My friend is such a Poker babe addict. Yes, you read that well, one of the reasons why he play Poker in the internet is because of international babes.

He would usually search for Poker Reviews relating to Poker babes and one of the thing funniest thing about him is that once he like a certain Poker babe, he will get so addicted to her that her every picture and accomplishments will be posted all over his website.



I can see why he is so addicted to Jennifer Tilly, because aside from being a successful actress, she is also a hot woman with great Poker skills. Also known as The Unabombshell in the world of Poker, Tilly was born in Harbor City, CA on June 27, 2005, Tilly won a World Series of Poker bracelet (and $158,625) in the Ladies No Limit Holdem event, outlasting 600 other players. She followed up this accomplishment on September 1, 2005 by also winning the third World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament held at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. She is definitely the hottest of the hottest. If i only i am a homo, i will stalk her. Thank God I am not. Laugh out loud!



Another Poker babe my friend likes is Chantel McNulty. I do not really know much about this Poker babe, all i know is that this 22 year old Texan is perhaps better known for her recent boob job and erratic love life than her Poker skills. McNulty cashed twice in the 2006 WSOP: finishing 23rd in the $2,00 Pot Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament and finishing 56th in the Ladies No Limit Texas Hold'em She prefers limit cash games to tournaments. She may be hot but i do not like her. Real hotness for me is about great Poker skills and external beauty. If you only have external beauty then i do not think you deserve the title of a real Poker babe.



The last one of my friend's type is Brandi Hawbaker. Aside from the fact that few articles are written about her, i do not like her. Well my friend said he likes Hawbaker because she is a great Poker player who had placed a few Poker Tournaments. I made a research about her and found out that Cardplayer.com also refers to her as Brandi Rose, but all other sources are referring to her as Brandi Hawbaker. Brandi is new on the Poker scene and is already the most viewed player on the Hendon Mob database. She is rumored to be from Nashville and a stripper at Club Paradise in Las Vegas. She is also known to have appeared in a few movies according to IMDB, but nothing has been confirmed. I noticed this girl when i was browsing through some
Poker babe pictures and her picture in which she was showing her right boob with the Fulltilt logo covering it distracted me. At first, i thought this girl is hot and pretty but after seeing more pictures of her, i got into a conclusion that she is just hot. She cannot be considered as a Poker babe.

I do not know what is up with my friend. He has a fetish for hot girls playing Poker. Anyway, who am i to say what his fetish should be or should be not. All i can say is that, hey Tilly is really hot!

The World Poker Tour announced late last week that it had settled a lawsuit involving some of the top Poker players in the world. Well i know this is a big story but i hate it when most Poker writers sensationalize stories as if it is their is the most important thing in the world. Hello? Can you please avoid doing that? You are not helping the Poker industry, you are making things worse.

Anyway, the suit revolved around the standard World Poker Tour release that all players are forced to sign before participating in a WPT event. According to the original suit filed on July 19th, 2006, the seven players were seeking to enjoin the WPT's "continuing violation of federal and state antitrust laws", plus they were also seeking "treble and punitive damages."

Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem both removed themselves from the lawsuit a while ago. Joe Hachem has been playing World Poker Tour events for a while now (he won the Five Diamond World Poker Classic in December of 2006). It is unknown why Raymer removed himself from the lawsuit, as I haven't heard of him playing any WPT events since the suit was filed.

Bloch, Duke, Ferguson, Gordon and Lederer announced that they had settled with the WPT just a couple of days ago. The settlement of the suit apparently involves a modification of the player release. The WPT will not be paying any sort of damages, and they are denying any wrong-doing in the matter.

I think that the suit was settled for three reasons (just my opinion of course). Here they are:

1. One of the "principal claims" (a term used by Phil Gordon) of the lawsuit was that the WPT and its host casinos were conspiring to eliminate, and prevent the creation of, competing televised poker tournaments. Gordon once stated that "there is no realistic possibility of a competing tour". I would say that the European Poker Tour has debunked this theory, as it has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success and growth over the past couple of years. It would be a pretty hard argument to make that the World Poker Tour has completely stifled any competition, because it's just not true. The European Poker Tour is booming; just look at the numbers.

2. The World Poker Tour is fading. I mean, let's be real here - the World Poker Tour's business is weakening. Numbers are down. Look no further than the attendance numbers for the WPT Championship, which is the signature tournament for the World Poker Tour. This year there are 545 entrants; in 2007, there were 639, and in 2006, there were 605. The WPT has moved from the Travel Channel to the Game Show Network, and they are getting paid significantly less per episode. Their stock is trading at just $1.56, giving it a valuation of just $32 million dollars; well off of its all-time highs of over $25. I don't think that the World Poker Tour is in much of a position to continue to battle it out with some of the biggest names in the game - they need all the star-power that they can get at this point.

3. There was not much support for the lawsuit in the Poker community. Daniel Negreanu famously spoke out against the lawsuit, sparking a memorable war of words between himself and Greg Raymer. The players involved in this suit might say "how would you know how much support we had?" I would say that actions speak louder than words, and it seems to me that no one else was boycotting the WPT events while this lawsuit was still active. Other players may have been quietly supportive, but they sure weren't showing it. Plus, two of the original seven plaintiffs withdrew from the suit.

So at the end of the day, the nearly two year old lawsuit has been settled, and we finally get to see Phil Gordon make his triumphant return to the World Poker Tour. We will also get to see Annie Duke play without any shoes on, and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson take a full minute before making every decision. Order has been restored in the universe.

Internet and players of massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG) are being warned of Trojan horses that steal credit card information or virtual characters whose items are also being sold for real money.

Internet security firm Fortinet reported that the "Poker Trojan" is being used by criminals to steal user credentials from popular poker sites, which include FullContactPoker.Com (www.fullcontactpoker.com) and CheckRaised.com (www.checkraised.com).

Poker Trojan has a built-in root-kit that that plugs itself to downloadable software from these sites. When installed in a PC, the Trojan launches the root-kit that starts scanning for credit card passwords and sends these to its source or author.

So far, there have been no major reports of Online Poker players falling victim to Poker Trojan.

Meanwhile, players of online games are warned of the return of key-logging techniques to steal virtual characters as several versions of Trojan horses that have key-logging features are spreading through the Internet.

Instead of invisibly saving the typed-in usernames and passwords, the MMORPG Trojans send the captured data to its author. After gaining access to the usernames and passwords, the criminals activate the stolen character and sell either it or the character’s items for real money.

Fortinet Threat Intelligence Team Leader Guilluame Lovet said there are two key points for targeting online video games, first of which is that it is a social activity involving money that will later on be a target of cybercriminals. The second point is that MMORPG players are willing to pay real money just to empower their own characters in the game, which online criminal syndicates find attractive and lucrative.

"Whether or not such a spectacular reduction of the factual frontier between real and virtual worlds is a worrying issue can be debated, but either way it’s inclined to send a little chill," Lovet said

Just by deciding to play Online Poker is already a gamble. Though it is convenient and offers more advantages than playing Poker table, it is still open to many kind of attacks or problems. One of which is online security.

Collusion is a problem that is unique to Poker as opposed to other games like blackjack or craps, since Poker players play against each other and not the casino itself. Collusion occurs when two or more players seated at the same table work together as a team, often using the same bankroll. Colluding players know what their team members’ hands are (often through subtle signals), and bet with the purpose of maximizing their team’s profits on any given hand. Though collusion is a problem in real cardrooms, it is a much more serious problem for Online Poker. Using tools like instant messaging and telephone conference calls makes collusion a serious risk to Online Poker players. What if all the players in an online game are all cooperating to bilk an unsuspecting Web patsy? How can you be assured that you’re never a victim of this attack?

Last, but not least (especially in terms of our story), there is a real risk that the software behind an Online Poker game may be flawed. Software problems are a notorious form of security risk often overlooked by companies obsessed with firewalls and cryptography. The problem is that a software application can introduce truck-sized security holes into a system. We spend a great deal of time in our day jobs finding and solving software security problems. It is only natural that we turned our attention to Online Poker because we are investing so much to it and it is for this reason that we deserve a secured gaming platform.

The easiest way to learn how to strategize correctly when it comes to playing Poker is by substituting each technique into something that you can remember easily.

The need for you as a student of Poker, to observe and take notes on your opponents cannot be stressed enough. If you have good starting hand requirements, you will fold a great majority of your hands. This will give you plenty of time to study your opponents and see how they play. Most Online Poker tables allow you to “right click“ a player's avatar and fill in notes about him, that will be saved on their server, and thus, there for you to browse when you see the player again.

However, during the course of a game, you can fill up a huge amount of space. This can become cumbersome, and make the notes almost not worth reading, as they become a jumbled ream of random thoughts. I think you would agree then, that a good way to organize these notes would be most helpful!

Recently, I stumbled across and purchased a book by champ Phil Hellmuth, titled Play Poker Like the Pros. In it, I found Hellmuth's strategy for characterizing Poker players as animals. This organizational strategy is both humorous and effective, and after adding it to my game, I have been able to cut down on the endless reams of note taking.

Hellmuth classifies Poker players in 5 general catagories, only 4 of which most of us will ever get the chance to play against. They are the mouse, jackal, elephant, lion and eagle. Their Poker characteristics are as follows:

The Mouse

The mouse is an ultra conservative player who plays very strict starting hand requirements (see Hellmuth's Top 10). The mouse will bet, but rarely ever raises a bet or reraises. The mouse almost never bluffs. If a mouse actually does raise or re-raise, it probably means they have an almost unbeatable hand. The mouse's weakness is that he or she is simply too predictable. When the mouse starts to raise, good players typically fold their hands, and in the mouse loses out on some chips they may have won, had they not earned themselves such a stodgy reputation. This character type is also referred to as a rock For the record, mice tend to make more money than they lose, espeically at low limit loose games. Their pots are not always the largest in the world, but they take down way more pots than they lose, due to their conservative play.

The Jackal

I have found jackals to be pretty common animals in low limit, online poker rooms. This type of player plays alot of cards, and bets and raises with abandon. He is the direct opposite of the mouse. The jackal's chip stack often resembles a roller coaster ride, as it will climb when he has great cards, and then fall back to near nothing when he has a string of bad cards. You can make alot of money off a player like this. Do not ever be afraid to call a jackal, because since they play loose, you will catch them bluffing with trash often. A jackal is destined to lose his money if he ventures far beyond 50 cent ante poker, where good players see him for the loose player that he is and take advantage of his weaknesses.

The Elephant

The elephant is what most Poker players refer to as a “calling station.“ The elephant has loose starting hand requirements, and so he plays in alot of pots. As a result, he ends up in alot of hands that he or she has no chance of winning. The elephant is content to call his hand to the river, even when common sense tells him hes beaten. This type of player does not lose all of his chips at once, since he generally prefers calling to raising, but over time, the elephant contributes most of his chip stack to the other players. Hellmuth notes that there is no point in trying to bluff the elephant, but if you have good cards, you know he will pay you all the way to the river. I have found from my experience, that this “animal“ is the predominant one found at online low limit tables. Watch a few games, and you will notice the huge number of online players who play practically every hand, and call to the river with complete trash. The elephant will beat you occasionally simply because he is willing to draw till the end. On the whole though, this is yet another player who is easy to make money off of.

The Lion

The lion is rare in low limit games. He has good starting hand requirements, but will occasionally take a calculated risk on cards not on his “list.“ The lion plays aggressive Poker when he is ahead and folds when he is behind. Occasionally the lion will bluff in an advantageous position, but his bluffs are rare enough that the other players must respect him. The lion is an excellent Poker player, and makes his living taking chips from the mouse, elephant and jackal. A tight player who takes the occasional risk or bluff to keep from getting labeled a “rock“ would be a good example of a lion.

The Eagle

The eagle is a character that most of us will never reach or even play against. The eagle represents the pinnacle of the Poker world. He or she has studied the game for years and is now in the upper ranks of the Poker world. Hellmuth considers an eagle to be one of the top 100 players in the world. If you reach this status, the rest of us will be watching as you take down pots on one of the several televised Poker
events!

So how can you as a Poker player put these characterizations to use? As I noted before, endless note taking can be tedious and even pointless if you do not keep them properly organized. The “animals“ offers a great way to organize how you think about the different players at your table. Rather than saying “this player plays alot of pots...he called to the river with a pair of 7's...he never folds to a bluff...“ and so on and so forth, you can simply put “elephant“ in your notes about this player.

Amazing in its simplicity and effectiveness. Granted, all of the players in the world will not each be perfect fits for one category. However, this system offers a great place to start in organizing your thoughts about how each player plays and what strategies to use against them. It takes hardly any time at all to jot down a characterization in a players notes, and the payoff when you see this player again can yield huge profits.

There are just so many things wrong with this Poker logic...

For starters, let's face it - you're calling a raise with garbage. You know you are behind in the hand and are - at best - a 2:1 dog. Assuming the raiser's range from early or mid position is AK-AJ and pairs AA-99 then you are actually going to be a 4:1 dog about 40% of the time (36 ace-hands vs 24 pairs). Therefore the preflop action is serious negative equity.

Then by smooth calling you just keep adding to your problems. You not only don't make any attempt to win the pot yet, or to define your hand, you also encourage other well-stacked players to join in and create a pot that becomes very difficult to get away from when you do catch some kind of donkey draw. You might get the odds to keep going which would be great in a cash game when going bust is not a problem. But in a Poker Tournament you could be risking your future with 4-1 shot after the turn, or have to make another mistake by folding when you actually have the correct odds to draw.

Once you are in this pot, suddenly calling with suited connectors starts to become attractive - but not for you, for the next guy to act, and the next one, and only because of your mistake. You're just stuck in the middle not knowing where the hell you are at.

But as you didn't mention position at all, lets assume that you are on the button and have great reads on both the blinds and know they are going to fold. So you smooth-called a raise from a solid player who only plays big hands, and expect them not to bet at almost any flop? Now you're going to raise then back to try and find out how much they like their hand? The price for this information just went up.

The times your opponent missed, if you've got the balls to raise you'll win a fair pot, probably 3-4 times your investment pre-flop. The times you're wrong (I can't see why we shouldn't still use the 40% 33% number here) you're making a huge mistake, spewing chips and digging a very deep hole for yourself on the next street. You are investing much more than you can ever hope to win.

On the other hand if you are talking about a "first to the pot wins" move on a low board you are in much better shape to make this play out of position, which means limping in early position with a shit hand and then calling a raise, or stubbornly defending a blind. Or maybe you know that the player is transparent and will bet if they hit the flop (or still like their overpair) and check if they miss. This is about the only opportunity you will have to bet and make it hard for her to call.

The problem here though is that your implied odds are a big fat zero. Whilst no-limit poker allows you to play hands with a negative pre-flop expectation because of the potentially huge payoff you can get when you make a monster hand, calling a raise and playing heads up against a premium hand is not the way to do this. Your pre-flop call is dead money, and then you're having to make a large bet to win it back, along with the other player's initial raise. Net profit is what - 3 big blinds?

Finally, if your intention is to outplay Little Miss BigCards when the board comes low and you think she's missed, the hand selection is irrelevant. You don't have to have a small hand do it - any two will do.

Basically, don't be afraid of getting calls like this. You need 'em. If you are still afraid of things like this one, be sure to arm yourself with further knowledge about different Poker strategies that you can find in several Poker Reviews in Poker sites online.

I do not know about you but i have been a Poker addict for the last five years. I love it and i like and i adore it because i make a lot of money and help a lot of people because of the Poker industry.

Modesty aside, but you may call me a great Poker player. It is not easy having that title because people expect so much from you. Your co players, your friends, your family and those who are less experienced. Just a tip for the beginners. Read, observe, and think.

Read as much Poker resource or Poker Reviews as possible. There are even Poker books written by professionals. But be careful in filtering those Poker Reviews you are going to read. Do not read a Poker table book if you are aiming to be an Online Poker player. Online Poker and Poker are two different things. You need to know that as early as now or you will be reading the wrong resources.

Observe. Nothing beats the power of seeing through your own eyes. It is important that you observe every possible game you can watch so you will know what to avoid and what not to avoid. So you will know who to avoid and who not to avoid.

Think. The crucial part of every game is the way you handle yourself and the way you think. Thinking should not be hard since we practice and do it every waking day of our lives. But thinking or learning how to think in Poker is very different. You have to employ tactics or strategies that will not make you transparent. Otherwise, you will lose. Since Online Poker is different, it is okay to be transparent, to show your feelings more since your opponent cannot see you. But in the real world, you gotta have that Poker face so you can fool or deceive your opponent. If you think this is easy, then you are very wrong my dear. How can it be easy when everyone knows that deceit is one of the key tactics.

Overall, being a great Poker player is hot because you know for yourself that mediocre players do not have what you have no matter how hard they study or read Poker Reviews but if they do not think then it is senseless

You are indeed correct when you think that a successful woman Poker player is rare. Women have to take unusual methods just so people will notice and just so they can be successful. Few of these women are jennifer leigh and liz lieu. The former used to study law but decided to prioritize Poker first.

Personally, i think it is not really about gender. It is about your right attitude in gaming, and how you carry yourself. If you think people cannot beat you, it will show. If you think you can be eaten easily, it will also show. Though you can find several Poker Reviews or Poker resources, winning is still about how you think and how you carry yourself when face to face with sharks.

Just so you will know the main difference between you and me, and how to be like me, read on. Great Poker players squeeze pennies of profit out of situations that merely good players do not. Great Poker players can try to do things that mediocre players cannot even think about ("don't try this at home"). Great Poker players know that each time they play that they will have to do something great!


Mediocre Poker players have the dual problem of often being outplayed by great players, and of also failing when they try some Evel Knievel-ish tactic they have no business even thinking about.

It's a common lament for decent players to complain about some unorthodox play a better player made, where the better player appeared to "get lucky". The truth is that mediocre players fixate on the earlier parts of hands, while better player focus on the later parts of hands. The ability to "finish" well is important in Poker because the later betting rounds are both bigger, and there is more money at risk. Despite this, mediocre players, especially in Holdem, focus on pre-flop play. When they raise with 77 one behind the button after no one opens the pot, they can't understand how a better player will often re-raise with JsTs. All they see is that fairly crappy starting hand. They don't see how not only is the JsTs profitable here because of the dead money of the blinds, but worse, they don't see how the better player is going to make them pay on later betting rounds. They don't understand the relish the better player has for a situation like this, where they will be able to play above the rim and perform like the great players they are, while opposed only by a player who simply doesn't understand the situational exploitation of weakness.Great players understand that they are not trying to win every pot they play.

Great players try to set up reoccurring situations where, at worst, they give up small edges repeatedly so they can get a huge return less often. You see this a lot in No Limit Holdem tournaments. Great players want to see a lot of flops, and aren't afraid to lose many small pots with hands like 6s5s. What they are waiting for is to "finish" in the more rare situations when things matter more.

While this concept is easier to understand when thinking of No Limit Poker, it also applies to limit Pokerhands. If you play four pots against one person, and in three you lose one small bet, but in the fourth you win five big bets, you have just done something really, really well.
Sacrificing pots, losing hands, is a truly fundamental part of winning Poker Weaker players fixate on pots.
They don't even care if their thinking is right; they just care if they won a pot. How often do you hear someone say "well, you did the right thing since you won the pot"? Baloney. Making dumb decisions that accidentally lead to winning a pot are not good things. They were mistakes. Yes, sometimes mistakes turn out to make us money, but making mistakes is not the way to be a winner. Focusing on getting the money in the long run is what makes a winner. Money is how we keep score, and the game lasts your whole life.

Very few of us are going to be able to juggle a porterhouse steak, a coffee cup and a birdcage, but we can learn to exploit weak opponents by losing the little battles while winning the big wars.

Clueless on how to play Limit Omaha? Well, you are lucky because this post is about learning how to be generate moneeeeyyyyy with Limit Omaha.

If you have played Texas Hold'em and found you like it, Limit Omaha. Omaha will either be a greater challenge to you or you will compare it to watching paint dry. It seems that players world wide feel one way or the other. Omaha is played as a high game only or a split pot game. The difference is that in Omaha Hi only, there is only one winner (except for a tie hand) and in Omaha 8 (hi and low split) there may be two or more winners who will split the pot.

The following pages will provide the rules and the structure of the game. There will be graphics and text to walk you through terminology and step by step play of a round of Limit Omaha Hi. Once you have developed a feel for the game, the subsequent rounds will feel much easier.

When the table is full, there will be 9 or 10 players. Another person (or computer when online) does the physical dealing of the cards and is not one of the players.

On the table is a small round disc called the button. This button is placed in front of the person who is the theoretical "dealer" to indicate where the dealing should begin. The button will often say 'D' on it. After every hand, the button moves clockwise as if each player at the table were getting a turn to deal.

Within the PokerPages' software, the dealer's button is always placed in seat 10 at the start of a game/tournament for the first hand and the small blind will be in seat 1 and the big blind will be in seat 2. Now the game begins.

The Blinds

The player to the immediate left of the dealer is always the first on the small blind (this player places 1/2 of the structured bet in front of him or her) and to the left of the small blind is the big blind (this player places1 full structured bet in front of him or her.)

The small and big blinds are compulsory bets. These two players are in actuality betting their first bet "in the blind." The motive for forcing these players to bet in the blind is to create action. Creating action gets money in the pot. This way no one can play for free (without folding) during the first round of betting.

When the next new hand is played the small blind then moves around to the player who was the big blind in the last hand, and the big blind moves to the player to his left. This movement of the small and big blinds continues throughout the game.

For example, in a structured $10-$20 game of Limit Omaha Hi, the small blind would post (place in front of him or her) $5 (1/2 of the structured bet) and the big blind would post $10 (1 full bet.)

Pocket or Hole Cards

Limit Omaha Hi uses all 52 cards in the deck. The dealer begins the deal with the small blind. There will be 4 unique cards called Pocket or Hole cards dealt face down to each player. The hole or pocket cards are exclusive to each player. Each player will view these cards and no other player will see the other players 4 cards.

Round One Betting

After the pocket or hole cards are dealt, the first round of betting begins. When involved in a hand, there are several actions a player can take.

The player may CALL the bet by matching the amount of the first bet (the amount of the big blind.) In the example, it would be $10.

The player may RAISE the bet by matching the amount of the first bet and adding an equal amount to it thereby making it 2 bets. In the example, this would be $20 ($10 + $10.)

The player may FOLD. When a player folds, the action taken is one of passing and the player does not wish to enter the hand by placing any money in the pot.

The first person to start the betting in the first round of Limit Omaha is the player to the left of the big blind. As stated before, the big blind has already made one complete bet. The first round of betting is complete after every player at the table has acted and placed the same amount in the pot or folded.

The betting will continue until everyone in the pot has bet the same amount. That means that whenever there is a raise all the players still in the pot must call it, raise it or fold their hand. For example, if seat 5 raises then all the players behind him that want to stay in the pot will have to call the new amount or fold or re-raise.

In our example, seat 3, 4, and 5 fold. Seat 6 calls $10, seat 7 and 8 fold, seat 9 calls $10, seat 10 folds and the little blind calls by adding $5 to his small blind. There are 4 players left. There is $40 in the pot.

During the first round of betting, the big blind will have the OPTION to raise. As the action moves around the table and comes back to the big blind, the dealer will ask if they would like to exercise their option to raise. If they do, they may raise. If they do not, they will just check. In a way, they are raising themselves. This OPTION only happens during the first round.

The Flop

The first round of betting is now complete. The dealer will burn the top card and place it in the discard pile. When playing online, the computer will place three cards in the middle of the table. In live play, the dealer will do this.

These 3 cards are known as the flop. These are the first 3 of 5 community cards (cards accessible to all players to use with their hole cards) to be dealt face up in the middle of the table. These 3 cards may be used by all the players in the game by combining them with the four unique cards held in their own hand to form the best possible hand.

The second round of betting begins with the player to the left of the dealer (the person with button.) This person may begin the betting by checking, which is deferring the first action to the next player or choose to bet. The amount to bet in this round of betting is the same as the first round, one structured bet.

The second round of betting is complete after every player at the table has acted and placed the same amount in the pot, checked or folded. Once there is a bet in a round it is no longer an option to check.

In the example, the small blind checks. The big blind bets $10 (one structured bet.) Seat 6 calls $10. Seat 9 calls $10 and raises $10 (one structured bet.) The small blind folds. The big blind calls $10 and seat 6 calls $10.

There are three players left with $100 in the pot.

The second round of betting is complete after every player at the table has acted and placed the same amount in the pot or folded.

The Turn

The second round of betting is now complete. The dealer will burn the next card and place a 4th card face up on the table. This card is known as the turn or 4th street. This round of betting will begin again with the player to the left of the dealer.

If this player decides to bet, the amount of the bet in this round will be 2 structured bets (equal to double the original structured bet.) Just as with the flop, the turn card may be used by all the players in the game.

The players must make the best hand out of 5 cards by combining the community cards with two of the four unique cards held in their own hand. Remember, the player must use two cards from his hand to make the best 5 cards.

The third round of betting is complete after every player at the table has acted. They will all have either, checked, placed the same amount in the pot, or folded.

In the example, the big blind bets $20 (two structured bets). Seat 6 calls $20. Seat 9 calls $20 and raises $20.

Next, the big blind calls the $20 raise and re-raises $20. Seat 6 calls the $40 raises from seat 9 and the big blind. Seat nine calls the $20 raise and caps the betting with the last $20 raise.

Finally, the big blind calls $20 and seat 6 calls $20. There are now 3 players each with $240 bets this round making it a total pot of $340.


The River

The third round of betting is now complete. The dealer will burn the next card and place a 5th card on the table. This card is known as the river or 5th street. This round of betting will begin again with the player to the left of the dealer.

If the player to the left of the dealer decides to bet, the amount of the bet in this round will again be equal to 2 structured bets. Just as with the flop and the turn, the river card may be used by all the players in the game by combining them with two of the four unique cards held in their own hand.

In Omaha, two cards must be used out of the players hand to make the best 5 cards at the end of the hand.

The fourth round of betting is complete after every player at the table has acted. They will all have either, checked, placed the same amount in the pot, or folded.

In our example, the big blind checks. Seat 6 bets $20. Seat 9 calls $20 and raises $20.

Next, the big blind folds and seat 6 calls for $20.

Completion of Hand

The first person left in the hand to reveal his or her cards will be the one that made the last bet during the 4th round of the hand. If no bet was made and all the players checked, then, in order from the left of the dealer to the last player will show his or her hand. When a player has a better hand, it must be revealed in order to win.

If the player elects to throw the cards away because of it being of less value than any other revealed hand, he or she may muck the cards. To 'muck your cards' is to place the cards where they will be discarded.

When a player is sure that he or she is beaten, he or she may or may not elect to show his or her hand (because it gives information about what hand he or she held.) The dealer will identify who has the best hand and the pot will be given to this player.

If the hand comes down to a showdown, the winning player has the right to request to see the losing hand even if the losing player mucks his hand.

In the example, seat 6 reveals his hole cards to be the Jack of Diamonds, Ten of Clubs, the Nine of Clubs and the Queen of Diamonds giving him an Ace high straight. Seat 9 turns over the Queen and King of Hearts, and the Ace and Three of Spades giving him the nut flush and the best hand. The dealer shoves the pot to seat 9 because he won.

End of Hand and on to the Next

All cards are returned to the dealer. The cards are shuffled and/or scrambled in preparation for the next hand. The dealer button is moved one position clockwise, indicating the new dealers position. The blinds are also moved one position clockwise and the blind bets are posted and a new hand begins.

Like any other fields, Poker also has some serious ethics that Poker enthusiasts or Poker players have to follow so they can avoid nasty fights that are not really welcome in the gaming world.

The World Poker Association (WPA), which promotes professionalism in Poker worldwide and supports the highest ethical standards in Poker tournament activities, just announced adoption of an Ethics Code that is mandatory for admission and continued membership in the WPA.

I think releasing Poker codes and standards are very important to promote a good clean game and in the gaming industry.

"The Ethics Code is the cornerstone on which the WPA has established itself as a single, unified voice for millions in the commitment to professionalism in the worldwide Poker community," says Wendeen Eolis, Vice Chair of the WPA and Chair of the Ethics Committee.

At the first organizational meeting of the WPA's Board of Directors, a framework for the Ethics Code was defined. The Board then developed and adopted an Ethics Compliance Pledge as part of the membership application and a condition for continued membership in the Association. It states:

"As a condition of admission and continued membership in the World Poker Association (WPA), I pledge to support and uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct in all aspects of poker competition and tournament activities, and hereby agree to comply with the WPA's Code of Ethics as developed and periodically updated by the WPA and posted on its official website, www.wpapoker.org."

The Ethics Code talks about the Ethics Compliance Pledge with detailed provisions that advance the WPA's mission to promote professionalism in the Poker industry around the globe. "The Ethics Committee devoted many hours to the development of language that integrates standards of sportsmanship as well as integrity into the WPA's Code of Ethics," explains Eolis. Ethics Committee Co-Chair. and World Series of Poker Champion Tom McEvoy adds, The Code is pointed and clear in its message," beginning with Article 1 which states:

"WPA members commit to support professionalism in all aspects of Poker competition, recognizing that the play of each person's Poker hand is strictly an individual undertaking, and that any form of "team cooperation" with respect to the play of any Poker hand is strictly prohibited."

The general provisions of the Code also require: "Members agree to treat all those involved in Poker competitions with courtesy and respect. Members are expected to reflect admirable sportsmanship in the context of spirited competition."

Additional sections of the Ethics Code address relationships between players as well as relationships between players and dealers, players and management, and external relationships.

The WPA now boasts more than 1,300 voting members. The Association is growing rapidly with a highly recognized core of marquee players and other leaders in the poker industry paving the way. The WPA is setting the benchmark for professionalism in Poker worldwide with its uncompromising standards of integrity and sportsmanship.

The implementation of this Poker code ethics is very important since the future of the Poker industry relies heavily on it. It will be the basis of how Poker players should act and therefore part of the basis of the states and constitutions whether Poker gambling has more positive or negative effect.

Just a fair warning, if you love Ben Affleck and you are claiming to be his number one fun because you still do not know that he is addicted to playing Poker, then you better not read this. It's a turn off. I really do not like it when holly celebrities are trying hard to be Poker celebs when they are really not. Hello? These celebs, like Affleck himself are better off in the screens and just act, instead of trying to own the Poker scene when they really can not.

Ben Affleck is supposed to be a talented (?)Pokerplayer who has won multiple tournaments, including the California State PokerChampionship in 2004, in which he took home $356,000 to add to his immense wealth from appearing in crappy action movies.

He’s curbed his trips to Vegas after marrying the lovely Jennifer Garner, and now makes due playing Online Poker. He’s getting addicted to it, though, and is said to be spending four nights a week playing the game, and wasting up to $20,000 a night. His wife is pissed and wants him to quit.

"Ben Affleck loves Poker, but he could be about to take his biggest gamble yet - with his marriage to Jennifer Garner! “She frowns on the game, so he swore off Poker completely,” says a source. “Ben didn’t want to miss out on any family time with Jen or their daughter, Violet.” But two years after they wed, the couple is settled into married life, and the routine seems to be getting a little boring. “Ben decided to reopen some old online accounts and is back to playing the game on his computer about four nights a week,” says the source. “He wants to really master it.” Unfortunately, mastering Poker likely means lot family time - and money. He sometimes drops up to $20,00 a night! “Their marriage is going strong, but she wants him to stop before it could cause a problem between them.”

Affleck blowing $80g a week is like my boyfriend gambling away a couple of hundred bucks a month. It would annoy me if I found out about it, but it’s not like it would break the bank.

It’s telling that the most scandalous story about these two after two years of marriage is the fact that Affleck likes to play Pokeronline. That’s a pretty tame hobby if he can afford it, and it’s not like he’s hurting anyone. He was once known for enjoying the company of strippers and hookers and partying too hard. Now he’s sitting at home betting online.

Garner might be a little miffed but she’s probably not that bothered by it. It’s not like he’s going out drinking or headed to Vegas where you know the cocktail waitresses would be all over him, especially considering how good a tipper he’s said to be. These two will work it out. I would say they’re the most well respected celebrity couple, and that’s because they’re refreshingly normal and seem down to earth.

It seems that more and more teens are getting hooked on playing Online Poker since it is obviously a way for them to spend their time wisely by making huge money.

As for one California teen, he has found the perfect way to earn an income from the comfort of his own home. Chris Benton, age 19, has learned that playing Texas Hold'em online can be a primary source of income.

Chris plays Online Poker up to five hours a day and can make up to $50 an hour.

"It's much easier than working in a restaurant," said Benton who is a sophomore at Sonoma State University.

Benton said that he used to work as a waiter but quit when he learned he could play Online Poker and make more money. Since online gambling has become more readily available, more teenagers are taking advantage of this source of income. Benton also states that most of his friends look at playing Poker as a job and not a hobby.

Federal law has made it difficult for Poker enthusiasts since online gambling is banned. Even so, people have found ways around this Poker ban. A player can gamble on offshore sites and use a visa gift card or some other national credit card companies gift card to have access to money. With this growing trend, more teenagers will be playing Poker for money and supplementing their income with their winnings.

Well, if you ask me, i really don't see why they are putting a ban to playing Online Poker. I mean it doesn't do any harm right? All things that are used excessively are harmful. To each his own. I understand that they may be putting this ban for the sake of preventing Poker addiction or gambling addiction, i know it is really hard to control gamblers but shouldn't it be up to the person to know what's right and what's wrong for him? In the case of these teenagers, i am thinking that it may be a little too much since it impedes personal growth and career growth. Children were not sent to school for how many years just to play Poker. Parents should be guiding these kids. There are other jobs there like freelance online jobs which really gives good pay, they shouldn't just rely on playing Online Poker.

Playing responsible Poker is not just a matter of winning. Players that win, players that lose, and players that break even all have the potential to play Poker responsibly or recklessly. Playing responsible Poker is more of a matter of approaching the game with the right mindset.

This is a message to both current and prospective Poker players for informational purposes. It isn't legal or medical advice. What follows is mostly common sense. You may already know some or all of it. Yet, everyone loses some common sense when under stress or emotions, so even the most seasoned Poker players can use a reminder from time to time.

These are the top three mistakes i have observed while playing Online Poker. You won't commit these mistakes if you are a pro like me. Read on.

DO NOT PLAY TOO MANY STARTING HANDS

This is rather straight-forward. Everybody knows that starting hand strategy is the building block to an overall profitable strategy. Yet very few players demonstrate the knowledge and/or patience to play good starting hands. Why is starting hand strategy so critical to Texas Hold'em? Playing less hands than your opponents gives you the advantage in the long run. Think about this, if your opponents play 40% of their hands and you are only playing 20%, you will have the advantage in the majority of the hands that you play. You'll win a lot more pots with the best kicker. When you hit pairs, they will be less vulnerable to overcards. Your straights will beat lower straights. Your flushes will outkick your opponents' flushes...and so forth. By playing fewer hands you will continue to put yourself in the best position to win the hand. Another criteria in starting hand strategy is whether or not the game is aggressive or passive. Many hands become unplayable whenever the pot is raised. This is a simple concept but many players fail to understand this very important point. A raise indicates that your opponent has a strong hand . Be very selective in the hands you play once the pot has been raised.

RESORTING TO OUTS THAT WON'T LET YOU WIN

Many players make the mistake of assuming that if they improve their hand they will win. Most players complain about their bad luck when they improve on the turn only to lose on the river. Borderline draws on the flop which on the surface appear to be close to break-even should often be folded for the possibility that you will lose on the river.Calculate your outs and pot odds and decide whether it is profitable to chase the draw or not. Also check out the opponent whom you are drawing too.

MISCALCULATING THE ODDS

A lot of players make decisions based on the probability of improving their hand with two cards to come. On the flop, you can calculate the probability of improving your hand on the next card or you can calculate the probability on improving on either the turn or the river.When using odds with two cards to come you sometimes commit yourself to seeing the river no matter what happens. This can be a mistake as the pot can be raised, the turn will change the context of the board which may counterfeit your outs. Do not over commit yourself only to loose your stack.

Avoid these mistakes and you will be a pro like me. I have observed other mistakes which i will be posting some other time.

If you are looking for a book that will help you enhance your Poker tactics, then this book which was written 11 years ago and considered to be suited to all Poker players of all level is for you.

Read it and think about for a second what it says about how fundamentally revolutionary the concepts Sklansky presents must be, that players still consider this book among the most important ever put into print. You will still find this book on the bookshelves of every serious Poker player, and I, along with most serious amateurs I know, refer to it on a continuing basis. Other so-called "classic" books, such as Brunson's first Super System and even the first printing of both Jones' and Sklansky & Malmuth's books were outstanding in their time, but most acknowledge that they have since lost their applicability to the more aggressive modern game. Theory of Poker, however, stands as a shining exception to these other outdated books, and continues to be what I believe to be the most important book for any and every Poker player. In addition, Sklansky discusses many different Poker games, and not just Holdem which seems to be all the rage at the moment. Understanding how the theoretical concepts he discusses apply to different games really helps reinforce the underlying reasoning.

As written above, the most amazing aspect of the book is that it has not, in any way, become outdated as the game has continued to change. Even with the explosion of Online Poker I found myself constantly re-reading chapters, and Sklansky's discussion of things such as the "fundamental theorum of Poker" are even MORE applicable in the online arena, where loose play is the norm, especially post-flop in Holdem. My friend convinced me (after much pleading) to give online play a shot, and I was stunned at how well the lessons from Theory of Poker adapted to the style of play I found...they really teach you how to extract the most from less-skilled opponents, while being able to properly fold hands that are beat. If you decide to give the online thing a shot, another review here had a good suggestion to check out other sites which had site reviews and sign-up bonus codes for most major sites. Is Sklansky's writing style the most entertaining or gripping? Assuredly not: this is anything but a page-turner, but it's the reader who can look past his occasionally dry writing style who will truly reap the rewards of the nuggets of wisdom contained herein. In my humble opinion, a must-read for Poker players of all levels.

Though i think that this book may be suitable for players at all level, some might still think that this book is a little more confusing especially if you bought this in an early stage of playing Poker so i guess it's best to read as many book reviews first before buying.

While reading Poker Reviews about Poker Rooms and Online Poker strategies is a sure way to maximize your wins, keep in mind that this post caters to those who are just starting their career in the Online Poker world.


Concentrate your table position and strong starting hands

This is a common rule and one that should be adheared to if one is to become a sucessful Online Poker player. This is due to the fact that most online players are involved in way to many pots and see way too many flops, mainly with marginal to weak starting hands. It is permissible to play marginal hands in late position when there is no action in front of you. The way to beat these super-loose online players is to just tighten up and wait for the right cards at the right time so you can feel someone.


Avoid playing too loose online

Again, this goes back to tightening up your play against these super-loose online players. In the long-run you, as a tighter more disciplined player, will be more successful and take down more pots. These loose-as-a-goose players try to see way too many pots, maybe because of the low limits, maybe because of the action. Whatever the reason, tighten up your play and take down those pots.

Practice reading the flop

Since the speed of online play is part of its allure, Online Poker games move at a much faster pace. Being able to immediately scan a flop and determine the "nuts" or best possible hand, is imperative. Does the flop have a possible straight or flush draw? Who may have hit the flop? More importantly, who missed the flop all together? McEvoy recommends sitting out a few rounds the first time you start a game or new table session to get a feel for the style of play you're up against.

Adjust to the speed of the online game

This one is pretty self explanatory, but important still. In a Brick & Mortar casino a player can expect to see around 30 hands an hour. This number can be expected to easily hit 50 hands per hour in an online casino and one must be able to adjust to the faster pace. There are several reasons for this, first, the online "dealer" is much faster than a live dealer in a casino. Second, there is a time clock that immediately begins to run as soon as the action is on you which causes an annoying beep when you have delayed too long. If a decision isn't made 10-20 seconds after this period, the players hand is automatically folded and play continues. There is a way around this however, a player may request an additional period of time when faced with a very tough situation such as an all-in call. This feature is available on most Online Poker websites.

Take notes when you play

This one, in my opinion, is a biggie. On most sites there is a little "notes" box that you can click on and jot down small tidbits of information along and along during a game. An example of this would be keeping a list of hands that a particular player shows down. Another example would be to keep track of your own play so that you can review it at a later time and fine-tune your play. Also, when playing online at a particular site, one will notice that at certain limits and in certain rooms, it is common to see the same players so keeping track of their betting patterns and what hands they show down is extremely helpful. To this I would add: there are a few great programs out there that auto track lots of information, one must just be certain not to become dependent on this software and use it strictly as a supplement.

Look for tells

While tells are typically reserved for live games, there is information one can garner from other players online. When you flop a pair and check from first position, if the table checks all the way around rapidly, it denotes the use of the automatic-check button, which can usually signify weakness. Also, when a player takes a fair amount of time before bringing his hand in for a raise, be sure to keep track of that hand at the showdown, so next time you have a better idea of what he might be holding when he pauses before coming in for a raise.

Play smaller tournaments first

The reasons for this are many, but mainly to gain confidence at the lower levels if you are able to dominate them. Playing in these small buy-in tournaments, one can receive a ton of experience for just a little bit of cash, with incentive to win some pretty decent prizes if you make it to the end.

Schedule your tournament play

There are so many tournaments online, scheduling them and remembering which ones you have scheduled is difficult. Also when scheduling, remember to leave your schedule open so that you can be assured sufficient time to finish a tournament that you start rather than having to watch the clock.


Don't play poker to escape other things

Don't play when you are in the midst of an argument or to avoid doing something that is weighing on your mind. You cannot, and will not play your best game if you are preoccupied with something else. If you must play when preoccupied, do so at a lower limit table so that you can handle the swings in your bankroll without really being affected by them.

Don't put more cash in your online account than you can afford to lose

This is a bankroll management tip, but very important nonetheless. This is an often ignored rule strictly because we as humans, tend to chase our losses or move up in limits to recoup a loss at a lower limit game more quickly. Always remember to quit when your situation has deteriorated to the point where you are "on tilt" or making bad decisions. Chasing cards, making bad calls, or playing inferior hands. In short, don't use the grocery money to gamble with, and when your allotted gambling money is gone, don't throw good money (not planned for gambling) after it.

Poker is a people game - Winning Poker is about playing the players not just your cards.

Most Poker players can be usefully placed in 4 playing styles. Once you have sussed out what type of players your up against suddenly Poker becomes a game of personalities and not just about the cards you hold in your hand.

Below are descriptions of the styles to try and spot and you should adjust your game accordingly - some things will work a treat against one player and be utterly useless or down right dangerous against another. At this point you need to take a good look at yourself - what kind of player are you ?

Tight Aggressive - Make this your default, solid hand selection, stong position play, aggressive no prisoners raising. They pick strong hands and will go all the way and put the difficult decisions onto the other players every step of the way. Players like this do not fall in love with AA they play it hard, hope for one caller preflop and they're happy to take a good profit from one - not risk trying to get a little from alot.

If your at a table with alot of tight aggressive players (ie. check % to see flop) - simple look at another game.

Tight Weak - They make the same solid hand selection as the tight aggressive player but have no balls. They call when they should raise, they put in a small raise when they should be going for big raises. They fail to cut out drawing hands, chancers and suffer too many bad beats. They adhere far to closely to what they think are the laws
Poker of and in fact they wouldn't last 5 minutes against a tough table of good Poker players.

If your at a table with alot of tight weak players they will easily be fazed by hefty raises that put them off what they think are their odds. Figuring their hand should be more straight forward - Scare cards are you friend. But if they suddenly get some balls and are rasing big you can be sure - they've got a damn good hand and they might be a tight agggressive who's changed gears who will also have a damn good hand.

Loose Aggressive - The nutter, plays just about any hand and plays it aggressively. They are gamblers and love the buzz of the game. You may find them intimidating as they always seem to come back at you with a raise no matter what - so long as your playing solid hands against them and don't getting carried along you will make money from them. As soon as you turn to the dark side and play like them you will loose.

If your at a table with a couple of nutters think of them as aggressive calling stations - they will be there when you have a nuts hand eager to give you all their cash - so wait and watch, dont play until you have the nuts, then take all their chips. If the table is rammed full of nutters personally I give it up - 9 lucky idiots against you - don't take it on.

Loose Weak - Clueless, fishy mc fishy. The worst combination of a player you could be - Passive calling stations - They call and check to stay in any hand and don't like folding, they like to see all the cards but dont take control of any of the hands. In their head any kind of a hand that works with the board is a hand worth playing, with a fondness for long shot draws.

If your at a table with a load of fish - get the net out. Easy money - they will be putty in your hands you can guide them into calling when your drawing, letting you see cheap cards they shouldn't. But you must make them pay to play - always. Don't let bad beats happen you only have yourself to blame if you let 5 chancers stay in til the river and get beat by 72off. Better to get alot from one or two players in a hand than risk getting greedy keeping in several players.

Generally as a fall back position or as a new player you should aim to be just tight agressive sometimes called selectively aggressive.

Once you become more advanced you can start to mix your play between different styles known as changing gears. This is what the truly successful bricks and mortar (B&M) Poker pro does. But online you really shouldn't get too carried away with clever moves - stick with selectively aggressive and only when you really have a read on a players decision making should you deviate.

As always with Poker turning things on its head can and will throw players - remember you want to lead them by the nose and take control. If you set your stall out at the start of an SnG as a nutter ie. loose aggressive then that is how they will treat you - they will fear youearly on and then they will look you up figuring you have stolen one too many pots with a big raise out of position - hopefully you've seen this coming you've already changed gears back to tight aggressive and you've landed a very solid hand to go all the way with. On the other hand if you've played the first couple of hands reasonably aggressive with whatever you got dealt and the deck has gone cold - back off. The idea is to look like a nutter not be a nutter.

Many players will advise against this approach - but think about it - if your sat at a table and the guy next to you hasn't played the first 10 hands and then comes in with a raise - what are you going to think ? yep he's tight but only moderately aggressive - and you fold - his AA doesn't make him much of a pot and everyone at the table knows he will only play premium hands.

Conversly being marked as a tight aggressive player early doors give you the advantage of respect - later in the game you can bluff or semi bluff more on marginal hands - they will give you respect because you've earnt it and fold a better hand.

Know your players, understand how important position is and the cards you get dealt will be less important - it's what you make everyone else think you have that counts. And remember rarely will you sit at a table that is full of only one type of player, you will have to weight up even with a good hand if your up against too many other factors and vice versa if a weaker hand has become playable because of who your up against.

Photo courtesy of pocketfives.com

It is said that Online Poker had been helping a lot of college students earn their own money. I find Palmer’s story very interesting and I’m sure people who are just starting to or planning to venture on Online Poker will learn a lot from him. So what are you staring at? Read on so you’ll know what to expect in the Online Poker world.

According to Card Player, the University of Florida has been the home of many Online Poker stars like Adam “Roothlus” Levy and Aaron “SpanishKey” Been. Ben “ShankingYou” Palmer is ,again, another University of Florida student who has been doing good that he carried the torch all the way to a runner-up finish in the Sunday Million just a week ago, making his biggest Online Poker score ever.

“It didn’t work out for me; I didn’t like it,” Palmer said. “Obviously it was a ton of work, and the content just didn’t interest me, which made me realize that I didn’t want to be a lawyer. Plus, I could make money playing Online Poker.”

He said this statement a year ago and since then, he’s been playing online for the sake of income. According to Card Player, his two-way chop at last week’s Sunday Million earned him more than $133,000, which is far more than the average yearly American salary, so it’s relatively safe to say that he’s not regretting his decision, yet.

In this interview by Card Player, Palmer talked about how he outlast so many Online Poker players and his adrenalisne rush of making a high-profile final table. He also discussed his Poker Tournaments strategies, including short-stack play, bubble play, and always making positive decisions.

Shawn Patrick Green: The biggest thing to happen to you recently was finishing as runner-up in the Sunday Million a few nights ago. What kind of adrenaline do you have once you’ve outlasted almost 7,000 other players to make the final table of such a high-profile event?

Ben “ShankingYou” Palmer: It’s definitely the biggest rush that you can get from anything. It’s the reason that we all play Online Poker, to get that feeling when you get the chance to make that big score. Especially in the Sunday Million, which has always been a terrible Poker Tournament for me. I’d loathe every Sunday playing in that Poker Tournament before last week. So, it was nice to finally go deep, and it was crazy to actually make it to the final table. It surprised me because of how difficult it is to, like you said, outlast 7,000 people. So, it was definitely an amazing adrenaline rush, for sure.

SPG: And do you still get that with pretty much any Poker Tournament you play in, those same butterflies, or no?

BP: No. The other biggest Poker Tournament that I won online was the Sunday $100 rebuy about a month and a half ago, and that was definitely a big adrenaline rush, but it doesn’t compare to the Sunday Million. That was my first major final table on a Sunday, as well. So, definitely nothing compares to that. Also, I had flown out to Vegas the day before to finish doing some house-hunting, so it was fun being out here with a couple of my friends right after I won it.

SPG: Considering that you did have a bit of butterflies, adrenaline, nervousness, whatever you want to call it, at this final table, how do you keep that in check to ensure that you continue to play your best?

BP: Well, if I told you the real answer to that, you wouldn’t be able to put it in the magazine.

SPG: [Laughing] Why not? Just go ahead.

BP: No, I’m not going to say what really keeps me calm.

SPG: Ah … [laughs]

BP: But just staying calm and taking deep breaths works. And playing in the same Poker Room as a couple of your buddies who are there just to kind of keep you calm - not telling you what to do, obviously - just keeping your head on straight and not letting you get tilted or bothered by any mistake you might make and stuff like that. That definitely helps.

SPG: Can you maybe go over some key moments or Poker strategies in that Poker Tournament that led to your runner-up finish?

BP: Yeah, I would say that just staying patient when the blinds get high, even though you may be short. Everyone else is short, as well, when you get to the late stages, and there are going to be a lot of people who, because of the adrenaline, are going to get over-anxious, and they’re going to make mistakes and put their money in in bad spots. If you can wait to put yourself in the right position, you’re going to have a much better opportunity to survive. A lot of people are going to look down at marginal hands in certain situations and just go with it and bust. Like, for instance, looking for a late-position raise that you can go all in over the top of instead of going all in with A-J when someone under the gun raises, something like that. So, not getting into a bad spot just because you think you have a good hand is what’s important. It’s really about evaluating the situation and making sure that it’s a good spot for you to get it in.

SPG: You chopped evenly heads-up and then played for $30,000. What thoughts went through your head when you were put to the decision whether or not to chop?

BP: It’s just such a large difference between first and second place. Basically, you’re flipping for $100,000.

SPG: Why is that? Was it the structure?

BP: Yeah, I think we both had like 15 or 16 big blinds when we got heads up, so even though I thought I had a skill-edge on my opponent, I wasn’t going to be able to just take away pots and outplay him. I was going to have to get it in with either 60/40s or just flips, and to lose $100,000 on something like that is not something that I was comfortable with. It’s just a safer and better idea to chop it and decrease your variance in that situation, even if you have an edge.

SPG: What would be the cutoff for making that kind of decision?

BP: I think if we were deeper-stacked and I had like 25 or 30 big blinds, where I had enough room that I thought I could outplay my opponent, I wouldn’t have chopped. If it was like $50,000 difference, I probably would have just played it out. So, I guess that would be my cutoff.

SPG: What mistakes are Poker players making in those Poker Tournaments ?

BP: You know what? To be honest, I don’t know, because I was one of those people making all of those mistakes [laughs] it seems like ever week. Well, actually, my mistakes were just not running good. But I think people make mistakes in that Poker Tournament when it’s late, like I was talking about before. It’s just that - and I noticed it a lot in this Poker Tournament , watching Poker players who I know have never been deep and played for this kind of money - when they did get a hand, and it was a marginal hand, they would get way too over-anxious and be willing to risk all of their chips just because they maybe hadn’t seen a hand in a while. People just get very impatient. I think it’s one thing to put someone else to a decision, but I think too many people late in those Poker Tournaments are willing to call off, calling three-bets and four-bets all in, in a marginal spot when it’s better to just lay it down. If you can preserve a stack and everyone is shallow, and you have more than 10 big blinds, you still have enough, at any point in the Poker Tournament , to go on a little run and come back and win it.

SPG: What is the hardest part of playing online Poker Tournaments ?

BP: I think the hardest part about playing online tournaments, for me, is adjusting to the game. It changes every few months; a while back, the game was full of everyone being extremely, extremely aggressive, and now it’s starting to change back to people playing a little bit tighter. It goes through a kind of ebb and flow, and it’s just tough to adjust to how everyone is playing, because a lot of people are changing their styles every few months and stuff like that. You kind of have to keep track and watch how everyone is playing, even if you’re not getting deep, to keep up with the curve.

SPG: Well, how did you take up Poker in the first place, then, and what did you do to get better?

BP: I took it up when I was a sophomore in college. I guess that was in ’03, around the same time as [Chris] Moneymaker. I started playing on PartyPoker, and I made some $50 deposits, and I was playing cash and would win money and lose money like everyone else. I think six months after that I started playing on Absolute poker, and I played on there for a while and did OK and made some money, and then I got money over to Stars and Full Tilt and kind of ran from there. The way that I really improved was getting on the Poker within the last year and going on the high-stakes forums and reading what all of the good players were talking about. I do post, but for a while I would just lurk and learn from them, and I picked up a ton from looking at those hand histories and listening to what they had to say.

I had to cut the interview since it was really long. I just included the most important parts which I know can help Online Poker players.

Let me stress that because Palmer read or participated in Poker Forums. It helped him a lot to determine the right course he will take so he can win. As the saying goes, it pays to read a lot. Especially when you read Poker Reviews- it definitely pays to read those. Just make sure the Poker Review you are reading is honest and unbiased. Well, if you’re not sure where to find a reputable source for Poker Reviews, you can just click on any of the links here and you’ll be directed to the number 1 site for independent and balanced Poker Reviews.

If you have ever won at Poker the thought of going pro has probably crossed your mind. You watch a new player win a million dollars every week on the WPT and think to yourself "I win my home game every week why can't that be me?" You play online during the weekend and have been consistently making money, maybe even at a rate similar or greater than your 9-5. You might start think that being a Poker pro is your dream job. You get to make your own hours, be your own boss, and go to work in your underwear (I hope you avoid this if you play at a B&M casino). So why wouldn't you go pro?

The fact of the matter is for every successful pro there are dozens who failed and went back to their day jobs broke. You might think that they didn't have the Poker skills to make it in the big game. Many of them had phenomenal Poker skills, but lacked the many other skills necessary for a successful Poker career. In Professional Poker Mark Blade shows the harsh realities of a Poker career, and the skills necessary for success.

The book is broken down into the following 6 sections:

I. The Decision to Become a Pro Player
II. Money Matters
III. The Education of a Pro Player
IV. The Life of a Pro Poker Player
V. Advanced Mental & Emotional Tips
VI. Advanced Poker Strategy Tips

Section I will discuss the choice between playing part time and keeping your day job and making the leap to playing full time. He covers many of the reasons to go pro the average player comes up with, and why they might not be indictive of a successful career. Blade suggests that most people would be better off keeping the job and playing part time during the night and weekend when the games are best. The rest of the chapter covers the transition from part time to full time including topics such as record keeping, where and what to play, and the importance of game selection.

Section two "Money Matter" might be the most important topic for any potential rounder. Money management is essential to the success of any player, and this book breaks it down like no other book available. He starts off explaining why Poker is profitable and where the money really comes from. The next chapter shows you how much you can actually expect to make and any given limit and in tournaments. "How much money do you need" gives a very detailed look into how much of a bankroll you really need to play. He tackles many of the myths and simplifications currently floating around on the subject. Anyone considering playing Poker either full or part time should study this chapter religiously. The rest of the chapter goes into stop loss/win strategies and tournament staking considerations.

If the book only contained those first two sections it would still be worth the cover price. In the last 4 sections of the book he covers many other topics that will help you with your career. He does a very good job with his emotional and strategy tips. The scope of the last 2 sections is pretty small, as he has 2 more books on the way to cover these topics in greater detail. If there was one flaw to be found in this book it is that Blade promotes his other books what seems like once a page. If the following books are as helpful as this one I think we can all let him slide on that.

Are you having a hard time looking for a Poker site that is compatible with your MAC and Linux operating system? Well, search no more because I have found some amazing sites that will cater to all your Online Poker needs.

It is not that easy looking for a Poker site that will suit your Mac and Linux needs, yet alone trying to find an Online Poker site that you can trust for its honest and unbiased delivery of Poker Reviews. Because I love the Online Poker community so much, I have made a list of what I think are the best Online Poker sites for Mac.

Most Mac Poker players check first the site of partypoker.com because it just recently released a no need to download version for Mac. “You just have to enter bonus code 50MP for $50 free or bonus code $200MP for 120% up to $200 free when you deposit,” says a Mac Online Poker player.

PacificPoker.com is said to be the next favorite of Mac Online Poker players. It is said that PacificPoker.com is owned and operated by the largest online gambling networks in the world, 888.com. In addition to owning PacificPoker.com, it is also said that they own Casino on Net. Both Mac PacificPoker.com and Mac casino software use Java. What is also great here is the fact that there is completely no need to download, which means you won’t be risking your computers to infectious spyware. You can read several Poker Reviews about Pacificpoker.com if you really want to be sure. I guarantee you that they will all be saying one thing. Pacificpoker.com is hot!

Another great site suited for your Mac OS is PokerRoom.com. Since realizing that Mac needs an online Poker Room for itself, PokerRoom decided to create a Java-based platform to cater to the needs of Mac users.
This special platfrom has basically the same features as their regular Online Poker software. Three dimensional graphics and avatars which enhance the gaming experience of Online Poker players are present. If you need a detailed Poker review, you can visit a reliable review site, just by clicking the links.

If you are a sucker for graphics and amazing gaming experience, then FullTiltPoker.com is definitely for you. Considered as the 2nd largest Online Poker site, Fulltiltpoker.com offers an amazing native poker software for Mac which people really adore. If you will only care to read Poker Reviews you will notice that 6 out of 10 people who i recommend Full Tillt to, makes a deposit and then play for larger money. You can read an unbiased review about Full Tilt just by clicking on the link.

So there. I know I have been of great help to you. No need to say it. Just remember to read honest, independent and unbiased Poker Reviews so you will know what it takes to win and be a master of our Online Poker community. This may be the magic that will let you live your dreams. So what are you waiting for? Time is running and it is not everyday that these Online Poker clients are throwing large sum of money. Go and enjoy the game.

Since many people have been asking me about the legality of Online Poker, i have decided to dedicate this post in discussing the issue of legality in Online Poker.

According to Steve Badger, several recent events have brought about attention the legal standing of Online Poker in general. The first thing people have to understand is that the skill game of Poker is not the same as sports betting nor even random chance casino games like craps and roulette. You may consider Poker to be the same with all these that i have mentioned. But it is not. Legal writings for a lot of this simply does not exist As of this writing, no person has been charged, let alone brought to trial, let alone convicted, let alone sentenced for playing Online Poker. But this does not guarantee one or more of these things will not happen in the future.

"No United States federal statute or regulation explicitly prohibits Internet gambling, either domestically or abroad." Still, the US government has taken the position that certain things are illegal, and more importantly, certain things are worthy of prosecution. The Wire Act is the statute most often cited as making on-line gambling a federal offense. The operative subsection reads: "Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both," said Professor I. Nelson Rose, one of the world's leading gambling law authorities.

"The first element of the Wire Act, says that the statute applies only to an individual involved in the 'business of betting or wagering' (not to a common player)," she added.

Whether or not Internet sportsbetting is covered by the Wire Act seems to have been answered by the US Supreme Court's refusal to review the conviction of Jay Cohen. Whether online casinos and Online Poker Rooms are covered under the aimed-at-sportsbetting Wire Act is a different question. In February 2001, Judge Stanwood Duval of the US District Court in New Orleans ruled that it did not: "'in plain language' [the Wire Act] does not prohibit Internet gambling 'on a game of chance.'" (Text of Judge Duval's ruling, plus a news story, and Nelson Rose's view.)

On November 21, 2002, the US Fifth Circuit Federal Appeals Court upheld Duval's ruling, stating: "The district court concluded that the Wire Act concerns gambling on sporting events or contests... We agree with the district court's statutory interpretation, its reading of the relevant case law, its summary of the relevant legislative history, and its conclusion." (Text of Appeals Court ruling)

The Appeals Court further states: "Because we find neither the Wire Act nor the mail and wire fraud statutes may serve as predicates here, we need not consider the other federal statutes identified by the Plaintiffs... As the district court correctly explained, these sections may not serve as predicates here because the Defendants did not violate any applicable federal or state law."

The Appeals Court specifically cites Duval's statement: "[A] plain reading of the statutory language [of the Wire Act] clearly requires that the object of the gambling be a sporting event or contest." This is very explicit language. You would have to jump through a lot of mental hoops to consider the playing of online poker to be "a sporting event".

So, while the US Justice Department recently stated that the Wire Act covers casino games in addition to sports wagering, the Federal Appeals Court has directly ruled that that interpretation is not correct. This is not a small disagreement. It is a direct contradiction that could well spur the creation of new, 21st Century Federal legislation that actually deals with these issues. The UIGEA aims to inhibit the ability of citizens to gamble online. It however does not criminalize actual gambling online. But other bills may be introduced in the future with that goal.

Gambling regulation traditionally has been the responsibility of individual states. For instance, New York State Attorney General (now Governor) Eliot Spitzer reached a settlement with Citibank and PayPal regarding their involvement with online gaming. Some individual states have laws prohibiting any form of gambling, a different issue from whether it is legal on a Federal level.

A key distinction exists on a Federal level between bettors and those operators whose business is to benefit from the actual making of wagers: "engaged in the business of betting or wagering... which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers..." As long as players stay in the "players" category and not in the in-the-business-of-wagering owners/bookies/runners/agents categories, a significant difference in status exists.

There are many ways to read the Wire Act, but only under the broadest interpretation could playing online poker be deemed illegal in terms of the Wire Act. In my opinion (which isn't worth a hill of beans... only the US Supreme Court's view will matter unless new legislation passes) playing poker online is not illegal for US citizens, in regards to Federal Law -- unless it is a crime in an individual state, in which case the Federal Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 may apply. The Act makes it a federal crime for five or more persons to engage in a gambling business illegal under state law. Gambling online is definitely illegal in some states, but the Crime Control Act of 1970 does not apply to players. In addition, since the Crime Control Act does not refer to foreign commerce, it is hard to see how a case could be made that it applies to Internet gaming across multiple international borders.

In November 2004, the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda won a World Trade Organization ruling that United States legislation criminalizing online betting violates global laws. In April 2005, the WTO Appellate Body affirmed the principal conclusions involved. (The resources link below will take you to a page with links to the WTO ruling, news stories about it, and further resources on online poker / online gambling and US law.)

Finally, in September 2006, the Congress passed legislation that makes it a crime for a bank or financial institution to transfer money to an online gambling site. The bill that was passed did not include language about the Wire Act that was in previous versions. The bill does not appear to address playing online in any way.

To sum it up, so long as online poker players do not engage in owning a share of the house rake, so long as players only bet against each other, so long as they obey state laws and do not bet on sports...i am thinking that maybe it is legal. Again, let me emphasize that this is just a blog post with a huge reference to Steve Badger's point of view, we are not claiming that what is written here is true. If you are not satiesfied with what you have read, then i suggest that you just make your own Online Poker Review about this subject matter.