Poker Tournaments

Cheating at Poker – What to Watch Out For

There are few forms of online poker cheating that you must know; marked cards, imported chips, mechanics, and collusion. Imported chips are illegal poker chips brought into the tournament. Collusion is playing differently against one or more players at the table than you do against others.

Cheating at low stakes poker online games is not usually a problem. Tournament play discourages cheating due to the relatively low buy in cash amount. Many tourney players are attending for the enjoyment and camaraderie rather than the need to win the money. So don’t worry too much about cheaters at your game.

Surprisingly, the biggest form of “cheating” is peaking at other players’ cards. Seeing your opponent’s cards is sometimes inevitable due to the online poker real money. Remember that is not improper for one player to complain about another player who constantly has the opportunity to view a third player’s cards.

Marked Cards

Marked cards can be purchased. Brand new decks of marked KEM cards (in sealed plastic!) use a dye that is only visible to players wearing special glasses. This cheating method can be easily avoided by never using anyone else’s cards at your tourney.

Some players may also try to mark cards by tearing or nicking them with a fingernail. This is usually a little too obvious a tactic but of greater concern is a ‘punched’ card. A punched card has a little indentation punched into the card in a specific location. You can view a punched card here. A dealer can feel the punch as he deals the card and an observant player can view the punches on everyone’s down-cards.

Imported Chips

You must be on guard against players who might try to bring their own poker chips into your tournament. This is particularly true if you use one of the more common types of chip that is readily available. If you use a customized chip with your name printed on it, you don’t have to worry about a player having an identical chip, but if you are using the plastic Bike chips – what’s to stop a player from bringing extra chips into your tourney?

If you must use common poker chips, try to modify them in some unique way. One easy method is to place little stickers (labels) of a certain color or shape on each chip. Just make sure they don’t come off, you don’t want to make false accusations against an innocent player. You might also use an unusually colored felt marker to permanently mark your chips.

Always pay attention to the chips in play. If you’ve owned your set of chips for ten years but all of a sudden one or two shiny, new Purple (500) chips appears. You’ve got a problem. Make sure your account for your entire chipset at the end of the night. Chips do occasionally get lost under carpets or down ventilation grates. Ensure that you know the exact number of chips you have in your set.

Mechanics

You should pay specific attention to the dealer always as this is where the cheating can occur. Your worries will be greatly lessened if you have a dedicated dealer you can trust.

Collusion

Collusion is extremely difficult to prove and caution must be used when dealing with the issue. It is best to simply walk away from the game when you suspect collusion. Unfortunately, walking away is not an option when you are in your own house hosting 20 guys for a night of best online poker!

Some common forms of collusion are:

Dumping chips: Purposely losing to a partner, perhaps someone you are backing monetarily or with whom you have traded a percentage stake.

Hand-mucking: Switching or altering hands. Couple of players sitting next to each other might effort to switch hands or alter them in some way.

Hot-seat: A fresh player is requested to play a game, only to play against a team of players all stealthily working together.

Signalling: Trading information between partners. Signals can take many forms, from the placement of the chips on the cards, to coughing, to Morse code tapings on the table. The key ingredient in all signalling systems is the ability to be repeated without being noticed. In a game where folks are always watching each other, this can prove tricky. When a cheater is signalling the value of his hand to his partner, he is also signalling the value of his hand to everybody else at the table.

Implicit Collusion

Let’s say there are three players left in the pot and one of those players goes all-in. There is now a good chance that the remaining two players will “check it down”, meaning that they will both check, rather than bet or raise, until the showdown. This is known as “implicit collusion” because the two players are now, in effect, teaming up against the all-in player. There are several legitimate reasons why implicit collusion is somewhat tolerated:

The chance of a successful bluff is much lower since there is a guaranteed card showdown with the all-in player.

Eliminating online poker players players is an important objective in a tournament and both players have a vested interest in seeing the all-in player eliminated. Two hands have a better chance of beating the all-in player than one.

Players not in the pot also have a vested interest in seeing the all-in player eliminated.

For these reasons, don’t be surprised to see many checked-down hands in these situations. It is not considered to be cheating unless done by verbal agreement.

Happy playing!

Important Skills for Poker Players

Poker is a fun game. It can make a player rich overnight. Also things can happen otherwise if the player does not know the fundamentals of poker. Playing online poker does not involve the player’s money, yet he must try winning the games simply because it is the best possible platform to hone his skills on the game so that he can have a great shift from the online poker India to the bankrolls. It is the skill that he acquires free of cost is what will help him earn dollars once he graduates to a bankroll mode.

However, winning online poker real money calls for basic understanding of the game which involves few key skills. The following are important skills that a poker play must have.

Required skills

# Skill 1

Discipline is the key to winning best online poker. A player needs to be self-assured, rational and disciplined during the course of the game.

# Skill 2

A player needs to avoid hastiness; he must have the desired patience to earn a strong hand and not play random, bets.

# Skill 3

A player must be able to concentrate, be hundred percent alert and he must not lose out on any opportunity. This also involves the need foresight that would enable a player to let go off player’s hands that can push him towards decline.

# Skill 4

The most fantastic online poker players are the ones who have immense self-control. So, players need to have control over their emotions so that they play rationally and do not get carried away by emotions and baseless greed.

# Skill 5

Observance is another key essential skill for an online poker player to have. He needs to keep a tab on every expressive, emotion, and body language of his fellow players. It is wise to maintain the watch along sidelines to have a wider view.

# Skill 6

A player must not intimidated by the hands he is playing with or how strong is his opponent, because a credible poker player would always keep the option open to switch gears. In other words, if a player has consistently been tight with his playing, then he can resort to something called bluff equity. Such techniques are nice changes and confident players do use them in situations.

# Skill 7

On the other hand, often players play adventurous poker, that is they play loose and aggressive, this can also be followed by a switch where the player can go tight in his strategies every few hand. This makes the game increasingly interesting.

# Skill 8

Every player has a style of playing, but it is very important to not follow a specific pattern prominent enough for other players to recognize.

# Skill 9

A player should target at being a steady player. Poker should be treated as an entertainment and not as a source of money exclusively. This can lead to ugly addiction that often leaves many bankrupt.

Happy playing!

Myths about Texas Hold’em and the Challenge

Myths can be useful at the poker games online. On the surface they offer possible explanations of why things are how they are. More than that, they keep believers from finding the truth, permitting those who know preferable to profit at the expense of others’.

In poker online India, the plethora of myths undoubtedly keeps play interesting. Following are a number of the most pervasive ones, a lot of which encourage unskilled players to put more in the pot than they need to or prevent possibly good ones from participating in at all.

Poker is a game of chance

The inventor of this one obviously wanted to entice more novices to stop studying the game, give up calculating odds and put their chips in the hands of fate. Quite the contrary, scientific research has shown that a player’s talent is the single most important determinant of success. Winning poker online is about six parts skill for every part luck.

Good players always win

Even in cash games, the randomness of the cards is still a factor. Although good players succeed more than they fail-perhaps 60% or even 70% of the time-lose they most certainly do, walking away to play poker online another day. That means there is at least an opportunity for lesser players to take them down.

Winners must be super aggressive

Hollywood might like that script, and relentless pressure certainly has its place, especially in big money tournaments. But in cash play and limit games, it can actually work against a good player. Most successful professionals, like a Chip Reese or a Dan Harrington, are selectively aggressive. They can turn it on or off and will go full throttle only for short periods of time.

Great poker players are born, not made

There might be such a thing as “natural poker talent,” but it is no substitute for experience and learning. Many of the top players today have an aptitude for math; they are good with numbers and quick at making calculations. Others are masters of human psychology. But those are just foundations on which to build their poker online prowess. It takes playing in real game situations to develop one’s skills to the point of greatness.

Poker is a man’s game

This has to be true, right guys? Not to mention, there are dozens of other females who now play poker professionally. Sorry fellas, but it’s time to apologize to the ladies for this myth.

Poker is all about reads

Players who can identify poker tells and understand what they mean certainly have an advantage. But if that were the secret to success, nobody would ever be successful online, where opponents are faceless, bodiless and perhaps just poker bots with poor programming. It’s much more important to know how to play your own cards than to focus on mind reading.

Bad players ruin the game

In poker, bad players are the fish that feed the sharks. Even the ones that consistently overplay hands, raising when they should fold, staying in and catching lucky draws on the River, will eventually feed the chip stacks of the better players at a table. Bad players welcome!

Losing bluffs help big hands win

Folks who subscribe to this baloney truly believe that they can’t get opponents to go along with their monster hands unless it appears they might be bluffing. What nonsense! Although getting caught in a bluff isn’t the worst thing that can happen in poker, it should never be a player’s intention. The sole purpose of bluffing is to turn a weak hand into a winner, not to advertise incompetence. Good players win big on big hands regardless of whether they bluffed previously or not.

Happy playing!

Dealing with Suited Connectors in Texas Hold’em Poker

Playing suited connectors in online poker is not an easy task. It is very tricky and one wrong move can make you say goodbye to your stack of chips. If you have an average stack or a large one, it may give you the opportunity to play more hands see more cards.

Suited connectors call for a good position in the online poker games. If you have a small stack on a pre–flop and you are in an early or mid-position, fold. This will help you keep the chips. If there will be some limpers, you may want to make a move in late position.

Remember that you are not hoping for a pair or two but a flush or a straight. Getting pairs may place you in trouble. Always keep in mind why you are playing suited connectors.

Play small raises in early or mid position

You have a bigger space in the game if you have a large or just an average stack. You can play some small raises during the early and mid-positions in online poker India. When a player after you raises on top of your bet, in most cases you need to fold. If a smaller stack player re-raises, then you can call but you have to know up to how much you are willing to risk.

During late positions and you have a favourable stack of chips, you can dictate the game and steal some pots.

Look for a flush or straight

On flop play when you have a small stack, look if you have a chance for a straight or a flush. If you have an open ended chance for a straight, it is most of the time wise to fold.

If you have a good chance to hit a flush, depending on the size of the bet, it will be wise to call. In case a bet is made against you and you have the straight or flush draw, by all means play the hand with a re-raise or all in. There’s a good chance for good money – but keep in mind you’re getting the right odds. Also – pre-flop, your Queen Jack of Spades is much stronger than your deuce four of diamonds. Understand this!

When you have a big or average stack during flop play, you have all the means to bully players around. Watch out though for the strategies of other players that might disguise their hand and overplay you – everyone can pick up pocket aces!

Happy playing!

Poker Tips: Looking for Patterns of Your Opponents in Hold’em

What you have to notice on your opponent are the extra ordinary things that he may be doing. Does that particular online poker player make small or big raises, or maybe played some cards which should have been folded, or reveal cards which are quite unexpected.

Know the normal and it is easy to pick up the extra ordinary things an opponent does. Here is a short list of things that you want to learn about an online poker India player’s betting patterns:

Pre–flop raises

It is not that often that you get very good starting cards. You will notice players raise when they get a favorable hand, you might want to observe how often they do this and if they are going a bit more than usual. You also want to take note how he raises from different positions on the table. If you have an opponent who is a bit tight when on the early position, and then raises during late positions, then most likely you have someone who knows how to play.

Big hands

Experienced online poker real money players vary their management of big hands. Some will bet when he gets hold of an excellent hand while some players will just check. You have to remember that you need to vary your game. Checking every time you hit is a very easy pattern to recognize and other players can make you pay badly when they recognize your playing pattern.

Bluffing

You need to see how much a poker player tends to bluff when he misses a draw. Again bluffing is another side of your game that you need to vary or you might be made to pay by your more experienced opponents.

Aggressiveness

When playing in a no limit Hold’em, you need to gauge the aggressiveness of the player especially during tournaments. Is limping in online poker a sign of weakness? Yes and no. You can limp in but still show some might on the best online poker table so other players will not try to steal from you. When other players respect your limp, you will more get more chances at the pot without spending so much.

Happy playing!

Traps in which Beginners Get Caught while Playing Poker

Poker is an incredible game which requires the right move at the right movement. Learning to play poker online can be a daunting task. Beginners would have to master all the rules and they should also learn the killer tips and tricks to win pots.

Before playing the game of poker online or in a casino you should be very confident about the rules of the game or you may be in for a rude shock. Beginners generally find themselves in tricky situations and they are clueless about the course of action. Most of the times they end up making a complete fool of them by making the wrong moves and their seasoned opponents take undue advantage of this.

This post should be able to help the beginners by making them aware of the various traps that they should avoid during the course of the game.

What should beginners avoid?

Beginners should avoid playing too many hands before the flops. This is one of the most common mistakes committed by beginners universally. They generally play too many hands before the flop on the poker online India table. Beginners should be aware of the fact that they should have premium cards to play before the pre-flop. You should play only 20-25% of the hands in total and the rest should be folded which carve out a picture that you do not indulge in reckless playing.

Beginners are too immature when they play poker too many hands pre-flop but also stretch the game too far which may result in losing a lot of money. Beginners carelessly resort to forming any pair. Only if you have the best pair should you go ahead and play your game.

Play when they have a gut feeling

Beginners always play when they harbour a gut feeling or a sixth sense about a certain hand. That is wrong. You should play ahead in the game by mathematical calculation, calculate the odds of winning and judge the opponents and their playing styles before you plunge.

Poker games online takes a toll on you and your volatile feelings. Losing a few hands, and beginners sink into depression and adopt the wrong strategy which lands them into further trouble. Poker is game which is dominated by the strategies and decisions you make. You should effectively mask your emotions and expressions and march ahead with confidence.

Beginners should resort to taking decisions which would help them long-term. Always remember that long-term decisions would always be fruitful and help you win a lump sum amount.

Happy playing!

Playing Mind Games in No-Limit Hold’em

When playing a ring game of no limit Hold’em online poker, you will be needing psychological techniques and bluffing styles. You can only use them when you know what kind of opponents you are facing.

A few bluffs here and there might do well in a lower stake online poker India. Once you play for the higher stakes where the buy in is at least ₹200, how you use mind games is very important. Read your opponents so you know how to play them:

Fish

They play their hands and they will fold with the blink of an eye when you bet big. When they have good cards at the online poker real money, they might call for it but do not do something too scary for them or they may back down. They can be an easy catch if you know how to read them and they do not bluff much.

Sheriff

They might know the ins and outs of best online poker but they will tend to think that you are bluffing and will call against your move.

Weak & Tight

Like the fish, they maybe too careful when playing. They don’t want to lose their chips and will not be too quick betting on something good. You can bluff these guys and push them a bit but be careful with their possible traps in the long haul.

Tight & Aggressive

These players are the generals of the field. Their strategies and tactics are forces to reckon with. Winning in an online poker game will primarily depend on how they read their opponents. You can bully them by playing strong against them. Change pace by playing like a fish or a sheriff and you might just catch them off guard and read their moves.

Hyper & Aggressive

You will be hearing bets and raises all night with these players. It will be very hard to tell if they are just bluffing. You can try to raise them to test the waters but they are very dangerous. Do not let them know what you have and vary how you play your hands.

Tilting

They will push all the chips in when they feel like it. On your side of the table, just relax and let them play their game. Just play your game and watch their chips disappear.

Happy playing!

A Handy Guide to Poker Free Rolls

We are assuming that you know what online poker is and you know how to play it. So then you may ask, what do you mean by poker free roll? We’ll tell you.

So, what is online poker free roll?

Poker free roll is a new way of playing poker online, where you don’t have to pay any sort of registration fees to play. So in short – you get to play online absolutely for free!

Online poker India freerolls are usually given out as loyalty gifts to people who frequent that specific site. These special free rolls have higher prize amounts and a lesser number of participants, thereby increasing your chance of winning.

Some players think that poker free rolls are a waste of time and are not worth it. Actually, poker free rolls are a great way to kick start your poker bankroll and it’s really easy to build up to a decent amount if you know how to play intelligently.

Strategy for Poker Free Roll

In any normal online poker real money game, your aim is basically to stay till the end of the game and try to be one of the last participants at the table, with enough chips to take you to the win. The same strategy applies to poker free roll as well. You need to develop a strategy that makes sure that you maintain the separation (that is, not actively engage in every single round – which is actually not beneficial) yet maintains a moderately high chip count so that you can in the right situation swoop in for the win. The strategy you adopt has to make sure that you end up in the top 5 positions no matter what tournament it is that you’re in – that’s the only way you’ll hit payday.

Another mainstay of your strategy has to ensure that you survive the first hour of the poker free roll.

In the opening hour of play, the standard of playing is literally at its worst level. That’s because the table is full to the brim with participants who know that they can take a risk by calling in all their chips at any instant because they are very aware that they aren’t losing anything at all. So keep your play tight and limited, without indulging in hands that you aren’t certain of winning. After about 40 minutes, most of the bad player will have been eliminated, so this is where your middle game strategy should kick in.

During the middle stage, you need to become very composed and play safe. This is the perfect time to fold quite a few hands and watch the others fight it out. However, you should still be taking in the occasional pots to maintain your chip count.

The final stage of Poker Free Roll

You’ve made it here, now all you need is a little more hard work so that it all pays off! Play cautiously until there are 5 players or so at the table. Then you need to raise your game instantly and play as aggressively as possible. Involving yourself in most hands is the only way you stand a fair chance of hitting the jackpot. Or else, if you prefer second, you can lay low and wait for the other 2 players to fight it out.

And that’s it! The handy guide for best online poker free rolls, that can, if followed properly, ensure you success in your poker free roll endeavours.

Happy poker freerolling!

Poker Tips: Recognizing Betting Patterns and Using

Is there really a betting pattern which you can pick up from your opponents and is there a way you can make use of these to have some advantage against other players? Do not worry if you are not very familiar with the potentials of betting patterns as many real money poker players also do not see them. For sure you have noticed some betting patterns while playing but did not know what to do about them.

Knowing the betting patterns help your game a lot as you will be able to track the playing styles of other real poker India players and also pinpoint some weak points of your game which you can strengthen. One of the most common betting patterns of course is the call-bet-bet-check. So before the flop, you need to call the blinds then you will get a hand that you consider okay like a pair with a nice kicker. So upon flop you push in some chips to bet and some more on the turn. But then you did not get a two pair or a three of a kind, so just checked the river.

Pattern of playing to watch

Looking at the pattern, you might find a leak in your style of play. If you have the best cards heading to the river, most likely the river will not be doing anything to help the cards of your opponents especially when you hear them just passively call during the flop (which reveals two suited cards) and the turn. Their move gives a hint that they most likely are hoping to form a flush. If another suited card comes up on river then it is reasonable to check if your opponents will be acting after you. If you will be the last to act, then by all means bet.

Another pattern that is easy to see is the call – check call, check raise, bet. If you see this pattern, then most likely you are watching a poker real money player who has a good hand. Most likely he got a set on the flop, maybe two pair, or got another ace for his AK. So upon the flop he will call, then on the turn check raises to lure into the pot some opponents. He will control the round by putting in some bet during the river. So when you recognize this pattern, you have to acknowledge that this opponent might have cards that are better than what you are holding. But of course there will be people who will bluff. So be watchful!

Another betting pattern in online poker is the bet-bet-check and then check-bet-call/raise once it gets to the river. This gives you a much disciplined opponent who gets a free card when he needs to see one.

Happy playing at real money poker app!

Some Uncommon Myths about Omaha Poker Online

One of the major myths is that Omaha is a knotty game!!

Most of the poker games have diverse levels of complication. But if you compare Texas Hold’em Poker and Omaha the latter is a simple game. Most of the Omaha games would enable you learn to play poker and few hands before the flop. There are only two to three players against a pot. All the Omaha hands have many ways to connect to a flop.

Another myth is that Omaha starting hands run close together in importance

This is one of the most ridiculous myths pertaining to the game of Omaha. This myth has originated from the edifice that the hands in Omaha have a dictating relationship just as two aces govern the rules of Texas poker. Players are supposed to defend their blind against a raise if you have a marginal hand as well. Players a get the right pot share when they do that.

Another myth that blinds the players is that you should never raise before the flop

Most Pot Limit Omaha games are critical in nature. The general concept is that amass a good sum of money before the flop. You can enhance your profits in the game when opponents call at their turn or if they fold their hands. You can make profit in all the hands. One of the easiest ways to do it is utilize the various values of the pre flop cards of the preliminary hands. Players tend to make blunders which cost them greatly before the flop. A great amount of money can be made before the flop.

Players are clouded with another myth that states you should never raise the bets with low

In the game of Omaha players are faced with situations when they know it is time for quarters. But players do not realize the fixation of being divided in the game may result in damaging their games as well. The chances of winning may diminish. Players should raise the bets you have a fairly low hand or if you have exceptional cards.

There are many qualities that demarcate good and great poker tournaments players. Different layers react differently in diverse situations and this is what makes them unique. In Omaha games a player needs to concentrate on making money before the flop. We hope after reading this post few of the myths has been cleared.

Happy playing!