BET2 Asian Card Room

Congratulations To The Winners Of Bet2 APT Promotion!!

2010-08-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the final winners below, and thank you to all of you for Joining our competition! Top Three winner win the prizes ($2,500 + $200 Buy-in to the Main Event on Aug 25-29, 2010 for the Asian Poker Tour to be held at Resort World Manila, Philippines).

NO. Screen Name Hand # Hand Ranking Winning POT Date of Submit
1 localsnake 30847800 Royal Flush USD $7.72 08/08/10
2 CoolRun 30789906 Straight Flush “K” USD $13.65 01/08/10
3 RonnieO18 30907820 Straight Flush “Q” USD $3.42 08/17/10

For more information, please visit the following sites:

Bet2: www.bet2.com
APT: www.theasianpokertour.com
Resort World Manila: www.rwmanila.com

Bet2 Asian Poker Tournament Promotions 2010

2010-07-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

Term & Conditions
1. This promotion is valid for all BET2 real money Hold’em tables.

2. The top three strongest hands shall win the prizes ($2,500 + $200 Buy-in to the Main Event on Aug 25-29, 2010 for the Asian Poker Tour to be held at Resort World Manila, Philippines). In the event of a tie, the amount of winning pot garnered by said member will be considered to break the tie. If there is still a tie, then the tie shall be resolved based on first come first serve, which means the member who obtain the stronger hand based on BET2 recorded time.

3. Prizes are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be converted to cash.

4. Any individual player can win only one prize at the mainland Main Event.

5. Participants must be at least 21 years of age for mainland Main Event.

6. Players are responsible to have a valid passport, obtain a visa at its own cost and all other documentation necessary to participate in the mainland poker tournaments.

7. By qualifying for BET2 APT promotions, players agree that their real names, aliases, images, moving images, spoken/written quotes and/or amounts won, can be used for online and offline promotional purposes of BET2.

8. By entering BET2 APT promotions, players agree that, should they win a mainland poker tournament seat, they will wear BET2 apparel (Jacket or sticker) in accordance with the instructions of BET2 management.

9. BET2 shall in no way be liable for any injuries, losses, damages or expenses suffered or incurred by any winner of a BET2 APT promotion package as a direct or indirect result of accepting and participating the mainland poker tournament seat.

10. All decisions made by the BET2 management are final.

11. BET2 will not be responsible on the tax position of winners, as some jurisdictions treat poker wins as tax free, while in other jurisdictions such proceeds are taxable. If the winnings are taxable in a player’s jurisdiction, the player is solely responsible to keep track of and report his/her winnings to the appropriate authorities. The members participating in this BET2 APT promotion are aware of the legal issues relating to the operation of remote gambling and tax implications of winnings. The members also understand that BET2 is not warranting in any way or manner that the playing of poker over the internet for the purposes of remote gambling, as such term is commonly understood in the industry, is legal in any jurisdiction.

12. Winners shall be entitled to receive each the $2,500 + $200 buy-in to the Main Event once he/she reach Manila, Philippine on 24 August, 2010. Winners shall also be entitled to free hotel accommodation (for avoidance of doubt only BET2 winner participants shall be entitled to the said accommodation). Winners shall be responsible for their round trip airplane tickets and pocket money expenses. Family members, friends or guests who would like to join with the BET2 winner participant shall pay for their own round trip airplane tickets and hotel accommodations.

13. Winners shall be entitled to avail hotel accommodation from check-in time of August 24 and as long as they still remain in the qualifier or final round. In case the BET2 participant gets eliminated, he /she shall no longer be entitled to the said hotel accommodation as of check out time of the date of elimination. If the participate would like to extend hotel accommodations throughout of the APT, then they will arrange and pay for the same at their own cost.

14. BET2 winner participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the APT.

15. BET2 has the right to stop its promotions, or change their conditions at any time at its sole discretion.

Note: Any product/service names, logos, icons, brand name, trade dress, and other trademarks/service marks featured, referred to, or appearing on this Website are the property of their respective trademark holders. These trademark holders are not affiliated with BET2.com, our products, or our Website. Unless so governed by contractual relations, the trademark holders do not sponsor or endorse our products or our Website and are not in any way affiliated with BET2.

HOW TO WIN?

1. If a player hits/meet the hand (win with completed hand), the player will need to send an email (support@bet2.com) or contact our CSD to apply, provide his owns winning hand screen shot or hand history number to apply for the prize promotion.

2. BET2 APT promotions shall be held from 23 July 2010 until 18 August 2010. BET2 shall monitor the results of the strongest hands for Hold’em tables starting 12:00 midnight GMT+8 on 23 July 2010 until 12:00 midnight GMT+8 on 19 August 2010. BET2 shall no longer include the results of hands beyond this cut off period. BET2 shall inform the members chosen as winners for being one of the top three strongest hands. Winners shall inform BET2 not later than 20 August 2010 to claim their prizes. Unclaimed prizes shall be forfeited in favor of BET2.

3. BET2 will update the latest player standing in BET2 Leader Board.

For more information, please visit the following sites:

APT: www.theasianpokertour.com
Resort World Manila: http://www.rwmanila.com

Asian Poker Tournament Philippines 2010

2010-07-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Poker players from all over the world will be converging in Asia as the Asian Poker Tour (APT) holds events in various locations around the region.

After the success of APT Philippines 2009, the APT is back with its next event: APT PHILIPPINES 2010! Held from August 23 to 29, the tournament will be held at the luxurious Resorts World Manila complex. Buy-in is set at US $2,500 + US $200.

Last year, the 2009 APT Philippines was won by local poker pro Neil Arce, who took home US $185,000.

Get in on the action NOW and register for APT Philippines!

Poker Rebuy Strategy

2010-07-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

The main question on poker rebuys that you will probably want answered is should you rebuy? Quickly followed by if so – how often should you rebuy?

Firstly what is a rebuy? It’s a stage in a poker tournament where players are allowed to buy more chips to add to their stack. They don’t necessarily need to be low on chips or out of chips, anyone can choose to rebuy if they want to.

The good thing about a rebuy period for all players is the tremendous increase in pot size that you see taking place. If you are in a good position and don't need to rebuy, the fact that so many players have bought their way back into the game should not bother you too much. You were good enough to be in front of them before the rebuy period so the chances are that you will be good enough to stay in front of them.

Normally for any particular tournament they will come in the form of single or limited rebuys, or unlimited rebuys and can be used either to buy your way back into a tournament that you’ve dropped out of, or simply to bolster your chip count.

When deciding whether it’s worthwhile rebuying into a tournament you need to consider several factors.

1. The quality of your opposition
Were you among the better players in the game? Could you look at the way your opponents played and see that it should have been them who went out early and not you? In that case you should buy your way back in and get on with the game. However if you have seen that the standard of opposition is better than you, there is probably little point in carrying on.

2. Were you unlucky to be knocked out?
Were you knocked out of the poker tournament by a bad beat where you held the best cards and used the right betting strategy only to find you lost out to a lucky break your opponent got on the river? A rebuy is certainly in order here too.

3. Are you within sight of your opponents chip counts?
If you rebuy and get sat 1500 chips, is it going to be enough to give you a chance against the chips your opponents are holding? If you are too far behind you will probably get blinded out before you get the chance to land a winning hand and your rebuy will have been in vain.

4. Do you WANT to carry on?
Have you still got the mental desire to get back into the game and start over again? Or has your early exit left you dispirited and feeling that you should just leave well enough alone and try your luck another time?

The very knowledge that players can rebuy back into the game often influences their game plan to a great extent, especially when there are multiple or unlimited rebuys. In this instance there tends to be a bit of a betting frenzy in the early stages as there is an opportunity to get back in even after losing an all-in.

(This tends to defeat the purpose of an all-in, although it is still good for the player who wins as they will get a good chip boost).

The other side of this type of play however is that a few players can break away with chip stacks which put them in extremely strong positions in the latter stages of the tournament. It is often the case that if you want to stay in contention you need to make some similar plays to keep up with the leaders, or else the blinds will catch up with you and you’ll be out.

Probably as with most things in poker, the biggest consideration with rebuys is value. If you consider that the rebuy fee is worth it in terms of the chance you have of progressing, then you should consider a rebuy.

Stealing Blinds in No Limit Texas Holdem

2010-07-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

Stealing the blinds is one way of ensuring survival in a no-limit Texas Hold’em game. If you steal enough blinds, you can be in the game a longer time than your initial stack warrants.

What Is Stealing the Blinds?

In Texas Hold’em, there are obligatory opening bets from the small blind and the big blind (the first and second player to the left of the button provides the small and big blinds, respectively). Together, they make up the initial pot.

Stealing the blinds refers to trying to win the initial pot or trying to win the blinds. Stealing the blinds serves a two-fold purpose: it will let you win extra chips, unchallenged, and help you reduce the size of your opponents’ stack.

How to Steal the Blinds

In order to steal the blinds, you must make all your opponents drop out of the betting round/s pre-flop. The best way to do this would be to raise and re-raise during the pre-flop betting round. If you are under-the-gun and you wish to steal the blinds, bet more than the minimum. If you are in a middle position or a late position, you should multiply the minimum bet by around two times. In other words, if you are trying to steal the blinds, bet aggressively and avoid mini-raises.

Stealing the Blinds Strategy

If you are a late-position player, you are in an advantageous position to steal the blinds. If most of the players have folded before the betting action reaches you, you can dominate the game and steal the blinds.

If you are short-stacked and wants to steal the blinds, it would be much better to go all-in rather than wait to be raised. Take the lead in betting whenever you can. Additionally, if only a few players are at the table (the game is short-handed), stealing the blinds is good strategy because you are obliged to post blinds more often than not and you’ll run out of chips much sooner.

You should not try to steal the blinds all the time, however. Trying to steal the blinds means you have to make hefty raises. If another player plays you and you miss the flop, you’ll lose all your bets. Furthermore, not all blinds are worth stealing. If the blinds won’t significantly increase your stack, perhaps you should just let it go. If, however, the blinds will make a sizeable addition to your stack, then by all means go for it. The rule of thumb: be selective of the blinds you’ll try to steal.

Top 10 Poker Quotes

2010-06-28T01:37:00.000-07:00

These great quotes culled from poker players and writers sum up some of the most essential ideas of the game.
1. David Sklansky on Poker
“When we play, we must realize, before anything else, that we are out to make money.”

2. From Big Deal by Anthony Holden
"Poker may be a branch of psychological warfare, an art form or indeed a way of life – but it is also merely a game, in which money is simply the means of keeping score."

3. David Mamet on Poker
"Poker reveals to the frank observer something else of import—it will teach him about his own nature. Many bad players do not improve because the cannot bear self-knowledge."

4. Bobby Baldwin on Poker
"You cannot survive without that intangible quality we call heart. The mark of a top player is not how much he wins when he is winning but how he handles his losses. If you win for thirty days in a row, that makes no difference if on the thirty-first you have a bad night, go crazy, and throw it all away."

5. Crandell Addington on Poker
"Limit poker is a science, but no-limit is an art. In limit, you are shooting at a target. In no-limit, the target comes alive and shoots back at you."

6. From Poker Nation by Andy Bellin
In the absence of any mathematical explanation, one thing is for certain; if you engage in games of chance long enough, the experience is bound to affect the way you see God. Successfully draw to an inside straight three hands in a row, and you’ve got to be blessed. But if you’re the person drawn out on, the one whose trip aces just got snapped for the third time, you will go home feeling cursed.

7. From The Gentleman’s Handbook on Poker by William J. Florence
The strong point in poker is never to lose your temper, either with those you are playing with or, more particularly, with the cards. There is no sympathy in poker. Always keep cool. If you lose your head you will lose all your chips.

8. Pug Pearson on Poker
“The real things to know is that folks will stand to lose more than they will to win. That’s the most important percentage there is. I mean, if they lose, they’re willin’ to lose everything. If they win, they’re usually satisfied to win enough to pay for dinner and a show. The best gamblers know that.”

9. From A Girlhood Among Gamblers by Katy Lederer
The cardinal sin in poker, worse than playing did cards, worse even than figuring your odds correctly, is becoming emotionally involved.

10. Amarillo Slim on Poker:
“It never hurts for potential opponents to think you’re more than a little stupid and can hardly count all the money in your hip pocket, much less hold on to it..”

What You Need to Get Started with a Home Poker Tournament

2010-06-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

A great way to enjoy a good game of poker with friends it to have a poker tournament at home. You can play with as few as 6 or as many players as you’d like, and you can play any kind of poker you’d like. You can play limit, pot-limit, or no-limit, or mix it up. The varieties and fun are endless.

But to get started, the easiest and most common set-up though is to have 8 to 10 players at one table and play no-limit Texas Hold’em. This easy how-to will get you going in no time to playing the most popular form of tournament poker there is.

Before players arrive, there are a few things you’ll need:

* A poker table or table that seats up to ten
* Two decks of cards
* Poker chips
* A dealer button
* A poker timer or some other timer

Optional: If you are playing with beginners, it is wise to post this list of what beats what and print out this quick how to play texas hold’em guide.

The next thing to decide it how much the buy-in or entry fee for the tournament is and what the prizes are. You can play for any amount you’d like, but in a beginner game, I suggest every player buy-in for $10 or $20. That way, the winner will get a nice chunk of change, but those who don’t win won’t be out more than dinner or a movie. You can also allow re-buys back in for the first hour of play -- that way if anyone busts out of the game early, they can buy back in and not feel left out. It also builds the prize pool!

Whatever you decide, in a 10-person game, usually the top three players place “in the money” and win some of the cash. You can do a “winner takes all” game as well, but I find that in a friendly game, it’s more fun for everyone if you pay the top three. A common break down might be to give 60% of the total prize pool to the first place winner, 30% to the second place winner, and the last 10% to the third place winner. You can adjust these percentages/amounts, but for instance in a $10 buy-in game with no rebuys, 1st place would win $60, 2nd place $30, and 3rd place $10, or their money back. Whatever you decide, announce it before the game begins so everyone knows what they are playing for.

The basic idea of a poker tournament is that every player starts with the same amount of chips and you play until one person has them all. To make sure the game doesn’t go on forever, tournaments are played with levels -- after a certain amount of time, the price of poker goes up, meaning the blinds go up. You can also start adding in antes after a while.

There are two factors that control how long a tournament goes on: How many chips each player starts with and how long the levels are.

If you want to play a quick tournament (1-2 hours), start each player with 2,000 chips and play with 20-minute levels. Here is the structure for a quick tournament.

For a longer tournament (2-4 hours), start each player with 10,000 chips and play with 30-minute levels. Here is the structure for a longer tournament.

The advantage of a short tournament is that you can often play two in one poker night, and is best for a group of beginners. A longer tournament is better for experienced players, and allows a game of more strategy.

Once you’ve decided, you need to assign values to whatever chips you are using. You don’t have to use this suggestion, just make sure its clear and that there are enough chips of each value to go around -- you’ll need the most of whatever you denote as the lowest-value chips.

Common chip values:
Green: 25
White: 100
Red: 500
Black: 1000
Blue: 5000

A good chip distribution for a 2,000-chip tournament might be: 4 greens, 9 whites, 2 reds.
A good chip distribution for a 10,000-chip tournament could be: 8 greens, 8 whites, 6 reds, 2 blacks, 1 blue

Once everyone is seated and the chips are distributed, the last thing to decide is who will get the dealer button. You can do this in two ways -- the host can deal out a card per player and the player with the highest card gets the dealer button, or you can spread out a deck and let each player pick a card. In each case, the higest card wins -- if two player gets the same cards, the suits will decide. Spades is the highest suit, followed by hearts, diamonds, and finally clubs.

Now just begin dealing the cards and let the fun begin!

World Series of Poker History

2010-05-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

The series has come a long way since the first game in 1970, when just a few seasoned pros gathered in Vegas to see who was the best of the best.
How did the World Series of Poker Come to Pass?

It all begins with three men, years before the first World Series of Poker, in 1949, when Nick “the Greek” Dandalos asked Lester “Benny” Binion, owner of the Horsehoe Casino in Downtown Las Vegas, to arrange the biggest poker game of all time. Binion knew just the guy to take on the Greek – Johnny Moss, who at the time was regarded as the best poker player in the world. With Binion’s promise to bankroll him, Johnny Moss agreed to the match, and sat down to play at a game that would go on for five long months. They played every type of poker for huge pots of hundreds of thousands of dollars until at last, the Greek decided he was beat and got up from the table saying, “Mr. Moss, I have to let you go.”

The epic battle between Moss and the Greek sparked an idea in Benny Binion’s head, and in 1970 he invited the best poker players he knew, including Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim Preston, Brian “Sailor” Roberts, Puggy Pearson, Crandall Addington, and Carl Cannon to play No-Limit Texas Hold’em against each other in front of a crowd. Instead of playing until one player had all the chips, the players voted on who was the best, and Johnny Moss was unanimously chosen.

In 1971 the World Series was a freeze-out, winner-take-all tournament, which Johnny Moss once again won. Over the following years, it evolved into a “shared purse” tournament, in which not only the first place winner, but several other top finishers won a share of the prize money. Registration was open to anyone who had the $10,000 bucks to put up, and enrollment grew, but it wasn’t until satellite tournaments for the event were started that the numbers really started growing. Now, instead of plopping down the whole 10K, players could win a 10K seat by winning their way through a field of players at a lower buy-in tournament.

Still, the number of players at the Main Event remained under a thousand until 2003. Then, Chris Moneymaker won the top prize.

In 2003, Chris Moneymaker won a seat to the World Series of Poker through a $40 satellite tournament at the online poker site, PokerStars. This (until then) unknown player had only played online before the day of the tournament, and battled his way through the 838 other players to win an incredible $2.5 million.

America’s imagination latched on to this Cinderella story of a man who turned $40 into millions. If he could do it, we thought, anyone could. The TV coverage of the WSOP and other poker shows grew as well, and more and more people could watch and fantasize about sitting down at the table and beating a poker pro and winning huge prizes. In 2004, registration for the $10,000 main event tripled, and 2,576 players battled for the $5 million first prize. Greg “Fossilman" Raymer, who also won his seat through an online satellite at PokerStars, captured the 2004 WSOP bracelet.

2004 was a landmark year for another reason, as it also marked the final year of the World Series of Poker as part of the Binion’s Horsehoe empire, when they sold ownership of the tournament to Harrah’s, which is hosted the 2005 event at their own casino, The Rio All-Suite, though the final of the main event took place at the Horseshoe.

The main event in 2005 had over 5,600 participants and boasted a $7.5 million first prize, which was captured by Australian Joseph Hachem.

The 2006 World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Texas Hold’em Championship Event broke all sorts of records -- the most impressive being the 8,773 players competing for the largest prize of all time: 12 million dollars in prize money, which was captured by Jamie Gold, a Los Angeles producer, took the chip lead on Day 4 of the event and never gave it back, dominating the field all the way to the WSOP bracelet.

In 2007, there were fewer online qualifiers due to the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, and so there were "only" 6,358 entries in the big main event. Californian Jerry Yang outlasted them all and won $8.25 million.

2008 brought a different kind of record-breaking event: A new youngest-ever champion, Peter Eastgate, who at 22, took away that distinction from Phil Hellmuth, who had held the title for almost 20 years. Eastgate won just over $9 million.

Eastgate didn't stay the youngest-ever WSOP main event champion for long, though, for in 2009, Joe Cada took home the bracelet and $8.55 million in prize money at the tender age of 21.

Top 30 WSOP Money Winners

2010-05-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Players who've earned the most cash at the World Series of Poker

Many of the players who have won the most money at the World Series of Poker have done so by joining the list of WSOP Main Event Winners, but some have never won a bracelet at all, while others have racked up their cash by winning many events over the years.

No matter how they've done it, everyone in the top 30 has won millions of dollars playing poker at the World Series of Poker. See who made the list here:

Player - Number of Bracelets Won - Amount of Money Won

* Jamie Gold - 1 - $12,057,518
* Peter Eastgate - 1 - $9,221,395
* Joseph Cada - 1 - $8,575,256
* Jerry Yang - 1 - $8,250,000
* Joe Hachem - 1 - $8,070,283
* Allen Cunningham - 5 - $7,355,929
* Greg Raymer - 1 - $6,487,512
* Paul Wasicka - 0 - $6,217,738
* Phil Hellmuth - 11 - $6,105,254
* Ivan Demidov - 0 - $5,832,686
* Chris Ferguson - 5 - $5,386,220
* Darvin Moon - 0 - $5,182,928
* Michael Binger - 0 - $4,882,868
* Tuan Lam - 0 - $4,851,424
* Phil Ivey - 7 - $5,243,500
* Scotty Nguyen - 5 - $4,828,485
* David Williams - 1 - $4,420,814
* Dennis Phillips - 0 - $4,699,375
* T.J. Cloutier - 6 - $4,349,316
* Erik Seidel - 8 - $4,248,081
* Steven Dannenmann - 0 - $4,271,489
* Johnny Chan - 10 - $4,241,448
* Daniel Negreanu - 4 - $4,064,874
* Ylon Schwartz - 0 -$4,011,975
* Josh Arieh - 2 - $3,553,879
* Dan Harrington - 2 - $3,524,476
* Antoine Saout - 0 - $3,479,670
* Freddy Deeb - 2 - $3,453,659
* John Juanda - 4 - $3,396,981
* Vitaly Lunkin - 2 - $3,378,286

What is the World Poker Tour?

2010-05-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Started by Steve Lipscomb, The World Poker Tour (or WPT for short) is a series of poker tournaments that takes place all over the world, but the majority of the tournaments are held in the U.S. At each location, there are a series of smaller tournaments that culminate in a big no-limit Hold'em main event. The final tables of these main events are what you see on TV.
World Poker Tour on Television:

The World Poker Tour TV shows debuted in 2002 on the Travel Channel. Each 2-hour show showed the final 6 players competing for first prize. What made this show unique when it debuted was the use of "hole cams" that allowed viewers to see what each player had -- and that one feature changed the way people viewed poker and led to the poker boom. In 2008, new episodes aired on Game Show Network instead of the Travel Channel, but the next season in 2009 will be on Fox Sports.
World Poker Tour Hosts:

The hosts of the WPT show have always been poker player Mike Sexton and Vince van Patten. The female co-host was originally Shana Hiatt, who hosted the first three seasons. Later hosts included Courtney Friel, Sabina Gadecki, and Layla Kayleigh.
World Poker Tour Championship:

At the end of each season, the WPT holds a $25,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em event that include all the winners of previous WPT main events and many more poker pros and hopefuls.

It is held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
World Poker Tour Champions:

The winners of the big WPT championship are:

* 2003: Alan Goehring
* 2004: Martin De Knijff
* 2005: Tuan Le
* 2006: Joe Bartholdi
* 2007: Carlos Mortensen
* 2008: David Chiu

Top 20 WSOP bracelet winners－ Chris "Jesus" Ferguson

2010-05-10T03:47:00.000-07:00

Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson has an unmatched record in tournament poker over the past decade.

He can remember playing in the 4th grade, losing his last 35c when his trip Queens lost to a heart flush. He promised himself at that time that he would never go broke again and he hasn't looked back since.

After attending UCLA for 18 years, he earned a PhD in computer science focusing on artificial intelligence. He had spent five years as an undergraduate and 13 years as a graduate student. While in college he honed his skill on IRC playing poker for play money in chat rooms.

In 1994 Chris made the decision to really apply himself and his knowledge of game theory to poker, concentrating only on tournament play. He started off playing in the small tournaments in and around LA. Not wanting to play over his bankroll, he didn't enter the WSOP till 1995.

In 1996 he won a satellite into the main event and has played every year since. In the next three years, Chris would have 12 money finishes, making the final table 7 of those times, but never finishing higher than 4th place.

At the 2000 WSOP, Ferguson broke through for the biggest win of his career and claimed the $1,500,000 main event prize, defeating poker legend TJ Cloutier heads up at the final table.

Since he started playing the world series he has won more bracelets (5), made more final tables (25) and had more money finishes (42) than any other player. He has earned more than $4,000,000 playing in WSOP events alone.

In 2005 & 2006 he was runner up at the National Heads Up Championship, winning $250,000 each time and cemeting his reputation as one of toughest players on the circuit.

Christened “Jesus” because of his trademark long brown hair and beard, Ferguson approaches poker from a purely intellectual viewpoint. With his PhD from UCLA and parents who are both academic heavyweights, Chris is far from the shoot from the hip, instinctive "cowboy" poker player that his get-up tries to convey. And that’s the way he likes it, claiming that his whole poker image is a distraction, a ruse to throw other players off their game in the hope that they mis-read him and his play at the tables.

Unlike a lot of poker professionals, poker is only one of four main pursuits in Chris Ferguson’s life. In addition to poker, Chris also continues to foster his academic interest in artificial intelligence, as well as a passion for west coast swing dancing.

It's reported that Jesus can throw a playing card quickly enough to slice through a carrot from 10 feet. We need to see some video evidence of this before we agree that he can. Is the carrot cooked or raw? Is the playing card plastic or paper? So many questions....

If I was going to back anyone to be able to do the carrot trick - it's be this guy, as he's already proven he can do just about everyting else.

Chris Ferguson's winning WSOP hand

Chris Ferguson was holding A9, TJ Cloutier was holding AQ and when he saw that Chris didnt look confident he moved all in. The flop came 2K4 with a King on the turn. If the board paired, the pot would have been split and Ferguson would have been saved, but if the 9 came the tournament would be all over. The 9 came and Ferguson was World Champion.

Chris Ferguson's Poker Career Highlights

* 2000 WSOP $10,000 Main Event winner - $1,500,000
* 2000 WSOP $2,500 7 Card Stud winner - $151,000
* 2001 WSOP $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo winner - $164,735
* 2001 California State Championship Pot Limit Holdem winner - $22,570
* 2002 WSOP $1,500 Pot Limit Holdem - 2nd - $98,700
* 2003 WSOP $2,000 Omaha Hi/Lo winner - $123,680
* 2003 WSOP $2,000 Limit Holdem/7 Stud winner - $66,220
* 2003 WSOP $3,000 Pot Limit Holdem - 2nd - $115,560
* 2004 Winnin' O' the Green winner - $144,000
* 2004 WSOP $5,000 No Limit 2-7 Lowball - 2nd - $170,315
* 2004 WSOP $10,000 Main Event - 26th - $120,000
* 2005 National Heads Up Championship - 2nd - $250,000
* 2005 Harrahs Rincon WSOP Circuit Event - winner - $655,220
* 2005 WPT Five Star World Poker Classic - 8th - $132,095
* 2005 WSOP $2,000 Pot Limit Omaha - 2nd - $210,460
* 2005 Harrahs Las Vegas WSOP Circuit Event winner - $362,088
* 2006 National Heads Up Championship - 2nd - $250,000
* 2006 WSOP Tournament of Champions - 7th - $50,000

Chris Ferguson Quotes

"Some people might think that there is one basic way to play poker, but there isn't. There are many different styles of play. Two people may be dealt the same hand, play it quite differently, and yet both will be successful. In tournament poker, you have to have a long attention span, be very concentrated, be aware of what's going on - and remain very focused."

"If I could change anything in the world I'd teach people to be more tolerant & accepting, and less hypocritical."

"You have to be two things that don't often co-exist. You have to be tenacious; you can never give up and you have to fight over every chip. But at the same time, you have to be incredibly patient."

Texas Hold 'Em Poker Strategy Tips

2010-05-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

To be a truly great Texas Hold 'Em Poker player, you need to be able to read your opponents, ascertaining when they are bluffing and then they really have a solid hand. But learning some basic strategies and general rules will go a long way toward making sure you can at least hold your own in a friendly game.

Two Things to Always Remember

It may seem silly to be reminded of the following fundamental facts, but it's surprising how often players get swept up in the excitement of the game and forget the basics.

So, always remember these two things:

1. The two cards you hold are the only cards that set you apart from the other players and give you the chance to win.

2. All of the face-up cards are community cards, shared by you and every other player. It's vital that you focus on what those cards could mean to someone else at least as much as you focus on what they mean to you. In particular, keep your eyes open for your opponents' straight and flush possibilities.

Evaluating Your Cards

Usually, the first decision you make in a hand of Texas Hold 'Em Poker happens with your only knowledge being what your two cards are.

When you look at your cards, be careful not to reveal anything with your reaction -- facial or otherwise. Taking a sharp breath, no matter how quietly you do it, can tell a wily opponent all he needs to know to have an advantage over you. Keyword: emotionless.

How do you know if your cards are good?

It depends in part on how many players are in the game, but a general rule is that you should seriously consider folding before the flop if you have two non-pair cards, both less than 10. A more conservative player might fold if just one of the cards is less than 10; a more aggressive player might stay in with, for example, an 8 and 9 of the same suit (because those cards give you decent possibilities for a straight or a flush).

If the big blind (a forced bet designed to ensure that every hand has a pot) is low enough, it may be worthwhile to pay in so that you can see the flop even if you don't have particularly strong cards in your hand. But don't abuse this exception to the rule -- it can get you into trouble more quickly than you imagine.

A lot of Texas Hold 'Em strategy is based on the cards in your hand. You must be willing to suffer through a series of poor hands (e.g. 5-8, 2-6, 4-9) without getting impatient. The good hands will come, eventually, and you'll be in better position to take advantage of them if you don't waste your chips trying to get something out of nothing.

The Flop

After seeing the flop, don't be afraid to cut your losses. A common mistake made by novices is to decide, "I'm already in this hand, so I might as well play it out." Wrong.

With seven players at a table, two pair or better will generally be the winning hand. If you don't have the high pair after the flop (e.g. if the flop is K-9-5, the high pair would be two Ks), and you're not in good position for a straight or a flush, you should probably get out of the hand.

However, remember that as the number of players goes down, so does the potential of a strong hand -- so if you're at a table with just two other players, it could pay off to be more aggressive.

If you're first to bet after the flop, don't be afraid to check. This can work to your advantage in two ways. First, if your hand is on the weak side, you might be able to see one more card without having to put more into the pot. Second, if your hand is strong, you could convince an opponent or two that it's weaker than it really is.

Fourth Street and Fifth Street

Also know as The Turn and The River, respectively, the fourth and fifth community cards give you two more chances to either get out of the pot before you lose even more money -- or increase your winnings.

At this point, it's likely there will only be one or two other players still in the pot with you. The best advice here is to be cautious. After fourth street, don't stay in the pot hoping for a straight or flush, unless you can do so on a check (that is, without putting more chips into the pot). Although there will be times when you would have drawn the straight or flush, they will be outweighed by the times you wouldn't.

The bottom line is this: Don't allow yourself to get sucked in too far with a weak hand.

That said, there is a point where the investment you've already made virtually dictates that you hang in there. It's useful to measure this in terms of percentage of your chips. For example, if you've already committed 40% of your chips to the pot, another 5% isn't that much. This is a gray area, so once again the best advice is to be cautious.

Good luck, and have fun!

Slang for Poker Hands

2010-04-25T20:16:00.001-07:00

If you play or watch Texas Hold'em at all, you'll start hearing people announce they've got "Big Slick" or "I've got snowmen!" They're not being literal -- they're talking about the hole or pocket cards they've been dealt in the lingo of poker.

Learn the slang for poker hands so when you hear these nicknames while playing Texas Hold'em, you'll know what everyone is talking about.

Think you already know all the poker lingo? Prove it by acing the poker slang quiz!

A-A – American Airlines, bullets, pocket rockets

A-K – Big Slick, “Walking back to Houston”

A-J -- Ajax

K-K – Cowboys

K-Q – Marriage

K-J – Kojak

K-9 -- Canine

Q-Q – Dames, divas, ladies, the Hilton sisters, Siegfried & Roy

Q-J – Maverick, Oedipus Rex

Q-7 -- Computer Hand

Q-3 – A San Francisco Busboy (a queen with a trey – har har)

J-J – Jokers, hooks

J-9 – T.J. Cloutier.

J-5 – Jackson Five, Motown

10-5 – Five and dime

10-2 – Doyle Brunson. (He won two World Series of Poker titles with this hand.)

9-9 – Meat hooks

8-8 – Snowmen, Octopuses

7-7 – Hockey Sticks, walking Sticks

7-2 – The Hammer

5-5 – Nickels, presto, speed limit

5-4 – Jesse James, for his Colt .45

4-4 -- Sailboats

2-2 -- Ducks

Basic Poker Tells

2010-04-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

One of the key skills most good poker players have is the ability to read their opponents at the table. That is why you hear so much about “poker tells.” A “tell” is any physical reaction, kind of behavior, or habit that gives (or tells) the other players information about your hand. If you learn the most common tells, you can not only watch your own behavior to make sure your body language isn’t telling all your secrets, but also watch for the habits and tics in the poker players you’re at the table with. If you can accurately read your opponent’s tells, you’ll make the right decisions against them more often and win more money.

Everyone has their own unique tics and tells, and it’s great to watch individuals and pick up on their unique tells. Luckily, there are also a few involuntary and common tells that you can watch for even the first time you sit down with someone. As a general rule, remember that when a player acts strong, he’s probably weak, and when a player acts weak, he's probably got a really strong hand.

Poker Tells that Say "I Have a Good Hand!"

* Acting Uninterested in a Hand While Still in It
This is usually a sign of a strong hand. The player is pretending that he’s not excited about his cards – but he is.

* Shaking Hands
During a hand, if you notice a player’s hands are shaking as she places her bet, she probably has gotten a really, really good hand. Perhaps the nuts.

* Rapid Breathing
Some players can control the shakes, but it's harder to control the automatic heart-racing that comes when you see pocket aces or hit the flop really hard. If you can see a player's chest visibly rising and falling, they have an excellent hand

* Sighing and Shrugging
If a player makes a show of sighing or shrugging, and says things like “Oh, I guess I’ll call,” or even “Why am I calling?” he probably is overacting and is trying to hide a big hand.

* Glancing at Chips After Looking at Hole Cards
When a player looks down and sees strong hole or pocket cards, she may glance over at her chips to see just how much she can bet.

Poker Tells that Say "I Have a Weak Hand!"

* Staring Down Other Players
If an opponent is staring you down, he’s trying to represent strength. Usually though, he has a weak hand – he might have something, but it’s something that can be beaten or drawn out on.

* Holding Breath
Often, inexperienced players will hold their breath if they are bluffing.

Poker Tells that Say "I Have a Drawing Hand."

* Checking Hole Cards After a Flop
If the flop shows the possibility of giving someone a flush or straight draw, watch for people re-checking their hole cards. They’re checking to see if they have a piece of it – whether that black Ace was a spade or a club. The player doesn’t have the flush or straight at that point, because if they did, they wouldn’t have to check, but she is seeing if she has a draw to it.

* Taking a Long Time Before Calling a Bet
If a player looks into the pot and seems to be doing some calculating in his head, he probably is. He’s most likely figuring out the pot odds to see if it’s worth it to try and catch the cards he needs to complete his drawing hand.

A final note: more experienced players may give off false tells, so the first thing to read about other players is if they’re novices or pros.

Top 10 Best Hold'em Poker Hands

2010-04-12T02:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick guide to the ten best Texas Hold'em poker hands. If you start with any of these ten hands during Texas Hold'em, you are in excellent shape.

For a more detailed guide to which hands to hold and which to fold, read Texas Hold'em Starting Hand Selection.

1. Ace-Ace
This is the best Hold'em poker hand you can hope to have. It's the best of the best, and will win more than any other hand. Also known as American Airlines, pocket rockets, and bullets.

2. King-King
This 2nd-best hold'em hand is still incredibly strong and will win you a good chunk of change. Two kings, or "cowboys" are only dominated by aces.

3. Queen-Queen
Two queens, or "ladies" are a very good hand. Sure, kings and aces will beat you, but you've got the upper hand on jacks and below.

4. Ace-King
Ace-king is a strong but tricky hand. It is the strongest of the drawing hands, but the flop needs to work with you to give you a pair of aces or kings for it to really pay off. Suited it is slightly stronger than unsuited, as then you can also make the nut flush much more easily.

5. Jack-Jack
A pair of jacks, ten-handed, will win almost 20% of the time. If the flop shows a queen, king, or ace, watch out, but otherwise, it's smooth sailing.

6. Ace-Queen
Ace-queen is the second best drawing hand, and when suited, will win about 20% of the time as well.

7. King-Queen
King-queen, especially suited, is a great drawing hand that is only afraid of an Ace falling on the board.

8. Ace-Jack
Ace-jack is another great drawing hand. Suited is always better here, but unsuited is still playable.

9. King-Jack
King-jack, especially in later positions, is a fine hand to play, but can be beat by any of the hands listed above and should be folded to big raises. Statistically, suited it will win just under 19% of the time, but unsuited that drops to just 15%.

10. Ace-Ten
Ace-ten is still a good hand -- you've got the ace, and can make a straight if the miracle J-Q-K falls on the board. But be wary of playing it too strong, especially unsuited, as if all you end up with is a pair of aces, you may be out-kicked.

Top 10 Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em

2010-04-05T01:53:00.000-07:00

Sure, you know that a pair of aces are the best hand in Texas Hold'em, but do you know the worst starting hands? Knowing that these hands are almost-always-fold'em hands in hold'em is just as important to improving your poker game and not playing like a donkey.

Some of these "worst hands" are bad in the same way and will lose at about the same rate, so I've called them ties, even when one is a slightly better hand.

1) 2-7
7-2 off suit is considered the worst hand in Texas Hold'em. They are the lowest two cards you can have that cannot make a straight (there's 4 cards between 2 and 7). Even if they are suited, they will make you a very low flush, and if either pairs, it's an awfully low hand.

Because it is the worst, some players will play it for fun and in online games, it is known as "the hammer."

2) 2-8
This is the same basic problem as above, only you've got an 8 instead of a 7. Still pretty bad for a high card. Suited or not, this is a fold'em hold'em hand.

3) Tie: 3-8 & 3-7
The 3 makes this hand able to beat the two above it, but with the 3-8 you still can't make a straight and the 3-7 still, well, just sucks.

4) 2-6
While if the board gives you a miracle flop of 3-4-5, you will have a straight, someone with a 6-7 will have a higher straight. If you get a flush, someone will probably have a higher flush. Against even 4 players, this hand will lose about 90% of the time. Not good odds.

5) Tie: 2-9, 3-9, & 4-9
The only thing these three hands have going for them over the hands above is the 9. If the 9 pairs, you'll have a middle pair that could still be beat by anyone holding pocket 10s, jacks, queens, kings, or aces, yet you might be fooled by a board filled with low cards into thinking you have the best hand and losing a lot of money. No straights can fill the gap between these cards, either. Beware.

6) 2-10
This hand has a legendary quality because Doyle Brunson captured two World Series of Poker Bracelets with it. But it's not a good hand -- Doyle Brunson is one of the all-time best in the game and unless you're a Texas road gambler who's logged thousands of hours at the table, you shouldn't try and win with the Doyle Brunson.

7) 5-9
Another hand people play because it's fun is the old 9 to 5, the "Dolly Parton." If you're playing to win, it's not a good idea to play hands because they have a funny name. That may be how you pick the winning horse in a race, but poker's a marathon, not a sprint, and over the long term there's no doubt this hand is a statistical loser.

8) Tie: 4-7, 4-8, 5-8, 3-6...
All these hands will rarely win, especially unsuited. Toss 'em. Just toss'em. Yes, even in the little blind. If you see two low cards in the hole, unless you're in the big blind and you can see the flop for free, fold.

9) Face card + low card, unsuited
One of the most common mistakes I see beginners make is that when they see any paint in their hand, they play it. J-2, Q-3, K-4 whatever -- and most of these hands are losers. They're junk that may win a few pots, but more often will lose you huge cash when you find the other player has a higher kicker and the winning hand.

10) Ace + low card, unsuited
This is another common beginner mistake, playing any ace. Again, it may win occasionally, and heads-up it's a fine hand, but at a table of 4 or more, this hand shouldn't be played if there's a raise in front of you. You're going to be outkicked a lot with Ace-little, and it's going to feel like a kick in the junk when the other player shows their higher ace.

Top 10 Poker Tips to Make You a Better Player & Improve Your Poker Game

2010-03-29T01:13:00.000-07:00

Want to become a better player, fast? Follow these 10 tips to boost your poker performance & profits. While geared to beginner players, there's poker tips that even seasoned pros should remind themselves of once in a while.

1. Don't Play Every Hand / Do Fold More
Probably the number one mistake beginning poker players make is that they play far too many hands. When you're just starting out playing poker, you want to play poker, and that means staying in hands that aren't very good just to be part of the action. But playing more doesn't mean winning more, it usually means losing more. If you find you're staying in half or more the hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade your starting hand requirements.

2. Don't Play Drunk
Countless nights have I sat across a table from someone & watched them get plastered silly and throw away their entire stack of chips. I've been that person too - and there are nights where you're just playing with friends for low stakes and it's more about the fun than the poker - but if you're in a casino, watch the alcohol. The truth is, while you may be more relaxed after 2 drinks, it may lead to you playing looser and less sharply, even if one's not 'drunk.'

3. Don't Bluff Just For Bluffing's Sake
A lot of beginner's understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but not exactly how. There's is NO rule that one must bluff a certain amount or at all during a poker game, but many players don't feel like they've won unless they've tried a poker bluff. Bluffs only work in certain situations & against certain people, and if you know a player always calls to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that player. It's better never to bluff than to bluff "just to bluff."

4. Don't Stay in a Hand Just Because You're Already In It
Another common mistake beginners make is to think that "Well, I've already put that much in the pot, I have to stay in now." Nope. You can't win a pot just by throwing money at it. There may be cases when pot odds warrant a call, but if you're sure you're beaten, and there's no way your hand can improve to be the best hand, you should fold right away. The money you've already put in the pot isn't yours anymore, and you can't get it back just by playing a hand all the way to the end.

5. Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Keep Someone Honest"
This one follows the last tip. I see a lot of players look at another player's final bet, look at the hand, & say "I know you've got me, but I have to keep you honest," as they throw in a final call. It may be worth it to see if a player really has the hand if you're not sure & you're gaining information that will help you later on, but if you really feel a player has the hand he's representing & you're beat, why give him another pile of your money? Those bets will add up over an evening.

6. Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad Mood
When you play poker, you shouldn't do it to escape from being depressed or having a really bad day. You start out on tilt -- playing emotionally, not rationally -- and you won't play your best. Likewise, if during a poker game, you lose a big hand or get sucked out on and feel yourself going on tilt, stand up & take a break until you feel calm later on. Fellow players will sense your mood & take advantage of it.

7. Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table
When you first start playing, it's enough just to remember how to play and pay attention to your own hand. But once you've got that down, it's incredibly important to look at what's going on at the table. In Texas Hold'em, figure out what the best possible hand would be to fit the flop. Make sure you notice flush & straight possibilities. In 7-card stud, pay attention to what's showing & what people have folded when you consider calling opponents.

8. Do Pay Attention to the Other Players
As you play, one of the single best things you can do is observe your opponents, even when you're not in a hand. If you know if one player always raises in a certain position, & another has a poker tell when he bluffs, & a 3rd folds to every re-raise, you can use that information to help you decide how to play against them. Once you know that player 3 always folds to a re-raise on a river, that's when you can bluff & steal a pot.

9. Don't Play at too High Limits
There are many reasons people move up to a higher limit game than they usually play. Good reasons like they've been winning consistently at a lower lever & are ready to move up, & bad reasons like the line is shorter for higher limits or you want to impress someone. Don't play at stakes that make you think about the actual money in terms of day-to-day life or with money you can't lose. Even if you had one super-good night at $2/4, resist the urge to play $5/10. The next tip explains more why.

10. Do Pick the Right Game for Your Skill Level & Bankroll
One of the reasons you shouldn't jump into a $5/10 game after winning a huge bunch of money at $2/4 is because as the stakes rise, so does the average skill level of the players sitting there. You want to be one of the best at the table, not the fish who sits down with sharks. If you're making stacks of money at a lower level game, why move? You're winning stacks of money. The swings up & down at higher limits are much bigger, and one big night's win won't last long at a high-stakes game.

Vietnamese poker players - Scotty Nguyen

2010-03-22T00:19:00.000-07:00

Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn (born October 28, 1962 in Nha Trang, Vietnam) is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Eventand the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship. This win also made him the first and currently only player to win both the WSOP Main Event and $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. events. He also stated that the only type of World Series of Poker event he has yet to win is 2-7 lowball. Nguyen is one of the most active players in professional poker today, and from 2000 to 2004 he finished in the money in more than 100 events.

Early life
Scotty Nguyen was born in Vietnam and came to America at the age of fourteen. He was expelled from school for spending too much time in underground poker games. Nguyen attended dealer school at the age of 21 and was employed at Harrah’s poker room. There he made about $150 a night and lost most of it playing $3–$6 stud. He described himself as a "fish" but wanted to gamble regardless.

His luck changed in 1985 when he was invited to Lake Tahoe to deal in a no-limit Hold’em tournament. He dealt all day and played cash games all night with the meager bankroll he brought with him. He built his bankroll to $7,000 and felt he was invincible. He returned to Las Vegas and gambled his bankroll up to $1,000,000. His name spread around Vegas and before he knew it he was playing poker with Johnny Chan, Puggy Pearson, and David Grey. He purchased a Chevrolet Camaro for $17,000, a Corvette for $21,000 and a condominium for $60,000 all in cash. He lived in Caesers palace and was winning $50,000 to $100,000 a night.

Bad habits plagued Nguyen as recreational use of marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol developed into full-scale addictions. After a bad losing streak he ended up going broke. Nguyen was sympathetically spared a room and $5,000 in cash.

Poker career

Nguyen had to rebuild his bankroll after losing his million. His next success came at the 1997 World Series of Poker where he won the $2,000 Omaha 8 or Better netting a profit of over $150,000. Unfortunately Nguyen blew this bankroll again and was completely broke shortly before the 1998 World Series of Poker. Nguyen had to play in a small satellite tournament which he did not even have enough money to buy into. Mike Matusow saw potential in Nguyen and decided to bankroll 1/3 of the buy in.

Nguyen is noted for playing with lots of emotion. He went on to win the 1998 World Series of Poker and split 1/3 of the winnings ($333,333) with Mike Matusow. On the final hand of the 1998 World Series of Poker's Main Event, a full house was dealt on the table (8♣ 9♦ 9♥ 8♥ 8♠). Nguyen made the memorable quote to his opponent Kevin McBride: "You call, it's gonna be all over baby!" McBride called, saying "I call. I play the board." Nguyen beat McBride with a better full house by holding 9♣ J♦. Nguyen's Main Event triumph in 1998 was followed immediately by tragedy—the very next day, one of his brothers was hit by a car back home in Vietnam, and killed. For this reason, Scotty does not wear his 1998 WSOP championship bracelet.

After making several World Poker Tour final tables, Nguyen eventually won a WPT event in January 2006, defeating Michael Mizrachi heads-up in the fourth season Gold Strike World Poker Open when his A♠ Q♠ made a flush against Mizrachi's A♣ J♦ on the very first hand of heads-up round. With this WPT victory, Scotty became one of only 5 people to win both the main event of the World Series of Poker and a World Poker Tour title. Nguyen earned a second place finish at the 2007 World Series of Poker in the seven card stud high low split eight or better event won by Eli Elezra. Scotty stated after the event that he hadn't played cash games in over two years because he enjoys a friendly environment which is difficult in serious cash games. Scotty also nearly made the final table of the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing in 11th place out of a field of 6,358 and earning $476,926.

At the 2008 $50,000 World Series of Poker H.O.R.S.E. event, Nguyen exhibited what many have considered objectionable, and even rule-breaking behavior. In the broadcast of the prestigious event, Nguyen was shown drinking numerous alcoholic beverages while swearing and scolding others at the final table, drawing criticism from commentators. Following the event, Nguyen issued an apology to his fans and stated that the event's editing depicted him unfairly. He also cited issues like exhaustion, frustration with the perceived gloating of Michael DeMichele, and pressure to succeed as reasons for his unconventional behavior. Nguyen later formally apologized to the fans in an interview, and said that he no longer blamed any other players for his behavior, and that there was no excuse for his behavior at the 2008 H.O.R.S.E. event.

In 2009, Nguyen won the inaugural LA Poker Classic $10,000 H.O.R.S.E World Championship at the Commerce Casino's annual LA Poker Classic Series. This 1st place finish earned him $339,743, and further cemented Nguyen's reputation as one of the greatest masters of all variations of fixed limit poker.

As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $10,700,000. Of those winnings, $4,727,717 have come at the WSOP. Nguyen has also made appearances on the Ultimate Blackjack Tour playing Elimination Blackjack. Nguyen also made an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in April 2004.

World Series of Poker bracelets
Bracelets summary
Year Tournament Prize (US$)
1997 $2,000 Omaha 8 or Better $156,959
1998 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship $1,000,000
2001 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha $178,480
2001 $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better $287,580
2008 $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship $1,989,120
Total $3,609,139

2009 Top Money Winner Phil Ivey

2010-03-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

Phillip D. "Phil" Ivey (born February 1, 1976) is an American professional poker player who has won seven World Series of Poker bracelets and one World Poker Tour title and appeared at eight World Poker Tour final tables.

After his runner up finish at the 2010 Aussie Millions 100K event Ivey is currently listed as first in the world among all-time money winners in tournament poker. Ivey is regarded by numerous poker observers and contemporaries as the best all-around player in the world today.

Personal life

Ivey was born in Riverside, California and moved to Absecon, New Jersey when he was three-months old.

Ivey resides in Las Vegas. In December 2009 Ivey and his wife, Luciaetta, filed a joint petition for divorce after seven years of marriage; which was granted on Dec 29, 2009.

Ivey is a Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and a Buffalo Bills fan and can often be seen wearing basketball jerseys. Ivey's hobbies include video games, prop betting and golf. He participated in the inaugural World Series of Golf, where he finished in third place.

Philanthropy

Ivey has given money to a number of charitable causes.In March of 2008 Ivey donated $50,000 to Empowered 2 Excel, a Las Vegas charity for underprivileged kids, and later that week created the Budding Ivey Foundation, a non-profit organization to continue the work of his grandfather, Leonard "Bud" Simmons. The foundation raised $260,000 (mostly for Empowered 2 Excel) at a July 3, 2008 charity poker tournament,and is also involved in children's literacy projects and programs to feed the homeless.

Career

Ivey first began to develop his poker skills by playing against co-workers at a New Brunswick, New Jersey telemarketing firm in the late 1990s. One of his nicknames, "No Home Jerome", stems from the ID card he secured to practice in Atlantic City in his teenage years.His other nickname is 'the Tiger Woods of Poker'.

World Series of Poker

Ivey's tournament accomplishments include winning three bracelets at the 2002 World Series of Poker, tying Phil Hellmuth Jr, Ted Forrest, Puggy Pearson, and Jeff Lisandro for most tournament wins in a single year. Ivey also has bracelets in Pot Limit Omaha from 2000 and 2005. In 2000, he was the first person to defeat Amarillo Slim heads-up at a WSOP final table. In addition to his seven World Series bracelets, Ivey has had great success in the WSOP Main Event. He placed in the top 25 four times between the 2002 and the 2009. Ivey finished 23rd in 2002, 10th in 2003, 20th in 2005 and 7th in 2009.

In 2009, Ivey won his 6th bracelet in the $2,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball Event of the 2009 WSOP. He defeated a field of 147 players to catch his bracelet. He won a very long heads-up battle against John Monette. He then proceeded to win another bracelet in the $2,500 1/2 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 1/2 Omaha Hi/Lo event besting a field of 376 people. He defeated Ming Lee heads-up. While winning the $2,500 1/2 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo - 1/2 Omaha Hi/Lo event he also managed to place 22nd in the $5000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight-or-better despite only playing during the breaks in the Stud/Omaha event.

Main Event finishes

Between 2002 and 2009, Ivey finished among the top 25 players in the Main Event four times, in fields ranging in size from 600 entrants to just under 7000.[citation needed] Ivey finished 10th in the 2003 WSOP Main Event (one place short of the final table), and 7th in 2009. In 2009 his A♣ K♠ lost to Darvin Moon's A♦ Q♠ when a queen paired Moon on the flop; he ended with winnings of $1,404,002.

Multiple Bracelet Winner

With seven World Series of Poker bracelets, Ivey is currently tied with Billy Baxter for the sixth most of all-time. Also, at age 33, he is the youngest player to ever win seven (Phil Hellmuth was 37). In addition, other than Johnny Moss, no other player has accumulated seven bracelets as quickly; it took Ivey only nine years from the time of his first bracelet to his seventh (Moss also took nine years).

Year Tournament Prize (US$)
2000 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha $195,000
2002 $2,500 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo $118,440
2002 $2,000 S.H.O.E. $107,540
2002 $1,500 7 Card Stud $132,000
2005 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha $635,603
2009 $2,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball $96,367
2009 $2,500 Omaha Hi/Lo / 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo $220,538

World Poker Tour

Ivey has also reached a record eight final tables on the World Poker Tour. He has lost several of these WPT events by being eliminated while holding the same starting hand each time, an ace and a queen. Eight out of the nine times Phil Ivey has cashed in a WPT event, he has also made the television final table. During the sixth season of the WPT in February 2008, Ivey made the final table at the LA Poker Classic at Commerce Casino that included Phil Hellmuth and Nam Le, eventually capturing the $1,596,000 first prize and putting an end to his streak of seven WPT final tables without a victory. Ivey has earned close to three million dollars in WPT cashes. Ivey made his debut on the European Poker Tour in Barcelona, September 2006. He came to the final table of nine as the chipleader, but he eventually came in second to Bjørn-Erik Glenne from Norway.

Other tournaments

In 2006, Ivey was enticed to London to participate in The London All Star Challenge of the inaugural European Poker Masters. Not only Europe's first-ever independent poker tour, the EPM boasted the best lineup of players ever seen in Europe. As one of the favorites, Ivey made it to the final table to finish seventh, and collected £6,700 ($12,534). In November 2005, Ivey won the $1,000,000 first prize at the Monte Carlo Millions tournament. Just one day after, Ivey took home another $600,000 for finishing first at "The FullTiltPoker.Net Invitational Live from Monte Carlo". His six opponents were (in reverse finishing order) Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Gus Hansen, Chris Ferguson, Dave Ulliott, and John Juanda.

As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $12,800,000. $4,865,010 of his total winnings have come from cashes at the WSOP.

Poker Etiquette

2010-03-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

The main reason we play poker is to have fun. Some texas holdem players argue that money is the actual motivation. I disagree because most people don't actually make money playing poker. Most people lose money. There are also other ways to make money, so why did we choose a risky game like poker to earn it? The answer is because poker is an enjoyable game.

Most of the time.

Every once in a while someone does something ignorant in a game that makes you want to pull your hair out. For instance, one of my pet peeves is when players don't put their highest-denomination chips in the front of their pile. Even worse though is when the guy to my right whispers, "You know what I had that last hand and actually folded?" Surprisingly, I still don't care after all the times it's been said. I used to think that was useful insight into a players preflop hand selection, but now I just cringe whenever a flop has a pair of twos and that guy shoots me that quick look of anticipation to let me know that he wants to tell me something after the hand is over. You had a two, huh? And folded it? Wow.

Here's TH-P's "Poker Etiquette" checklist. Please, everyone memorize it.

TOP FIVE NO-NO's

1. Do not reveal your cards while a hand is going on. While it's not against the rules (some places may give a penalty), it is at least a horrible breach of etiquette. If you were not folding, you're hand will be ruled dead. The problem is that it can give one player an advantage over another and potentially ruin a pot for someone. Even if it is an accident, you should be apologizing your ass off.

2. If you folded and your cards would have made a great hand on the flop, don't reel back in your chair or bang your hand off of the table or let your stupid jaw hang open, letting everyone know that you would have hit that flop. In fact, don't react to the cards on the board at all. Again, it can potentially ruin a pot by giving some players an advantage.

3. Don't be mean by criticizing an opponent's play, being verbally abusive to another player, or by being cocky about how good you are (or think you are). On the flip side, if someone has met those qualifications by talking directly to you, the best thing to do is just smile and agree. "Ya, I got lucky there", "I can see how I might've played that wrong", and "Oh ya, I've heard of you before, I was told to look out" are all acceptable comments that will hopefully end the discussion. Don't let the sarcasm show though.

4. Don't blame the dealer. Also, don't wing your cards at the dealer or not tip him as a result of previous bad beat. They really, actually, and truly have no control over what cards are dealt. They are just there to do their job and they deserve respect.

5. Do not talk about a hand when you aren't in it. Giving advice to a live player is actually against the rules in most places. Simply talking about the hand is also in very bad taste though. The players who are still in the hand don't want to have to listen to your noise pollution when they're trying to focus on the other live opponents. So shut yer mouth.

There are situations where a player who isn't in the hand can talk about the hand and it's universally okay.

One is in no limit when players go all-in and they are having problems counting chips and so is the dealer. Often players are flustered, having just made the biggest bet they could make and something goes wrong in the counting section of the brain. A player who doesn't have all their money at stake can often count much faster, so it is acceptable to speak up and declare their all-in.

Another instance is when a player does something like toss in an oversized chip and say "raise" but the nobody hears it and a few players call the previous bet before the bettor realizes that something went wrong. Before people start yelling, the dealer gets pissed, and the floor is called over, YOU should be the one to say that the bettor declared a raise. People are already angry at the bettor for not saying it loud enough, so they don't want to believe he actually said it. You as an unbiased third party seem a much more valid candidate to determine if the word "raise" was said than the person who said it.

Using a credit card to play online poker

2010-02-28T16:43:00.000-08:00

A question we are often asked by players new to online poker is whether it is safe to use a credit card to deposit to their account.

The short answer is yes. If you play at the online poker sites recommended by many player , your personal information like credit card numbers will always be safe and you should be able to make a deposit without any worries.

The poker rooms we recommend all use secure servers for financial transactions and are reputable companies with a long history of good customer service. Not only will your information be safe, but you can also be guaranteed of receiving your cashout if you have a win at the tables.

There are however some things you should know about using a credit card to play poker online.

Identity Verification

If you deposit to your account with a credit card, many online poker rooms will want to verify that you are authorized to charge the card being used. This is often not done immediately when you join a poker room, and may only be requested when you reach a certain deposit limit or if you attempt to cashout within a certain timeframe.

They will sometimes just want to give you a phone call or send a security code to your billing address. If they are performing a more thorough check they may ask you to send them copies of your Photo ID or a utility bill. It is best to co-operate with the poker room staff if they ask you to confirm your identity. They only do this sort of thing to ensure that you are authorized to charge the card being used in your account, and the information you provide is not used for any other purpose.

Any verification requirement should not be seen as an annoyance like some inexperienced players seem to think. These days we welcome this sort of request when we join a new poker room because it shows they take their site security seriously, and we should only be playing against players who are playing with their own money.
Blocked Transactions

For some unknown reason many banks have decided they should have the power to control how their customers spend their own money! Even though most online poker players would only ever be transferring $100 or less to their account to play, banks in some parts of the world automatically block these types of transactions. The worse thing is they will rarely even admit to doing it.

If you call the bank customer service department, or even speak to a teller in a branch they will usually tell you that the bank is not blocking any of your credit card transactions. This is because lower level bank staff are rarely informed of this practice, and also because credit card business is often outsourced to other banks and not directly controlled by the bank that you have an account with. The banks realise that public outrage would be high if everyone knew that they like to control where their customers spend money, so this practice is swept under the rug and not spoken about publicly often. In the online poker industry, these types of transactions are known as '7995' failures - 7995 being the ID code associated to online gambling merchants by credit card companies.

What can you do if your credit card won't work at your poker room of choice?

If you have your heart set on playing at another room, you could try a new credit card. There are many different types of credit cards available, from pre-paid cards to low interest and fee free offerings. Some will work online - not all are blocked.

Or probably our best suggestion is to use an online wallet as your payment solution. Online or 'E' wallets allow you to move funds between credit cards, bank accounts and online merchants, such as poker rooms and casinos.

There are just two more things you should understand if you are going to use a credit card to deposit to your online poker account.
No cashouts to credit cards

Something to remember if you do deposit with a credit card is that not many poker sites can offer you the ability to cashout any winnings back to your credit card. Credit cards are designed to be used for payments only and are not a full service banking product like an online wallet.

Some older sites, may be able to process cashouts to your VISA card as long as it is not issued in the United States. But the general rule is that this is not possible due to credit card company regulations. It used to be possible in the early days of online poker, but these days it is very rare.

About 50% of online poker players still use a credit card to deposit, so if you do deposit with a credit card, there will always be other ways to cashout your winnings, such as checks, bank transfers or online wallets.
The only risk - your PC!

There is one thing all internet users should remember when inputting any sort of personal or financial information online. Your own computer's security is the most important thing!

Make sure that you run regular spyware and anti-virus checks on your machine, and never respond to suspicious looking phishing emails asking for personal information. The most common type of online fraud is perpetrated by hackers and virus writers who use software planted on your PC to log keystrokes when you type information into online forms. Or they will create websites that are identical to a site such as your bank or credit card company and trick you into providing them when your personal information via an email.

The best way to ensure that your credit card information remains safe online is to make sure your own computer is secure, and only input personal info into trusted sites, such as online poker software, or websites that use secure encryption of your data.

Four Key Poker Skills

2010-02-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Poker sharks are commonly described as tight and aggressive: "These poker pros do not play many hands, but when they play them, they play them like they have the nuts."

That's a nice general description, but it doesn't say much. In my opinion, a solid poker player is one who has mastered the four key skills of poker.

Skill #1: Mathematics

• A solid poker player knows the general probabilities of the game. For example, they know that you have about 1 in 8.5 chance of hitting a set when holding a pocket pair, and that you have about a 1 in 3 chance of completing a flopped flush draw by the river.

• Good players understand the importance of outs. Outs are simply the number of cards that will improve your hand. Count your outs, multiply them by two, and add one, and that's roughly the percentage shot you have at hitting.

• Good players can figure out the pot odds. Knowing outs is meaningless unless it's translated into rational, calculated betting. Knowing you have a 20% chance of hitting, what do you do then? If you're not sure, check out our Pot Odds article.

• Math skills are the most basic knowledge; it's day-one reading. Anyone who doesn't understand these concepts should not play in a game for real money until they do.

Skill #2: Discipline

• Good poker players demand an advantage. What separates a winning poker player from a fish is that a fish does not expect to win, while a poker player does. A fish is happy playing craps, roulette, or the slots; he just hopes to get lucky. A poker player does not hope to get lucky. He just hopes others don't get lucky.

• Good poker players understand that a different game requires a different discipline. A disciplined no-limit player can be a foolish limit player and vice versa. For example, a disciplined limit hold'em player has solid preflop skills. When there is not much action preflop, he or she only plays the better hands. When a lot of people are limping in, he or she will make a loose call with a suited connector or other speculative hand.

• A disciplined player knows when to play and when to quit. He recognizes when he is on tilt and is aware when a game is too juicy to just quit while ahead.

• A disciplined player knows that he is not perfect. When a disciplined player makes a mistake, he learns. He does not blame others. He does not cry. He learns from the mistake and moves on.

Skill #3: Psychology

• A good player is not a self-centered player. He may be the biggest SOB you know. He may not care about anyone but himself, and he may enjoy stealing food from the poor. However, when a poker pro walks into a poker room, he always empathizes with his opponents. He tries to think what they think and understand the decisions they make and why they make them. The poker pro always tries to have an answer to these questions:

1. What does my opponent have?
2. What does my opponent think I have?
3. What does my opponent think I think he has?

• Knowing the answer to these questions is the first step, manipulating the answers is the second and more important step. Suppose that you have a pair of kings and your opponent has a pair of aces. If you both know what the other has, and you both know that you know what the other has, then why play a game of poker? A poker pro manipulates the answers to questions #2 and #3 by slowplaying, fastplaying, and bluffing in order to throw his opponent off.

• Good poker players know that psychology is much more important in a no-limit game than in a limit game. Limit games often turn into math battles, while no-limit games carry a strong psychology component. Thus, poker tells are much more important in no-limit games.

Skill #4: Understanding Risk vs. Reward

• Pot odds and demanding an advantage fall into this category. Poker players are willing to take a long-shot risk if the reward is high enough, but only if the expected return is higher than the risk.

• More importantly, they understand the risk-vs.-reward nature of the game outside of the actual poker room. They know how much bank they need to play, and how much money they need in reserve to cover other expenses in life.

• Good poker players understand they need to be more risk-averse with their overall bankroll than their stack at the table.

When you play in an individual game, you must value every chip equally at the table. You should only care about making correct plays. If you buy in for $10, you should be okay with taking a 52% chance of doubling up to $20 if it means a 48% chance of losing your $10.

However, you should be risk-averse with your overall bankroll. You need to have enough money so that any day at the tables will not affect your bankroll too much. If you worry too much about losing, then you will make mistakes at the table. You need to leave yourself with the chance to fight another day.

Table Position Terms

2010-01-31T19:38:00.001-08:00

Your position at a poker table is referred to by many different terms. There are five specific terms that are commonly used to describe a specific position in relation to the button, illustrated below.

"Dealer", "Dealer's Button", or "Button" - This is the best possible position as the player in the dealer's seat will be the last to act on the flop, turn, and river.

"Under the Gun" - This is the first player to take an action in the hand. This player will be to the left of the big blind. Being under the gun is considered to be the worst position in holdem. In its defense, it is a lousy position, but an under the gun player will actually have better position post-flop than the blinds.

"Big Blind" - This is the player to the left of the small blind unless the game is heads-up. See below.

"Small Blind" - This player is directly to the left of the dealer's button unless the game is heads-up. See below.

"Cutoff" - This is the player to the right of the button. It's called the cutoff because that position often "cuts off" the dealer's ability to steal blinds by betting.

It should be noted that when play is heads-up, the player on the button is the small blind and the other player is the big blind. The other unnamed positions are commonly referred to in relation to the dealer's button or the player under the gun, whichever is closer. The player to the left of the player under the gun might say he's "To the left of the gun" or "Under the gun plus one".

Another way that position is described is by the terms "early position", "middle position", and "late position". These terms are often abbreviated "EP", "MP", and "LP". Players in early position are some of the first to act in a betting round, like the player who is under the gun. "Late position" players are some of the last to act in a betting round, like the cutoff seat and the player on the button. "Middle position" is naturally the players in between. These terms are often used when the table is full with nine or ten players. Once play gets down to a few players, it can become confusing to describe what middle position actually is.

Hodlem Position

2010-01-31T19:34:00.000-08:00

Position is simply where you are sitting in relation to the dealer's button. In holdem and many other poker games, your position at the table is a big factor. The strength of your position comes from the fact that the betting goes in a clockwise fashion. In a favorable position you get to see how many other players react to their hands and whether they fold, bet, or call before you do. The poker phrase, "Position is power" comes from this simple idea.

There are many names associated with position to identify where players are sitting in relation to the dealer's button. Each particular position has its own strengths or weaknesses.

* The small blind has the worst position after the flop and must invest half a bet.
* The big blind invests an entire bet and similarly has a poor position.
* The player under the gun has the worst position preflop and a junk position afterwards.
* The button has the best position during any betting round.

If you aren't familiar with the above terms (small blind, button, under the gun), visit our page on position terms.

The importance of your position depends on many factors. For example, in no limit hold em, position is much more important than in limit hold'em. It is always better to be in an late position though, so it is important to identify what hands are generally playable in all positions.

For example, lets say you're under the gun. You have Queen-Ten, unsuited and decide to limp into the pot. The player to bet after you raises, and everyone but you folds.. Now you're in a jam. Chances are good that this player has a better hand than you. If they have any ace, king, or pocket pair, they are statistically better than you. You'd suspect that someone who raised has at least a hand like that. Now you can either call again and go into the flop as an underdog or you can fold and just give up a bet. What's worse is that if you call, you will be acting before this player for the rest of the hand. On the other hand, let's say you're on the button. You have Queen-Ten, unsuited and everybody folds to you. One option would be to fold and let the blinds fight it out. Another would be the just call and see what happens on the flop. Many players here would raise because you could steal the blinds and even if you didn't, you'd act after them for the remainder of the hand. Raising is only a viable option because of your favorable position.

Another notable factor is that position goes hand in hand with knowing the players directly around you. For example, an aggressive, blind-stealing player to the immediate right of a tight player usually results in the tight player's blinds getting stolen. For a discussion about the players to your left and right and how their style of play is affected by position, go to our page on opponents styles and position.

Being in late position with a good hand has major strengths over being early with a good hand. Early position raisers are assumed to have a good hand and it tends to scare players away. Early preflop raises can force the other players to call two bets at once (or more in the case of pot limit or no limit hold 'em) when there is nearly nothing in the pot worth fighting for. In late position, there may be players who have already called one bet. Those players only have to call one bet (in limit) with a little something already in the pot. So players in late position with a good hand have the ability to manipulate the pot size, which will make future bets easier to call in the upcoming betting rounds.

How obsenve opponent Cheating!!

2010-01-24T18:36:00.001-08:00

No, not on how to cheat. How to spot cheating. This will focus more on online cheating. If you were hoping for ideas on how to not be cheated in home games, go to our page on home game cheating. Otherwise, read on!...

Online texas holdem poker rooms are probably the safest place to play at right now. Did your mother ever tell you to "never trust a stranger"? Well, playing online limits the number of sneaky people you could potentially be dealing with. The dealer is a program. Programs don't cheat. You don't have to worry about any sort of illegal card handling. There are no "cards" online.

Many poker players refuse to play online becaue of a fear of "hackers". In fact there are websites that claim they can either "see their opponents' pocket cards" or "see the turn and river before they are dealt". You should know that most of these sites are total garbage and I'm only saying "most" for legal reasons. Please visit our online poker safety page for more information. The big instance of an online poker room having security problems opened the eyes of the operators and now top sites are now so excessively secure that it's almost wasteful. Not only is the technical security present but all the measures you'd expect in a brick-and-mortar casino.

The most common form of online cheating is player collusion. That's when two or more players reveal to each other what cards they hold. This form is more difficult to pull off in a live game, but playing online gives players the chance to have a fellow player on the phone with them, or sitting next to them at another computer.
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Fortunately most of these players are the ones who have no idea how to use that advantage. These two must coordinate well together, which takes practice. Online poker rooms not only look for telltale signs of collusion, but check to see if two players always play at the same table together. They would have to use "hit and run" tactics when using this form of cheating. Colluding players would have to hit up a high-limit table, then flee to another online poker room with their winnings and never look back.

To make a long story short, it is barely worth it to try it. But just in case, here are some things to look for...

1. A team of players who try to "steamroll" other players out of the game. This means reraising each other to make non-colluding players call multiple bets at once.

2. Players who never play fast preflop. That's the time to talk about what they hold. Watch whoever is under the gun and be mindful of reaction time.

3. A group of players who hike up bets by reraising with someone in between them. This gets the maximum amount of bets out of a third party. The alarm should really go off if one of those reraising players has a piss poor hand, or if one of them folds with one bet to go despite a massive pot. There's a time to bluff and a time to fold and most people have an idea when that is, so be on the lookout for players who exercise horrible judgement like that. Identify that person as a potential goldmine for yourself or a potential cheater.

Once again, it's VERY rare for someone to even attempt these sort of things. Still, never accuse anyone of cheating. Either contact the poker room's administrators or just get up and leave.

When To Bet in Texas Holdem

2010-01-24T18:30:00.000-08:00

A bet is a declaration that either:
a)"I have the best hand and I'll wager money on it" or
b)"You have a poor hand, and you will fold if you are forced to wager on it".

Typically, players are supposed to bet when they have a good hand. Players who don't have good hands are supposed to fold. Of course, if it was this simple, there would be no need for this page. You might as well wager on Tic-Tac-Toe. Most players play contrary to this idea, attempting to be a cunning or deceptive player. Don't fall into this trap when you are just learning to play.

Your betting strategy should be built upon this simple idea, but you must know when to stray and bet in situations when you otherwise wouldn't. Here are some situations you should start looking at to improve your game:
Example one: Blind-stealing

When you are in the dealer's position, and only you and the blinds are remaining in the game, a raise is often called "blind-stealing". This is because the blinds may fold, whereas if you didn't raise but simply called, the blinds would simply check. Its a good way to make a buck or two, but will never make you rich. Its more of a way to end the game fast and have a new hand dealt with more players (and more money).
Example two: The steal-raise

If you are last to act and all players have checked to you, betting to simply limit the number of players or take the pot is called a steal-raise. Don't use this exclusively, as better players will be onto you quickly and begin check-raising against your (most likely) poor hand. It is good to use a steal raise when you have an excellent drawing hand such as a nut flush draw. Players will tend to "check to the raiser". If you draw to your hand, you now have a larger pot to win. If you don't, you can always check, and hope the fifth card makes your hand.
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Example three: The check-raise

Check raising is checking to your opponent, with the intention of luring them to bet, so that you can raise them back. Your intention is to lure them into a false sense of security so that you can raise them and increase the pot (remember, after one bet is committed, its more likely they'll commit to two).
Example four: The opener

This reckless move is often done by people who bluff. It is when the person first to act raises, making all other players call two bets at once. Its inteniton is to limit the number of players. Basically, this move amounts to a backwards steal-raise. The effect will almost certainly cause many players to fold, but the ones remaining will either be equally aggressive or truly have a great hand. This is also known as betting for information. This tactic is best used with few players in on the hand.
Example five: Squeezing

Squeezing is a tactic only used in a short-handed game. It's betting when you have a good hand currently, and you suspect another player or players may be on a draw. For example, you have top pair with the best kicker. Chances are they won't make their draw (be it a straight or a flush draw, etc). Your goal is to limit their pot odds.

The above examples are just really examples of bets. If you are playing no limit or pot limit holdem, the whole thinking behind betting becomes radically different. Check our page on no limit betting for more.

Texas Holdem Odds Chart

2010-01-11T00:29:00.000-08:00

This chart shows the chances of making a hand on the turn, on the river, or both in Texas Holdem. Click any of the outs listed to get an example based on that specific number of outs. The chances may be displayed in percentage, probability, 1 in X, or X to 1 format (if that doesn't make sense, go to our odds explained page). Chances may also be displayed with 0 to 9 decimal places. Since these odds are based on outs, it's merely describes your chance for a card or cards to turn up based on the number of desired cards left and the number of cards left in the deck (47 or 46 for the turn and river). Most of the examples describe situations where you are not a lock to win, but explain the reasoning why that many outs is being assumed, based on the number of outs.

For pre-flop odds, go to our pre-flop odds calculator. We also have a wallpaper version of this chart for your convenience.

PreFlop Strategy in Texas Holdem

2010-01-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

Before you start betting like a madman when you get two eights in the pocket, you need to carefully consider all factors involved in solid preflop strategy.

The factors to consider are the number of players, how aggressive/passive the players at the table are, your bankroll, your position, and how much risk you are willing to entail.

Number of players: With 10 people in the game, it's much more likely that someone else has a strong hand in the pocket than in a short-handed game. Also, you'll need to be more cautious in larger games, as the chances of someone's preflop hand fitting the flop will be much better. More competition means stiffer competition.

How aggressive the players are: Assuming you've been playing with a few people for several hands, and you noticed some jackass is raising every hand preflop, you'll want to play tighter. Let the guy win the blinds (big deal) and nail him to the wall when you have a solid hand in the pocket preflop.

Your bankroll: If you have $2 left, you'll want to play extremely carefully and select one hand to bet on, hoping to get as many players involved as possible for a larger pot. You'll want to be all-in before the flop is dealt. On the flip-side, if you have $1000 at a $1/$2 table, you can take the high-risk, high-payout bets.

Your position: People in late position have the ability to influence the size of the pot much more than those in early position. This is especially true preflop.

Your tolerance for risk: Depending on your playing style, you may want to play more or less aggressively preflop. Players who shoot for larger pots, but don't mind a greater chance for losing a few hands will want to raise preflop, especially if they are in late position. Some players prefer to be as selective as possible preflop, grinding out a winning hand here or there. It really depends on your own style of play, and how you perceive the players around you.

You might also want to consider what cards you have in your hand. Naturally, AA is the best to start with. It helps if your hand is suited or if the cards are sequential in rank like a Seven and an Eight ("connected"). It's important to understand how your two cards hold up against other combinations of cards though.

The youngest WSOP Champion~ Joseph "Joe" Cada

2009-12-27T23:22:00.000-08:00

Joseph "Joe" Cada (b. November 18, 1987) is a poker player from Shelby Charter Township, Michigan, best known as the winner of the Main Event at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). By winning the Main Event at the age of 21, Cada surpassed Peter Eastgate as the youngest champion ever. Cada had two previous WSOP cashes, both in 2009. He is primarily an online poker player, with more than $500,000 in online tournament winnings at present.As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $8,550,000.

Career

Cada started playing online poker at about the age of 16. He twice staked accounts, but lost all the money in the accounts that he shared with his brother Jerome.His first online account was with PartyPoker. Although he was not legally able to play in casinos prior to age 21 in the United States, he could in Canada at age 19 and play online. After a brief sabbatical from the game subsequent to losing his money, he began to play at a casino in Windsor, Ontario across the Canadian border. He earned enough to enter contests in the Bahamas and Costa Rica. He is now a regular player who plays approximately 2,000 hands per day online at PokerStars under the User ID jcada99. Cada had been a professional poker player for six years at the time of his world championship. Between 2008 and the November Nine, Cada had earned $551,788 online. Prior to the tournament, he had a $150,000 downswing that necessitated him finding a financial backer for the WSOP. Professional poker financiers Eric Haber and Cliff Josephy paid his online fee in exchange for half of his winnings.

2009 World Series of Poker

At the 2009 World Series of Poker he had three in the money finishes (all in No limit Texas hold 'em): 64th in the 1,088-entrant June 5 — 7 Event 13, $2,500 No Limit Hold'em, which earned him $6,681; 17th in the 2,095-entrant June 16 — 18 Event 35, $1,500 No Limit Hold'em, which earned him $21,533; and 1st in the 6,494-entrant July 3 — 15, November 7 and November 9 Event 57 $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em, which earned him $8,546,435.

In the main event, Cada began the final table with the fifth largest chipstack. In the 122nd final table hand Cada's stack was reduced to 2,275,000 – enough for only four big blinds and about 1.2% of the combined total stack at play – due to calling Jeff Shulman's "all in" pre-flop with A♦ J♣ against A♣ K♥. No community cards hit either player, and Shulman was rewarded by his better high card. However, Cada eventually climbed back to 120.1 million before the last hand of the heads-up with Darvin Moon. His winning hand was 9♣ 9♦, which he got all-in pre-flop against Moon's Q♦ J♦. The board ran 8♣ 2♣ 7♠ K♥ 7♣. This hand was the 88th hand of heads-up play between Cada and Moon.

These three events account for his total cumulative career live event earnings of over $8.5 million. With the November 2009 victory, which occurred just over a week before his 22nd birthday, Cada supplanted Peter Eastgate, who won at age 22, as the youngest World Series of Poker Main Event champion. He was 340 days younger than Eastgate had been at the time of becoming world champion. Prior to his victory, Cada earned a $1 million contract with PokerStars that pays for all his hotels, travels, and some of his buy-ins.

Personal

Anne Cada, Joe's mother, is a blackjack card dealer at the MotorCity Casino.Cada has an older brother, Jerome. Cada's father, Jerry, was affected by the late-2000s recession when his automobile industry job was eliminated in a layoff. During the 2009 World Series of Poker's November Nine, dozens of Cada's fans wore t-shirts with Michigan Wolverines team colors (maize and blue) with the words, "PokerStars Michigan Joe Cada 'The Kid'" emblazoned across the front and Michigan baseball caps with "The Kid" on the back. In an interview in Time, Cada estimates he had about 100 friends in his cheering section. On Sundays, Cada hosts about fifteen friends to play online at his house.

In the Time interview, Cada expressed his thoughts on legislation related to the legality of gambling: "I support the right to play poker online. Poker isn't gambling. It's a hobby, an activity, a game. It's not about luck — it's about logic, decision-making, math. We all should be able to play poker on the Web if we want to, and I believe that making it illegal strips us of our rights. This is an important issue, and hopefully we'll see it resolved soon." Cada also plays indoor soccer.He is considering purchasing a second home in Las Vegas, Nevada and possibly opening a bar.

Famous Female Poker Player~~ Annie Duke

2009-12-16T23:54:00.001-08:00

How far would you go if you played at World Poker Tour for the first time? When Annie Duke made her first major public appearance in the poker scene, she showed the world that females can play poker too. Many years of experience with cards and competition made her last until 14th place, and a total of $70,000 richer.

Annie was born in Concord, New Hampshire and educated in the prestigious St. Paul's prep school. Feeling like she never fit in there, she matriculated at Columbia University and tried her luck in the big city. Following her parents steps, she decided to become a teacher, but instead, she ended up at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in cognitive psychology.

In 1991, she married her old friend Ben Duke and decided to leave everything behind, including the studies. She moved in with Ben and began playing poker at local poker rooms to pay the morgage on their very first home.

This is how her story began. Her first victory at World Poker Tour made the Dukes realize that they had to move to the city of gambling, Las Vegas. Since her big WPT debut in 1994, she has attended numerous events and even finished at 10th place in World Series of Poker 2000. Inspired by her success, online poker room signed a contract with Annie who became a spokesperson for the company (and still is).

In 2004, Annie Duke became a super poker celebrity after winning a $2,000,000 event in the inaugural World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions. A total of 10 players participated, including her own brother Howard Lederer, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey and more. Additionally, she won the 2004 State Poker Championship of California and tutored Ben Affleck, who came to win the State Poker Championship of California the year after that. Annie Duke appeared on the David Letterman show a few times, which boosted her career even further.

Annie Duke plays poker until today and is involved in numerous activities, owns a poker camp and participates in tournaments.

Quotes
Annie Duke: By limiting your losses to 30 big bets, you are effectively minimizing the time you spend playing with a poor table image, playing passively, or steaming at the table and maximizing the amount of time you spend playing your A-game. If you don't go beyond 30 big bets, you won't dump off large sums when you are playing poorly or are in a bad game. Loss limiting acts as an objective stop-gap.

Annie Duke: My two daughters are now engaged in a scribbling rivalry.

Annie Duke: DD Tournament Poker is a great game for introducing people to the world of Texas Hold'em poker. One of the biggest challenges for new players is to learn the game at their own pace without risking any money. DD Tournament Poker solves this problem by allowing novice and intermediate players to play against savvy computer opponents and to develop a solid understanding of the game before venturing into cash games.

Poker Bluffing

2009-12-06T12:11:00.001-08:00

What is Poker bluffing?

A Poker bluff is when you act - by betting or raising, or making others do so - according to a hand you want others to think is better than what it really is.

Most people consider Poker bluffing a key moment in the game, perhaps due to several films made in which a Poker table is featured with hotshot players making poker faces at each other and ravaging the pot with a weak hand in the end. It is true that bluffing is important in a Poker match. When a Poker bluff is successful, especially if the pot is high, nothing beats the agitation around a Poker table during the hand showdown. Fortunes have been won and lost with a few good bluffs. Never forget, however, miracles do not take part in this game, and the winning element in a Poker game is playing the right hands and being in the right Poker position.

Bluffing in Poker is a deceptive move, along with its counterpart, slowplaying. If slowplaying implies you have a weak hand when, in reality, you have a strong one; Poker bluffing suggests the opposite. Poker is all about manoeuvring your hand and your capacity to deceive your opponent into playing according to what he thinks you have. If you succeed in making him take a false move based on what you led him to believe, you are doing things right.

What is the right way of bluffing in Poker?

A player who never bluffs in Poker cannot expect to win quite as much (or have quite as much fun) as one who bluffs just the right amount of times at the right moment. On the other hand, most novice Poker players tend to bluff too much, not considering the stakes and sometimes foolishly wasting real Poker bluffing opportunities (along with all their money). When and how much to bluff is a mastered art that comes only with playing experience and a lot of casino Poker observation. It helps if you adapt your play to your Poker opponents.

Poker bluffing can become a reputation attached to a certain Poker player. Players known to bluff much will get more calls and this can work in their advantage if they play their cards right. It follows that Poker bluffing - or the thought that you might be bluffing on a given Poker match - is a perfect way of keeping your opponent on the edge of his seat, never knowing what to really expect. If you bluff occasionally, not only the other players are led into thinking you have a good hand when you do not, as you may cover your good hands when you indeed have them.

As in everything, the key is to balance the Poker bluffing frequency. Bluffing, in order to be effective, has to be done the right amount of times, at the right moment, in a random way. Otherwise, you lose the opportunity to win much more. The good Poker bluffer keeps his adversaries guessing, forcing them into making difficult decisions based on what they think your hand is - and making false moves, like raises or calls, accordingly.

Some of the best online casinos kept the Poker bluffing element alive. You can practice your Poker bluffing skills in our selected online Poker rooms and try to get the best out of your Poker strategy.

Poker Legend Player ~ Amarillo Slim

2009-11-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. (born December 31, 1928 in Johnson, Arkansas), known as Amarillo Slim, is a professional gambler, famous for his poker skills and proposition bets. He won the main event at the 1972 World Series of Poker. He has been a member of the Poker Hall of Fame since 1992.

Poker career
Before becoming a well-known tournament player, Preston was a rounder, touring the United States looking for gambling action along with Doyle Brunson and Sailor Roberts.
Following his WSOP victory he appeared on several talk shows, including The Tonight Show, and had a bit part in the 1974 Robert Altman movie California Split.[2] He appeared on I've Got a Secret, where his secret involved losing $190,000 in one night of poker.
As of 2008[update], Preston has a total of four WSOP bracelets, including two in Omaha, with his most recent WSOP win in 1990. He has won over $590,000 in tournament play.

Super Bowl of Poker
In January/February 1980 Amarillo Slim hosted the Second Annual Poker Classic which became the second most prestigious poker tournament during its time. This series would eventually be called the Super Bowl of Poker and would continue until 1991. Gabe Kaplan became the first winner of this series and Stu Ungar won the title three times.

World Series of Poker bracelets
Year
Tournament
Prize (US$)
1972
$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship
$60,000
1974
$1,000 No Limit Hold'em
$11,100
1985
$5,000 Pot Limit Omaha
$85,000
1990
$5,000 Pot Limit Omaha
$142,000

Career as author
In 1973, Preston and Bill G. Cox authored Play Poker to Win, published by Grosset and Dunlap. a revised edition was published by HarperCollins in 2005 as Amarillo Slim's Play Poker to Win (ISBN 0060817550),
In May 2003, Preston published his autobiography Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People, where he revealed tales of playing poker with Larry Flynt, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon, among others. In addition to his poker exploits, in the book Preston gives vivid descriptions of his exploits in proposition betting.
In April 2007, Preston opened a website and released an E-Book All In: An E-guide To No Limit Texas Hold'em, by Amarillo Slim Preston with Brent Riley.

Movie starring Nicholas Cage
Preston's autobiography is the basis for a biopic under development by Nicolas Cage since 2004; Cage will reportedly play Preston. Though stalled for several years it was reported on January 3, 2009 by ThePlayr.com that the movie will be released in 2009.

Personal life
Preston is divorced, has three children, and currently resides in Amarillo, Texas. Preston was the best friend of casino owner Benny Binion; when Binion died in 1989, he left his horse to Preston.

Encounters with the law
Since 2003 Preston has had several encounters with the law, both as a convicted misdemeanant and as a robbery victim.

In August 2003, Preston was indicted on three charges of sexual assault with a 12-year-old family member. The charges were reduced to misdemeanor assault in a plea bargain and on February 10, 2004, he pled no contest to the reduced charges, receiving a $4,000 fine and two years deferred adjudication.

Early on the morning of October 4, 2006, Preston was approached on a street by a would-be robber. He sped away, but not before the gunman fired three bullets at his car. Preston was not injured.
On January 28, 2007, Preston was robbed at gunpoint in his own home.
On January 22, 2009, Preston was beaten and robbed in a field near the intersection of Interstate 40 and Soncy Road while attempting to collect a gambling debt.

1988 WSOP Champion Johnny Chan

2009-11-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

Johnny Chan (Traditional Chinese: 陳強尼), born in Guangzhou (Canton), China in 1957, now living in Las Vegas, Nevada) is a professional poker player.

Early life
Chan moved with his family in 1962 from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, then in 1968 to Phoenix, Arizona and later in 1973 to Houston, Texas where his family owned restaurants. He was going to continue in the family business, but when he was 16 he went on a junket to Las Vegas, Nevada. When he was 21, Chan dropped out of the University of Houston, where he was majoring in hotel and restaurant management, and moved to Las Vegas to become a professional gambler.

Poker tournaments
World Series of Poker

Chan attributes some of his early success to the fact that many players had not previously played against Asian players. He shot to fame in the late 1980s, winning the championship event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in two consecutive years (1987 and 1988). A videotape of the 1988 WSOP final heads up match is featured in the movie Rounders, in which Johnny Chan makes a cameo appearance. He almost won a third consecutive title, but finished in 2nd place in 1989 to Phil Hellmuth. He is the last player to win back-to-back WSOP Main Events, a feat many prognosticators think he could hold forever given the increasingly larger fields. Jerry Buss, an avid poker player and owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, promised Chan an NBA championship ring if he could win three in a row.

Chan is known for keeping a "lucky" orange in front of him on the table, and after the second consecutive WSOP title other players began bringing fruit to the table in hopes of increasing their luck. Chan says he only had an orange with him because of the pleasant scent, as smoking, which was allowed in many tournaments then, bothered him. Chan was once a smoker, but now he neither smokes nor drinks alcohol.

In 2005, Chan became the first player to win ten World Series of Poker titles, defeating Phil Laak in a Texas hold 'em event. He is currently tied with Doyle Brunson for second place with 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, behind Phil Hellmuth (11). He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2002.

In 2008, Chan cashed for the first time in the main event since 1992, earning $32,166 for his 329th place finish.

Poker Superstars

Chan competed in the $400,000 Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament in February 2005. He came back from only having $20,000 chips out of $3,200,000 in play to finish in second place to Gus Hansen. Chan later competed in Poker Superstars II during the summer of 2005. He defeated 22 of the best players to make it to the finals. Then he defeated Todd Brunson in the finals after three matches to win the $400,000 first prize. Chan appeared in Poker Superstars III where he made it as far as the semi finals but was defeated by Todd Brunson after three matches.

Poker After Dark

On NBC's late-night show Poker After Dark, a six-person $20,000 buy-in winner-takes-all tournament, Johnny Chan has the distinction of having the most victories to date with four wins in six appearances. He came in second and fifth when he did not win.

His appearances in which he made it to heads-up were:

* WSOP Champions - originally aired Jan. 15-20, 2007 - Won heads-up against Chris Moneymaker
* Golden Men - originally aired June 11-16, 2007 - Lost heads-up against Joe Hachem
* World Champions - originally aired Feb. 11-16, 2008 - Won heads-up against Phil Hellmuth
* International - originally aired Feb. 25-Mar. 1, 2008 - Won heads-up against Patrik Antonius
* Dream Table III - originally aired Mar. 23-27, 2009 - Won heads-up against Jennifer Tilly

Other tournaments

One of Chan's earliest victories in poker was in Bob Stupak's 1981 American Cup poker tournament. Johnny Chan made it to the final table, and defeated all 9 other players in less than an hour. After this feat, Stupak gave Chan the nickname, The Orient Express.

Chan has yet to make a final table on the World Poker Tour (WPT), despite playing in numerous events.

Chan also featured in the 2004 and 2005 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions events and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship in the same years.

As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $8,067,792.[1] His 42 WSOP cashes account for $4,241,448 of those winnings.[2]

Personal life

In addition to playing poker, Chan owns a fast-food franchise in the Las Vegas Stratosphere Hotel and is a consultant for various casinos and game makers. He has aspirations of opening his own casino. Chan has also written for Card Player magazine. He appeared in the first season of the GSN series High Stakes Poker.

In 2005, Chan collaborated with Mark Karowe to release Play Poker Like Johnny Chan (ISBN 1-933074-48-5), an instructional book on several different types of poker. On November 28, 2006, the follow-up titled: Million Dollar Hold'em: Winning Big in Limit Cash Games (ISBN 1-58042-200-4), which focuses on limit hold'em strategy, was released.

In 2007, Chan launched an online poker room, ChanPokerOnline.com. It closed in August 2008.

Chan wrote a regular article in the bi-monthly magazine Trader Monthly.

In Popular Culture

Johnny Chan was portrayed in 1998 film Rounders as himself. In a flashback, he's shown as having been bluffed by the main character Mike McDermott (Matt Damon).

13 Cards

2009-11-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

Chinese poker, also Pusoy (but not Pusoy Dos or Russian Poker), is a card game that has been played in the Asian community for many years. It has begun to gain popularity elsewhere because it has many features of an "exciting" gambling game:

The rules are simple—only a basic knowledge of poker hand rankings is needed to get started.
There is a large element of luck involved, therefore a beginner has a good chance of winning in the short term, even against experienced opponents. Poor players may not be so easily deterred by losses as they can more easily attribute bad results to their cards rather than their plays.
More advanced players can still apply enough strategy to the game to give themselves a significant advantage over poor players.
The game format results in frequent unexpected wins and high ranking hands.
Only a few players are required to play the game.

Gameplay

Chinese poker is typically played as a four-person game, though it can also be played with two or three.

Playing a hand

In Chinese Poker, each player receives a 13 card hand from a standard 52 card deck. Each player then has to divide his cards into three poker hands (known as "setting"): two containing five cards each (known as "the middle" and "the back"), and one containing three cards ("the front"); the back must be the highest ranking hand, and the front, the lowest ranking hand (note that straights and flushes do not count in the three card hand). The back hand is placed face down on the table in front of the player, then the middle hand is placed face down in front of the back hand, and the front hand is placed face down in front of the middle hand. After all the players have set their hands, each player will announce in turn (clockwise, starting from the left of the dealer) whether or not he is playing his hand. All players then announce their royalties, before revealing their hands.

Scoring

The stakes played for in Chinese poker are known as units: an amount of money agreed on before the game starts. Basic scoring rules dictate that a player collects one unit from each opponent whose front, middle or back hand is beaten by his own corresponding hand. Thus, unlike most poker games, being second-best at the table is good enough to win money. In some variants players are also paid an additional unit if they win in two or three of the hands. In other variants players only get an additional unit if they win all three hands (known as a scoop). Also, due to the head-to-head nature of the comparisons, it is possible for different players to play for different stakes. For example, A and B could play for $10/unit, while all other pairs play for $1/unit. Many variations of scoring are in common use; refer to the external links for more information.

The two most common scoring systems used in Casinos today are the 2-4 scoring method, and the 1-6 scoring method.

In the 2-4 method you receive 1 unit for each of the three hands you win, and 1 unit called the overall unit is awarded to the player who wins two out of the three hands, or all of the three hands. In the event of a tie in one of the hands, then no money is exchanged for this particular hand and one player either wins both of the other hands, and collects 3 units (1 for each hand, and 1 overall), or they each win one hand and no units are exchanged (each win 1 unit, and there is no overall).

In the 1-6 method you receive 1 unit for each of the three hands you win, and 3 bonus units (on top of the three for the hands) if you win all three hands.

Example

	Ivey	Gus	Winner
Front	6♠ 6♣ 4♥	A♥ K♦ Q♦	Ivey
Middle	10♦ 10♠ 9♣ Q♠ 8♣	9♥ 9♦ 5♥ 5♦ 4♣	Gus
Back	3♥ 3♦ 3♠ 2♥ 2♦	K♠ J♠ 9♠ 8♠ 7♠	Ivey

In the 2-4 method, Gus would pay Ivey two points. In the 1-6 method, Gus would pay Ivey one point.

Royalties

Royalties, or bonuses as they are sometimes called, are extra units that may be awarded to players with particularly strong hands. In some variants all royalties are worth the same amount (e.g. 1 unit per royalty). In other variants each royalty is given a different payout (e.g. 1 unit for a four of a kind in the back, and 2 units for a straight flush in the back). Sometimes only the winner may be awarded a royalty (e.g. four sevens in the back beats four sixes in the back, therefore only the player with sevens is awarded a royalty). In some games players are allowed to break up straight flushes or four of a kinds and still receive royalties (e.g. a player is dealt four sevens; he may use three of them for a three of a kind in the front, and one as part of a straight in the middle). Some rules say that players are only allowed to claim one royalty per hand.

Royalties must be declared prior to the revealing of the hands.

Some hands and combinations of hands that are commonly awarded royalties are listed:

Straight flush
Four of a kind
Full house or better in the middle
Three of a kind in the front

Naturals are special types of royalties where if dealt to a player, the player is rewarded immediately (prior to anyone surrendering), and the player does not set their hand.

Three straights
Three flushes
Six pairs (counting all three hands)
13 unique cards (i.e. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A)
No face cards or called "No People"

Mis-set Hand

If a player mis-sets his hand (e.g. he puts three of a kind in the front, but only two pair in the middle) then he must pay each of his opponents still in the hand (players who have not surrendered) an amount equal to being scooped. In some variations players are still required to play their hands.

Omaha High

2009-10-12T15:54:00.001-07:00

Omaha High is a type of community poker. Community poker games feature a number of cards that are dealt face up in front of the dealer. These cards are visible to all players, and all players share the cards. Players then use their own cards and the community cards to form a winning hand.

The variations of Omaha High at Poker.com are defined by their betting limits:

Limit Omaha High (there is a specified betting limit in each game and on each round of betting)
Pot Limit Omaha High (a player can bet what is in the pot)
No Limit Omaha High (a player can bet all of their chips at any time)

Basic Play

Blind Bets
Deal - each player is dealt 4 cards
First betting round
The Flop - the first three community cards are dealt
Second betting round
The Turn - the fourth community card is dealt
Third betting round
The River - the final community card is dealt
Final betting round
Showdown

The Dealer Button

Omaha High Poker uses a small disc called the "dealer button" to indicate the dealer of each hand. At a new table, the first player seated will get the dealer button. Once a hand is completed, the dealer button then moves clockwise to the next player. This ensures that each player has the chance of playing early or late and that every player gets a chance to post the "blind bets".

Note: During Single Table Tournaments the first player to get the dealer button is determined through a high card draw (each player is dealt one card; the player with the highest value card goes first. If two or more players have the same value card then they are ranked according to suit - high to low - spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs).

The Blind Bets

The player to the left of the dealer button is required to place the "small blind" (usually equal to half the lower stake) and the next player to the left is required to place the "big blind" (equal to the lower stake limit). Once the blind bets have been made, the cards are dealt and the next player to the left starts the first betting round.

Both the small and the big blinds are considered live bets and therefore the player has the option of checking, calling, raising or folding when the betting action comes back around to their position. After the flop and after each subsequent betting round, the first active player left of the button is first to act.

When a player sits down at an active table, they will be required to post the equivalent of the big blind. Also, to prevent "blinds" abuse, players are required to post the small blind and the big blind upon re-entry (returning from sitting out) to the game if both blinds are missed (only the big blind amount is posted as a live bet and the remainder is added directly to the pot). All players have the option of sitting out and waiting for the button to rotate to their position before starting to play.

The mandatory posting of the blind is in place to ensure fairness to all players; preventing players from constantly switching seats to gain a positional advantage, or from entering games in a late position and then leaving before they are required to post the big blind.

First Betting Round

Starting with the player to the left of the "big blind", they have the option to bet, raise or fold. All remaining players can then call, raise or fold. To "call" is to bet the same as the previous player. If the first player folds, then the next player will have the option to bet while the remaining players can call.

The bets in the first betting round are set at the lower limit of the stakes structure, so in a $10/$20 game the value of a bet is $10 while the raise is $20 (a raise includes a call of the previous bet plus an additional bet).

The Second Betting Round

After the flop (when the first 3 community cards have been dealt), the second betting round begins.

The first player to the left of the dealer button is the first to act (bet, raise, check or fold). Checking is to refrain from betting and is only available if no bet has yet been made in the betting round. Once a bet has been made, remaining players will only have the option to call, raise or fold. Like the first round, the second also limits the bets and raises to the lower limit of the stakes structure.

The Third Betting Round

The third betting round starts after the Turn (when the fourth community card has been dealt).

Once again, the player to the left of the dealer button begins the betting (bet, check or fold). However, this time the bets and raises are limited to the upper limit of the stakes structure. Each subsequent player can then call, check, raise or fold (a player can only check if no bet has been made).

The Final Betting Round

The final betting round happens after the River card (the final community card) has been dealt.

The player to the left of the dealer button can bet, check, raise or fold. Bets and raises are limited to the upper limit of the stakes structure. Remaining players can then call, check, raise or fold (a player can only check if no bet has been made).

The Showdown

Any remaining players must use 2 of their cards and 3 community cards to make their hand.

If two or more players have the same hand then the pot is split equally between them.

Betting Exceptions

In Limit Omaha High a maximum of four bets are allowed per player in a betting round - (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise and (4) cap. In No Limit and Pot Limit Omaha High the number of times a player can raise is not limited. However, a player can not raise themselves (if a player raises and then all the remaining players call or fold, then the player who raised would not get an option to raise because they were the last to raise).

A player is declared All-In if they do not have enough chips to call. This player is eligible for the portion of the pot to the point of their final bet.

All further bets by other players go to a "side pot" which any All-In players are excluded from

Continuation Betting

2009-10-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

The most profitable bluff in poker...

There are many aspects of Texas hold'em that need to be mastered to become a profitable poker player. Starting hand selection, betting, raising, check raising, slow playing, hand reading, and bluffing...just to name a few.

But there is one particular type of bluff that is absolutely necessary to master. It is the most frequently used, lowest risk, most profitable bluff in Hold'em. It is the Continuation bet.

The continuation bet, or "C-bet", allows you to use selective aggression to maintain control of a hand after the flop has hit. So how exactly does one do this?

Well, first you have to establish control, and this is done preflop. It's quite simple... raise your hand preflop rather than just calling the blinds. This generally allows the preflop raiser to establish control. Since you are communicating to the rest of your table that you have a strong hand, most other players will fold, or just call. By being the first to raise the pot preflop, you have established the lead, and are in control.

Now, since a non-paired hand will pair on the flop about 32% of the time, this means that 68% of the time, the flop will miss your hand...but it will also miss your opponents hand 68% of the time as well! So, this presents a great opportunity to bet a decent amount, knowing that your opponent will generally have missed the flop, it will be very hard for him to call and continue on with not even bottom pair.

This is really the magic of the continuation bet. Whether or not you make a hand on the flop, being the first to bet the flop will generally force a fold from your opponent, as long as you established the lead preflop.

So, once the flop hits and you are first to act, betting 1/2 - 2/3 the pot will generally take it down right there. This is small enough bet to preserve your stack, but large enough to give incorrect odds for calling most draws.

If you are last to act, and your opponents check to you, bet 1/2 - 2/3 the pot. It's the same as before, except in this hand you have position on them as well!

By establishing the lead preflop, you are saying you have a strong hand. Once the flop hits and you continuation bet, you are really telling your opponents, "I have a strong hand, and I will make you pay to see the next card, and possible pay all the way to the river".

Unless your opponent has a real hand (which they usually won't), you will take down the pot.

As usual in poker, it doesn't matter so much what hand you have...it matters more what hand your opponent has. The C-bet will force them to fold their frequently weak hand, even though yours is just as frequently weak. Remember, selective aggression forces players to give up pots...and to make a profit in poker, you need to win more than your fair share of pots!

And, as usual in poker, this strategy is an effective, but not perfect strategy. There are three situations when it loses effectiveness:

Many people see the flop. C-betting works best against 1 opponent, maybe 2. If 3 or more see the flop, you can be fairly sure someone hit something they like, and a 1/2 a pot bet won't force a fold.

The flop is very coordinated. Continuation betting works well when a flop is Ace, 8, 2 rainbow. It looks like you hit your Ace. But, if the flop is 9 of clubs, Ten of clubs, Jack of clubs, it is very likely that someone will stick around to see if the next card makes their straight or flush.

You have been C-betting, or bluffing a lot in general. If the rest of the table starts to see you as a bluffer, they will call you down with little more than Ace or King high sometimes.

I generally aim to C-bet about 75% - 80% of the time...which is just enough to bet most of my real hands, some of my small pocket pairs, some of my draws, and a few stone cold bluffs. this keeps opponents guessing, 100% c-betting is just asking someone to go to show down with you.

Like all things in poker, practice makes perfect. However, once you master the continuation bet, your will have a new tool to build up your chipstack with!

Table Statistics

2009-10-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

Regarding the statistics in the tables list, I think it's most important to remember to use the numbers for comparisons; i.e. once you've decided the game and limits at which you wish to play, the next step is to use the numbers to help decide which particular table is likely to be the most satisfactory / most profitable (not always the same thing).

Technically, of course, the three stats fairly simple to decipher:

Average pot size - total $ in all pots for the last "n" games / "n"

Players per flop - average for the last "n" games of number of players seeing the flop / number of players at the table

Hands per hour - total number of hands completed in a previous 60 minutes period

Note that some additional information is needed to help you optimize your play:

First, the "n" in the calculations would be helpful, although this is not generally available (although some poker sites publish this information on well-hidden web pages). The reason this can be important is that the "flavor" of a table can change rapidly online, and a fishpond can become a sharkpool before the averages change enough to warn you what you're getting into. However, we work with what we have.

The second factor that can really skew the averages is number of players AT the table. A 10-table with 3 players will naturally have a much higher H/hr rate than a full table, and will most likely have a higher PPF number as well (as most players will loosen their starting hand requirements with fewer competitors).

Finally, on the "techie" side, one would use the Average Pot Size (APS) figure together with the blind or limit size for that particular table to help decide how much bankroll will be "at risk". It's fairly typical, I think, to sit down at a limit table with 50x the big bet, and most sites seem to limit the buy-in for a NL table to 100x the big blind, so much of the decision here will be based on the table limits. However, once you know the total amount of money at the table, the APS number will give you a fair idea of how much is being committed to pots, and therefore a good feel for the post-flop aggressiveness of the players at the table.

Now, with all the math out of the way, I said earlier that "most satisfactory" and "most profitable" were not always the same thing. There will be times (many) when I sit down only to improve the bankroll balance. In these cases, I'll look for a game with a large number of players (8-9), a fairly high PPF number (depending on the site and the limits, this can be anywhere from 45% on up) and an APS of about 15x big blind (NL). This tells me, in general, that there are several players calling preflop, but who do not have the hands to support aggressive post-flop action. In these cases, playing premium hands, and with a little help on the flop, I can usually catch all the fish I can eat.

On the other hand, there are times when I really want to play against premium opponents, just for the enjoyment of the poker. While one usually has to go into the higher limits for this kind of action, some quality games can be found in the lower limits if you know how to look. Lower PPF is a great indicator that a table is tight early, and a lower APS on this kind of table lets you know that the players are also tight late, leaving the way clear for some delightful one-on-one action for late play.

As far as actually using the H/hr number, this is really only useful to me in the way that knowing the alcohol content of my drink is: the higher the number, the more I can feed the "action junkie" monkey. Again, this mainly depends on my mood for the evening.

So how do the table statistics make your poker game better? Like any other information in our sport of "using limited data to best effect" they are tools to assist in selecting the best game to achieve your objectives for the session. If by "better" you mean "more profitable", use them in one way; but if you mean "higher quality poker by playing higher quality opponents while minimizing your risk", then use them another.

Poker Chips

2009-10-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

The terms "Casino Grade Chips" and "Poker Chips" have different meanings in the Gaming Industry. Essentially, there are two classes of chips to be considered. The premier chip is the true casino grade chip and the other alternative is the low cost 'home game' chip.

Casino Grade chips are further divided into 2 categories; clay and clay composite. Both generally weigh between 9 and 10.5 grams.

The discerning or professional player considers clay chips the most desirous chips. These compression-molded chips are the standard for the vast majority of casinos worldwide. Both the composition of clay chips and their manufacturing process are highly guarded industry secrets. In addition, they are a very labor-intensive product. Both of these factors contribute to their higher cost. Clay chips are generally priced in excess of $1 per chip.

Home Poker Chips - From Left to Right - Full Clay Poker Chip, A Clay Composite Chip, 13 Gram 'Casino' Chip, 11.5 Gram 'Dice' Chip

The second casino grade chip is the clay composite chip. These chips are injection molded. Chipco and Kardwell are the two primary manufactures of this style chip and both firms manufacture their chips in the USA. NJ utilizes a 'natural' feeling substance, giving their chip a clay sound and feel while Chipco's chip is a more 'cold' ceramic material. The major advantage these chips have over their clay counterpart is their ability to accept full-face graphics.

Although the clay chip has been the industry standard for decades, the composite chip's popularity and use has grown significantly in the past few years. While there is no tangible difference in the quality of a clay chip versus a casino grade composite chip, the lower cost and graphic capability of the composite chip has seen its popularity grow within the casinos worldwide. NJ offers a "production line" chip to the public for the purpose of creating an affordable quality chip for the home user and is releasing a second more traditional "casino line" soon.

There is a third type of chip available for the home user. This is a composite chip manufactured in China. These low cost, multi-colored chips are made of PVC injected plastic over a metal slug and are produced specifically for the inexperienced and novice market. Cleverly marketed as "the heaviest (11.5 - 13 gram) casino chips on the market", these chips are not casino grade.

It is their metal core that makes them heavier than a casino grade product. Their mass production makes them widely available throughout the world at sometimes extremely low prices. This doesn't make them better. just heavier and cheaper and therefore not casino grade. This type of chip, although never recommended over a casino grade product, may be appropriate for the occasional player.

Whilst the clay chips and clay composite chips are generally more expensive (often 3 to 4 times more) I would suggest any regular poker player invest in a quality set as acquiring poker chips should be a once in a lifetime purchase. The cheaper Chinese chips are quite slippery, making them difficult to create high stacks and perform some chip tricks. From our experience casino grade quality (clay or clay composite) is the way to go! The usual set makeup is from 300-500 chips and are available from the following retailers.

Buying Poker Chips

2009-10-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

There are literally thousands of poker chip retailers online, but it is important to understand what you are buying. Our poker chips article explains the two main types and origins of the gaming chips that are for sale to home game players. If you are still uncertain whether to purchase the "cheap" Chinese chips or go all out and spend upwards of 5 - 10 times as much for a high quality clay poker chip set, then this poker chips guide should help.

Most respectable poker chip retailers will sell you a "sample" set of their chips before you commit to purchasing an entire set. If you do happen to get hold of some sample chips, use the following tests before making up your mind on what to buy.

Inlay Labels
Some chips (mostly custom chips) have a printed inlay or stick on label. Try to peel it off with your fingernail and then try a knife. Is it set into the chip or stuck on top of the chip, would a nervous fingernail pull it off during a game.

Does the print scratch off easily? Is there a clear layer that will come away with extended use? Dip one in water and then leave it out overnight, will it be ruined if someone's wet beer hand touches them? Are the labels in the center of the chip? If you have a full face label, does the design line up with the edge spots? Grab the knife and have a stab at the label, does it mark or scratch?

Hot Stamped Chips
Hot-stamped chips usually have gold text stamped on them, representing values or branding. Check to see if this rubs off or gets dirty when you rubs two chips together. Also try to scratch it off using your fingernail and a knife.

Edges
Some makes of poker chips have quite sharp, square edges, others have softer edges, and some chips, such as the Modern Clay, come with intentionally pre-rounded edges to give the chips that 'worn in' feeling. If you smash the chips edges against each other a few times to see if the edges mark or get dents. If they do mark and dent, it is probably the sign of a better quality clay chip however they should not mark so badly that the chip is mutilated. The "All In" clay chip is quite soft, if you push these together you can actually make a deep mark in the chip.

Stacking / Face Texture
It is hard to guage the stacking ability of a certain chip with only one or two of a specific style. Generally, clay chips stack a lot better than the cheaper plastic or composite chips. I was lucky enough to have tested certain types of chips before I bought mine. The cheaper Chinese plastic composite chips are stackable slip over very easily, where as the Nevada Jacks type clay composite you can stack 100 chips high or finger to finger horizontally with no problems.

Try that with even 15 of the plastic type and enjoy picking them up off the floor. If you are lucky enough to have a few of each chip, put them on top of each other and see how easily they slide off each other. If you cant tell by pushing them flat, hold on to the bottom chip, place another on top and slowly tip your chips on an angle till one slides off. This will also be influenced by the weight of the chip, so please be mindful of all elements when performing tests.

Scratch the chip
With another chip, your fingernail, and then a key or knife, try to scratch and then gouge the surface. The surface of the chip is made of clay, clay composite, ABS plastic, or a ceramic material. Note what instrument leaves a mark, note how easy or hard it was to scratch? Consider the look of chips that now have a contrasting color underneath. How will your chip set look after 100 hours of play? Would the scratch marks soften, fill with dirt or blend in over time?

Calculating Pot Odds

2009-10-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

The concept of pot odds is easy to learn and in my opinion is one of the most important concepts of playing winning poker, especially no limit hold'em.

It's simply, the relationship, expressed as a ratio, between the size of the bet you are making or calling, and the number of bets those bets in the pot. For example, if there is 12$ in the pot and you need to call a 3$ bet, you are getting 4:1 pot odds, expressed as 4:1.

To have good enough pot odds, generally you need to have better pot odds than your chance of winning the hand. So if you think you only have a 20% chance to win the hand, you should only play that hand if there is 5 times your bet or more in the pot. This is a risk/reward ratio - if you risk losing the bet, you need to have a big enough reward to make it affordable.

Pot odds can be used during different situations, including calling bets or drawing to a straight or flush. For example, if you need to call 5$ with a 25% chance to win a hand, there needs to be 4 or more times the size of your bet in the pot, or 20$.

BEFORE THE FLOP: especially when you are playing weaker hands trying to hit a flop, ex. suited connectors and small pairs, be aware if the pot is big enough for you to take a flop and try to hit your hand. To have good enough odds, generally you need to have better pot odds than your chance of winning the hand. So if you think you only have a 20% chance to win the hand, you should only play that hand if there is 5 times your bet or more in the pot. This is a risk/reward ratio - if you risk losing the bet, you need to have a big enough reward to make it affordable.

AFTER THE FLOP: This will mainly be applied when you are drawing to a hand, but the same rule applies, you must have better pot odds then your chance of winning, so it will be profitable in the long run if you hit. To apply this, you need to know how many outs you have, and what percentage this gives you to win the hand. Below is a chart drawing odds from a deck of 47 unseen cards.

Good players will also use these when defending the best hand. When you are playing with the best hand, especially against loose players, you can put in a bet that gives the player bad odds to call if you think he will play anyway, or if you want to just win the pot right away you can put an oversized bet in that is clearly not an affordable price to draw. This is just one of the ways that you can tilt pot odds in your favor.

Drawing odds from a deck of 47 unseen cards

Outs	2 Cards to Come	1 Card to come
20	67.5%	43.5%
19	65.0%	41.3%
18	62.4%	39.1%
17	59.8%	37.0%
16	57.0%	34.8%
15	54.1%	32.6%
14	51.2%	30.4%
14	51.2%	30.4%
14	51.2%	30.4%
13	48.1%	28.3%
12	45.0%	26.1%
11	41.7%	23.9%
10	38.4%	21.7%
9	35.0%	19.6%
8	31.5%	17.4%
7	27.8%	15.2%
6	24.1%	13.0%
5	20.4%	10.9%
4	16.5%	8.7%
3	12.5%	6.5%
2	8.4%	4.3%
1	4.3%	2.2%

BLUFFING: Pot odds must also be considered when bluffing. Over and Over again I have seen people bluff all in to attempt to steal the smaller blinds: an incredibly high risk for a very small reward. The mathematical rule for bluffing is that THE POT ODDS MUST BE GREATER THAN THE ODDS OF SUCCESSFULLY PULLING OFF THE BLUFF.

For example, if you estimate the odds of bluffing and winning at 1 in 5, then there must be more than 5 bets in the pot when you attempt the bluff. This means that you can bluff 1 10th the size of the pot and lose 9 times, and you win in the long run if you win the 10th time. HOWEVER, be careful when playing against bad players, who are often "un-bluffable". Make sure you consider that your chance of bluffing bad players is very small, and use this move scarcely.

As you can see, pot odds can make you a winning player in many aspects of the game, and it is essential to always be thinking about pot odds in the risk/reward game that is poker.

Poker Hands

2009-10-12T15:17:00.001-07:00

Winning Poker Hands, Texas Hold'em Poker Hand Ranks

When playing poker, sometimes the most frustrating part of the game is figuring out which hand outranks another at the poker table. Poker.com has placed the ranking of poker hands in a easy to read layout that is suitable for printing so that you are never wondering who is the winner of any poker hand at the table. We have included an illustrated example of each hand. The list is in order from strongest to weakest.

Royal Flush:
Five card sequence from 10 to the Ace in the same suit (10,J,Q,K,A).

Straight Flush:
Any five card sequence in the same suit. (eg. 8,9,10,J,Q and A, 2,3,4,5 of same suit). All the cards are of the same suit, and all are consecutive. Ranking between straights is determined by the value of the high end of the straight.

Four of a Kind: All four cards of the same index (eg. J,J,J,J).

Full House:
Three of a kind combined with a pair (eg. A,A,A,5,5). Ties on a full house are broken by the three of a kind, as you cannot have two equal sets of three of a kind in any single deck.

Flush:
Any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence. Don't be tricked into thinking that all five cards are the same color. The high card determines the winner if two or more people have a flush.

Straight:
Five cards in sequence, but not in the same suit. A straight cannot wrap, meaning it is not a straight if you have a Queen, King, Ace, Two, Three. The higher straight wins if two or more people have a straight. In case of straights that tie, the pot is split.

Three of a Kind:
Three cards of the same value. The highest set of three cards wins.

Two Pair:
Two seperate pairs (eg. 4,4,Q,Q). As usual the pair with the higher value is used to determine the winner of a tie.

Pair:
One pair of two equal value cards constitutes a pair.

High Card:
If no one has any of the above winning hands, the tie is determined by the highest value card in the hand. If the highest cards are a tie then the tie is broken by the second highest card. Suits are not used to break ties.

The history of Poker

2009-10-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

The history of Poker is thought to have evolved over more than ten centuries from various games, all involving the basic principals of ranked card or domino combinations and the use of ‘bluffing’ to deceive opponents.

One popular belief is that a game similar to poker was first invented by the Chinese sometime before 969 A.D, when The Emperor Mu-tsung is reported to have played "domino cards" with his wife on new years eve.

Egyptians in the 12th & 13th centuries are known to have used a form of playing cards, and in 16th century Persia “Ganjifa” or “Treasure Cards” were used for a variety of betting games. A Ganjifa deck consisted of 96 elaborate cards, often made of paper thin slices of ivory or precious wood. The Persians played “As Nas” which utilized 25 cards, rounds of betting and hierarchical hand rankings.

A French game named “Poque” and a German game named “Pochen” became very popular in the 17 & 18th centuries, both developed from the 16th century Spanish game called “Primero” which involved three cards being dealt to each player. Bluffing, or betting high stakes whilst holding poor cards to deceive opponents, was an integral part of the game. Primero dates back to 1526 and is often referred to as “poker’s mother” as it is the first confirmed version of a game directly related to modern day poker.

French colonials imported the game to the new world when they arrived in Canada. Their beloved poque was the national card game of France and from the beginning of the 18th century, when a hardy group of French-Canadian settlers founded New Orleans, it spread from the state of Louisiana up the Mississippi river and then throughout the whole country.

In 1834, Jonathan H. Green made one of the earliest written references to poker when in his writing he mentions rules to the "cheating game," being played on Mississippi riverboats. The Cheating Game" quickly began to supplant the popular cardsharp game of 3-card monte on the gambling circuit. Gamers embraced the new game as it was perceived as a more challenging and 'honest' gamble than the notoriously rigged 3-card game. Green took more than a passing interest in the new game and took it upon himself to formally name and document the 'Cheating Game' in his book 'An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling': Poker was born.

During the Wild West period of United States history, a saloon with a Poker table could be found in just about every town from coast to coast. It was extremely popular during the Civil War when the soldiers of both armies played. European influence of poker ended when the joker was introduced as a wild card in 1875.

In just over two centuries, poker has never looked back. Since its humble beginning on the banks of the Mississippi, the popularity of this widely played game has grown in leaps and bounds to evolve numerous variations and sub-variations.

There have been three games that have, in turn, dominated the modern poker scene:

5 Card Draw rose from relative obscurity during the American Civil War to the most popular game for almost a century.

Nevada made it a felony to run a betting game. However the Attorney General of California declared that draw poker was based upon skill and therefore the anti-gambling laws could not stop it. But stud poker was still deemed illegal as it was based solely on chance. With this decision, draw poker games developed and grew. This caused Nevada to reverse itself in 1931 and legalize casino gambling.
7 Card Stud then took over the throne shortly before WWII and maintained its position for about 40 years with the help of the new and thriving Las Vegas casino industry.
Texas Hold’em, christened the ‘cadillac of poker’ rose to promienence in the 1970's when it was featured as the title game in the World Series of Poker. Today, Texas Hold’em is indisputably the most frequently played and most popular poker game in the world, played in casinos and on home game tables the world over.

Other variations such as Omaha, Stud Poker, Manila, Draw Poker and Razz are also popular, but nothing can compete with the thrill of No Limit Texas Hold’em.

No Limit Texas Hold’em played at The World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour have been captivating American television audiences to the point that there are now made for TV events such as the National Heads Up Poker Championship and the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions being filmed especially for TV and shown in prime time.

Poker looks like it is here to stay and it’s popularity has never been as widespread nor growing as quickly as it is right now. With the wealth of poker information available online, and the relative ease of logging on and playing with other poker players from around the world, there is no time like the present to join the poker craze.

Poker Tournament--Texas Holdem

2009-09-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

First, the goal is to win everyone's chips and the tournament does not stop until someone does so.
You can win a LOT of money for a small initial buy-in. How much you ask? Well that depends on the tournament. It can be in the tens of thousands though. Once all players are registered, the pay off amounts are usually listed somewhere within the games.
You don't win any money unless you "place" in the top prize positions. Each tournament will list out what positions get paid. This varies depending on the type of tournament and the number of players.
Everyone starts with the same amount of chips. This is usually $1,000 to $1,500 in chips.
The blinds in a tournament change. When playing at a normal poker game, the blinds are constant. No matter how long you play, the blinds stay the same. In tournaments, the blinds increase to force action which eliminates players until there is one lef.
Tournaments have a buy-in and an entry fee. In a normal poker game, there are usually a minimum and maximum buy in amount.
The buy-in is the tournament prize pool, and the entryfee is the "casino" or "host" fee. For example, if you see a tournment with a $5.00 + $.50 buy in, $5.00 will go to the tournament prize pool and $.50 will go to the "casino" or online host hosting the tournament. The average fee the host takes is usually 10% of the prize pool fee.
A tournament can be played on a single table or multiple tables at one time. You will only play on one table at a time, but if there are more than 10 players in the tournament they will be playing at the same time on other tables. You may even be moved at random to another table as more players lose all their chips.
The great thing about tournaments? For a small buy-in, you can win a LOT of money, but you can only lose your initial buy-in. Try doing that in a normal poker game! Also, if you lose a big hand, you still have a chance to win your chips back. In a real poker game, when you lose chips, you lose real money immediately.

Types of Tournaments

Okay, now that we have a good idea of what tournaments are, lets look at the various types of tournaments and what might be the best for you to play in. We'll start with the least complicated types of tournaments and work our way up.

SIT-N-GO Tournaments

A sit-n-go tournament is the type of tournament where you sit down at the table with a small number of players and play until one person has all the chips.

These are ONE table tournaments.
Usually the top 2 positions pay for 6 player tournaments and top 3 for 10 player.
These are usually quick games lasting no longer than 30-45 minutes.
They are a great way to test your skills and win decent money for as little as $1.00 + $1.0 buy in.

FREEROLL Tournaments

These are a bit more complicated, but they're FREE*, so it's worth trying them out and reading the different nuances about them.

Freerolls are almost always multi table tournaments.
Freerolls that do not require a coupon to play usually have between 500-2000 players.
Of course they are free to enter, if you are lucky enough to register in time.
Some freerolls require a coupon to play. Usually if the freeroll prize pool is about $500 or more. You win coupons by playing "raked" hands.
These can be long games lasting 2-4 hours.
Freerolls aren't the best place to test your skills as much as they test your luck. When people play in a FREE tournament, they tend to play recklessly, but it's free, so go out there and have some fun!
Some freerolls pay out entries to bigger tournaments! More on that later.
Freerolls are usually free to enter, meaning you do not have to pay any actual money to enter them
Freerolls can require some type of coupon to enter.

GUARANTEED Tournaments

These tournaments are usually multi table tournaments with a GUARANTEED prize pool.

Prize pool is guaranteed to be a set MINIMUM amount. Ex. $500 Guaranteed Tourney means the prize pool will be a minumum of $500.
These tournaments vary in their buy-in structure, but can be as low as $1.00 + $10
They usually have a minimum of 50 players in order for the tournament to start and a maximum of 1000 players
The number of players depends on the number of entries
These tournaments vary in amount of time due to the random number of entries
Rebuys are usually not allowed
These are usually the best tournaments to buy into. Why? Well the prize pool is guaranteed for one. If 50 people buy into a $2.00 + $.20 $500 guaranteed tournament, the prize pool entries will only add up to $100. The host will be responsible for the other $400 in the prize pool.
With fewer players in the game, your chances are much better to win a bigger pay-off! Great for players of all levels for the lower buy-in amounts. Ex. a $500 guaranteed tournament pays $150 for first place which is a great pay-off for a $2.00 + $.20 entry fee.

FREEZEOUT Tournaments

These are tournaments which do not allow re-buys or add-ons. Basically, you can only play with the chips you started with and are out of the tournament when you lose them all.

$$$ Tournaments (Unguaranteed)

If you see a tournament with a buy in amount only, this means the tournament prize pool is determined exclusively based on the number of entrants.

RE-BUY / ADD-ON Tournaments

A re-buy is an opportunity to buy additional chips. You are only allowed to buy the initial amount of chips you started the tournament with, which is around $1,000 - $1,500. This is only allowed when you've lost all your chips. Instead of being out of the tournament permanantly, you can "re-buy" and start again with your initial amount of chips.

A Add-on is the same as a rebuy, occurs while you still have chips. Add-ons will only bring you up to the maximum chip amount you started with. For example, if you started with $1,000 in chips, and were down to $200, and re-buys were allowed, you could pay the tournament entry fee again and be brought up to $1,000 in chips, but nothing more.

The cost of the rebuy is the same amount you paid to start the tournament.
Some tournaments allow you a single rebuy or multiple rebuys.
The ability to rebuy during a tournament is usually limited by how long the tournament has been running. Usually re-buys are not allowed after an hour.
Expect to see players playing recklessly though since they know they can buy additional chips later.
Re-buy tournaments can have big pay offs as many players will take advantage of this option which adds more to the prize pool

SATELLITE Tournaments

These types of tournaments don't pay any actual money. When you play in a satellite tournament, you are playing for an entry into a larger tournament.

Satellites can be single or multi table tournaments
Entry fees can be free, as small as $1.00 + $.10 or in the hundreds of dollars
The top positions that win are given entries into a larger more expensive tournament.
Satellites are a great way to spend a small amount of money to enter a tournament with a much larger prize pool and entry fee.

Asian Card Games 亚洲牌馆 - ACG123

2009-09-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

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www.acg123.com 亚洲牌馆以客为尊，对他们的关照感恩不尽，将竭尽所能，与每一位会员个别建立亲密的互信关系。我们保证对每一个问题迅速作出人性化的回应和关心，而最重要的是，我们以客为尊。

www.acg123.com knows you will enjoy your Online Gaming experience with us but nonetheless we would always like to hear from you. Whether it's a complaint or praise, a question or a suggestion, PLEASE email us at Support@acg123.com any time and share your experience with us!

www.acg123.com 亚洲牌馆充分理解您对我们在连线游戏上的共同经验十分赞赏，不过我们还是希望聆听您的意见。不管是褒是贬，是问题还是建议，无论何时何刻，敬请电邮Support@acg123.com 亚洲牌馆，让我们分享您的经验。

ACG- Asian Card Games 亚洲牌馆

Butan Pacific Internet Solutions, SA and Chemvie Asia Pacific Pty. Ltd. pursuant to a joint venture (“ACG”) operate a fully licensed business and a government regulated online gaming website. ACG is an entertainment company in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations of the Republic of Costa Rica. ACG is fully licensed for the purpose of operating and running interactive online gaming. ACG is the owner and operator of the Asian Card Room which consists of Multi-player Interactive Games played on the Internet.

Butan Pacific Internet Solutions, SA与Chemvie Asia Pacific Pty. Ltd.是间拥有合法经营权与相关政府部门批准的网络游戏网站合资企业（“ACG” ）。ACG是一家遵守哥斯达黎加政府相关的法律与规则的娱乐公司。ACG 获得了经营互动式网络游戏的完全许可证与执照。ACG 完全拥有“亚洲牌馆”与其经营权。