Poker Slow Playing – Master It for Huge Gains!

Slow playing in poker which is an art that takes a little while to develop, but when used correctly, slow playing can be used to great affect.

The aim of poker slow playing is to help you pile up big profits, as you deceive your opponents and grab big pots.

Let’s look closely at the art of poker slow playing.

What is slow playing?

Slow playing is a technique used to deceive your opponents into thinking that you have a weak hand, when your hand is actually strong than they have assumed.

By initially playing a weak hand, you are giving confidence to your opponents that they may have stronger hands.

You are therefore deceiving and luring your opponents to bet against your stronger hand.

Slow Playing & psychology

Playing poker is a game of psychology and it’s a dog eat dog scenario as you battle against your opponents. Unlike any other casino game poker is a game where the best hand does not always win.

How you play your hands and the way other players perceive how you play them is therefore vital to your poker plating success. Slow playing in poker is a very effective strategy if used correctly.

Slow playing is satisfying

It’s also extremely satisfying as you have the opportunity to be deceptive and take a large pot from under your opponent’s nose.

There is no greater satisfaction when playing poker than beating other players, by surprise and deception – In fact that is what the whole game of poker is all about!

Good slow playing takes time to perfect it’s an art not a science and needs to be used in the correct circumstances that come with practice.

Poker is a game of psychology. Stalling, checking, raising and playing cards to wrong foot your opponents.

Slow playing in poker sends a signal out to other players that your hand is weaker than it really is and draws them in to take on your hand.

The aim in poker slow playing is, your opponent bets into your winning hand, the pot gets bigger and you take the pot.

Slow Playing – Discipline

Slow-playing is used for one purpose only – winning more chips in situations where being too aggressive from the start will see other players drop out

Poker slow needs to be used only occasionally for it to be effective.

Poker slow playing – The right circumstances

The Circumstances for poker Slow Playing a Hand are:

1. You must have a very strong hand to start.

2. The free card you are allowing other players to have must give good possibilities of making them a good second-best hand.

3. The free card must have only a small chance of making your opponent a better hand than yours.

4. You must be confident that you will psyche other players out by showing this aggression and of course, you still have good odds of winning the pot anyway.

5. The pot should not be too large to start with. Poker slow playing a word of caution Slow playing is only a method to get better value from the premium hands you hold.

You are giving away a free card to your opponent; so you need to be certain that even if your opponents hand improves, which is what you are doing the hand you have is still strong enough hand to take the pot.

Poker slow playing is one of the major weapons of top players. You get an extra bet into the pot and make a player stay with a marginal hand for longer than they really should and it’s very satisfying when you achieve it!

Practice – Practice – Practice

Poker slow playing is not as easy as it sounds and takes experience of knowing when the circumstances are right and the discipline and patience only to use occasionally.

Get your slow playing strategy right requires practice and lots of it – But when you do get it right the bigger pots will be going in your pocket.

Texas Holdem Sit And Go Tournament Strategy

Sit N Go StrategyA table usually consist of 10 players, although can be less, and the game begins when the table is full.SnG games are great for two main reasons, one is to gain tournament experience style play and another is you know when you sit down how much you are risking in terms of money.Obviously your initial aim is to make it to the money which requires tight play, once you are in the money you can afford to gamble and go for first place.STRATEGY FOR EARLY ROUNDSIn the early rounds the blinds are fairly small, say rounds 1 to 4, and it is best to play tight. It is tempting to play more hands than you should in the early rounds because the blinds are small but you will get dragged into to many hands and lose too much money.You should limp in with 77 to JJ if you can so long as it does not cost you much more than about 5% or 6% of your stack and see what the flop brings. If you are holding a pair, you will flop trips(three of a kind), about 1 in 8 times. If you hit trips on the flop then obviously you now have a great hand which will usually be good enough to win the pot. Of course you must be prepared to lay it down if the community cards give someone the chance of a straight or flush and there are some big bets going in. But played right, these types of hand can be used to great effectiveness.On the FlopWhen you raise you want to at least raise the size of the pot, you dont want to give people the chance to stay in the pot cheap and end up out drawing you on the turn or river. If they want to stay in make it cost them.STRATEGY FOR MIDDLE ROUNDSIf you find yourself in a late position and no one has raised and you have a half way decent hand such as an ace, two face cards or a pocket pair then raise 3 or 4 times the blind. If you get called then see what the flop brings and then decide accordingly what to do depending on if you make or improve your hand. If you get re-raised consider whether the re-raiser is a tight or loose player, if loose consider calling if it wont hurt your stack much. If a tight player re-raises you then be very cautious and only call with a great hand as it is likely they have one. Dont be afraid to fold, you have only raised it 3 or 4 blinds after all and it wont hurt much to let it go.If you find yourself short stacked in the middle rounds you want to look at getting all your chips in pre-flop with any half decent hand such as any pair, any two face cards or an ace and hope for the best. It is risky to call other peoples raises with a short stack unless you have a strong hand so its always best to be the first one to push in all your chips. Everyone might fold and you win the blinds, which is good in itself as the blinds are getting bigger now. You might get called and win and of course you might get called and lose but thats poker.STRATEGY FOR ON THE BUBBLE OR LATER ROUNDSThere are a couple of ways to play at this point. You can play really tight and hope to make it to the final three and the money. Once you make it to the money then you can gamble and hope to get first spot and win the most money.How you play it will depend on how you think the other players are going to play. You should have a good idea by this point what their style of play is and it really just comes down to trying to guess how they are going to play.If you have made it to this stage then you are in the money which is great and exactly where you want to be. However it is not over yet, first place prize money is substantially better than second place prize money. That said how do you get first?If you have any pair, a king, an ace or suited connecters of 10 or higher, then do not be afraid to go all in. In a heads up situation these hands are often good enough to win, so if you are called you stand a good chance and if not called you have picked up the blinds. If you get called and beat then you have still won money for 2nd place.If you have a premium hand such as AA, KK, QQ, AK then it is worth limping in with it and hope your opponent takes it as a sign of weakness and raises you. If it is a big raise from them then go all in or at least make a big re-raise. If they only raise you a small amount then call them and hope for another raise from them after the flop and then go all in.If you follow the above strategy and advice you will not go far wrong in Sit n Go tournaments.Sit n Gos are becoming more and more popular all the time and a healthy profit can be made from playing them. You minimise risk playing these games as if you go all in and get beat you have only lost your entry fee. They are good for gaining experience for multi table tournaments and generally a good alternative to cash games.

Poker Bluffs

One of the intricacies of poker that is often overlooked is that the best hand dealt does not win, but the best hand in the showdown wins. The objective of poker bluffs is to fool a person with a good hand into folding so that you can win with a moderate hand. However this does not mean that you engage in rampant bluffing. There is a time and place for everything and the same applies to poker bluffs. Poker strategy on bluffs says that you should not bluff in low limit games. The poker stakes are too low in such games to scare your opponents into folding and you will be wasting your bankroll by ending up with mediocre hands in showdowns. Do not bluff against weak players. They do not understand the finer points of poker and tend to enter every poker deal. Poker bluffs are most effective when there are few players left in the fray. If there are too many players someone or the other will call your bluff.

One thing you have to realize about poker bluffs is that you are not the only player who can engage in them. Other players are probably equally adept at poker bluffs. Hence it is important to be able to identify when a poker player is bluffing. There are certain unconditional responses a player makes while playing and it important to be able to read them. For example when a player has a strong hand he may adopt an aggressive posture, or start to sweat or look at his cards frequently. In poker parlance such unconscious acts are known as ‘tells’. If a player does not exhibit his trademark tell then he is not holding a good hand and if he is still in the betting then he is most likely bluffing.

Professional poker players are able to control their tells. However from the cards they display at the poker showdowns you can tell if they are habitual bluffers. Wait till you have a reasonably strong hand and then bait the bluffer. Do not raise bets aggressively but match the bluffer bet for bet. This way you can expect to win a large pot.

Improving your Bluffing Strategy in Poker

Perfecting Your Poker Bluffing Strategy

Every poker player understands the power of bluffing, and just about every poker player has tried his or her hand at it. Few players, however, are really good at bluffing, and the best players know how to use it sparingly but properly. Learning to bluff properly takes some time, and it requires a careful study of the other players in the game.

Learn how you and others play
Those who wish to learn when and how to bluff must first study the behavior of their opponents in the game. Understanding the betting habits of those around you is essential to executing a well-timed and successful bluffing strategy. The first step is to establish yourself as a consistent poker player, as this will demonstrate to the other players that you know what you are doing. Establishing your own table character is an essential first step to a successful bluffing strategy.

After you have established your own table character, and after you have gotten a good read on the behavior and betting strategy of your opponents it is time to execute the first bluff. Perhaps you have found that two of your opponents are quick betters, who will raise their first bets, while two other opponents are more conservative. Perhaps these conservative players will already have folded or called, and this sets up the ideal bluffing situation.

Starting your bluff
It is best to start with a conservative raise to avoid scaring off the other players. If those you have identified as quick betters again raise, you are ready to start betting more aggressively with the hopes of either raising the pot or scaring away the more conservative players.

At this point in the game, the successful bluffer will use the knowledge of the other players in the game to decide to fold or call. Those novice players often branded as maniacs will be too entranced by the size of the pot to back out, and this is exactly the outcome you are aiming for.

The perfect bluffing strategy is often called the semi-bluff. This strategy can be used when you are holding a pair of low value cards that may offer a chance at winning against the maniac in the game by simply waiting for the other players to fold.

Further into the game
Using a well-executed bluffing strategy will help the poker player with strong hands as well as weak ones, since you have now demonstrated your ability to bluff successfully with the other players in the game. In addition, the successful bluffer will be able to get deeper into the game even when holding an average hand, since he or she will be confident in the ability to play well against another bluffer. Becoming a proficient bluffer will also help you with your ability to read the other players in the game, as well as help you spot other bluffers.

Good poker players know that bluffing is not appropriate in every situation, but when used sparingly and well a well-executed bluffing strategy can increase both your enjoyment of the game and the size of your profits.

© 2006 Mark Knight & FreeBetInfo

Three Card Poker

Once they have made the requisite bet, they are then dealt three cards by the house. Once they have looked at these three cards and determined the hand, they can either fold and lose their ante bet or they can play. If they choose to play, then they must make another bet that is equivalent to what they bet for the ante.

At the same time that the player was dealt a hand, the dealer was dealt a hand as well. If the player decides that they are going to play, then the next step is for the dealer to check their hand to see if the hand qualifies. The dealer’s hand must be a queen high or better in order to qualify. If the hand does not qualify, then the players ante bet wins and their play bet pushes. If the dealer’s hand qualifies, but losers to the player’s hand, then the player wins on both bets. If the dealer’s hand qualifies and ties then the player pushes both bets and finally if the dealer’s hand qualifies and wins the player loses on both of their bets.

Hand Rankings

A three card straight flush (occurring about 0.21% of the time) is the highest hand in three card poker. It is then followed by three of a kind (0.23%), a straight (3.25%), a flush (4.95%), a pair (16.94%) and then a high card (74.39%).

Pair Plus Bets

In addition to their ante bets and play bets, in three card poker the player also has a chance of making a pair plus bet. This is basically a bet on their hand being a pair or better. If their hand is not at least a pair, then they lose the hand. If their hand is a pair, they get paid at even money. If their hand is a flush, they get paid 4 times their bet. If their hand is a straight, they get paid 6 times their bet. If their hand is trips, they get paid 30 times their bet and finally if their hand is a straight flush they get paid 40 times their bet.

General Strategy

While there is no set strategy when it comes to playing Three Card Poker, at the same time there are certainly things that you can do in order to minimize the edge that the house has over you. One of those things is avoiding the pair plus bet, as the minimum average advantage that the house would have on a pair plus bet is around 2.5%. You can confirm this yourself by taking a look at the payouts and percentages listed above and you will see that the house wins on every single proposition. Also, the Three Card Poker strategy in the ante and play section that reduces the house advantage is to play whenever you have a hand of Q-6 or higher as your top two cards; fold everything else.

How to Spot a Poker Tell

Tells are one of the most important aspects of poker. They are a big part of the game and very important to get clues and hints about the cards that your opponents hold.
A good poker player knows that the amount of money that his opponent bets on has nothing to do with his cards and that in order to evaluate his opponents situation he must spot tells.

A good experienced player can gather lots of information from tells. Tells are signs that reveal information in many different ways, good players know how to spot them and how to use the information that they revealed for their own benefit.

Another important advantage of knowing how to pick up tells is the ability to avoid giving away your own tells. If you know how common players reveal information by tells you can try to look at yourself while playing and to notice what kind of tells you give and by that to learn how to monitor and avoid it.

There are many tells that experienced poker players can read. Tells are very idiosyncratic so in order to know exactly how to read a player’s tell you have to play with the specific player for a long time. In the long run you’ll realize that you’re familiar with your friend’s tells and that you can read them like an open book, but if you’re playing against new opponents in all sorts of poker rooms, here are some of the things that you should look for.

The first thing that you have to look at is the eyes. If you’ll watch professional poker tournaments you’ll notice that many poker pros are playing with sunglasses or visors. This is because the eyes can reveal lots of information about one’s cards.

Take a good look at your opponent’s eyes, learn how he reacts to different situations and you’ll now how to read his tells.

You can also learn a lot from the facial expression on your opponents’ face. You can tell if a player is nervous or eager if he has specific facial expressions or ‘tics’ and you can look for specific smiles or concern if the hands are good or bad.

Look for certain body gestures that can hint on a specific hand. Look for signs of anxiety or distress. There are stimulus responses that even the most experienced players cannot hide, so try to look for those physical changes and to study how the other players respond to different situations.

Try to look for eye pupil dilations, signs of dry throat, sweat, trembling hands and flexing of muscles and changes in the body gestures.

Other things that you have to look for are a repetitive glance at the player’s chips which might indicate a subconscious reaction to different situations at the poker table. Another thing is that you have to look for is the way the players stack their chips. If you notice a different pattern of stacking it might indicate that the player is under pressure or eager to make his move and win the hand.

There are many different tells that can indicate different reactions to situations at the poker table, but you must remember that you cannot count only on tells and you should use other poker strategies if you want to be a better player. Tells can provide valuable information, but serious players know that this is not enough for the game.

Beginners guide to poker – Part 2

Contrary to popular belief, it is better to be strategic than lucky when playing poker. Luck cannot be dismissed, but a strong strategy and an ability to read people and their actions can be your best partners. Before you can achieve these mastery level abilities you must first learn the basics of poker play.

In a casino setting there are many things to watch for as a beginner, most importantly is to realize when someone is cheating you. You must always be astute and mindful that nothing can distract you from the table. A stealthy cheater can rob you blind while you are looking at his hands. These people generally do not work alone, watch for eye contact between the dealer and non-participants in the hand. Before one attends a casino as a beginner, a trusted, experienced partner or friend would be a wise choice to take along.

Today, the Internet has endless amounts of free sites to play poker without betting real money. A simple search of the word “Poker” will yield 100,000,000 different results. Spend some time playing interactive video poker, learn the terminology, learn what hands beat other hands. A simple strategy is to know the odds of a card making an appearance which you need. Knowing the odds of different hands is also helpful.

You should realize that you can’t win every hand. Know when to fold. Folding early will often save you lost bets. Knowing the odds of different hands will help you know when to fold. With time and diligent practice, you will begin to understand concepts of strategy. Strategy is a very complex subject which cannot be described properly in such short forums. However, “Poker Strategies” can be searched and should.

Poker Strategy: Bluffing Your Cards

Poker is all about winning, but losing as well. And when he loses, a player gets decepted. Bluffing is a typical poker method. The reason you bluff is obvious: you want to trick the others, making them think you have a better hand than the one you do, and even a better hand than they do. If you want your bluff to be successful, you need to actually persuade the others that you have better cards. Players without experience love to bluff. They would do it all the time. And that leads them to bankruptcy. The efficiency of a bluff is sometimes increased by situations and it is closely related to the information you have about the others that are playing with you. It’s difficult to give specific situations when bluffing works, because it depends on people’s reactions and they can often be unpredictable.

When it comes to online poker playing, some situations just ask for a bluff.

1. When you are playing against just a few players.

It’s actually quite simple to understand, and as you know fewer people are easier to trick. When there are just a few hands, odds tell us that the chances for a good hand are low and you can go ahead and bluff. But experienced players know that you can bluff in this situation, so they might go ahead and call you till the end. It’s tricky as is bluffing always and you should try it only when you play with persons you are familiar with.

2. When you play beside tight persons.

Tight players will go along with bidding only if they have something they usually fold when they have nothing, or they make small bets. If you bluff early and the others are still calling your bets, then it is probable that they really do have something and maybe you should stop bluffing because they can stick to their cards.

3. When the last card is dealt, on the river.

You can bluff here because the ones that really have bad hand will fold, they have to other chance of improving their hand. If you got this far without bluffing you probably have something, like an Ace or a low pair, and the bluffing you are about to pull off it’s actually semi-bluffing.

4. When you are last and every one else checked.

If they all checked, this means their hands are not that great at all. Be aware because you will force some to make the bid, but some will probably fold. You might need to make this a persistent bluff, betting and raising bets a few times, because the bluff is common and others expect it.

5. When you placed a bet early but didn’t get the cards.

Of course, if they see you are still betting they will think you found the cards you need on the table. It is fairly risky and there are no patters for this, you just have to feel the table and analyze the cards and odds accordingly.

6. When the others fear you.

If you just won a good hand or some consecutive less important hands, then they know you can really play. If they type “Nice hand” they are now in your power, they respect and fear your hands. They are likely to fold if you raise the bet, only if you play this bluff the same way you played the winning hands.

7. When the cards in the flop are bad.

It is possible that players will fold when they see bad flops. If the flop has three rainbow cards that don’t match at all, like for instance: 5, 8, and 2 most likely no one has anything. So try to bluff, but pay attention to the reaming two cards. If they are also low, go on with it.

When using any of these bluffing strategies, think about the fact that other players might know them too and because of that they might see that you are bluffing. But bluff only against players you are familiar with to have better chances of succeeding.

What You Should Know About Online Poker

Poker has always been a very popular card game, so it comes as no surprise that online poker

is now displaying and enjoying the same popularity. When it comes to playing online poker there are a huge number of sites, tournaments and advice gurus waiting to advise you on the best route to successful poker playing. So the best way to begin your online poker experience is to be informed, be aware and be sure of your bets.

Experience is one of the main ingredients that can help guide you through a successful online poker tournament or game, but before the player goes to gain real and valuable experience, first they must understand the rules and etiquette of the game. To start with, many of the theories that apply to regular poker games can be applied to online poker games.

Get the Right Start In Poker

As always ‘A Good Start Is Half The Battle Won’. This can be applied to poker games too. Don’t be tempted to play with weaker deals; even professional poker players have to learn to recognize when a hand is simply no good. This is a big pit fall for many amateurs and beginners, especially in online poker. The beginning hand you get will be affected by a number of factors such as your place and your opponents place in the betting order. If you are playing in a poker tournament the number of chips on odds will affect the hand you’re dealt. There are starting hand guides and help tools that can be used by online poker players. These guides lessen the risk of playing ‘blindly’ or on luck. At the end, how a poker game concludes depends on the decisions taken by the players.

Online Poker – It’s All About Numbers!

As with many card games, knowing your numbers can help a great deal! Not all poker players may be aware of this but you can be sure that all expert players are familiar with the laws of probability that change which each hand. It is this knowledge of the probability laws that makes online poker such an attractive proposition to the scores of players that have been enjoying the fun and thrill of online card games. Casino games are programmed and the odds are fixed, the player is betting against the house, which means the chances of success, and in particular substantial success, are diminished. In a poker game or tournament each of the players are playing against each other and therefore increasing the chances of success.

Many experienced and informed online poker players use the technique of ‘counting the pot’ to help guide their poker decisions. This is a technique that will definitely become more natural and easier with practice and experience. You do not need to calculate the exact amount that will result, but using this technique will give the player a rough estimate or guideline they can use to their advantage.

Poker Opponents Matter

As a basic rule for online pokerthe more the opponents at your table, the more direct you’ll have to keep your techniques. Watch and monitor your opponents moves carefully; by being fully involved in all the moves made you will gain a better understanding of the game and will learn how to ‘read’ your opponents. Of course, you can’t affect the hand your opponents have been dealt but by monitoring their moves you may be able to appraise and learn their techniques. The number of opponents you face will also affect your ability to ‘bluff’. The art of bluffing is crucial in poker, when you face a large number of opponents, obviously the scope to allow players to bluff is diminished.

Your Position At The Poker Table

Poker, and online poker is no different, is so much easier if you’re the last player to act on a hand. In this position you can monitor the moves of all your opponents. It also lets you calculate exactly what the stakes are for you. Plus it also puts you in the unique position of seeing the next card free of charge if your opponents have not placed any bets. If your group of opponents are relatively small, it may enable you to make one outright bet and win the hand. In the opposite case where you must place the bet first, you really need a strong hand to have confidence to follow it through and to stay firmly in the game. Having to place the first bet is always tricky as you are given no inclination as to the standing of the other players.

Poker Face!

All poker players need to execute each bet and deal with absolute confidence; this is perhaps a skill that will need practice for some people. Many experienced and professional poker players will advise an aggressive strategy for poker and online poker games. However, there may be times when it is just as advisable to sit back, check and take note. A truly great poker player will be able to execute both techniques at once. With practice, skill and often a little luck there is no reason why even a beginner can win big at poker!

Poker Strategy – How To Improve Your Poker Betting Strategy

The betting strategy of poker is complex and it is simple. That is why poker is such a fun game for people of all ages. And, knowing a solid betting strategy is a great way to get the most out of the poker games you play.

Here are some helpful scenarios to help you improve your poker strategy:

When you are in the dealer’s position and only you and the blinds remain in the game, a raise in this position is called Blind Stealing. This is because the blinds may fold and if you raise then you can buy the blinds in this way. Just calling at this point allows the players who posted the blinds to just check. Failing to raise here is an opportunity missed.

If you are the last player to act and your opponents have checked, betting to limit the amount of players or to take the pot is called a Steal Raise. It is best to use this strategy when you are holding a drawing hand such as a flush. You shouldn’t use this move very often since better players will recognize the move and begin to Check Raise your hand.

A Check Raise is to get an insight into your opponent’s hand by checking, waiting for them to bet and then raising, which increases the pot.

The Opener is a move done by people who are bluffers; when they are in the position to act first, they raise, making the other players call two bets at once. This limits the amount of players in the pot. It is a sort of Backwards Steal Raise. This will usually force many players to fold. Any of the remaining players can be characterized as aggressive or as having an excellent hand. This technique is also known as betting for information.

Squeezing is a strategy that you can use. It is betting when you are holding a good hand and presume that another player may be on the draw.

Now, let’s talk about pre-flop strategy:

Before the flop you need to consider your hole cards, the number of players, your position at the table, your bankroll, the aggressive or passive players at the table and how much you are willing to risk.

The best strategy for Texas Hold’em is to play tight and aggressively. That means only betting on high ranking hands and then when you do bet, bet often.

If there are a lot of players in a hand, chances are high that one of them has a strong hand in their pocket. If there are fewer players, it is less likely that another player has a strong hand. In larger games, there is also a higher risk that someone else’s pre-flop hand will fit the flop. Also consider that players in earlier positions are more able to influence the size of the pot than players in later positions.

If you only have a couple dollars left, then you must play with extreme caution, with an even more tight strategy than usual. If you have more money, you can play more regularly.

If you have been playing in enough hands at a table to recognize a player that is raising every pre-flop, then you must play a much tighter game. That player will win the big blinds often, but you can hurt him or her later with a winning hand.

If you want to go for large pots but don’t mind loosing a few hands, you should raise pre-flop, especially if you are in a late position. If you prefer to be selective at pre-flop then you should patiently wait for a winning hand.

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