Phil Hellmuth Departs From UB Online Poker Room
December 30, 2010
The player in question is Phil Hellmuth, and the job he’s left is his long-time partnership with online poker room UB Poker (formerly Ultimate Bet).
Rumors of Hellmuth’s departure have been swirling since late November. It was around that time that various members of the poker media noticed that the self-proclaimed best player in poker was not sporting his once-ubiquitous UB gear – patches, hats, and the like – at major tournaments and media events.
If another player with less finely honed shilling skills showed up at a TV tournament patchless, it would be easy to write off – maybe a bit of lost luggage, a shirt grabbed in a hurry, a misunderstanding regarding obligations – but we’re talking about a guy who has become legendary for his sponsored entrances into the WSOP Main Event.
Phil Hellmuth Leaves UB – Read More.
Blackjack: Rule Variants
December 28, 2010
Blackjack isn’t played the same at every casino in the world; different casinos have different house rules for the dealer to abide by as far as hitting and standing goes, and also rules for splitting and insurance. If course, the best live casinos, just like the best online casinos, are those that offer you the top value for your betting dollar.
In Las Vegas (the Strip), dealers hit at 16 or less and stay at 17 or above. You can double down at any time, and split any pair (aces split get just one card once split) and doubling after a split and resplitting are permitted. Downtown Vegas may allow dealers to hit soft 17 and place a few more restrictions on splits; be careful before playing in Vegas; normally, house rules are posted on the table.
Northern Nevada/General Casinos have slightly different rules. the soft 17 hit is still in effect here, and doubling down is only permitted on 10 or 11; no doubling when the dealer shows 5 and you have 9, which is a lost edge. Splitting is still permitted, with the aces still only receiving a single card; however, doubling on split cards and resplitting are less likely to be legal plays at these. With those odds you might be better off trying your luck at an online roulette game, unless you simply enjoy the glittering backdrop Vegas provides.
Atlantic City, however, boasts the best style of blackjack for the player, in the long run; dealer stands on soft 17, just like in Vegas, and you can double any starting hand and split any pair. Aces still only receive a single card when split, but resplitting when you pair again, even aces, is not permitted like it is at the other areas. However, thanks to a fully regulated gaming system in jersey, you can expect this style of blackjack at every casino in New Jersey; there’s no possibility of dealing with different variations of blackjack like there would be in Vegas, for example, which makes navigating the city for a blackjack game that suits your game much easier.
Psychology as an Important Strategy of Poker
December 27, 2010
Poker is a strategy game that involves a lot of psychology as well. Psychology has been termed as one of the major areas of Texas poker, if not the most important of all. As a matter of fact, poker is psychologically played at all steps. The way in which you represent yourself, your image, betting strategies, scare tactics, your overall mindset, and your success are all determined by your psychological self.
There is yet another probability factor; although you will come across many champions who fail to calculate their probability of saving their life while playing the game, it still helps in retaining their game hand. It helps a player to develop a solid ground at the intermediate level.
It is very important to become aware of all these important strategies of poker in order to play the game well. In fact, if you try to learn all the strategies of this complicated game of poker, you will probably come across several areas that you have not yet been able to succeed in. The best thing is that you can always learn these strategies and become a poker pro.
Trouble Hands in Holdem Part 5 – Ace Jack
December 19, 2010
For all those new and intermediate players in the field of poker, the Ace Jack trouble hand could be one of the serious issues that you might experience. In fact, there are very few players that know what the Ace Jack is all about, and most importantly what it is not.
The Ace Jack is not one of those premium hands- that’s the most significant point that every player should identify with. As a matter of fact, it is not even one of the good hands that you can play.
Whenever you raise an Ace Jack at a table that is tight and aggressive regardless of the position you are in, you will be doing only one thing- allowing the opponents to cover up the strength of their hands. When you are sitting at a tight table, your opponent will call only when he is holding a pocket pair, ace king, ace queen, ace ten, or if he is actually in the best position. In most of the cases, you are actually way behind.
Ace Jack is a trouble hand because it is not a favorable condition unlike other hands. Thus, you have to be a lot more careful, focused, and understand how you can read your opponent correctly so that you can turn your losing hand into a win-win situation.
Exploring the Fundamentals of Heads Up Poker
December 17, 2010
Heads-up poker is basically the climax to each game of Texas Hold ‘Em poker. If you believe that you will be winning you will usually face the heads-up situation! Heads-up in poker is the point where you would like to play one-on-one against any single opponent and whether you would start off with 2 players in one game or 2000 players altogether. The results are usually the same- the heads-up occurs between the two final players only.
If you are starting the game of poker with large number of players, or for that matter any number of players that exceeds two, the game has to lose one of the players at one time before the final pairing is done. Today, heads-on poker is totally different from the remaining tournaments, and that requires a totally different mindset for succeeding in the game. Nowhere is this contract bleaker than in an online Texas Hold ‘Em poker game.
Heads-up poker is quite different from all other poker tournaments and playing the game also needs a different mindset for being successful – and having No Deposit Poker Bankrolls doesn’t hurt either. The contrast is not starker than any online poker game, including Texas Hold ‘Em poker. The pace of heads-up poker is extremely fast and furious and it will not give you enough time for thinking. You will have to rely on your experience and your presence of mind in order pull through the entire game.
The most important strategy to be followed here is to make your own strategies that you will have to adopt. One key rule to follow is to be aggressive while you are playing the game. While you are playing a game, it has to be a situation where you can think only of winning the game without enough aggression and determination, and that will certainly affect the opponent as well. If you’re freerolling on a Free Poker Bankroll at PokerStars, that should help reduce the pressure even further.
Sit N Go Poker: ROI and Expected Equity
December 15, 2010
Every time you sit at a different SNG at any of the major online poker sites, the players that you play against will directly determine the amount of equity you will make in the tournament. If you’re playing a table full of pros, your equity stands to suffer greatly. If you’re at a table full of rookies and newbies, you stand to make a great profit for the night; it’s differentiating which types of players are which that can help you pick which sit and gos to sign up for and which ones to avoid; this requires good note taking skills, however.
When you play a few sit and gos with a player (assuming you’re playing real money poker online – notes are useless for play money), take note of some of the tendencies he has when he plays; does he understand end game play, does he make normal raises or oversized and scared bets, and does he overall seem like a good, bad, or average player? Make a generalization, then rank him as such. Get a feel for the types of players you tend to see in your level of sit and go, especially live, where its much easier to find tables with the same player over time. For example, you play a live $130 SNG, and find three players with severe flaws in their game, and all three bust out quickly.
You end up winning the SNG, and look up at the board, and see the three players signed up for another $130. You would be very wise to pass up any other tournament or SNG in order to get in with the three fish; unless the other six seats in the SNG are filled with pros, you’re looking at a nice boost in ROI and equity from the money the fish will be donating to the prize pool.
Think about the prize pool for your SNG in terms of a total investment, and before a hand is dealt, every player in the tournament is given their money back based on the equity they are worth in the long run in the tournament; the pros get a big cut, the average players break about even, and the rookies get flat out destroyed. So, let’s make it a $109 SNG online, and look at the equity of a few player archetypes.
Tight Aggressive/Solid Pro/Loose Aggressive Pro- $130-$150
Super Loose/Tight and Predictable/Super Tight- $90-$110
Loose Passive/Insane Aggro/First Timer- $30-$70
Roulette Do’s and Dont’s
December 13, 2010
Don’t play on an “American” wheel. This may seem unpatriotic to the uninformed, but the difference between a “European” wheel, which does not include the 00 as a slot, and the “American” wheel, which has the 00 included, is an overall house edge for the casino of 5.26%, which is simply unbeatable in the short or long term. The edge the casino has with European wheels is smaller; take the opportunity to play those tables if they are available at your casino.
Don’t play the “basket” bet. Betting on the line between 0 and 1 is what is commonly referred to as a “basket” bet, which looks appealing due to the ability to hit 5 numbers for one bet. The casino’s edge on this bet, however, is a staggering 7.29%, which is sure to cripple any bankroll after a few $50 bets go down the tubes on that bet: for every $100 you place on it, you should only expect $92.71 back!
Do be willing to play the even money bets. Even though the thrill of hitting your number when playing roulette may be something to cheer for, it also comes with the common knowledge that the casino is not paying out 37:1 odds on your 37:1 shot. The red/black bet or even/odd bets, however, are the best edge that you can get on the table, offering any even money bet on a 18/37 shot, which is a much more negligible house edge than directly betting a number every time. It may seem like a boring way to play roulette; red, red, black, red instead of 34, 34, 17, 00, but in the long run, your gambling funds will decreases less on your time at the tables will increase; both positive side effects from playing smart roulette.
Breaking Down Online Poker Coaching
December 6, 2010
Whether you are here to learn the basics of playing poker or are a seasoned player who wants to refine some poker strategies, poker coaching services have something to offer to all interested poker players.
Typically, a poker coach will offer some of the services mentioned below:
• Poker Mentoring Services: With a poker mentor, you will be assessed on the basis of your strong and weak points. Based on the particular assignment, you will also receive assignments that can be completed. Your discussions and decisions will be recorded for use.
• Single Poker Coaching: In this service, you will be with your mentor to learn all the basic elements of poker. You can analyze and understand your moves and improve the game.
• Poker Videos for Help: The coaching service is offered in the form of videos.
Conversation and discussions on moves can be helpful.
Poker coaching services are inexpensive. The price usually varies, and you can choose according to your budget.