Texas Holdem Blinds

• Author: admin
• Filed under: General
• Date: Nov 6,2008

Posting blinds is a very important aspect of the betting structure of Texas Hold’em poker. It keeps the action in a poker game moving and influences the way people play the game, including whether or not they will fold, check or increase their bets. As the blinds increase, they can also make the game more exciting.

In Texas Hold’em there are two types of blind bets: the small blind and the big blind. These blinds are forced bets, which must be made by players who are participating in a hand. In Texas Hold’em, the dealer button indicates the position of the dealer and the dealing schedule; the button moves around the table to keep track of the dealer position. The small blind is always posted by the person to the left of the dealer. The big blind is always posted by the person to the left of the small blind. So, the onus for posting these bets is rotated as the dealer button moves around the table.

The small and big blinds are posted before the pocket hands are dealt, before the community cards are dealt and before the players have a clue as to the outcome of the dealing or the hand. Because they have made an initial investment in the hand, these players are then motivated to stay in the hand, even if they don’t like their cards, in order to get a return. This becomes especially risky as the game progresses, others are eliminated and the blinds increase incrementally. At some point, the blinds will be so high, that paying them can break a player.

Normally, the small blind is half of the big blind and the big blind is the same amount as the minimum bet. In a Texas Hold’em tournament, these amounts are pre-determined. At the beginning of the tournament, the blinds will be a lower amount and will begin to increase as the tournament moves forward. The blinds are either increased after a pre-determined set period of time or after a pre-determined set number of hands. This increases the action of the game and eliminates any low-ranking players from the game.

Another forced bet that can be applied is called an ante. This can be used in addition to bets in a Texas Hold’em tournament. The ante is a pre-determined amount that each player must post before the cards are dealt. This can increase the action of the game and considerably increases the winnings in the pot before a hand has even begun. For instance, if the small blind is $20 and the big blind is $40 and the ante is $10 in a five player game, the pot already contains $110 before the cards are even dealt.

As you can see, forced bets are an important part of the betting schedule in Texas Hold’em style poker, needed to keep the game moving, eliminate straggling opponents and motivate betting.

Location, Location…

• Author: admin
• Filed under: General
• Date: Nov 6,2008

One of the best basic rules of Texas Hold’em No Limit poker you can learn is the principle of location. Essentially, he who acts last profits from the most amount of information. Information, you will find, is critical to your decision making in Texas Hold’em No Limit poker. As such it is advantageous indeed to be ‘on the button’ as they say, or to have the dealer button positioned on you as this means you are the last to act.

This rule applies whether you are playing Texas Hold’em No Limit poker live or online at one of the many online poker rooms available on the internet.

Oftentimes, examples are the best way to illustrate the prinicple of location in Texas Hold’em No Limit poker.

Here are just 3 of the best available examples we can provide to consider the benefits of location in Texas Hold’em No Limit poker:

a. there are say, 3 players in the hand and the board comes J-10-3 rainbow. You are on the button and everyone checks to you. If your hole cards are 10-Ace this may be a suitable time to bet knowing that neither player looks to have an J pair, and you may well have the best hand amongst all the players at the moment.

b. in the same situation as a., if you have K-Q and are one card short of a straight, you can call any raises down to see if you hit a straight by the time you get to the river. Compare this to acting first – you may choose not to bet out any chips (representing you have a pair from the board) as someone may re-raise you, costing you more chips to see if you will hit a straight. Because you always act first, are unkeen to raise yet call his raises, it may become apparent to your opponent that you are waiting for the straight. Knowing this, your opponent can then bet against you on the flop, turn and the river, and, if he thinks you are drawing for your straight, put in all his chips to chase you off the round.

c. in the same situation as b., if you get to the river and still have not hit a straight, if your opponent(s) have never bet all the way to the turn or the river, neither your opponents may have hit any cards. You may want to bet, suggesting you have a pair or better, getting everybody to fold and thus winning the pot with nothing but a King-high.

These are just 3 examples to illustrate the value of position in Texas Hold’em No Limit poker. Whether you are a live or online poker player, these are one of the best poker principles you can learn in playing the game. The later you act the more information you have, and information, you will find, is one of the most important aspects of Texas Hold’em No Limit poker.

Playing Omaha Poker

• Author: admin
• Filed under: General
• Date: Sep 23,2008

In online poker, there is no doubt that the Texas hold-em poker is still considered the most popular. But it probably would not hold that spot for long, as Omaha hold-em is steadily gaining ground in the poker popularity contest. You’ll find many respectable poker rooms and other live dealer casinos offering the Omaha Poker version.

Omaha hold-em, or simply Omaha, is the game of choice of a lot of poker players because it is perceived that the mathematical probabilities that poker nerds look forward to computing are more obvious there. Also, because these probabilities are more apparent, Omaha is said to be more of a game of wits than a game of chance.

Another characteristic that makes Omaha distinct from the other kinds of poker games is that in Omaha, it is not always the player with the highest hand who wins the pot. The object of Omaha is to come up with both the highest and the lowest hand. The two players who got the highest and the lowest hand respectively get to split the pot. In some cases, two or more players tie in having the highest and lowest hand, and so they split the pot amongst themselves. Of course it is entirely possible for just the player with the highest hand to get the whole pot to him/herself.

There are, however, restrictions as to how a hand of cards can be considered a low hand. First, the highest card in the hand should have a value not bigger than eight. Second, the five cards making up the hand should all be unpaired.

In addition, in Omaha, a player makes up his/her hand, be it the highest or the lowest, using exactly two of his/her four hole cards and exactly three of the five community cards.

Here is how Omaha is played, step by step:

1. The dealer deals out the four hole cards to each player one at a time. Once all the players have their cards, an initial round of betting is made. The person to the left of the dealer makes the small blind and the one to his/her left makes the big blind. The other players can then check the big blind, raise it, or fold.

2. After this first betting round is done, the dealer draws out the first three community cards, also called the flop. Another betting round happens, with players raising, checking or folding. Afterwards, the dealer draws the fourth community card, called the turn, which is then followed by another betting round with the subsequent raising, checking or folding. The same happens with the fifth community card, also known as the river.

3. The showdown happens among the players who have not folded after the river is placed down. Again, the players use exactly two of the hole cards and exactly three of the community cards. The players with the highest and the lowest hand win the pot and split it among themselves. If there are no hands that qualified for the lowest hand, then the player who got the highest hand gets to have the pot entirely to him/herself.

So What’s with all the sponsorship?

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General
• Date: Jul 21,2008

These days, it is noted that at many of the more popular poker tournaments, there are a-lot of sharks out there looking to ‘sponsor’ new and upcoming players.  It can be seen clearly at the WSOP when a great deal of players were wearing as many corporate logos as they could or touting they belonged to a various poker site.  But why?

For many these popular events can be hard to enter.  They can be invitation only and or require a high buy-in for example WSOP has a buy-in of $10,000.  For many a buy-in like this is unthinkable.  For a few sponsorship is the only option. 

Nowadays you can even gain online poker sponsorship, due to the games amazing popularity online.  Online poker sponsorship is perhaps key to making a professional career sooner rather than later.  There are risks involved just like any sponsorship deal – so here’s a bit of general information.

So how do you obtain sponsorship ?
The secret here, is not actually a secret.  Many, many poker sites nowadays run many online tournaments.  In fact for many – it is the main attraction.  When an event comes up; such as the WSOP more often than not most of the best poker rooms will be offering a tournament to win a spot (sponsored by them) in the competition.  This in turn gives them the chance to win big, and the poker-site the chance to get a lot of visibility.  However, in this day and age – one needs to be careful and know what they are signing up for.

What is Online Sponsorship?
Online sponsorship is also available for some people.  Many online casinos have been known to sponsor players due to the fact that it brings them more players! also – nowadays, all the bonuses of signing-up to online poker sites could be seen as sponsorship also.

But if you are looking for a more direct approach – we found a rather interesting web-site offering online poker sponsorship – pokerinside.com – who have a range of online sponsorship deals.  Quite lucrative for both parties involved I would think, But it does open up the door and get you started, that is if you already have what it takes…

Good Luck!

Grand Entrances

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General, Players
• Date: Jul 11,2008

In keeping with the WSOP theme we have right now, while we wait for the players to return after their hard earned break – we are going to take a look at some of the extents players will go to make sure that their identity is hidden or well known. 

Today – the two most famous examples have to be both Phil Hellmuth and Phil Laak.  The former made his grand entrance dressed in a general’s outfit with a company of very attractive young women.  One has to ask why a stunt such as this was devised.  Mr Hellmuth is neither good looking nor tremendously successful to date.

On the other hand – Phil Laak done completely the opposite – This stunt we actually quite liked however, it didn’t quite help the 35-year old who had spent over 6 hours with a professional make-up artist to get the stunt to work.  To explain it, you really have to see things.

Yes. They are the same person.  Apparently, the players at Phil’s table really did fall for it and as a result they believed they were playing with a genuine 100% real old man!

However, Phil is not the only old man playing.  Jack Ury beats his record.  This gentleman is the worlds’ oldest WSOP poker player at a staggering 95 years young!  He’s currently more successful too as the fabulous disguise of Phil Laak’s did not help him get past round 1.  Mr Ury is still battling and survives round 1 waiting for the rest in round 2.

Stay tuned for our coverage of the WSOP Day 2 very soon.