. If he does not call though he will have about 8.5 million left, a relatively small loss on a stack of nearly 10 million).

Now here are B’s reasons why he should call:

(1) He can knock out an opponent who has proven to be very dangerous so far.

(2) Maybe A is the one on a Flush draw. Or maybe a Flush draw with two overcards where both of them have nearly equal chance of winning. So it’s OK.

(3) Maybe A put B on a Flush draw and decided to push B out of the pot instead of letting a Diamond emerge. So A’s all-in is just a bluff now.

(4) Maybe A put B on a bluff and decided to counter-bluff.

(5) With only one overcard which is not so likely to be in someone’s hand just as a face card is, B may put A on a pocket pair 5-5 to 9-9. In that case, he has a better Pair (Tens).

(6) He can lift himself up to 14 million chips after this.

(7) It is because B’s guts says so.

With these things in B’s mind, but still brewing over the cons, B tried hard to decide. For a long time he stared at his opponent and the Board. He commented first, You may hate me for this,” but then added, as if nothing but instinct prompted him, “but I call.”

B calls 2.5m (Pot just above 9 million)

A is in trouble now. B won the hand and knocked out A (who is Antonio Esfandiari! B is Steven Begleiter). B may be neutral in choosing between folding and calling, but if I’ll call, I’ll call not solely because of value of the Tens, but because of the above reasons.

Conclusion
I know this may seem like a lot to take in all at once, the fact is though that while poker is an easy game to learn it is hard to be very good at, hence the crazy stupid “chip flinging” you will come across on many poker sites.

Yes it is mad that so many players play with so little skill, but it is also very good news for you as a player who is learning to play correctly. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as well as free poker sites that pay out real money like NoPayPOKER and happily build your skills and bankroll!

To make this work first, play free poker sites to learn to play poker online free where you can learn while you lose but without losing real money, then once ready to can move up to low stakes and start to make some serious poker cash!


Play Free Poker Online Big Hands Preflop And Win July 28, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Uncategorized.
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When you have a big hand like KK and a good large stack preflop what is the best way to play it? And how might the other players react? Regardless of if you simply play free poker for pennies or are at the final table in WSOP this is a core situation that you must know how to explot to the full.

Here is a great example from the WSOP:

BLINDS 40,000/80,000

A has As-10c moves all-in (Pot 1.296m)
B has K-K reraises to 5m (Pot 6.296m)

B has two options here. He can call and wait for an opponent to go all-in, though that would make him think…

Could it be A-A? Or Q-Q? If it was Q-Q there is a slight chance he might fold K-K, and regret it. But a big reraise can drive Q-Q or lower out, like what happened to another player:

C has Jd-Jc

(C’s comments on B’s hand were: “Why did you make it so much? … You like your hand that much?”) If C calls, it’s for all of his chips.

C may think that B has A-K, but there are two all-ins in front of him, and one of them might be A-X (and with A-X he is still not safe) or a pair, but a suspiciously heavy raise to about 60 times the big blind is almost always a signal for A-A or K-K. So C could wait for a better opportunity than now.

C folds (Pot 2.39m)

C’s fold was brilliant, after the reraise, but it will still be brilliant even if B did not reraise. B might bet again on the Flop and C may not continue and just let go of the chips.

B’s reraise will work if he has A-A or K-K, but I doubt it if he will do the same with A-K or Q-Q, but it may have the same effect of making C fold. As for A, let us wish for his good health. B won the hand later.

Concluding Big Hand Preflop
I know this may seem like a lot to take in all at once, the fact is though that while poker is an easy game to learn it is hard to be very good at, hence the crazy stupid “chip flinging” you will come across on many poker sites.

Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. That’s because once you learn to play poker at an above average level and combat the “all-in-all the time” maniacs then you can take them apart in coldly calculated genocide anytime you like in low stakes money games and when you free poker games that pays real cash such as that found at www.NoPayPOKER.com.

As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and learn how to play poker on the free poker games tables to get it nailed.


Free Online Poker Guide To How To Decide If You Should Specialize In Tournament Poker Or Cash Games June 30, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Free Poker Debate, Free Poker Tips.
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You can’t be good at everything. In poker be it the win a lot of pennies free online poker type or big cash it is why people become experts or specialists in their particular games.

It is the same as in the “normal” world where in our professions and hobbies and business we aim to find our niche and focus our efforts on becoming as good as we can so that we get promoted and earn more money.

So how does this relate specifically to the world of poker games?

Simply this, some people are great cash game players, while others are great tournament players. Of course, there are players that are great at both cash games and tournaments though they are few and far between.

Most players specialize because they are more successful at one than the other.

So how can you figure what type of poker you are best at? It might not be that clear at first. Of course you need to play plenty of both types, and while you do here are some factors to look for to help you decide once and for all.

Should You Focus On Cash Games?
If you’re a patient player who looks to play only in clear +EV situations, then you may prefer cash games. Full-ring games are all about waiting for premium starting hands and extracting the most value from them in the most favourable situation possible. Thus, cash games are good for players who don’t deal with variance very well.

The biggest mistake a beginning cash game player can make is playing too many hands. You don’t want to commit too many chips in marginal situations.

The opposite can seem to be true in the late to middle stages of a tournament.

Should You Focus On Poker Tournaments
It is correct to play tight in the early stages of a tournament, but once the blinds start to escalate you’ll need to loosen up your starting requirements. Once you’re low on chips, you’ll need to look to move all-in to survive. You may also need to put yourself in situations that may –EV in certain occasions. If you’re one of the big stacks, it’s also correct to start playing looser to bully the other players. It’s all about accumulating chips to either survive or thrive in tournaments. It’s not for the faint of heart or those who can’t deal with variance.

The biggest mistake a beginning tournament player can make is not pushing all-in enough when they get low on chips. Because the price of blinds increase as the tournament goes on, your chip stack can easily get whittled away.

Tight players can’t win tournaments.

Poker Game Specialization Conclusion
If tight is right for you, you would be best served to focus on playing cash games. However, if you’re an action junkie, you should consider concentrating on tournaments. With that said, it is possible for tight styles to work in tournaments with a few adjustments, and a loose style can work in cash games can work under certain circumstances.

Ideally do your testing in free poker games that way you can learn to play poker for free and find your style while not losing lots of money in the process!

This article is by NoPayPOKER, the perfect learn to play hold em site for beginners to play free poker on line without risking any cash. For more experienced poker players the draw is in the ability to fine tune game play and techniques in a totally no risk zone while collecting free poker games cash at the same time.


Free Poker Guide to How Free Poker Practice Guarantees Money June 30, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Free Poker Debate, Free Poker Tips.
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I can imagine a free online poker player on http://www.NoPayPOKER.com who, after watching some episodes of the World Series of Poker or the World Poker Tour, suddenly gets ‘inspired’ and tries out one of the big advertised poker sites. Suddenly – suddenly – as he imitates the plays he saw in some episode, like moving all-in with 4-4 in early position – he thinks he is making a good play. As any experienced poker player will tell you, yes, it could be a good play but not all the time.

In most cases our newly enthused free online poker player will proceed to lose a lot of money in a short period of time to the money site sharks.

Instead may I suggest that the best thing to do is to practice these “pro” plays on free online poker, so that mistakes can be learned from? He can learn to play hold em lose lots but learn lots and not lose any money.

Play Free Poker Games is also a great way to build a bankroll, if you don’t have one, and if you play long enough. And you will learn to play hold em and learn from your mistakes and those others make. You can try those crazy things you see on TV, play that Q-7 offsuit and then flop a Q-5-3 and then get called by A-Q later or K-K…then you learn that actually Q-7 is rubbish and should never be played unless you are a pro with a very specific reason for doing so.

Of course, you can watch someone else play the Q-7. He may flop Q-5-3, as above, or even A-J-7. Now you know you have him, because you have K-K (in the first flop) or A-K, or J-J (in the second). Now you remember the times when you win, and when you recall these times every time a similar situation arises, you will win the pot. If you play free poker long enough you will see what these situations are and then be able to characterize them like this: On the first flop, it may be ‘Playing Overpairs’; on the second, it may be ‘Playing Top Pair’ or ‘Playing a Set’.

There is, however, a downfall if you are not careful: Suppose you play 3-2 off and you win. You might think 3-2 off is a good hand, and then suddenly you rush to play real money poker. You lose. You think, “How would 3-2 be harpooned in this board! This just won last week!”

If you are observant enough for a long time in playing free online poker you might notice plenty of players doing the same (playing bad hands) and they win. You can watch if they are winning consistently or not, and oftentimes they don’t. Someone plays 7-2, the wins; someone plays it again later, then loses.When you play free poker games it may not yet teach you that A-10 is sometimes dangerous to play after a raise because it might be a better Ace, but it teaches you what hands to avoid and what to play.

In free online poker you just don’t play any hand. You must play as if it is really big money at stake. Play only good starting hands. If you keep playing bad starting hands without the ability to represent them (and representing hands is not so practical in free poker because many free poker players play just any hand, bet when they hit the Flop and throw when they don’t) you will be a bad player sooner.

Regarding this, here is another point, indeed this is the key point that will win you a lot of money:

Most free online poker players are beginners or reckless fun seekers so when you take the time to master free poker then you will know how to blast them into orbit

Next, you will find when you move on to lower stakes real money you will mostly be facing these very same type of novice and maniac who have watched too much TV, and what do you think will happen then?

That’s right, your hard earned free poker skills will trash them and they will “donate” their stacks to you time and time again!. And as for the really good players, it’s so easy – avoid them unless you have the nuts.

To read more articles like this and learn to play poker online free check out NoPayPOKER.com’s blog which is full of play free poker games tutorials and offers a fantastic zero risk free online poker site where you can put theory into practice.


Learn To Play Poker Online Free with NoPayPOKER and Win Double or Nothing Poker Tournaments June 16, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Free Poker Tips.
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In standard cash tournaments or free poker tournaments typically the top 8-10% make the money and even then only a handful make more than twice their buy in.

The vast majority of the cash goes to those near to the final table. In double or nothing games though, half the players win 2x their buy in.

For example, if there are 100 players with a buy in of $10 the top 50 win $20, the bottom 50 get nothing.

In this free online poker lesson discussion let us assume 100 participants in a double or nothing tournament.

At the start, when blinds are small, play unambitious, steady poker.

Make the normal mainstream moves. Go all in with A-A or K-K and hope you get called by a weaker hand. If you have a Pair, hope to flop a Set. Build your stack size by 50% or more.

You can also try “small-ball” poker. While the blinds are low, call with hands that have great pot odds when involved in multi-player pots, like with 8-7, A-5 suited.

If you hit hard on the Flop, say Straight or Flush, knock out someone or double up someone who has a Pair. If you don’t hit, fold, and wait for the time you will hit.

This is how to play until you are just, say, five left before the money. Now, you are one of 55 players left. And lets say you are 55th, what’s the best thing to do?

As 50th gets the same as 1st place (double the buy in) there’s no point going all in unless the blinds are killing you.

Play patient and steady. What usually happens is that those from 40th place below get impatient and move all-in because the blinds are eating them, too.

When they get impatient they’ll kill themselves off fast, patience, in poker, always wins in the end!

Now lets say your are 48th of 55 and get A-A, what to do, move all in or call and all in?

In a normal poker tournament, if top 30 win money and you are 27th with 33 players left, you can move all-in with A-A because your callers will be A-K, A-Q or K-K and you are a significant favorite. You can move up from 27th to say, 15th to 20th, and you can win more money later.

But in double or nothing, ask yourself: What if you have 9000 chips and win $10 when you could win $10 with just 4500 chips? It will be unnecessary. 50th place is the same as any place above it.

What about calling an all-in with someone who has 3000 chips? Will you do it? It depends on what player we are, but I would not do it.

The bigger stacks can collaborate on knocking the smaller ones out. Stay out of the way.

If you are on top, say you have five times your starting stack or better, consider it your responsibility to knock the smaller stacks out if you have the opportunity.

Don’t overdo it, however. In this instance, I would rather snooze away from the table and let the more adventurous big stacks eat the smaller ones.

If you have, say, just thrice your starting stack, don’t call all-ins unless you have nuts or a strong hand close to nuts. I did this once in a Flop with A-5-8 and I have A-10. I have 3200 chips (about 1.5 times my starting stack) and someone moved all-in his 920 chips.

One player between us folded (If he called he may have A-x, and I don’t know what x is, so if we get involved in a pot he might push me and I wouldn’t be able to continue with my A-10) so I called. The player who moved all-in bluffed with 9-2.

If you are on top, you can just wait. If you are near the bottom, just have more patience and don’t knock yourself out like the others who have less patience do. Because once you reach 50th place in our 100-person tournament, you will feel just like a champion.

To read more articles like this and learn to play poker online free check out the NoPayPOKER.com blog which is full of free online poker tips and lessons as well as offering a no risk free poker site where you can put theory into practice.


The NoPayPOKER.com Free Poker Site Masters Guide to When to go All In Preflop June 4, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Free Poker Tips.
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It’s a common sight on free poker site and, oddly even in some higher stake poker tournaments to see players go all-in preflop when they could (should) call and hope to see the flop. Why do they do it?

Well in cash games they do it to steal of course. In free poker sadly it’s more just for the hell of it! But if called, what pros does going all-in give? Let us examine two hands to analyze why:

HAND #1

Blinds: 6k/12k

A has Q-Q raises to 36k

B has 10-10 calls 36k

C has K-K reraises to 140k

A reraises all-in (Pot 989k)

B folds

C calls 643k (Pot 1.632m)

Board ended Jc-Jd-6c-Qd-3d

A moved all-in for the reason that by three-betting, he is able to push one of B and C from the pot, and if C (the likely caller) calls, A hoped that it’s going to be A-K or A-x, where he has still an edge. But it turns out, C had K-K, so A was the underdog. Yet A won the hand with a Full House (Queens over Jacks).

But if A just called, what would happen then is that B would also call, and so it’ll be a three-way pot.? On a FLOP of Jc-Jd-6c, C would have position over A, whose Queens are weakened because the Board is paired, so if one of B or C bluffs, A will have difficulty playing.

Plus if A decides to play on strong he may make B and C believe he is on a J and they may both fold. Or later on the hand, if A, who hit his Full House on the turn, suddenly played strongly, the remaining player/s may fold because their hands are not so strong enough. The result either way will be that A wins less than if he’d gone all in and taken the hand.

So one reason for moving all-in preflop is: Your chip stack is so low that any decent hand you have will be sufficient for an all-in (on the above, Q-Q should be played cautiously with two more players and a reraise on the Flop), and it pays to win more chips than less if you are to get back in the tournament.

HAND #2 - Following on from hand action

A has 8s-8h moves all-in 387k

B has 7d-7c, calls 307k (Pot 819k)

They could both have played safe.. However A decides to take a gamble with what we term a common all in hand. Common all in hands include A-x, pairs and face cards (suited ideally) So another reason is: If you don’t have A-A or K-K but a common all-in hand, you will be called also with a common all-in hand.

With Pairs vs. two overcards, it does not really matter what you have, because you’re both even-money. With Pairs vs. Pairs, you may be the underdog but you can also become the favourite if you get lucky.. With anything else, you either have two live cards or at worst, say A-K vs A-Q, if you have the A-Q, you still have a 25% probability.

So how did it turn out?
It ended with 5s-9s-6h-2c-8d. So A hit a Set, B hit a Straight. B bumped out A. It doesn’t matter; we can also imagine a situation that B was the one who moved all-in and A called. B hit his Straight still. But if B just decided to see a Flop, what could happen? A can push B out by representing a Nine on the Flop and the Turn so that B will fold (unless B has the courage to move all-in).

Also, if B hit the river Straight, A will be unwilling to play the Set he has. B will win less chips than he would (similar to HAND #1). But this example gives us another reason.

You move all-in so that no one can push you away later if your marginal hand beats a more marginal hand later, and so your marginal hand will evolve into a strong hand uncontested, unpushed. Here is a clearer case: Suppose it’s A-10 vs 7-7.

The board might finish 10-K-K-Q-5, with overcards there’s a Straight chance, and on a paired board the 7-7 can pressure the A-10 at some point. Or it may be 10-K-Q-4-J and the one with the A-10 will be out of the pot before the river if the one with 7-7 plays aggressively.

To read more articles like this and learn texas holdem poker check out the NoPayPOKER.com blog which is full of free online poker tips and lessons as well as offering a free no risk poker site where you can put theory into practice.


Free Online Poker Bluff and Semi Bluff Techniques May 26, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Free Poker Tips.
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Bluffing in poker is when you don’t have a great hand but you bet or raise to try and convince the other players you have a string hand and get them to fold even if they have better hands. Bluffing is a very important poker skill that is important even if you only play free texas holdem poker games.

Why you need to bluff?
Well, the first reason is that you can win the pot with cards worse than the others.

But there is a second reason, more refined : you need to bluff to have the possibility to win big pots when you really have the best hand.

So even bad failed bluffs can have a positive effect in that they may make other players call you when you actually have a strong hand.

But you must maintain the balance: if you bluff too much, your opponents will always call your bet and you will lose your money. if you never bluff, when you have good cards and raise the pot, your opponents fold and you win a small pot.

But if you can get it right and bluff with the right frequency, you will make your opponents unsure, and force bad decisions..

Ways to Improve Your Poker Bluffing Skills:
1) Take care when bluffing in limit games. On this type of table you cannot raise too much as your opponents can call your bet easier than at a No-Limit Texas Holdem table.

2) You must “study” your opponents. If you are at a table with very good players, your chances to win are higher than a table with few.

This is true because strong players respect the bets of their opponents, and have the right discipline to fold their cards even with a medium hand.

The weak player, instead, doesn’t understand that you are trying to bluff, or calls your bet just out of curiosity.

3) Try to build your reputation at the table. You want to make them unsure about your motives at all times, make them doubt!

For example, you can start the tournament with a lot of bluffing, so your opponents will call you a lot and you can win big pots when you have the right cards.

Or you begin ny calling only with strong cards (AK, AQ, high pairs etc). Later in advanced phases of the tournaments you can place some bluffs and have a good chance of winning the pot because your opponents cannot believe that you haven’t got good cards.

4) Your position is decisive and in general it is good to call when you are in the last positions, near the dealer, because you have more information about your opponents.

5) Practice! Start of on free poker sites to get the improve your skills in an environment that won’t punish you financially.

6) Sometimes you can make the “semi-bluff”. In the semi bluff you bet hoping they will fold but your cards might be good enough to win the pot if the turn and river are good. This happens, for example, when you have 4/5 flush, or 4/5 straight, or in rare cases when you have Ace-high.

Look at a semi bluff example:
You have 9 and 10 of hearts and the flop is Q-hearts , 4-clubs and 7-hearts.

In this case you haven’t got the best hand. Your opponent has 4 and 3 (very bad card preflop), he has more chances to win.

So you can try to make a semi-bluff , because you have the 4 hearts cards.You bet, and your opponent starts to think about what to do.

He has only a pair, and a very low one. He thinks: “I have few chances to win.. only a pair of 4s. He is betting, probably he has the Q.. or 7.. Uhm, let’s try with another hand”, and the fold comes.

And also if your opponent calls, the turn or the river can be a hearts, so you maintain good chances to win.

The Semi-bluff is also useful to contain losses.
For example, the situation is the same above ( You: 9h-10h , Flop Qh-4c-7h ), and you decide to bet.

If your opponent is weak, he’ll probably fold. But if your opponent has the Q, if you don’t bet a little, he will probably bet a higher amount of chips, to let you fold, and you become unsure of what to do.

Call with 4/5 flush, or fold? However, to see the next card, you have to put in the pot more chips than if you bet for first.

If you bet a small amount of chips, your opponent probably just call, and you “buy” another card with few chips.

How to defend against a possible bluff?
There aren’t many choices. You can accept the challenge, or you can fold.v For this reason the bluff and semi-bluff are a very powerful weapon.

My last suggestion: if you decide to accept the challenge, restrict yourself to call is rarely the good decision. You should raise, to let your opponent think: “Uhm, it’s better to stay relaxed, my opponent has good card”.

Bluffing is a poker skill that needs practice. If you’re not experienced start off on free online poker sites and work your way up from there as your confidence and bankroll grows.


Free Online Poker Guide to Chip Stack Size Strategy April 28, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Free Poker Tips.
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Poker beginners or less experienced players on both free online poker and online and live lower stakes cash games play games with little regard for the situation their stack size puts them in. This often results in costly or, at best, annoying early exits despite the fact that they had good cards.

One mistake I see many free poker and low stakes players make is not to account for how the size of their chip stack can dictate how they should best play their hand. When I started playing free online poker many years ago, I made the same error a lot.

The optimum play with a particular hand depends on many factors including your chip stack. A good move for someone with a large chip stack could be a dangerous move for someone with a tiny chip stack.

To put it bluntly: in poker size matters. However, that is not to say that larger is always better. Being deep stacked has advantages, but shorter stacks can be equally effective at the money and free poker table.

A Deep Stack Expands Options

For the sake of this article, I will define deep stacks as stacks that are roughly 125 big blinds or more. Others may define a deep stack as a bit less or more than that number of big blinds, but almost no one would consider a stack of 35 big blinds or less to be a deep stack.

I generally subscribe to the notion that deep-stack play is better than small-stack play. Most professional pokers would agree.

This is because deep stacks give you more room to take advantage of implied odds. In other words, you’re allowed more freedom with regard to starting hand requirements. You can play small pocket pairs hoping to flop your set or small suited connectors hoping to flop a flush or straight. If you miss the flop, you can fold and wait for a better situation. You can be more patient because the blinds aren’t much of a concern; they won’t eat up your chip stack that much.

Another benefit of being deep-stacked is maximizing your profits. If you have the biggest stack at the table, you can extract the most possible chips from your opponents. This is not true for short stacks.

Let’s look at an example of this: If you’re the biggest stack with $900 chips and one player calls your all-in bet with his $600 in chips, and you win, then you take all his money.

Now let’s look at another example: If you’re a small stack with $500 chips and the biggest stack with $800 in chips calls your all-in bet, and you win, you can’t take all his money. He’ll be left with $300 chips because you didn’t have enough money to play for all his chips.

That’s one of the pitfalls of the short stack, but there are some benefits.

A Shorts Stack Encourages Tight, Hyper-Aggressive Play

If you don’t have many chips behind you, you’re forced to basically play for all your chips in every hand you play. This forces you to play premium hands like big pocket pairs and big face cards. You often won’t be getting the right price to play small pocket pairs and suited connectors. Those hands need to see the flop cheaply, and every hand played is expensive for a short stack. free texas hold em sites are good places to practice and play about with short stack techniques.

The best move is to get all your chips in the middle with big pairs before the flop or to shove when you hit top pair on the flop. You don’t have the opportunity to wait because the blinds will eat you alive.

One obvious advantage of this essentially all-in or fold strategy is that it forces you to play tighter. Another advantage of this style of play is that it’s harder to get outplayed by more skilled post-flop players. Your decisions are simple: push or fold. You don’t need to worry about the subtleties of the game like betting the right amount or knowing when to fold the second best hand.

There’s also the strange psychological advantage you will have. For some reason, many deep stack players don’t treat short stack players with much respect. They assume that you’re buying in for a small amount because you have a small bankroll or aren’t very skilled. It’s not unusual for the big stack to pay off a short stack player by calling with weaker than usual hands.

I do believe however that overall deep stack play is better, but you will come across some tough nut short stack players so don’t underestimate their abilities! If you are new to poker, practice and observe these concepts first. Start off on low stakes and free online poker sites before progressing as your skill and bankroll grows.


Free Online Poker Guide to How Poker Can Ruin (some) People March 30, 2010

Posted by nickwake in Uncategorized.
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My passion for poker over the years has never been questioned; I have enjoyed the excitement of the highs, never questioned the lows and built up a respectable amount of skill. Unfortunately this need is starting to fade- I can’t put my finger on one particular aspect that contributes to this decline, as it’s a cross mix between internet play, television, casinos and the million and one other places you find details of the game, ironically like this article!

Poker, mainly Texas hold ‘em, has been pushed on the public almost too much. Everyone thinks they’re going to be the next great champion. Now sometimes I’ve seen players get frustrated because the person they’re losing to just started learning how to even play the game.

But for me, it’s not even so much that anymore. I feel a lot of the challenge has just been taken out of the game. There are a lot of people nowadays who just don’t know, or don’t care, what they’re doing. People flop bottom pair, middle pair, top pair with BAD kicker, gutshot straight draws, open ended straight draws, flush draw with two cards in their hand, or even flush draws with one card in their hand. Sometimes, they don’t even flop anything. And, they have no excuse why they may even call a bet to go any further, but they do.

A lot of people play hands that have really no business being played for any sort of bet. But why do they do it? That’s the frustrating part. Some think they’re lucky. Some think they’re skilled. A lot of it just factors up to dumbness.

As stated before these players all have ambitions and harbour dreams of becoming the next big thing. These guys seek and chase the feel of hitting their cards for victory. Alternatively if there dreams stop short of being the next poker ace, they think of the new riches they’re destined for.

One of the factors I put this down to is the free online poker sites. The public sees so many poor hands being rewarded and want in; I guess a lot of the poor plays are born from this.

Ok- maybe I jumped the gun a bit by laying into free online poker sites- as I understand the reasoning for poor play taking home the pot. The methodology is continuation, and they must ensure people go onto the next table asap.

So what happens? Most end up seeing that miracle gutshot hit. Or the one outer hit. Or even worse; the runner, runner (nothing funner) hit. I just wish I could find a site that wouldn’t allow that to happen so, so much. But I never know if my desire will return. Even if I could find a site like that, there’s always the “other” problem. The vast number of players out there who really have no business gambling like that with real money involved. But who am I, or you, or anyone, to judge what might make other people happy?