the discrepancy between playing online poker and real-life poker. Also, is online poker safe?

A lot of questions have been asked whether or not players receive the full benefits of playing poker by playing online. Does getting accustomed to playing online affect real life poker? Does it make you worse or better?



Although some of the premier Texas Hold'em pros today are actually players who began a career in playing online poker,
most people generally lose money online and fail to reap the same benefits that go along with playing in real life. Playing online tends to have a faster game play, replacing general cues and tells, like a players facial expression and movement, with the click of a button. Playing online also requires players to play generally higher stakes and to put forth a substantially higher rake per game.

Not only do gambling addicts get suckered into paying higher to fulfill their addiction, but they also find it extremely difficult to draw the line and stop gambling. Therefore, playing online is risky business; it's dangerous to everybody involved, and allows for all kinds of technical contingencies that can be costly. According to an episode of 60 minutes, playing online poker is highly dangerous and risky. The actual card generators are located outside of the United States. Also, former World Series of Poker Main Event champion Greg Ramer was caught stealing tens of millions of dollars online from other players. His punishment: a slap on the wrist in exchange for information in how he did it. Playing online poker has been extremely costly for many people.



It's important to remember that for all the money that somebody makes, somebody else has to lose it. At the very least, playing in real-life discourages under age players from attempting to play. Also, playing in person also allows for a greater amount of talent, including facial reading, cues, instincts, and just overall good old poker. Playing online is basically the fast food industry of poker. It is convenient, quick, and is available to just about everyone.

According to an article techdirt.com titled "Online Poker Cheating Scam Unraveled", "Ultimate-bet.com has been fined 1.5 million dollars as part of an ongoing investigation into what appears to be a rather massive scheme to defraud online poker players by giving some insiders the ability to see all the cards other players held". The insider itself, as mentioned above, is allegedly former World Series of Poker Main Event winner Greg Ramer. In the episode of 60 minutes, investigators try to contact Mr. Ramer but he avoids any contact with anybody in regards to the allegations.

Overall, the cons of online poker outweigh the pros. Playing online offers little to no protection of gamers and is a monumental risk to all of those that play. I strongly recommend players to avoid becoming addicted to playing online, as I have personal experience in that regard.



Sources:

http://www.cardplayerbrasil.com/site/imagens/Tom_Dwan_Large_.JPG

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20081001/0309502425.shtml

http://www.aintluck.com/images/reviewpics/full-tilt-table.jpg

Factors to consider when going "ALL IN"

A common question in Texas Hold'em poker is when to raise ALL-IN and commit all of one's chips in a hand. Poker is a situational game: it's not easy to explain exactly when somebody should automatically go all in. There are a number of factors to consider before pushing all of your chips into the middle. Are there any obvious tells to consider? Are your opponent's hands shaking or quivering? Does he look intimidated or scared? What does the board look like? Is there an ace to trump your kings, a straight draw on the board to supersede your trips, or a possibility of trips trumping your high pair? It's important to look at all of the possibilities before making a decision.

Often times, you can better read your opponent's hand by examining his betting pattern. Is he confidently betting nearly half the pot? Does he slow down and check? Is he trying to trap you here or is he simply just throwing up a white flag? This all depends on your opponents. The pros tend to trap to maximize their benefits, while the amateurs often times over-bet the pot and leave no margin for error.



Going all in on a bluff is strongly ill-advised. If you get your bluff caught, as you so often will, you will look like an idiot and will be thought of as a reckless player. An important factor of poker that often times doesn't get considered is that playing is so much easier when you have the respect of your opponents. If your opponents consider you one of the best at the table, they will undoubtedly throw away better hands in order to avoid damage from a player they consider a threat.

Pocket Aces or Kings should always raise pre-flop. This avoids bad hands from getting involved in the hand. Amateurs tend to go all-in on hands like pocket aces or kings, but these hands can often be trumped. Obviously, if you look down and see pocket aces and somebody goes all in, you call with confidence because of your overwhelming lead on your opponent's hand.

Going all in in poker can be extremely exciting. But overly excited players are the ones that usually make the first exits. Play smart, play effective, and use your better judgment to lead you towards the right direction. According to Marius McLaughlin, you should go all in when "you are convinced you have the best hand and actually want to be called". Take a look at this video of Phil Ivey, who is considered the greatest poker player in the world, pushing all in when he was convinced he had the best hand.



Sources:

http://ezinearticles.com/?When-to-Go-All-In-in-Texas-Hold-Em&id=1378779

http://www.brandon-hopkins.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/poker-bluff.png

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSScICr78nfS_2IKjV9ikDqufleUOB4iBYjDyotWu3Uu8gn4wXjhYksl_H3iqNAFCevfb3M2Qh48INeHgnZhq5qlhtMKKDiTXGneEr30-JmkYlQeV6-AR9ayOWviODjjUBm8Hjy9BAuF1/s400/ivey_jackson_bluff_all_in.jpg

How to avoid tough beats

The most basic way to avoid tough beats is to control the betting and to know when to fold. If you think you're beat on a hand, don't throw a HUGE raise into the middle and gamble. If your opponent re-raises, you'll fold if you know your beat and you'll look like an idiot. Throw a value bet out-- roughly 1/3's - 1/4's the size of the pot-- this lets you see where you are in the hand. Unless you have the nuts (the best possible hand) don't throw out a bet that you know you can't back up. Don't bet a hand that you'd feel hesitant to call if faced with a re-raise.
The biggest problem with aggressive and conservative players alike nowadays is that when they become frustrated or agitated they tend to over-bet the pot and run into a wall. Great players know when to fold good hands, and mediocre players can't get away from a pre-flop made hand when it really isn't that good post-flop. What separates Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, and other great pros is that they never let their hanger take control of them. They can make tough lay downs even against the most arrogant opponents. Here's an example of Phil Hellmuth being able to avoid a lot of damage when going against a made hand. Although emulating Phil's aggression isn't suggested, Phil simply called at the end instead of raising with a set because there was a possibility that he had the inferior hand.



Anyway, back to the topic. Tough beats can be avoided by miscellaneous cues also. Players tend to smile, flinch, jitter, and shake when they hit a desperation card. Players also tend to be overly aggressive and nervous. Often times, its better to fold a really good hand than risk losing nearly all of your chips on a hand that can be beaten. Although it's situational, it's important to remember that unless your playing with a donk, most players (who play for money) wouldn't risk all of their chips on a mediocre hand or a bluff. As the players you play against get better, the easier you'll realize exactly why going "all-in" isn't very smart at all unless you're completely sure you'll get a call and maximize your benefits.
According to Arthur S. Reber from pokerlistings.com, "controlling pot size has two obvious elements: keeping it small and making it grow. When you're on a draw you usually want to keep the pot small (adjusted, of course, for fold equity)."
This quotation perfectly sums up how you would play a draw. Don't commit too many chips because the percentages are against you in terms of hitting your draw. If your opponent has a a slightly better hand than you, chances are that he'll simply call and let you do all the betting. Once again, the key is to CONTROL the betting, which will lead to you being able to control the game.

Sources: http://www.pokerlistings.com/strategy/this-one-is-tricky-more-on-postflop-play
http://freeholdemset.com/images/TexasHoldemSet_logo.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK-u2PZDARw

How to play pocket Aces effectively

Many people quiver with excitement when they glance down and see the best starting hand in poker--two aces. This is an extremely deceiving hand: sure, it's the best starting hand in poker, but aces can be trumped in so many different ways. Players luck out in flopping trips, full houses, straights, flushes, etc. and in these instances it can be hard differentiating the better hand between a made hand, like pocket aces, and a chased hand like a flush, straight, etc. Pre-flop, the highest statistical hand that can overcome two aces is a 5 6 suited. This hand can hit a mixture of combinations: straights, flushes, two pair, trips, and full-houses. The percentages of a 5 6 suited vs. pocket aces is about 35 65 in favor of the aces.

Novice players often find themselves committing all of their chips pre-flop, or going "all-in" when they see the rockets in their hand. This is highly ineffective simply because doing this won't maximize that players profits, it will only lead to other players folding and giving up their meaningless blinds.

On the flip side, extremely conservative players find themselves playing pocket aces to the river with little to no betting. This is dangerous for obvious reasons: this allows mediocre pre-flop hands to see more cards, thus increasing their probability of catching a superior hand without having to commit the chips to do so.



So, what exactly is the best way to play pocket aces? There's no right way to answer this: every now and then, aces can be cracked by a mediocre hand. Personally, I play my aces aggressive enough to try to get callers, but conservative enough not to be overly aggressive. The number one thing to remember when having aces is to know how much and when to bet. When I play aces, I raise pre-flop to get the mediocre hands out of the way. Post-flop, I love to act flustered and annoyed by the "bad flop" (regardless of how good or bad it is) to deceive my opponents.

With this, I'm trying to bait my opponent into trying to steal the pot by bluffing. At this position, I would likely only call and see another card. At this point, usually if my opponent checks it's pretty much him giving me the green light to take down the hand. I wouldn't bet too large here, I'd throw a decent bet out (about 1/3 or 1/4 of the pot) to see where my position is in the hand. If I see a raise, I can conclude that my opponent might just have a better hand than I. If he calls, he might be chasing another card (for a straight, a flush, etc.). If he folds, take down the pot and muck your hand.



This is extremely situational, however. Even with your pocket aces, it's okay to approach the betting with caution if the flop is something along the lines of: , or K K Q, or 10 10 J, or any kind of intimidating flop where you can easily perceive your opponent playing the hand. A person 10 J suited or a K J or K Q would usually pay to see a flop with these marginal hands.

Having the ability to fold good hands is what separates average & good players from the greats. Sometimes, we get so riled up in our emotion that we fail to use common sense to make the right decision. The ability to read these situations define great players. Overall, it's best to play pocket aces with aggression, yet caution at the same time. As stated by Nicholas Morine, "all pre-flop aces deserve a pre-flop raise". Pocket aces that aren't raised up pre-flop have a chance of being crushed.


Sources:

http://card-games.suite101.com/article.cfm/hold_em_starting_hand_strategy_pocket_aces

http://www.caesarspalace.com/images/shared_images/gaming/Poker_PocketAces_300x225.jpg

http://engagingconflicts.com/wp-content/4-aces.jpg

http://www.pokerdiy.com/Portals/6/Users/pocket%20aces.jpg

How to play semi-aggressively

One of the biggest contingencies that goes along with hold' em strategy is when to be aggressive and when to be passive. So many players nowadays see their chips wither away from being either too conservative or too reckless. Being too conservative can lead to becoming predictable, which is a cue that most experienced players feed on. Being conservative can also be extremely mentally frustrating; sometimes, the cards just won't fall your way. One of the most fundamental basis behind poker is "you can't control the cards you get but its how you play your hand," but by being too conservative players fail to capitalize on many of the other aspects of poker: stealing blinds, bluffing, trapping, raising, check-raising, and even having a winning mentality.



In other words, being too conservative takes a lot of skill away from poker and makes players one dimensional in simply waiting for good cards. Being too aggressive has just as many implications. The majority of recklessly aggressive players in the World Series of Poker Main Event fail to ever get beyond the first or second day at the Rio. Gus Hansen, a professional poker player & leading promoter of Full Tilt Poker makes a career off of intimidating his opponents, known for raising like a madman pre-flop while simultaneously getting under the skin of his players. Sounds good, doesn't it? Well this doesn't always work out for Hansen. Why does Gus Hansen continue to fail year after year to make the main event final table? Being overly aggressive simply is not compatible to tournament style poker. Playing aggressively heads up has its own benefits, but thats a post for another time.



In my opinion, the best way to play is to play semi-aggressively. Playing semi-aggressively is playing hands that have the best percentages of winning aggressively. After you know you have a better hand than your opponent, play aggressively. Maximize your chip profits and play smart. If you hit a flush, conceal your hand completely and check; wait until your opponent raises, and then call and continue to let him shoot himself in the foot (this is called trapping). Again, playing semi-aggressively is a strategy to maximize one's profit and a great way to avoid bad situations. You don't want to be caught playing predictably or be labeled as a "donk" and lose all your poker credibility.

According to Rodney Joyce from pokerdiy.com, playing "tight-aggressive" is the way to go. Although this sounds like an oxymoron, it's the way to go: According to Rodney, "Playing tight-aggressive is when you play relatively few hands, but when you play, you play them strongly, betting and raising to put pressure on your opponents."
By doing this, a player is able to avoid playing predictably while also being able to garner respect from his peers by playing smart. Poker is an intricate game: it involves deceiving & manipulating your opponents; it intertwines luck & skill; it can make or break a player and his chip stack. Therefore, try playing semi-aggressively when playing Texas Hold'em poker.

Sources:

http://www.pokerdiy.com/poker-school/texas-holdem-strategy/articletype/articleview/articleid/79/winning-strategies-the-tight-aggressive-style.aspx

http://www.paddypowerpoker.com/upload/images/Poker%20Winner%206.jpg

http://www.52jpsoft.com/images/Diced_style_Poker_Chips.jpg

Introduction: A Story of Success

Phil Ivey wasn't always the Phil Ivey, the Tiger Woods of Poker, the "No-Home Jerome". He was once a beginner, a student of the game, somebody who made his way to the top and proved his worth by playing the game that he loves. With his 8th bracelet in site, Ivey is leaping ahead of his hold 'em counterparts and effectively building his poker legacy with each subsequent achievement. What separates Ivey from his opponents? He didn't sharpen his poker abilities until he was old enough to get a job, where he'd play hold' em amongst his co-workers at a New Brunswick, New Jersey telemarketing firm. Ivey put in the dedication and the necessary commitment it took to rise above his opponents. There's a common misconception that Ivey's abnormally freakish eyes are his greatest asset because they intimidate his opponents; however, it is without a doubt his heart. Known as "the Tiger Woods of poker" by his colleagues, Ivey has proven his worth year after year and has a chance to cap off his legacy by winning the 10,000 dollar World Series of Poker Main Event, which will be aired in November.

I cannot and will not pretend to have anywhere near the amount of credibility Phil Ivey has; I cannot offer suggestions or tips to reach his level, because that is simply absurd. I'm just another ordinary poker loving college student who has about 5 years of solid hold' em experience to talk about. I consider myself to be pretty damn talented, and what I can do is offer suggestions and tips that I use to maximize my hold' em abilities when I play at charity tournaments, local events, simply with the guys, or even online (hello fulltilt). More specifically, I can offer unorthodox and unique strategies and tips that will leave even your most canny opponents guessing. Ideally, if I can achieve a network of players discussing their strategies, playing styles, and even their stories, I believe that will lead to all of us becoming better at the game we love. I cannot reiterate this enough, however; I will not pretend to be some sort of an expert at Texas Hold' em. I will merely convey suggestions, tips, and advice that I have gathered from my experiences playing. I hope to ultimately learn as much from you as you might hope to learn from me.

For more about Ivey's career, visit his website here.
sources: wikipedia, philivey.com,