Tag Archives: Poker

The Art of the Slow Play in Poker

In the world of poker, tempers can flare pretty easily. We’ve written a lot about the psychological side of poker, and some of you might wonder why. Well, it’s pretty simple: if you haven’t mastered your mind, you won’t be able to master poker. Yes, we all have seen WSOP moments where some of the players are rowdy or they take losses hard, but these moments are few and far between. When you’re playing your best game of poker around, you don’t need to have that type of attitude. It’s just a matter of sitting down and thinking about the right perspective, each and every time.

Do you have to fast play in poker? Well, it’s a matter of figuring out what we mean between “slow ply” and “fast play”. In this case, we mean the type of betting that you’re doing.

When you have a monster hand, one of your first reactions might be to cheer or otherwise act rashly. The thing is that players on the table are going to realize that you must have something good, which means that they’re going to fold. If you have a monster hand and you try to bet heavy right before the flop even comes down, you’re going to signal too much. This is where the slow play approach really comes in because you don’t really have that problem. If you have a great premium hand, you’re going to have to hold onto it until you can get other people to put some real skin into the game. This means that you might want to wait until the turn in order to bet real heavy. Does that mean that you don’t want to raise a little in order to keep everyone going? Of course you want to make sure that you bet along with everyone else.

In order to give yourself a few guidelines, you might want to look at not only the chip stack that you have, but the chip stacks of everyone else. You will also want to look at the type of card odds that you’re up against. Knowing your poker math comes in handy when it comes to a wide variety of situations!

Let’s not forget the fact that you also want to be changing up your game from time to time, especially if a lot of people have played you. You might not think about it from this perspective, but word really does travel fast around the world of poker. This means that it can be tempting to think that things won’t get back to people about you when you’re playing online, but this isn’t the case.

You will need to also feel out your opponent to make sure that you’re playing against someone or a group of people where slow playing your hand is really going to be the best thing. You might think that doing this to beginners is your best bet so to speak, but that’s not true either. You will actually get a lot more mileage out of the whole thing if you were to really go against advanced, aggressive players. This is because they will push in hard and with you just calling or betting light and easy, they will assume that they have you beat. When people see that they have you beat, they can bet heavy and even go all in — this is how you steal advanced player’s chips. Keep in mind that everyone is susceptible to psychological games, and slow playing is just one facet of your overall toolkit.

So yes, slow playing is definitely a good thing — start light and easy and work your way up. You’ll where you want to go in no time at all!

Light Casino Games That You Should Check Out

It goes without saying that everyone jumps into the world of online casinos for different reasons. For some, it’s the thrill of learning something challenging that encourages them to spend their time at a casino. These are the people that generally are found within the poker or blackjack communities. These are both card games that are very mathematically oriented, giving people a very interesting challenge that must be soled over time.

On the other hand, what casino games are out there for people that aren’t interested in heavy math or challenges? Well, there are actually quite a few different “light” casino games that you should check out. This guide lists a few, as well as how to find out more information in a flash.

To start with, when the term “light” is applied to the world of casino games, it represents the fact that you will not have to deal with a lot of focus on logic and puzzles and challenges. You will be able to just spend time at the casino and have a good and entertaining day. For a lot of people, this is a far better experience because you won’t have to deal with the stress of trying to learn a lot of complex rules or deal with building a heavy strategy.

Light casino games that you should definitely think about checking out include keno, bingo, and slots. These are three games that will provide you with plenty of hours of entertainment, as well as being games that allow you to just focus on having a good time. Far too often, we try to go to an online casino to have fun, only to get caught up in trying to get way too competitive. Slots, keno, and bingo all offer ways to get back to the fun side of life without getting too serious about it.

When you’re ready to get started, you will want to look for the best casinos online that offer these games. Instead of trying to do all of the legwork on your own, you might want to actually check out an online casino directory that has already done the research for you and compiled a list of great casinos to check out.

If this sounds really easy to get into, that’s a good thing — it’s supposed to be that way! When you’re ready to get started, you’ll be in for quite a few hours of fun and entertainment — check it out today!

Taking Down the Texas Hold ‘Em Bully

Anyone who plays Texas hold ‘em has become familiar with the different types of players, no matter what their level of poker-playing skills; there is a different way to deal with each type of player and this holds true for the “bully” player who just loves to throw their weight and their big stack around to intimidate everyone at the table. If you are having trouble dealing with a Texas hold ‘em bully, these tips will help you get through the game.

Texas Hold ‘Em Bully Tip One – Understand With Whom You Are Dealing

First of all, it is crucial to understand with whom you are dealing. In most cases, the bully-type player will probably never make a conscious decision to stop playing in this style. Their entire game strategy revolves around them shoving bad pot odds on their competitors every chance they get.

The bully has come to the realization that they will sometimes lose a hand and a big amount of chips because they tend to make huge bets. This means there is no end in sight to your bully-player problem. The thing you must remember about this type of player is that they will jump on any chance they have to intimidate the people at their table.

Texas Hold ‘Em Bully Tip Two – Carefully Choose Your Battles

When you are playing against a bully, your game has to be super tight unless you feel comfortable enough to bet your stack when playing with weak cards. The best method of fighting against bullying tactics is to only play with excellent cards because many times the bully is using their cash to gain a foothold in the game instead of playing a great hand.

However, you will have to bet more frequently than you may be used to but you will feel more at ease doing so if you have decent pockets. Also, you may have to go ahead and take the punt even if you do not see the flop.

Texas Hold ‘Em Bully Tip Three – Become a Bully Too

If you do not want to play hands at a 1-10 ratio, it is time to consider taking an extremely-aggressive approach too. Go ahead and take the re-raising bully down by re-raising as a counter attack. In order to do so, you must have a fat stack of chips in your possession.

Keep in mind that aggressive playing is not a foolproof strategy. The usual outcome is that a random player at that table will lose because of bad luck and that player could be you. On the flip side, the entire table could continue to raise their bets. Remember, playing a solid game is always your best bet.

Texas Hold ‘Em Bully Tip Four – If All Else Fails . . .

If you are an online player or you can leave the table whenever you want, feel free to do so. Get in on another game with players who use less aggressive strategies.

Gambling Games – The Best and the Worst Winning Odds

There are a slew of gambling games offered on the Internet and in addition, there are just as many casinos that want your business. While each casino is different, the odds of any specific gambling game remain the same. There are some with great winning odds for players and others that put gamblers in a difficult-to-win spot. If you are “in it to win it,” familiarize yourself with the games with the worst odds and the games with the best.

The Worst Odds – Poker

Although poker is an extremely popular gambling game, the odds of winning are not so appealing. In order to stand a fighting chance at the poker table, you will need ability to keep track of cards and recognize sequences. In addition, you must be able to “read” your opponents in order to determine if someone is bluffing. Combine those factors with the amount of competitors you will play against in a single game and the odds begin looking bleak.

The Better Odds – Craps

Craps is a well-established gambling game that many gamblers have enjoyed for years. With craps, there is no need to psychoanalyze your opponent, which eliminates a lot of playing and strategizing difficulty. But in order to make a craps game lean in your favor, you must follow certain rules such as correctly playing the pass line. Doing so will put the house at a disadvantage.

The Best Odds – Blackjack

Blackjack is the only card gambling game that allows players the opportunity to beat the house on a consistent basis. Just like craps, blackjack does not involve utilizing complicated gambling strategies. Your main goal is get a better hand than the house. Fortunately for you, the house is required to follow certain rules regarding when to stay or hit, which will put you at an advantage in every game

However, there is one main disadvantage to this ever-popular card game. If you become to skilled at card counting and the casino takes notice, they will most likely ask you to leave and not return. While this may seem unfair, it is not an illegal practice; the main goal of any casino is to win more often that its players in order to make a profit at the end of the day. So if you consider yourself to be a skilled blackjack player, be discreet when playing the game. Of course, this article is only meant as a guide. In the end, it is up to you to find the game you wish to play.