Three basic tips for playing Texas Hold em Poker. Texas hold’em online poker Playing style, sitting order and recognizing a bluff when presented with one are key elements to winning the game.

Author: Rick Braddy

Article:
The Texas Hold’em poker phenomenon has taken the country by
storm. There are reportedly over 100 million active poker
players worldwide. Poker’s popularity is largely the byproduct
of technology and several recent trends:

1) online gaming, where players engage and socialize in
real-time over the Internet, and

2) the broad publicity created by high profile TV shows like
the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour.

With all the poker-mania, there’s an amazing shortage of quality
information to help people learn how to play properly and become
great players quickly. This is the first in a series of Texas
Holdem strategy articles aimed at helping players learn how to
win at Texas Hold’em poker. Tournament play is a popular, fun
sport. These articles will help players understand how to
approach tournaments, which differ greatly from regular “ring
game” play.

This installment deals with the most-asked question: “How do I
deal effectively with aggressive players?” Many players struggle
against “maniacs”, the aggressive, wild players who play most
every hand, somehow seem to pull cards out of thin air, and
often manage to dominate the table.

Here’s what actually happened in a recent poker tournament. I
entered a tournament at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
in Hollywood, Florida, about 20 minutes from my home in South
Florida. This weekly $300 entry-fee tournament fills the poker
room with 220 players every Monday night.

The blinds start at 50/100 and go up every 15 minutes. I spent
the first 30 minutes just hanging out and occasionally limping
in to see a flop. The reason for “treading water” was to study
my opponents and their playing patterns very closely. There were
a number of solid poker players, but right away I spotted the
aggressive ones.

I was sitting in the middle, directly across from the dealer.
There were two “wild men” to my right. These two participated in
most every hand, and agonized with themselves whenever they had
to throw a hand away. This was hilarious to me, and it was also
very telling. I knew these dudes were doomed from the onset, yet
they were extremely dangerous if they caught something with one
of their trash hands. These types are great targets, but only
when you know how to play them correctly. If you do, you’ll end
up with most or all of their chips in your stack. The key is to
get to their chips before someone else does.

There were some squeaky-tight and solid players, as usual.
Finally, there were two other players to my left who knew one
another very well and spoke what sounded like Russian. These two
played very aggressively. They rarely called or checked. They
would bet or raise the pot significantly, so if they played a
hand, you knew they were going to bet it big and you’d better be
prepared to push a bunch of your chips into the middle. As a
result, the table became tight overall, except for these four
players who controlled the early action and dictated the table
tempo for the first hour or so. They gambled with wanton
abandon, trading chips with each other as the rest of us just
observed and wished for a real hand to materialize.

It became apparent that our maniacs were playing mostly garbage
hands, and using assertive chatter in an attempt to intimidate
everyone. They were enjoying pushing everyone around with their
aggressive betting and raising style. Humorously, they got into
a number of showdowns, causing all of their trash hands to
become openly exposed; e.g., 69 off-suit, Q3 suited, etc. I
definitely had these guys pegged now – if only I could get a
strong hand…

Later, one of my Russian “friends” came in over the top of a bet
I’d placed with a huge raise, then smiled at me as he leaned his
head back as if to say “Go ahead. I dare you”. My middle pair
just wasn’t strong enough to engage with him, but I remembered
this little “lesson” and my mistake. He’d used this tactic many
times against the others and I should’ve expected it. I also
realized that we had not seen any of his supposed “big hands”,
as he always mucked them. Whenever you see an aggressive player
dominating, and then mucking all those supposed “great hands”,
you know you’ve spotted a target.

We played on, with the two maniacs to my right getting busted
out by the Russian contingent. It’s been an hour and fifteen
minutes – and I still haven’t seen even one decent hand yet!
This is, unfortunately, typical poker.

After about an hour-and 45 minutes, I finally pick up a pair of
wired 9’s (99). Now I was hoping the flop would yield a set
(trips). Sure enough, it came: 9, K, 5. I was elated and jumping
up and down (inside). I was finally in a position to make my
move, and hoped it would be against one of my aggressive Russian
friends with their big stacks.

To prepare my trap, I delayed and muddled around for about ten
seconds, and then casually “checked” verbally and using my hand
in a chopping motion, with a slightly disgusted look. Next, the
younger Russian moves in with a big bet of 3,000 chips. I was
sure I had him now. As expected, everyone else quickly folded
and got out of his way – except me. This fellow had pushed
everyone around and I was finally properly armed and ready to do
battle on my own terms. Note that this had been my “battle plan”
all along. I was deliberately targeting these aggressive
characters, knowing that when the time was right, their
ill-gotten stacks would become mine!

The action came back around to me, so now it was just the two of
us heads-up. The two Russians said something to each other that
the rest of us couldn’t decipher. I delayed and bobbed my head
around as if to be struggling with my decision. Then, I motioned
with both hands and uttered “I’m all-in”. I knew this series of
actions would likely trigger an aggressive reaction, since my
“check-raise” made it appear as if I was trying to steal this
pot! A check-raise almost always triggers a full-tilt response
from an aggressive player.

He immediately called me – he was so aggressive (and
pot-committed) that it was like a fish taking the bait and
running for deep waters – hook line and sinker! I threw my pair
of 9’s over, revealing the trip 9’s. There was a low murmur
around the table from the other players. My young Russian friend
reluctantly flipped his five/trash hand over – he had a pair of
fives (with a King over-card showing on the board!). He was
definitely angling to drive me out of this pot with his
ascertive play – one too many times…

You see, no one actually gets that many great hands in poker -
nobody. If someone plays 30% to 40% or more of the time, they’re
just “gambling” and bluffing. This guy thinks he has a “good”
hand, because he actually had a real pair – something he doesn’t
often have when pushing everyone around with mostly aggressive
betting as his only real weapon.

The turn came and it wasn’t a five – then someone pipes up and
says “he’s drawing dead”. Believe me, you never want to hear
that when you’re in a showdown! I looked over as he said
something in Russian to his buddy – another violation of
tournament rules, as everyone is compelled to speak English at
the tournament table. It wouldn’t matter, as he stood up,
grabbed his jacket and left after receiving some consolation
from his friend.

His older friend glared over at me and uttered something
derogatory in Russian. I had no clue what he said, but I knew
from his tone that I didn’t like it. I also knew I’d gotten
under his skin by taking down his buddy and raking in all of his
chips. I responded with “what’s that, I don’t understand what
you’re saying since you’re not speaking English?” loudly so
everyone at the table could hear me.

He mumbled something about his friend…I smiled and said
politely with a smile “I deliberately laid that trap for your
friend and he fell right into it!”, pushing the knife in deeper,
knowing he’d be gunning for me anyway – might as well make sure
my next trap was fully set. This also signaled to everyone else
at the table that whenever I checked or limped, it could be
extremely dangerous if assumed to be a sign of weakness -
something I’d leverage later as the blinds and antes rose and
the proper time to bluff and steal blinds actually arrived.

After a slight pause, my Russian friend noticed that everyone
was now looking at him. He looked down at his chips and said
“nice play” with a reluctantly polite tone.

Boy, I was elated! My battle plan was definitely becoming
field-proven here – and my next target was clearly sighted. It
had taken careful observation, planning and a lot of patience to
wait for the right hand, and then play it correctly to take this
highly-skilled, aggressive player out and rake in all of his
chips.

About ten minutes later, it was tournament break time, after two
hours of play. I counted my chips, which totaled 14,900 (we
started with 5,000 each), then grabbed a quick bite to eat,
reflecting on what had just taken place.

Within ten minutes of returning from break, I finally picked up
a serious starting hand: Cowboys (KK). I knew it was time for my
new Russian friend and me to tango, so I fired out a bet of 3
times the big blind: 3,000 chips, bait that I was sure he
couldn’t turn down. Sure enough, he bit – big time. His all-in
raise came almost instantaneously, before I could even get my
bet onto the table. He was totally ready to engage, and had been
laying in wait for me – just like I had planned. I had set him
up by taking out his friend and then challenging his poker ego
in front of everyone. He just had to retaliate against me – it
was a totally predictable “full-tilt” response from this kind of
player.

This is what the game of poker is really all about – having a
well-defined strategy, the patience to wait for the right hand,
and then executing properly. It’s what makes poker a game of
strategy instead of a game of chance (for some of us).

He raised by going all-in with around 8,000 chips to my roughly
14,000. I quickly called his all-in bet. Everyone else quickly
folded and got out of our way.

I flipped my pocket kings over, then looked him straight in the
eye and just smiled. Then someone says “Yeah! Now we’ve got some
action!” He sighed and flipped over QQ – he actually had a real
hand for a change. That’s one of the problems with these kinds
of “semi-solid, aggressive” players, like my Russian friend
here, and other poker greats like Gus Hansen. You never really
know exactly what to expect from them. Of course, my opponent
could’ve held pocket rockets (AA), but I’ll play those KK
cowboys strong each and every time I get them, since there’s
only one hand that can beat them heads-up. I also knew this
aggressive player on tilt was likely to be overplaying his hand,
improving my odds significantly.

The flop, turn and river came and went without another Queen and
it was done – my cowboys stood up and I had all of both
Russian’s stacks, which included most of the other two poor
maniac’s chips (who lost to the Russians earlier). This
instantly made me by far the chip leader at our table with well
over 22,000 chips!

I went from having an average chip stack to being the table chip
leader, against tough, aggressive opponents, within less than
half an hour by: a) Playing solid, reasonable tournament poker,

b) Not taking big, undue risks with weak or “drawing” hands,

c) Studying my aggressive prey and where the chips were
sitting,

d) Formulating and refining a battle plan while observing the
game progress,

e) Remaining patient while waiting for the right hand to make
my move, and

f) Executing this plan with precision against a predetermined
opponent, and on terms of my choosing – not the opponent’s.

There was no luck involved at all – except that my opponent
didn’t hold AA or pull some lucky cards with a trash hand –
which was simply playing the odds in my favor.

I started out with a high-level strategy to target aggressive
chip leaders, and go after them with strong hands from the right
position. I planned this before I ever arrived at the casino
that day, or knew who these players would be. Then, I refined my
plan once I knew for certain whom the evening’s targets would be
and how I’d provoke them. It certainly helped that I caught two
decent hands during those first hours of play.

Unfortunately, I later lost to a legitimate full house, but made
it into the top 40 – it happens…

The key to playing against aggressive and maniac players is
having a viable Texas Holdem strategy you can profit from when
you get some good hands. If you have a good plan, you can
convert it into a formidable stockpile of chips – a stack that
you‘ll definitely need as the blinds and antes increase and the
tournament field narrows in the latter stages.

This is how I approach Texas Holdem strategy for tournaments now
- at least when the tables are full with 8 or more players, some
of them aggressive and maniacs. So, the next time you encounter
wild and aggressive players at your poker table, get ready to
have some fun! It’s like Tae Kwon Do – using the opponent’s own
energy and momentum against them.

In the next installment, we’ll detail this Texas Holdem strategy
more formally, along with exploring some other tournament tips
for playing better Texas Holdem poker.

Until then – good luck!

Rick

Rick Braddy is an avid writer, poker player and professional
software developer. Visit his Texas Holdemwebsites
to learn more.

Have you ever lost a huge pot because you had a flush draw or straight draw and didn’t catch the card you needed?

It’s happened to all of us.

And frankly, it sucks.

Because when you’re on a draw, you’re just ONE CARD AWAY from raking in a ton of chips.

And you WANT to keep calling everyone else’s bets, in hopes that your card will pop out on the turn or river.

Am I right?

Of course, what ends up happening is you have to put a ton of your chips in the middle… just to call everyone else’s bets.

That makes you pot-committed… and if you DON’T catch your card, you’re screwed.

Now let me ask you…

Wouldn’t it be WONDERFUL if every time you were on a draw all the other players would CHECK around?

That way you didn’t have to risk any chips, and could bet only after you KNEW for sure whether or not you caught your card.

That sure would be nice, wouldn’t it?

AND…

What if there was a way to STILL WIN THE HAND… even if you DIDN’T catch your card?

That’d be nice too, huh?

Luckily, there IS a technique you can use to make BOTH of these things happen.

Let me show you how…

OK, so let’s say I’m at an 8-person no limit table and I’m sixth to act.

I’m dealt a 5-6 of diamonds.

Josh comes out firing with a $10 pre-flop bet. Sarah and Derek both call.

Now it’s on me.

I love suited connectors… especially busting my opponents with them unexpectedly, so I jump in and call.

The players behind me muck their cards right away… scared to death of so much action.

The flop hits:

4d-9s-7d

That means I’ve just flopped an open-ended straight flush draw. I couldn’t have asked for a better flop in this situation.

Unfortunately, Josh comes out firing (again) with a no-hesitation bet of $20.

Sarah and Derek both FOLD this time…

And the action is to me.

I’m putting Josh on a high pocket pair, or maybe A9 or A7. And he’s figuring the scraps on the board didn’t help anyone, hence the strong bet.

Which puts me in a tough situation.

Think about it… If I CALL, I might miss my flush or
straight on the turn card. Then what? Josh will make another
strong bet… what will I do then?

And if I call to see the river and miss, then I’ll have just
given Josh most of my chips and lost a major hand.

On the other hand, I don’t want to FOLD, because I have a
ton of outs and I want to WIN this!

Now let me ask you, what would YOU do in this situation?

Most amateur card players don’t think ahead, and they’d call
Josh’s $20 bet. And if they missed on the turn, they’d call
another bet to see the river.

And if they missed on the river, they’d probably fold, watch
Josh rake in all the chips, and wonder why they “never catch
the right cards”.

Now a more skillful player would ANTICIPATE what’s about to
happen… and would probably call to see the turn, but then
fold if Josh bet again.

And of course, there are always the tight players who would
never have played the 5-6 of diamonds in the FIRST place.

So what do I do?

Remember, I’m sitting on 5-6 of diamonds. The board reads:

4d-9s-7d

And Josh, who made a strong pre-flop raise, just bet $20
after the flop.

Here’s the answer…

I RAISE.

Not some wimpy raise either… I raise him $40 more to play.

Most players would NEVER think to raise in this situation…
but here’s what I’ve done:

1. I’ve TAKEN CONTROL of the hand and bought myself a FREE
CARD when it matters most.

You see, if Josh calls the $40 raise, when the turn hits
he’ll CHECK to me.

(Remember what I said at the beginning of this email?)

That means I get to see the turn and river for a total of
$40 more, which is a BARGAIN compared to what Josh’s next
bet would have cost me.

2. I’m representing possible trips.

Josh now has to wonder whether I called his pre-flop raise
with a low pocket pair and just caught trips on the flop.

Or I could be sitting on a high pocket pair and I’m not
“phased” by the flop.

3. I’ve raised the stakes of the hand in MY favor… not
his. You see, if I just call Josh’s bets and then hit a 8 of
diamonds on the turn, what will happen?

Well, Josh will SEE the three diamonds and the straight
possibility, and he probably won’t make any more huge bets
or call any huge bets from me.

This way, I’ve raised the stakes $40, which increases MY
CHANCES at winning an even bigger pot than if I had just
called.

Make sense?

And last but not least…

4. I’ve given myself a way to WIN even if I don’t catch the
straight or flush.

Now I get to see Josh’s reaction to my $40 raise…

If I sense weakness, I may decide to BLUFF and buy this pot
if I don’t catch my flush or straight.

If I only call Josh’s bets the whole way, he would’t fall
for this type of bluff. But my raise of $40 will sure get
him thinking.

OKAY, BACK TO THE HAND…

Josh shuffles his chips around for a moment, and looks back
down at his cards. It turns out he’s holding an A9… so
he’s got top pair with the kicker. A good hand, but not a
monster by any means.

He calls.

The next card comes out… Queen of spades.

No help.

Josh checks.

THAT WAS IMPORTANT.

This is my “free card” opportunity that my $40 raise bought.

Now I’m in complete control… and feeling pretty good about
this hand.

I can check and see the river for free. I’ve still got a lot
of outs here.

Or I can bet STRONG and try to scare Josh away.

“One hundred dollars”, I say, as I push a huge stack of red
chips into the middle.

True, I only have a Queen high… and the beginner card
player may think this type of play is crazy.

But then again, that’s why they’re called “BEGINNERS”.

Anyway…

Josh thinks for a minute and then mucks it.

I rake in a beautiful pot.

Even if Josh had called, I still had a good number of outs.
And if I missed, I could have tried to bluff again.

Now think back to when the flop came out…

After Josh bet $20, what if I had called? (And not raised.)

Well, here’s what would have happened…

The Queen would have came and Josh would’ve immediately
fired a huge $80 bet.

I would’ve had to either call the $80 to see the river, or
muck my beautiful straight flush draw.

And THAT, my friend, is why it’s CRUCIAL that you TAKE
CONTROL of the betting.

This type of technique allows you to truly DOMINATE THE
TABLES and win more money playing poker. Period.

That’s what makes Texas Holdem such a fascinating game…
there are just so many scenarios that can occur, and so many
special “tricks” and “techniques” you can use to beat the
competition.

Of course, you’ll probably never figure them all out on your
own… and that’s why I’m here to help.

If you’re serious about taking your card playing skills to
the next level, then it’s time you get my eBook, “No Limit
Holdem Secrets”.

This proven, step-by-step “roadmap” will improve your game
TREMENDOUSLY and help you achieve your goals…

Whether that means winning more money, just beating your
friends, having more fun, or perhaps going to the WSOP.

No matter what you want out of poker, THIS book will help.

Here’s the link:

Click HERE

And if you haven’t downloaded “Calculatem Pro”– the #1 odds
calculator available online– then…

Click here to get it.

Calculatem Pro will show you exactly what the “odds” say to
do in every given situation. It glues itself to your screen
as you play online poker– absolutely no work required.

Quite frankly, it’s hard to LOSE when you’ve got Calculatem
Pro, because any half-brained dim-wit can do what they’re
told!

Anyway, go check it out HERE

Your Friend,

Roy Rounder

————————————————————

Disclaimer: I do not promote illegal, underage, or gambling
to those who live in a jurisdiction where gambling is
considered unlawful. The information within this site and
newsletter is being presented solely for entertainment
purposes. I will not be held responsible for any personal
loss of wagers or damages you may incur. Anyone concerned
about having a problem can contact Gamblers Anonymous for
further information.

————————————————————

Author: Scrawnybob

Article:

Starting Hands – “AK Big Slick, Playing it right”

Ace King … It’s monster hand and you plan to get as much
money out of everyone as you can.

Big Slick is called Big Slick for a reason. Yes its a monster
drawing hand but it is a drawing hand all the same.

IF you hit either an Ace or a King on the flop then you’ve got
yourself top pair with the best kicker. You might get lucky as
is connected to get the nuts straight, if its suited you have
got the table crippled if you draw that flush. It’s worth noting
A-K suited is 5th best starting hand but A-K off is 9th best.

But this is the thing – when you haven’t seen any cards what
have you got really ? An Ace high … with a King kicker, just
about any starting hand could beat it.

Top players know AK is a great drawing hand but they also know
its can be a killer if it just doesn’t work out. In the hands of
a new player it has 4king bustout written all over it, quite
simply they fall in love with it.

Now here is the next problem with playing AK – OK it’s a
drawing hand so your thinking – don’t play it too hard until you
see the flop and then you can work out how your doing … Wrong.

Limping in with Big Slick is going to make you a big underdog -
It is an easily beaten hand if you let lots of players see the
flop, that ragged looking board could have given any of them
trips, two pair, straights – allsorts. However AK doesnt fair so
badly against a couple of player with other high cards.

You have to play big slick hard before the flop if your playing
it. Get rid of all the players with low pairs, big draws and
junk – With a big prefop raise you can be fairly sure the one
(ideally) or two players left only have something high or decent
pairs. Then you have the added advantage – you made the raise
and you took control … again.

Dont make the mistake of trying to keep more people in to make
a bigger pot for your “great hands” – thats how to make your own
bad beats.

With most of the players in to see the flop your as good as
giving your chips away – Play it aggressively, raise pre-flop
and then hold yourself back when you see the flop.

But DO NOT go all-in before the flop – remember you’ve got an
Ace high nothing more.

In this situation the only hands that are really going to cause
you concern are AA and KK – but if someone had that they’d have
come right back at your big raise with an all-in before the
flop.

Chances are unless they hit trips with there good pair (see
what they do) you can fire at them once you pair either the King
or the Ace – infact you should fire out a good size bet even if
you dont – remember you’ve already as good as shouted at them
“my hands is a winner”.

Then see what they do – if they come back at you know they’ve
got something, probably trips – then you need to slow down
accept your beat and try to see the rest of the cards cheap.

The chances are they will lay down just about most things that
dont hit.

Now this all works well if you were easily able to take control
of the table ie. you had good position to get a big raise in
after you had seen what everyone else did but remember preflop
this is – on the button and the two blinds. The worst postion to
be trying to play AK from and indeed any other big hands like AA
KK QQ is when your under the gun – this is the first seat after
the blinds.

Why ? well your first to act before the flop and first to act
after the flop. This seat is tricky especially if you dont hit
an Ace or a King on the flop. Again the temptation is to flat
call and see what happens ideally hoping someone else cuts the
field down for you – thats risky – dont do it. Not only are you
risking players limp in, your letting other players get control.

They will sense weakness and have position over you so you
could very easily end up facing an all-in decision after
re-raising a bet and someone coming back at you over the top
all-in with a half decent pair. Then its become a tough decision
with that Ace high of yours – lay it down. No by raising even in
early position you will take control and narrow the field and
against one, maybe two players you have a good chance to avoid
AK becoming that Big Slick.

Good Luck at the tables – Scrawnybob

Poker Articles, Poker Tips & Strategy for Online Poker and
Texas Hold’em by Scrawnybob at http://www.4kingpoker.com

About the author:

Scrawnybob is a recreational poker player and webmaster of the
irreverent poker content & forum site www.4kingpoker.com …
don’t get bitter – get better.

Practice your skills at Carbon Poker.

Omaha hi-lo is an exciting game with lots of actions and big pots.
Players like the game because there are many ways to win a hand and so many opportunities to play and win.
One of the most exciting variations of Omaha hi-lo is when the game is played pot limit.
You can find this game in most online poker rooms, such as Full Tilt Poker.

Here’s how to play pot limit Omaha hi-lo to win.

Pot limit means that players are able to bet or raise the amount that is in the pot at any time.
This is in contrast to no limit where players can bet any amount up to everything they have in front of them at any time.
The reason Omaha hi-lo is played pot limit instead of no limit is that draws are so powerful in Omaha hi-lo that
it would be correct for anyone making a strong hand on the flop to move all their chips in to avoid any draws,
and not too much poker would get to be played.

Because draws are so dangerous, it is important not to slow play, and to bet your hands strongly.
For example, if you have a hand of 9s 9c 3d 4h and the flop is 9d 8d 4c, you may be tempted to slow
play since you currently hold the nuts (note that you only have three of a kind here, not a full house,
as you may not use the 4 in your hand). However, you should bet this hand as strongly as possible.
Any 8, 7, 3, 2, or A will give someone a low and cost you half the pot. Any diamond will have you losing
to a flush unless the board pairs, and even a card as innocuous as a T may kill your hand by giving someone
a straight or three tens.

Also you must remember not to get out of line with the nut low. If you have A 2 and the board shows K 8 6 4 K,
you may raise with reckless abandon, knowing that you have the low end locked. However, there are distinct poker
odds that another player also has A 2, and you will have to split the low end with them.
This is called getting quartered, and if there are fewer than four people in the pot, it can be a disaster,
since you will lose half of every dollar you put in, even though you are a guaranteed winner.
Since pot limit pots can grow very large, this can be a big problem. As long as there are more than four people in the pot,
you will win money even if you are quartered, unless more than one other person has the nut low.
If it is down to you and two other players though, you should slow down.

Author: Mike Summers

Article:

In part one, we talked about building a bankroll through
freerolls. And while there are many big freerolls out there, and
it can be a great place to build your bankroll quickly,
especially if you win a big freeroll, it is not the only way. In
this article, we are going to talk about non- deposit bonuses.
By the end of this article you should have a good idea of how
and where to find non-deposit bonuses, and what to do with them
once you get them

Non-Deposit Bonus Non-Deposit Bonuses are the quickest way to
build your bankroll. You instantly are credited with money to
your account, simply for signing up. The best part about this
is, it doesn’t cost you anything. The only requirement is that
before you can withdraw, they put a restriction on the amount of
hands you play. But if you play multiple tables at once, you can
quickly earn this off and have your non-deposit bonus ready to
withdraw. There are few available non-deposit bonuses, however
there are a couple VERY big bonuses. One of them is $50
instantly to your ultimate bet account. With this you are
basically GIVEN a bankroll. Sure it’s a smaller bankroll, but
it’s definitely something you can work with. If you’re a good
poker player, $50 should be enough for you to work your bankroll
up fairly quickly. So where can you find this non-deposit bonus?
Well, just hang on because at the end of this article I’m going
to tell you. Aside from the Ultimate Bet non deposit bonuses, I
have found a non deposit bonus at party poker and titan poker,
however if you’re a US player this has little use to you. But if
you aren’t from the US, you’ll want that bonus right away! Those
are also both $50 non-deposit bonuses. (There will be a $100
non-deposit bonus updated soon at the site that will work for US
players) Like I said, these are the quickest way to generate a
bankroll as they’re given to you. However, you will need to play
at least the minimum number of hands before cashing out. This is
why playing multiple tables is a very good idea. However if
you’re going to play multiple tables, its going to be very
difficult to pay attention, so I recommend just playing premium
hands, and play them aggressively and I mean premium… Play the
top 7-10 hands, this means TT JJ QQ KK AA and AK and AQ, In late
position you might want to play 99 88 and 77 as well. By doing
this you can’t go wrong… If you’re playing at 3 tables at
once, you can really play a lot of hands fast, and it won’t seem
like you’re making much until you get your pocket kings all in
and completely double up. When you win a big pot like that, I
usually leave the table unless I start at the table with more
chips than anyone else at the table. It simply isn’t worth it to
stick around. You could have it all in once with a 70% chance of
winning, and then have it all in again with a 70% chance of
winning, but your chances of still having chips after both of
those moves is only about 50%. You’re leaving yourself in a
situation that you have to win BOTH the first AND the second.
This is a HUGE key to bankroll management that’s overlooked like
crazy. Once I build up a bankroll, sometimes I’ll actually sit
in with the minimum and play really wild. If I lose the minimum
buy in I’ll buy back in with the MAX buy in. Most of the time,
I’ll not only get my money back, but I’ll get the guys entire
chip stack. I’ve already built up a wild image, and I’ve already
probably lost a hand I still had about a 35% chance of winning,
even if I get a coinflip the chances are that he isn’t going to
win BOTH the 1st one AND the second one. And if I get lucky
enough to win the first hand as an underdog, I’ll leave. One
final thing, once you’ve played enough hands to make a
withdrawl, do it immediately… There are far too many deposit
bonuses and reload bonuses out there for you to be playing
without any extra incentives per hand. If you don’t withdraw
immediately, you’re just throwing away money. Once you withdraw,
you’ll want to find the best bonus you can find.

About the author:

For more information about where you can find non-deposit
bonuses, build your bankroll from scratch, and for the only
place that you can get instant updates on the rest of this
article series, check out bankroll builder
for free texas
holdem

Author: Sacha T

Article:

Texas Holdem is a poker game where you can make huge profits
from your winning, but you need a winning psychological mindset,
and the right strategy.

Don’ expect to read a book or two on Texas Holdem, and be an
expert. That is not the way it works. This is not something you
learn from books! Knowing how to play is essential, naturally,
but not enough. Why not?

To be successful in Texas Holdem you need some strategy,
certainly – and you must learn to play not only your own hand,
but that of the other players.

For any strategy to be effective you must include in it your
opponent’s strategy as well, and then adapt your own to win.

This is the difficult bit of developing your Texas Hold’em
strategy there is no optimal hand to play like in Blackjack; you
have to BEAT your opponent.

So, you must first however learn all the basics:

1. What the odds are

2. Bluffing

3. Slow play

etc

Then all you can know about your opponents and how to play them!

Blending your Strategy with a Winning Psychology

The key to winning will be in your state of mind, and your
psychological outlook to the game.

Why?

Because in Texas Hold’em the best hand doesn’t always win. This
is a basic mistake many players make.

If you bluff or play too times you will be easily discovered by
the more experienced players.

They will find out, and you will lose.

For Texas hold’em nothing is more important than practicing!

To get Texas Hold’em strategy correct, you need lots of practice.

The whole game is full of psychology, and you must “read” the
other players correctly. No book can teach you this.

You will succeed, but only if you have real experience, for
money.

The free games will not put you in the correct psychological
frame of mind. Everyone plays different for money.

When you lose money, it hurts. When you win it is sweet.

When you play for real, each mistake or error in strategy can
cost you. You must know what this means and how it feels. There
is no substitute for experience.

So, begin at the lower or minimum bets, and then increase your
bets as you gain in experience and skill. Also, don’t go against
the really experienced players…you will only lose.

Strategy Guidelines for Texas Hold’em.

1. From the resources on the net read as much as you can about
the basic tips, the odds and successfully applied strategies.
There is no shortage of them on the net. However, keep in mind
what ever strategy you choose must have a correct psychological
attitude.

2. Understand your opponent, study him well, and then fix your
mind on how to react to him, or make him react to you. If you do
this, you are half way to victory already.

3. As you begin, keep to the small bets, and lower limits. Work
out your strategy here for the lessons will cost you in losses.
In the end, you will gain valuable experience and start winning.

4. As in the world of sports, you need the correct attitude.
Find it, use it, and stick with it. It will be your tool for
success.

5. Don’t be in a hurry to win patience is the key, you can’t
develop your skills without plenty of practice and this does NOT
mean free games. This is a slow process. You need to build up
skill, attitude and feel the game as natural. Also, play only
for money, as you will play differently.

And do not underestimate the value of the right attitude. This
more than anything else will defeat your opponent.

Anyone can learn how to play, but winning takes hard work,
dedication, and tenacity…

In the game of Texas Hold’em, there are no short cuts or easy
winnings.

If you want to in you must devote your time to a lot of practice
be prepared to lose money.

However, if you can form and hold the right attitude, and know
the basics of play, with practice you can and will win.

About the author:

For More FREE info on Texas Holdem and all other major casino
games including tips and strategies to win visit

http://www.net-planet.org/games/poker.html

————————————————————
This column is provided free of charge by www.RoyRounder.com

“Roy Rounder” is the pen name of a successful professional
poker player and author. To skyrocket your Texas Holdem
winnings, join his free newsletter. Just click here.
————————————————————

331 to 1.

Those are the odds AGAINST getting dealt an Ace-King suited
before the flop.

220 to 1.

Those are the odds AGAINST getting pocket Aces before the
flop.

Monster hands like these are GREAT when you catch them…
and you’ll definitely have a good shot at raking in a killer
pot.

But the fact is, when you play poker you WON’T catch
monsters very often.

The same is true with wired pairs and suited connectors…

When you hit with one of these hands, your opponents will
usually NEVER see it coming…

And once again, you’ll rake in a nice pot.

But how many times do you get hands like these AND hit the
right cards?

Not too often.

ANYONE– no matter what their skill level– can win a pot
with a monster.

The SECRET to poker success, my friend, is learning how to
win hands WITHOUT having the “nuts” or great cards.

It’s what separates the AVERAGE card players from the poker
LEGENDS.

So how do you play hands that are DECENT, but not GREAT?
Hands like Q-J, J-10, 9-10, Q-10, K-10, K-9, and so on…

If you FOLD every time you see cards like these, you’re
playing too tight. Because you’re going to see these types
of hands A LOT.

To consistently win at Texas Holdem poker, you’ve got to
learn how to win with hands that AREN’T great.

But how?

I’ll tell you how…

The key is POSITIONING.

That’s the magic word.

In Texas Holdem, positioning is EVERYTHING…

You can see a hand in one position and the right play is to
FOLD it…

And then see the SAME EXACT HAND in a different position and
the right play is to make a BET.

For example, let’s say you’re in an 8-player no limit Holdem
game… where the blinds are $1-2.

You’re first to act before the flop (a.k.a. “under the gun”)
and look down at your cards:

Q-J offsuit.

What do you do?

Playing the hand shouldn’t cross your mind.

Calling with a Q-J offsuit can easily turn into TROUBLE when
first to act.

Because SOMEONE at your 8-man table is probably going to
throw out a pre-flop raise.

Think about it…

How many times does the action go COMPLETELY around the
table before the flop without SOMEONE making a raise?

Not too often.

Even if it’s just a small $5 raise… you don’t want to pay
$7 with your Q-J offsuit just to see the flop.

After all, even if you HIT top pair, you’re STILL going to
be one of the first to act, if not THE first. What then?

Your kicker isn’t too strong, and you don’t have a read on
the other players.

It’s just a bad situation to be in…

Which is why I muck “decent” hands like these when I’m under
the gun or in an early position.

And you should too.

Now let’s say you’re fourth to act before the flop (sixth
position at the table) and you peek down at a Q-10 offsuit.

You’re positioning isn’t great, but it’s not too bad either.

The action is on you to call the $2 big blind…

What do you do?

Instead of mucking, this is where I’d limp in and call the
blind.

Even if someone throws out a small pre-flop raise, you can
call and see a cheap flop without getting into too much
trouble.

Now let’s say you’re on the BUTTON (dealer position) with a
Q-J offsuit. Four of your opponents limp-in and the action
is to you.

What’s the play?

This is where I’d make a pre-flop raise. Nothing crazy…
just a small $5 that’s not going to get me into trouble.

And I’ll do this with any good positioning, not just when
I’m on the button…

Here’s why:

First, it gets rid of the “crap” hands at the table…

Anytime you can force the scraps at the table to fold, your
odds of winning the pot increase.

(The reason you don’t want them in the hand is in case one
of them gets lucky on the flop.)

Second, I get to see what my opponents do AFTER the flop…
before I have to act.

This is a HUGE advantage. I can get a read on everyone
else’s hand… and NO ONE gets a read on mine. Use this
advantage EVERY chance you get.

And third, my bet gives me relative control over the
table… and is likely to result in a free card if I want
one.

Let’s say the flop hits: 9-10-2

That gives me an open-ended straight draw with my Q-J.

There’s a good chance my opponents will CHECK, because they
anticipate another bet from me.

So I’m in a win-win situation…

I can throw out a semi-bluff bet… or… I can see a free
card by checking.

Getting control over the board also puts me in a position to
buy the pot if I sense weakness at the table.

Which brings me to another point…

Positioning is a fundamental part of Texas Holdem, but you
had better have a good read on your opponents in order to
win the hand.

And you’d better know the right size to make your bets…
and what to do if there’s a draw on the board… and how to
bluff if you get into trouble.

That’s why I recommend you download software tools– a.k.a.
“player assistance programs”– to help you at online poker.

The tool I personally created will give you a fool-proof
roadmap for dominating online tournaments:

Poker Shark

You should also get an odds calculator. The hottest one on
the market now is called “Calculatem Pro”. It will show you
your pot odds, percentages, and dozens of other important
calculations

Calculatem

And last but not least, to get my ENTIRE SYSTEM, download my
eBook. You’ll get an “insider’s look” at the many different
scenarios and situations you’ll face at the poker table…
and step-by-step how to play each one… all while learning
my core philosophy and methodology for winning Texas Holdem.

Whether you prefer to play online, in casinos, in
tournaments, or in home games, this book is an absolute “no
brainer” investment.

Just think about how much more money you’ll make over the
LONG TERM when you know these expert secrets and tips…
(Hint: The answer is a LOT.)

So go right now while it’s fresh on your mind and get your
personal copy of my course:

http://www.NoLimitHoldemSecrets.com/tl/482BthL

I’ll talk to you again in a couple days

Your Friend,

Roy Rounder

————————————————————

Disclaimer: I do not promote illegal, underage, or gambling
to those who live in a jurisdiction where gambling is
considered unlawful. The information within this site and
newsletter is being presented solely for entertainment
purposes. I will not be held responsible for any personal
loss of wagers or damages you may incur. Anyone concerned
about having a problem can contact Gamblers Anonymous for
further information.

————————————————————

The way to play Big Slick (AK) depends largely on your positioning, how many players are in the hand, your read on the situation, and so on.

Remember this mantra:

PLAY THE PLAYER, NOT THE CARDS.

Is Big Slick a monster hand?

Yes, of course it is.

But you’ll get BURNT with it if you don’t take the right
things into consideration.

When you’re in late positioning, you should raise
aggressively pre-flop with Big Slick and try to narrow the
field down to one or two callers.

If you’re in an early position, you should make a raise with the same goal in mind: to narrow it down to a caller or two. Except this time, you’ll have to use more of your “intuition” to decide how large your bet will need to be.

With Big Slick, you want to get RID of anyone at the table who’s holding a deuce… that way you’re not scared about an opponent having a pair of two’s!

After the flop, YES, you should represent with a bet. Don’t CHECK the flop after making a pre-flop raise… only a wuss does something like that.

If the board hits all scraps, you should be able to take the pot down no problem. Make your opponents put you on a hand like K-K or A-A and force them to fold.

If the board hits with either your King or Ace, once again you’ll have no problem winning the pot.

The times you need be careful are when either:

1. You think your opponent has a monster hand, like Kings or
Aces. (If this happens, fold!)

2. The board pairs up or there’s a straight or flush draw
there.

In the latter case, you want to be careful not to bet into
your opponent if he’s holding trips or a draw.

You won’t be able to force him to fold, and you’ll have
gotten yourself into a lot of trouble.

Now… if you represent the flop with nothing but Ace high
and your opponent calls, NOW it’s time to back down.

If the turn card doesn’t help you, just ease off.

Cut your losses and move on.

Get started by investing in my eBook, “No Limit Holdem Secrets”. You can download it RIGHT NOW and start reading it within the next five minutes…

Just click this link:

NoLimitHoldemSecrets.com

I’ll write to you again soon.

Your Friend,

Roy Rounder

Practice at Carbon Poker

It’s so simple…

And so obvious…

Yet no one seems to get it!

What’s this easy-to-use secret for beating Sit and Go tournaments online?

The answer is this:

PATIENCE.

I know… I know… you were expecting something more, um… “secretive”.

But the truth is, winning at Sit and Go’s is pretty damn easy. I find them easier than “real” poker games, actually.

And that’s why every time I turn on the computer these days I feel like a kid in a candy store… ready to clean out the amateurs at the poker room of my choosing.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

What I want to discuss here is why PATIENCE is so critical for Sit and Go success.

First, let’s get back to some basics. There are four types of poker playing styles:

1. Tight-Passive
2. Tight-Aggressive
3. Loose-Passive
4. Loose-Aggressive

Your style should be tight-aggressive.

Don’t confuse “styles” with “preferences”. If you want to be a good card player, you DON’T get to DECIDE to be tight-aggressive.

You MUST be tight-aggressive in order to be good.

Period.

Of course there are DEGREES of each playing style, and that’s what accounts for the differences between one pro and another… the DIFFERENT DEGREES of tight-aggressive.

OK, now let me ask you:

What does “tight-aggressive” really MEAN?

Here’s the answer:

It means that you play TIGHT in terms of hand selection, but AGGRESSIVE when you enter a pot.

Be careful… “tight” and “aggressive” are not opposites. “Tight” and “loose” are opposites. And so are “aggressive” and “passive”.

TIGHT refers to hand selection. AGGRESSIVE refers to betting.

OK… so this is how playing styles relate to Sit and Go’s…

The NATURE of Sit and Go’s makes them OVERRUN by LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE style players.

The reasons are simple:

1. You can play a Sit and Go virtually anytime, anywhere, and with anyone.

This means there’s very low risk in LOSING, since you can easily just move on to the next game. It’s not like in “offline” poker when once you get knocked out you’re DONE.

2. The money seems less “real”.

Let’s be honest… We all know the feeling of making a deposit into an online poker account and thinking to ourselves how it doesn’t quite feel like REAL MONEY. Am I right?

3. There’s no “embarrassment”.

Online poker is virtually 100% anonymous. If you make a stupid move, you’re not worried about what the other players THINK of you. Who cares?

After all, the other “players” are really just silly little avatars on an animated screen.

OK, so those are three (there are many more) of the reasons why Sit and Go’s (and pretty much all of online poker) are dominated by the playing style LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE.

Loose-aggressive is also known as the “manic” playing style. And what’s the FASTEST way to beat a manic?

Yep, you guessed it…

PATIENCE.

The reason is because MANICS are constantly playing many hands (loose) and doing so aggressively.

What happens is that it’s difficult to get a READ on them because you never know whether they’re bluffing or not… unless you call their bets… which you can’t do because you don’t have that great a hand.

Has this ever happened to you?

Have you ever been up against a player who seemed to be playing VERY aggressively and you just couldn’t figure out if they were bluffing or holding great cards?

And then when you got FED UP with it and DID make a call, he had you beat?

My guess is that it HAS happened to you… just as it’s happened for me.

The key thing to know is that THERE ARE certain steps you can take to defend this. (I even wrote an entire chapter about this topic in my book.)

But fortunately in Sit and Go’s, this isn’t really much of a problem. Because you’re usually not up against just one or two manics. You’re up against an ENTIRE TABLE of them.

That means you shouldn’t be CALLING anyone’s bets.

Instead, YOU should push the action when you have a monster hand… and ONLY when you have a monster hand. And that, of course, requires…

PATIENCE!

It’s actually much easier this way. Because with a table full of manics, you can rely on getting action with all your great hands.

(I should point out here that I’m generally referring to Sit and Go’s where the entry fee is less than $50. When the stakes are higher the quality of play is usually more intelligent.)

OK, so what I’m about to tell you might take some of the “fun” out of Sit and Go’s. But it will increase your profits dramatically…

Here’s what your Sit and Go “experience” should look like when the field is from 8 or 10 players down to 4 or 5 players.

**************************************************

If your hole cards are…

A-A, K-K – Go all in pre-flop if you’re in early position. If in late position and there was a raise, go all-in. If people were just trying to limp in, make a raise… and then bet very aggressively after the flop.

Q-Q, A-K – If you’re in an early position, bet big (but not all-in). If you’re in a late position, use your read on the other players to determine whether or not you think you have the best hand. If so, bet huge or go all-in.

All other pocket pairs – Limp-in. If you spike trips, go all-in. If not, fold.

Suited connectors – Limp-in if the blinds are reasonably low. Fold suited connectors under 7-6.

Ace-X suited – Limp-in if possible. Only bet if you hit the flush.

All other hands – Fold.

**************************************************

What you’ve just seen will be completely different than most “starting hand strategies” out there.

And that chart is NOT for all types of no limit Texas Holdem. We’re ONLY talking about games that match these three criteria:

1. Online poker Sit and Go tournaments 2. Low stakes (under $50 entry) 3. While there are more than 4 or 5 players at the table (in an 8-man or 10-man Sit and Go)

DO NOT use that starting hand advice for any other poker games… because that’s NOT how you should play your starting hands in general.

So why would Sit and Go’s be so much different than “normal” poker play?

Like I said before, the reason is because Sit and Go’s are heavily dominated by loose-aggressive players… and THIS is how you beat those guys.

Why exactly does this strategy work?

It works because you’re only playing monsters.

Now… if the players at Sit and Go’s were SMART, they’d OBSERVE that you’re only playing monster hands… and they’d FOLD as soon as you went all-in.

I mean… it only makes logical sense, right?

Indeed, this is how it works in live games. But not online. Because for online poker there’s another important factor working to your advantage…

NO ONE’S PAYING ATTENTION!

The truth is, many players are either drunk, hungover, stupid, or playing multiple tables at once. Or all of the above!

They’re not paying attention to your betting patterns. They’re just playing the CARDS, not the PLAYERS.

I call my strategy for patiently waiting for monster hands and then going all-in:

“Tight-Aggressive Squared”

The reason is because my strategy is like the playing style tight-aggressive… but on STEROIDS.

Why go all-in so much?

It’s like I said… you WILL get action. Maybe not every single time, but enough times to make it well worth your while.

For Sit and Go’s, all you need to do is double-up ONCE before the field gets to 4 or 5 players.

THEN you can start playing aggressively. What will happen is that the 4 or 5 players LEFT IN THE GAME will usually be the smarter ones. And some of them WILL notice by now that you’re playing tight.

SO THEN what you do is steal blinds. It’s easy.

Everyone tightens up when there are four or five players in a hand because they want to make the money… and they want to be VERY CAREFUL to make it into the top three.

That is when you steal some blinds and add to your chip stack.

Then, after that point you’ll be in third place and will be in the money.

I have a ton of strategies for getting you into FIRST place too (after you get down to three players), but I’ll have to save those for a different newsletter.

You know, when I first came up with this strategy of “Tight-Aggressive Squared” I wasn’t COMPLETELY convinced it was the best way to win at Sit and Go’s.

At the time, I had been trying a lot of things. The idea of just being EXTREMELY PATIENT and then going all-in with monster hands seemed a little TOO SIMPLE.

Right?

Then one night, I was at a 10-man Sit and Go. I went all-in with a big hand early and doubled up. It was the only hand I got really involved with.

Then… with 9 players still at the table… my Internet shut off. I didn’t know what happened. All I know is that the Internet just plain STOPPED WORKING.

I would have called someone… but it was past two in the morning.

I messed with it for like fifteen minutes and then just gave up. Oh well… it’s just one Sit and Go.

Anyway… I started working on something else on my computer for awhile until all of the sudden the Internet came BACK on.

I logged into my poker room to see what had happened with the game. Immediately the screen POPPED-UP and the action was to me…

I was still in the game, it wasn’t over yet!

Not only that…

But there were only three players left!

I was in third, but still had some remaining chips to play around with.

I immediately went all-in and everyone folded. Then I did it again and everyone folded. And a few hands later I did it AGAIN.

I picked up three enormous sets of blinds and was right back in the game. The reason everyone was folding was because I hadn’t played a hand in 25 minutes. They were probably wondering what the hell was going on!

Anyway, as it turned out, I actually WON 1ST for this Sit and Go. First place baby… and my Internet only worked for about 1/5 of the game!

After I was done I started thinking about what had just happened. I realized that by PLAYING in a Sit and Go you can often do MORE DAMAGE THAN GOOD when there are lots of players at the table.

And of course, I became 100% convinced that the “magic equation” for success is:

PATIENCE + AGGRESSION

Your goal for these games should be to place in the money as much as possible. Period. So why risk chips on silly hands early on?

They’re just not worth it…

The other thing about this strategy is that it’s a HUGE time-saver. Because it doesn’t require hardly any work until there are 4-5 players left. It makes it MUCH easier to play multiple tables at once… or do other things while the Sit and Go plays in the background.

OK, so here’s your “Tight-Aggressive Squared” Sit and Go strategy:

1. Be patient, be patient, be patient!

Only play the hands I showed you earlier. Only bet before the flop with Aces, Kings, Big Slick, and Queens.

2. When you catch a monster, go all-in. Don’t do this if you think someone has you beat (i.e. there’s an obvious straight or flush draw on the board).

I’m talking about only playing hands when you know you have the best odds of winning.

3. When the field gets down to four or five players (depending on how high the blinds are and how many all-in showdowns you’ve won), shift gears completely and STOP using this “Tight-Aggressive Squared” strategy.

That, my friend, is the “secret” to Sit and Go’s.

It’s obvious… but not-so-obvious.

But it is DEFINITELY simple.

And you can start implementing it IMMEDIATELY…

To get step-by-step advice as you play Sit and Go tournaments online, make sure to download “Sit And Go Shark”. This amazing software tool will “take you by the hand” and give you coaching as you play online Sit and Go’s.

Free for a limited time. Click this link:

CLICK HERE

Practice your skills at Carbon Poker