June 2019 Archives

Playing the Final Table for the First Spot

A number of poker players just try to climb up two spots up their money ladder once they’re on the final table. This doesn’t usually happen when you’re playing with a professional. The pro online poker players will always want the top spot.

If you want to play poker online games like a professional, you should follow these tips.

Get inside your opponents’ heads

You have to assess the situation and know what prize they’re aiming for. There’s no use trying to beat them all when they’re not really going for the top prize, anyway. A number of poker online players are pretty satisfied with the 9th or the 8th place, and most of them even make a big deal out of the difference. Try to weed out these mediocre players from the lot. You want to focus on the ones that would fold out the smaller games to get to the final pay out.

Spotting them through stacks

Even without body language, you can actually determine which ones are playing just to climb up a notch or two, and which ones are going to shove to dodge the blinds. Players with shorter stacks are likely to go for the 9th place. Those with longer stacks are going to fold to last longer in the game.

Players with big stacks

What you should watch are the two poker players with the biggest stacks in the table. They have the most interesting posts of all. If you’re one of them, you should attack the one with the bigger stack. If you have the biggest stack, expect what’s coming to you. Folding four or five times just to climb up a notch or two in the ladder is foolish. You’ll be wasting the opportunity.

Just raise and re-raise the chip leader and let him know you can’t get bullied. If all goes well, you’ll get the message across and win the big prize. If he’s as tough as you are, the two of you will probably tie at second place.

Happy playing!

Poker Tips: Understanding Blocking Bet

A blocker bet or blocking bet in the online poker game is when you make a small bet when you are first to act just to see what the next card is without putting in too much money into the pot. When you make a blocking bet, your opponent will most likely not make a big bet or raise and just call. Doing a blocking bet helps you prevent other players to make big bets which will be natural if you just checked.

You need to know when and how to make a blocking bet or this move will just be throwing away your chips or money.

Remember that you can only make a blocking bet when you are out of position in online poker. The idea behind the move is that you want to see what the next card is and not risking too much of your stack when you expect that your opponent will be putting a lot into the pot.

Expect good cash with blocking bet

When you play poker online with a blocking bet you can expect to get some good money when you complete the cards you need.

You can also use this play when all of the cards have been drawn. Players can block at the river when you are against a player who bluffs a lot. You can block bet against a poker online player who is about to make a big bet because he has a monster hand or it is just a complete bluff. If you think you have a medium strength hand with a good kicker then you can do a blocker bet for a showdown. You can put in some chips to prevent the other player from bluffing but just small enough so you do not lose a lot in case your opponent comes out on top.

Another important point when making a block bet is just to put a reasonable amount or otherwise your opponent will make life harder for you because he or she will have enough space to raise.

Happy playing!

Importance of Managing your Bankroll Intelligently in Poker

Learning to be a good online poker player takes a lot of time, there is a lot to learn. The first and most important thing that you can learn is how to manage your bankroll in an intelligent manner. Once you can do this you will be in much better shape as a poker player. Since you will be far less likely to suffer large losses that take you out of the game.

The reason that managing your bankroll is so important in poker online is that you have to make sure that you don’t go bust. After all, if you lose all of your money you are out of the game, you can’t win if you are out of the game. This is why you have to make sure that you manage your bankroll in a way that makes sure. You don’t end up in this position. This is not all that hard to do but it does take discipline. Something that a lot of players struggle with.

Ensure to limit your losses

The most important thing to manage your bankroll in online poker real money is to make sure that you limit your losses. If you have bad cards, you can fold early. One of the most common mistakes that inexperienced players make is that they play too many hands. If you watch the professionals play you will notice that they fold more often than they actually play. This is all about managing their bankroll. They are not going to risk taking a heavy loss on a weak hand.

Be sure not to be predictable

Of course, you do have to make sure that you don’t become predictable in your play which means that from time to time you are going to have to play a weaker hand. Even here however you can manage your bankroll. The way that you do this is by not playing weak hands too often. Just enough to make people think, and by not playing them all the way to the end. It is alright to take small losses on a weak hand. But you really can’t afford to take a heavy loss. Nothing will take you out of the game faster than that.

While limiting your losses is an important part of managing your bankroll it is only half of the equation. You also have to maximize your winnings when you have a good hand. If everybody folds right away every time you’ve a strong hand you’re not going to add much to your bankroll. That means you are going to have to keep players in when you have a strong hand. Learning how to play poker online is an important part of becoming a good poker player and it takes time to learn. However once you have this skill you will be able to add to your bankroll very quickly. And find that you are a top player.

Happy playing!

Understanding the Role of Psyche in Poker

Poker is a card game that is immensely popular the world over. With the number of casinos, online poker games rooms and televised events constantly on the rise, it is no surprise that the game is perhaps the single most in demand across the globe. As newcomers look to pick up the tricks of the game and Phil Laak, a Poker Psychology Genius old-hand seek to better their techniques, literature in the form of instructions, tips; inside secrets and so on has found to abound in the markets.

Most of these writings are concerned with instructions regarding strategies and techniques of actually playing the game. Few people realize the importance of understanding the psychological aspect of the game. The playing tactics and stratagem are undeniably important. The working of one’s psychological self during the game can make or break one’s game.

The inner workings of one’s personality can determine one’s strength as a player. The card hand dealing to you is your most crucial tool in the game. How you use those cards and whether you make best of them or not depends on your personal characteristics. Behaviour and personality traits like mental planning and preparation, confidence, insecurities and fears. Discipline and dedication, risk-taking and caution and so on determine the quality of your game. It also determines your earnings in the long run.

Learn the importance of exerting control over psyche

Even though short term gains are possible in the form of winning pots in individual rounds, if you want to make a considerable gain out when you play poker online, you will have to learn the importance of exerting control over your psyche and harnessing all energy such that you never lose sight of the goal as a result of minor obstacles. Discipline, self-control and restraint are the three most important characteristics any poker online player must learnt to inculcate in order to overcome the wide variety of problems that can come in the way during the course of the game.

The thrill and the excitement of the game carries away most players. And to be able to excel at the game in the long run. It is imperative to achieve complete control over oneself. In order to be able to face all sorts of adversaries and problems in a calm manner. Since you will be playing against a variety of people and in a number of challenging. And sometimes taxing situations, control over your temper and behaviour is mandatory.

Experts advise laying a solid groundwork for your game. Not everyone can excel at all varieties of online poker so it is important to recognize where your talents lie and to concentrate only in that direction. Once you know the kind of game you can excel at, work on building a positive yet practical attitude. It is important not to let a minor loss or setback take you down completely. But one must also know when it is time to close the game. Getting carried away will only lead to losses and it is in governing these impulses that self-control comes handy.

Happy playing!

Poker Online and Energy Drinks may not be a Good Mix

Hey poker online fans! The title of this post might have already raised some eyebrows. But read on and find out the reasons behind our claim.

The brain and its food

Your brain is just about 2% of your total body weight but it consumes about 20% of the total energy. It makes use of energy more than your liver, your kidney, your heart, and the other organs you can think of.

The body makes most of the energy it derives from all the carbohydrates that we consume. And so loading up carbohydrates is essential for our cognitive functions. The brain however makes use of the glucose which is the end product of the processed carbohydrates in our body. The brain does not have big reserve of glucose so it depends on a steady in flow of glucose. Lack glucose and in card game terms you will have poor reads, bad decisions, and of course no chips in the end.

The truth about carbohydrates

So, it will be best to eat and drink carbohydrates while playing online poker games. Wrong! Since these are fast acting carbohydrates which flood your blood stream with sugar causing your body to react and level everything off by releasing a huge amount of insulin. So you end up with a dropping blood sugar.

You need to pick carbohydrates which are low on the GI or Glycemic Index. This group will release sugar in small amounts to your blood stream, causing a steady flow of supply for your brain. Instances of low GI’s are vegetables, grains, and fruits. So this healthy bunch is your perfect online poker real money food.

Energy drink

The energy drinks, just to emphasize, contain fast acting carbohydrates which is actually detrimental to your game. Drink a can and your body will compensate to lower the sugar in your blood stream and your brain ending up hungry for glucose as it calls and folds.

The key is to eat healthy and have a balance of carbohydrates which will help with your attention, focus, and overall mental well-being.

Happy playing!

Playing in a re-buy tournament

Re-buy tournaments can be a lot of fun, but they can also kill your bankroll of you are not careful. Many online poker players get excited about the guarantees and then figure that it is only ₹x and it’s no big deal as long as they don’t re-buy and add on. The problem is, unless you get very lucky very early you are dooming yourself to failure. This is by playing at a limit that you cannot afford to re-buy at.

The first hour of a re-buy tournament is far from a normal tournament in the online poker India. While you may think you can play poker conservatively and get away with not re-buying. You are going to be put to a decision time and time again by more aggressive players with huge bankrolls. When you have a ₹200 bankroll, you cannot play in a ₹10 re-buy and expect to do well.

You see, the problem is that the people with the large bankrolls have a tendency to treat this as a 5 or 6 buy in event. So in order to be effective, you need to buy into tournaments that you can do the same thing with. Playing ₹1 and ₹2 buys-ins would be more to your liking.

Holding the chips longer

In most cases, the first hour of play is all about getting your chips in with the best hand and hoping they hold up. Whether you like it or not, you are more than likely going to have someone at your table. This person is willing to throw their money into the pot every time they play a hand. This is far from a recommendation that you should play poker online that way, you just need to realize that every time you put chips into the middle of the table, you just may have someone come over the top and put you on a decision.

The question is how do you play against this? First and foremost, don’t ever buy into a re-buy tournament unless you can take advantage of the first online poker real money re-buy right off the bat. You start the tournament with double the chips. And if you do manage to double up, you are well on your way to a monster stack.

You also need to plan on purchasing a double add on at the break. Anyone who plans on winning this will be doing an add-on. You will fall 4,000 chips behind everyone else in the tourney if you don’t use it. Plan on it! Finally, expect to have to re-buy at least once before the break. That is a total of 6 re-buys that you should plan on paying for.

Do not play scared

Now you can start to see how only having enough money for the buy in is a problem. A ₹10 re-buy should be treated more like a ₹60 buy in. No while you can play in a ₹6 tournament with a ₹200 bankroll, you have no right getting into a ₹60 tournament. You are going to be playing scared the whole time and we all know that scared money never wins.

In regards to your actual play, keep it the same way you would play normally. Just expect to have some extra chips in the pot and definitely expect people to be all in on draws. Since they can re-buy, they are going to have no fear about tossing those chips in there. If you are willing to take a little risk, you can take advantage of this and use it to build a stack. If you get a little unlucky, you can either drop out or buy back in and take another shot.

Remember, when you are playing in a re-buy, expect to pay at least 4 times the buy in overall and preferably 6. Expect to be put on a decision for all of your chips at any time and when you see a draw, if you plan on buying back in if you lose your stack, exploit the situation to get the other player on the draw to put all of their chips in the middle. When your cards hold, you will find that you go into the break with a huge stack. When everyone comes back and play gets back to normal, you will be at a huge advantage and ready to make your run for the final table!

Happy playing!

The Hand You Never Play from Middle Position

You are sitting in middle of deal and you look down at AJ and you think you have a monster. Any poker player need to think again before you throw those chips into the middle of the online poker table. You are sitting on a hand that has you set up for nothing but heartache. When you are sitting on AJ in middle position, let it go.

One of the biggest mistakes a lot of beginner players make is flat calling an early raise with AJ. The only time you really should do this in this spot is if you suit. If you don’t hit your flush or are on a flush draw, in pretty bad shape even if A hits. Now you are in position where you may raise or call hand down and still end up with a loser.

You are really going to know your table mates and be very careful if you are in after a raise. online poker real money players have to look at position as it dictates what kind of hands people are going to raise. You have to know the player to decide if they are capable of playing any two cards or they are playing PokerLion. If they are a steady player and fire at the flop and turn, you are looking at a loser.

Facing an early raise

You are in an even worse scenario when the high card on the board is a J. You are pretty much obligated to play poker out the hand and once again, you could be starting down the barrel of a shotgun. Again, you are facing an early raise and other than the AK that may have made the raise. But you very well may be looking at AA, KK or QQ.

When you are in this spot and either raise or bet after a check, the move from the other player is going to be come back over the top of you. Now you are faced with a decision for your chips. And you have to decide if you are going to put your faith in nothing more than JJ.

Consider the incidents

One thing a lot of players fail to register at this very moment is that they were coming in against a raise and then you were check raised. Before making a knee jerk bet, consider what just happened. You made a bet that basically told the other player that you had hit our jack. They have to figure you for AJ or KJs from the position that you made original call from. They know what you have; it is a matter of you realizing what they have.

If they make a strong move over top of you, you can be all but assured that their original raise was with an over pair and they are playing against your emotions that you will automatically push back on their bet. It is the perfect trap and the only way that you can avoid it is by NOT playing AJ in the first place.

Happy playing!

Do Girls Play Poker Online and Should They?

Best online poker is a real man’s game, the pressure the action the thrills. It isn’t a game for genteel ladies, is it?

Starting off with a fact, there are fewer women pro poker online players than men, not that there is some equal opportunities tribunal you can see about that. Also, it’s not as if poker has a glass ceiling. If you want to play, you can play! And if you want to progress, ain’t anybody stopping you but yourself.

Poker may be a male dominated sport but there are also plenty of talented women in poker who are up there breaking straights, wining pots and stealing hearts as the go.

Some guys say “girls just can’t play poker”. These guys should get back in their time machine and return to the 1950’s.

In actual fact female sharks are the toughest and scariest poker online India players, anyone who thinks lacking testicles is the same as lacking balls, doesn’t know much about the fairer gender.

Men tend to be the more aggressive players than women. This doesn’t mean every woman you play with is a fold waiting to happen. It can be bullied out of every hand a casual toss of chips.

Females turning pro online poker player

Today more female players than ever before, are learning to play the poker games online, turning professional and going head-to-head (and hand to hand) with the world’s best male players.

When you think of “typical” female attributes, patience cool common sense, female intuition. Not to mention a vicious streak that would make a snake blush. Does that not sound the bones of a great poker player?

Though poker is male dominated there are also a number of real talented women in pro poker who have been taking first place at big tournaments women such as Vanessa Rousso, Annie Duke, Clonie Gowen, Jennifer Tilly, Tina Wallman and Indian poker players like Muskan Sethi, Nikita Luther and many more.

A female player also has two big advantages over any guy at the table; please feel free to insert your own “Good Pair” joke here.

In spite of the fact that there are few things more desirable to the average poker Joe as a beautiful woman, with a stack of chip who looks like she’s holding the nuts, don’t make the cardinal sin on thinking that a good looking girl at the table is just there for eye Candy.

If you do you’ll be outside in the cold with empty pockets before you’ve decided what cup size she is.

Happy playing!

Different Factors which Affect the Value of Your Position

Position is crucial especially when you are playing no limit Texas Hold’em poker online. Now how do you determine the scenarios where position is of greater or lesser value? There are several factors you need to consider when evaluating the value of your position.

We must first understand what a good position on poker games online table is. A lot of people will say that a good position is when you are acting after the other players. True but of course this is not the case in all of the betting rounds. It is hard to simplify the discussion about position and just say that the optimal seat is always the button on the betting rounds post flop. Even the button can have a bad position when the position can be compromised by a pre–flop raiser.

Depth of Stacks

The more money on the table, the higher the chances that the poker online India players will get involve during the betting rounds with more chips being pushed into the middle. When this is the scenario, you can maximize the potentials of your position to outplay the other players. Become a good player and use your position to give your opponents problems. Without using your chips, you can make people commit mistakes as you present them a potential big loss.

Number of opponents

If there are a lesser number of opponents on the table, the lesser the risk you have when checking a card or putting a small bet to see a cheap one. The position is less valuable when you are on a heads up and the other player deceives you by betting when he has weak hand or checking when he has monsters. The more players in the pot, the more honest you can expect the betting to be. A late position in a big field of players is the optimal in best online poker.

Your cards

Your hand matters a lot in determining the quality of your position. Drawing hands often needs a better position compared to made hands. Other players acting before you may spell a free cad, or a hint to steal, or a chance to complete a draw.

Happy playing!

Avoiding the Tilt by Quitting while you’re Ahead

It isn’t something that you’re proud of; the only consolation you have is that no one is immune from it. No matter how good we are and whether we’re playing online or offline, playing penny-ante or serious money – we’ve all gone tilt or have become emotionally unstable at some point in our online poker playing lives.

Maybe you’ve just ended a stress-filled day at the office. Or you’ve just arrived home after a harrowing drive at the NASCAR race track that was once your leisurely drive home. It could be simple boredom – after playing for hours with run-of-the-mill hands, you finally get a truly playable hand – and you accidentally hit the “fold button instead of the raise icon.

No matter the cause, you know what follows: you lose your cool, and start playing emotional, unreasonable, illogical poker rather than the serene, Zen-like game of online poker India that you’re used to.

It isn’t pretty when tilt happens. At the very least, you risk watching a thinning bankroll. You may lose the friends you’ve been playing online poker real money with every week for the past five years because you just couldn’t help but curse them when you bungled your game. When you come to your senses, you swear on a stack of chips that it won’t happen again. Only to find yourself in the same situation at some unexpected moment in time.

Avoiding the Tilt

The only way to avoid the tilt is to stop playing before you begin tilting. At this point, I can see you shaking your head in disagreement. How exactly do you know when you’re on your way to a full tilt drama?

The tilt can begin when you get distracted. It can be subtle, too, for it can be a combination of events, not all of which have something to do with you. Tilt could start with the irritating player across from you who just keeps drawing the good hands, leaving you with the bad ones. It could simply be a bad day at the office that you haven’t shaken off when you’ve logged on to your favourite game site.

Whatever it is, watch out for it. You’ve learned to watch for the warning signs of flu – what’s so different about watching for tilt symptoms?

Quit while you’re Ahead

The moment you start recognizing the symptoms of tilt, quit. There are no ifs and buts about this. Knowing you’re going to tilt will not stop it from happening. Only putting your best online poker game to a screeching halt will stop it from worsening.

A tilt is like a migraine. When it starts biting, the best thing to do is find a nice, comfortable corner and let it wear off.

Turn off the computer if you’re playing online or stand up and walk away if you’re playing live. Take a walk, jog around the block, run over to the store and buy some staples. Do something, whatever, until you’re back in control. Don’t take the chance of losing more than you’ve bargained for simply because you think you can tough it out. Believe me, this is easier on your and everybody else’s nerves. Your wallet may even thank you for doing the right thing.

Happy playing!