April Poker News

April 27th, 2005
Great News…

The good news is that The Poker Forum Arcade is fixed! That’s right all the Snake you can play – is back on. Enjoy.

More good news for College Students, is that Absolute Poker wants to pay your tuition. In their newest advertising scheme they are intending to pay for college students tuition in a free hold’em tourney. Read more in our Poker News.

Play online @ NoblePoker offering 100% Bonus Up to $450. (4Raked Hands / Dollar)

If your bored check out Negreanu’s “make” your own poker blog. If your not bored – check out Card Players cool little Poker Analyst tool.

Today’s Poker New’s:

* Poker Site Offers Tuition Jackpot – Rolling Good Times – Apr 26 12:10 PM – SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – (PRESS RELEASE) — Absolute Poker, the fastest-growing online poker site in the world, is holding a Free “Win Your Tuition” Texas Hold’em tournament for all University and College Students.
* Town wants to ban poker machines – NEWS.com.au – Apr 26 11:06 AM – THE Outback town of Coober Pedy wants to ban poker machines, with a third of the town’s residents demanding their removal. In a sign of how highly the community rates the issue, more residents signed an anti-pokies petition than voted in last year’s federal election.
* Poker by the Blog #3: Hawaiian Shirt Guy – pPlayer.com – Apr 26 5:09 PM – Filed under: Poker for Beginners Here’s the thing, if you can’t spot the Hawaiian Shirt Guy in your first half-hour at the table, then you are the Hawaiian Shirt Guy. One of the very first lessons I learned about playing in NLHE tournaments came within minutes of sitting down in my first live event. Although my experience with Hold’em had to that point been limited to a brief book lesson,
Poker Quick Link’s:
* Little Joopy – The Poker Playing Hottie (pic)
* CardPlayer Magazine (pic)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker Babes Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Hold’em is a game of position
Tip # 2 – (from CardPlayer By: Barry Schulman) In poker, position refers to when a player must act on his hand relative to the other players in the pot. When a player is one of the first to act, he is in early position. When a player is last or nearly last, he is in late position. Similarly, players with several opponents on either side of them are in middle position. These terms appear frequently in this book, which provides a clue about the significance of considering position in your hold’em decisions.

Late Position Advantage

As you begin to play hold’em, you quickly become aware of the numerous advantages of having late position in a hand.

One of the most important advantages is that you generally have a decent idea of what kind of strength you are up against. For example, suppose you are holding 8-8. This looks like a good hand, and, in absolute terms, it is just that. It is not, however, a great hand, and it is often unclear how (or whether) to proceed with it.

If you are in late position with your pocket eights, the actions of the other players influence how you play. Suppose everyone has folded to you, and only the blinds are yet to act. It is highly probable that you have the best hand, so you should choose to play it aggressively by raising the pot. Assuming the blinds call your raise, you now hold a positional advantage over them for the remainder of the hand. This means that on the flop, turn, and river, they must act before you, giving you the advantage of making your decisions with more information about your opponents’ cards than they have about yours.

Let’s look at a different scenario in which you hold 8-8 in late position. This time, however, a tight player has raised and an even tighter one has reraised before the action has reached you. Once again, the useful information gained due to your positional advantage can be used. Clearly, your two eights are not the best hand here, and this knowledge, combined with the high price of entering the pot, allows you to safely fold your hand.

Early Position Disadvantage

Contrast this with holding the same hand in early position. Poker is a game of incomplete information, and the earlier your position, the more incomplete the information. Now, you don’t have the benefit of knowing what your opponents are going to do. You must make a poorly informed decision, and in poker these kinds of decisions are often wrong. In the case of the 8-8, sometimes it is the best hand (or at least playable), and other times it is way behind. Thus, the earlier your position, the less likely you are to know which one is the case. But the problems with early position don’t stop there. Once you decide to enter a pot by opening early (or decide to look at the flop from a blind position), you act before your middle and late position opponents for the remainder of the hand. This will cost you, in terms of both bets and pots. Because you must act first, you will at times be unsure as to whether a card helped your opponents’ hands. For example, you may check, when in fact had you bet your hand one or more opponents might have called with inferior hands. Your poor position has cost you one or more bets in this case.

Worse yet, your apprehension about whether the development of the board has helped your opponents may cause you to check, when betting would have induced everyone else to fold. Now, suppose everyone checks behind you, and the next card comes. An opponent who would have folded for a bet on the previous betting round now improves his hand and wins the pot. For example, suppose you are first to act with 8-8, and the flop is K-9-7. If you are first, with three or four players behind you, you would probably choose (correctly) to check, as this flop is likely to have helped one or more of your opponents. However, suppose nobody can beat your pair of eights, and the hand gets checked around. Now, an ace comes, giving one of your opponents holding A-5 a better hand. Since this player would probably have folded on the flop had you bet, your check has cost you the pot. If you had the same hand in last position, however, it would have been correct for you to bet the flop once it was checked around to you, likely making you the winner of the pot.

Playing Position
Clearly, it is to your benefit to try to play most of your hands from late position. As a result, you should enter the pot only with premium hands when you are one of the first players to act. When you play only big pairs and big cards such as A-K from early position, your postflop positional disadvantage is partially offset by your hand being fairly easy to play after the flop. If you have a big pair, you stay aggressive on the flop in nearly all cases (the main exception being when your pair is smaller than aces, an ace flops, and several players are in the pot). If you have big cards, such as A-K, you tend to bet when you flop a pair, and check when you don’t (tempered by certain factors to be discussed later). These hands don’t require as much guesswork; thus, their postflop performance does not suffer as much from poor position as do more marginal holdings like small and middle pairs.

Because you have the benefit of observing the actions of all your opponents, you can be much more liberal with your starting requirements when you are in late position. Don’t misinterpret “liberal” as “loose” or “sloppy,” though. Some hands are not profitable to play in any situation. Nevertheless, acting last allows you, first, to see how your hand figures to stack up against your opponents before the flop, and, then, to make well-informed decisions about how to proceed after the flop.

Do not underestimate the value of position. It should be a consideration in nearly every decision you make in the game.

April 25th, 2005

Monday Blues

Well its Monday and the daily grind is about to start all over again. Unless, your a poker all-star and you recently quit your job to pursue your incredibly lucrative habit.

For instance in Poker news today more legal battles with underground poker games might be a good reason to keep your day job. Why not just play online @ NoblePoker offering 100% Bonus Upto $450. (4Raked Hands / Dollar)

Check Tom McEnvoys article today about betting the wrong amount in no limit. Its a great read!

Today’s Poker New’s:
* Chief wants hold put on illegal poker tourneys – The Daily Item – 1 hour, 19 minutes ago – S AUGUS – If you’re planning a “Texas Hold ‘Em” poker night, you better not try and bluff the town or you could be in for a serious fine, or jail time.
* All poker, all the time – Vail Daily – Apr 24 2:45 PM – EAGLE COUNTY – The popularity of poker is rapidly increasing locally as well as nationally. Its popularity is fueled by a combination of television exposure, technology, and the opportunity to win big money and/or prizes.
* Guess The Poker Player – pPlayer.com – Apr 24 2:03 PM – Filed under: Poker for Beginners , Professionals So, here I am in Vegas, getting my bearings, and meeting poker players by the minute. Since I’m fairly new to the game, friends are introducing me to veteran card masters left and right. Every player I meet has a history with America’s new darling, and I’m doing my best to catch up on the lessons. To bring you in on it, lets play guess the

Poker Quick Link’s:
* Little Joopy – The Poker Playing Hottie (pic)
* CardPlayer Magazine (pic)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker Babes Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Guidelines on playing a multiway pot when two face cards flop.

Tip # 26 – (from CardPlayer By: Barry Schulman) Again, we assume that four or more players are in the hand. For this example, the flop is K-Q-3 of three different suits.

If no one has bet yet, bet if you have a king or better, as this is probably the best hand. You can call a bet with a queen and a decent kicker. Your kicker should be a 10 or higher, as it is capable of developing a straight draw in addition to making two pair. However, if the bettor is a very tight player who bets only strong hands, it’s probably safe to assume that your queen is not the best hand. Thus, it should be folded.

When facing a bet, raise with A-K or better virtually every time. Sometimes it is correct to raise with lesser hands, though, when doing so will help protect your hand. For example, in a five-way pot, if the first three players check, the fourth bets, and you are next with K-T, you should definitely raise. This makes it difficult for players with hands like A-J to call behind you. A-J poses some danger to your K-T here, as it can catch one of three aces or one of three tens. If a 10 comes, you are likely to lose several bets, as it makes you two pair. Players drawing with six outs are often correct to pay one small bet to draw. Your raise takes this play away from them, and makes it a mistake for them to continue with the hand.

If you hold J-T, for an open-ended straight draw, you should call. There is no point in raising with this hand, as all you will do is knock out the other players behind you. Since you are drawing to the nuts, and won’t win the pot unless you make your hand, it doesn’t really affect your chances of winning whether there are two or 20 players in the pot. It is good to keep everyone in, so that they can pay you off those times that you do make your hand. This is one situation in which checking and calling is the correct play most of the time. The main exception is when you think a bet might induce everyone else to fold, but in a multiway pot with two face cards on the board, someone almost certainly has a pair with which to call you down*.

April 23rd, 2005
April’s Almost OVER! 2 Months Till WSOP

Congratulations to our winners of the first ever Tips For Poker Forum Freeroll! Keep watching early next week for information on another upcoming tourney.

Check out the Poker news today – featuring FOX Sports New Poker Website, Fobes On The Poker Craze and a community taking advantage of a legislative poker loophole.

NoblePoker offering 100% Bonus Upto $450. (4Raked Hands / Dollar)

One of our favorite players Daniel Negreanu updated his blog with a great read entitled “I Played My Heart Out” referring to his recent loss @ the WPT.
Today’s Poker New’s:

* Poker’s Winning Hands Down – Forbes – Apr 22 3:18 AM – Poker has become the hottest game in town, with an estimated 50 million Americans putting their cards on the table.
* State Seeks To Close Poker Loophole – The WMUR Channel – Apr 22 8:27 AM – CONCORD, N.H. — The state wants a better hand in Texas Hold ’em poker tournaments. Attorney General Kelly Ayotte wants to close a loophole that some charities are exploiting.
* FOXSports.com debuts poker section…finally! – pPlayer.com – Apr 22 4:58 AM – Filed under: Odds & Ends FOX Sports has added a poker section to its website, and it’s not bad. The fact that it comes almost nine months after I pointed out that FSN was attempting to get into the poker business with no mention of poker anywhere online is astonishing to me. For almost the full year since Championship Poker at the Plaza debuted on FSN, a search for “poker” on FOXSports.com

Poker Quick Link’s:
* Top Hand Of Last Nights Freeroll (pic)
* Fabulous Poker Art, “THE POKER NIGHT” (pic)
* Another Great Poker Art Example (pic)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker Babes Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Paying attention while playing helps you learn to read hands better.

Tip # 47 – (from CardPlayer By: Barry Schulman) To apply this tip, it doesn’t matter whether you are involved in the pot or not. You can really jump-start your game by closely following the play of hands when you are out of the pot. Not only will you develop a better handle on your opponents, but you will learn what sorts of hands tend to win in different situations.

What is the number one skill that allows the top poker players to be so successful? Is it their ability to sit patiently waiting for premium cards? Or is it their great success with timely bluffs? In reality, the top players are highly skilled in many areas, but what really sets them apart is their ability to read hands*. In most cases, this skill was probably not a God-given gift. Rather, it is the product of much hard work as they progressed up to the top of the poker food chain. These top players have an ability to focus whether in or out of a hand on how the pot is played out. After enough trials, they develop a sense of what sort of hand each player is likely to have. Simply by actively paying attention in the game, you can learn to read the hands of your opponents.

Here is a checklist of what you should be observing about your opponents while out of a hand:
o Level of aggression: What sorts of hands do your opponents bet, raise, or reraise with? For example, some players have no problem raising with just a flush draw, whereas others only call even after they have completed the flush. Also, do your opponents bet after the flop with just ace high, or do they need a pair to fire in a wager? How often do they bluff? Do they play much more aggressively when they are in late position? Do they raise preflop with two suited cards, or do they need a pair or big ace to raise?
o How position affects their starting requirements: Some players play only top-notch hands from early position. Others disregard the importance of position altogether. Learn how the play of each of your opponents is influenced by their position by observing how often they enter pots from various positions, as well as seeing what sorts of hands they turn over.
o Who bluffs, and who doesn’t? Learning this can help you save some bets on the river when a known non-bluffer bets. It also prevent you from making an ill-advised lay down against a chronic bluffer.
o Who are the calling stations? Observe which players refuse to be bluffed. Then, you can avoid trying to bet busted hands at them. However, you should be able to bet with a large number of marginal hands on the river for value against these players. Once you have identified a calling station, you can bet with hands as weak as second pair on the river, as you will be getting called by any pair or even ace high.
o How liberally do your opponents defend their blind hands? Some players automatically call a raise from the big blind position, reasoning that they are already halfway in. You can expect these players to show down a wide variety of hands. Others use more discretion, calling only with good hands. This list can go on and on, as there are a number of things to look for. If you remember to watch the hand as it plays out, and recreate the betting after you see the hands turned up, you will begin to find patterns in the play of your opponents. Most hold’em players tend to play the same hands the same way time after time. Once you have identified some reliable tendencies or patterns, you can develop ways to exploit them for your benefit.

April 20th, 2005
Interesting Day, Is It Not??

Finally a Pope emerges and if you were one who took Vegas odds , and bet on his home country of Germany. You likely picked up a few $$$

Trying to justify a nasty habit? Check out this Tobacco museum – very interesting.

Gary Thomson was named by Harrah’s to oversee the WSOP events.

Don’t forget the Tips4Poker.com $100 Freeroll is This Thursday!
Check out Daniel Negreanu’s updated blog humourously titled “FOCUS DANIELSON FOCUS” for a real enjoyable read.

Today’s Poker News:
* Poker Mania Worth Millions – AskMen – Apr 19 8:06 PM – Q uestion: Who won the 2003 World Series of Poker, essentially turning a $40 entry fee into a $2.5 million prize? (You can find the answer at the end of this article.)
* Video poker blamed for rise in women gambling addicts – Provo Herald – 27 minutes ago- SALEM, Ore. — Maryann started gambling 10 years ago, playing video poker machines in hotel restaurants in Oregon as she traveled for her job.”It got so any place I would see a lottery sign and that was a restaurant or other place that was comfortable, I would play,” says the woman, who is in her 40s.
* Gambling and Finance: The Rise of the GAMinvestor. Gambling Finance, Gaming Stocks, Online Casinos, Poker Rooms IPO’s, – [Press Release] PR Web – 40 minutes ago – Investing in the gaming industry has never been easier or hotter: GAMinvestor.com (http://www.GAMinvestor.com) is the guide for the smart investor in casinos, poker rooms, sports books, mobile gambling, online casinos. Blog, free lessons and community about gambling, finance, spread betting, casinos IPO’s, online casino gambling companies, Las Vegas casinos. [PRWEB Apr 20, 2005]
* Poker Tournament Kicks Off at Bellagio – Rolling Good Times – Apr 19 12:53 PM – Professional gambler Annie Duke played in the World Poker Tour championship, which runs through Sunday. It kicked off Monday at the Bellagio. More than 450 players ponied up a $25,000 buy-in to compete for a first-place payout of about $3 million from a total prize pool of about $11.3 million.

Poker Quick Link’s
* Winner Of The POKER RUN (pic)
* Strip Poker Girl (pic)
* WARNING Nudity Strip Poker (pic)
* Why You Shouldn’t Blame Other People (link)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker Babes Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
When one player has raised, and it has been folded around to you, you should stick to the raise-or-fold philosophy.

Tip # 8 – (from CardPlayer By: Barry Schulman) Following this advice will keep you out of trouble. Many hold’em hands seem like they should be worth seeing the flop, but when you look at the situation objectively, you see that these hands just get you into trouble.

For example, suppose a player has raised from early position, and you have A-J. At first glance, this seems like a good hand. After all, you have two high cards including an ace. However, when you consider the range of hands the raiser is likely to hold, your A-J doesn’t seem so mighty. (The assumption here is that the raiser only raises with decent hands.) It is very important to think about what sorts of hands your various opponents are capable of raising with, and from what positions.

When you think this way, you see that getting involved in a raised pot (when the raiser is a typical player from early position) with A-J is not a profitable strategy. In all likelihood, the raiser is holding one of two hands: a medium or high pair, or two high cards including an ace. If it’s the first possibility, his pair is probably in the range of aces down to eights. So, if you have A-J, you are in decent shape against eights, nines, or tens. However, you are a sizable underdog against jacks, queens, or kings, and a monster underdog should you be unlucky enough to run into two aces. That is, more than half the pair hands he is likely to have put you at a severe disadvantage. Against two big cards with an ace, you are approximately a 5-to-2 underdog if they are A-K or A-Q. You are a favorite against A-T, but many opponents won’t raise with this hand. If your opponent is almost certain to have either a pair or ace-something here — and that “something” is almost sure to be a high card — he’ll have a hand with an ace in it more than half the time. Thus, overall, you’re likely to be severely behind something over three-fourths of the time. So, although your A-J looks like a good enough hand (particularly if you’ve spent the better part of the last hour looking at 9-2 and 8-4), if you play it here you’re asking for trouble. So, fold your hand and wait for a better situation.

With a hand that figures to be the best, it is good to reraise and make things tough on the players yet to act. Against one early-position raiser, if you stick to a general philosophy of reraising with J-J or better or with A-K, and folding all other hands, you will tend to get involved mostly in situations in which you are holding the better hand. And, if you consistently start with the best hand, you should do just fine in the game.
However, when the pot is opened by a raise from a late position player, the situation changes considerably. It is helpful to possess some knowledge of your opponents’ playing styles here. Some players feel that “any two will do” when the hand has been folded around to them in late position. So they raise, attempting either to steal the blinds or play against them with position. When confronted with a player like this, you must expand the range of hands with which you are willing to go to battle. Otherwise, you will be folding the best hand too often.

Although you don’t want to loosen up too much, when confronted with a late-position raise, it is frequently correct to reraise with hands such as A-T offsuit or 77. The reason for this is that your opponent may be holding an even weaker hand, such as K-T, A-x*, or 4-4. By reraising, you accomplish two things. First, you knock out the other players (unless they either have very good hands or are extremely stubborn), enabling you to play the probable best hand in position against one opponent. Second, a reraise allows you to take the lead in the pot. Frequently, the flop will be of no benefit to either of you, and your follow-up bet on the flop will convince your opponent to fold (partially due to the strength you represent by reraising before the flop).

April 18th, 2005

WPT Time…

Mr. Negreanu is preparing for the WPT, click here to read his blog to see just what his preparations involve. Our favorite line of this entry, ” Oh I almost forgot- I ended up playing for six hours and I won $120,000…”

What an amazing guy! Be sure to pickup CardPlayer this month, it has an absolutely MUST-READ article about Stu Ungar.

Don’t forget the Tips4Poker.com $100 Freeroll is This Thursday!
Need a new place to play cards online? Check out Noble Poker who just upped the 100% bonus to an exclusive $450 for Tips For Poker Players! This is by far the easiest bonus to clear EVER… 4Raked hands for every dollar – a simple 6hour run at the tables and you can clear this bonus today and have $450 to play around with!
Today’s Poker New’s:

* Saturday Night Poker – pPlayer.com – Apr 17 9:39 AM – Filed under: Home Games While Harold is doing it up right out there in Vegas this weekend, I’m stuck in Indianapolis. Although miles away from the closest actual poker room, I always find ways to get in a game. Last night I was able to play in a nice little charity event put on by a member of my local poker circle, Jay N (it’s like Tony G, but he’s also known as ‘whojedi’ online). Proceeds
* Yahoo! for Poker Downloads – pPlayer.com – Apr 17 9:05 AM – Filed under: Software Everyone’s favorite web portal is now offering a free trial version of Poker Superstars , the game, which purports to allow users to recreate the magic of the TV show’s first season. I’m actually excited to play this game, not really to test the program’s unlikely skill at simulating top pros, but to find out what the structure of the first season of Poker Superstars
* Wharton: Poker craze: Utahns say, ‘Deal me in’ – Salt Lake Tribune – Apr 16 7:25 AM – My father’s relatives and friends once gathered in a tiny cabin at Camp Strawberry before the opening of the fishing season to play all sorts of strange poker games. Cigar smoke filled the room that was lit by a bare light bulb. The language could get a bit coarse, especially when the dealer picked some strange hybrid. I can remember that a game called “no peeky baseball” elicited groans from
Poker Quick Link’s:
* Annie Duke , Not Getting Any Hotter (pic)
* Evelyn Ng however – Definately Getting Hotter (pic)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker Babes Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Usually raise when you hold the best hand and it is bet to you.
Tip # 30 – (from CardPlayer By: Barry Schulman) When you hold the best hand and someone else has bet, you are giving your opponents a free card if you merely call. There is little difference between checking the best hand if no one has yet bet, and calling with it once someone has wagered. So, once again, you must focus both on extracting the maximum from your opponents, and on how potentially catastrophic granting a free card might be.
As a general policy, you should raise a bettor whenever you hold a fragile hand that nevertheless figures to be the best at this point, especially if other players remain to act in the hand. For example, you hold J-J and the board is 4-6-9-T. Raise if someone bets and you are next, for two reasons.
o You don’t want to give players holding overcards or other draws a cheap shot at the pot.
o You are very likely getting more money into the pot with the best hand, which is a good thing.
The time to just call a bet with the best hand is when you want other players to call behind you. This happens when your opponents are drawing dead* or very close to it. Only a few big hands deserve to be played in this fashion — nut flushes, full houses, and four of a kind. And, you should smooth call** only when you feel this action will create a larger pot than a raise would, because you fear that your opponents will run for the hills when faced with calling a raise. If they are willing to call a raise on the turn, then by all means accommodate them.

April 15th, 2005

Tax Day Schmax Day – Lets Play Some Cards

Quit worrying about Taxes! Honestly, just take a deep breath and read this update – you’ll be glad you did.

Did we mention its Friday???
Free Deck of Cards from Absolute Vodka – just sign-up and head to the free “swag” area. Takes about 2 weeks to get to your house!

Need a new place to play cards online? Check out Noble Poker who just upped the 100% bonus to an exclusive $450 for Tips For Poker Players! This is by far the easiest bonus to clear EVER… 4Raked hands for every dollar – a simple 6hour run at the tables and you can clear this bonus today and have $450 to play around with! Plus, Tips For Poker $100 FreeRoll is @ Noble Poker!

Daniel Negreanu once again updated his blog this time about Carlos’s Birthday. It’s very interesting to peek into the private life of this Professional CardPlayer.

Today’s Poker New’s:
* Online poker craze lifts ukbetting – ShareCast via Yahoo! UK & Ireland Finance – 1 hour, 10 minutes ago – Online betting specialist ukbetting has recorded its maiden underlying profit after a surge in interest in online poker and other games in the past six months.
* poker perfection The night – AskMen – Apr 14 9:35 PM – Rounders, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Boiler Room; these are the movies that come to mind when we think of poker because after watching them, we wanted to become pros at the card game as well. It’s like a requirement of machismo, a vindication of manhood.
* World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series Ships for Nintendo – Rolling Good Times – Apr 14 9:53 AM – LOS ANGELES – (PRESS RELEASE) — Crave Entertainment, a leading publisher of console videogames, today announced that World Championship Poker: Deluxe Series has shipped for the Nintendo DS system.

Poker Quick Link’s:
* These Two Play Poker With The Best Of Them (pic)
* Joopy The Poker Playing Hottie (link)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker Babes Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
You can occasionally reraise from the big blind against a late position “blind thief.”

Tip # 16 – (from CardPlayer) Although it is generally advisable to just call a raise on the big blind (since reraising is unlikely to eliminate any opponents, and just calling provides some deception about the strength of your hand), in some situations reraising is proper strategy. Remember, though, that the small and large blinds are different animals altogether.

When you are in the small blind, one of the major reasons to reraise a late-position raiser is to knock out the big blind. Without this possibility, you want to reraise less frequently from the big blind than from the small.

Reraising from the big blind allows you to take control of the pot. As shown in Tip 13, the player with the lead after the flop often wins the pot when the flop is of no help to either player. Typically, whichever player gets the final bet in prior to the flop bets regardless of what comes, putting the burden on the other player to either call the bet or fold.

For example, suppose you hold K-Q offsuit in the big blind, and the button (a loose-aggressive player) raises. Obviously, you are at least going to call here, as the button could have a wide range of hands (most of which you can beat). Suppose you call and the flop comes 9-6-6. No help to you. It seems natural to just check and fold to your opponent’s inevitable bet here, or perhaps call one time hoping to spike a king or a queen. However, what if you had reraised before the flop? This flop is unlikely to have helped your opponent either, and perhaps your reraise, coupled with a follow up bet on the flop, could have won you this pot. Your opponent could have Q-T just as easily as A-T. Either way, he is going to bet the flop if you just call preflop, but he would likely fold on the flop if you had reraised. So, your aggressive play has earned you the chips.

How low can you stoop in your reraising standards? This depends largely on the play of your opponent, as well as his position. For the most part, we recommend making this play (unless you have a monster hand) only against a loose player on or next to the button. This way, you are more likely to be up against an inferior hand. That said, you can make this play with hands as weak as A-8 offsuit, K-Q, or small pairs.

One final reason to reraise here is the intimidation factor. You are better off if the players in late position think twice before raising your blinds. It is sometimes helpful to make this reraise play once or twice early on in a session, as it helps set the tone for the session. If you are successful, your opponents will be more likely to wait for real premium hands before raising your blinds in the future, as they realize you are not afraid to challenge them. Poker is part psychological warfare, and making a few well-timed reraises on the big blind is an effective pre-emptive strike against the enemies to your right.

April 14th, 2005
Its Almost Friday

It’s almost Friday, think your desperate to play some poker? Check out what this guy did to play some cards! He won’t be getting laid this month.

The WSOP Pink Bunny is back in the news today. Mr. Enke is one crazy SOB!

Check out Noble Poker who just upped the 100% bonus to an exclusive $450 for Tips For Poker Players! This is by far the easiest bonus to clear EVER… 4Raked hands for every dollar – a simple 6hour run at the tables and you can clear this bonus today and have $450 to play around with! Plus, Tips For Poker $100 FreeRoll is @ Noble Poker!

The FREEROLL Password has been sent out – check your private message box.

Check out Negreanu’s updated Blog piece about Gamblin’ With the Boys.

Today’s Poker News:

* GoldenPalace.com Closes Ebay’s World Famous Pink Bunny Poker Auction for $15,100 – [Press Release] PR Web – 35 minutes ago – Internet Casino GoldenPalace.com purchases Jeremy Enke’s World Famous WSOP Pink Bunny Poker Auction for $15,100. [PRWEB Apr 14, 2005]
* Analyst: Poker Not the Best Bet – Rolling Good Times – Apr 13 1:23 PM – NEW YORK – As reported by CNN: “…Poker is hot, particularly the game known as Texas Hold’em, thanks to TV shows like ESPN’s ‘World Series of Poker’ and Bravo’s ‘Celebrity Poker Showdown’.
* Play your cards right to win Poker Bash – Nyngan Observer – Apr 13 4:38 PM – Nyngan Rotary Club and Nyngan Central Committee have combined forces to bring together The Great Bogan Poker Bash on Saturday April 23 at Rotary Park.

Poker Quick Link’s:
* The 70’s Were F’ing Wierd (pic)
* Born Into a Life Of Addiction… (pic)
* Cats Playing Poker (pic)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker Babes Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Guidelines on playing a flop of K-Q-3 rainbow.

Tip # 22 – (from CardPlayer) This advice applies to any situation in which the flop contains two face cards and one small card, without a flush draw.

Unlike the previous example, this flop is likely to have hit your opponent in some way, either by pairing him or by giving him a straight draw. As a result, you don’t need to feel the same obligation to bet when it’s checked to you as in the A-9-3 scenario. It is still okay to bet with a very marginal hand (A-T, for example), but you should have some outs to fall back on.

Against one opponent, it is correct to bet with a pair of queens or better, as well as T-J (open-end straight draw). If he is first to act and bets, call with Q-T or better. Also, raise with K-J or better. This is not a good board in which to slow-play a big hand such as Q-Q, since there are several straight draws present. You don’t want to give an opponent the correct price (free) to draw with his J-9 or A-T, so make sure to bet your set here.

If there are several players in the pot, you need to increase both your betting and calling standards. Now, it is likely that someone is holding at least a king, so hands like Q-T have very little value when faced with calling a bet. Tend to fold this hand against several players. You should still be raising with K-J or better, however, partly due to the hand’s value, and partly to give it some protection.

April 13th, 2005

How PartyPoker Can Send YOU To The WSOP

First, check the Tips For Poker EXCLUSIVE $100 Freeroll this month. We will be sending out the password shortly!

Second, Our featured story – HOW PARTYPOKER CAN GET YOU TO THE WSOP, FAST!

Try our ALL-NEW WSOP STEPS!

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The WSOP Steps are another variety of our very popular Steps tournaments. They
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You can start at the bottom for just $12 and work your way up to the last Step,
or buy into any Step directly.

There are 6 Steps to the top where a fabulous WSOP package worth $13,500 awaits
the winner.

Each tournament is limited to 10 players. The first ranks get a free-roll into
the next step. If you do not quite make it into the top ranks, you might get the
chance to try again on the same level, or you will be looped back to a previous
step. If you fail to make it, you drop out and have to start again from the
beginning. The detailed structure is as follows:

Today’s Poker News:

* Poker Academy’s “Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Software” Selected as Part of Student Materials for WPT Boot Camps – Rolling Good Times – Apr 12 10:53 AM – Minneapolis, Minnesota — (PRESS RELEASE) — Poker Academy, a leading poker software developer, today announced that the WPT Boot Camp has chosen Poker Academy’s Texas Hold ‘Em software as part of its course materials for the two-day, hands-on seminar series held at hotels and casinos across the country.
* Rob Hollink Wins the First WilliamHillPoker.Com European Poker Tour Player of the Month Award – Rolling Good Times – Apr 12 11:38 AM – Holland’s Rob Hollink has been voted winner of the inaugural ‘WilliamHillPoker.Com European Poker Tour Player of the Month’ for March 2005, as voted by a panel of esteemed judges.
* Poker Draws And Holds ‘Em In – CBS News – Apr 11 9:29 PM – Not too long ago, gaming executives thought poker rooms were wasted space — the games are too long and the casino’s cut too small. But poker’s resurgence, driven by TV championships, celebrity tournaments and online games, has changed all that.

Poker Quick Link’s:
* Not Sure, But I’d Like To Be Part Of This Poker Run (pic)
* This Girl Plays At The Bellagio 2000/4000 and wins everytime (pic)
* Afflecks Been Working On His Poker Face (pic)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker FORUM Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Tip # 23 – Guidelines on playing against one opponent when the flop contains a straight or flush draw.
“Anytime a straight or flush draw is present on the flop and you have only one opponent, you must be aware that a draw is a logical possible holding to be up against. If you bet and are called or raise… “

April 11th, 2005
WSOP Coming Soon ARE YOU IN YET?

Check out Daniel N’s new blog post about how easy he found the 100/200NL at the Bellagio. Interesting post and for the most part true depending on what time you visit the Bellagio. Also, check out Negreanu’s recent interview about his new video game coming out this summer in our poker forums.

It seems like we have been getting a lot of fan mail recently posing the question, “What is the EASIEST way into the WSOP?” Our response is usually, “Buy a lotto ticket, its about the same odds!” Just kidding, but seriously if your looking for the easiest way to get a full paid trip to the WSOP. Tips For Poker points to PokerRoom which is on their way to giving out over 200 paid entries to the WSOP. Good luck in the WSOP.

Don’t Forget to check out the Tips For Poker EXCLUSIVE $100 Freeroll this month, read here for details on how to enter.
Today’s Poker New’s:
* Gunmen Rob Poker Players Of $50 In Quarters – Tampa Bay Online News – 2 hours, 22 minutes ago – DUNEDIN – David Holmes shook his head over the thought of armed men bursting into his home to steal $50 of poker money. He and six friends play every week in his Dunedin home. They bet with quarters.
* Corvallis allows poker to resurface – Corvallis Gazette Times – Apr 10 6:15 PM – After retreating underground for two months, poker night could soon be making a comeback in Corvallis. City officials have approved an ordinance allowing social gaming in public places, including bars and restaurants.
* Casino poker is a big deal Published in the Home News Tribune 04/10/05 – Home News Tribune – Apr 10 3:04 AM – MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — It’s just another day at Foxwoods Resort Casino and the wait for a seat at a poker table is well over an hour. All 81 tables, all 810 seats at New England’s only poker room, are filled.

Poker Quick Link’s:
* Not Sure, But I’d Like To Be Part Of This Poker Run (pic)
* This Girl Plays At The Bellagio 2000/4000 and wins every time (pic)
* Afflecks Been Working On His Poker Face (pic)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker FORUM Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Know Your Outs:

The rule of four-two is an extremely easy way to figure out basic poker odds for most situations where you know your outs. This method is not 100% accurate but it will supply you with an idea of your chances for making a decent poker hand. Here is how it works:

With two cards to come after the flop you multiply your number of outs by four. With one card to come after the turn, you multiply your number of outs by two. This will give you a quick figure to work with. If you have a four-card flush after the flop you have nine outs. With two cards to come, you multiply the nine by four and you get 36 percent chance of making the flush. The chart shows the true odds at 35 percent. With one card to come you multiply nine by two and get 18 percent. The chart shows that the true figure is 19.6. It is not completely accurate but it is pretty close, and it is an easy calculation to do in your head.

April 9th, 2005
Poker Weekend!!!

You finally made it! The week is over you can now relax and play a game of cards with your buddies. Or, maybe if you find the right amount of ladies you could play some strip poker with Carmen Electra!

Don’t Forget to check out the Tips For Poker EXCLUSIVE $100 Freeroll this month, read here for details on how to enter.

The boys over at PokerOffice wanted me to remind you they have recently upgraded their poker stat tracking software – and you should look into it!

Check out today’s Poker Quick Links for humor related Poker Faces Pictures.

UNRELATED STORY: Poker Game Got You Down? Hey, it could always be worth – you could be paying $21,000/month in child support!!!

Today’s Poker News:

* County likes Flats charity poker idea – WKYC 3 – Apr 08 6:38 AM – CLEVELAND (AP) — A tent where Texas Hold ‘Em poker can be played might rise on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland this summer. It’s an idea of developer Jeff Jacobs, who also favors a casino in Cleveland.
* Bravo Resources Ltd. and SPI Productions LLC. Sign Letter of Intent to Produce Strip Poker Invitational with Host – [Press Release] Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance – Apr 08 1:01 PM Bravo Resources Ltd. and SPI Productions LLC announced today that they have entered into a letter of intent for the acquisition of SPI by Bravo. Under this arrangement, Bravo will then produce and distribute the series “The Strip Poker Invitational” hosted by Carmen Electra and executive produced by Michael Berk, Co-Creator and Executive Producer of Baywatch.
* Police issue warning about illicit poker games – Provo Herald – Apr 08 12:20 AM – SALT LAKE CITY — Police and prosecutors in Utah’s most populous county on Thursday said they’ve banded together to crack down more evenly on poker tournaments in private clubs — which are becoming an increasingly popular marketing tool to get people to come out on weeknights.
* Full Tilt Poker Offers $10 Million Giveaway – Rolling Good Times – Apr 07 2:11 PM – LOS ANGELES, California – (PRESS RELEASE) — The biggest cash prize in any sporting event just got bigger at the WSOP Main Event. Full Tilt Poker announces the richest poker giveaway ever.
Poker Quick Link’s:
* Poker Face Pic 1 (pic)
* Poker Face Pic 2 (pic)
* Poker Face Pic 3 (pic)
* Poker Face Pic 4 (pic)
* Poker Face Pic 5 (pic)
* Poker Face Pic 6 (pic)
* Rate My Poker Face (link)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker FORUMS Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Programs That Keep Notes For You
Lazy, Aye?
Check out our 3rd Party Programs Section.
There are a number of programs that will either take notes for you, or take detailed statistics on your fellow players.
IE) Poker Office, Poker Edge, Etc.

April 7th, 2005

Poker AT THE DRIVE-IN

Well maybe Poker isn’t likely to be at your drive-in anytime soon. But, there are a slew of expected new poker related movies expected to come out this summer. Here’s a quick preview of an upcoming release:

Lucky You: An Upcoming Poker film starring Drew Barrymore and revolves around a struggling singer who becomes a poker champ to survive! (How many of you have tried that???)

Did you know Pierce Brosnan is coming back as BOND???

Check out today’s poker quick links for some great poker videos.

Tips For Poker EXCLUSIVE $100 Poker Freerolls this month, read here for details on how to enter.

Today’s Poker New’s:

* Hollywood Takes on Poker: A-Listers Affleck, Maguire Set Sights on Final Table – Rolling Good Times – Apr 06 12:56 PM – LOS ANGELES — (PRESS RELEASE) — Pokertropolis has posted the opening odds for players to win the 37th World Series of Poker (WSOP) finals held at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, July 7-15, and Hollywood A-Lister Ben Affleck is the current favorite to win at 450-1.
* WPT Boot Camp — Poker Fantasy Camp — Coming To Miami/Ft Lauderdale – Rolling Good Times – Apr 06 10:26 AM – FT. LAUDERDALE, Florida — (PRESS RELEASE) — First there were baseball fantasy camps, then football and ultimately golf. Now there is a poker fantasy camp, WPT BOOT CAMP™, coming April 30 and March 1 to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
* Canadian National Poker League: Cnpl.ca Launches Today – Owner of One of Canada’s Biggest Existing Poker Sites is – [Press Release] PR Web – Apr 06 12:16 AM – It’s rather common for players in the poker world to sell shares of themselves in order to acquire the resources to partake in a large poker event. The Canadian National Poker League (cnpl.ca) starts with that premise and goes from there. [PRWEB Apr 6, 2005]
Poker Quick Link’s:
* Funny Poker Face Video (vid)
* Poker Commercial (vid)
* Bluff Poker Magazine (link)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker FORUM Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Advantages To Keeping Notes
The reason why Online Poker can be more profitable (to the user) than live poker is simple. There are many features that a user can utilize that live poker never could offer.
For instance, some advantages that online poker has over live poker is the ability to have multiple windows open, taking player notes, and advice from friends or experts.
The advantage we are focusing on here is taking players notes.
Taking detailed notes is EXTREMELY important. WHY? Because, if your serious about playing online – YOU MUST KEEP DETAILED notes on players. Plain and simple, you will encounter the same player again.
It’s so important that we have dedicated a whole section to teaching you how to keep details notes.
Click HERE to read the Players Notes Section.

April 6th, 2005

True Heros Of Poker

Who says there’s no heart in Poker? Read about Henry Orenstein who is a very giving poker player and holocaust survivor in today’s poker news.

Speaking of heroes, here’s Poker Babe Miss Laura Prepon!

Be your own poker hero in our Tips For Poker EXCLUSIVE $100 Freeroll this month, read here for details on how to enter.

Who doesn’t love Poker Comics? Check out this one and then look at this reality poker comic. All found in today’s Poker Quick Links.
Today’s Poker New’s:

* Holocaust survivor Henry Orenstein is toy-maker, poker player and giver – JTA – Apr 05 1:13 PM – NEW YORK, April 5 (JTA) — Henry Orenstein has nearly 100 toy patents to his name, and television sports insiders say he’s responsible for the TV poker boom that has hit the United States over the last several years.
* World Poker Tour Enterprises Rolls the Dice – The Motley Fool via Yahoo! News – Apr 04 10:36 AM – For poker players like me who cannot stand being stared down, and who have a hard time not fidgeting at a live table, online poker has been a godsend. I can make a huge bluff bet in Texas Hold ‘Em and scream “Fold!” at my cyber-opponents without their knowing. I can also leap for joy when I catch a card on the river and not be considered a boor. Online gaming is great in one other respect — I
* Knob Creek Signs Poker Players – Rolling Good Times – Apr 05 10:12 AM – DEERFIELD, Illinois – (PRESS RELEASE) — Knob Creek(R), the number-one selling ultra-premium bourbon in the United States, announced today it has signed a year-long agreement with professional poker players, Howard Lederer and Erick Lindgren.

Poker Quick Link’s:
* Poker Dog Comic (pic)
* Reality Poker Comic (pic)
* Bluff Poker Magazine (link)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker FORUMs Section (link)
April 5th, 2005

DAMN DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

Hope you had a great weekend, and we’ve got some great Poker News For You Today! Read Daniel N’s blog today about grinding it out in a $2000-$4000 game.

Get inside the mind of this poker playing genius and analyze his game for when you see him in the WSOP. $1 Buy-In is all it takes to get on your way to this years WSOP!

Check out this great news about the latest NL Tourneys being offered by the Bellagio every night @ 5PM.

Which should give you just enough time to join the $100 EXCLUSIVE TIPS FOR POKER FREEROLL for members of our Tips For Poker forum. Click here for more details.
The winner of the BEST Poker-Related April Fools Joke is Bodog for claiming it got taken over by Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson.

Today’s Poker New’s:

* Eight U of C card sharps may bet big at poker competition – Chicago Maroon – Apr 03 4:26 PM – Amidst the ongoing poker craze sweeping across college campuses, a handful of University of Chicago students have taken their game to the next level. The Second Annual College Poker Championship has captured the attention of avid poker fans through a…
* Game on for poker players – The Scotsman – Apr 02 4:38 PM – THE first official UK Student Poker Championships is taking place this weekend at the University of St Andrews.
* Poker games, hairstyles and sushi at strip center – The Arizona Republic – Apr 02 12:42 AM – WHERE: Northwest of Chandler Boulevard and Mountain Parkway (40th Street), Ahwatukee Foothills. WHAT : Spread over this corner is a cluster of businesses that offer an opportunity to play the popular Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, choose from many hairstylists, learn to run faster or eat sushi.
* He knew when to hold ’em N.C. State graduate wins $1.5 million in professional poker tournament with a nine of hearts – News Observer – Apr 02 12:59 AM – Even though he earned enough money as a card player to pay his college tuition, Maciek “Mike” Gracz’s parents were not crazy about the idea of him playing professional poker.
Poker Quick Link’s:
* A Little Poker Vixen (pic)
* Beautiful Poker Art (pic)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker FORUM Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day:
Waiting For The Blind:
By waiting a full rotation before posting you are allowing yourself a huge advantage. You get to watch how everyone plays/reacts etc. before you even spend a penny. So unless you are familiar with the players do yourself a favor and sit out until the BB comes around.
In the meantime be taking notes on each players actions, or use a 3rd Party Program to do so.

April 1st, 2005

Online POKER MADE ILLEGAL !!!

In a emergency congressional hearing the legislature to make poker illegal was passed with an incredible 52-2 vote! Citing the large export of US Dollars, the emergency vote passed making all online gambling illegal.

And if you believe that, you’ve probably been tricked about 8 other times today on this 2005 April Fools Day. Here’s a good site to trick your friends with.

Here is the joke that is not a joke… Pink bunny auction ends at 15k with Jeremy Enke getting his WSOP entry paid for and additional 5k to blow… on blow.

$100 EXCLUSIVE TIPS FOR POKER FREEROLL for members of our forum. Click here for more details.

Bodog.com is starting to offer $100,000 Guaranteed weekly tourneys. IF you haven’t played here yet – look into it for the softest competition on the net. If you EVER thought you had a chance to make it in the money. Try Bodog! You’ll thank me later.

Today’s Poker New’s:

* Rice’s Poker Hand – New York Times – Mar 30 10:05 PM – I’ve been to this play before. It always starts out like the coming-out season for debutantes in Palm Beach, and it always ends around a smoky poker table at Binions casino in Las Vegas.
* Spring City Poker Run set for April 16 – Rhea County Online – Mar 31 10:15 AM – The Spring City Chamber of Commerce is rolling into spring with a Poker Run fundraiser to be held Saturday, April 16. Everyone is invited to participate in the Poker Run as motorcycle enthusiasts run a scenic route through five counties on a four-hour ride.
* ‘Poker run’ changed to ‘benefit ride’ – Peoria Journal Star – Mar 30 10:17 AM – EORIA HEIGHTS – A call from the state has forced a motorcycle group to change its Saturday fund-raiser for children. Riders with Heart will hold a “motorcycle benefit ride” rather than conducting a “poker run.”

Poker Quick Link’s:
* Wow, Not Sure How Good This Hand is In Draw – But I LOVE IT (pic)
* Maybe Brunette is your thing (pic)
* Poker Cartoon Of The Day (link)
* Poker FORUMS Section (link)

Poker Tip of The Day: (Click Here For More Poker Strategy)
Use A Four Color Deck:
This might seem basic, but, its actually quite advanced. In a recent survey, 6/10 people actually refuse (or don’t know how) to change their options to 4-Color Decks.
Its fairly simple and seemingly obvious, just go into the options section and click the Four Color Decks. You now have an advantage over many mistake making folks out there!
Everyone who has played long enough has probably misread their cards at some point or another (usually after a long stretch), especially flushes. Using a four colored deck makes it much easier to identify flushes (and more importantly flush draw threats) and enables you to use your brain powers elsewhere.