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.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
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.
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!
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!
To play poker online free and win real cash risk-free at the same time get to http://www.NoPayPOKER.com
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!
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!
To play poker online free and win real cash risk-free at the same time get to http://www.NoPayPOKER.com
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.
To play poker online for free turbo games now or for more sedate normal speed freerolls, tournaments and league poker get on over to our free poker online site http://www.nopaypoker.com.
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.
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.
To play poker online for free turbo games now or for more sedate normal speed freerolls, tournaments and league poker get on over to our free poker online site http://www.nopaypoker.com.
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.
For loads more learn how to play poker free poker online lessons and to get into some action and play online free poker get over to the http://www.NoPayPOKER.com free poker online site. At NoPay you'll find free poker online lessons covering beginner to expert levels, and you can play poker online free totally risk free for real cash prizes.
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.
For loads more learn how to play poker free poker online lessons and to get into some action and play online free poker get over to the http://www.NoPayPOKER.com free poker online site. At NoPay you'll find free poker online lessons covering beginner to expert levels, and you can play poker online free totally risk free for real cash prizes.
Monday, 13 September 2010
Free Online Poker Guide To Basic Poker Rules
In this learn how to play poker for beginners session you will learn the basic poker game processes. Happily for you, once you get the hang of them they're not as hard as they may seem at first glance. So, let's begin by looking at free online poker freeroll tournaments which is the sort of game you should start with as a poker beginner.
free online poker freeroll tournaments vary from 20 to hundreds of players. A good point with these game is that most of the other players you'll find on them are no more than average and many are beginners too.
The first step is to fire up your free online poker software and find a game. As mentioned each of these tournaments will have multiple tables. To figure how many tables there will be look at how many players are registered and divide by 10. If the number is not exactly divisible by 10 as is likely then you round up, so if there are 77 players it means there will be 8 tables to start.
Now the online poker software of the site you play at will seat you at a randomly selected table and seat. There are loads of games running daily round the clock on good free online poker sites so don't worry about your success (or lack of!) initially, there are always more games to enter.
Who Wins and How?
Basically the winner of each hand is the one with the best combination of cards.
The outline of the game process is this:
You are seated and the game begins. The Dealer Button player is selected and the small and large blind players make their bets (all covered below so don't worry!)
Firstly you are given two cards, known as pocket cards, only you can see these. Next there is a round of blind betting, it's called blind as there is no way to guess or infer what cards other players have, no more than 3 raises to the first blind bet are allowed which is a rule that remains so in future rounds.
After the first round of betting is done the dealer lays 3 cards on the table for all to see. These are known as community or board cards and can be used in conjunction with pocket cards by all players.
At this point, another round of betting occurs.
Then the Dealer will add another card to the community cards; there are now 4 cards that can be used by all of the players who remain in the hand.
This is followed by another round of betting.
Last, the Dealer will add a 5th card to the community cards. Again followed by another round of betting.
Now lets look at this in more detail:
Your 2 face down cards are known as "Pocket Cards". They are dealt from left to right, 1 at a time round the table. Only you can see your pockets, never show anyone else these cards!
The Dealer then exposes 3 "community cards" to all players on the table. This stage is known as "The Flop".
When he exposes the 4th "community card", it's known as "The Turn" (or, 4th Street).
And, when he exposes the 5th "community card", it's known as "The River" (or, 5th Street).
All 3 to 5 "community cards" that are exposed on the poker table at any one time are known as "The Board".
Every player who is participating in the hand through the process of betting (if you "folded", you're no longer in the hand), attempts to make the best possible five-card hand.
They can use any 5 of the 7 cards that are available to them; one, both, or none of their pocket cards, together with 3, 4, or 5 of the "community cards".
The player with the best 5 card hand wins all of the money that has been bet (The Pot).
The "Dealer Button" is involved in every hand to be played. One of the game's participants gets the Dealer Button (DB); the selection of the player who first receives the DB is done by the free online poker software.
If you are playing at a live game such as in a casino then the DB is a round disc, normally with a D printed on it. If you're playing paid or free online poker a symbol on the screen shows which player is the DB.
And, the position of the Dealer Button on the poker table is important since the 2 players to the left of the DB are forced to place the blind bets.
Plus, as you'll come to learn later, after you read the "Building a Bankroll" series of articles, the DB position is the best seat at the table. Additionally, at the end of every hand, the Dealer Button (DB) moves one position to the left; thus, everyone acts as the "virtual dealer" in an Internet game, and, everyone is forced to place "blind" bets.
Blind Bets? What are they?
This is how the game starts.
The player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button (DB) is compelled to put up the Small Blind (SB).
The player to the immediate left of the Small Blind (SB) is compelled to put up the Big Blind (BB).
These "blind bets" are placed in the pot, in front of the dealer. This essentially kickstarts the betting, and, it"s all done before anyone has gotten any cards!
This, for the lack of any other rational reason, means that the winner of the hand that's about to be played, will, at a minimum, collect the small amount of money that has been "forced" into the pot by the blind bets.
In a multi-table freeroll, or any No Limit free online poker tournament game, the size of the Small Blind (SB) and the size of the Big Blind (BB) are very low at the start of the game. And, every player in the game begins the game with the same amount of free online poker faux-money; or, for practical purposes, poker chips.
Usually, in 15 minute intervals, the size of the "blinds" increase.
As an example, if the beginning "blinds" were $10 (SB) and $20 (BB), within 15 minutes the "blinds" would change to $20 (SB) and $40 (BB).
And, thereafter, as the game progresses, the "blinds" continue to go up every 15 minutes.
In the end, at the final table in a tournament (the last remaining 10 players), the "blinds" could easily reach the point of being $2,000 (SB) and $4,000 (BB).
Now don't be alarmed, the dollar amounts tied to the Small Blinds (SB) and Big Blinds (BB) in the preceding paragraph, during all freeroll games played on free online poker sites are "fictional" amounts of money. It's not real money. It's merely a "tournament representation" of money; it's free online poker faux-money, they're poker chips, not real dollars.
This is one reason why it is a very good idea to learn to play poker as a beginner on free poker sites, it can get very expensive very quickly if you start on a real money site!
Winning and Money
The good news with a poker tournament is that the 1st place player doesn't take all the money. Yes, the absolute winner does get a lions share but other players do get a cut too. How many players and how much is determined by the number of players who enter and the size of the pot. You an find out this information before the game starts.
As the game progresses players are knocked out and tables amalgamate. At some point only those who will share the money are left. If you are still in at this stage then you are now "in the money" or "in the bubble" as it is also commonly called.
When just 10 players are left you will be on the "Final Table", typically to win any decent amount you need to be here even in very large poker tournament though places lower than this can often at least pay back your cost of joining the game if it is a buy in game.
Right at the end with just 2 players left you will be "head to head"...but that is a story for another day!
Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Part 1
In this stage we looked at basic game processes. In part 2 we'll get into more detail on the stages described and look at what you actually physically do and consider some essential basic free online poker strategy.
Nick is from top free online poker site NoPayPOKER.com. www.NoPayPOKER.com is USA legal and uses faux currency which makes it totally risk free and so is the perfect place to learn how to play poker for beginners as well as practice your game if you are more experienced or want a break from the stress of money sites!
free online poker freeroll tournaments vary from 20 to hundreds of players. A good point with these game is that most of the other players you'll find on them are no more than average and many are beginners too.
The first step is to fire up your free online poker software and find a game. As mentioned each of these tournaments will have multiple tables. To figure how many tables there will be look at how many players are registered and divide by 10. If the number is not exactly divisible by 10 as is likely then you round up, so if there are 77 players it means there will be 8 tables to start.
Now the online poker software of the site you play at will seat you at a randomly selected table and seat. There are loads of games running daily round the clock on good free online poker sites so don't worry about your success (or lack of!) initially, there are always more games to enter.
Who Wins and How?
Basically the winner of each hand is the one with the best combination of cards.
The outline of the game process is this:
You are seated and the game begins. The Dealer Button player is selected and the small and large blind players make their bets (all covered below so don't worry!)
Firstly you are given two cards, known as pocket cards, only you can see these. Next there is a round of blind betting, it's called blind as there is no way to guess or infer what cards other players have, no more than 3 raises to the first blind bet are allowed which is a rule that remains so in future rounds.
After the first round of betting is done the dealer lays 3 cards on the table for all to see. These are known as community or board cards and can be used in conjunction with pocket cards by all players.
At this point, another round of betting occurs.
Then the Dealer will add another card to the community cards; there are now 4 cards that can be used by all of the players who remain in the hand.
This is followed by another round of betting.
Last, the Dealer will add a 5th card to the community cards. Again followed by another round of betting.
Now lets look at this in more detail:
Your 2 face down cards are known as "Pocket Cards". They are dealt from left to right, 1 at a time round the table. Only you can see your pockets, never show anyone else these cards!
The Dealer then exposes 3 "community cards" to all players on the table. This stage is known as "The Flop".
When he exposes the 4th "community card", it's known as "The Turn" (or, 4th Street).
And, when he exposes the 5th "community card", it's known as "The River" (or, 5th Street).
All 3 to 5 "community cards" that are exposed on the poker table at any one time are known as "The Board".
Every player who is participating in the hand through the process of betting (if you "folded", you're no longer in the hand), attempts to make the best possible five-card hand.
They can use any 5 of the 7 cards that are available to them; one, both, or none of their pocket cards, together with 3, 4, or 5 of the "community cards".
The player with the best 5 card hand wins all of the money that has been bet (The Pot).
The "Dealer Button" is involved in every hand to be played. One of the game's participants gets the Dealer Button (DB); the selection of the player who first receives the DB is done by the free online poker software.
If you are playing at a live game such as in a casino then the DB is a round disc, normally with a D printed on it. If you're playing paid or free online poker a symbol on the screen shows which player is the DB.
And, the position of the Dealer Button on the poker table is important since the 2 players to the left of the DB are forced to place the blind bets.
Plus, as you'll come to learn later, after you read the "Building a Bankroll" series of articles, the DB position is the best seat at the table. Additionally, at the end of every hand, the Dealer Button (DB) moves one position to the left; thus, everyone acts as the "virtual dealer" in an Internet game, and, everyone is forced to place "blind" bets.
Blind Bets? What are they?
This is how the game starts.
The player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button (DB) is compelled to put up the Small Blind (SB).
The player to the immediate left of the Small Blind (SB) is compelled to put up the Big Blind (BB).
These "blind bets" are placed in the pot, in front of the dealer. This essentially kickstarts the betting, and, it"s all done before anyone has gotten any cards!
This, for the lack of any other rational reason, means that the winner of the hand that's about to be played, will, at a minimum, collect the small amount of money that has been "forced" into the pot by the blind bets.
In a multi-table freeroll, or any No Limit free online poker tournament game, the size of the Small Blind (SB) and the size of the Big Blind (BB) are very low at the start of the game. And, every player in the game begins the game with the same amount of free online poker faux-money; or, for practical purposes, poker chips.
Usually, in 15 minute intervals, the size of the "blinds" increase.
As an example, if the beginning "blinds" were $10 (SB) and $20 (BB), within 15 minutes the "blinds" would change to $20 (SB) and $40 (BB).
And, thereafter, as the game progresses, the "blinds" continue to go up every 15 minutes.
In the end, at the final table in a tournament (the last remaining 10 players), the "blinds" could easily reach the point of being $2,000 (SB) and $4,000 (BB).
Now don't be alarmed, the dollar amounts tied to the Small Blinds (SB) and Big Blinds (BB) in the preceding paragraph, during all freeroll games played on free online poker sites are "fictional" amounts of money. It's not real money. It's merely a "tournament representation" of money; it's free online poker faux-money, they're poker chips, not real dollars.
This is one reason why it is a very good idea to learn to play poker as a beginner on free poker sites, it can get very expensive very quickly if you start on a real money site!
Winning and Money
The good news with a poker tournament is that the 1st place player doesn't take all the money. Yes, the absolute winner does get a lions share but other players do get a cut too. How many players and how much is determined by the number of players who enter and the size of the pot. You an find out this information before the game starts.
As the game progresses players are knocked out and tables amalgamate. At some point only those who will share the money are left. If you are still in at this stage then you are now "in the money" or "in the bubble" as it is also commonly called.
When just 10 players are left you will be on the "Final Table", typically to win any decent amount you need to be here even in very large poker tournament though places lower than this can often at least pay back your cost of joining the game if it is a buy in game.
Right at the end with just 2 players left you will be "head to head"...but that is a story for another day!
Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Part 1
In this stage we looked at basic game processes. In part 2 we'll get into more detail on the stages described and look at what you actually physically do and consider some essential basic free online poker strategy.
Nick is from top free online poker site NoPayPOKER.com. www.NoPayPOKER.com is USA legal and uses faux currency which makes it totally risk free and so is the perfect place to learn how to play poker for beginners as well as practice your game if you are more experienced or want a break from the stress of money sites!
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Play Free Poker Online Players Guide To How To Beat More Experienced Poker Players
The standard (and indeed common sense) poker strategy followed by average skill poker players who mostly play free online poker sites or low stakes and, for some reason find themselves up against strong players is not to play at all.
Normally this is not a problem, in cash games, when the novice realizes he or she is out of depth all the player has to do is bailout and find a more suitable table. But if you are playing tournament poker it's not so easy to get out of, you can and most likely will get into situations where you have to play good or even very good poker players.
In this article you will learn why good players will generally easily beat the novice, and, if you are a novice or less advanced player what you can try to do to survive and even prosper if you find yourself circled by hungry sharks!
A good player can normally easily beat the novice as he knows the patterns novice player tend to follow, given the Board cards, the novice's actions and the position. Good players can also put them on a hand.
The good player knows when the novice has a suited connector; a pocket pair, or even, in some extreme cases, a Set. The good player knows to play a Straight weak or even fold it when the Board pairs and the novice suddenly dumps down loads of his chips.
First lets understand how the novice tends to play so we can understand why the good players have such advantage.
A player is said to "win" a pot, for our purposes, if (a) he wins the hand in a showdown or (b) he makes all his opponents fold. If we want our novice player to win a pot against a good player, what kinds of hands should he play, and how?
For example, if the novice aims to win the showdown. Then the novice player will have to pass through the preflop, flop, turn and river against the good player. At each stage the good player will get more information from the novice player than the novice player can get from the good player.
If the good player has more data, then he knows immediately whether the novice player has a good hand or not. He can continue to showdown and probably win a big pot, if he keeps on value-betting our novice.
Or he can lose a small pot, if he slows down and just checks. Or he is able to make the novice fold.
Imagine our novice now tries (b) to make his opponents fold. (Let us assume the Board will help him only a little, and his hand, from the flop up to the river, will not be of showdown quality.) During the flop, turn, and the river, the good player will extract more inferences from the Board cards than the novice player will.
If our novice, who normally has the tendency to get excited, overrepresents a hand unnecessarily, then he will just be called by the good player (unless he plays really strongly, but he can't overdo this either).
From these, we gather that the pieces of information needed to make a decision is:
1. Your cards.
2. Your perception of your opponents' cards.
3. The Board cards.
4. Tells your opponent gives away.
5. Tells you reveal to your opponent.
6. Previous tendencies of each player.
7. Position.
Both the novice and the good player has (1) and (3), but the good player's judgment is generally more accurate with all these criteria.
A good player, for instance, will believe that 8-7 (his cards) is not so nice-looking in a flop of 10-7-3 (the Board cards), but a novice player may. As for (4), (5), and (6) which stems from (1), (2) and (3), the good player is usually more aware of these. And good players care more for (7) than novice ones.
So if our novice wants to play a pot against a good player, he cannot really rely fully on the information above, for he cannot interpret them well.
So our novice should look for a spot in which the good player also cannot rely on most of the information above, so that they will be on equal footing.
When is it? Answer: Preflop. How to play? All-in.
Preflop, your perception of your opponent's cards is less accurate than after the flop falls. Also, since there are no Board cards yet, tells are less reliable. Finally, because a novice is less likely to have previous tendencies resulting from experience, the good player has little hold on (6). And preflop all-ins are dependent on hand strength mainly than position.
By moving all-in you may make your opponent fold (which is a win) or entice him to a showdown.
Don't call yourself all-in, however, unless you've got a premium hand. Once your opponent does this move, if he is a good opponent, he knows you are vulnerable.)
When he does want a showdown, he is deprived of postflop information that will increase his chances of making an good decision. At this point, even though good player is still good, he has to play in terms of novice play.
The good hands the novice can have are still the traditional all-in hands: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, etc. A-K (or similar) is quite shaky, but if you can lull someone with 7-7 to play with you, you are still about 50-50 with him.
Whereas if you take him to the Flop, he will have more possibilities to play his 7-7 better than you would play your A-K, and you will be defeated most of the time. Let us say your chance to win above is just 25% postflop; why not take the 50-50 instead?
Conclusion
If you are new to poker then know this seems a lot to take in, the fact is though that while poker is easy to learn it is harder to be good at, hence the mad "chip flinging" you will see on many NoPayPOKER.com tables.
Most people it seems can't be bothered to learn, they are happy to play for what they call fun when in fact it's a lot more fun to learn to play and win more often!.
Yes it is crazy that so many play with so little skill, but it is also very good news for you as a player who aims to learn to play well.
The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker well you can go mercenary and hunt the "fun donks" down in low stakes real money games as well as free online poker tournaments sites that pay out real money while you happily build your skills and bankroll!
As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and play free poker sites to learn to play poker free good and get your skills finely honed.
Normally this is not a problem, in cash games, when the novice realizes he or she is out of depth all the player has to do is bailout and find a more suitable table. But if you are playing tournament poker it's not so easy to get out of, you can and most likely will get into situations where you have to play good or even very good poker players.
In this article you will learn why good players will generally easily beat the novice, and, if you are a novice or less advanced player what you can try to do to survive and even prosper if you find yourself circled by hungry sharks!
A good player can normally easily beat the novice as he knows the patterns novice player tend to follow, given the Board cards, the novice's actions and the position. Good players can also put them on a hand.
The good player knows when the novice has a suited connector; a pocket pair, or even, in some extreme cases, a Set. The good player knows to play a Straight weak or even fold it when the Board pairs and the novice suddenly dumps down loads of his chips.
First lets understand how the novice tends to play so we can understand why the good players have such advantage.
A player is said to "win" a pot, for our purposes, if (a) he wins the hand in a showdown or (b) he makes all his opponents fold. If we want our novice player to win a pot against a good player, what kinds of hands should he play, and how?
For example, if the novice aims to win the showdown. Then the novice player will have to pass through the preflop, flop, turn and river against the good player. At each stage the good player will get more information from the novice player than the novice player can get from the good player.
If the good player has more data, then he knows immediately whether the novice player has a good hand or not. He can continue to showdown and probably win a big pot, if he keeps on value-betting our novice.
Or he can lose a small pot, if he slows down and just checks. Or he is able to make the novice fold.
Imagine our novice now tries (b) to make his opponents fold. (Let us assume the Board will help him only a little, and his hand, from the flop up to the river, will not be of showdown quality.) During the flop, turn, and the river, the good player will extract more inferences from the Board cards than the novice player will.
If our novice, who normally has the tendency to get excited, overrepresents a hand unnecessarily, then he will just be called by the good player (unless he plays really strongly, but he can't overdo this either).
From these, we gather that the pieces of information needed to make a decision is:
1. Your cards.
2. Your perception of your opponents' cards.
3. The Board cards.
4. Tells your opponent gives away.
5. Tells you reveal to your opponent.
6. Previous tendencies of each player.
7. Position.
Both the novice and the good player has (1) and (3), but the good player's judgment is generally more accurate with all these criteria.
A good player, for instance, will believe that 8-7 (his cards) is not so nice-looking in a flop of 10-7-3 (the Board cards), but a novice player may. As for (4), (5), and (6) which stems from (1), (2) and (3), the good player is usually more aware of these. And good players care more for (7) than novice ones.
So if our novice wants to play a pot against a good player, he cannot really rely fully on the information above, for he cannot interpret them well.
So our novice should look for a spot in which the good player also cannot rely on most of the information above, so that they will be on equal footing.
When is it? Answer: Preflop. How to play? All-in.
Preflop, your perception of your opponent's cards is less accurate than after the flop falls. Also, since there are no Board cards yet, tells are less reliable. Finally, because a novice is less likely to have previous tendencies resulting from experience, the good player has little hold on (6). And preflop all-ins are dependent on hand strength mainly than position.
By moving all-in you may make your opponent fold (which is a win) or entice him to a showdown.
Don't call yourself all-in, however, unless you've got a premium hand. Once your opponent does this move, if he is a good opponent, he knows you are vulnerable.)
When he does want a showdown, he is deprived of postflop information that will increase his chances of making an good decision. At this point, even though good player is still good, he has to play in terms of novice play.
The good hands the novice can have are still the traditional all-in hands: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, etc. A-K (or similar) is quite shaky, but if you can lull someone with 7-7 to play with you, you are still about 50-50 with him.
Whereas if you take him to the Flop, he will have more possibilities to play his 7-7 better than you would play your A-K, and you will be defeated most of the time. Let us say your chance to win above is just 25% postflop; why not take the 50-50 instead?
Conclusion
If you are new to poker then know this seems a lot to take in, the fact is though that while poker is easy to learn it is harder to be good at, hence the mad "chip flinging" you will see on many NoPayPOKER.com tables.
Most people it seems can't be bothered to learn, they are happy to play for what they call fun when in fact it's a lot more fun to learn to play and win more often!.
Yes it is crazy that so many play with so little skill, but it is also very good news for you as a player who aims to learn to play well.
The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker well you can go mercenary and hunt the "fun donks" down in low stakes real money games as well as free online poker tournaments sites that pay out real money while you happily build your skills and bankroll!
As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and play free poker sites to learn to play poker free good and get your skills finely honed.
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
Learn To Play Poker Free And Dare Other Players Into Traps
When you play both play free online poker games and any size cash poker Three-bets mean good hands (or bluffs). Four-bets mean better hands (or bluffs). I dare you!
But despite even for the most skilled players in the world, the best hands still come from luck! Here is a perfect example:
BLINDS 50k/100k, ante 10k
PREFLOP:
A has K-K, raises to 290k
A great start for A but he holds temptation at bay with the measured raise. He certainly plays K-K shrewdly. Many other players would play A-A or K-K weakly preflop for trapping later. A however just plays his K K like a standard hand.
But he does not want a call. It is OK if B folds (which is just expected if B had no hand, but he wants B to put him on a bluff and push him.
B, meanwhile, is thinking something. Because A's raises are from the cutoff, B may think that the second is a bluff (and good for A if he knows this is what B is thinking). So what does B do?
A could have thought any of these:
(1) Was B trying to bluff me out? (He can’t, if he is. In fact, I want him to do that.)
(2) Did B trap me with a four-bet with the A-A? or K-K? (There is a small possibility.)
(3) How much will I invest? I had 10.7 million at the start and I am going to invest 5.3 million. About half my stack. But I am going to try to knock him out, anyway.
(4) Did B have A-x? (Most probably. They do it all the time. However, I'm quite uneasy if it's worth half my stack.)
But A didn’t, because he instantly called. Moreover, A could have thought instead, "My ploys were successful. I trapped him. Now he’s finished."
A calls 3.76m (Pot about 12 million)
Three-bets and four-bets almost always signify A-A, K-K or with some brave players, A-K or Q-Q. B had A-Q, which is not so good for a call (A may have figured out that B held A-Q, so he reraised instead of trapped; if he just called, then an Ace may fall and he may not continue with his K-K) but even worse for staying in a hand with plenty of raises and reraises.
However, luck has the last word in this hand.
The board ended up Js-7h-3s-Ad-Qd, which clinched B’s win.
Conclusion
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.
Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you.
The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves on free online poker sites and low stakes real money games sites and happily build your skills and bankroll!
To make this work first, play free poker sites to learn to play poker online free where you can learn while you lose but without losing real money, then once ready to can move up to low stakes and start to make some serious poker cash!
- B has A-Q, raises to 650k
- A to call 360k
- A reraises to 1.49m
- B to call 840k
- B moves all in
- A to call 3.76m
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Learn To Play Poker Online Free Tips For Whem When And How To Call In Poker Games
Whether you play free online poker or play for the biggest stakes imaginable a common theme is that aggressive players do all the betting and the raising, and get all the chips.
Players who mainly call are classified as passive. This is because as a caller you do not influence the game dynamic and are, to some extent, are being played by the bettor(s). But if you have tons of reasons to call, and you have contemplated about it very carefully, you can call with no shame.
Here is one such hand (Shame on him if he folds):
BLINDS 60k/120k, ante 15k
PREFLOP:
A has 5h-5d, raised to 310k (under the gun)
B has Kc-10c, calls 310k (from middle position)
A’s raise from under the gun signifies a strong hand, but let us add that A is a strong aggressive player (somewhat on the loose side) that can represent any hand. Also, A can make everyone fold. B’s K-10 suited is good for just calling, and he does.
With K-10, one should be more careful if a King comes up. If a King comes then A might have KJ or AK (AK, especially from an under the gun raise). I don’t think B is aware of this, maybe because he hasn’t seen the Flop yet. Here it is:
FLOP: 10d-4c-2d
Now only a Ten comes, which is more favorable for B. Those who do not have flush draws with two Diamonds may play a J-10 or a 10-9 strongly, and the King kicker is very strong.
A bets 535k
Because A raised under the gun, he tries a continuation bet. If he gets called, he can put B on a flush draw or a small pair (like 7-7), so he can frisk away later with not much loss.
But B may want to end the hand with his Pair of Tens, probably because overcards can fall. Moreover, A has been too aggressive all throughout, as we said, and it may be with two face cards or A-x, so B returns A’s favor:
B raises to 1.61m
A needs 1.075m to call
Because A has been representing a strong hand so far (raising under the gun and continuation-betting), he might as well stay consistent. Moreover, A may think that B raised because he thought A had nothing, and he is trying o push A out of the pot with something like K-J or a Flush draw.
As for the possibility of a Ten in B’s hand, why would A think B had a Ten? Even if B did, he would just call (commonly) and then check-check it all the way, because a Pair of Tens is not so strong, especially if faced with a three-bet like this:
A moves all-in 3.075m
B needs 2.5m to call (Pot now about 7.5m)
Possibly A went all in as his Pair of 5's have value on a board where there's just 1 overcard and whose caller might have a Flush draw. In this case, the caller may still be reluctant because even with a Flush draw with two overcards, it's still a draw. But he may also be thinking that B is putting a play on him, so he played-back.
Now B is put on the decision which calls for a call.
Here are B’s reasons why he may not call (which B may be thinking, but which will be my reasons for so doing):
(1) A three-bet plus all-in may signify J-J or higher, which is very likely if only small cards are on the table. Or: even a Set which A may have used to trap with.
(2) He is getting approximately 3-to-1 on a call (2.5 million to win approximately 7.5 million), but he should call only if he is getting 4-to-1 (21% chance of hitting Two-Pair or Trips), which is the right price.
(3) If he calls, he will have about 6 million chips remaining. But if he doesn’t, he will have about 8.5 million remaining, and his loss is relatively small for his stack (which is nearly 10 million).
Now here are B’s reasons why he should call:
(1) He can knock out an opponent who has proven to be very dangerous so far.
(2) Maybe A is the one on a Flush draw. Or maybe a Flush draw with two overcards where both of them have nearly equal chance of winning. So it’s OK.
(3) Maybe A put B on a Flush draw and decided to push B out of the pot instead of letting a Diamond emerge. So A’s all-in is just a bluff now.
(4) Maybe A put B on a bluff and decided to counter-bluff.
(5) With only one overcard which is not so likely to be in someone’s hand just as a face card is, B may put A on a pocket pair 5-5 to 9-9. In that case, he has a better Pair (Tens).
(6) He can lift himself up to 14 million chips after this.
(7) It is because B’s guts says so.
With these things in B’s mind, but still brewing over the cons, B tried hard to decide. For a long time he stared at his opponent and the Board. He commented first, You may hate me for this,” but then added, as if nothing but instinct prompted him, “but I call.”
B calls 2.5m (Pot just above 9 million)
A is in trouble now. B won the hand and knocked out A (who is Antonio Esfandiari! B is Steven Begleiter). B may be neutral in choosing between folding and calling, but if I’ll call, I’ll call not solely because of value of the Tens, but because of the above reasons.
In summary
I know this may seem like a lot to take in all at once, the fact is though that while poker is an easy game to learn it is hard to be very good at, hence the crazy stupid "chip flinging" you will come across on many free poker sites.
Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker free well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as well as free online poker sites sites that pay out real money like http://www.nopaypoker.com/ and happily build your skills and bankroll!
To make this work first, play free poker to learn to play holdem where you can learn while you lose but without losing real money, then once ready to can move up to low stakes and start to make some serious poker cash!
Players who mainly call are classified as passive. This is because as a caller you do not influence the game dynamic and are, to some extent, are being played by the bettor(s). But if you have tons of reasons to call, and you have contemplated about it very carefully, you can call with no shame.
Here is one such hand (Shame on him if he folds):
BLINDS 60k/120k, ante 15k
PREFLOP:
A has 5h-5d, raised to 310k (under the gun)
B has Kc-10c, calls 310k (from middle position)
A’s raise from under the gun signifies a strong hand, but let us add that A is a strong aggressive player (somewhat on the loose side) that can represent any hand. Also, A can make everyone fold. B’s K-10 suited is good for just calling, and he does.
With K-10, one should be more careful if a King comes up. If a King comes then A might have KJ or AK (AK, especially from an under the gun raise). I don’t think B is aware of this, maybe because he hasn’t seen the Flop yet. Here it is:
FLOP: 10d-4c-2d
Now only a Ten comes, which is more favorable for B. Those who do not have flush draws with two Diamonds may play a J-10 or a 10-9 strongly, and the King kicker is very strong.
A bets 535k
Because A raised under the gun, he tries a continuation bet. If he gets called, he can put B on a flush draw or a small pair (like 7-7), so he can frisk away later with not much loss.
But B may want to end the hand with his Pair of Tens, probably because overcards can fall. Moreover, A has been too aggressive all throughout, as we said, and it may be with two face cards or A-x, so B returns A’s favor:
B raises to 1.61m
A needs 1.075m to call
Because A has been representing a strong hand so far (raising under the gun and continuation-betting), he might as well stay consistent. Moreover, A may think that B raised because he thought A had nothing, and he is trying o push A out of the pot with something like K-J or a Flush draw.
As for the possibility of a Ten in B’s hand, why would A think B had a Ten? Even if B did, he would just call (commonly) and then check-check it all the way, because a Pair of Tens is not so strong, especially if faced with a three-bet like this:
A moves all-in 3.075m
B needs 2.5m to call (Pot now about 7.5m)
Possibly A went all in as his Pair of 5's have value on a board where there's just 1 overcard and whose caller might have a Flush draw. In this case, the caller may still be reluctant because even with a Flush draw with two overcards, it's still a draw. But he may also be thinking that B is putting a play on him, so he played-back.
Now B is put on the decision which calls for a call.
Here are B’s reasons why he may not call (which B may be thinking, but which will be my reasons for so doing):
(1) A three-bet plus all-in may signify J-J or higher, which is very likely if only small cards are on the table. Or: even a Set which A may have used to trap with.
(2) He is getting approximately 3-to-1 on a call (2.5 million to win approximately 7.5 million), but he should call only if he is getting 4-to-1 (21% chance of hitting Two-Pair or Trips), which is the right price.
(3) If he calls, he will have about 6 million chips remaining. But if he doesn’t, he will have about 8.5 million remaining, and his loss is relatively small for his stack (which is nearly 10 million).
Now here are B’s reasons why he should call:
(1) He can knock out an opponent who has proven to be very dangerous so far.
(2) Maybe A is the one on a Flush draw. Or maybe a Flush draw with two overcards where both of them have nearly equal chance of winning. So it’s OK.
(3) Maybe A put B on a Flush draw and decided to push B out of the pot instead of letting a Diamond emerge. So A’s all-in is just a bluff now.
(4) Maybe A put B on a bluff and decided to counter-bluff.
(5) With only one overcard which is not so likely to be in someone’s hand just as a face card is, B may put A on a pocket pair 5-5 to 9-9. In that case, he has a better Pair (Tens).
(6) He can lift himself up to 14 million chips after this.
(7) It is because B’s guts says so.
With these things in B’s mind, but still brewing over the cons, B tried hard to decide. For a long time he stared at his opponent and the Board. He commented first, You may hate me for this,” but then added, as if nothing but instinct prompted him, “but I call.”
B calls 2.5m (Pot just above 9 million)
A is in trouble now. B won the hand and knocked out A (who is Antonio Esfandiari! B is Steven Begleiter). B may be neutral in choosing between folding and calling, but if I’ll call, I’ll call not solely because of value of the Tens, but because of the above reasons.
In summary
I know this may seem like a lot to take in all at once, the fact is though that while poker is an easy game to learn it is hard to be very good at, hence the crazy stupid "chip flinging" you will come across on many free poker sites.
Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker free well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as well as free online poker sites sites that pay out real money like http://www.nopaypoker.com/ and happily build your skills and bankroll!
To make this work first, play free poker to learn to play holdem where you can learn while you lose but without losing real money, then once ready to can move up to low stakes and start to make some serious poker cash!
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Learn To Play Online Poker And Manipulate Other Players So You Win Even With Bad Hands
In poker be it free online poker or big stakes you do not just play the cards. You also play the player, or to put it another way, you aim to manipulate other players so that they do what you want them to do. Your objective of course being that they donate to your stack!
Playing the player has 2 sides. On your side you are trying to read your opponent, classify their style, of play, motivations and actions and play your cards in accordance with your conclusions.
In regard to the other players you aim to play them in order to misdirect their attempts to play you, to have them make incorrect conclusions about your style, motivations and drivers.
To learn how to do this lets look at an example of playing the player in action from a WSOP event.
BLINDS 50k/100k
1) A has Ac-Qh raises 350k
2) B is on big blind, has Kc-Js, calls 230k (Pot 880k)
K-J is usually a bit weak to call a raise. Moreover, B doesn’t have position over A, but he calls because he wants A to guess.
From the big blind, generally we just call because we are on a discount, so we might have 6-5, 10-8, and a bunch of other indeterminate hands which require guessing.
FLOP 4d-5h-3d
B bets 535k
Because small cards fell, B now wants A to think that his call from the big blind hit the Flop, and that his hand may well include those indeterminate hands like 5-4, 8-5, or even 6-7, or two Diamonds. But what did A think?
A raises to 1.8m (Pot 3.215m)
B needs 1.265m to call
Here, A thought that B’s bet was just a continuation bet, and with small cards falling A’s belief is reinforced that B is just trying to finish the hand. How would small cards likely hit B?
Additionally, B has been playing aggressively all night (stealing pots, etc.) so B could be betting with something (which is not likely with small cards falling) or with nothing. B could be playing just about anything, especially from the big blind.
At this point A made a gamble that B had nothing. He could also have assessed that if B had something and goes all in later then he can move out fast. So he raised to try B’s strength.
B folds
B folds, because, indeed, he has nothing, and if he calls, he will be committed to continue. (Had B moved all-in then it will be a good all-in, for A could still be guessing at this point what B’s hand was. But B’s cards were not strong enough.)
Also, he folds, because A raised from late position, which allows for a wider range of hands, like even 5-4 or two Diamonds.
Poker, indeed, is not simply a game of good hands versus good hands. Experienced poker players will win with bad hands under the right conditions.
We give credit to B for first trying to win with a bad hand, a good effort to play he player. Unfortunately for B, A did the playing the player task superbly too, having noted previous actions and motivations and related that to current con text and probability and so played out to win well.
In summary
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.
Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. That's because once you learn to play poker at an above average level and combat the "all-in-all the time" maniacs then you can take them apart in coldly calculated genocide anytime you like in low stakes money games and when you play free poker online that pays real cash such as that found at http://www.nopaypoker.com/.
As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and learn to play free online poker for free on the free online poker tables to get it nailed.
Playing the player has 2 sides. On your side you are trying to read your opponent, classify their style, of play, motivations and actions and play your cards in accordance with your conclusions.
In regard to the other players you aim to play them in order to misdirect their attempts to play you, to have them make incorrect conclusions about your style, motivations and drivers.
To learn how to do this lets look at an example of playing the player in action from a WSOP event.
BLINDS 50k/100k
1) A has Ac-Qh raises 350k
2) B is on big blind, has Kc-Js, calls 230k (Pot 880k)
K-J is usually a bit weak to call a raise. Moreover, B doesn’t have position over A, but he calls because he wants A to guess.
From the big blind, generally we just call because we are on a discount, so we might have 6-5, 10-8, and a bunch of other indeterminate hands which require guessing.
FLOP 4d-5h-3d
B bets 535k
Because small cards fell, B now wants A to think that his call from the big blind hit the Flop, and that his hand may well include those indeterminate hands like 5-4, 8-5, or even 6-7, or two Diamonds. But what did A think?
A raises to 1.8m (Pot 3.215m)
B needs 1.265m to call
Here, A thought that B’s bet was just a continuation bet, and with small cards falling A’s belief is reinforced that B is just trying to finish the hand. How would small cards likely hit B?
Additionally, B has been playing aggressively all night (stealing pots, etc.) so B could be betting with something (which is not likely with small cards falling) or with nothing. B could be playing just about anything, especially from the big blind.
At this point A made a gamble that B had nothing. He could also have assessed that if B had something and goes all in later then he can move out fast. So he raised to try B’s strength.
B folds
B folds, because, indeed, he has nothing, and if he calls, he will be committed to continue. (Had B moved all-in then it will be a good all-in, for A could still be guessing at this point what B’s hand was. But B’s cards were not strong enough.)
Also, he folds, because A raised from late position, which allows for a wider range of hands, like even 5-4 or two Diamonds.
Poker, indeed, is not simply a game of good hands versus good hands. Experienced poker players will win with bad hands under the right conditions.
We give credit to B for first trying to win with a bad hand, a good effort to play he player. Unfortunately for B, A did the playing the player task superbly too, having noted previous actions and motivations and related that to current con text and probability and so played out to win well.
In summary
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.
Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. That's because once you learn to play poker at an above average level and combat the "all-in-all the time" maniacs then you can take them apart in coldly calculated genocide anytime you like in low stakes money games and when you play free poker online that pays real cash such as that found at http://www.nopaypoker.com/.
As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and learn to play free online poker for free on the free online poker tables to get it nailed.
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Free Poker Games Guide To Winning A Big Hand Preflop
When you have a big hand like KK and a good large stack preflop what is the best way to play it? And how does everyone else react? Whether you play free poker online for pennies or high stakes in Monaco this is a critically important situatio and you need to know how to play it best.
Here is a great example from the WSOP:
BLINDS 40,000/80,000
A has As-10c moves all-in (Pot 1.296m)
B has K-K reraises to 5m (Pot 6.296m)
B has two options here. He can call and wait for an opponent to go all-in, though that would make him think...
Could it be A-A? Or Q-Q? If it was Q-Q there is a slight chance he might fold K-K, and regret it. But a big reraise can drive Q-Q or lower out, like what happened to another player:
C has Jd-Jc
(C’s comments on B’s hand were: “Why did you make it so much? ... You like your hand that much?”) If C calls, it’s for all of his chips.
C may think that B has A-K, but there are two all-ins in front of him, and one of them might be A-X (and with A-X he is still not safe) or a pair, but a suspiciously heavy raise to about 60 times the big blind is almost always a signal for A-A or K-K. So C could wait for a better opportunity than now.
C folds (Pot 2.39m)
C’s fold was brilliant, after the reraise, but it will still be brilliant even if B did not reraise. B might bet again on the Flop and C may not continue and just let go of the chips.
B’s reraise will work if he has A-A or K-K, but I doubt it if he will do the same with A-K or Q-Q, but it may have the same effect of making C fold. As for A, let us wish for his good health. B won the hand later.
In summary - Big Hand Preflop
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.
Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker free well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as well free poker sites that pay out real money like http://www.nopaypoker.com/ and happily build your skills and bankroll!
As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and learn how to play poker on the free poker tables to get it nailed.
Here is a great example from the WSOP:
BLINDS 40,000/80,000
A has As-10c moves all-in (Pot 1.296m)
B has K-K reraises to 5m (Pot 6.296m)
B has two options here. He can call and wait for an opponent to go all-in, though that would make him think...
Could it be A-A? Or Q-Q? If it was Q-Q there is a slight chance he might fold K-K, and regret it. But a big reraise can drive Q-Q or lower out, like what happened to another player:
C has Jd-Jc
(C’s comments on B’s hand were: “Why did you make it so much? ... You like your hand that much?”) If C calls, it’s for all of his chips.
C may think that B has A-K, but there are two all-ins in front of him, and one of them might be A-X (and with A-X he is still not safe) or a pair, but a suspiciously heavy raise to about 60 times the big blind is almost always a signal for A-A or K-K. So C could wait for a better opportunity than now.
C folds (Pot 2.39m)
C’s fold was brilliant, after the reraise, but it will still be brilliant even if B did not reraise. B might bet again on the Flop and C may not continue and just let go of the chips.
B’s reraise will work if he has A-A or K-K, but I doubt it if he will do the same with A-K or Q-Q, but it may have the same effect of making C fold. As for A, let us wish for his good health. B won the hand later.
In summary - Big Hand Preflop
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.
Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker free well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as well free poker sites that pay out real money like http://www.nopaypoker.com/ and happily build your skills and bankroll!
As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and learn how to play poker on the free poker tables to get it nailed.
Friday, 30 July 2010
Play Free Poker And Destroy Your Opponents When You Get A Big Hand
In this free poker tips guide you will learn how to recognize and play the poker hand known as the "Big Hand".
The point of poker hand reconstruction is to learn how to play poker better by understanding how the hand works.
Then you can relate this to the context of play. From here you can begin to determine the motives of the other players for their actions, based on the cards that fell, your betting patterns, their player types, their chip stacks, the pot size, and many other factors.
Your objective, simply is to be able to play this type of hand with skill rather than the luck alone most players reply upon and so win loads more cash!
For this poker hand analysis we will examine the "Big Hand"
BLINDS 1,000/2,000 - (Pot 5,400)
PREFLOP:
A has Js-9s, calls 2,000
B has Ks-Kc, raises to 14,000
A calls 12,000 (Pot 33,400)
A just initially calls, hoping that there will also be many callers because he has suited connectors and wants to get sufficient pot odds.
B, though might interpret the call from early position as A-A or Q-Q, and because he has a large stack (the two are the largest on the table) he can afford to raise a bit more, because if the other player reraises and he thinks the other one has A-A, he can fold.
Also, K-K is a little bit unsafe if an Ace falls on the flop, so this may serve as a tester raise. A calls, he has a larger stack so he can afford the risk.
FLOP: Kh-9d-Kd
A checks
B checks (Pot 33,400)
Suddenly B has Quad Kings! A checks, because he has only a Nine, and can proceed carefully if B bets. B, hoping to conceal his unbeatable hand, checks too.
Paired boards are often good bluffing situations. For instance, a 8-8-3 board is good for bluffing because on a, say, J-7-3 board, you will find three cards which can pair one of them, and a bluff will be less effective.
But on the 8-8-3 board, bluffing has big benefits since there are only two cards which can conceivably help anyone, and also anyone there with a Three will be less likely to call. (Only an Eight will do.)
But with a board with bigger cards like our Flop, B may have bet, but after that, A will be less likely to put him on a bluff (and more likely on a made hand) because he may have, say, K-10, and we play big cards more than small ones.
B doesn’t want A to back out of the pot. So B just checks.
Also, with two Diamonds B will want to check in the hope that A will put him on a flush draw so that if the flush doesn’t come, A will bet or raise to push B away, and B can gain extra chips.
TURN: Kh-9d-Kd-5h
A checks
B bets 20,000
A raises to 70,000
B calls 50,000 (Pot 173,400)
B still has invincible Quads, A still has Two-Pair. B could have now put A on the Nine or a draw, so B bets 20,000 so that A will call.
But since during the flop B may have represented a Diamond flush draw in A’s perspective, A raised to 70,000 so that B will move away.
B just calls, since there are two draws already, and B might choose to represent one of them again so that A will attempt another bluff on the river.
RIVER: Kh-9d-Kd-5h-9h
A checks
B moves all-in 106,000 (Pot 279,300)
A folds
B still has Quads, but A is now in trouble because he has a bottom Full House. A King can kill him.
What A is hoping, though, is that B back-doored a Heart Flush and just check it along with him.
But B moves all-in. This is a very intriguing move by B. A solid player would value-bet this (sat, 40,000 on a pot of 173,400) and A can just call it.
It is OK to represent a Flush here, because the board is double-paired, which can destroy Flushes because the board is just one card off a Full House.
So what I am thinking is: B moved all-in because (1) he wanted A to think they may have the same hand or that his hand is weaker, like a Flush. B’s play on the Flop and the Turn was weak, so A might not have put B on a King but likely on the Flush draw we are talking about.
B wants a call. B now hopes that A backdoored a Flush too and also that he thinks his all-in is just a bluff, but A is in trouble because of the sudden strong play.
It was psychologically jarring.
Did B hide that King or not? A may think that better hands could come later, so he folds.
Also (2) B might not want a showdown; he did not want to show the two Kings; he wanted to trouble the minds of A and other opponents.
If they saw how he played K-K it will be added information. He wants to keep them guessing.
It is essential to play more unpredictably so you can gain chips later than to gain chips now, but be unable to get some later. I believe this is a brilliant reason.
In summary of the Big Hand
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.
Yes it is mad that so many players play with so little skill, but it is also very good news for you as a player who is learning to play correctly. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as well play free poker on line sites that pay out real money like NoPayPOKER and happily build your skills and bankroll!
As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and learn to play poker online free on the free poker sites tables to get it nailed.
The point of poker hand reconstruction is to learn how to play poker better by understanding how the hand works.
Then you can relate this to the context of play. From here you can begin to determine the motives of the other players for their actions, based on the cards that fell, your betting patterns, their player types, their chip stacks, the pot size, and many other factors.
Your objective, simply is to be able to play this type of hand with skill rather than the luck alone most players reply upon and so win loads more cash!
For this poker hand analysis we will examine the "Big Hand"
BLINDS 1,000/2,000 - (Pot 5,400)
PREFLOP:
A has Js-9s, calls 2,000
B has Ks-Kc, raises to 14,000
A calls 12,000 (Pot 33,400)
A just initially calls, hoping that there will also be many callers because he has suited connectors and wants to get sufficient pot odds.
B, though might interpret the call from early position as A-A or Q-Q, and because he has a large stack (the two are the largest on the table) he can afford to raise a bit more, because if the other player reraises and he thinks the other one has A-A, he can fold.
Also, K-K is a little bit unsafe if an Ace falls on the flop, so this may serve as a tester raise. A calls, he has a larger stack so he can afford the risk.
FLOP: Kh-9d-Kd
A checks
B checks (Pot 33,400)
Suddenly B has Quad Kings! A checks, because he has only a Nine, and can proceed carefully if B bets. B, hoping to conceal his unbeatable hand, checks too.
Paired boards are often good bluffing situations. For instance, a 8-8-3 board is good for bluffing because on a, say, J-7-3 board, you will find three cards which can pair one of them, and a bluff will be less effective.
But on the 8-8-3 board, bluffing has big benefits since there are only two cards which can conceivably help anyone, and also anyone there with a Three will be less likely to call. (Only an Eight will do.)
But with a board with bigger cards like our Flop, B may have bet, but after that, A will be less likely to put him on a bluff (and more likely on a made hand) because he may have, say, K-10, and we play big cards more than small ones.
B doesn’t want A to back out of the pot. So B just checks.
Also, with two Diamonds B will want to check in the hope that A will put him on a flush draw so that if the flush doesn’t come, A will bet or raise to push B away, and B can gain extra chips.
TURN: Kh-9d-Kd-5h
A checks
B bets 20,000
A raises to 70,000
B calls 50,000 (Pot 173,400)
B still has invincible Quads, A still has Two-Pair. B could have now put A on the Nine or a draw, so B bets 20,000 so that A will call.
But since during the flop B may have represented a Diamond flush draw in A’s perspective, A raised to 70,000 so that B will move away.
B just calls, since there are two draws already, and B might choose to represent one of them again so that A will attempt another bluff on the river.
RIVER: Kh-9d-Kd-5h-9h
A checks
B moves all-in 106,000 (Pot 279,300)
A folds
B still has Quads, but A is now in trouble because he has a bottom Full House. A King can kill him.
What A is hoping, though, is that B back-doored a Heart Flush and just check it along with him.
But B moves all-in. This is a very intriguing move by B. A solid player would value-bet this (sat, 40,000 on a pot of 173,400) and A can just call it.
It is OK to represent a Flush here, because the board is double-paired, which can destroy Flushes because the board is just one card off a Full House.
So what I am thinking is: B moved all-in because (1) he wanted A to think they may have the same hand or that his hand is weaker, like a Flush. B’s play on the Flop and the Turn was weak, so A might not have put B on a King but likely on the Flush draw we are talking about.
B wants a call. B now hopes that A backdoored a Flush too and also that he thinks his all-in is just a bluff, but A is in trouble because of the sudden strong play.
It was psychologically jarring.
Did B hide that King or not? A may think that better hands could come later, so he folds.
Also (2) B might not want a showdown; he did not want to show the two Kings; he wanted to trouble the minds of A and other opponents.
If they saw how he played K-K it will be added information. He wants to keep them guessing.
It is essential to play more unpredictably so you can gain chips later than to gain chips now, but be unable to get some later. I believe this is a brilliant reason.
In summary of the Big Hand
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.
Yes it is mad that so many players play with so little skill, but it is also very good news for you as a player who is learning to play correctly. The reason why is that when you really learn how to play poker well you can turn mercenary and hunt them down in droves in low stakes real money games as well play free poker on line sites that pay out real money like NoPayPOKER and happily build your skills and bankroll!
As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and learn to play poker online free on the free poker sites tables to get it nailed.
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Why You Must Learn To Play Hold Em On Free Poker Sites Before You Risk Money
I can imagine a free online poker player on http://www.nopaypoker.com/ who, after watching some episodes of the World Series of Poker or the World Poker Tour, suddenly gets ‘inspired’ and tries out one of the big advertised poker sites.
As luck would have it he gets dealt 4-4 and, just like a pro he just saw moves all-in early position in the belief that it is a great move. Of course it is sometimes a good play, but not always.
In most cases our newly enthused free poker player will proceed to lose a lot of money in a short period of time to the money site poker sharks.
Instead may I suggest that the best thing to do is to practice these "pro" plays on free poker, so that mistakes can be learned from? He can play free poker games get knocked out, learn from it and still have hundreds of dollars left.
Playing Free Poker Games is also a great way to build a bankroll, if you don’t have one, and if you play long enough. And if you play long enough you will learn from your mistakes and from the mistakes of others – and it wouldn’t be so costly. Sure, you can try playing your Q-7 offsuit and then flop a Q-5-3 and then get called by A-Q later or K-K – that is when you realize your Q-7 is trash, and you ought not play it again.
Of course, you can watch someone else play the Q-7. He may flop Q-5-3, as above, or even A-J-7. Now you know you have him, because you have K-K (in the first flop) or A-K, or J-J (in the second). Now you remember the times when you win, and when you recall these times every time a similar situation arises, you will win the pot. If you play free poker long enough you will see what these situations are and then be able to characterize them like this: On the first flop, it may be ‘Playing Overpairs’; on the second, it may be ‘Playing Top Pair’ or ‘Playing a Set’.
There is, however, a downfall if you are not careful: Suppose you play 3-2 off and you win. You might think 3-2 off is a good hand, and then suddenly you rush to play real money poker. You lose. You think, “How would 3-2 be harpooned in this board! This just won last week!”
If you are observant enough for a long time in playing free poker you might notice plenty of players doing the same (playing bad hands) and they win. You can watch if they are winning consistently or not, and oftentimes they don’t. Someone plays 7-2, the wins; someone plays it again later, then loses.When you play free poker games it may not yet teach you that A-10 is sometimes dangerous to play after a raise because it might be a better Ace, but it teaches you what hands to avoid and what to play.
In free poker you just don’t play any hand. You must play as if it is really big money at stake. Play only good hands as if your big money bankroll depended on it. If you keep playing bad starting hands without the ability to represent them (and representing hands is not so practical in free poker because many free poker players play just any hand, bet when they hit the Flop and throw when they don’t) you will be a bad player sooner.
Regarding this, here is another point, indeed this is the key point that will win you a lot of money:
Most free poker players are beginners or reckless fun seekers so when you take the time to master free poker then you will know how to blast them into orbit
Then you get to real money and you will meet the novice and maniac TV watchers who got a bit too inspired and guess what happens next!
That's right, your hard earned free poker skills will trash them and they will "donate" their stacks to you time and time again!. And as for the really good players, it’s so easy – avoid them unless you have the nuts.
This article brought to you by NoPayPOKER. The world's only free online poker site where you win real cash on every game. NoPayPOKER.com is the ideal place for new poker players to learn to play hold em without risking any money at all. Experienced poker players can test out new techniques and rack up lots of free poker cash!
As luck would have it he gets dealt 4-4 and, just like a pro he just saw moves all-in early position in the belief that it is a great move. Of course it is sometimes a good play, but not always.
In most cases our newly enthused free poker player will proceed to lose a lot of money in a short period of time to the money site poker sharks.
Instead may I suggest that the best thing to do is to practice these "pro" plays on free poker, so that mistakes can be learned from? He can play free poker games get knocked out, learn from it and still have hundreds of dollars left.
Playing Free Poker Games is also a great way to build a bankroll, if you don’t have one, and if you play long enough. And if you play long enough you will learn from your mistakes and from the mistakes of others – and it wouldn’t be so costly. Sure, you can try playing your Q-7 offsuit and then flop a Q-5-3 and then get called by A-Q later or K-K – that is when you realize your Q-7 is trash, and you ought not play it again.
Of course, you can watch someone else play the Q-7. He may flop Q-5-3, as above, or even A-J-7. Now you know you have him, because you have K-K (in the first flop) or A-K, or J-J (in the second). Now you remember the times when you win, and when you recall these times every time a similar situation arises, you will win the pot. If you play free poker long enough you will see what these situations are and then be able to characterize them like this: On the first flop, it may be ‘Playing Overpairs’; on the second, it may be ‘Playing Top Pair’ or ‘Playing a Set’.
There is, however, a downfall if you are not careful: Suppose you play 3-2 off and you win. You might think 3-2 off is a good hand, and then suddenly you rush to play real money poker. You lose. You think, “How would 3-2 be harpooned in this board! This just won last week!”
If you are observant enough for a long time in playing free poker you might notice plenty of players doing the same (playing bad hands) and they win. You can watch if they are winning consistently or not, and oftentimes they don’t. Someone plays 7-2, the wins; someone plays it again later, then loses.When you play free poker games it may not yet teach you that A-10 is sometimes dangerous to play after a raise because it might be a better Ace, but it teaches you what hands to avoid and what to play.
In free poker you just don’t play any hand. You must play as if it is really big money at stake. Play only good hands as if your big money bankroll depended on it. If you keep playing bad starting hands without the ability to represent them (and representing hands is not so practical in free poker because many free poker players play just any hand, bet when they hit the Flop and throw when they don’t) you will be a bad player sooner.
Regarding this, here is another point, indeed this is the key point that will win you a lot of money:
Most free poker players are beginners or reckless fun seekers so when you take the time to master free poker then you will know how to blast them into orbit
Then you get to real money and you will meet the novice and maniac TV watchers who got a bit too inspired and guess what happens next!
That's right, your hard earned free poker skills will trash them and they will "donate" their stacks to you time and time again!. And as for the really good players, it’s so easy – avoid them unless you have the nuts.
This article brought to you by NoPayPOKER. The world's only free online poker site where you win real cash on every game. NoPayPOKER.com is the ideal place for new poker players to learn to play hold em without risking any money at all. Experienced poker players can test out new techniques and rack up lots of free poker cash!
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Free Poker Guide to When You Should Fold a Set
Recently I played a 6 player Sit N Go free poker site where my belief in the power of the set was seriously knocked; by set I mean a hand that is made from a pocket pair and board card of th same rank, e.g., 5-5 and the flop shows 5-8-K
More so, it was a sharp free online poker lesson on maturity. After this experience I know a lot more about when to fold what seems like a good set or hand.
A set can be really strong, for example, you have 6-6 and the flop comes A-10-6. In this situation, against A-x (excepting A-10), you are 99-1 favorite, and if another player happens to have A-K or A-Q, you will see all the problems he will face later when he goes all in or calls your all-in.
But at this Sit and Go, there were 6 six players (blinds 10-20, average stack 1500), I was first to go. I had 4c-4s. I raised to 50. The button called, as well as the blinds.
The flop came 4h-6h-7d. Small blind checked; before me, big blind bet 200.
I asked myself, "How could he make such a fat bet (pot-sized)?". These players in previous hands always play any old hand that drops onto their screens. They may have A-6 or A-7, but also 8-7 or even 8-5. Or any two Hearts. They never know when to fold or not. And you don't know when your made Two-Pair will be crushed.
So I figured that the power of my Set was gravely reduced, so I just called in the hope that the Board would pair during the Turn, but the main reason is because there are were dangerous cards that can fall.
A Three, a Five or an Eight will render my Set unplayable, unless everyone checks; a Heart will jeopardize my chances.
Usually, I am inclined to move all-in with a Set, but there might be a stray Five. They are willing to call all-ins, even with draws. Even with gutshot draws. They do it all day.
And I can't banish them out of a draw by power-play. What if all of them call?
The turn came 3d. There are two Flush draws on the Board and one to a Straight.
Small blind checks; the Big Blind moved all-in (he had 1400 chips, I had 1200).
On already a pot of 2200, although I am getting 2-to-1 on a call all-in (or possibly 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 if the two others call), I folded. The Button called; Small Blind folded.
They showed the hands I guessed they had: an Ad-5c, and Qh-Jh. Either way, I will be smothered if I called too; the chance of the Board pairing is just 25% (10 out of 40) and I would be getting only 3-to-1. Not only I escaped devastating math; I also escaped the onslaught of made hands and big draws.
The point of this is: If a good hand doesn't stay good, then it's no longer good. Its power is just history and if you keep with it your chip stack is likely to be history too!
This article is by NoPayPOKER, the perfect online poker site for beginners to learn to play online poker without risking money. For experienced poker players the attraction is practice, the ability to fine tune their game and test out new techniques in a totally no risk zone while grinding away to accumulate free poker cash.
More so, it was a sharp free online poker lesson on maturity. After this experience I know a lot more about when to fold what seems like a good set or hand.
A set can be really strong, for example, you have 6-6 and the flop comes A-10-6. In this situation, against A-x (excepting A-10), you are 99-1 favorite, and if another player happens to have A-K or A-Q, you will see all the problems he will face later when he goes all in or calls your all-in.
But at this Sit and Go, there were 6 six players (blinds 10-20, average stack 1500), I was first to go. I had 4c-4s. I raised to 50. The button called, as well as the blinds.
The flop came 4h-6h-7d. Small blind checked; before me, big blind bet 200.
I asked myself, "How could he make such a fat bet (pot-sized)?". These players in previous hands always play any old hand that drops onto their screens. They may have A-6 or A-7, but also 8-7 or even 8-5. Or any two Hearts. They never know when to fold or not. And you don't know when your made Two-Pair will be crushed.
So I figured that the power of my Set was gravely reduced, so I just called in the hope that the Board would pair during the Turn, but the main reason is because there are were dangerous cards that can fall.
A Three, a Five or an Eight will render my Set unplayable, unless everyone checks; a Heart will jeopardize my chances.
Usually, I am inclined to move all-in with a Set, but there might be a stray Five. They are willing to call all-ins, even with draws. Even with gutshot draws. They do it all day.
And I can't banish them out of a draw by power-play. What if all of them call?
The turn came 3d. There are two Flush draws on the Board and one to a Straight.
Small blind checks; the Big Blind moved all-in (he had 1400 chips, I had 1200).
On already a pot of 2200, although I am getting 2-to-1 on a call all-in (or possibly 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 if the two others call), I folded. The Button called; Small Blind folded.
They showed the hands I guessed they had: an Ad-5c, and Qh-Jh. Either way, I will be smothered if I called too; the chance of the Board pairing is just 25% (10 out of 40) and I would be getting only 3-to-1. Not only I escaped devastating math; I also escaped the onslaught of made hands and big draws.
The point of this is: If a good hand doesn't stay good, then it's no longer good. Its power is just history and if you keep with it your chip stack is likely to be history too!
This article is by NoPayPOKER, the perfect online poker site for beginners to learn to play online poker without risking money. For experienced poker players the attraction is practice, the ability to fine tune their game and test out new techniques in a totally no risk zone while grinding away to accumulate free poker cash.
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Free Poker Site Guide to How to Win Double or Nothing Poker Tournaments from NoPayPOKER.com
In standard cash tournaments or free poker tournaments typically the top 8-10% make the money and even then only a handful make more than twice their buy in.
The vast majority of the cash goes to those near to the final table. In double or nothing tournaments, half the participants win twice the buy-in.
For example, if there are 100 players with a buy in of $10 the top 50 win $20, the bottom 50 get nothing.
In this learn to play poker online free lesson lets assume 100 players in a double or nothing poker tournament.
At the start, when blinds are small, play unambitious, steady poker.
Do the mainstream moves. Move all-in with A-A or K-K and hope someone with a weaker hand will call. If you have a Pair, hope to flop a Set. Build your stack size by 50% or more.
You can also try "small-ball" poker. While the blinds are low, call with hands that have great pot odds when involved in multi-player pots, like with 8-7, A-5 suited.
If you hit hard on the Flop, say Straight or Flush, knock out someone or double up someone who has a Pair. If you don't hit, fold, and wait for the time you will hit.
This is how you should play until you're about 5 away from the money places Now there are 55 players left. And lets say you are 55th, what's the best thing to do?
As 50th gets the same as 1st place (double the buy in) there's no point going all in unless the blinds are killing you.
Play conservatively. What typically happens is that the players from 40th down get impatient and go all in because the blinds are eating them, too.
When they get impatient they'll kill themselves off fast, patience, in poker, always wins in the end!
Now lets say your are 48th of 55 and get A-A, what to do, move all in or call and all in?
In a normal poker tournament, if top 30 win money and you are 27th with 33 players left, you can move all-in with A-A because your callers will be A-K, A-Q or K-K and you are a significant favorite. You can move up from 27th to say, 15th to 20th, and you can win more money later.
But in double or nothing, ask yourself: What if you have 9000 chips and win $10 when you could win $10 with just 4500 chips? It will be unnecessary. 50th place is the same as any place above it.
What about calling an all-in with someone who has 3000 chips? Will you do it? It depends on what player we are, but I would not do it.
The bigger stacks can collaborate on knocking the smaller ones out. Stay out of the way.
If you are on top, say you have five times your starting stack or better, consider it your responsibility to knock the smaller stacks out if you have the opportunity.
Don't overdo it, however. In this instance, I would rather snooze away from the table and let the more adventurous big stacks eat the smaller ones.
If you have, say, just thrice your starting stack, don't call all-ins unless you have nuts or a strong hand close to nuts. I did this once in a Flop with A-5-8 and I have A-10. I have 3200 chips (about 1.5 times my starting stack) and someone moved all-in his 920 chips.
One player between us folded (If he called he may have A-x, and I don't know what x is, so if we get involved in a pot he might push me and I wouldn't be able to continue with my A-10) so I called. The player who moved all-in bluffed with 9-2.
If you are on top, you can just wait. If you are near the bottom, just have more patience and don't knock yourself out like the others who have less patience do. Because once you reach 50th place in our 100-person tournament, you will feel just like a champion.
To read more articles like this and learn to play poker free check out the NoPayPOKER.com blog which is full of free poker tournaments tips and lessons as well as offering a no risk free poker games site where you can put theory into practice.
The vast majority of the cash goes to those near to the final table. In double or nothing tournaments, half the participants win twice the buy-in.
For example, if there are 100 players with a buy in of $10 the top 50 win $20, the bottom 50 get nothing.
In this learn to play poker online free lesson lets assume 100 players in a double or nothing poker tournament.
At the start, when blinds are small, play unambitious, steady poker.
Do the mainstream moves. Move all-in with A-A or K-K and hope someone with a weaker hand will call. If you have a Pair, hope to flop a Set. Build your stack size by 50% or more.
You can also try "small-ball" poker. While the blinds are low, call with hands that have great pot odds when involved in multi-player pots, like with 8-7, A-5 suited.
If you hit hard on the Flop, say Straight or Flush, knock out someone or double up someone who has a Pair. If you don't hit, fold, and wait for the time you will hit.
This is how you should play until you're about 5 away from the money places Now there are 55 players left. And lets say you are 55th, what's the best thing to do?
As 50th gets the same as 1st place (double the buy in) there's no point going all in unless the blinds are killing you.
Play conservatively. What typically happens is that the players from 40th down get impatient and go all in because the blinds are eating them, too.
When they get impatient they'll kill themselves off fast, patience, in poker, always wins in the end!
Now lets say your are 48th of 55 and get A-A, what to do, move all in or call and all in?
In a normal poker tournament, if top 30 win money and you are 27th with 33 players left, you can move all-in with A-A because your callers will be A-K, A-Q or K-K and you are a significant favorite. You can move up from 27th to say, 15th to 20th, and you can win more money later.
But in double or nothing, ask yourself: What if you have 9000 chips and win $10 when you could win $10 with just 4500 chips? It will be unnecessary. 50th place is the same as any place above it.
What about calling an all-in with someone who has 3000 chips? Will you do it? It depends on what player we are, but I would not do it.
The bigger stacks can collaborate on knocking the smaller ones out. Stay out of the way.
If you are on top, say you have five times your starting stack or better, consider it your responsibility to knock the smaller stacks out if you have the opportunity.
Don't overdo it, however. In this instance, I would rather snooze away from the table and let the more adventurous big stacks eat the smaller ones.
If you have, say, just thrice your starting stack, don't call all-ins unless you have nuts or a strong hand close to nuts. I did this once in a Flop with A-5-8 and I have A-10. I have 3200 chips (about 1.5 times my starting stack) and someone moved all-in his 920 chips.
One player between us folded (If he called he may have A-x, and I don't know what x is, so if we get involved in a pot he might push me and I wouldn't be able to continue with my A-10) so I called. The player who moved all-in bluffed with 9-2.
If you are on top, you can just wait. If you are near the bottom, just have more patience and don't knock yourself out like the others who have less patience do. Because once you reach 50th place in our 100-person tournament, you will feel just like a champion.
To read more articles like this and learn to play poker free check out the NoPayPOKER.com blog which is full of free poker tournaments tips and lessons as well as offering a no risk free poker games site where you can put theory into practice.
Friday, 4 June 2010
The NoPayPOKER Free Online Poker Site Secrets of Playing AA and KK Preflop
Regardless of whether you play entry level free texas holdem poker or high stakes Vegas A-A and K-K are the top two hands preflop that will get your heart thumping with excitement every (rare) time they appear. With A-A or K-K, the chance of a smaller Pair winning until the river is just roughly 20%, and unpaired hands offer lesser hope. If you have K-K, an A-X (Ace with any card) only has a 25% to 30% chance of winning, and this is only usually if they hit the Ace.
With A-A or K-K the voice we always hear is ‘raise, raise, raise’. Yes, raise heavily it tells you, after all the only hands who are willing to call us will be ones like AK and AQ, plus a heavy raise will scare off the suited connectors that might be able to crack us later if they hit straights or flushes. Raise, especially from a late position, and reraise any raises. Then your hope, if you reraise, is that your opponents are intending to reraise again with a weaker hand which they think is the favorite, like for example A-K or A-Q, and so you can set them all-in, or move all-in yourself.
But there are times when it pays to be more subtle than just doing the raise and reraise thing. An example is this: Suppose you have A-A in early position, and you raise. All the rest fold. How many times have you been frustrated when you raise or move all-in with those big Pairs preflop only to bait no customers?
So in early position, if that’s what you intend to do – if you want to catch them spilling many of their chips into your stack preflop, then just call, then wish – wish! - that ones of them raises so you can reraise. If they fold, well you'll at least get a few more chips than if you went for it right away and scared them off. If they call, then already we're past preflop play...
But this “beyond preflop play” is very significant, in that there is a big difference between A-A or K-K. Usually you should be willing to move all-in preflop more often with K-K than A-A. Why?
Because if you have A-A and the flop comes, say, Q-7-3 or K-9-5, those willing to square off with you are those with, like, A-Q, K-Q or K-J. They are willing to feed their chips to you with these hands, and you can call their big bets or all-ins. Your A-A is still the best hand, while they think their large (big but not big enough) Pair is strong, and that hand’s already a significant underdog. A-A is good for trapping as well as for speeding. You can move all-in with it preflop, of course, but as above you can trap with it if you feel like it.
But if you have K-K, the flop might fall A-7-2, and…your K-K, no matter how golden, is now drawing almost dead. There are two Kings left, and anyone who might be there with you may bet large because he has an Ace. (Is he likely to bet with a single Seven?) So you have to fold your K-K, no matter how hard it is for you to get so good a hand and then banish it a few moments later. Or just call, call, call.
So, preflop, you may have to play K-K more strongly than you would play your A-A. It’s not as good as trapping as A-A. Ideally, if you move all-in with K-K, an A-X will call you, or a small pocket Pair and you’ll be an approximately 75-25 favorite. (You’re not likely to be called with K-X or Q-X because they’re not so strong enough for calling all-ins.) If you get called with A-X, they still have to catch the Ace. They're the ones taking the risk, and not you. If you play K-K slowly, and they ride their A-X with you on the Flop, and they caught the Ace, it's a thousandfold different from having to catch it. They have no risks to take.
There might be times where there is A-A versus K-K, but these times are rare. And if you're the one with the K-K, you might even fold it. Say two of you in a preflop hand are the chip leaders in a tournament, and you reraise his early-position raise, then all of a sudden he pushes you all-in! You might put him on A-A, and you fold, very, very smartly and sickly. Or he's a player whom you know who will not raise that LARGE an amount unless he has A-A. But these times are rare, remember.
So, excepting some special considerations that must be remembered with the K-K, playing A-A and K-K preflop is just almost identical.
This article is by NoPayPOKER, the perfect free poker site for beginners to learn to play poker online without risking money. For experienced poker players the attraction is practice, the ability to fine tune their game and test out new techniques in a totally no risk zone while collecting free poker cash.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Free Online Poker Bluffing and Semi-Bluff Game Winning Methods
"To bluff" means to bet or raise when you haven't the best hand, to bring your opponents to fold, even if they have a better hand. An essential skill that you should start to practice whether you play free poker or live room games.
Why you need to bluff?
Firstly it enables you to win with cards that are not so great.
Secondly, and I think more important, you bluff so you can win big pots when you do have the best hand.
So even bad failed bluffs can have a positive effect in that they may make other players call you when you actually have a strong hand.
But you must maintain the balance: if you bluff too much, your opponents will always call your bet and you will lose your money. if you never bluff, when you have good cards and raise the pot, your opponents fold and you win a small pot.
But if you can get it right and bluff with the right frequency, you will make your opponents unsure, and force bad decisions..
Ways to Improve Your Poker Bluffing Skills:
1) Take care when bluffing in limit games. On Limit tables you can't raise so much and your opponents can call your bet more easily that in a no limit Texas Holdem game.
2) Study the other players. If you are at a table with very good players, your chances to win are higher than a table with few.
This is true because strong players respect the bets of their opponents, and have the right discipline to fold their cards even with a medium hand.
The weak player, instead, doesn't understand that you are trying to bluff, or calls your bet just out of curiosity.
3) Try to build your reputation at the table. Make your opponents unsure of your moves at all times.
For example, you can start the tournament with a lot of bluffing, so your opponents will call you a lot and you can win big pots when you have the right cards.
Or you can start the tournament calling only with good cards (AK, AQ, high pairs). Later in advanced phases of the tournaments you can place some bluffs and have a good chance of winning the pot because your opponents cannot believe that you haven't got good cards.
4) Your position is decisive and in general it is good to call when you are in the last positions, near the dealer, because you have more information about your opponents.
5) Practice! Start of on free texas holdem poker sites to get the improve your skills in an environment that won't punish you financially.
5) Learn to do the semi bluff. In the semi bluff you bet hoping they will fold but your cards might be good enough to win the pot if the turn and river are good. This happens, for example, when you have 4/5 flush, or 4/5 straight, or in rare cases when you have Ace-high.
Look at a semi bluff example:
You have 9 and 10 of hearts and the flop is Q-hearts , 4-clubs and 7-hearts.
In this case you haven't got the best hand. Your opponent has 4 and 3 (very bad card preflop), he has more chances to win.
So you can try to make a semi-bluff , because you have the 4 hearts cards.You bet, and your opponent starts to think about what to do.
He has only a pair, and a very low one. He thinks: "I have few chances to win.. only a pair of 4s. He is betting, probably he has the Q.. or 7.. Uhm, let's try with another hand", and the fold comes.
And also if your opponent calls, the turn or the river can be a hearts, so you maintain good chances to win.
The Semi-bluff is also useful to contain losses.
For example, the situation is the same above ( You: 9h-10h , Flop Qh-4c-7h ), and you decide to bet.
If your opponent is weak, he’ll probably fold. But if your opponent has the Q, if you don't bet a little, he will probably bet a higher amount of chips, to let you fold, and you become unsure of what to do.
Call with 4/5 flush, or fold? However, to see the next card, you have to put in the pot more chips than if you bet for first.
If you bet a small amount of chips, your opponent probably just call, and you "buy" another card with few chips.
How to defend against a possible bluff?
There aren't many choices. You can accept the challenge, or you can fold.v For this reason the bluff and semi-bluff are a very powerful weapon.
My last suggestion: if you decide to accept the challenge, restrict yourself to call is rarely the good decision. You should raise, to let your opponent think: "Uhm, it's better to stay relaxed, my opponent has good card".
Bluffing and semi bluffing are skills that need lots of practice. If poker is a new game for you or if you've not done much bluffing before I advise you practice at first on free texas holdem poker sites like http://www.nopaypoker.com . The, as skills and bankroll grow you can move up to real money.
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Free Online Poker Strategy for 1000 Player Poker Freerolls
This strategy is one I use to great effect (profit!) in both cash and free online poker freerolls with upto 1000 players involved. I will keep it short, since there are too many long and boring free texas holdem strategies that keep coming with the same info in another context.
The first hour
Freerolls are played by everyone, good players bad players, annoying people that just keep going all in and all in again.
The all in on every hand donk players are the ones to watch out for early on. Never take a risk in the beginning of even a free texas hold em tournament, because the players that don’t know the game or so will go all in with A 6 (not even suited) and it would be very sad if you have an As Ks and will be beaten by a A 6!
Just call when it's low when you have AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK (suited) KQ (suited) Note: You should never go all in with these cards in the pre-flop (bad beats are incredibly frustrating)
And very important; DO NOT BLUFF at this time.
Following the first hour
Now is the time that almost all of the bad players are gone, except for the lucky ones!
Here you are able to play more aggressive and attempt to steal the blinds (vital since the blinds increase and ante needs to be paid so what you can get by playing cards is too less to keep playing)
You may also introduce some new cards to you playable hands like:
When you're in the pot with a few players and they just check or make low bets/calls you can try to bluff.
Ensure that your stack is not less then the average stack, if it does go back to the "first hour strategy" and tighten up! (it is not a shame to pull back and change strategy a couple of times to create some confusion!)
Congratulations If everything went well you are now in the money, but you can't tell me that you'd like to quit now and earn some crappy cents, that’s just waste of your time since the most freerolls will take up to 4-5 hours. So concentrate!
This is the part where the "n00bs" are all gone so you play with some pokerfreaks so take care!
You can recognize the good players not at the quantity of chips they have but at their check, bet, call, raise and fold actions!
They're going to try to get to see the flop with as less chips as possible and fold most of the time (most common way to spot the good ones).
In order to be in the top 3 (other places won't pay that well) you need to be careful, but take some risks to! The hands you can play are the same as in the second part of the freeroll from the 77,88 and up.
When in late position attempt to steal the blinds, but not too often or you will be recognized as a bluffer!
So see you at the tables, good luck! When beginning I suggest starting with true free online poker freeroll events and working up from there as you improve.
The first hour
Freerolls are played by everyone, good players bad players, annoying people that just keep going all in and all in again.
The all in on every hand donk players are the ones to watch out for early on. Never take a risk in the beginning of even a free texas hold em tournament, because the players that don’t know the game or so will go all in with A 6 (not even suited) and it would be very sad if you have an As Ks and will be beaten by a A 6!
Just call when it's low when you have AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK (suited) KQ (suited) Note: You should never go all in with these cards in the pre-flop (bad beats are incredibly frustrating)
And very important; DO NOT BLUFF at this time.
Following the first hour
Now is the time that almost all of the bad players are gone, except for the lucky ones!
Here you are able to play more aggressive and attempt to steal the blinds (vital since the blinds increase and ante needs to be paid so what you can get by playing cards is too less to keep playing)
You may also introduce some new cards to you playable hands like:
- AA (all in when in late position and not a lot of people in the pot)
- 10 10
- KJ
- AK
- KQ
- KK (same as AA)
- QJ
- AQ
When you're in the pot with a few players and they just check or make low bets/calls you can try to bluff.
Ensure that your stack is not less then the average stack, if it does go back to the "first hour strategy" and tighten up! (it is not a shame to pull back and change strategy a couple of times to create some confusion!)
Congratulations If everything went well you are now in the money, but you can't tell me that you'd like to quit now and earn some crappy cents, that’s just waste of your time since the most freerolls will take up to 4-5 hours. So concentrate!
This is the part where the "n00bs" are all gone so you play with some pokerfreaks so take care!
You can recognize the good players not at the quantity of chips they have but at their check, bet, call, raise and fold actions!
They're going to try to get to see the flop with as less chips as possible and fold most of the time (most common way to spot the good ones).
In order to be in the top 3 (other places won't pay that well) you need to be careful, but take some risks to! The hands you can play are the same as in the second part of the freeroll from the 77,88 and up.
When in late position attempt to steal the blinds, but not too often or you will be recognized as a bluffer!
So see you at the tables, good luck! When beginning I suggest starting with true free online poker freeroll events and working up from there as you improve.
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