Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Poker Free Online Simple Patience On Steroids Guide To Ways To Win Poker Games

Just what do you have to do to be a great poker player?

This, million dollar question (literally) is pretty much at the core of poker for any player who is not just in it for the free fun games.

Is there some secret strategy which makes players successful and sets you apart from the free online poker donks?

The answer to this is not difficult and this how to win poker games lesson has it in a nutshell.

The secret, or insider strategy key for successful good poker play at all levels from free to huge stakes is to be able to make cool headed, logical decisions at every decision point.

In other words, to "use common sense at all times" and win, sorry it's not more profound than that.

Common sense you screech? "I have plenty of common sense and I'm not winning much at all!". But common sense, you'll come to realize, just isn't that common when it comes to poker.

The failing most people have in this area is how they view poker. Way too many players trust to luck either some or all the time. But in reality poker is totally about skill and common sense decision making has a direct correlation to long term success.

While short term results are subject to a degree of luck in the long run skill wins out and the players playing a profitable style profit! Once you adjust your poker view to accept this you see that "common sense" is the core key to winning poker.

Those big bluffs you see top pros make on TV? They have solid (often complex) reasoning behind them.

The online poker pros making a big living every year?

They make all that money by playing thousands of hands in a solid steady style that overwhelms the majority of their opponents'.

Even at free online poker sites superior poker players profit more than the worse ones.

OK great, accepted, so how to apply this? Essentially by focusing on solid fundamentals with sound tactical poker skills.

My "key", to use "common sense", is really just a more general way to say patience though it expands much further than just "patience"

How does common sense equal "patience" in poker?

> In a normal Holem game you get 2 cards that only you see befie the betting (apart from blinds) starts.

> We apply standard patience logic and wait for hands that we know are profitable long term.

> Since relatively few hands can be played profitably, we'll be tight preflop.

> Adding common sense into this mix we will now say that the idea of poker is to take money from the other players.

> If we invest money with stronger hands than them, we'll profit.

> Therefore, we only play stronger hands preflop so we can profit, and as such should generally play tight.

Where the "common sense" concept outstrips simple "patience" is in the fact that the "common sense" line of thought is more logical in the reasoning it lends to your decisions.

What we are saying if playing vanilla patient is "I play this hand as it is profitable" whereas when you play with common sense you are saying "This hand is profitable because...so I will play it", this is a step above just playing with patience, with preflop hands it is not so different as you have a known list of hands to play or not play but in more complex situations this reasoning process sets you apart.

You should know what you're doing all the time and WHY you're doing it beyond some set in stone rulebook.

The easiest application of this is playing tight (no trash hands!) preflop.

While the patient approach says to play certain hands only as they are profitable your logical approach goes a step further saying that when you play good hands preflop you will get more good hands postflop and make more money, therefore only play tight preflop and fold all trash.

This extends to many other basic poker concepts, such as value-betting "we should bet when we're ahead of our opponents to make money", bluffing "we should bluff when we can't win the pot unless our opponent folds and our opponent is likely to fold", and beyond.

These more complex areas will be looked at in depth later on this free poker online games training series.

I hope this free poker online games how to win poker games lesson was useful, for many more lessons and to play free poker online games against real people go see NoPayPOKER.com

Sunday, 5 December 2010

Successful Free Poker Games Semi Bluffing Guide

In this free poker games article we're going to look at the art of semi-bluffing.

A good place to start is to define what a semi bluff actually is. Well, if you're bluffing with nothing, that's what you call a pure bluff or a stone-cold bluff. If you have a hand where there is some sort of potential..maybe later...and you play it then this is a semi-bluff.

For example, when you have a hand like Ad-Kd at a board of 6h-7h-8s-10h and you bet large or raise your opponent?s bet large, you are executing a pure bluff.

This is due to the fact that the hand didn't get better with the Flop and got even worse at the Turn. But if you manage to get the other player on a weaker hand such as A-Q or even a draw like A-J then you might be able to take him out by placing a big bet. That is the only way you can win. If he calls your bluff, then your A-K can't stand much pressure.

Now lets say you have 7-6 and the Flop shows 5-4-J. Your opponent checks. You reckon he might just have a raggy Jack so you check. You check with the intention of folding if you don't improve your hand and if he plays aggressively; but the main reason of your checking is to catch a Three or an Eight and kill your opponents A-J, K-J or maybe 9-9 later.

However, suppose your opponent checks and you bet? Betting in this situation serves two purposes. One is to increase the pot if you somehow improve to your Straight. Two, of course, is to nail your opponent. If he has nothing well, naturally, he shall move out. (With 9-9 he may move out.)

But what if he has the Jack? If he had a weak Jack (say, J-8) he may put you on a bigger Jack, say, A-J, or K-J and he may move out. Because you bet (or raise) it indicates that your pocket cards somehow fit the community cards.

Now, he may call, and you proceed to the Turn and the River. You figure out now he may have A-J or K-J. Or he may continue with 9-9.

If your hand doesn't improve yet on the later rounds then you can pure-bluff your opponent all the way or stop.

But what if you hit your Straight? It could be that he was putting you on a weaker Jack post the Flop (such as J-8) or he might raise with A-J or K-J. He has no idea that the Straight was completed!

He has no idea that the Three or the Eight helped you vastly. You can now crush your opponent. This is the semi part.

Now there are two ways for you to win: Win by the bluff where he folds and you get the pot. Or by the semi bluff where you both go to showdown and you win a bigger pot.

Also, you can check and check until you complete the Straight, but you show your opponent your hand. The next time he will play with you, he might be scared if a similar situation arises.

If you semi-bluff, however, you still show your opponent if he decides to continue, but additionally, you can make your opponent fold so he cannot guess what you have.

Overall lesson? You can be more unpredictable with semi-bluffing so get practising! And what better place to play poker online for free than http://www.NoPayPOKER.com where you don't have the fear of losing money like you do at on money sites or live tables yet you can still win real cash on risk free free poker games.

Friday, 3 December 2010

Free Poker Games Success Secrets By Playing Simple

In this free poker online guide you'll learn about applying the KISS concept in poker. Normally this means "keep It Simple Stupid" but in poker there are 2 more very relevant meanings.

First, how about Keeping It Simple (Against) Stupid Players? Next there is the importance of Keeping It Simple and Straightforward against good players.

At free poker online sites like NoPayPOKER you will find the good, bad and stupid, though maybe a few more of the latter 2 than at say a $1000 buy in table in Monaco!

With A-10, for example, would you dare to go up against a strong player in a flop A-8-3? Yes sure if it's free poker but what if there?s a lot of cash on the table?

Your options are to simply call again and again or you might bet and pray he does not play strong. Why? Because if he's a strong player, you can put him on A-K, or an Ace with a stronger kicker. If he moves all-in, you know what to do. Scamper, and wait until you have the A-K, or maybe a Set.

Here you will have to consider the following. Has he really got A-K? Or just J-J with which he is willing to take to showdown but is not so willing to call a large raise with? Or maybe it is 8-7, since he reckons my bet on the Flop is simply a continuation bet so he will call?

But against five or six weak players, you may have to ask the same questions five to six times. Has he really got ?-? (for Player 1). Has he really got ?-? (for Player two) ? Or just ?-? (for Player 3)?and so on, until your mind is now drained, and you are finally knocked out with someone holding an A-8.

Let us look at another situation now, with a Board of 5-6-J-Q-8.
You have K-Q. A strong player probably has A-Q or K-K, or J-10, or something special, like 7-4 (usually suited). You might as well fold your K-Q at the end, or just call a small bet at the river. But at least you can put your strong opponent into a hand or into a few hands.

But with five or six weak players again, you'll have to be careful. They may have the hands above, but because they're weak, there will be more add-ons, like 8-5, J-5, Q-8, or even Q-5, all of which will add to the possibility of your K-Q being beaten.

In such a case why not call a small bet at the river (because with many callers you are getting good pot odds to make the call). But when one moves all-in, it's a signal. Fold your K-Q. What hand might they be moving all-in with? With a strong player you may have an idea. But with a weak player, you don't.

Why go to war if you don't know what you are trying to beat?

A strong player is willing to play more stronger hands than weaker ones. He is willing to play A-K more often than A-8 in his life, although frequency of play is no clue to how he plays specific hands. He remains unpredictable. But you will expect him to fold A-8 more often than A-K.

But weak players don't know what hands they are playing. They will play J-5 as readily as A-K. So, when playing with them, because you can't put them into a hand because they don't even know theirs, just show them a good enough hand. A Two-Pair or higher, more desirably. In the A-10 example above, you'll be happy with 3-3. In the second, I wish you have the 7-4 or the 10-9 before you act rashly.

And, unless you are just messing about in a free poker online don't attempt any fancy manoeuvres like all-in bluffs.

In the 5-6-J-Q-8 Board, don't move all-in with A-K. Even with just two weak opponents, they will just readily call you with K-Q as much as with 6-4, J-9, or even 3-3. They don't know the difference between them.

If they have something, they will be willing to take it along to death. So make your something stronger than their something, and take it to their death instead. No bluffs. No calling of suspected bluffs.

So remember to KISS! Keep it Simple or Straightforward against good players and Keep it Simple against Stupid Players!

And what better place to play poker online for free than at http://www.NoPayPOKER.com where you don't have the fear of losing money like you do at on money sites or live tables yet you can still win real cash.

Plus the NoPayPOKER blog contains a huge pro written free poker games training series, with lessons from basic how to play poker for beginners courses to masters level. Complete the intermediate level course at least and you will find yourself in the top 10% of online poker players worldwide.

Wednesday, 1 December 2010

Free Poker Basic Poker Hand Play Process Guide

In part 2 of this learn how to play poker online free poker course we are continuing with the basic rules lesson from part 1.

In this lesson you will learn exactly how and hand of poker is played out and at the end will be able to start playing (if tentatively!)

We join the action once the blind bets have been posted by the Small Blind (SB) and Big Blind (BB) Now the cards get into action. If "Blinds" means nothing to you hop on back to part 1 for an explanation.

Moving clockwise around the table from the Dealer (DB), each player receives two cards dealt face down, one card at a time. These are your Pocket Cards, also known simply as pockets and alternatively hole cards.

Now the betting begins; and, after all, isn't that why you decided to take up the game of poker? That is why I'm sure you now find yourself seated at a free poker tournament table isn't it? Isn't that betting and winning buzz thing the reason why you've joined a free poker site?

Of course that's why you're there, poker is all about winning money at the end of the day! Nothing more, nothing less (with the possible exception of social interaction in the chat lobby or the table's chat box).

At this stage in the hand (holding 2 pocket cards), each player is betting on what hand they feel their pocket cards could lead to.

The betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the Big Blind (BB).

This player is often referred to as the 'Under The Gun' (UTG) position at the table. This is because the Small and Big Blind position players were forced to lay down bets before they got any cards.

Thus, both the SB and BB are already participating in the hand; albeit not voluntarily, at least not yet; they'll have to wait until the betting comes around to them.

And, with this round of betting, each player has three choices:

1) To fold. You do this if you think you have rubbish cards, also called "rags" cards. By folding in this first round you won't lose anything but nor can you play the rest of the hand.

2) To raise. You raise if you think you've got good cards.

3) Or to call, (match) the Big Blind. You may do this if you think your cards have at least a bit of potential.

A 4th option you might have heard about, checking, often available in subsequent betting rounds, isn't an option at this stage.

Once the betting comes round to the SB (Small Blind) if this player wants to fold then they lose their blind chips, if they have terrible pockets then this may well be the best thing to do. Or, as SB you can Call the BB by putting in the difference between the SB and BB amounts. Or, this player can call whatever raise has been made, or this player can initiate a raise; or even a re-raise, aa a beginner keep it simple and either just Call the BB or fold, watch and learn othrs to see the raise, new raise and reraise in action.

Then, the Big Blind (BB) player gets to act. If there has been no raise then the BB can Check (do nothing and let the play pass by), or Call, Raise or Re-raise.

About Raises
In a No Limit Texas holdem tournament the amount a player can use to raise is limited only by the chips they hold (limit games as the name suggests have a limit) If his stack of chips is 1,500, he's allowed to raise by any amount up to and including the 1,500 (all of his chips).

If the player uses all the chips then this is the infamous All In bet. It's always an all-in bet any time a player raises by the total amount of chips he currently holds.

And, of paramount importance, especially since you are at the how to play poker online level of the game, make certain that YOUR usage of an All-In bet is kept to a minimum.

Please do not become just one more free online poker 'chip-flinger' (someone who tosses chips around without regard to the quality of their cards).

Once the opening round of betting is completed it's time to see 'The Flop'. Things will now start to get really interesting!

The Flop is the set of three cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table by the Dealer.

1) Each player can use these community cards' to build their hand. Make sure to read and print a guide to what card hands beat what so that you have a feel for what you are trying to build!

2) Again, as here-to-fore mentioned, the center of the table where these cards are dealt is typically referred to as 'The Board'.

3) With 'The Flop' exposed, it's time for the next round of betting. And, the betting that will occur is based on the 5 cards currently available to each player, i.e., 2 Pocket cards and 3 Board' cards.

The betting begins with the player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button, regardless of whether the Dealer is still active in the hand or not.

The player to the left of the Dealer Button will keep the initial betting action throughout the hand. Later, you'll come to learn that this is the worst position to be in at the table.

Apart from that, the betting process is the same as it was in 'pre-flop' betting. However, bear in mind, all of the players who have been dealt 'Pocket' cards may not be currently playing the hand as they could have folded during the opening round of betting.

So, whichever remaining player is 'to the immediate left' of the Dealer Button (DB), it is that person who will be the first player to act; through the hand providing he doesn't fold.

He can check or bet.

A) If he checks, he's simply passing the options of checking or betting to the player who sits to his left.

B) If he doesn't check, and decides to bet, then those who follow will have 3 choices:

1) They can fold

2) They can call

3) Or they can raise. But, since a bet was made, those who follow don't have the option of 'checking'.

Once the round of betting has finished, it's time for another card to be dealt face up on The Board.

This fourth card is called The Turn card, or 4th Street, and, again, the card may be used by all of the remaining players (those players who have not folded). It's another 'community card'.

Thus, each remaining player now has access to 6 cards, 4 Board cards, and 2 Pocket cards. Now there are 4 cards on The Board, one additional card to come.

It is now time for the fifth and final community card to be dealt: The River, or 5th Street.

And, given that all the cards have now been dealt, each player remaining in the hand can see what their finest five card hand is. Therefore, it's now time for the final round of betting. And, once the betting ends, the hand is over.

It's time to see who wins.

Each player who has remained in the hand shows their cards, beginning with the last person to initiate a bet. At a cash or free online poker site the software will handle the process of showing the cards.

The winner is determined via use of the universal poker hand rankings. You'll find that in subsequent chapter; entitled 'What Beats What'.

If a player wins a pot because every other player has folded, he can decide whether or not to show his cards or not.

Most people don't, and it's typically advised by me never to show your cards. If you're not required to do so; keep 'em guessing!

Yet, when you reach an 'advanced level' of play, you'll get a whole different perspective from me. You see, there are occasions when 'deceitful strategies' will be added to your acquired set of playing skills. And, a part of the 'deceitful strategies' will have you showing your cards. Not now though.

Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Free Online Poker Rules Part 2

In part 1 you learned the bare bones of poker, the structure and ideas of the game. Now that you've read part 2 you should now understand the actual mechanics of a hand of poker. In part 3 we will start working on more poker words and terminology, those crazy card and hand nicknames are going to be unveiled! But as long as you've understood the first 2 parts now you can go and start to play poker. It's a very good idea though to firstly read and print off a sheet on what card hands beat what! Then you will have some sort of idea whether you should fold, call, raise or check!

At this stage I strongly urge you not to try and play on sites where real money is involved, you certainly will lose all or nearly all of it 99% certain!

Be patient (by the way that is a key poker skill you have to master) and start out on one of the excellent free poker sites you will find online. Later when you are more skilled there's plenty of time for you to win a pile of cash and the time spent playing free online poker will pave the way for this.

Nick is from top free online poker site NoPayPOKER.com. NoPayPOKER.com uses a faux currency called FreeD which means the poker is 100% risk free, this makes it the perfect place to how to play poker for beginners, plus if you're more experienced it's a great place to practice, oh and the the fact that the FreeD can be cashed in for real Dollars is a nice touch too!

Wednesday, 20 October 2010

Free Poker Games Guide To High Power Use Of The Poker Call

Calling in poker is among the most underestimated and poorly used moves in both free online poker and real money Texas Holdem poker games.

Players who call to much are referred to as "calling stations", and they tend to lose more often than not, however their calling is not the reason they lose their chips. They lose because they call for the wrong reasons.

In this free online poker article, we'll explain to you by way of example how to use calling in poker correctly.

Are there right reasons for calling?

A right reason for calling, an aggressive player might note, is also a right reason for betting instead. These are some situations where calling is reasonable.

- For example, if you have A-K in a board of 10-3-K-7-8, if you're first to act, you bet; you do not check and call.

- You value-bet. However, if you're not first to act, what should you do if someone else bets?

- Will you raise? Now, right reasons for betting are not-so-right reasons for raising. As you still have a hand you don't raise but neither do you fold.

The rule now, for the above hand, is:

- If you are first to act, you bet.

- If you are not first to act, and someone bets, call an amount less than or equal to the amount you intend to bet if you're the first to act.

- If the amount is greater, you fold. This rule applies only when you have a hand.

- Without a hand, like just Ace-high, you bet, but you fold to a bet.

- Don't call with Ace-high (unless out of curiosity).

Let’s try another hand.

You have 8-7 and the Flop is K-6-9. Your options are to check-call or bet. Now, betting is considered the better option, because you can make your opponent fold; after all, your hand is incomplete.

- Should you check-call, however (or call a bet), you may send a message to your opponent that you're most likely on a draw, and then your opponent may continue bullying you later.

- Nevertheless, you would like to complete a powerful hand, so you call.

- Just be sure you have the pot odds to call, however.

- If your opponent continues bullying you once you complete the Straight, you can raise.

Now, in another hand, you have A-6 in a Flop of 9-6-2.

- Because the flop comes small cards, anyone with big cards will fold to a bet.

- You can bet your Sixes. Or you can call, especially if your opposing player ended the hand right there with A-Q.

- You could call, and later, if your opponent keeps working you with small bets, you can call each small bet, because your odds are still acceptable.

- Furthermore, you can pair your kicker or your Six if you call.

Lastly, if you have Q-Q in a Flop of Q-10-10, you have your opponent dead.

If your opponent bets, and you raise, the chances are greater that your opponent will fold than not.

- For the reason that although your opponent could have A-Q, it is not likely because you know there are three Queens already out.

- Also an extra Ten is less likely for a similar reason.

- Your opponent may have K-J or A-K (for a useless Straight draw) or a Flush completer.

Give the opposing players openings to finish their hands, this way you hope to tempt more action from them. If an opponent completes the Straight or the Flush later, you will have the advantage. So keep calling, until everyone escalates.

This also applies if you think your opponent has the spare Queen or Ten. You may let your opponent just bet and bet through to the river, where he thinks you're calling because you just had a Queen or a small Pair, so at the river you can move your chips in.

Now, what is flawed with calling stations' calling beliefs?

- To start with: they call even with the pot odds against their favor. They normally chase inside Straight draws and they lose their chips in the long run when they keep doing so.

- Second: they call big bets with small, but marginal, hands even if they know they're beat. In a flop of 9-6-2 above, A-6 may call, but only when your opponents' bets are small. But when in front of a big bet, fold A-6 because you might not win against 9-x if you can't pair your kicker or turn Trips.

Calling stations will be the ones always calling with small pocket Pairs in the presence of overcards.

- Third: they generally think that every player is bluffing so they are always tempted to call even with Ace-high. Put simply, they call a bluff or something that looks like a bluff.

I hope these examples have helped you understand the poker call better. Try to recognise situations where the call can be a useful tool and don't get caught in the calling station mentality as that way lies poor play and no money!

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And look for the free online poker blog at http://www.nopaypoker.com/articles for free online poker training guides for all levels from how to play poker for beginners to seriously advanced.

The guides and lessons are 100% free, you do not even have to join NoPayPOKER or play any of the free poker games. Though quite frankly you'd have to be crazy not to as it is free and risk free and you do get a free bankroll just for showing up!

Friday, 15 October 2010

How To Play Poker For Beginners Lesson On Turbo Poker Tournaments

The turbo poker game is a fast paced money or free online poker tournament games where the blinds increase much more quickly than usual..

Every 12-15 minutes is the standard increase interval in normal poker games. In a turbo tournament, the blinds increase every, say, 3-6 minutes.

Given these numbers, a turbo tournament is upto 4 times as fast as a normal tournament.

So how do you factor in a speed of upto 4x into your playing style? Does this mean playing more hands? No.

For instance, if in a ordinary tournament you "small-ball" - a poker type of play where you play more hands than the other players, like 7-6 (even offsuit) and A-x (suited) which others feel somewhat woozy when holding. And when you hit the Flop hard, you bet hard as well - because in the earlier levels the blinds are low in relation to the average stacks, so in risk-reward/Return On Investment terms it is worth it.

But in a turbo tournament you can't use this playing style. Blinds increase, but the number of hands never increase; in fact, they decrease. Where you may play 60 hands in the first 4 levels of a normal poker tournament, you will play only 15-20 hands in a turbo game, you'll fold most of them of course.

What hands do you not fold?

- A-A, K-K, Q-Q, obviously.

- In the early levels you can also try out connectors because your opponents might be a bit scared about losing their chips early with a, say, weak Ace or King.

- However, in the later levels, where everybody is near to blinding out, also put A-x or K-x (where x is greater than 10) and smaller pocket pairs in your arsenal.

Why? Because, simply, unless you play, the blinds won't only eat you - they'll devour you!

Should you move all-in with a number of hands than you are comfortable with in an ordinary tournament, you may make the others fold.

And even with a caller, you will be on a classic coin flip if you have a pocket pair; you could be a favorite if you have A-x (x>10) and the caller is a weak Ace; and you will have two live cards with K-x and Q-x.

In the late levels the game is going to be mostly preflop; a series of crapshoots; so take advantage of preflop aggression.

However, you can also take advantage of postflop aggression in the late levels.

Suppose you are in the button with K-x where x is weak and the blinds call. You sense that the other two players have weak hands. Now the flop comes somewhat scary (A-8-3) for example.

If you've got the Eight or the Three and both the other players check, you can bet. However, you can also bet if both of them check even though you do not have anything. You have position; you are the best player to determine whether each other player has something.

Near the bubble, if you're sinking in chips, move all in with A-x, K-x or Q-x. Most likely you will be drawing live. Others will be afraid to call you because they don't really know what you have and they'll be the one sinking in chips should they call you incorrectly (or if you luck out).

If you play turbo, free poker games or for cash I hope this short advice article helps you some. If you have not played much or any Turbo games then be sure to practice with free poker online before you risk any real money.

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There you can also get into a vast goldmine of pro poker player online free poker online courses and lessons. If you are brand new to poker then the basic how to play poker for beginners course is ideal, after which you can move step-by-step upto intermediate and then win all the time advanced poker player skill.

Friday, 24 September 2010

Learn How To Play Poker Guide To Poker Card, Pocket And Hand Name Nicknames

In the poker online free learn to play poker free guide we will interpret some of the bizarre words and phrases used in poker to name the different cards hand combos. By the end you will not be completely confused when trying to play poker and words such as Jay Birds, Dead Mans Hand and Ashtray (to mention just a few) are being bandied about!!

Firstly lets see what the popular nicknames for individual cards are. After that we'll move on to, and rank in order or power, the pocket cards, by that I mean the 2 cards you are given at the start of the game.

Here we’ll define pocket pairs and the better meaning playable) unpaired starting hands. Finally you’ll learn some of more popular and famous hands.

Depending on where you play you may hear the 13 cards used in poker called several different names. A letter or number symbol is also often used to identify the cards.

- Ace - Bullet, Rocket (A)
- King - Cowboy, Monarch (K)
- Queen - Lady, Dame, Dyke (Q)
- Jack - Knave, Hook, Fishhook, (J)
- 10 - Dime (T)
- 9 - Niner (9)
- 8 - Snowman, Fat Lady, Ocho (8)
- 7 - Hockey Stick (7)
- 6 - Boot (6)
- 5 - Spot (5)|Jesse James
- 4 - Sailboat, Sharp Top, Four spot (4)
- 3 - Trey, Crab (3)
- 2 - Deuce, Duck (2)

Now when a poker game starts you're given 2 cards known as pocket cards.

Statistically about every 16 times you'll be lucky enough to get a pair with the same value, for example, 2 Kings, such pairs are called pocket pairs.

In order of relative strength or potential they are:

- AA - Pocket Rockets, Rockets, Bullets, or American Airlines
- KK - Cowboys, King Kong, Gorillas, Kangaroos, Monarchs, or Krispy Kreme
- QQ - Ladies, Hookers, or Siegfried & Roy
- JJ - Fishhooks, Hooks, Jokers, or Jay Birds
- TT - Dimes or Tension
- 99 - Gretzky, Popeye's, or Phil Hellmuth
- 88 - Snowmen, Fat Ladies, Dog Balls, or Race Tracks
- 77 - HockeySticks, SunsetStrip, or Mullets
- 66 - Route 66, Kicks, or Cherries
- 55 - Presto, Speed Limit, or Nickels
- 44 - Magnum, Sail Boats, or Middle Age
- 33 - Crabs or Treys
- 22 - Ducks, Pocket Swans, or Deuces.

You'll always at least want to go onto the flop with pocket pairs but of course once every 16 isn't often.

The following unpaired pockets though, are ones you may play depending on the risk and cost in the game and what you're reading from other players, in order of potential, they are:

- AK - Big Slick or Walking back to Houston
- AQ - Little Slick, Big Chick, or Doyle Brunson
- AJ - Blackjack, Ajax, or Jackass
- AT - Bookend or Johnny Moss
- A5 - High Five
- A4 - Topped Four
- A3 - Ashtray or Baskin and Robbins
- A2 - Hunting Season or Acey-Deucy
- KQ - Marriage (if suited) or Mixed Marriage (if not suited)
- KJ - Kojak, King John, or Tucson Monster
- KT - Kate or Katie
- QJ - Maverick or Oedipus
- QT - Quentin Tarantino
- JT - Days of Old
- T9 - Paint Plus Connector
- 98 - Oldsmobile
- 87 - RPM
- 76 - Union Oil
- 65 - Medicare
- 54 - Jesse James or Colt.

There are loads of names for larger hand combinations and finishing hands, here are a few of the better known ones.

- KKK - Alabama Night Riders or Three Wise Men
- TTT - Thirty Miles of Bad Road
- 222 - Huey, Dewey and Louie.
- AA88Q - Dead Man's Hand
- AKQJT - Broadway
- A5432 - Wheel
- 3 of a Kind - Set (if you hold a pocket pair matched by a 'board card')
- 3 of a kind - Trips (if one is in your pocket and two are 'community cards')
- Full House - Boat or All The In-Laws
- 4 of a Kind - Quads or Quad Set.

I hope this was a fun and useful article, if you are at the stage of learning the card names then I suggest when you play you play free poker online where you can learn without fear of loss.

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