Category Archives: Poker

How to Be Prepared For a Big Poker Tournament

It’s actually very easy to lose money in a poker tournament. That is exactly why many people lose money in these games. If you have managed to get an invite to play or a buy-in for a poker event, there are certain dos and don’ts that separate the winners from the cannon fodder.

Have the Money

Yes. Have more money than you are playing for. Tournaments impose massive pressure by themselves, so you do not need the pressure of knowing that your ability to pay bills depends on winning one specific tournament. Do not buy in with money you cannot afford to lose. That’s just the truth.

Be Prepared For Long Hours

Sometimes poker is an endurance game. Who has the mental fortitude to keep going when others are dropping their mental guard? Your mind is your weapon. Endeavour to stay sharp and comfortable. An easy way is to dress in layers. That way you will stay warmer if it’s cold, or shed some clothes when it gets warm. The other way to stay prepared for long tournaments is avoiding bathroom breaks. Limit your intake of liquids, especially cocktails that loosen up your mind. It’s advisable that you get to the venue early and go to the bathroom. That way, you won’t have to keep breaking because that can kill your concentration.

Provision for Your Cravings

If you like to chew, carry gum. If you like to fidget, have your little fidget tool with you. If you’re a smoker, have a substitute with you. These are especially useful where venues do not allow for people to smoke at the table. Make sure that you stay sharp. It’s all about having a settled mind and rational approach.With adequate preparation, you’ll be well on the road to success, and who knows, you could be the next poker star.

The Top Five Online Casino Games Today

Online casinos have literary taken over the gaming world today. A few decades ago, land casinos were the playgrounds for the affluent in society and only an exclusive few could access them. Today, with the onset of technology and the Internet, everyone has access to thousands of casino games. From slots to card games, anyone who has access can play their favourite game. Here is a list of some favourites:SlotsThis is one of the most famous and most popular. The game involves spinning a number of wheels, looking to get a winning combination. Slots have 3-, 5-, or 7-reel wheels that display several symbols.RouletteThis is also another prominent game and symbolic of the casino. It involves a large wheel with several numbers on it. A player is supposed guess the right combination of numbers on a spinning wheel. The roulette types are divided into the European, French, Russian and American. The rules are regulated depending on the game.KenoThis game works like the lottery. It is easy to learn and play. It resembles bingo in that it involves picking numbers. The player picks some numbers and then waits for the casino to make a draw. The winner is the one with the correct combination of drawn numbers.CrapsIt involves rolling dice, also called ‘bones’. It involves rolling a pair of dice across a table, the win dependent on which marks are seen face up.Sic BoThis is an Asian game where you roll three dice on the betting board and you predict the exact numbers the dice will show. Every bet provides a different amount of payout. The game is easy in person, and even easier online.

Your position at the Poker table is crucial. Here’s why!

You might not think it, but where you are positioned on a poker table is actually quite important. Here, we briefly explain why, and what the most/least advantageous positions are.The dealer has the most advantageous position and every other position is relative to the dealer’s. With each passing round, the dealer button moves clockwise around the table, and the other positions change with it. The dealer is the last player to act and, therefore, they have the advantage of seeing what other players have done before they make their decision. In other words, you can judge how confident they are by how they bid their hands.The two positions to the left of the dealer (small and big blinds) must bet regardless of the cards they have. Therefore, these are probably the least favorable positions to be in. The small blind usually stakes half of the full bet, but if their hand is poor, they can fold on their next time to limit their losses. The big blind has to stake a full bet. However, if you love to bluff, these are great positions to be in, as a big raise might scare others into folding.

Not Just About the Poker Face

Although poker is by far the most popularized casino game, there is more to the gaming house than that! In fact, Casinos offer a much wider array of tantalizing and delightful amusements, games and tourneys that can be equally, or even more, thrilling. Roulette, translating to little wheel in French, originates in the 18th Century and has an interesting history. Ultimately, the most basic set up comprises of a large wheel marked with red and black numerals, a spinning top which the dealer would spin, a ball, and a table denoting the numerals where players would place their bets. Players can bet on a single number, a range, the color black or red, odd or even numbers. Largely a game of chance, Roulette is a very adrenaline fueled game. It does however help to know the odds and the different betting options, as payouts are based on probability. Will the wheel of fortune be in your favor? Online casinos have become a big business and slots, archaically known as fruit machines, are to casinos what Pacman is to arcade games. These timeless classics have been around since the early 1900. Being essentially fully automated machines and single player at that, they were quick to gain popularity in the gambling halls. The ‘one-armed-bandits’ are operated very simply, that is by players inserting coins into the slot and turning it on with a tug of the leaver. Now slots are online, like these and most modern slot machines and video slots have introduced numerous pay lines which can be activated or deactivated per preference, allow players to set coin and bet values, as well as introducing some snazzy bonus features such as bonus games, jackpots or free spins. Last, but not least, the best part is that slots now come in so many more versatile themes than the tired old fruit box. These days they are fantasy-verses of their own, transporting you into a whole new world of gaming.

How about Your Blackjack Bust?

The famous Blackjack game, and the subject of the numerous card counting movies, stories and hushed whispers, has been around since the birth of de Cervantes ‘Don Quixote’ in 1605. The classic card game follows one simple rule which is to beat the dealer by getting 21 points or closest to the number without exceeding it, before he does. Players are dealt a hand of 2 each time, and add up the values of the cards accordingly. 2-10 are taken at face value, the Ace is a special that can represent 1 or 10 and the Jack, Queen and King stand for 10 points. The best hand one can get, also known as the natural is a 10-point card and an Ace. After being dealt 2 cards, players act, that is they may choose to stand (keep the given hand), hit (take more cards one at a time) or bust (getting over 21, thus loosing). Blackjack also has several side rules that players can take advantage of should they wish. These can only be used immediately after the deal and just once. The most widely used are: Insurance – if the dealers face up card is an ace, players bet on whether his hand is a Blackjack, the insurance cancels out the likely loss of bet, giving the chance to break even. Splitting – when getting two cards of the same value, the hand can be split in two and the dealer deals two additional cards and players play on two hands. Doubling down – doubling the original bet if the chance of a win is certain. Surrender – where players can choose to give up when being dealt a bad hand, and reclaim half their bet. For those of you who want to increase your chances of making more money while playing Blackjack click here. Ultimately, this bankers favorite is very much a game of chance, but can also become very interesting if the decks are not shuffled regularly, and players keep track of the cards played.

The Advantages of playing poker on your phone

With a mobile phone, there are two ways by which you can play your casino games. The first is through the browser, just like you can when playing on a laptop or PC. The second is through the game’s app. The app can be downloaded from the device’s app store. Gaming, and many other online activities, is moving towards the mobile phone, and there is a good reason for that. Here are some reasons why you should play games on your mobile phone rather than on PC or laptop.

Ease in Gameplay

Unlike PCs and laptops where games are controlled through a keyboard, touch pad, or mouse, the mobile game play is controlled by touch and titling. Try it out by playing poker on your phone since the mobile phone is designed to work even with a single hand. That means that for new games your learning curve is made easier and faster. Players who want to try new games don’t have to spend long hours learning the operation keys and memorizing moves.

Accessibility

There is a chance that you are reading this on your mobile phone. The phone is always within reach. And that is a big reason why you should game on it. Anytime you feel like playing a game, the game is within reach. You’re unlikely to pull out your laptop when in line at a coffee shop or restaurant. With mobile gaming, however, you can pull out your phone and win money while in line.

Safety

Anything that concerns money online should be considered a target for hackers. That is why many gaming companies invest a lot on their security. A phone app is considerably safer than a browser because apps are designed for one purpose. Consequently they can be easily secured. Gaming on your phone is easy and personal. Enjoy your gameplay, and be safe while doing it.

Learn to Play Poker

When people think of gambling and casinos, Poker is usually the game that pops into everyone’s mind, but do people know how to play it? For most people Poker is seen as a high risk intense game of bluff, and dare not attempt it except at home with friends.

However, the basics are simple, and when learned will allow more people to enjoy the fun of this exhilarating game, and when you’re ready to become a pro you’ll need to be master them along with hiding any ‘tell’ you might have. It also helps to get a kick start with a good casino bonus, every little helps.

Poker is a 52-card pack game, though recently there have been more variations that require two or sometimes even more packs. In fact, more and more the common gameplay involves two packs of cards in order to speed up the game. When dealing a hand of Poker, players are all given five cards in their hand. It is important to understand the value of the cards, and these are ranked high to low with Ace being both high and low depending on the need of the player.

The aim in poker is to gain the highest-ranking hand at the table. There are different hands that are obtainable and these are listed here from high to low: Five of a Kind, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, High Card. For most, the name is self-explanatory with some such as Full House (three of a kind and a pair) needing more explanation.

Play is simple; bets are taken at the start and placed in a central pot. At the end of each hand, the highest hand wins the pot. Some easy terms to use are ‘call’ where the player desires to see everyone’s hand, ‘raise’, where the player increases the bet, and ‘fold’, when a player drops out of that round of play.

How to play poker online

playing poker onlineOne of the most convenient aspects of playing poker online is that you can play it whenever and wherever you want. Remember to choose somewhere where you can play without outside distractions so you can focus on your strategy. These days, you can decide whether to play on your computer, your phone or on your tablet so you should be able to find the optimal environment.

Pick the casino

The first thing to do is to find a safe and reliable online casino or poker room in which to play. You can check for safety certification on the site and look up online reviews to get a feel for the place and see whether it’s right for you. You can also use the free games to hone your skills before you enter the money tournaments. The games vary according to skill level, the number of players and the buy-in, which is great because you can choose a game according to your budget and confidence level. Even if you are familiar with live poker, it can take a few games to adjust to playing on your screen.Another advantage online poker has over live games is that most online poker rooms and virtual casinos offer sign-up bonuses to new players: used wisely, these can be a valuable contribution to your bank roll and an important part of your strategy. Look up the site’s offers, terms and conditions to make sure that you can make the bonus work for you.

Learn the Game

Virtually every type of poker can be found online, but to give you an idea of that you will encounter, games include popular types such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha/8, Seven-Card Stud and five-Card Draw. Texas Hold’em is currently the most popular type, and it’s the one most commonly played at tournaments, so if you’re aiming to play big, it’s a good idea to brush up on this one.Once you’ve picked a poker room and created an account, you are ready to play. Start out by playing at a single table, while you get more comfortable with the game. The great thing about online poker is that you can play on multiple tables at once – but it’s best to work your way up.Remember to play smart and increase your chances of winning.