Reviewing Online Poker Rooms

March 19th, 2010

In the present day, there are thousands of online poker rooms that use more than 20 software platforms with either shared or independent network of players. It is extremely difficult to pick the poker room that complements your interests, skills and experience. This is exactly where the online poker room reviews kick in. Online poker room reviews allow you to decide on the right poker site and enables you to pick a room with the best bonuses, promotions and discount programs. For all those beginning to play the game can easily choose a room that can allow them to play with a poker free roll.

The players can opt for an online poker room with the best possible bonus and flip to another online poker site as soon as you clear the bonuses. Older poker players have surely noticed that there are more and more places to play outside of the casino. A lot of loyal players prefer sticking to the same online poker room that issue periodic bonuses and discounts. Reviews show the worth of every online poker room.

The reviews are conducted by a panel of experts and this team assesses every aspect of the online poker room. Such reviews are usually based on the opinions and the experiences of poker players. The majority of the reviews online are authentic and could be trusted completely, especially by low limit players. However, all kinds of players are included in the reviews. Right from the casual players to the serious poker players, the players can assess free bonuses, free rolls as well as measure up the stakes. For more serious players, there are other features assessed thoroughly such as multitabling, statistical as well as compatibility features. The players can also access the latest happenings on the tournaments as well as the cash games.

Selection of the online poker rooms differs by preferences of the players. There are quite a lot of players who look for the right kind of software and interactive features on the site for entertainment purposes. On the other hand, there are some players who look forward to the poker tracker compatibility, poker bonuses, quality of members and the number of tournaments. Each review presents the best features of any casino reviewed and this would instantly simplify your job of picking the right online poker room.

Three-Putt Poker

March 19th, 2010

Off lately, the three putt poker game is in rage. However, not many people know about it. Three putt poker is a betting game on golf, which also combines some aspects of poker, along with the performance of the golfer in the ground.

With the beginning of each round, the members of the group would ante up the initial bet (supposedly $5 each) and every player in the round is then dealt one card each. For every green on the front nine, the golfer who three-putts would be required to add to the existing pot. For an instance, if there is a primary bet of $5, then a 3-putt would require an additional $1 to the pot. But for every single golfer who records one-putt is dealt an extra playing card.

With the end of the front nine, the golfer with the best poker hand would win the pot and the game would start all over again for the next round. The amount of the bet is to be decided by the members of the group. However, the variation remains the same such as for an initial bet of $1, the result of a three-putt would be a quarter. On the other hand, if there is a higher initial bet of $10, then the three-putt would require an additional $2.

Just like the regular game of poker, luck plays an important role here as well. it is likely that one golfer might get five additional cards and another might have just one card. It is also possible that the player with one card can win the pot if no other golfer can beat it.

Poker Deposits through Western Union

March 19th, 2010

Western Union is one of the widely used poker deposit option. It provides a simple and an effortless solution to all those players who have a difficulty funding their poker or casino account from within United States. The company has been into business since 20 years and it provides quick cash solutions to all those people who wish to send money all across the globe. Western Union operates in more than 130 countries around the world and one can easily locate a Western Union dealer in almost every city in the United States. Additionally, the company also provides online services that can allow the users to send money through their websites using a credit or a debit card. Ofcourse, sending money to your online casino account can be done in a number of ways, the casino will detail which online payment methods it accepts and how you can transfer money. In any way Western Union, may be one of these options.

Advantages

There are a lot of advantages for using Western Union for depositing at poker sites. The deposit option is 100% safe and secured and also provides an up-to-date tracking while the payments are being processed. The users can log in anytime on the Western Union website and track the status of their payments 24 x 7.

Fees

The transaction fees attached to Western Union are considered to be higher than the other deposit options on the internet. But this deposit option is available to the players from United States as well. The transaction fees are up to $50 and there are 10% fees attached to the withdrawals from the poker accounts. The poker rooms that accept Western Union include PokerStars.com, which is the world’s biggest online poker room.

Beating Your Opponents in Online Poker

March 19th, 2010

Have you ever found yourself multitasking while playing poker online? It’s easy to do isn’t it? However, whether you’ve realized it or not these distractions have a negative effect on your game, because your mind is busy trying to focus on too many things at once. Remember, if you are planning on improving your game and winning, you need to take poker seriously, and to do that your full attention is required.

In addition, keep on the look out for players who may appear distracted, you can use their scattered mind to your advantage. Pressure them to fold early, or drag them further into the hand so they will add more money to the pot.

Although you have the freedom to make any facial expression you would like when playing online poker, as no one else can see you, this is both to your advantage and disadvantage because your other opponents also have this freedom. Since no player can see their opponent, some players become careless and will bluff to the point of foolishness, because they don’t have anyone to stare them down.

However, just because players frequently bluff online, you can’t always assume every opponent you are up against is pulling a fast one on you. That being said, there will be times were you will have to call or raise more often than you prefer, especially when faced against those players who are desperate to win the pot every hand. In the long run, if you find players frequently bluffing and you have a relatively decent hand, its best to call, as many online poker players find this a far more rewarding tack then constantly making a raise.

Poker Books for Beginners

March 19th, 2010

If you happen to be new to poker, it would be best to start your education with these beginner books. These write-ups are easy to understand and would help you get in the game with a flash. Buy one of these, sign up for some Pokerforfree to practice, and you will have a great start to becoming a good player!

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Poker

Out of all the books present out there fore poker, this is one of the must-reads. The book is written in simple language with a user-friendly tone and written by one of the greatest poker writers, Andrew Glazer. The author was also known as the “poker pundit” in his times. The format makes it easier for the beginners to browse through various sections and covers everything from basic rules to advanced strategy. It also contains crucial information on poker odds and tells.

The Smarter Bet Guide to Poker

If you are someone who is looking for a short, quick guide to poker, this is one of the greatest books ever. It is merely 128 pages long and written by Basil Nestor. The author is proficient with communicating poker basics in the most understandable way. It is entertaining, fun and easy to read. The facts are spread all over the book and the chapters end with a summary that reinforces the content in the lesson.

Poker for Dummies

The book is written by Lou Krieger, one of the prominent poker writers of the Card Player magazine. It is an important read if you are to start a home game, since it highlights all the different variations of poker. The book is fun to read and extremely easy to understand, especially the basic rules of the game. There is also another book, written by the same author called “The Poker Player’s Bible”, which explains the advanced poker strategies.

Some Poker “Don’ts”

March 19th, 2010

Poker is a game that requires a fine combination of skill and knowledge. You need to learn the etiquette of the game and implement it appropriately in live as well as online poker. We have listed down a few ‘don’ts’ of the game, which would help you, gain some profits.

To begin with, do not ask to see the losing hand. This is an important aspect of the poker etiquette in the land based as well as online poker games. when it comes to the online poker games, the called player would turn in the hand first, which gives an opportunity to the other players to muck their hands, without actually showing whether it is a losing hand or not. However, a majority of the people in the hand would know that the hand history portrays the hands that were mucked and for what reason. All those players who are not aware of such etiquette would request a show for the losing hand, especially in the land based games. Poker games involve a lot of bluffing and therefore the losing hand must never be asked for a show.

Do not look at the winning or the losing statistics if you are about to end your current poker session. In accordance to the prominent poker player Phil Ivey, one of the biggest mistakes most players make is that they play a short session when they are winning and they play longer sessions when they are losing. Therefore a majority of players who are usually successful in the game, end up busted in the longer session. It would be appropriate to remain in the game if you know your opponents too well or if you come across some loose players during the session. If you lack such an experience to determine when to quit, play frequently for a pre-specified amount of time.

What is the Use of Poker Avatars?

March 19th, 2010

Ever since the inception of online poker rooms, people have been using special images or ‘avatars’ that would represent the players on the table. However, not many people know the history behind these avatars and the way they can affect your play.

Rooms that would not allow you to select your own avatar

Such rooms that do not allow you to choose your own avatar are pretty rare these days. However, there are still some traditional poker rooms online which do not allow you to use characters during the game. This means that you are entirely presented by your username as well as the chip-stack.

Rooms that would allow you to select an avatar from a collection of avatars on the site

These rooms are highly popular and would allow you to choose an avatar from a collection of avatars. These could range from cartoon characters to nature pictures. One such prominent room is Poker Tilt. The site contains about 90 different avatars for the players.

Rooms which would allow you to create your own avatar

Certain established poker rooms such as PokerStars would allow you to create your own avatars and upload them with your user name. During the play, this avatar is visible to the opponents. This would allow you to customize the play since no other player would have the same avatar as you.

The kind of avatar you choose to represent your user name is purely due to your personal preferences. These avatars do reflect your personality to some extent; however, there is no particular effect on the strategies to be employed during the game. Choose the avatar that would help you locate yourself on the table with ease, in case if you are playing multiple tables at the same time.

The Best Poker Cities in the World

March 19th, 2010

A lot of poker enthusiasts are looking for perfect poker destinations across the world. A few locations are pretty alluring with real clay chips as well as higher stakes; however we have formulated a list of the popular poker hangouts.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas is known to be full of poker action. It is known to be home to some of the best poker players in the world. You would be able to shop for the best poker accessories here with hundreds of poker rooms across the Las Vegas Strip. The annual World Poker Series is also held here, for all those who wish to catch the events of the tournament.

Atlantic City

Atlantic City hosts some of the biggest casinos in the world. With popular names such as Harrah and Trump’s seen on the skyline, the city draws millions of players each year. The casinos are equipped with some of the biggest Texas Hold’em rooms that continue to flourish even in the recessive times.

Los Angeles

Only a few feet away from Hollywood, Los Angeles contains some of the most respectable poker rooms in the world. Poker was originally brought into the Los Angeles casinos by Larry Flint. After hitting the beach, the serious poker players can hit the Commerce Casino and the Hollywood Park Poker Casino. There is continuous action in these rooms all during the year.

New York

This happens to be one of the most populated cities in the world and there are quite a lot of poker games being held here annually. Despite the other popular cities in United States, New York has been able to hold its own. It is a home to the higher staked games.

What You Probably Don’t Know About Poker!

March 19th, 2010

Loads of people are interested in poker, either online or offline. The players are acquainted with the basic rules and strategies to win the game; however they often miss out on some of the factual information, related to the history of poker. We have listed down some of the interesting facts related to the most popular card game.

•    It has been estimated that there are about 65000000 people in United States that play poker on a daily basis. The first deck of playing cards was invented in China and then brought into Europe around the 1300s.

•    When Christopher Columbus came to North American subcontinent in 1942, the men who accompanied him used to gather leaves and draw pictures on them to play cards.

•    Poker was extremely popular amongst the riverboat gamblers in the 19th century. They used to spend time playing poker while sailing on the American coast lines. Out of all these gamblers, very few of these gamblers were honest and hence it led to a number of conflicts on the boats.

•    There was a proposition to add the fifth suit to the deck of playing cards in the year 1937. However the idea couldn’t be implemented since it would require a lot of people to buy newer deck of playing cards.

•    If we were to believe historical records, individuals such as Bill Hickok were considered to be the aggressive poker players, however if we compare them to the professionals today, they seemed to be terrible with the game.

•    The four suits in the deck of cards are actually influenced by the French where the “spades” would stand for royalty, the “diamonds” would depict merchants, “hearts” were used for the members of the clergy and the “clubs” were used for the peasants. However, each country has its own description for the suits of the playing cards.

Poker Bracelet – The Ultimate Prize

March 19th, 2010

The poker bracelet has become a symbol of achievement and respect in the poker world. It was originally introduced as a prize by Benny Binion in the year 1976 in the World Poker Series Event. It is one of the most sought after and reputable non-monetary prize and therefore is often known as the ultimate prize in the world of poker.

It is believed that there are two kinds of poker players, ones those who have won the bracelet and ones those who haven’t. The list of bracelet winners includes Phil Hellmuth, the winner of 11 WSOP bracelets followed by Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, each with 10 bracelets. In 2005, actress Jennifer Tilly won the Women’s WSOP bracelet and considered to be a bigger win than the Oscars. Jeffrey Pollack, State Commissioner for WSOP claims that the bracelet is equivalent to the Lombardi Trophy for Football or the Stanley Cup for Hockey.

Ever since its inception, the bracelet has evolved largely. From the year 1976 to 1989, only some bracelets were awarded and the design was pretty similar to the gold nuggets. However in the early nineties, there were 14 bracelets awarded for the World Poker Series Events. Last year, there were a total of 57 bracelets awarded. Until 2004, the bracelet was developed by Mordechai Yerusalami, whereas Fredrick Godman designed the new diamond clad poker bracelet in the year 2005 with as many as 259 stones and 7.2 carats of diamonds. The most recent bracelet is designed by Corum and there are about four variations of the bracelets to be awarded recently.

With time, the monetary value of the bracelet has also changed. For an instance, the original bracelet of the 80’s was worth a few hundred dollars; however with all the diamonds and precious gems, the latest bracelet is worth thousands of dollars.