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PokerStars Ante Tournaments: Altering Your Typical MTT Strategy

1. Pay attention! Big ante tournaments on Poker Stars (read a review of Stars and other top sites on onlinepoker.net) have an incredibly unique structure; the ante starts from hand 1, and is a fifth of the size of the big blind. However, the blinds start off at half of what the normally do, and for the most part, your M will be comparative to what it would be at the same level in a normal tournament; 150/300/(60) in a big ante tournament is the same level as 200/400/(50) in a regular. Because of this increased ante, your stack is constantly shrinking from the get go. These tournaments require you to pay a lot more attention to stack degradation via the increasing antes than normal. Watch your M at all times, and try to keep a note on every ante jump. Forgetting to do so may lull you into thinking you have plenty of time to make a move with your 3k stack, which at the 100/200 level, you normally would. With the added 40 chip ante, however, your original M 10 stack has shrunk down to less than half of its normal value. Be sure to account for this when looking at stack sizes!

2. Opening amounts. With bigger antes, your opens need to be a bit stiffer than your regular tournaments. In this way, ante tournaments are a lot like live tournaments – when you play in a casino, you bet more to discourage calls. Visit www.uscasinosonline.com to find online tournaments that play as loose as live tournaments. The amount of extra money in the middle due to antes will entice players to call a lot more liberally from the blinds, so I recommend opening something in the neighborhood of 3-4.5 times the big blind preflop. It may seem a bit excessive, but remember; you’re risking more because there’s more to gain if you win it immediately. Many players don’t adjust their opening amounts when playing these tournaments; if some opens to $500 at the 100/200/($40) level, and you’re in the big blind, you’re being offered tremendous odds to take a flop; it costs $300 to see a flop with a pot of $1,460, almost 5:1! It’s hard to fold anything other than the bottom 20% of hands with odds like that. This is why our opens need to be stiffer; $600-$800 is much better at discouraging stragglers from the blinds.

3. Hand requirements/other strategy. Because of the bigger antes, stealing becomes more valuable in these type of tournaments than normal ante structures. You want to be looking spots where players have shown a low tendency to defend their blinds, even with stronger odds to call than normal, and abuse them for not being aware. Take full advantage of the button and cutoff, but remember; earlier positions have to risk a higher amount of chips preflop, thanks to the bigger antes, so a tighter preflop strategy from early position and a looser one from the button and cutoff will serve you quite well in these style tournaments. Remember, these strategies are in comparison to a normal styled tournament, so keep that in mind when you try your first one out.

Strategy for Rebuy Tournaments: Reviewing Fundamentals

Always, ALWAYS rebuy. Too often, you still see players in rebuy tournaments that never rebuy or add-on, simply choosing to float with their single buy-in and hope to compete with the “mad men” that frantically shove and rebuy 10 or more times. That’s a huge mistake – you shouldn’t be killing time watching the WSOP or reading poker news during this period, as it’s where you have the best chance to chip up as a big favorite. If you’re going to play a rebuy tournament, you’re putting yourself at a major disadvantage by not taking the maximum buy-ins allowed. It’s like playing a tournament with half a stack compared to your opponents. Unless you enjoy playing with a short stack, you’ll find that the minimum buy-in is an amateur move. Instead, you should be willing to invest no less than 5 buy-ins for your tournament; the initial buy-in and rebuy, a second double buy-in, and an add-on.

I generally up the amount to 7 or 9, depending; when you run bad in a tournament, you may bust a lot; if you have the opportunity to continue playing, unless you’re playing exceptionally bad, it’s incorrect to pass on it. I think it’s the best poker sites where players don’t rebuy, at least from your perspective, as those are likely to be really poor players. Also, people wonder if you should take the add-on when you’ve accumulated a big stack; no matter my stack, I am always taking the add-on; there’s no just good reason not to take another buy-in, especially when the amount of chips you gain is greater than your buy-in. (usually, the initial buy gets you 1.5k, and the add-on nets you 2k.)

What to expect before the add-on period. A rebuy tournament is going to have a lot more wild play than your typical tournament. Players will be liberally open shoving 150 BB’s into the pot with 44 and A10s, looking for a quick double up or triple up before even attempting to play real poker. Just simply open shoving AA and KK if your table is especially wild may actually be the best play with those hands, especially in the first level and in the last 2-3 minutes of the rebuy stage. You will see a flurry of shoves right at the end of the period; if you’ve built up a stack, this is a perfect chance to really sweep up the desperation shoves and build a mammoth stack. Assuming a 3k stack with a double buy, your goal for the first hour should be around 15-20k, which sounds like a mega stack, but in reality, will only be about 1.5-2 times the average stack.

What to expect after the add-on period. People will be very deep for the relative blinds once the add-on period ends, and you’ll find players to be a bit tighter than you’d expect at normal tournament at the same blind levels. People want to gamble when they can rebuy; the add-on is the big signal to them that the next bust out is the last. It reaffirms to them that they need to play good from this point, meaning their resolve will improve and they will generally tighten up. If you were able to accumulate the big stack from the rebuy period, you should be able to control your table with relative ease. With a tight table, think of the tournament as a semi deep-stacked tourney from this point on, and adjust accordingly.

Multi Hand and Power Poker: Comparing Popular Video Poker Variants

Multi hand video poker is a normal form of poker or video poker on steroids, and it’s a massively popular variant you’re certain to find at the best online casinos (if not all online casinos). As the name implies, in this poker game, you will be playing a hands (more than one hand) at a time. As with most casino games, sub-variations abound: there are some common variations of Multi Hand Video Poker game as well, including Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, 10s or better and many more.

The Multi hand video poker game comes in 4, 10, 50, and 100 hand versions. Multi hand video poker has an exciting twist in the standard single hand video poker as well. Today, most of the online casinos offer at least one multi-hand version in order to keep the interest of the players and to make it a lot of fun as well.

Playing multi hand video poker is exciting and a learning experience for new poker players. In fact, it helps poker players learn and adapt to all the moves in order to have a full time experience of the game.

Power poker is another form of video poker. It is basically a microgaming version of the multi-hand video poker and is also one of the most popular multi-hand versions available on the web today. At present, there are eleven different forms of Power Poker games in 4, 10 and 50 hand versions.

Playing the Power Poker game is very similar to the single hand version of the game; you need to start with the same five cards in each hand. You can then select the cards that you would like to hold, and the remaining cards are to be discarded. New cards will replace the discarded cards. Winning of hands will be determined by the redefined payout schedule.

Playing poker is quite simply and the steps are very easy as well. It is also not going to be very difficult to learn the game and adapt with it.

Choosing Between Download and No Download Poker Rooms

Most of the online poker sites will require you to go for a download. You will have to download the poker client software onto the computer system to use it. However, if you are not sure about downloading the entire software onto the system, you might like to consider if there is an alternative site or web-based poker playing interface that will allow you to play poker on that very site within the browser. For most common gambling formats, such as poker, casino games and greyhound betting, you’ll have your choice of an array of both download and no-download services.

So, why choose no download? Software installation involves some potential risks of adware or viruses that may be downloaded onto the system. However, once installation is completed, it will make the gaming experience faster and a lot more fun.

On the other hand, the web-based poker interface relies on downloading the screen real estate updates as you play online. This may become slow over time if you have a slower internet connection. Therefore, speed becomes a factor if you are not using a broadband connection.

Of course, the ultimate consideration is the action you’re interested in. If the game you like is very specific, then you might not have a choice at all; if you’re a fan of a more specific format such as FTSE spread betting your choice might already be made for you.

Just like any decision with online gaming, be sure that you do your research thoroughly before you make a choice, as the first choice you make is likely to be the default choice you continue to make for years to come.

Betting on the WSOP Main Event – A Sucker’s Game?

You’ll see a lot of odds popping up at online sports books, especially those that are offering poker in addition to sports betting, for the World Series of Poker.  While these bets may seem fun and interesting, they’re generally sucker bets.

The first issue you have is that the volatility involved in the final table of the World Series of Poker makes it very hard to develop any sort of edge when you’re betting.  Betting with an edge is all about knowing something that other people do not, but you simply don’t have that sort of information available, and the possible permutations of outcomes given nine players and relatively shallow stacks makes it very difficult for you to find something that other’s have not.

The second issue is that many of the bets you’ll see offered are just novelty bets, insomuch that they’re designed for fans of the game that want a little rooting interest in watching the finals, and not really for serious bettors.  The result is that the rooms are not really competitive with their lines, so there’s lots of padding in the lines for the book that make it tough for you to turn a profit.

So, in short, watch the WSOP, but save your big bets for the events you can find an edge in.

Class Up Your Home Game With Premium Poker Decks

Curious about the top decks? Here are our favorite brands of playing cards for home games.

1. KEM. These are 100% plastic cards, made out of cellulose acetate, that allows the cards to bend and scuff without damage, and are even machine washable, to allow you to take off the random spilled beer or skin residue after hours upon hours of play. Kem currently boasts over two dozen design templates for their cards, including multiple size and print variations. They are quite a bit more expensive than your typical pack of playing cards; a 2 deck box of Kem cards will generally run you $30 plus shipping, but the lengthy amount of wear and tear that the cards can take before needing to be replaced can outperform the same amount of regular playing cards for the same amount of money ($30=roughly 8-10 decks of standard single purchase Bicycle decks). That’s barely a fraction of what you could earn clearing a bwin bonus, so pull the money offline and splurge on your home game today. For more information, check out www.kem.com.

2. Copaq. These are also 100% plastic cards, also washable and bendable, but don’t quite have the same durability that the KEM brand has. This may be due to the cost reduction; a two pack only runs about $16 plus shipping, and you can order single decks from them as well, for $10. Copaq cards have been prominently features in poker events such as the WSOP and the WPT, and are currently being used in the Heartland Poker Tour. They’ve had some advertising time as well, running adverts in ESPN’s WSOP coverage last year. For more information, check out www.copaqusa.com.

3. Casino “Retired” Decks. If you’re wondering what style of cards these are, ask your local casino for used decks (don’t try this with an online casino like the pkr casino – chances are support won’t be returning your emails). Many times, after a casino has used a deck for a certain amount of hours, it is “retired” by either drilling a hole through the center of the deck, or rounding the corners of the deck off, to ensure that used decks cannot be reintroduced into the game. These decks are generally still in fair to good condition when removed from the game, however, and casinos will generally make them available to players for purchase. It can have a neat effect on your home game to play with game used cards from the Horseshoe or the Luxor, so when you’re in those casinos, ask your floorperson what their policy is on used decks, and consider purchasing one.
4. Bicycle. Of course, sometimes, we don’t have the time to run out to a casino or order a fancy deck online; a game springs up, and people need cards now. For those emergency situations, Bicycle playing cards are almost always available at your local supermarket, pharmacy, or gas station, and are a quality product for the price; usually between $2-$4 for a deck of rider back style cards. You can even find specialized cards, like clear back, eco-friendly, and propeek style cards if you want a change of pace. Other brands of playing cards you find at stores are generally very cheaply made; some will struggle to riffle when you break the deck in, because of the material they’re made with. When you’re in a pinch, stick with Bicycle. For more information, check out www.bicyclecards.com.

The Blocking Bet in Holdem: Uses, Strategies and Tips

1. Definition. A blocking bet is a bet used by a player out of position on the river who thinks he has the best hand, but isn’t totally sure, and wants to set a price on the amount of chips they are willing to commit to the hand themselves, rather than checking and calling a bet that may be significantly larger than their planned blocking bet. If you’ve ever played at PKR Poker, you’ve probably seen tons of these sorts of bets. This helps to effectively utilize pot control on the river in awkward spots; hands like KJo on a J10764 board, a top pair, top kicker hand that has a bit of vulnerability based on the board texture, but may be deserving of a bet, depending on the action at hand. Instead of checking and calling a 3/4 pot bet here, you may just lead 40% of the pot, planning on folding to a raise, and expecting to win the pot around 40% of the time if called; you may still get called by hands like QJ, A10, and J9, depending on the previous action.

2. Using the blocking bet. Try to make the blocking bet with marginal to good hands that may be vulnerable to a bet on the river from your opponent – a strategy that should be even more successful at the easiest poker sites where weak opponents can’t stand to fold a hand. The blocking bet is perfect for top pair hands like Q10 on a 108722 board, or even bottom two pair on a scary 4510JQ board. You don’t want to call a big bet, especially if you’ve made the pot fairly large, but you also may still have the best hand, and want to extract value with these marginal holdings. Making a blocking bet is designed to decrease your variance on the river, by lowering the amount of chips you expect to put into the pot if a bet is made. The usual amount of a blocking bet is something in the neighborhood of 30%-50% of the pot on the river; enough to show interest in the pot without committing yourself further into the pot if raised.

3. Problems with the blocking bet. A blocking bet is usually the maximum amount of chips you’re comfortable putting into the pot on the river with a marginal hand. However, players tend to make the blocking bet, then still call a raise, thinking that the may be being bluffed by an inferior hand. Most of the time, the raise on the river against your blocking bet is not a bluff; when you set your price on your final investment in the pot, try not to stray from that number unless you’re absolutely convinced your opponent is making a play. Perceptive players, however, may decide that your blocking bet is precisely that, and choose to bluff you off the best hand with a river raise. These are the players you need to be concerned about when making a blocking bet. You may choose to use the blocking bet against players that respect your bets; tighter, but aggressive players that would bet much of the time if you checked with generally better hands. By betting, you reduce the amount of loss you incur with hands that you would normally call a bet with when you check.

Video Poker Options: Matching Strategy and Game Preference

Video poker has been around for quite a long time now. It has been more than 30 years, and video poker still remains one of the most popular games that are played till date. The evolution of video poker began when the casinos noticed that people liked playing card games, but were extremely afraid of setting a table and laying poker. Video poker helped all these players start playing poker while preventing them to sit down at the poker table. This actually was a major encouragement and led to the video poker machine becoming a staple on the floors of all casinos large and small.

While it was already popular, online casinos offering big-money casino bonus codes pushed the ubiquity of video poker to new heights. As the online casinos exploded gradually and went on to become popular, video poker also became quite popular and started growing exponentially. The growth in turn has led to the development of latest versions of video poker games. T

here’s also been an explosion in strategy resources for online video poker games – any number of sources, such as this popular casino blog, will provide you with a wealth of information that will allow you to choose the game that matches both your play preferences and strategic abilities.

There are number of video poker games such as the Multi Hand Video Poker, Power Poker, Progressive Video Poker and Online Poker Rooms. By using any of these forms of online video poker, you can actually get the real feel of the game.

Studying Betting Techniques

It is very important to study the betting techniques before you actually begin playing the game by logging on to the online poker website. Take your time to study the different time and tested poker betting strategies and techniques. There are quite a large number of books and materials available today that will help in learning the different types of poker games and betting techniques.

Studying the betting techniques of poker games is particularly more important for novices and new poker learners. There are different books on betting techniques for novices. Similarly, there are books for experienced poker players also. These materials and texts are very important in the world of brick and mortar poker. Additionally, there are a large number of websites that offer an array of different poker materials and resources.

You can find these books in bookstores and even online for your reference.

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