You have to watch High Stakes Poker down at the Golden Nugget, Sin City… makes great entertainment, I could watch it all day!  Good way to pick up some texas holdem tips.

One of the best things to watch, apart from how the poker pros play the cards, is the dialogue between them. Trying to put each other off their poker game, play out of their comfort zone and upset their poker strategy.

Peter Eastgate taking on Tom Dwan and getting to know each other better.  Hello Mr. Dwan this is the World Series of Poker champion… from Denmark, Northern Europe… across the Atlantic… just in case you didn’t know.  Or foreigners as Doyle Brunson refers to them…

A lot of poker action from Tom Dwan in this clip, even though his apparent nut hand gets beaten, he still does ok.  Dwan plays so many hands that the others think he has to be bluffing some of them, thing is he does have a run of good cards.  Thats poker!

I’ve had a really quiet week of poker… perhaps it has something to do with taking a break, now I just don’t get any cards…

I sat there folding a lot and chatting to the guys… as you do… then along comes a pair of kings – nice!  I’ll take that, lets throw in a few chips and get this one going, tired of wasting money on the blinds.  Dan showed  a bit of interest and stayed in, so did Pete, the rest folded…

The flop was 3c, 9h and Jh.

Dan decided to cut his losses and folded, Pete raised…

What was I going to do? I was tired of watching the others playing poker, whilst I did nothing.  I had a pair of kings of course I was going to stay in this… But what did Pete have in his hand?  A pair of jacks, well then all I needed was a king, with two community cards still to come, I’m in with a chance, waiting for the third king… Hold on maybe he has a suited pair of hearts…  that would break my heart…(corny!!!).

So I checked and we carried on… turn card was 7d which didn’t seem to change much.

We bet some more.  And then it was time for the river card… would I get my king?  Waiting for the king is not a nice position to be in, a pair of kings is not enough, I much prefer to be in a stronger position, but I sure wasn’t going to let it show.

The river card ended up being another heart… 2h.  So I didn’t get my third king, sitting there with a pair of kings, what was I going to do??  Everything was in Pete’s favor, but he didn’t know what I had.  Three hearts on the board, what was the chance Pete had the flush?  Or three of a kind maybe, 10 and 8 for the straight?  He looked confident, but then so would I, no ways I would look nervous in that position… that would just give it away.  So I called and…

Pete had a pair of hearts… he had the flush!! I had to check that he did, I couldn’t just give in to a bluff.  Maybe I should have been bolder and raised, but I was afraid of losing more of my stack… this was going to be how my evening went – and that is poker!

How was your weekend?

I am so sick of hearing about the economic crisis and global recession… everywhere you turn thats all you hear.  Damn I know its bad… now please don’t remind me about it, I’m trying my best to get out of it.

President Obama to calm the nation over job loss fears… Sensation!!! Sensation!!!   I mean no disrespect to anyone who has lost their job or who is suffering right now, my problem is with the media feeding the panic, whilst everyone else is facing up to it and getting on with it.

So… I headed out of town this weekend and we just hung low… stayed in a rented cottage, didn’t take my laptop, no television, no radio… went for walks in the forest… just needed to get away from it all, cant take all this negative vibe!

And today I feel like a new person!  Ready to face a fresh onslaught from the media…

When I invite friends around for a social evening of poker at home we usually play around the dining room table.  It doesn’t happen too often these days, just seems that everyone is busy doing their own thing… you know how it goes…

I personally don’t mind playing at the dining room table, there is plenty of space for drinks and everyone can space out – its quite comfortable.  We usually have a break for a meal and its easy to clear away the stuff and then come back to the poker game afterwards.

I happened to visit Patrick on the weekend.  His sons have now left home so he has converted one of their rooms into his den, where he can hang out with his mates… its where his wife banishes him!  He has moved all the things that she dislikes into the den!  And he now seems to spend hours in there… getting up to no good!

Patrick grabbed me and whispered, “Come see the beauty I just got myself…”

All sorts of thoughts rushed through my head… which I won’t share with you…

I was just about to ask him who he was keeping captive in his den, but thought the better of it!

He then unveiled this incredible new custom poker table with a padded rail covered in vinyl.  Very nice indeed!  I left him polishing his new found pride and joy… each one unto their own… its no wonder the wife banishes him to his den!

OTS Software has some really good games to offer and the best part of it all is that they are for free!  Yes you heard me right…. I said free games!

Freeware, shareware and open source have really opened up the market and allowed enthusiasts to create programs at low cost and provide users with cheaper or even free software.  No longer can a few of the big software companies control and force users to use their software exclusively.

OTS Software wants to develop and grow a community of OTS Software gamers, that enjoy their games, that continue to come back for more games and who also help spread the word through the gaming world – about how great OTS Software is and how good their games are.

They have developed a neat Gaming Community Toolbar with loads of great features that are available at a click of the mouse.  The toolbar includes links to all the free games, news updates about OTS Software and new game releases, a Google search bar, even live TV, radio and weather.

The games are good, easy to download, they offer a wide variety that are suitable for all types of gamers and are easy to install – they’ll have you coming back for more!

I hope you enjoy them!

In the past decade poker has been transformed from a game played at casinos into a game enjoyed by many in the comfort of their own home.  In fact, poker parties have become one of the most popular types of parties to host at your own home.  It’s a great way for friends to get together and have a fun time, without having to visit a casino, which for some is just not feasible.

If you do decide to host a poker party at your house you will need to purchase a few fairly inexpensive accessories that can turn your living room or rec room into a fully equipped poker room in just minutes.  Now, you might be thinking that you don’t want to devote a space in your house solely for the purpose of building a poker room.  Maybe your house is not very large and you just can’t afford to give up any space to build the room.  The good news is that with a few accessories, you can setup a poker room in just a few minutes, host your party and then pack up the poker accessories and put them away after the game.

The first and most obvious item that one would need to build a poker room is a folding poker table.  Just like the title says, this is a table that looks just like the tables you might see at a casino, but with one handy option.  When you’re done playing, they fold up into a handy carrying case and can be stored in a closet.

Many folding poker tables also play double duty in that they can be turned over and used for another game other than poker, often Blackjack.  Depending on your budget a folding poker table can be quite simple and just enough to get the job done, or it can be quite elaborate with features like cup holders, trays for poker chips and some even come in a set complete with chairs.  Prices for folding poker tables range from less than $20 for folding poker table tops that can sit on your kitchen table, to over $400 for a high quality stand-alone folding poker table that includes four chairs.

Once you have purchased your folding poker table, now it’s time to think about other accessories.  Of course you’re going to need playing cards and poker chips.  Another handy innovation is a poker set, which will usually include the chips, dealer buttons, dice and playing cards and come in a case that can also be stored away, out of sight just waiting to be used at your next poker party.  Entry level sets will come with about 300 chips, while more elaborate and complete sets can have as many as 500 chips and a heavy duty carrying case.

Once you have purchased your folding poker table and a poker set, now it’s time to call all your friends and host your own poker party.  Once the party is over, you simply fold the table up, pack up the poker set and your house is back to its normal state in just minutes.

With the internet being so accessible to everyone, internet gambling companies have a lot of responsibility in their hands.  One of the industries main concerns is the control of underage gambling.

With the rapid expansion of the online casino gambling industry, lots of underage players have received unlimited access to gambling sites.  Despite the preventive measures that are in place, it is still relatively easy for minors to go around the preventative measures and play online casino games or online poker.

Experts say, that what causes concern is the short and long-term affects that gambling has on children and young people.  Underage gamblers are more prone to develop long term problems from the affects of gambling.  Children can suffer from higher amounts of problem gambling and show signs of becoming problem gamblers in higher percentages than that of adult gamblers.

Let’s face it, although children grow up very quickly now days, they are not experienced enough with life, to be able to prioritize what is important and to separate entertainment from real life.

The same experts recommend that the problem should be fought on a national level with the help of proper education and new programs.  But surely it is also the responsibility of the online casinos and online poker rooms to ensure that underage gambling is not taking place on their sites?

One thing is for sure – the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) does not prevent underage gambling.  The effectiveness of this law is questionable.  The sooner Congress changes the law the better – hopefully enough of them will come to their senses soon!

There are great expectations of President Obama.  He has become a symbol of hope for not just America but for the whole world.  An icon before even serving a single day in office.  Has life become that bad for the average citizen, that we have turned to one man to lead us out of the valley of darkness?

Imagine how many people tuned in to watch the historical inauguration of the 44th president yesterday, whether it was on television or online.

Whilst I was watching I couldn’t help reflecting back on the past 8 years and what has happened.  The two things that really stand out for me are; war and the economy.

After all the hype following the election, I found the inauguration a lot more sobering.  Perhaps it is the reality of what we have to face as a nation, what we have to confront and repair.  There is nothing like the severity of reality to make one come to one’s senses – to sober you up!

Indeed the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many.

Back to the two main challenges – war and the economy.  In my opinion, for what it is worth, the sooner we tidy up and retreat, leaving behind an orderly and functioning Iraq and Afghanistan, the better.  And, secondly the sooner we put into place solid and sound measures to turn our economy around the better.  Easy to say, difficult to do.

President Obama has already earned my respect.  I am not sure why.  But I just have a feeling that he is the right man for the job at the moment, and that he can do it.  Of course, it is not just him but a whole lot of effort is going to be needed by everyone.  I have followed what he has had to say online and I am sure he will deliver.

Obama speaks well, I enjoy what he has to say, it is intelligent and gives me confidence.  But the “Yes we can” talk is now old news and he is going to have to do more than talk to rejuvenate and rebuild America.

The hopes and dreams of millions of people lie on the shoulders of the new leader and the team that he chooses.  The people voted for him because he promised change, now they expect that change to happen.  There are “Great expectations President Obama”, but I am sure you know that already and that you don’t need to hear it from me.

Ok so how do we put this into a poker context – war and the economy.  Let’s see…ok lets take war first….poker is like war….know thy opponent etc… be aggressive but also fold if necessary, retreat with dignity and respect.

Then the economy… manage your bankroll…know when to enter a game and when to get out… choose your poker table wisely…

Hey I could the hang of this…maybe even I could lead the country…who said poker was not educational and could not be applied to every day life?

Online casino gambling is growing in popularity every day.  Various casino games are offered online, but still the favorite is online poker.  There are many skills required to play poker and there are different styles of playing.  Poker professionals are often described as aggressive and tight.  But in general, a  good poker player needs to master the following three critical poker skills: math skills, discipline and psychology skills.

1. Math skills
A good poker player knows general percentages or odds.  He knows that you have a nearly one in eight chance of winning a set when you hold a hole pair, and that at the flop you have a nearly one in three chance to complete a flush draw.  A good player knows the significance of ‘outs.’  ‘Outs’ are the number of cards that can make your hand better.  Count your ‘outs’, double them, add two, and you get the rough percentage shot that you have got at hitting.

A good player can calculate the ‘pot odds.’  To know ‘outs’ has no sense unless it is translated into calculated, rational betting.  If you know that your chance of hitting is 20%, what do you do in this case? Well, when you have figured out your chance of winning, you should divide the pot size at the river (for example, the current pot and the money amount you believe will be added via future bets) by the amount that you need to place in.  If your chance of hitting is 20% and your bet is 50, if at the river the pot is more than 250, call and otherwise, fold.

2. Discipline
A good texas holdem poker player doesn’t hope to be lucky; he hopes that others do not get lucky.  A good poker player understands a different game needs a different discipline.  A disciplined limit gambler can be a rash no-limit gambler and vice versa.  And a disciplined limit poker player is tight pre-flop all the time.  He doesn’t play many hands, he plays only those that have a big chance of hitting.

But, a disciplined no-limit poker player differs a lot.  Such a player isn’t very interested in paying very many blinds; instead of this he/she does not wish to get trapped.  The major difference between disciplined no-limit and limit players is that the limit poker player keeps off piddling away his chips gradually while the disciplined no-limit poker player keeps off losing all his stack in a single hand.  Therefore, a disciplined no-limit poker player plays many hands.  However, good no-limit poker players know when to throw hands away in order not to get into trouble.

A disciplined gambler knows exactly when to play and of course when to quit.  The player knows when he/she is on bit and knows when a game is too juicy to throw it while ahead.

3. Psychological Skills
A good gambler isn’t a self-cantered gambler.  When a poker pro enters a poker room, he constantly empathizes with his opponents.  He strives to guess what the opponents think and realize the decisions that they make and the reasons why they made those decisions.  The poker pro always tries to answer the following questions:

What has my opponent got?

What does he think I hold?

What does the opponent think that I think he holds?

So, the first step is to know the answer to these questions, the second and more important step is to manipulate the answers.  If you hold a pair of kings and the other player holds a pair of aces, and both of you are aware what each other hold and are aware that each of you knows what the other holds, why play poker?

A good poker player manipulates the latter of two answers by fast playing, slow playing and also bluffing to baffle his opponent.  A good poker player knows psychology is vital in a no-limit poker compared to a limit game.  Limit poker games frequently turn into mathematical battles, while no-limit poker games feature a strong psychology element and are therefore thrilling to play or watch!

Happy New Year!  May 2009 be a good year for you.

We got into a debate on new year’s eve, about the different types of poker, the rules for each game and how to play them.  Most people specialize in one or two versions of poker and get to know the intricacies of these games very well.  They know the basics of the other poker games, that they don’t play that often, but think they know more than what they really know – hence the debate!

For a very good explanation of the different versions take a look at Poker versions.  The site explains how all poker games fall into three main groups: stud poker games (eg. seven card stud), draw poker games (eg. five card draw) and community poker games (eg. Texas Holdem and Omaha).  The different guides for each of the games take you through all the steps of learning more about the game.

I think they have gone to a lot of trouble to explain the different games.  Their emphasis is on Texas Holdem, but heh, thats what they are – a Texas Holdem Portal – written by poker professionals.  There is a lot of useful information, even I picked up some new poker tips.

So maybe something good came from all the discussion and debate, over the poker table, late at night… or should I rather say early in the morning… early at the very start of a new year.

I wish you a wonderful year ahead, enjoy developing your poker knowledge!