Typically when we're short on chips and getting desperate in a cash or free poker online tourney we start to look for an Ace-something and move all in and hope! A lot of players will go for it with AK, AQ, in some cases even as low as A4.
At worst, if someone with A-4 is called with the medium Pair, there is still one overcard. With A-K you can be called by Ace-lower whilst still being be a significant favorite.
So players running out of chips have a tendency to wait for Ace-something before they move all-in. While the Ace element gives them assurance, the likelihood is that someone will call them with Ace-higher and make them a significant underdog. Furthermore, if the purpose is to move all-in, why not try the same move with King-something (preferably suited)?
The trend for tournament players today has altered slightly in favor of moving all-in with King-something, like K-Q, K-J, K-10 (needless to say, the applications here apply also to A-K) and even K-x suited. Other players will also call using a smaller pocket Pair, and so A-x has the same possibility of winning as K-x against a smaller Pair if both cards are overcards.
And K-x has an additional benefit. While a hand like A-5 is a major underdog against A-J, K-Q or K-5 is just a slight underdog.
Approximately, it is a 13 to 7 underdog, but match it up to A-5 which is a 15 to 5 (or 3-1) underdog. What you want to fetch with K-x is its live card value.
While using A-5, you have to hit the Five in order to pair and take the lead. With K-5, you may have both King and Five pairing.
Should you extend your all-in hand range to include K-x, you might have to move all-in more than ever before. Because many players will fold to an all-in (including marginal high A-x for example A-10 or A-9) other players at the table will receive a more aggressive impression of your play.
Additionally you can steal the blinds more often. The all-in itself (and not really the cards used to move all-in) is an indication of strength; it's the same with A-x or K-x.
All in all, if you're running out of chips and the all in approach beckons don't limit yourself to just Ace-x, think about the King too, it might just make your day!
So why not check out the King High approach on the free online poker tables first, get used to it and then apply in more high risk poker games later.
Hopefully this was interesting and helps your poker game be it free online poker or for cash. Certainly it will demonstrate that in a given poker game situation there are options to consider based on the cards you've got, the game stage, opposition and known and estimated risk to name but a few.
If you're not used to this approach then undoubtedly the best way to succeed is always to practice a LOT on free online poker sites such as http://www.NoPayPOKER.com and ONLY when you are winning consistently move up to actual money stakes.
On NoPayPOKER.com you'll play genuine free online poker where you absolutely, 100% literally can not lose any money ever no matter how bad you play! Practice to your hearts content and lose all you like, you can always just join the next freeroll after all!
And there is a huge free online poker training series on the http://www.NoPayPOKER blog, from how to play poker for beginners courses upto expert. Go join today and play poker online for free right away with the free bankroll you get just for signing up.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
How To Play Poker For Beginners Lesson On Using The Poker Call To Maximum Effect
Calling is one of the most underestimated and incorrectly executed moves in both free poker games and cash Texas Hold em poker games.
Players who call too often are looked down on and named "calling stations", though the fact is it's not because they call that they lose their chips so often. The lose because they do not call at the right times and places.
During this free poker online article, we'll explain to you by way of example the way you use calling in poker correctly.
Are there right reasons for calling?
The reasons for calling often crossover with those used by more aggressive players for betting. Here are some example situations where you may use the poker call.
- One example is, if you have A-K in a board of 10-3-K-7-8, when you are first to act, you bet; you don't check and call.
- You value-bet. However, when you are not first to act, what do you do if someone else bets?
- Do you raise? Here, good betting reasons are not so good raising reasons. As you still have a hand you don't raise but neither do you fold.
The rule now, for the above hand, is:
- If you're first to act, you bet.
- If you're not first to act, and someone bets, call an amount less than or equal to the amount you intend to bet should you be the first to act.
- When the amount is greater, you fold. This rule applies only when you've got a hand.
- Without a hand, like just Ace-high, you bet, however, you fold to a bet.
- Don't call with Ace-high (unless from curiosity).
Let’s try another hand.
You have 8-7 in a Flop of K-6-9. You can check-call, but you can also bet. Now, betting is considered the better option, because you can make your opponent fold; after all, your hand is incomplete.
- Should you check-call, however (or call a bet), you may send a message to your opponent that you're most likely on a draw, and then your opponent may keep bullying you later.
- Nevertheless, you want to complete a powerful hand, so you call.
- Just be sure you have the pot odds to call, however.
- If your opponent continues bullying you when you complete the Straight, you can raise.
Now, in another hand, you have A-6 in a Flop of 9-6-2.
- Since the flop comes small cards, anyone with big cards will fold to a bet.
- You can bet those 6's. Or you can call, especially if your opposing player ended the hand right there with A-Q.
- You could call, and later, if your opponent keeps working you with small bets, you may call each small bet, because your odds are still satisfactory.
- Furthermore, you may pair your kicker or your Six if you call.
Finally, if you have Q-Q in a Flop of Q-10-10, you've got your opponent dead.
If your opponent bets, and you raise, the chances are greater that your opponent will fold than not.
- This is because although your opponent might have A-Q, it is not likely as you know there are three Queens already out.
- Also an extra Ten is less likely for a similar reason.
- Your opponent might have K-J or A-K (for a useless Straight draw) or a Flush completer.
Give the opposing players openings to finish their hands, this way you hope to tempt more action from them. If your opponent completes the Straight or the Flush later, then you have the upper hand. So just call, and call, until everyone escalates.
This also applies if you feel your opponent has the spare Queen or Ten. You can let your opponent just bet and bet through to the river, where he thinks you might be calling as you just had a Queen or a small Pair, so at the river you may move your chips in.
Now, what's flawed with calling stations' calling beliefs?
- To start with: they call even with the pot odds against their favor. They normally chase inside Straight draws and so they lose their chips in the long run if they keep doing this.
- Secondly: they call big bets with small, but marginal, hands even if they understand they are beat. In a flop of 9-6-2 above, A-6 may call, but only if your opponents' bets are small. But when in front of a large bet, fold A-6 because you may not win against 9-x if you cannot pair your kicker or turn Trips.
Calling stations will be the ones always calling with small pocket Pairs in the presence of overcards.
- Thirdly: they normally believe that every player is bluffing so they are usually tempted to call even with Ace-high. Quite simply, they call a bluff or something that seems like a bluff.
I hope these examples have helped you understand the poker call better. When you play try to look for similar situations where you can apply the call artfully and be aware of when not to use it.
To play poker online free and win real cash without risk at the same time get to http://www.NoPayPOKER.com
And look for the free poker online blog at http://www.nopaypoker.com/articles for free poker online training guides for all levels from how to play poker for beginners to seriously advanced.
The guides and lessons are 100% free, you do not even have to join NoPayPOKER or play any of the free poker games. Though quite frankly you'd have to be crazy not to as it is free and risk free and you do get a free bankroll just for showing up!
Players who call too often are looked down on and named "calling stations", though the fact is it's not because they call that they lose their chips so often. The lose because they do not call at the right times and places.
During this free poker online article, we'll explain to you by way of example the way you use calling in poker correctly.
Are there right reasons for calling?
The reasons for calling often crossover with those used by more aggressive players for betting. Here are some example situations where you may use the poker call.
- One example is, if you have A-K in a board of 10-3-K-7-8, when you are first to act, you bet; you don't check and call.
- You value-bet. However, when you are not first to act, what do you do if someone else bets?
- Do you raise? Here, good betting reasons are not so good raising reasons. As you still have a hand you don't raise but neither do you fold.
The rule now, for the above hand, is:
- If you're first to act, you bet.
- If you're not first to act, and someone bets, call an amount less than or equal to the amount you intend to bet should you be the first to act.
- When the amount is greater, you fold. This rule applies only when you've got a hand.
- Without a hand, like just Ace-high, you bet, however, you fold to a bet.
- Don't call with Ace-high (unless from curiosity).
Let’s try another hand.
You have 8-7 in a Flop of K-6-9. You can check-call, but you can also bet. Now, betting is considered the better option, because you can make your opponent fold; after all, your hand is incomplete.
- Should you check-call, however (or call a bet), you may send a message to your opponent that you're most likely on a draw, and then your opponent may keep bullying you later.
- Nevertheless, you want to complete a powerful hand, so you call.
- Just be sure you have the pot odds to call, however.
- If your opponent continues bullying you when you complete the Straight, you can raise.
Now, in another hand, you have A-6 in a Flop of 9-6-2.
- Since the flop comes small cards, anyone with big cards will fold to a bet.
- You can bet those 6's. Or you can call, especially if your opposing player ended the hand right there with A-Q.
- You could call, and later, if your opponent keeps working you with small bets, you may call each small bet, because your odds are still satisfactory.
- Furthermore, you may pair your kicker or your Six if you call.
Finally, if you have Q-Q in a Flop of Q-10-10, you've got your opponent dead.
If your opponent bets, and you raise, the chances are greater that your opponent will fold than not.
- This is because although your opponent might have A-Q, it is not likely as you know there are three Queens already out.
- Also an extra Ten is less likely for a similar reason.
- Your opponent might have K-J or A-K (for a useless Straight draw) or a Flush completer.
Give the opposing players openings to finish their hands, this way you hope to tempt more action from them. If your opponent completes the Straight or the Flush later, then you have the upper hand. So just call, and call, until everyone escalates.
This also applies if you feel your opponent has the spare Queen or Ten. You can let your opponent just bet and bet through to the river, where he thinks you might be calling as you just had a Queen or a small Pair, so at the river you may move your chips in.
Now, what's flawed with calling stations' calling beliefs?
- To start with: they call even with the pot odds against their favor. They normally chase inside Straight draws and so they lose their chips in the long run if they keep doing this.
- Secondly: they call big bets with small, but marginal, hands even if they understand they are beat. In a flop of 9-6-2 above, A-6 may call, but only if your opponents' bets are small. But when in front of a large bet, fold A-6 because you may not win against 9-x if you cannot pair your kicker or turn Trips.
Calling stations will be the ones always calling with small pocket Pairs in the presence of overcards.
- Thirdly: they normally believe that every player is bluffing so they are usually tempted to call even with Ace-high. Quite simply, they call a bluff or something that seems like a bluff.
I hope these examples have helped you understand the poker call better. When you play try to look for similar situations where you can apply the call artfully and be aware of when not to use it.
To play poker online free and win real cash without risk at the same time get to http://www.NoPayPOKER.com
And look for the free poker online blog at http://www.nopaypoker.com/articles for free poker online training guides for all levels from how to play poker for beginners to seriously advanced.
The guides and lessons are 100% free, you do not even have to join NoPayPOKER or play any of the free poker games. Though quite frankly you'd have to be crazy not to as it is free and risk free and you do get a free bankroll just for showing up!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Free Poker Online Guide To How To Beat Maniac Snow Shovers
What do I mean by a maniacal snow-shover? The snow shover is one of those players who goes all in all the time. These players can be from free poker online tables upto WSOP level but are a particular menace to good fun if you play poker online for free in particular.
On free poker online they can ruin it for us players who are trying to play an intelligent game as they know there is no risk of real loss so they move all in with hands as bad as 2-7 and now and again by cause of remote probability they win (and claim that as proof of poker being only luck)
In free poker games of all types they are annoying. However, when you come across them in short-handed cash Sit and Go tournaments they can be a serious danger to your stack. When the blinds are high (the average stack is just ten big blinds) they move all-in every hand and the others fold. If this tactic succeeds in consecutive turns then they can achieve a big chip advantage.
The main problem is that maniacal snow-shovers are hard to beat.
1) First, whenever they move all-in, because they do it so frequently, you can't know what they are holding.
2) Sometimes it may be 7-2, sometimes 5-5, sometimes, even A-A.
3) When you decide to call them, it's one of those. And 'one of these' translates to, 'I don't know.'
In five-person Sit and Gos, handling maniacal snow-shovers is simple.
1) When they shove all-in every hand, there are three others, one of whom might have a quality hand (or great hand) to call with.
2) The Snow Shover will be eliminated should this happen. (If I have a perfect calling hand I would be the one to do it.)
3) Or the Snow Shover, with some stroke of extraordinary luck, may knock out one of the other players.
The other players will have a hard time managing the Snow Shover who now has a pyramid of chips to throw bricks with, and I can now afford to play conservatively.
1) I'll wait until I have A-A, K-K (or even just A-K or A-Q) so I can double up over the Snow Shover.
2) Or I will wait until the Snow Shover is knocked out by the other players, or until the Snow Shover knocks out the other players, then we will be heads up with the Snow Shover.
Basially then what this is super tight aggressive play. Because nearly all action here takes place preflop, forget the connectors and weak Aces.
1) Forget small pairs that could be underdogs up against the K-10 or Q-9 the Snow Shover may drop onto you.
2) Wait for a hand where you stand no less than a 70% favorite preflop (tight), then when you have it, put your chips in the center (aggressive).
When you're down to the final two (you and the Snow Shover, which usually occurs when you play tight and there's an Snow Shover in play), the Snow Shover usually is leading in chips.
1) Heads-up, your weak Aces (A-8 below) and even K-x will be effective. Your K-x is equally as powerful as A-x if the Snow Shover decides to call you with Q-x.
2) You simply can't afford to wait for the big hands because here, the blinds are overeating you now.
3) Shove even with 5-4 or with 10-7. If you get called and you are the underdog, you've still got two live cards.
Against an Snow Shover heads up, play as an Snow Shover, but fold obviously weak hands.
1) When you fold those weak hands, typically you will have a better hand range than the other guy, so you have the better chance of winning even if you start with the smaller stack.
2) You cannot and won't beat them all the time but if you follow this advice and play tight aggressive poker you are going to beat them more often than not and in poker more often than not is good enough make you decent money.
Keep in mind that learning to play good poker is not an overnight job, it will take you a while to rise above the all in mob. But the reward is that you will be be among the maybe 10% of poker players who really can play poker well and that means you get to extract lots of money from snow shoving maniacs. The job how then is to be patient and practice hard, make lots of use of free poker game sites, they will save you money and also expose you to a lot of snow shovers.
For free poker online training courses from how to play poker for beginners right upto advanced WSOP skill levels and to play poker online for free see join http://www.nopaypoker.com It's US legal, free to join and you get a starter bankroll to begin your free poker online career!
On free poker online they can ruin it for us players who are trying to play an intelligent game as they know there is no risk of real loss so they move all in with hands as bad as 2-7 and now and again by cause of remote probability they win (and claim that as proof of poker being only luck)
In free poker games of all types they are annoying. However, when you come across them in short-handed cash Sit and Go tournaments they can be a serious danger to your stack. When the blinds are high (the average stack is just ten big blinds) they move all-in every hand and the others fold. If this tactic succeeds in consecutive turns then they can achieve a big chip advantage.
The main problem is that maniacal snow-shovers are hard to beat.
1) First, whenever they move all-in, because they do it so frequently, you can't know what they are holding.
2) Sometimes it may be 7-2, sometimes 5-5, sometimes, even A-A.
3) When you decide to call them, it's one of those. And 'one of these' translates to, 'I don't know.'
In five-person Sit and Gos, handling maniacal snow-shovers is simple.
1) When they shove all-in every hand, there are three others, one of whom might have a quality hand (or great hand) to call with.
2) The Snow Shover will be eliminated should this happen. (If I have a perfect calling hand I would be the one to do it.)
3) Or the Snow Shover, with some stroke of extraordinary luck, may knock out one of the other players.
The other players will have a hard time managing the Snow Shover who now has a pyramid of chips to throw bricks with, and I can now afford to play conservatively.
1) I'll wait until I have A-A, K-K (or even just A-K or A-Q) so I can double up over the Snow Shover.
2) Or I will wait until the Snow Shover is knocked out by the other players, or until the Snow Shover knocks out the other players, then we will be heads up with the Snow Shover.
Basially then what this is super tight aggressive play. Because nearly all action here takes place preflop, forget the connectors and weak Aces.
1) Forget small pairs that could be underdogs up against the K-10 or Q-9 the Snow Shover may drop onto you.
2) Wait for a hand where you stand no less than a 70% favorite preflop (tight), then when you have it, put your chips in the center (aggressive).
When you're down to the final two (you and the Snow Shover, which usually occurs when you play tight and there's an Snow Shover in play), the Snow Shover usually is leading in chips.
1) Heads-up, your weak Aces (A-8 below) and even K-x will be effective. Your K-x is equally as powerful as A-x if the Snow Shover decides to call you with Q-x.
2) You simply can't afford to wait for the big hands because here, the blinds are overeating you now.
3) Shove even with 5-4 or with 10-7. If you get called and you are the underdog, you've still got two live cards.
Against an Snow Shover heads up, play as an Snow Shover, but fold obviously weak hands.
1) When you fold those weak hands, typically you will have a better hand range than the other guy, so you have the better chance of winning even if you start with the smaller stack.
2) You cannot and won't beat them all the time but if you follow this advice and play tight aggressive poker you are going to beat them more often than not and in poker more often than not is good enough make you decent money.
Keep in mind that learning to play good poker is not an overnight job, it will take you a while to rise above the all in mob. But the reward is that you will be be among the maybe 10% of poker players who really can play poker well and that means you get to extract lots of money from snow shoving maniacs. The job how then is to be patient and practice hard, make lots of use of free poker game sites, they will save you money and also expose you to a lot of snow shovers.
For free poker online training courses from how to play poker for beginners right upto advanced WSOP skill levels and to play poker online for free see join http://www.nopaypoker.com It's US legal, free to join and you get a starter bankroll to begin your free poker online career!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Dirty And Clean Online Casinos
There are a lot of online casinos and some of them are what I call clean and others aren’t. Some casinos are what I like to call clean, they advertise themselves really honestly, but others don’t do this.
One example of a very dirty casino is 21Nova casino. There are lots of advertising cons that they are into, like when people are told that there is lots of easy money to be made when there clearly is not at all.
They are also a very slow paying casino; withdrawals via Moneybookers will take 4-6 days which is too long. There are many others like 21Nova; I don’t how these casinos retain their players which such slow payment times.
Casino Tropez is another example of a bad casino. Just a simple online search will bring back reports of their players not getting paid. Casino Tropez are also involved countless promotion scams, just like 21Nova.
One of the fairest casinos that I’ve found is 32Red Casino I’ve never seen them in a fraudulent promotion. They have very quick payment times of 24 hours and they also have in house customer support which can be hard to find.
There are also a lot of company addresses listed on their website to show who they work with. They even have biographies of their main members of staff. This is not normally something that an online casino would do, they normally just take your money and that is the end of it.
Totesport are another rally good casino that I like and they are UK based too. The online casino they have isn’t the greatest out there but it is still worth a mention and should be visited more. The graphics are of a good quality and the payout times are fast too.
Other decent casinos worth a mention are Bet365, Circus Casino and Ladbrokes. It is best to do some digging around to find a good online casino, as there are so many bad ones out there which will make them difficult to find.
One example of a very dirty casino is 21Nova casino. There are lots of advertising cons that they are into, like when people are told that there is lots of easy money to be made when there clearly is not at all.
They are also a very slow paying casino; withdrawals via Moneybookers will take 4-6 days which is too long. There are many others like 21Nova; I don’t how these casinos retain their players which such slow payment times.
Casino Tropez is another example of a bad casino. Just a simple online search will bring back reports of their players not getting paid. Casino Tropez are also involved countless promotion scams, just like 21Nova.
One of the fairest casinos that I’ve found is 32Red Casino I’ve never seen them in a fraudulent promotion. They have very quick payment times of 24 hours and they also have in house customer support which can be hard to find.
There are also a lot of company addresses listed on their website to show who they work with. They even have biographies of their main members of staff. This is not normally something that an online casino would do, they normally just take your money and that is the end of it.
Totesport are another rally good casino that I like and they are UK based too. The online casino they have isn’t the greatest out there but it is still worth a mention and should be visited more. The graphics are of a good quality and the payout times are fast too.
Other decent casinos worth a mention are Bet365, Circus Casino and Ladbrokes. It is best to do some digging around to find a good online casino, as there are so many bad ones out there which will make them difficult to find.
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