Most players play this game with their hearts on their sleeves. What I mean by that is that they live and die by the hands that they play. They are absolutely elated when their pocket aces hold up, or they turn that flush and take down a huge pot. On the other hand, they are devastated when someone hits their 3 outer on the river to take a pot away from them, or when someone calls preflop with 72o and beats their high pocket pair with trip 7s on the river.

So what is it about these emotional swings that I like?

A key, often overlooked attribute of a good poker player is that they stay in control of their emotions at the table. Regardless of how happy or upset they feel about that win or loss, they maintain an even keel and stay in control. This allows them to be at their best at all times without being ruled by their emotions. Emotional poker is usually bad poker.

When I see a player at my table who is overly emotional at the table, I see dollar signs.

You’ll find that a lot of bad players tend to be the ones that get too emotionally invested in the game. Because of this, I’m hoping they win as many pots as possible through bad play. Not only because it means I have a better chance of winning that money myself (since it is now in the possession of a bad player), but also because of the affect it has on their psyche.

And what do bad, excitable players think after they’ve had a really good winning streak, or after they’ve scooped a huge pot off of an obviously good player? They think that THEY are good! I want them to believe that when they lose it’s just bad luck, and when they win it’s because of their skills.

I’m cheering for them to win all of the pots I’m not involved in!

In short – don’t let your emotions rule your game. Both the incredible high, and lowest of the low feelings can have a negative affect on your game by either a) making you feel invincible, or b) putting you on tilt.

Stay on an even keel, and let your poker skills and knowledge do the talking.

Author Bio
Chris Holdsworth, LearnToPlayTexasHoldem.net. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as the resource box remains intact and there is a live link to this site.

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The number one important thing in poker besides skill boils down to how focused you as a player are at the table and the level of your concentration. You could have superior psychological skills then anyone else at the table and yet they are rendered useless if you are not paying attention.

Top reasons you will be distracted at a poker game:

1. Table Chat

2. Attractive dealer/player

3. Too much to drink

4. Something on your mind

We already know from the opening paragraph that concentration is vital to being a winning poker player. After all, you need to know how each player treats different hands, whether they are tight or loose, passive or agressive.

Now we will deal with the reasons you can be distracted individually.

First is table chat… this can easily be avoided – simply do not talk with others unless it is specifically increasing your knowledge of them for this game.

The second reason, if you are paying attention too much to a good looking player or dealer then stop and go back to concentrating on your game. If not, then take a break and go introduce yourself!

The third reason is easily avoided, don’t drink too much as it would mess up your game, know your limits.

And the final reason, if you have a family or personal crisis on your mind, worried about anything, you should not be playing in the poker game at all.

Author Bio
Kyle Healey is the proud webmaster of www.hustlecards.com

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Now that you know what to look for in a rock we can proceed on how to handle them. Like I just mentioned, I could barely help myself from laughing at this guy every time he entered a pot. I knew he had something strong it was written all over his face. The fact is – when these rocks enter the pot, they have the goods. If you see high cards on the flop, you can be pretty sure they have got a piece of it or already have a high pocket pair. Just fold pre-flop. Yes I said it and since it is the drop dead only way to play against rocks I’ll say it again – Just fold pre-flop. Unless you have AA, AK-AQs, KK, or QQ you are most definitely beat. So just fold. The funniest thing about this particular guy was, that everyone knew it and folded pre-flop when ever he entered with a raise. It was truly amusing as this guy got peeved and started playing crap hands. But this is where I noticed a new tell of our friend the guinea pig, he would still erect his posture when holding strong hands but when he tried to limp in with crap to throw us off he remained hunched over the table and his drink. At this point you just play off of the rock’s tells. You’ve got to remember that tight poker players are usually tight because they don’t like losing money and they like poker to be a mechanical grind slowly increasing their bankroll. Throw them off one or two hands and a rock turns into something their not – a loose or just frustrated poker player – one that you can take advantage of the rest of the session.

To sum up this strategy guide against rock poker players, firstly you have to identify the tight rocks at your table. This can be done by their appearance, the number of hands they play, how they play them, and even how they stack their chips or hold themselves. Once you have identified them and what kind of strong hands they play, you get out of their way unless you have a premium hand yourself. Proceed to play them like a puppet until they get off their game and take advantage of them the rest of the night.

Author Bio
Kyle Healey is the proud webmaster of www.hustlecards.com

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In a physical card room or in a casino, you will notice a poor player putting a hand over his mouth. Why? Because he is trying to conceal a smile (not a yawn). You can be sure that just as the sun rises in east, he is holding a strong hand. Another physical twitch is when the player reaches for a drink: his mouth is dry because he is nervous. A nervous player is relatively easy to lead.

If an opponent is trying to stare you down, he is trying to intimidate you. What is the reason behind this? Most likely, he is bluffing. If you have a strong hand, call. If you have a great hand and want more action, raise.

Observe the eyes of your opponent when the flop comes. If he takes a quick look at his chips, he probably has a strong hand. He is thinking of how much he will bet and win.

When you play online, will knowing poker tells be useful? Of course. Poker tells will differ slightly from player to player, but your online opponents are still humans. What you need to observe closely is the time or duration that an opponent spends during his turn or chance to bet.

In a limit game, when two flush or straight cards are out, and one of the players makes a quick call, this usually means a draw. On the flop, however, when one player makes an instantaneous raise, you can assume that he has a top pair.

When one of your opponents that you consider a poor player is taking time to think, he is actually debating whether to call or fold. This means that his hand is weak. Now if he took time (but not too long) to think and then raise, you can be sure that he is not bluffing. Poor players generally don’t bluff. He was just both nervous and excited and needs to calm himself enough to use the mouse.

If one of your online opponents raises frequently at the pre-flop and then folds at the flop when another player bets at him, this particular opponent is a tilting player. Tilting players are also relatively easy to read.

Win big with your newfound knowledge.

Author Bio
Linda Harrison is an author at www.casinogamblingpub.com. Stop by today to learn about about online gaming and play free gambling games. Really.

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But don’t worry, with poker, there shall be no senseless animal killing and anyone and anything can examine it to his heart’s content. And so, if you’re interested in playing poker, here’s what you can expect.

Poker Is No Ordinary Game
Most people think that poker is one of the easiest – or maybe even the silliest – card games because you’re only holding two cards in your hand so how hard can it be? And it seems silly because with just two cards, people actually expect you to be able to deduce whether you’ve got a good poker hand or not – and isn’t that silly?

We’re not all born with ESP here! But ladies and gentlemen, those are misassumptions – although the general rules for poker are quite easy to understand, to be able to win not just once but consecutively, you need to have a variety of mental strategies to see you through. Michael Jordan said that basketball is more of a mental rather than a physical game, didn’t he? Well, I’m here to tell you that poker is more of a mental game, too – rather than one that simply deals with random luck.

You Can Earn Money Playing Poker
Another erroneous belief most people have is that since poker is above all, a card game. Since it’s mostly played in casinos, it’s very much a vice and can be the reason why your money’s flowing out like water. Well, that’s where they’re wrong again! It’s very easy to earn money playing poker.

All you need is to improve your playing style and money management. Yes, there’s such a thing as money management in poker. Lastly, you need self-control. If you have that, then you’ll know when it’s time to stop playing poker and when it’s okay to press your luck some more.

Poker Is Fun
If you think poker is a very serious game, you’re partially right. But not all serious things are lacking in pleasure, you know. Take the game of chess, for example. It seems boring at first glance but when you learn how to play the game, it gets addictive. And that’s how it is with poker as well.

Author Bio
Roger Wembley writes for www.casinogamblingscoop.com. Stop by today to play casino and online gambling games right now.

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Online poker, as the name suggests, is the game of poker played over the Internet. Online poker has been responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide. Thanks in part, to the proliferation of online casinos, the craze for poker is spreading beyond the mega-rich, business-suited elite, allowing everyone a fair chance to place modest bets from the comfort of their own homes.

Statistics confirm the above. In January 2003, the total global daily cash game turnover for online poker was just $10 million (£5.3m) and in 2004 it rose to $60m (£32m). Now, $180m (£95m) is wagered in cash game pots in online poker every day! Not surprisingly, this number is expected to grow steadily every year.

How different is online poker compared to playing it on-site?

There are hundreds of portals offering online poker; most of them are, more or less, similar. The difference, if any, is usually in the gaming environment and the quality of interaction with other players. This could depend a lot on the popularity of the site, as popular gaming sites try to have certain in- built checks and attract serious gamblers who can in turn, enhance your overall gaming experience. Also, while some portals have a responsible, informative approach and offer considerable amount of content (news, tournament results, strategy articles, reviews of online card rooms, etc.), others attempt to act as mere conduits to other sites, normally where actual gambling games are offered.

Though people have many different views, as far as differences between online poker and brick and mortar poker is concerned, most agree on at least few of the following:

Online venues are cheaper and easily accessible.

Online poker rooms are more player-friendly, as they offer suggestions, allow the players to play for low stakes and are very much suitable for beginners.

Online poker playing is a lot faster, as there’s no banter around the table. Though brick and mortar casino players consider this interplay a central element of the game, for most playing online, the stress is laid on mathematical calculations and actual moves. Fixed place or offline poker game is time consuming where the average rate of play is around thirty hands per hour while in online poker these delays, dealing and shuffling, are instant and thus the average play is faster due to ‘auto action’ buttons.

One disadvantage of playing online poker is that it is more vulnerable to certain types of fraud even though most poker sites have safety checks.

Unlike a bricks and mortar casino, you can play at more than one table at a time when you play online. So, you could log into more than one poker site simultaneously, which means that you don’t have to be as good a player to make the same amount of money online (since you increase your chances of winning by playing on multiple tables simultaneously)!

Some experienced players also feel that people who mostly play online poker could be at a disadvantage in a brick and mortar casino, as they don’t have opportunities to learn to study and influence body language.

Another differentiating feature of online poker is that it provides free money play, so that new players may practice without the risk of losing real money.

From the legal point of view, some legal issues are common. Online game poker is very legitimate and regulated in many advanced countries in Europe. Many online poker websites are certified by legal Game Commission bodies and major auditing firms like PWC (Price Waterhouse Coopers) to review the fairness of the shuffle and payouts.

Getting Started

Whether you are a professional or a novice, online poker offers you a comfortable and interesting gaming environment and a safer (compared to brick and mortar casinos) means of learning how to play using smaller bets. There are numerous sites that offer guidelines and tips on learning how to play well. Here are some interesting poker- related terms to get you started:

Royal flush: high cards (ace, king, queen, jack) of the same suit in number sequence.
Straight flush: cards of the same suit in number sequence.
Four of a kind: cards of the same value (e.g. four queens).
Full house: three cards of one value, two of another.
Flush: all cards are of the same suit.
Straight: cards are in number sequence, but not of the same suit.
Three of a kind: three cards of the same value.
Two pair: two pairs of cards with the same value (e.g. queen, queen and king, king)
Pair: two cards with the same value.

Author Bio
The author, Brian Hover, is a well- known online gambling specialist and has been lending his expertise and experience to the Internet gambling industry since 1997. Having studied the scope and potential of secure online gambling alternatives, Brian has been instrumental in providing a number of secure online gambling portals like www.cardgamesclub.com. The portal is known for the number of popular gambling options, along with the security and reliability it offers.

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b. Mathematicians also able to compute the number of “outs” because they know it is important. Outs are the number of cards that will improve your hand. They compute it by multiplying it by two and adding one and that’s the percentage of them hitting the pot.

c. Knowing outs will be useless unless it is translated into rational and calculated betting. When you figure out that you have a 20% chance of hitting, you then figure out your chances of winning or losing. You divide the size of the pot at the river by the amount you have to put in. I.E. the current pot and the amount of bets that will be added on in the future. If you have calculated that the bet to you will be 50 and have 20% chance of hitting and the pot at the river will be higher than 250, try to call for it. If not, fold. Confusing right?

d. Review these concepts if you really want to be an expert.

2. Discipline
a. Always try to find a table where you have an advantage. Try finding tables where there are more amateurs or “fish”. Fish only want to win by being lucky. Poker players want to win by skill and by hoping that his opponents don’t get lucky.

b. Every different game, table or opponent set needs the poker player to have different disciplines or styles. He or she cannot always rely on one style. For instance, a player may play the better hands when there are not much pre-flop actions. The player can make a loose call with other speculative hands when lots of opponents are limping in.

c. A disciplined limit player has excellent pre-flop skills. However, the disciplined no-limit player is quite different. This player doesn’t care much with paying lots of blinds but instead this kind of player would not want to be trapped. The difference is that limit players avoid squandering their stack bit by bit while no-limit players avoids losing his whole stack in just one hand. A disciplined no-limit player can play a lot of hands. Even if he or she has cards such as 5 spades and 3 diamonds he or she will still be loose preflop. But expert no-limit players know how to quit as well when their hands are really bad.

d. The disciplined player knows when to quit even when the pot is really juicy.

e. A disciplined player learns from his mistakes and admits that they will still make them later on. Disciplined players will just keep on learning because nobody is a perfect poker player.

There is a ton more to learn about poker and gambling, this is just the start.

Author Bio
Ryan Tenney writes for http://www.cafegamblingcasino.com. Learn all about poker and casino games today.

I am kidding!

Of course, we’re not here to grieve for your losses in poker in advance. If you’re a first time player and you want to play against live players, then good for you. And we’re here to help by providing you with useful tips that just may be the keys you need to survive round after round of poker.

Now, first time players are what most poker veterans refer to as “calling stations”. If you’re wondering about the logic behind the term, it’s basically because most first time poker players have the tendency to call almost all bets without even sparing a moment’s thought on their decisions.

Obviously, if you don’t want to be viewed as a “calling station” (egad!), gain the respect of your fellow poker players and maybe a share of their chips also, think before you act. Poker is not just any card game. It’s a mental game, a strategic competition between several players.

If you feel that your nerves are getting the better of you, here are some tips to get rid of cold feet.

Don’t pressure yourself by comparing your skills to other players’. That’s a futile exercise. Naturally, you can’t compare. You’re playing for the first time and they’re, what, celebrating their one millionth game? If you accept that, there’s nothing to lose yet there’s no harm in trying, you’ll feel much better later on and be able to concentrate more on the game.

Don’t turn your fellow players into gods. Okay, so you’ve heard about your opponents’ reputations. Say, one is called The Crocodile because of his ability to snatch you out of the game in seconds and the other one’s called The Rampaging Elephant because he’s always aggressive when it comes to bets. Remind yourself that before they got their monickers, they were also, once in their lives, christened as “calling stations”… just like you. If it helps, mentally replace their faces with funny looking ones to lessen your feelings of inferiority.

And lastly… relax. I know, it’s easier said than done, but you truly have to relax. Block out everything except for the cards you’re holding and mentally hum a happy song to yourself. If you let external factors get the better of you, you’re dead meat. But if you succeed in relaxing and focusing completely on your game, you may just have gotten rid of your nerves for the final time.

Author Bio: Tim Jeffiries
Want to learn more about how insiders really play online pokerto win? Visit www.cafecasinogambling.com to learn how the pros win big at gambling.

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If you are using a poker calculator like tournament indicator while playing sit and go tournaments, you will find that the odds display will show that to “fill up the small blind” are actually favorable to call almost any hand when there are multiple limpers. It’s fair to call in some of the spots, but most times you should still fold with the real bad Group 9 (or worse) Sklansky hands like J3os, 92os, or 84os. You should be looking for one, two or three gapped connectors, suited cards with an ace or face, and T5s for straight potential.

The advantage of calling with a wide variety of hands in a passive mode from the small blind is that your opponents will not be able to put you on a hand after the flop. So your AJos or your 68s can turn into monsters, but the successful strategy is to keep those hands very cheap to see pre-flop. Don’t get caught out of position against multiple players, with weak hole cards calling raises.

One of the biggest challenges in playing in the small blind is psychological, in that you may always feel you are being pushed around. That can be very frustrating, but that’s also what you should feel here because your position is always inferior after the flop. It’s like that age old office desk strategy during negotiations. The big guy behind the desk is always in a bigger, more expensive chair looking down on you. He too has “position”.

When playing the small blind in online NL hold’em tournaments, self control is a critical piece of your skill set, where you are constantly fighting the urge to fight back with a re-raise or “taking a stand” as they call it. Still, it is most prudent, especially in the lower levels to be more tight and passive in the early stages, and simply wait for the chips to come to you. Given time and patience, the aggressive players are often too aggressive and you will eventually win bigger pots by letting them give you chips, rather than starting little fights over small pots, in the early blind stages.