Enjoy game Enjoy dream---that is LIFE

Watch Your Opponents When Playing Poker

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:35:00 +0000

Watch your opponents closely. A lot of poker players after their game will tell what hand they had and what they were waiting for. Learn to take in such information as it will help you to know how all the player is likely to play. You also need to learn to reflect on what you say while at poker table. Make sure that you are not giving away much even if it is an after the game comment. Remember you are likely to play the same opponents sooner or later.

A good poker player will always be a step ahead of the opponents.

Poker is a lot about bluff and if you have been playing your hand right the chances of you getting caught bluffing is very little. Use bluff sensibly. It is important to play against the tide. If your opponents are playing a very loose game it is at such times that you need to tighten up your game. When your opponents are playing a very tight game play a loose hand. This approach will unsettle your opponents and give you an edge over them. As a player always remain unpredictable do not develop a routine to how you play, remember that others at the table will be observing you. Once in a while show your opponents the hand you have, call it quits saying you would not usually play with such a hand. The next time or in the next game continue to play with a similar hand and make the most of it.

What is Important in Poker

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:44:00 +0000

Poker is played for money. Money is how we keep score. But correct play is not judged by who wins the most money. Correct play is a matter of positive expectation on our actions -- and our actions include many more things than merely betting. I don't like to think in terms of "the best players" because that is basically meaningless. The best players though are the ones who play correctly. The best players are the ones who consistently get the best of it the best.

A player who could be or even should be a great winning player is not a great player if he makes losing choices. Circumstances dictate a player's ability. If the best Hold’em player in the world were to walk into a cardroom every day and only play stud, that person could be a poor, losing player, even though he could be more successful than anyone else if he made other choices.

Skill is not some mysterious ability that doesn't ever exist in actual reality. Skill is only skill when it is applied. Some folks who can be great players in some situations are complete fish in others. Some of the most talented poker players are dead busted because they in fact often play poker terribly.

Don't Let Your Mistakes Compound

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:47:00 +0000

The fewer bad decisions you make, the more successful you’ll be at poker…

Poker is a game of decisions. It doesn't matter if you're multi-tabling online or playing a single table live, you'll be put to the test often and every decision is important.

You are playing poker - by definition, you win money by making better decisions than your opponents. The fewer bad decisions you make, the more success you will have.

Mistakes are inevitable however. Nobody plays perfect poker, and even the best in the world make mistakes.

If nobody made mistakes, nobody would ever win in the long run. Everyone would just trade money back and forth playing perfect poker while slowly losing money to the rake. That's not my idea of fun. Mistakes are what fuel the poker economy.

So if even the best players in the world make mistakes, what makes them different from you or me?

Great poker players never let their mistakes compound. They take each decision independently and make the very best choice of action they possibly can, whereas when a new player makes a mistake, they often fall off the rails and allow their blunders to multiply.

Hand Reading Skills

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:15:00 +0000

In order to make fundamentally correct plays, it is important to have some idea about what you are up against. So how do you put your opponent on a hand? Simple: pay attention. Whether you are in the current poker hand or not, you need to pay attention to the action at all times in order to learn what your opponents’ tendencies are. By simply watching the aciton, you will likely be able to find the answers to the following questions:

On the Pre-flop
1. What hands will opponents raise with?
2. What hands will they call with?
3. Do they play conservatively or loosely from early position?
4. How often do they defend their blind to a raise?
5. Do they raise a lot of hands, or are they on the careful side?

On the Post-Flop
1. What type of hands will they check raise with?
2. Do they play draws aggressively or passively at a poker table?
3. Do they slow-play made hands?
4. Do they ever bluff in a poker game?
5. Do they fold often on the flop, or will they call all the way to the river?

These are ten questions that you will learn the answers to simply by paying attention and making mental notes. And the more you play, the better you will get at it.

Categorizing Your Opponents in No-Limit Hold’em

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:36:00 +0000

It is extremely important that you are able to assess the quality of your opponents’ play. You have to play very differently against strong players than you do against weaker ones. This is of crucial important in no-limit Hold’em.

There are many very good poker players failing to adjust their strategy when they are in a pot with a certain type of player.

For this the following two general rules can be the guide for us:

Against a low-grade player: You don’t try to get fancy when you are in a pot with a weak player and don’t try to make subtle moves that’ll be far beyond his capacity to understand or appreciate. In a word, you outplay him.

Against a higher-grade player: Sometimes you make an obvious play against a strong player---as you always would against a weak player---and other times you go at it another way and make a play that’s not so obvious. Most of the time, you have to put a play on or out-maneuver a strong player.

Of course, there are even very good players who know that that’s what they’re supposed to do, but knowing something and being able to execute it are two different things in poker games.

Poker Position in Texas Hold'em

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:13:00 +0000

Poker position in Texas Hold’em refers to the place you are in, on the poker table, in relation to the dealer button. The different table positioning, either early position, middle position or late position, can vastly influence the result of the Texas Hold’em poker.

Your poker position in Texas Hold’em largely influences how a player will play his hand, and this is why it is important to read about Texas Hold'em poker positioning as early in the game as possible.

Early position - This Texas Hold'em poker position includes the first five players seated after the button. When you play before the flop, if you call in early position, you are risking your money, without knowing how many players have raised. This means that because of lack of knowledge you might bet money on a weaker and losing hand, or decide not to bet on a hand that can win. In both cases the result is the same, you have a larger risk of losing money with early position.

Middle Position - This position consists of the next three players after the early position players. Middle position does give you information about how the rest of the players bet, but it is still not whole. In middle position there might be players in front of you, that haven’t played before, that can influence how you would play your hand, had you been positioned later on the table.

Late Position - This is where the button, and the player before the button, are situated, and is the best position in the game. With this Texas Hold'em poker position, the player is always the last to act, except on the first round of the pre-flop. This way, the button gets to see all the bets that are made before his is made, and thus he can take into account how the other players chose to bet, and then react accordingly. The person playing the button is switched whenever a new hand is drawn, so no players will be the sole beneficiaries of the position.

How to Play Poker Smart

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:18:00 +0000

Everyday there are thousands of beginning poker players joining us…

One of the most important things that you can do as a novice is to play every hand as smart as you can. Of course, that is easier said than done, but a smart poker player will beat a dumb one more times than not. What it takes to become a smart poker player?...

The good thing is that there are several steps that you can take in order to enhance your smarts as far as playing the game is concerned.

The first step to playing a smart poker is to know what you are doing before you ever sit down at poker table at the first time.

Another way to play it smart is to stick with your strategy every game that you play. It is never a good idea to attempt to make changes on the fly if you are new to the poker game.

Finally, playing smart means you never stop learning about how to play poker…
Remember the best poker player in the world use their brains as well as their skills to come out as a winner time and time again…

The Pros and Cons of Online Casino Gambling

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:11:00 +0000

There can be no debate that online casino gambling is a lot different than gambling in a physical casino. In some ways it is better and in some ways it is worse. Below are my pros and cons of online casino gambling, compared to gambling in a "real" casino.

The Pros

1. Online casino gambling is a competitive business and many casinos will offer a lot to get and keep your online casino gambling business. Many will offer sign-up bonuses to new customers and some will randomly deposit money in customer accounts and others will give away vacations for specified levels of total money bet.

2. The rules are usually better than in physical casino.

3. You don't have to travel long distances. The casino is in your own home.

4. You don't have to suffer real casino annoyances, like smokers.

The Cons

1. You have to be patient about getting your money after you cash out. In addition to waiting periods on the casino end there are also delays on the credit card end.

2. Customer service can be spotty depending on where you do your online casino gambling. Some places offer great service via e-mail and a toll-free number and others take several days to reply to an e-mail.

3. The player has no power or authority to turn to in the event of a dispute. Usually in the player agreement it says the casino can make up the rules as they go and in the event of a dispute the casino's word is final.

Basic Poker Terms

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:15:00 +0000

Language games are common in almost any endeavor. For instance, the field of medicine has their own terms that only members of their profession relate to. The same thing applies in casino games. Poker, in this case, also has its own terminologies that all players should be familiar with.

There are many basic poker terms by which a smooth poker game is ensured…

A "Buy-in" is the amount of money required before a poker player can sit in the poker table. If the buy-in is $10, all poker players must have $10 or pay this to the bank before they can sit at the poker table.

When playing poker in casinos, there is a minimal charge for the services rendered by the casino to poker players. This is called the rake. The rake is obtained from the poker pot. The poker pot is the collection of all bets made by all poker players in the poker table. The poker winner takes home the pot less the rake.

The flop in poker refers to the first three cards distributed to players. Flops are usually exposed all at once in any game of poker. The limp refers to poker players who bet before the flop. Poker players who equal the highest bid is called to make a "call." While poker players who "raise" must first "call" before allowed to make a raise.

For instance, the Poker highest bet is $5. The poker player "calls" and bets $5 before he can make a "raise" to, for instance, $10.

When a poker player concedes and accepts defeat, it is called a "fold". The poker player, obviously, loses all the chips he wagered in the pot. Poker players who have the best hand is called to possess the "nuts."

Understand all these basic terms and a fat poker profit is surely to you're your way…

Poker is Life

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:13:00 +0000

I love playing poker, sometimes win while sometimes lose, just like our life, sometimes happy and sometimes sad. Remember the movie “Forrest Gump” in which Gump’s mother said “Life is like a box of chocolate. You never know what you gonna get.”

In fact, sometimes life is also like a poker game. In every poker game there is a winner and there is a loser, but what separates the two isn’t just luck, it’s poker strategy. And to take it one step further, the same techniques you use in a poker tournament can be used to succeed in life.

The happiness in life is not based on winning at poker, while the winning at poker is based on the happiness of life.

The following three points are suitable both in poker and in life…Put on your poker face – you never want others to know what you are thinking. Just like in poker, the expressions on your face can give away your thoughts. In the real world if you seem desperate you are less likely to succeed, but if you seem confident you are more likely to succeed.

Look for tell signs – people unknowingly do things that give away what they’re thinking. Although you don’t want others to know what you are thinking, you want to study your opponents so you can figure out what they are thinking. By doing this you will have a better understanding of how to react to their actions so that you can benefit from them.

Place smart bets – if you have a shitty poker hand you probably want to fold. And if you have a royal flush you should go all in. The same goes in life because if the cards you are dealt suck, then you probably want to quit and call it a day.

Use your head – it may be difficult to count cards, but it isn’t difficult to learn from your mistakes. Don’t forget about the mistakes you made in the past or else you may make them again.

Read Your Poker Opponents

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:44:00 +0000

One of the most important things in poker is to get a correct read on what the opponent will do next, and thus to get an approximate idea of what he may be holding in the pocket. Knowing that, will allow you to take control of the game and make your will prevail.

It is a commonly accepted fact that a good poker player needs to manipulate his opponents. Keeping them in the dark and confused is by far not enough. You need opponents who know what they have to do all the time. If you’re barely able to keep them from getting a read on you, and keeping them confused takes up all your concentration, then you’re not doing something right.

In real poker, there are a myriad of ways to get reads on different players，such as body language and face. What about online poker? Do things work the same way there?

Playing and winning online poker is a science. It is both a skill and an art of mastering things that most players take for granted.

Online poker is quite different from real poker, as football is from rugby. Online poker provides players with a ‘mask’ they can hide behind, thus making the concealment of your bad poker face a child’s play. Unfortunately this whole deal works in both directions: it’ll be a lot tougher for you to get reads on opponents as well. This is the very reason why good real poker players turn out not to be such A-grade online players, and vice-versa.

Generally speaking, players who take longer to respond are in possession of a weak hand in online poker. Don’t ever stall if you intend to take a weak hand further. That’ll be a clear sign to your opponents that you’re in a predicament. On the other hand, you might want to take a bit longer before acting when you’re in possession of a monster.

Anyway, in poker, the sure way of winning is by showing down the best hand. This is true not only for casinos but for online as well. However, there a number of reasonable ways a smart player could increase his chances of winning. The sure way of acquiring winning poker skills is by checking out how players deal with their games and keeping in mind the right moves.

Know Your Texas Hold’em

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Are you a poker fan? Have you ever had the experience when you have no idea whether to call, fold or check? Let’s learn something together…

Wandering in Texas Hold’em and other poker games every day, play with winning and losing or appreciate other people with learning; many things have come into my mind…

Once you post your blind the money no longer belongs to you. So, don’t waste additional money on marginal hands and also don’t automatically call with the small blind if you have nothing. Saving a half bet will pay for your next small blind.

Deciding whether to continue playing after the flop will also be your big decision. It can also be one of the most costly decisions if you continue after the flop with an inferior poker hand. It is said that the flop defines your hand. Poker Author Shane Smith coined the phrase “Fit or Fold”. If the flop does not fit your hand by giving you top pair, or better or a straight or flush draw, then you should fold if there is a bet in front of you. If you played a small pair from late position and you do not flop a third one to make a set you should throw the pair away if there is a bet.

If you think you have the best hand after seeing the Turn card and are first to act, then go ahead and bet. Many poker players will try to get fancy and attempt to check raise in this position. If the other players also check, you have lost a bet or two. In low limit games the straight forward approach is usually the best as there are plenty of players who will call you. Make them pay. Why give them a free card if you don’t have to?

Poker Needs Secrets

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Playing poker has been a passion of mine for quite a long time and I have always enjoyed a variety of games. My favorites are Texas Hold’em, Speed Hold’em and Omaha, but I still also play Seven Card Stud. I treat poker games as entertainment while they also need secrets.

In poker, you often find yourself at a point of decision: it is your turn to take action but you don't know what to do. Should you call? Should you raise? Should you fold? You study the cards; you calculate your outs and your pot odds; you retrace the action of the hand; you ponder the chips on the table… Still, you have no idea what is your best move. You analyze the probabilities; you consider advice from poker books you've read; you look skyward for guidance. Yet you remain baffled. Your actions in situations like this determine your success as a poker player.

The secret is to figure out what your opponent don't want you to do and then do that. When you face an opponent in poker, he will always be worried about your particular action.

The secret is reliable---the reason is that the inner desires of your opponent are based on accurate information. He knows almost everything about the details of his poker hands and he does not need to speculate about those things as you do. Therefore, whatever he is thinking is based on factual information from his viewpoint. His thoughts, whatever they are, are rooted in his reality…

World Series of Poker

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0000

2009-new year has come and WSOP of 2009 is on its way. I am expecting the amazing time just like all of the other poker lovers.

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest set of poker tournaments in the world which is held in Las Vegas every year and it has consisted of 55 events since 2007. The winner of each event gets a World Series of Poker bracelet and a price based on the number of entrants.

The idea of a World Series of Poker began in 1969 with an event called the Texas Gambling Reunion, it was as an invitational event sponsored by Tom Moore of San Antonio, Texas, and held at the Holiday Hotel and Casino in Reno. The set of tournaments that the World Series of Poker (WSOP) would evolve into was the brainchild of Las Vegas casino owner and poker player Benny Binion.

WSOP is becoming more and more popular as the number of participants has grown almost every year and in recent years the growth has exploded…

The World Series of Poker of 2009 is coming nearer and nearer. Ask any poker player what their dream is and chances are it is to play in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. So, everybody, get ready to the WSOP of 2009…

Speed Hold’em---It is a Game for You

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:48:00 +0000

Today is special---the last day of 2008 in which everything should be special. So, let’s go to play a special game---Speed Hold’em!!!!!

Being a poker lover, are you interested in poker variations, aggression, challenges and passion? If so, Speed Hold’em is a game for you---It is a five handed, with a 10 second time clock. It is a poker players’ heaven where they are able to figure pot odds in a very very short time. Speed Hold’em is a perfect game where you can not only play more hands to challenge but also test your poker skills and luck so that you will become smarter.

More importantly, Speed Hold’em is so simple that if you can play Texas Hold’em, you can master it. In Speed Hold’em, players receive two down poker cards (pocket hole cards) as their personal poker hand, after which there is a round of betting. Three board cards (the flop) are turned simultaneously and another round of betting occurs. The next two board cards (turn and river) are turned one at a time, with a round of betting after each poker card.

The aim of the Speed Hold'em is to make the best possible five card hand, using any combination of hole cards and community cards to win the pot. A dealer button is used to indicate where the betting action starts. Except for using two blinds, it is also possible to play with one blind, an ante, or combination of blinds plus an ante. The challenge is of course the time---10 seconds, which means you have 10 seconds to calculate pot odds and to decide whether you want to play the hand or not. This not only adds to the fun but also make poker players bet, where they normally would fold!

Speed Hold’em is extremely stimulative which is really a game for you…

Poker Imagination on a Sleepless Night

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:38:00 +0000

Confusion in my mind these days with no reason, I even couldn’t fall asleep late at night. I can’t tell what I was always thinking about and maybe nothing. But who can tell me where my sleepiness is…

Lying down awake with all lights turning off, I began to play Texas Hold’em on my cell phone---sometimes I won and sometimes lost. No matter what, I kept silent to enjoy my own entertainment so that my roommate can’t be waken up. I suddenly realize that happiness is simple; even it can be gained from poker games. I still remember the love story of my cousin and his girlfriend should be attributed to poker…

I couldn’t help smiling because a thought comes into my mind that I am in deep happiness in fact---when I have a sleepless night, I have friends who can send me short messages and comfort me until I feel sleepy; when I want to have fun, I can concentrate myself to my favorite poker game; and also my dear parents and friends…I feel sweet and warm…

To be a simple and sweet girl---that will be always my dream…

To be an excellent poker player---that will be always my direction…

Baccarat

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:34:00 +0000

Have you ever heard of the “Gentleman’s game”? Right, it is the reputation of Baccarat which is a very popular casino game all over the world.

People believe that Baccarat has been introduced to France from Italy during the region of Charles VIII of France (1483-1498), which is similar to Faro and to Basset. There are three accepted variants of the game: baccarat chemin de fer (railway), baccarat banque (a deux tableaux) and punto banco (or North American baccarat).

Although being not very good at this casino game, I like playing it and I still remember when I was a kid I saw a film named “King of Gambler” (star by Andy Lau) which gave me a very deep impression, in which he mastered all the gambling tricks and at that time I really admired him…

The valuation of hands in Baccarat is quite different from other poker games like Texas Hold’em so we should pay special attention to it. In Baccarat, cards 2-9 are worth face value and 10’s and face cards (J Q K) are with zero, and Aces are worth 1 point. Players calculate their score by taking the sum of all cards modulo 10, meaning that after adding the value cards the tens digit is ignored.

Anyway, have a try then you will get everything of its essence…

Poker is Knowledge

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:34:00 +0000

Poker is a game but not that simple as it requires many kinds of knowledge that is quite different form what we have learnt in school. In fact, poker is full of competitions just like our life so that poker is a kind of knowledge.

To win in any kind of activity, such as poker game even our life, a player must obtain three kinds of knowledge: factual, tactical and strategic knowledge.

Factual knowledge refers to the basic concepts or rules of the competitive game which is sometimes gained by memorizing. If one is not familiar with the terminology of a competitive game, his goal of winning in it will be impossible. We can imagine how one can win in Texas Hold’em if he can’t distinguish the flop from the turn or the river and how a poker player win in a tournament if he has no idea what a royal flush looks like…

Tactical knowledge is composed of the different actions that are carried out by the player in order to achieve certain goals which can be acquired by practice. So, to gain all the needed tactical knowledge, the poker player must keep on playing.

Strategic knowledge is acquired when the poker player has already mastered the first two types of knowledge. When the poker player has strategic knowledge he sees the whole poker session, which can last for several hours, as one game. With a broader view, his actions are more directed and more planned.

For me, poker is not just a game but also a kind knowledge that teaches me a lot in my life. I will hold on to keep playing and keep learning…

Poker Jokes on Christmas

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 03:46:00 +0000

I spent Christmas Eve with friends last night and we really had a crazy night. We talked a lot during our relaxed time while the following three jokes relating to poker games that friends told me impressed me deeply because I was crazy about poker recently.

No.1---A brain surgeon receives a phone call from a colleague on a Saturday night. "We need another poker player for tonight" the friend says. "I'll be there right away!" the doctor replies with a sense of urgency. As he puts on his coat and makes his way out the door his wife asks him "Is it serious?" and the doctor replies "Oh, very! There are 3 other doctors already there!"

No.2---A homeless man asks another man for two dollars. The man says "Will you use the money to buy booze?" The homeless man replies "No sir, I don't drink." The man then asks "Will you use the money for gambling?" The homeless man replies "No sir, I don't gamble." So the man says "Do me a favor and come home with me. I want my wife to see what happens to a man who doesn't drink or gamble."

No.3---A woman walks into living room and sees her brother playing poker with their dog. "Wow!" she exclaimed, "You must have the smartest dog in the world!" and her brother replies "He's not all that smart. I've beaten him 3 out of 5 games so far."

Today is Christmas and everything should be special and full of joy…so let’s go to have a good time…Have fun!

Christmas Eve

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:20:00 +0000

I had a dream yesterday that Santa Claus came to join us on poker table and said, in essence, “I am about to give away a lot of money…” Over the course of next several hours, Santa Claus emptied thousands of thousands dollars out of his bag. At times, there were many players couldn’t believe their good fortune. For some players, the concept of Santa showing up and giving them a holiday gift just seemed...well, too good to be true. Santa even offered some sage advice to players “It's better to be good than lucky...because miracles usually happen on this table”…

When I woke up this morning, I was so happy that I can’t help enjoying the dream until now.

Tonight, on this 2008 Christmas Eve, there will be a lot of people who don’t have to work at all. Shall they enjoy the time sitting together with family members to chat and play poker games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha or Speed Hold’em just like me? Maybe… Children might be the happiest tonight who will be waiting for Santa Claus making his rounds giving gifts to good children.

Happy Holiday, everyone…

Pot-Limit Omaha

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:23:00 +0000

The past weekend for me was really like a nightmare although it was the Winter Solstice when people all over the country ate dumplings…I really want to forget everything happened yesterday and just concentrate myself on poker games.

Today I choose pot-limit Omaha which is a community card poker game similar to Texas Hold’em where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards. However, it is different from Texas Hold’em…

More people will see the flop in Omaha which also creates bigger pots, making your decisions on the flop even more crucial; players need a stronger hand to win at Omaha because the best hands are those that are made and hold additional value, like top set with a big draw in Omaha. Meanwhile, although position is very important in all forms of poker, it is less important in Omaha and it is usually the player holding the best hand that wins the pot…

I haven’t won in my game by far and I’m not sure whether it is because of my lost mood, but I will hold on…

7 Card Stud---Old Yet Popular

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:34:00 +0000

7 Card Stud, which is personally my favorite kind of poker, was the most popular poker variant in casinos of the eastern part of the United States and also home games all over this country before the popularity of Texas Hold’em.

It is one of the oldest forms of game which 2 to 8 players can play and the initial deal is two cards face down and one card up to each player. Position in this game is not that important as other poker game as the position can potentially change with each flip of a card. The first betting round starts with the highest hand showing or for the first round the high card. Then another card is dealt up and another betting round is repeated until there are four cards face up. Then a final card is dealt down and a final betting round held. The ranking of the hands are the same as regular poker except to take the five best cards out of the ones you are dealt.

7 Card Stud is much more complex and requires greater focus and discipline when playing it compared to Texas Hold’em. No matter what, be confident that you bet…

Speed Hold’em-----Time Limited Yet Fun Limitless

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:54:00 +0000

Texas Hold’em is one of my favorite poker games, while recently I’m introduced a new game named Speed Hold’em which is a kind of variant of Texas Hold’em whose difference lies in whether betting time is limited or not.

Actually, Speed Hold’em is a very fast poker game comparing to Texas Hold’em while it has many advantages. The most obvious one is that you don’t have to wait for a long time for the other players to take action so that you need not to wait and wait wasting your time. I really feel bad when I wait for a long time before. Meanwhile, when players are asked to play poker quickly, the weak poker players will make mistakes.

Similarly, in any time during the poker game the players can fold and get out of the hand. All bets will be lost at that point.

Speed Hold’em has really attracted me and I have gained more and more fun from it. So friends, don’t hesitate any more, let’s go together to have a try…

Barack Obama and Poker

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:22:00 +0000

We all know that recently Obama has become the focus of the world. But do you know even this new president plays poker games, just like you and me.

Barack Obama's triumph in the 2004 U.S. Senate race earned him a memorable send-off from his friends in the Illinois legislature they emptied his wallet in a take-no-prisoners night of poker games.
"We brought him down to earth real quick," said state Sen. Terry Link, chuckling at the memory.
Obama was a regular at the low-stakes games sometimes stud poker, sometimes draw designed to break up the tedium of long legislative sessions. Poker, beer and cigars were staples; Democrats and Republicans, lawmakers and even the lobbyists who Obama sometimes rails against dealt the cards and placed their bets.
The traits Obama displayed around the poker table those many nights are ones he brings to his presidential bid and are certain to be evident and analyzed if he wins the White House.
By his poker buddies' accounts, Obama is careful and focused. He's not easily distracted and doesn't give away his intentions unless it's to his advantage. He's not prone to taking risky chances, preferring to play it safe. But he's also serious and competitive: When he plays, he plays to win.
"It's a fun way for people to relax and share stories and give each other a hard time over friendly competition," Obama said by e-mail. "In Springfield, it was a way to get to know other senators including Republicans."
Obama, then a state senator, was a founding member of the group. He became known as a cautious player with a good poker face, someone who paid more attention to the game than to the chatter and laughter that accompanied it.
Obama studied the poker odds carefully, friends say. If he had strong cards, he'd play. If he didn't, he would fold rather than bet good money on the chance the right card would show up when he needed it.
That reputation meant that he often succeeded when he decided to bluff.
"When Barack stayed in, you pretty much figured he's got a good hand," said Larry Walsh, a former senator.
More than one lawmaker teased Obama about his careful style of play.
"I always used to kid him that the only fiscally conservative bone in his body I ever saw was at the poker table with his own money," said state Sen. Bill Brady, a Republican from the central Illinois city of Bloomington. "I said if he would be half as conservative with taxpayer dollars, the state would be a lot better off."

Choose Your Poker Games

lydiazhangjing@gmail.com (Lydia) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:28:00 +0000

As you know, there are many different poker variations and structures in which to play them. And in order to win in the poker games and have your fun, you need to select your own poker games online that fit your skills.
By far the most popular variation for cash games is fixed limit Texas Hold'em, closely followed by no-limit Texas Hold'em. Much less Texas Hold'em games are played in pot-limit style. Other games with decent volume in cash games are Omaha, mostly limit Omaha High-Low and pot-limit Omaha High. Next in popularity is limit Seven-Card-Stud and its High-Low version.
If you are a beginner we recommend that you start out by learning how to play fixed limit Texas Hold'em. This is an easy game in which to learn the basics and as mentioned before it is the most popular form of poker today. Almost all online poker rooms offer plenty micro-stakes limit Texas Hold'em, where you can get a lot of playing time for something like $30.
No-limit Texas Hold'em cash games are not suitable for beginners to play other than at the really low stakes. No-limit Texas Hold'em fits people with guts, aggressive style and good player reading skills. These are treats a beginner rarely displays from the start. Don't take this as advice not to play no-limit Texas Hold'em, but start out carefully and take advantage from playing in some poker tournaments as well. To succeed at higher stakes you will often need to be patient and cautions, play tricky and take calculated chances to break your opponents.
As we know that all short-handed games (6 players or less) have a higher skill factor, as more marginal hands need to be played, more tricks are used and aggression is an even more important element. As a beginner you should avoid these games. Maybe with the exception for players who just have no patience at all and who are real action junkies. Conversely, if you are a winning player who is good at reading opponents and comfortable playing aggressively you could benefit from going down from full ring games to short-handed games.
So be serious to select your own poker games online, and stick to some wise poker strategies to win your bucks~! Have fun~!