Free How To Play Poker For Beginners Lesson On Split Pot Tactics

In this free poker online article we'll examine split pots.

A split pot is a pot where two (or more) players have identical five-card hands at the showdown. For example, in a board with 8-9-10-Q-2 both players have a Jack meaning both have a Queen-high straight, therefore, they split.

Or if both players use the board cards as their 5 card hands, for example, if the board is A,K,Q,J,10 where one player has 9,9 and the other Q,J.

Who wins? Both. Both players have a Broadway Straight and use the board cards as their hand and so the pot is split.

Most players think that they should use at least one card from their hand to complete their hand. In the above example, the player with 9-9 might think that his straight is King-high, when actually it is Ace-high.

The other player, assuming no flush possibilities, might go all in. This action could scare player 1 into folding. Don't. Both players have nutz hands.

Some Straights on the Board are a little bit more suspicious. Like 4-5-6-7-8. Someone bets substantially and now it's up to you whether you call or not, or even raise. Just keep in mind that a Nine can finish you or your opponent.

In this case, you want to represent the Nine. When? If the Board is 6-7-5-4-8, in the order in which they fell? What if it is 4-5-7-6-8? 8-7-5-6-4 or 4-5-8-7-6? On which Board do you think your opponent will be most inclined to represent the Nine so you can fold without remorse? It's important to be as analytic as possible here.

But what about a Board of 9-9-8-8-8? It's a Full House. Both players already have the Full House. You have Q-10 for example, and you follow until the river. Then suddenly your opponent bets big and puts you all-in. Do you call?

It's possible that he's bluffing you with, say, J-10; you both still have the same hand. He may just have the last 8, but if so then he really should have folded since you bet the Flop and the Turn.

Then, with unmistakable confidence, (easy in free poker online maybe) you overtly declare, "I play the Board, I call." If you did, then you?re the 1997 World Series of Poker runner-up, Kevin McBride, who lost to J-9. The winner? Scotty Nguyen (baby, baby, baby). You have Eights full, baby. Scotty had Nines full (9-9-9-8-8).

With the Broadway Straight (with no flush) it is appropriate to call the all-in, and it is a sign of a smart player to do so. (Don?t call yourself smart if you held the 9-9 and you folded.)

But with the above Full House on the board just determine all possible hands that can beat you: a lone Nine or the last Eight. Surely if you have many more chips, just stack them and wait for some more hands.

But read the board well, don't be psyched out by the chatter of the other player. During the interview after the heads-up match, McBride admitted that he called because of what Scotty said to him after Scotty pushed him all-in: "If you call it'll be over baby".

In some boards, such as A-K-2-2-7, if you have an Ace and your opponent bets substantially on the river, you can well put him on the Ace (but not A-K or A-2) and call him, even though you know you can't win. You just split the pot.

If he bets heavily, forcing you to make the hard decision, you might as well fold. Why hope for a tie when you can win later?

No doubt about it this is a tricky area of poker! If it seems hard then my best suggestion to you is to go and practice lots and play poker online free then when you play for money all that free poker games experience will allow you to play with a greater degree of confidence.

How To Play Poker For Beginners Lesson On Using Poker Table Position To Maximum Effect

Position is your seat at the poker table, real life or poker online "virtual" relative to your opponents. Be it free poker games or a money event, it shows when you will make your move in the current poker hand. In a full ring game (9-12 players), in any given round of betting:

(1) Early position involves the initial three or four players to act.

(2) Middle position features the following player after early position to the player before late position.

(3) Late position is the last three or four players to move. Preflop, the dealer, the small blind, and the big blind are last to act, in that order.

Postflop, the small blind and the big blind are first to act, and the dealer is last to act.

Why does position matter?

Depending on your position there are certain advantages and disadvantages. The majority of players prefer playing late position. Briefly, it is because you are given more information to work with in late position.

If you are in late position, the actions of the players in early position are added information to you. But the player in early position do not have the benefit of information derived from your actions.

This is why most players (especially good players) don't like giving up their button (dealer button) unless they've got absolute trash. They call a small raise with any decent hand like 9-7 or A-5 (but not extraordinarily big raises, of course).

In early position, in a nine-handed game, suppose you have got Q-J, a marginal hand, under the gun (the first person to act preflop).

Do you raise? There are still eight players once you to act, and there will be a higher chance that they'll have better hands than you. (A-x will have you beat). So fold.

In middle position, you can call one raise, or you can raise; you are indifferent.

From the button, you raise if nobody has acted prior to you (you can steal the blinds this way). Or call if someone raised small (since you have position).

From the blinds, you call (since it is discounted) but you have to be careful with postflop play since you are out of position postflop. Or you may also reraise a raise if you believe the raiser was weak (raising with junk is prevalent in good players in late position who would like to steal the blinds habitually).

Position also matters a lot when playing with players who have a fixed style.

- It is a good idea to act before a rock in order to bluff him easier.

- It is better to act after a loose-aggressive chip flinger so you can raise him if you hit the Flop hard or if you have A-A, then expect a rereaise and then you can move all-in.

- Against a calling station, it doesn't matter where you sit - just bet when you have a hand and then expect a call.

As for the really good players, your ideal position should be outside the poker table. Don't get involved in games with them. If you can't avoid it, then play in an unpredictable fashion, and take advantage of the times you are acting after him.

This point moves us away from table position in to a more strategic level so I won't expand on it here except to say, choose your games wisely. Suffice it to say, be honest with yourself and do not play over your skill level when playing in games you'd really like to win! Yes, get into hard challenges with better players but only as part of a deliberate training plan with money you can afford to lose (invest) or play such sharks on free poker online tables such as at NoPayPOKER where you will find some very good players who are there for fun.

Have a look at the free poker games tools series from D M Vadnais for far more depth on the areas such as choosing your battles and climbing skill levels. If you are a beginner get started with the how to play poker for beginners 101 course and if ready to move on check out Building a Bankroll which aims to propel to to advanced intermediate level (where you will start to win a lot of cash should you wish)

Learn To Play Poker Free Explains And Deciphers Poker Card, Pocket Pair And Hand Name Nicknames

In the poker online free learn to play poker free guide you will learn to unravel some of the code names used in poker to name the various cards hand permutations. At the end you will no longer be totally baffled when trying to play poker and words such as Fishhooks, Jackass and Snowman (to mention just a few) get thrown about!

First lets look at individual card names. Next come pocket cards, these are the 2 cards you get at the start of the game that only you can see, I've put these in ranked order of strength.

Pocket card hands are divided into paired (cards that are the same such as Ace-Ace) and unpaired but still playable such as Ace-King. Finally you’ll learn some of more popular and famous hands.

The 13 cards used in poker are often nicknamed. They are also commonly referred to by a letter or their number.

- Ace - Bullet, Rocket (A)
- King - Cowboy, Monarch (K)
- Queen - Lady, Dame, Dyke (Q)
- Jack - Knave, Hook, Fishhook, (J)
- 10 - Dime (T)
- 9 - Niner (9)
- 8 - Snowman, Fat Lady, Ocho (8)
- 7 - Hockey Stick (7)
- 6 - Boot (6)
- 5 - Spot (5)|Jesse James
- 4 - Sailboat, Sharp Top, Four spot (4)
- 3 - Trey, Crab (3)
- 2 - Deuce, Duck (2)

Now when you begin a poker game you get two cards called your pockets or pocket cards.

About once every 16 times you will get a pair of the same, known as a pocket pair.

In order of relative strength or potential they are:

- AA - Pocket Rockets, Rockets, Bullets, or American Airlines
- KK - Cowboys, King Kong, Gorillas, Kangaroos, Monarchs, or Krispy Kreme
- QQ - Ladies, Hookers, or Siegfried & Roy
- JJ - Fishhooks, Hooks, Jokers, or Jay Birds
- TT - Dimes or Tension
- 99 - Gretzky, Popeye's, or Phil Hellmuth
- 88 - Snowmen, Fat Ladies, Dog Balls, or Race Tracks
- 77 - HockeySticks, SunsetStrip, or Mullets
- 66 - Route 66, Kicks, or Cherries
- 55 - Presto, Speed Limit, or Nickels
- 44 - Magnum, Sail Boats, or Middle Age
- 33 - Crabs or Treys
- 22 - Ducks, Pocket Swans, or Deuces.

Pocket pairs desirable as they are don't come around often enough to wait on as your only playable option.

The following unpaired pockets though, are ones you may play depending on the risk and cost in the game and what you're reading from other players, in order of potential, they are:

- AK - Big Slick or Walking back to Houston
- AQ - Little Slick, Big Chick, or Doyle Brunson
- AJ - Blackjack, Ajax, or Jackass
- AT - Bookend or Johnny Moss
- A5 - High Five
- A4 - Topped Four
- A3 - Ashtray or Baskin and Robbins
- A2 - Hunting Season or Acey-Deucy
- KQ - Marriage (if suited) or Mixed Marriage (if not suited)
- KJ - Kojak, King John, or Tucson Monster
- KT - Kate or Katie
- QJ - Maverick or Oedipus
- QT - Quentin Tarantino
- JT - Days of Old
- T9 - Paint Plus Connector
- 98 - Oldsmobile
- 87 - RPM
- 76 - Union Oil
- 65 - Medicare
- 54 - Jesse James or Colt.

There are loads of names for larger hand combinations and finishing hands, here are a few of the better known ones.

- KKK - Alabama Night Riders or Three Wise Men
- TTT - Thirty Miles of Bad Road
- 222 - Huey, Dewey and Louie.
- AA88Q - Dead Man's Hand
- AKQJT - Broadway
- A5432 - Wheel
- 3 of a Kind - Set (if you hold a pocket pair matched by a 'community card')
- 3 of a kind - Trips (if one is in your pocket and two are 'board cards')
- Full House - Boat or All The In-Laws
- 4 of a Kind - Quads or Quad Set.

I hope this was a fun and useful article, if you are at the stage of learning the card names then I suggest when you play you play free online poker where you can learn without fear of loss.

For even more how to play poker for beginners free online poker guides and to actually play poker online free go check out the http://www.NoPayPOKER.com free online poker blog and site. At NoPay you'll find free online poker lessons covering beginner to expert levels, and you can play online free poker totally risk free for real cash prizes.

Free Poker Online Outline Of How Poker Hand Works

In the second part of my learn how to play poker for beginners free online poker course we're moving on from the basic game structure outlined in part one.

Where part 1 simply outlined how the game works, in this part you'll learn exactly what you do action by action in a real hand and at the end will be able to go play.

To begin, the action starts as the blind bets are laid by the Small and Big Blinds (SB and BB). Now the cards get into action. If you are not sure what is meant by blind bets, small and big blind then you need to go back to part one of the guide for a definition.

Moving clockwise around the table from the Dealer (DB), each player receives two cards dealt face down, one card at a time. These are also called Pocket Cards or hole cards.

Now the betting begins; and, after all, isn't that why you decided to take up the game of poker? Isn't that why you've entered the multi-table freeroll tournament in the first place? The whole betting and winning with it's associated moves of dare and deception is the main reason you've joined that online poker site be it free online poker or massive stakes isn't it?

Of course it is, the game of poker is all about winning money! With the possible exception of the social side anyway, the table and lobby conversations though if you are at all serious about money then this is a very minor reason.

At this point in the hand (holding 2 pocket cards), each player is betting on what hand they feel their pocket cards could lead to.

The betting begins with the player to the immediate left of the Big Blind (BB).

This player is often referred to as the 'Under The Gun' (UTG) position at the table. He's given the UTG label primarily because the Small Blind and Big Blind players were forced to put up bets prior to receiving any cards.

Thus, both the SB and BB are already taking part in the hand; albeit not voluntarily, at least not yet; they'll have to wait until the betting comes around to them.

And, for this round of betting, each player has three choices:

1) To fold. Usually when they think that their pocket cards are garbage (or rags). By folding in this first round you won't lose anything but nor can you play the rest of the hand.

2) To raise. You raise if you think you've got good cards.

3) Or you can call to match the Big Blind bet. Usually when they think that their pocket cards hold some potential.

A 4th option you may have heard of, checking, often available in subsequent betting rounds, isn't an option at this stage.

When the betting reaches the person who posted the Small Blind (SB), if they want to fold then they'll lose the chips they were forced to put into the pot prior to the cards being dealt. Or, this player can call the Big Blind (by simply putting up the difference between the Small Blind and the Big Blind). Or as SB you can choose to Call whatever Raise has been made, make a new Raise or Re-raise the bet amounts to a new level, I advise you watch and learn this process at the start and as SB keep it simple and just Call the BB unless you have awful cards in which case fold them.

Then, the Big Blind (BB) player gets to act. If no raise has taken place, he has the option of either checking (opting to do nothing; thus telling the Dealer to proceed), or, he has the option of calling a raise, or initiating a raise; or even a re-raise.

About Raises
As this is a No Limit Texas Hold Em tournament, the amount of any one raise is only limited by the number of chips the player who is doing the raising is in possession of. If his stack of chips is 1,500, he's allowed to raise by any amount up to and including the 1,500 (all of his chips).

Should he opt to make a 1,500 chip bet, it would be called an All-In bet. Any time a player raises with all their chips it is called Moving All-in.

And, of paramount importance, especially since you're at the how to play poker for beginners level of the game, make certain that YOUR use of an All-In bet is minimal.

Please try not to become just one more free online poker 'chip-flinger' (someone who tosses chips around without regard to the quality of their cards).

Once the opening round of betting is completed it's time to see 'The Flop'. Things will now start to get really interesting!

The Flop is the set of three cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table by the Dealer.

1) Each player can use these community cards' to build their hand. Make sure to read and print a guide to what card hands beat what so that you have a feel for what you are trying to build!

2) Again, as here-to-fore mentioned, the middle of the table where these cards are dealt is commonly known as 'The Board'.

3) With 'The Flop' exposed, it's time for another round of betting. And, the betting that will occur is based on the 5 cards now available to each player, i.e., 2 Pocket cards and 3 Board' cards.

The betting begins with the player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button, regardless of whether the Dealer is still active in the hand or not.

The player to the left of the Dealer Button will keep the initial betting action throughout the hand. Later, you'll come to learn that this is the worst position to be in at the table.

Apart from that, the betting process is the same as it was in 'pre-flop' betting. However, bear in mind, all of the players who have been dealt 'Pocket' cards may not be currently playing the hand as they could have folded during the opening round of betting.

So, whichever remaining player is 'to the immediate left' of the Dealer Button (DB), it is that person who will be the first player to act; through the hand providing he doesn't fold.

He can check or bet.

A) If he checks, he's simply passing the choices of checking or betting to the player who sits to his left.

B) If he doesn't check, and decides to bet, then those that follow will have 3 choices:

1) They can fold

2) They can call

3) Or they can raise. But, since a bet was made, those that follow do not have the option of 'checking'.

Once the round of betting has finished, it's time for another card to be dealt face up on The Board.

This fourth card is called The Turn card, or 4th Street, and, again, the card may be used by all of the remaining players (those players that have not folded). It's another 'community card'.

Thus, each remaining player now has use of 6 cards, 4 Board cards, and 2 Pocket cards. There are 4 cards on The Board, one additional card to come.

It is now time for the fifth and final community card to be dealt: The River, or 5th Street.

And, given that all the cards have now been dealt, each player remaining in the hand can see what their best five card hand is. Therefore, it's now time for the final round of betting. And, when the betting ends, the hand is over.

It's time to see who wins.

Each player who has remained in the hand shows their cards, beginning with the last person to initiate a bet. At a cash or free online poker site the software will handle the process of showing the cards.

The winner is determined via use of the universal poker hand rankings. You'll find that in subsequent chapter; entitled 'What Beats What'.

If a player wins a pot because every other player has folded, he can decide whether or not to show his cards or not.

Most people don't, and it's generally advised by me never to show your cards. If you're not required to do so; keep 'em guessing!

Yet, when you reach an 'advanced level' of play, you will get a whole different perspective from me. You see, there are times when 'deceitful strategies' will be added to your acquired set of playing skills. And, a part of the 'deceitful strategies' will have you showing your cards. Not now though.

Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Free Online Poker Rules Part 2

In part 1 you learned the bare bones of poker, the structure and concepts of the game. Now that you've read part 2 you should now understand the actual mechanics of a hand of poker. In part 3 we are going to move on to more poker words and terminology, those crazy card and hand nicknames are going to be unveiled! But as long as you've understood the first 2 parts now you can go and start to play poker. However I do advise you read up on what cards beat what first! Then you will have some sort of idea whether you should fold, call, raise or check!

At this stage I strongly urge you not to attempt to play on sites where real money is involved, you cannot help but lose all or nearly all of it 99% certain!

Show patience (incidentally that is a key poker skill it's essential to master) and start out on one of the excellent free poker sites you can find online. Later when you're more skilled there's plenty of time to win a pile of cash and the time you spend playing free online poker will set you up for this.

Nick runs marketing for leading free poker site NoPayPOKER.com. NoPayPOKER.com uses a faux currency called FreeD which means the poker is 100% risk free, this makes it the perfect place to how to play poker for beginners, plus if you're more experienced it's a great place to practice, oh and the the fact that the FreeD can be cashed in for real Dollars is a nice touch too!

Learn How To Play Poker For Beginners Outline Of How Poker Works

In this learn how to play poker for beginners lesson you'll learn the basic rules and processes of poker. I know that at first look poker seems incredibly complicated but good news, it's not. There are many type of poker game but the best one to start with as a beginner is the free online poker texas holdem freeroll tournament (Texas holdem is just the name of the most popukar online poker variant)

free online poker tournaments can have anywhere from 20 to 250 players at the start, and, more good news for you, the the quality of the competition you'll come up against in these games is far from, shall we say, "elevated"; the vast majority of free online poker players exist in a world dominated by relatively average play.

So, to start, you login to your free online poker site and go join a game. As mentioned each of these tournaments will have multiple tables. To figure how many tables there will be look at how many players are registered and divide by 10. If the number is not exactly divisible by 10 as is likely then you round up, so if there are 77 players it means there will be 8 tables to start.

Now the online poker software of the site you play at will seat you at a randomly selected table and seat. There are loads of games running daily round the clock on good free online poker sites so don't worry about your success (or lack of!) initially, there are always more games to enter.

Who Wins and How?
Basically the winner of each hand is the one with the best combination of cards.

The outline of the game process is this:
You are seated and the game begins. The Dealer Button player is selected and the small and large blind players make their bets (all covered below so don't worry!)

Firstly you are given two cards, known as pocket cards, only you can see these. Next there is a round of blind betting, it's called blind as there is no way to guess or infer what cards other players have, no more than 3 raises to the first blind bet are allowed which is a rule that remains so in future rounds.

Next, the Dealer will expose 3 cards on the table. These are known as community or board cards and can be used in conjunction with pocket cards by all players.

At this point, another round of betting occurs.

Next the dealer adds one more card to the community cards to make four face up cards for all players to use.

This is followed by another round of betting.
Last, the Dealer will add a 5th card to the community cards. Again followed by another round of betting.

Now lets look at this in more detail:
The first two cards you get that only yoiu can see are called Pocket Cards or just Pockets for short. They are dealt out, one at a time, left to right, to everyone at the table. You only see your own pocket cards.

The Dealer then exposes 3 "community cards" to all players on the table. This stage is known as "The Flop".

When he exposes the 4th "community card", it's known as "The Turn" (or, 4th Street).

And, when he exposes the 5th "community card", it's known as "The River" (or, 5th Street).

All 3 to 5 "community cards" that are exposed on the poker table at any one time are known as "The Board".

Every player who is participating in the hand through the process of betting (if you "folded", you're no longer in the hand), attempts to make the best possible five-card hand.

They can use any 5 of the 7 cards that are available to them; one, both, or none of their pocket cards, together with 3, 4, or 5 of the "community cards".
The player with the best 5 card hand wins all of the money that has been bet (The Pot).

The "Dealer Button" is involved in every hand to be played. One of the game's participants gets the Dealer Button (DB); the selection of the player who first receives the DB is done by the free online poker software.

If you are playing at a live game such as in a casino then the DB is a round disc, normally with a D printed on it. At a paid or free online poker site, the software will automatically place a symbol of sorts on your PC screen to identify the DB.

the DB position is very important as the a players to the left of the DB have to make the blind bets.

Plus, as you'll come to learn later, after you read the "Building a Bankroll" series of articles, the DB position is the best seat at the table. Additionally, at the end of every hand, the Dealer Button (DB) moves one position to the left; thus, everyone acts as the "virtual dealer" in an Internet game, and, everyone is forced to place "blind" bets.

Blind Bets? What are they?
This is how the game starts.
The player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button (DB) is compelled to put up the Small Blind (SB).
The player to the immediate left of the Small Blind (SB) is compelled to put up the Big Blind (BB).
These "blind bets" are placed in the pot, in front of the dealer. This essentially kickstarts the betting, and, it"s all done before anyone has gotten any cards!

This, for the lack of any other rational reason, means that the winner of the hand that's about to be played, will, at a minimum, collect the small amount of money that has been "forced" into the pot by the blind bets.

In a multi-table freeroll, or any No Limit free online poker tournament game, the size of the Small Blind (SB) and the size of the Big Blind (BB) are very low at the start of the game. And, every player in the game begins the game with the same amount of free online poker faux-money; or, for practical purposes, poker chips.

Usually, in 15 minute intervals, the size of the "blinds" increase.
As an example, if the beginning "blinds" were $10 (SB) and $20 (BB), within 15 minutes the "blinds" would change to $20 (SB) and $40 (BB).

And, thereafter, as the game progresses, the "blinds" continue to go up every 15 minutes.

In the end, at the final table in a tournament (the last remaining 10 players), the "blinds" could easily reach the point of being $2,000 (SB) and $4,000 (BB).

Now don't be alarmed, the dollar amounts tied to the Small Blinds (SB) and Big Blinds (BB) in the preceding paragraph, during all freeroll games played on free online poker sites are "fictional" amounts of money. It's not real money. It's merely a "tournament representation" of money; it's free online poker faux-money, they're poker chips, not real dollars.

This is one reason why it is a very good idea to learn to play poker as a beginner on free poker sites, it can get very expensive very quickly if you start on a real money site!

Winning and Money
The good news with a poker tournament is that the 1st place player doesn't take all the money. Yes, the absolute winner does get a lions share but other players do get a cut too. How many players and how much is determined by the number of players who enter and the size of the pot. You an find out this information before the game starts.

As the game progresses players are knocked out and tables amalgamate. At some point only those who will share the money are left. If you are still in at this stage then you are now "in the money" or "in the bubble" as it is also commonly called.

When just 10 players are left you will be on the "Final Table", typically to win any decent amount you need to be here even in very large poker tournament though places lower than this can often at least pay back your cost of joining the game if it is a buy in game.

Right at the end with just 2 players left you will be "head to head"...but that is a story for another day!

Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Part 1
In this stage we looked at basic game processes. In part 2 of the beginners poker guide we'll get into more detail on the stages described and look at what you actually physically do and consider some essential basic free online poker strategy.

Nick runs marketing for leading free online poker site NoPayPOKER.com. NoPayPOKER.com uses a virtual currency, FreeD which makes the poker games totally risk free, this makes NoPay the ideal place to learn how to play poker for beginners. More experienced players also like it as it's a great place to try new ideas and stategies out, plus the fact that the FreeD can be swapped for real Dollars is a nice touch too!

Play Free Poker Games Guide Daring Your Opponents Into Errors

If you play play free online poker games or if you play big cash poker some things remain constant, for example, Three-bets mean good hands (or good bluffs). Four-bets mean better hands (or bluffs). I dare you!

But despite even for the most skilled players in the world, the best hands still come from luck! Here is one example:

BLINDS 50k/100k, ante 10k


PREFLOP:


A has K-K, raises to 290k

A great start for A but he holds temptation at bay with the measured raise. He certainly plays K-K shrewdly. Many other players would play A-A or K-K weakly preflop for trapping later. A however just plays his K K like a standard hand.

B has A-Q, raises to 650k
A to call 360k

B’s reraise is to try and find out if A has a decent hand or is just trying to steal. With suited connectors, A can call, but with K-K, A does better:

A reraises to 1.49m
B to call 840k

Now A plays K-K conventionally. He is making the pot bigger. It’s like saying "I Dare You!" Had his reraise be small (like only a reraise to 720k) it would not be "I Dare You"; it will be "I Want a Call" and B may call, but A has nothing to fear if B calls unless an Ace falls.

But he does not want a call. It is OK if B folds (which is just expected if B had no hand, but he wants B to put him on a bluff and push him.

B, meanwhile, is thinking something. Because A's raises are from the cutoff, B may think that the second is a bluff (and good for A if he knows this is what B is thinking). So what does B do?

B moves all in
A to call 3.76m

Now B is the one daring A!

A could have thought any of these:

(1) Was B trying to bluff me out? (He can’t, if he is. In fact, I want him to do that.)

(2) Did B trap me with a four-bet with the A-A? or K-K? (There is a small possibility.)

(3) How much will I invest? I had 10.7 million at the start and I am going to invest 5.3 million. About half my stack. But I am going to try to knock him out, anyway.

(4) Did B have A-x? (Most probably. They do it all the time. However, I'm quite uneasy if it's worth half my stack.)

But A didn’t, because he instantly called. Moreover, A could have thought instead, "My ploys were successful. I trapped him. Now he’s finished."

A calls 3.76m (Pot about 12 million)

Three-bets and four-bets almost always signify A-A, K-K or with some brave players, A-K or Q-Q. B had A-Q, which is not so good for a call (A may have figured out that B held A-Q, so he reraised instead of trapped; if he just called, then an Ace may fall and he may not continue with his K-K) but even worse for staying in a hand with plenty of raises and reraises.

However, luck has the last word in this hand.

The board ended up Js-7h-3s-Ad-Qd, which clinched B’s win.

Summing up
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.

Yes it is mad that so many players play with so little skill, but it is also very good news for you as a player who is learning to play correctly.

That's because once you learn how to play poker at an above average level and combat the "all-in-all the time" maniacs then you can take them apart in coldly calculated genocide anytime you like in low stakes money games and when you play free online poker that pays real cash such as that found at NoPayPOKER.com.

As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and play free poker games to learn to play holdem good and get your skills finely honed.

Learn To Play Poker Free Tips For Whym When And How To Call In Poker Games

Whether you play free online poker games or play for the biggest stakes imaginable a common theme is that aggressive players do all the betting and the raising, and get all the chips.

Players who mainly call are classified as passive. This is because as a caller you do not influence the game dynamic and are, to some extent, are being played by the bettor(s). With that said, you may well on occasion have very valid reasons to call and, as long as you have considered them in detail you should make that call.

Here is one such hand (Shame on him if he folds):

BLINDS 60k/120k, ante 15k

PREFLOP:

A has 5h-5d, raised to 310k (under the gun)
B has Kc-10c, calls 310k (from middle position)

A’s raise from under the gun signifies a strong hand, but let us add that A is a strong aggressive player (somewhat on the loose side) that can represent any hand. In addition, A can make everyone fold. B’s K-10 suited is good for just calling, and he does.

With K-10, you need to be more careful if in case a King comes up. If a King comes then A might have KJ or AK (AK, especially from an under the gun raise). I don’t think B is aware of this, maybe because he hasn’t seen the Flop yet. Here it is:

FLOP: 10d-4c-2d

Now only a 10 comes and this is better for B. Those who do not have flush draws with two Diamonds may play a J-10 or a 10-9 strongly, and the King kicker is very strong.

A bets 535k

Because A raised under the gun, he tries a continuation bet. If he gets called, he can put B on a flush draw or a small pair (like 7-7), so he can frisk away later with not much loss.

But B may want to end the hand with his Pair of Tens, probably because overcards can fall. Moreover, A has been too aggressive all throughout, as we said, and it may be with two face cards or A-x, so B returns A’s favor:

B raises to 1.61m
A needs 1.075m to call

Because A has been representing a strong hand so far (raising under the gun and continuation-betting), he might as well stay consistent. Moreover, A may think that B raised because he thought A had nothing, and he is trying o push A out of the pot with something like K-J or a Flush draw.

As for the possibility of a Ten in B’s hand, why would A think B had a Ten? Even if B did, he would just call (commonly) and then check-check it all the way, because a Pair of Tens is not so strong, especially if faced with a three-bet like this:

A moves all-in 3.075m
B needs 2.5m to call (Pot now about 7.5m)

Possibly A went all in as his Pair of 5's have value on a board where there's just 1 overcard and whose caller might have a Flush draw. Now in this scenario the caller might remain reluctant as even with a Flush draw plus 2 overcards, it is still a draw. But he might also be thinking that B is playing him, so he plays back.

Now B is put on the decision which calls for a call.

Here are B’s reasons why he may not call (which B may be thinking, but which will be my reasons for so doing):

(1) A three-bet plus all-in may signify J-J or higher, which is very likely if only small cards are on the table. Or: even a Set which A may have used to trap with.

(2) He is getting approximately 3-to-1 on a call (2.5 million to win approximately 7.5 million), but he should call only if he is getting 4-to-1 (21% chance of hitting Two-Pair or Trips), which is the right price.

(3) If he calls, he will have about 6 million chips remaining. But if he doesn’t, he will have about 8.5 million remaining, and his loss is relatively small for his stack (which is nearly 10 million).

Now here are B’s reasons why he should call:

(1) He can knock out an opponent who has proven to be very dangerous so far.

(2) Maybe A is the one on a Flush draw. Or maybe a Flush draw with two overcards where both of them have nearly equal chance of winning. So it’s OK.

(3) Maybe A put B on a Flush draw and decided to push B out of the pot instead of letting a Diamond emerge. So A’s all-in is just a bluff now.

(4) Maybe A put B on a bluff and decided to counter-bluff.

(5) With only one overcard which is not so likely to be in someone’s hand just as a face card is, B may put A on a pocket pair 5-5 to 9-9. In that case, he has a better Pair (Tens).

(6) He can lift himself up to 14 million chips after this.

(7) It is because B’s guts says so.

With these things in B’s mind, but still brewing over the cons, B tried hard to decide. For a long time he stared at his opponent and the Board. He commented first, You may hate me for this,” but then added, as if nothing but instinct prompted him, “but I call.”

B calls 2.5m (Pot just above 9 million)

A is in trouble now. B won the hand and knocked out A (who is Antonio Esfandiari! B is Steven Begleiter). B may be neutral in choosing between folding and calling, but if I’ll call, I’ll call not solely because of value of the Tens, but because of the above reasons.

Summary
It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.

Yes it is mad that so many players play with so little skill, but it is also very good news for you as a player who is learning to play correctly. That's because once you learn to play poker at an above average level and combat the "all-in-all the time" maniacs then you can take them apart in coldly calculated genocide anytime you like in low stakes money games and when you play free online poker that pays real cash such as that found at www.NoPayPOKER.com.

To make this work first, play free online poker online to learn to play poker online free where you can learn while you lose but without losing real money, then once ready to can move up to low stakes and start to make some serious poker cash!

Free Online Poker Guide To How To Manipulate Other Players And Steal The Pot

In poker be it free online poker games or big stakes you do not just play the cards. You are also playing with or rather you are attempting to influence the other players at the table so that they do what you want. The desired end result of course is that they give you money!

There are two elements in this. On your side you are trying to read your opponent, classify their style, of play, motivations and actions and play your cards in accordance with your conclusions.

In regard to the other players you aim to play them in order to misdirect their attempts to play you, to have them make incorrect conclusions about your style, motivations and drivers.

To learn how to do this lets look at an example of playing the player in action from a WSOP event.

BLINDS 50k/100k
1) A has Ac-Qh raises 350k
2) B is on big blind, has Kc-Js, calls 230k (Pot 880k)

K-J is usually a bit weak to call a raise. Moreover, B doesn’t have position over A, but he calls because he wants A to guess.

From the big blind, generally we just call because we are on a discount, so we might have 6-5, 10-8, and a bunch of other indeterminate hands which require guessing.
FLOP 4d-5h-3d
B bets 535k

Because small cards fell, B now wants A to think that his call from the big blind hit the Flop, and that his hand may well include those indeterminate hands like 5-4, 8-5, or even 6-7, or two Diamonds. But what did A think?

A raises to 1.8m (Pot 3.215m)
B needs 1.265m to call

Here, A thought that B’s bet was just a continuation bet, and with small cards falling A’s belief is reinforced that B is just trying to finish the hand. How would small cards likely hit B?

Additionally, B has been playing aggressively all night (stealing pots, etc.) so B could be betting with something (which is not likely with small cards falling) or with nothing. B could be playing just about anything, especially from the big blind.

At this point A made a gamble that B had nothing. He could also have assessed that if B had something and goes all in later then he can move out fast. So he raised to test B's resolve.

B folds

B folds, because, indeed, he has nothing, and if he calls, he will be committed to continue. (Had B moved all-in then it will be a good all-in, for A could still be guessing at this point what B’s hand was. But B’s cards were not strong enough.)

Also, he folds, because A raised from late position, which allows for a wider range of hands, like even 5-4 or two Diamonds.

Poker, indeed, is not simply a game of good hands versus good hands. Experienced poker players will win with bad hands under the right conditions.

We give credit to B for first trying to win with a bad hand, a good effort to play he player. Unfortunately for B, A did the playing the player task superbly too, having noted previous actions and motivations and related that to current con text and probability and so played out to win well.

Conclusion
I know this may seem like a lot to take in all at once, the fact is though that while poker is an easy game to learn it is hard to be very good at, hence the crazy stupid "chip flinging" you will come across on many poker sites.

Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. That's because once you learn how to play poker at an above average level and combat the "all-in-all the time" maniacs then you can take them apart in coldly calculated genocide anytime you like in low stakes money games and when you play free poker online that pays real cash such as that found at http://www.nopaypoker.com/

As ever practice makes perfect so read, understand and learn how to play poker on the free online poker tables to get it nailed.

Learn How To Play Poker And Learn What To Do When you Get A Get A Big Hand Preflop

What do you do with a big hand preflop when you have a big stack, like K-K? And how does everyone else react? Whether you play free poker for pennies or high stakes in Monaco this is a critically important situatio and you need to know how to play it best.

For our example we will look at an example from the World Series of Poker:
BLINDS 40,000/80,000

A has As-10c moves all-in (Pot 1.296m)
B has K-K reraises to 5m (Pot 6.296m)

B has two options here. He can call and wait for an opponent to go all-in, though that would make him think...

Could it be A-A? Or Q-Q? If it was Q-Q there is a slight chance he might fold K-K, and regret it. But a big reraise can drive Q-Q or lower out, like what happened to another player:
C has Jd-Jc
(C’s comments on B’s hand were: “Why did you make it so much? ... You like your hand that much?”) If C calls, it’s for all of his chips.
C may think that B has A-K, but there are two all-ins in front of him, and one of them might be A-X (and with A-X he is still not safe) or a pair, but a suspiciously heavy raise to about 60 times the big blind is almost always a signal for A-A or K-K. So C could wait for a better opportunity than now.

C folds (Pot 2.39m)

C’s fold was brilliant, after the reraise, but it will still be brilliant even if B did not reraise. B might bet again on the Flop and C may not continue and just let go of the chips.



B’s reraise will work if he has A-A or K-K, but I doubt it if he will do the same with A-K or Q-Q, but it may have the same effect of making C fold. As for A, let us wish for his good health. B won the hand later.
In summary - Big Hand Preflop

It takes time to learn how to play poker online or offline at a level above the unthinking, uneducated "chip flinging" seen at many tables.

Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. That's because once you learn to play poker at an above average level and combat the "all-in-all the time" maniacs then you can take them apart in coldly calculated genocide anytime you like in low stakes money games and when you free poker sites that pays real cash such as that found at http://www.nopaypoker.com/.

To make this work first, learn to play poker for free on free poker sites tables where you can learn while you lose but without losing real money, then once ready to can move up to low stakes and start to get rich!

Learn To Play Hold Em And Dominate The Table When You Get A Big Hand

In this free poker games guide we're going to reconstruct a hand, specifically in this article the poker hand know as the big hand.

The point of poker hand reconstruction is to learn how to play poker better by understanding how the hand works.

This can then be related to the context of play. From here you can begin to determine the motives of the other players for their actions, based on the cards that fell, your betting patterns, their player types, their chip stacks, the pot size, and many other factors.

The result I hope is that you can play that type of hand better in the future and win more money!

For this poker hand analysis we will examine the "Big Hand"

BLINDS 1,000/2,000 - (Pot 5,400)
PREFLOP:

A has Js-9s, calls 2,000
B has Ks-Kc, raises to 14,000
A calls 12,000 (Pot 33,400)

A just initially calls, hoping that there will also be many callers because he has suited connectors and wants to get sufficient pot odds.

B, though might interpret the call from early position as A-A or Q-Q, and because he has a large stack (the two are the largest on the table) he can afford to raise a bit more, because if the other player reraises and he thinks the other one has A-A, he can fold.

Also, K-K is a little bit unsafe if an Ace falls on the flop, so this may serve as a tester raise. A calls, he has a larger stack so he can afford the risk.

FLOP: Kh-9d-Kd
A checks
B checks (Pot 33,400)

Suddenly B has Quad Kings! A checks, because he has only a Nine, and can proceed carefully if B bets. B, hoping to conceal his unbeatable hand, checks too.

Paired boards are generally good bluffing situations. For instance, a 8-8-3 board is good for bluffing because on a, say, J-7-3 board, you will find three cards which can pair one of them, and a bluff will be less effective.

But on the 8-8-3 board, bluffing has big benefits because there are only two cards which can conceivably help anyone, and also anyone there with a Three will be less likely to call. (Only an Eight will do.)
But with a board with bigger cards like our Flop, B may have bet, but after that, A will be less likely to put him on a bluff (and more likely on a made hand) because he may have, say, K-10, and we play big cards more than small ones.

B doesn’t want A to back out of the pot. So B just checks.

Also, with two Diamonds B will want to check in the hope that A will put him on a flush draw so that if the flush doesn’t come, A will bet or raise to push B away, and B can gain extra chips.

TURN: Kh-9d-Kd-5h
A checks
B bets 20,000
A raises to 70,000
B calls 50,000 (Pot 173,400)

B still has invincible Quads, A still has Two-Pair. B could have now put A on the Nine or a draw, so B bets 20,000 so that A will call.

But since during the flop B may have represented a Diamond flush draw in A’s perspective, A raised to 70,000 so that B will move away.

B just calls, because there are two draws already, and B might choose to represent one of them again so that A will attempt another bluff on the river.

RIVER: Kh-9d-Kd-5h-9h
A checks
B moves all-in 106,000 (Pot 279,300)
A folds

B still has Quads, but A is now in trouble because he has a bottom Full House. A King can kill him.

What A is hoping, though, is that B back-doored a Heart Flush and just check it along with him.

But B moves all-in. That is a very intriguing move by B. A strong player would value-bet this (sat, 40,000 on a pot of 173,400) and A can just call it.
It is OK to represent a Flush here, since the board is double-paired, which can destroy Flushes since the board is just one card off a Full House.

So what I am thinking is: B moved all-in because (1) he wanted A to think they may have the same hand or that his hand is weaker, like a Flush. B’s play on the Flop and the Turn was weak, so A might not have put B on a King but likely on the Flush draw we are talking about.

B wants a call. B now hopes that A backdoored a Flush too and also that he thinks his all-in is just a bluff, but A is in trouble as a result of sudden strong play.

It was psychologically jarring.

Did B hide that King or not? A might imagine that better hands could come later, so he folds.
Also (2) B may not want a showdown; he did not want to show the two Kings; he wanted to trouble the minds of A and other opponents.

If they saw how he played K-K it will be added information. He wants to keep them guessing.
You need to play more unpredictably in order to gain chips later than to gain chips now, but be unable to get some later. I believe this is a brilliant reason.

Summary of the Big Hand
I know this may seem like a lot to take in all at once, the fact is though that while poker is an easy game to learn it is hard to be very good at, hence the crazy stupid "chip flinging" you will come across on many poker sites.

Ironically the fact that so many players inhabit this dumb donk zone is great news for you. That's because once you learn to play poker at an above average level and combat the "all-in-all the time" maniacs then you can take them apart in coldly calculated genocide anytime you like in low stakes money games and when you play free poker on line that pays real cash such as that found at http://www.nopaypoker.com/.

To make this work first, learn to play hold em on free poker games tables where you can learn while you lose but without losing real money, then once ready to can move up to low stakes and start to get rich!

Play Free Poker Guide To Specializing In Poker Tournaments Or Cash Games

It is a sad fact, it is not possible to be great at everything. In the world of poker from the entry levels of penny play free poker or big stakes players become experts or specialists in their particular games.

It is the same as in any profession, field of study or in the workplace where people find their unique niche for the company that they work for and devote their efforts to becoming as good as they can in order to be promoted and earn more.

So how does this relate specifically to the world of poker games?

Like this, some poker players are brilliant cash game players, while others are expert tournament players. Of course, there are players that are great at both cash games and tournaments though they are few and far between.

The majority focus on one or the other because they find they are more successful in that sort of poker.

So how can you figure what type of poker you are best at? Well, it's not always clear. You obviously need to try your hand at both, but here are a few suggestions that may help you to figure it out.

Should You Focus On Cash Games?
If you're a patient player who looks to play only in clear +EV situations, then you may prefer cash games. Full-ring games are all about waiting for premium starting hands and extracting the most value from them in the most favourable situation possible. Thus, cash games are good for players who don't deal with variance very well.

The biggest mistake a beginning cash game player can make is playing too many hands. You don't want to commit too many chips in marginal situations.

The opposite can seem to be true in the late to middle stages of a tournament.

Should You Focus On Poker Tournaments
It is correct to play tight in the early stages of a tournament, but once the blinds start to escalate you'll need to loosen up your starting requirements. Once you're low on chips, you'll need to look to move all-in to survive. You may also need to put yourself in situations that may –EV in certain occasions. If you're one of the big stacks, it's also correct to start playing looser to bully the other players. It's all about accumulating chips to either survive or thrive in tournaments. It's not for the faint of heart or those who can't deal with variance.

The biggest mistake a beginning tournament player can make is not pushing all-in enough when they get low on chips. Because the price of blinds increase as the tournament goes on, your chip stack can easily get whittled away.

Tight players can't win tournaments.

Poker Game Specialization Conclusion
If tight is right for you, you would be best served to focus on playing cash games. But if you like action then tournaments are going to be your thing. That being said, a tight style can work for tournaments with a few adjustments and a loose style in cash games can be profitable under certain circumstances.

Ideally do your testing in free online poker that way you can learn to play poker for free and find your style while not losing lots of money in the process!

This article is by NoPayPOKER, the perfect learn to play hold em site for beginners to play free poker without risking any cash. For more experienced poker players the draw is in the ability to fine tune game play and techniques in a totally no risk zone while collecting free online poker cash at the same time.

Play Free Poker Guide to Winning All in or Fold Poker Tournaments

I found out that there is a tournament variant called All-in or Fold. The rules are: There's just 1 blind (called big blind). Each player starts with just one chip; it doesn't matter how many, anyway, for these reasons: Your only options are: All-in, and Fold. All in or Fold poker tournaments are increasingly popular in both cash and free poker online why not have a play if you come across one, they can be good fun. But be sure to read this first!

If you're on the big blind you're automatically all in. You receive change, though, if, for example, you have 5 chips and another player goes all in with 2 chips and you call them (which is also an all in). He will not win five chips from you; you will get a change of three chips.

If you're on big blind you can simply ignore everything else that follows. (This only happens about 10% of the time though on a 10-player table. If you want to become hooked for some reason.) So it's very much a math poker game as well as a position game.

Why math game?
Because you are relying totally on preflop all-ins you must commit to memory the probability of your winning, or at least have a good feel for them. Here are some examples, you can generalize; the probabilities are very similar in similar situations; for instance the first example will be: Two Overcards vs. a Small Pair, or say, A-10 over 5-5 and approximate the probabilities:

A-K vs 8-8
55%-45% in favor of 8-8

A-K vs A-Q
75%-25% in favor of A-K

A-10 vs K-K
75%-25% in favor of K-K

A-K vs 7-6
65%-35% in favor of 7-6

A-10 vs K-Q; A-Q vs K-J
63%-37% in favor of A-10 and A-Q

A-A vs 8-8
80%-20% in favor of A-A

A-A vs A-K
93%-7% in favor of A-A

A-A vs K-Q
85%-15% in favor of A-A

But these do not imply that you should wait for A-A or K-K or A-K before you move all-in, of course. Do it with two face cards, a pair, or A-x. Just make sure the big blind doesn't reach you, for if that happens your decision's beyond your will.

All-In or Fold is also a game of position. Oftentimes players in these tournaments play hands similar to the above, and throw away the rest.

Consider these two examples:

(1) You are in late position with 4-4 and there are two all-ins in front of you. You might be facing three or four overcards, or an overpair. Fold.

After all, if you are in late position, there will be many hands before you reach the big blind.

(2) You have A-8 in early position. You are two hands away from being the big blind, so you move all-in, and players after you will interpret an early-position all-in as a sign of strength.

What you consider, then, is the strength of your hand and the surrounding action.

With one-on-one, which happens mostly, the above probabilities still apply. But with three or more, hand strength matters more. Big pairs are still big; medium pairs shrink in power (because you can't see the Flop yet; usually we see the Flop with a medium pair to hit a Set). A-x becomes weaker; A-K and A-Q weaken down a little bit. However, make sure you play a hand while you're still in control of your decision. When you get yourself blinded out, it's for your tournament life, mostly.

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Free Texas Hold Em Guide to When to Move All-in Preflop

Why is it that so many players go all in in poker tournaments preflop when they could just as easily call and hope to hit the flop? It's very common on free texas holdem online poker site but also, surprisingly, in money games.

Well in cash games they do it to steal of course. In free holdem poker sadly it's more just for the hell of it! However, if called, what positive factors does moving all-in grant? Let us examine two hands to analyze why:

HAND #1

Blinds: 6k/12k

A has Q-Q raises to 36k

B has 10-10 calls 36k

C has K-K reraises to 140k

A reraises all-in (Pot 989k)

B folds

C calls 643k (Pot 1.632m)

Board ended Jc-Jd-6c-Qd-3d

A went all-in as by three-betting, he can push one of B and C from the pot, and if C (the likely caller) calls, A hoped that it will be A-K or A-x, where he has still an edge. But it turns out, C had K-K, so A was the underdog. Yet A won the hand with a Full House (Queens over Jacks).

However, if A just called, what would happen then is that B would also call, so next it will be a three-way pot.? On a FLOP of Jc-Jd-6c, C would have position over A, whose Queens are weakened because the Board is paired, so if one of B or C bluffs, A will have difficulty playing.

Plus if A decides to play on strong he may make B and C believe he is on a J and they may both fold. Or later on the hand, if A, who hit his Full House on the turn, suddenly played strongly, the remaining player/s may fold because their hands are not so strong enough. So A will win less than what he won when he moved all-in and won the hand.

So one reason for moving all-in preflop is: Your chip stack is so low that any decent hand you have will be sufficient for an all-in (on the above, Q-Q should be played cautiously with two more players and a reraise on the Flop), and it pays to win more chips than less if you are to get back in the tournament.

HAND #2 - Following on from hand action

A has 8s-8h moves all-in 387k

B has 7d-7c, calls 307k (Pot 819k)

Both could have played safely. However A decides to take a gamble with what we term a common all in hand. Common all-in hands include Pairs, A-x and any two face cards (preferably suited). So another reason is: If you don’t have A-A or K-K but a common all-in hand, you will be called also with a common all-in hand.

With Pairs vs. two overcards, it doesn't much matter what you have, because you’re both even-money. With Pairs vs. Pairs, you may be the underdog but you can also become the favourite if you get lucky.. With any other cards, you either have two live cards or at worst, say A-K vs A-Q, if you have the A-Q, you still have a 25% possibility.

How did the hand turn out?
It ended with 5s-9s-6h-2c-8d. So A hit a Set, B hit a Straight. B knocked out A. It doesn’t matter; we can also imagine a situation that B was the one who moved all-in and A called. B hit his Straight still. But if B just decided to see a Flop, what could happen? A can push B out by representing a Nine on the Flop and the Turn so that B will fold (unless B has the courage to move all-in).

Also, if B hit the river Straight, A will be reluctant to play the Set he has. B will win a lesser amount of chips than he would (similar to HAND #1). But this example gives us another good reason.

You move all-in so that no one can push you away later if your marginal hand beats a more marginal hand later, and so your marginal hand will evolve into a strong hand uncontested, unpushed. Here is a clearer case: Suppose it’s A-10 vs 7-7.

The board might finish 10-K-K-Q-5, with overcards there's a Straight chance, and on a paired board the 7-7 can pressure the A-10 at some point. Or it may be 10-K-Q-4-J and the one with the A-10 will be out of the pot before the river if the one with 7-7 plays aggressively.

This article is by NoPayPOKER, the perfect online poker site for beginners to learn to play poker online without risking money. For experienced poker players the attraction is practice, the ability to fine tune their game and test out new techniques in a totally no risk zone while grinding away to accumulate free texas holdem online poker cash.

Free Texas Hold Em Guide to Bluffing and Semi Bluffing

"To bluff" means to bet or raise when you haven't the best hand, to bring your opponents to fold, even if they have a better hand. An essential skill that you should start to practice whether you play free texas hold em or live room games.


Why you need to bluff?
Well, the first reason is that you can win the pot with cards worse than the others.

But there is a second reason, more refined : you need to bluff to have the possibility to win big pots when you really have the best hand.

So even bad failed bluffs can have a positive effect in that they may make other players call you when you actually have a strong hand.

But you must be careful here. Bluff too much and you set a pattern up and you will always get called and will lose much more often. if you never bluff, when you have good cards and raise the pot, your opponents fold and you win a small pot.

But if you can get it right and bluff with the right frequency, you will make your opponents unsure, and force bad decisions..

Ways to Improve Your Poker Bluffing Skills:
1) Take care when bluffing in limit games. On Limit tables you can't raise so much and your opponents can call your bet more easily that in a no limit Texas Holdem game.

2) Study the other players. If you are at a table with very good players, your chances to win are higher than a table with few.

This is true because strong players respect the bets of their opponents, and have the right discipline to fold their cards even with a medium hand.

Weaker players though don't get it, they don't consider that you may be bluffing or may call you just out of curiosity.

3) Try to build your reputation at the table. Make your opponents unsure of your moves at all times.

For example, you can start the tournament with a lot of bluffing, so your opponents will call you a lot and you can win big pots when you have the right cards.

Or you can start the tournament calling only with good cards (AK, AQ, high pairs). Later in advanced phases of the tournaments you can place some bluffs and have a good chance of winning the pot because your opponents cannot believe that you haven't got good cards.

4) Your position is decisive and in general it is good to call when you are in the last positions, near the dealer, because you have more information about your opponents.

5) Practice! Start of on free texas holdem poker sites to get the improve your skills in an environment that won't punish you financially.

6) Sometimes you can make the "semi-bluff". You bet, hoping that your opponents fold, but you still have a chance to win the pot at the showdown if there is a good turn and river. This happens, for example, when you have 4/5 flush, or 4/5 straight, or in rare cases when you have Ace-high.

Look at a semi bluff example:
You have 9 and 10 of hearts and the flop is Q-hearts , 4-clubs and 7-hearts.

In this example you don't have the strongest hand. Your opponent has 4 and 3 (very bad card preflop), he has more chances to win.

So you can try to make a semi-bluff , because you have the 4 hearts cards.You bet, and your opponent starts to think about what to do.

He has only a pair, and a very low one. He thinks: "I have few chances to win.. only a pair of 4s. He is betting, probably he has the Q.. or 7.. Uhm, let's try with another hand", and the fold comes.

And also if your opponent calls, the turn or the river can be a hearts, so you maintain good chances to win.

The Semi-bluff is also useful to contain losses.
For example, the situation is the same above ( You: 9h-10h , Flop Qh-4c-7h ), and you decide to bet.

If your opponent is weak, he’ll probably fold. But if your opponent has the Q, if you don't bet a little, he will probably bet a higher amount of chips, to let you fold, and you become unsure of what to do.

Call with 4/5 flush, or fold? However, to see the next card, you have to put in the pot more chips than if you bet for first.

If you bet a small amount of chips, your opponent probably just call, and you "buy" another card with few chips.

How to defend against a possible bluff?
There aren't many choices. You can accept the challenge, or you can fold.v For this reason the bluff and semi-bluff are a very powerful weapon.

My last suggestion: if you decide to accept the challenge, restrict yourself to call is rarely the good decision. You should raise, to let your opponent think: "Uhm, it's better to stay relaxed, my opponent has good card".

Bluffing is a poker skill that needs practice. If you're not experienced start off on free texas holdem poker sites and work your way up from there as your confidence and bankroll grows.

Free Texas Hold Em Guide to Chip Stack Size Strategy

Many poker beginners on free texas holdem sites like NoPayPOKER or the lower stake cash online poker sites simply play their cards without proper regard for situational nuances. This can lead to errors that can cost them a lot of money despite the fact that they’re playing with strong holdings.

One mistake I see many free poker and low stakes players make is not to account for how the size of their chip stack can dictate how they should best play their hand. When I started playing free online poker many years ago, I made the same error a lot.

The optimum play with a particular hand depends on many factors including your chip stack. A good move for someone with a large chip stack could be a dangerous move for someone with a tiny chip stack.

To put it plainly: size matters. That is not to say that bigger is indeed better. Being "deep-stacked" has its advantages, but small stacks can be equally effective at the cash and free poker table.

A Deep Stack Expands Options

For the sake of this article, I will define deep stacks as stacks that are roughly 125 big blinds or more. Others may define a deep stack as a bit less or more than that number of big blinds, but almost no one would consider a stack of 35 big blinds or less to be a deep stack.

I generally subscribe to the notion that deep-stack play is better than small-stack play. Most professional pokers would agree.

This is because deep stacks give you more room to take advantage of implied odds. In other words, you’re allowed more freedom with regard to starting hand requirements. You can play small pocket pairs hoping to flop your set or small suited connectors hoping to flop a flush or straight. If you miss the flop, you can fold and wait for a better situation. You can be more patient because the blinds aren't much of a concern; they won't eat up your chip stack that much.

Another benefit of being deep-stacked is maximizing your profits. If you have the biggest stack at the table, you can extract the most possible chips from your opponents. This is not true for short stacks.

Let's look at an example: If you're the largest stack with $800 chips and a player calls your all in bet with his $500 in chips, and you win, then you take all the cash.

Now another example: If you are the smaller stack with $600 and the larger stack with $900 calls your all-in bet and you win, you can't take all the money. He’ll be left with $300 because you don't have enough money to play for all the chips.

That's one of the pitfalls of the short stack, but there are some benefits.

A Shorts Stack Encourages Tight, Hyper-Aggressive Play

If you don't have many chips behind you, you're forced to basically play for all your chips in every hand you play. This forces you to play premium hands like big pocket pairs and big face cards. You often won't be getting the right price to play small pocket pairs and suited connectors. Those hands need to see the flop cheaply, and every hand played is expensive for a short stack. free poker sites are good places to practice and play about with short stack techniques.

The best move is to get all your chips in the middle with big pairs before the flop or to shove when you hit top pair on the flop. You don't have the opportunity to wait because the blinds will eat you alive.

One obvious advantage of this essentially all-in or fold strategy is that it forces you to play tighter. Another advantage of this style of play is that it's harder to get outplayed by more skilled post-flop players. Your decisions are simple: push or fold. You don't need to worry about the subtleties of the game like betting the right amount or knowing when to fold the second best hand.

There is also a psychological advantage. For some reason a lot of deep stack players give short stack players very little respect. They assume you are buying in small because you have a small bankroll, are not very skilled or are scared. As a result it's not uncommon for a big stack player to pay off a short stack player by calling with weaker than usual hands.

I do believe however that overall deep stack play is better, but you will come across some tough nut short stack players so don't underestimate their abilities! If you are new to poker, practice and observe these concepts first. Start off on low stakes and free online texas holdem poker sites such as http://www.nopaypoker.com before progressing as your skill and bankroll grows.

Free Texas Holdem Tips and Mental Techniques for Analyzing Players

It is important to have the ability sit down at any money or free poker table, online or live and analyze the other players. There's no doubt that patience is the key ingredient when it comes to analyzing players and the most important stage is when the game starts.

Why you might ask?
This provides you with you an opportunity to settle-back and take mental notes on the player's actions. This is helpful during the first half hour of a free poker game in particular as quite a lot of players like to go all in and hope they win the pot. I myself will only call these players with a high pair, or suited low connectors because I've played them before, and they will go all in with any two hand cards given.

What Must You Try to Read?

The notes I suggest you take during the first half-hour or if moved to a new table in any money or free online poker game are quite simple.

Determine which players are playing carefully and which ones are playing loose.

Those who are playing loose are going to bet on almost every hand and call just about anything.This is very common in free texas hold em games where low risk reduces good sense at times!

Those who are playing conservative will keep folding until they get the cards in hand they want or any pairs of AA's, KK's, QQ's, JJ's.

How do you spot a Bluffer?
This can be difficult if you have not been watching the game as can happen a lot with free poker or if you are playing multiple games online.

If you have been watching the game you should have more of a feeling as to who might be bluffing..

For example:

Say you have an ace and king of spades you'll be feeling good about your whole situation. Now you wait for the other player to check or bet, to your surprise the player bets 400 chips when the pot is at 120 chips.

So you call the player and on the flop lands Queen of spades, Jack of Spades, and ten of hearts. The other player goes all-in in order to make you think he/she has the winning hand. You know you've won it so you call the player's bluff and go on to win.

That is very obvious but if you are up against a more conservative player then they could try to buy you in by betting low not over the pot before the flop and after. These Players really know what they are doing and most likely will have a full house against your ace high straight. Here is where your experience comes into play...have you marked who is loose and who is conservative?

Practical Reading and Analysis Suggestions

1) Players who take a very long time and procrastinate are trying to mislead you into believing they've got nothing and wait for you to make a bet worth calling. (Note: in free texas hold em the player could be taking too long because he/she is playing multiple games.) Filter these players out as this might be a habit for them.

2) Look out for players who anticipate until the last second and raise you all-in. They are trying to buy the pot with a decent pair hoping you do not have any aces in your hand!

3) Everyone knows a chip bully. Every table has one. The only way to knock a chip bully off his expensive chair is not to be distressed by his/her large chip stacks. Should you have it, go for it. Most probably, he/she is bluffing because, they want to pilfer the pot or blinds.

Every Player Develops Habits.

And from habits develop betting patterns - But What patterns might they form?

A bad habit (for them) you will witness only too often is that some players lose 80% of their chip stack. They get ticked-off because they've taken a serious loss but rather than cut their losses choose to carry on, often all-in until they lose the lot or earn back some chips (rare!). These players have given up and gone on "tilt". The best thing to do is to call them once the time is right. So have patience and you'll nail them 100%.

Some players are extremely difficult to read because they Know they are being read and are always switching their technique. They will repeat themselves at some point but these patterns are very hard to spot. These players will take up a lot of your time! When you can read players like these..well you are probably playing WSOP!

I hope this article will help you fine tune your skills and has given you some ideas you can use at the tables. No player is impossible to read but if you can't read players you will make the game impossible for yourself!

My advice if you have difficulty with analyzing other players or if this is all new to you is to get in lots of practice in low risk games. Try low or micro stakes games or some free online poker games to get a feel for it all before betting any meaningful money.