POKER
STRATEGIES
AFTER READING THIS E-BOOK YOUR FRIENDS WILL ENVY YOUR NEW SKILLS AND SUCCESS! In order to save your valuable time we have collected only the best poker know-how & tips from multiple books and other resources.
The usual way
Our way best for beginners
Time: months
Time: 15 minutes
Good luck and have fun!
Poker involves risk. Use logic and exercise a good degree of caution when making decisions.
AFTER READING THIS E-BOOK YOUR FRIENDS WILL ENVY YOUR NEW SKILLS AND SUCCESS! In order to save your valuable time we have collected only the best poker know-how & tips from multiple books and other resources.
The usual way
Our way best for beginners
Time: months
Time: 15 minutes
Good luck and have fun!
Poker involves risk. Use logic and exercise a good degree of caution when making decisions.
STORIES OF REAL PLAYERS 1 of 3
The accountant from Tennessee who turned a $39 investment into $2.5 million Chris Moneymaker (Yes, that is his real name) Casino Winnings:
$3,460,405
Online Winnings:
$413,459
The 27-year-old Chris was working as an accountant and also serving it up part time at a local restaurant when he won a seat into the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event through a $39 satellite tournament at PokerStars PokerStars.. Thus, his journey to the high rollers' table began with the click of a mouse. After beating out eighteen other players in a $39 satellite, Moneymaker found himself him self with a seat in a qualifier for the largest and most prestigious tournament in the world of poker. Just one victory later he had won a $10,000 buy-in for the 2003 WSOP Main Event. After he won his trip to the WSOP, WSOP, he didn't have enough money for the cost of flying to Vegas and staying there for the week, so he sold part of his entry to his father and his friend in exchange for a
portion of his winnings. Moneymaker's amateur status was painfully obvious during his run to the 2003 WSOP final table. He often made mistakes, betting and checking out of turn. In the end, Moneymaker certainly caught some lucky breaks en route to his victory, but he also likely benefited from the fact that his opponents didn't think much of his game. Chris made it to the final and crushed Sam Farha, who basically was a living caricature of a professional gambler - a smooth-talking player with slicked-back hair and an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. Overnight, he went from "I work two jobs" to "I'm a high roller", and celebrated celebrated victoriously by blowing $25,000 at a strip club. To balance out his karma, he also donated $25,000 to cancer research.
STORIES OF REAL PLAYERS 2 of 3
The boy who realized his dream to live like James Bond Tony Dunst (AKA Bond18) Casino Winnings:
$1,482,179
Online Winnings:
$493,608
Throughout highshchool I was attracted to the Bond or GQ lifestyle and I wanted to live that lifestyle – to be able to travel the world, be dressed elegantly, be able to pick up girls with ease, have a bunch of really cool friends who could connect me to stuff going on. That was the dream for me. Instead of owning a bunch of things it was having a bunch of experiences. When I was 19, I won a package on PartyPoker, while playing in my dorm, that gave me an entry, a trip and a hotel to a tournament down in Australia. I would say it was the happiest period of my life. It was just online poker every day, hanging out with friends every evening, taking days off to go golfing or play tennis, go drinking with my friends. So i just had a happy and very balanced life when I was able to do a little of everything I wanted.
The biggest difference that the money online poker provided me was a real direction for what I wanted to do in my life. I was a theatre major in college and I didn’t really care about it and I knew that I wanted something that allowed me a large degree of autonomy, but would hopefully make me a fairly wealthy guy and that was exactly online poker. Plus it allowed me the freedom to be whatever kind of person I wanted to be and hanging out with whomever i wanted so as long as you could go home, log on and play well enough to win, everything else you did was to your discretion.
STORIES OF REAL PLAYERS 2 of 3
The kid who won $2,1 million at the age of 21 Yevgeniy Timoshenko (AKA bballer88) Casino Winnings:
$6,824,703
Online Winnings:
$4,712,278
I was first exposed to poker around 2003. I saw Chris Moneymaker win the World Series on TV and was immediately enthralled and became interested in the game. I gradually started playing with friends – I was in high school and a few of my friends got into poker as well at that time. We started small games for fun and from there I slowly made the transition to online play. I started playing online with 888poker and things started growing from there.
Yevgeniy Timoshenko is an Ukrainian poker player. He was born in 1988 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Timoshenko moved to Washington when he was 8 years old. He currently resides in Seattle, Washington.
POKER GLOSSARY Terms you must know Community cards (The Board)
5
K
9
5
K
9
Flop
Turn
River
K
A
K
Hole cards (Your Hands)
A
1.
Flop
Now that the first round of betting is out of the way, it's time for the flop. The flop is the set of three cards that are dealt face up in the middle of the table, and each player can use these community cards to build their hand. At this point you can begin to assess the strength of your hand. After the flop it's time for another round of betting.
3.
River
Four down, one to go. The fifth and final community card to be dealt is the river. Now that all the cards have been dealt, each player remaining in the hand can now see what their best five-card hand is. It's now time for the final round of betting, again at the higher level of the table stakes.
2.
Turn
Once the post-flop 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, and again can be used by all players to construct their hand.
4.
The Showdown
It's now time to see who takes the pot - the showdown. Each remaining player in the hand shows his cards, starting with the last person to bet and so on. The winner is decided using universal hand rankings.
POKER GAME RULES Betting Check The act of checking passes the action to the next person, immediately clockwise from the player. A check does not forfeit interest in the pot, only the current right to bet. If all active players check during a round of betting, the round is considered complete.
Bet If there is not yet a wager on the current betting round, a player may bet. If a player bets, the player immediately clockwise from him or her (and any subsequent players) may fold, raise, or call.
Fold The act of folding forfeits all interest in the pot. A player who folds is not required or allowed to wager any further money during the current poker hand, but cannot win that hand either.
Call If there has been a bet on the current round of poker play, a player may call. The act of calling requires the player to match the current bet made by his or her opponent(s).
Raise If there has been a bet on the current betting round, a player may raise. The act of raising requires the poker player to match the current bet, and then make a greater one. All subsequent players are required to call the raise or raise again ("re-raise") to maintain interest in the pot.
PLAYING STYLES What playing tactics to choose Best style combo for beginners
Loose
Passive
Tight
Aggressive
Playing too many hands, including weak ones.
Frequent calls and rare raises.
Playing strong hands and folding weak ones.
Frequent bets and raises, and calling rarely.
Style used by almost all successful poker pros
Tight-aggressive Strategy Playing tight and aggressive means waiting for profitable situations and consistently taking advantage of them. Tight play Tight means that you don‘t play everything that falls into your hands. There are many cards that look weak and actually are weak. However, there are also some hands that look strong, but aren't, such as King Jack. After the flop you don’t need to see every showdown simply because you have a pair. Knowing when you are beat or when the price is too high can save you a lot of money. Aggressive play There is one simple rule in Texas Hold’em: You don‘t want to be the one to just call, i.e., the one who just goes along with the bets, without betting or raising yourself.
In a poker game your profit is a result of your opponents' mistakes. And when do people make mistakes? When they have to make an important decision under pressure.
At a table with nine players you should only play 15% to 20% of the hands you are dealt, on average. This means you should fold before the flop in four out of five cases.
It is also profitable if all your opponents fold their cards, giving you the pot without having to show your hand. This is only possible if you are betting and raising a lot.
DAN BILZERIAN’S
ONLINE POKER TIPS A couple factors differentiate my online strategy from regular poker. In a regular live game I can’t switch tables all the time, and I also can’t play tight all the time as others would learn my pattern of only playing good hands. But online I can switch tables as I wish and no one will notice this. Online I can also play as tight or as loose as I want.
1 Change tables every 2 or 3 rounds I change tables every two or three rounds of the blinds and always have four tables going. Since I play only premium hands I am not overwhelmed with decisions. My time is spent folding, going all in and changing tables. For this I use the multitable feauture on betonline.
2 Play Tight-Aggressive Switching tables allowes me to get a lot of action even with playing only the best hands like AA, 1010 and AK. Of course, to mix it up I randomly also bluff and go in with weaker hands.
3 See opponents’ faces with PokerCam I love home games because I can socialize face to face. Until recently it was not possible online, but now on some sites like 888poker you can play face to face via webcam technology. You can brush up on your bluffing skills, just have fun with mates or even make new friends. It gives you the real taste of poker.
Examples of hands to play A
A
A
10
A
10
0 1
A
0 1
K
A
K
BENEFITS OF ONLINE POKER Try before you buy
Become your own boss
Poker in a live casino can prove very costly. The beauty of online poker is that most good sites offer play money tables so you can get used to the game, etiquette and rules before committing real money
With online poker you can manage your time as you wish. Don’t miss any important life moments just because your boss tells you to.
Play Anytime, Anywhere
24/7
You can play poker from the comfort of your couch or travel the world while playing. The choice is yours. Poker rooms are open 24/7.
Bonuses There’s so much competition online right now that all poker rooms offer generous welcome bonuses for first-time real-money depositors.
Smallest stakes
There Are More Fish Online While Las Vegas may boast more drunk tourists just dying to donate their money to you, the pool online is much bigger.
Much smaller commission/rake Live tournament fees of 15% on a buy-in are common. Live games also have 5-8% rake compared to online 3% average.
Any poker game you want
Not only you can play virtually any poker variation you can think of, you can also find great online sites that offer micro stakes of only $0.02.
No-limit Holdem, Limit Holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, Five Card Stud, Five Card Draw, Razz, Badugi - are just a few that you can play online.
Tracking your opponents
Multiple tables simultaneously
Some major sites have now banned the use of tracking software but taking notes on players at an online table is now easier than ever with a simple on-screen notebook.
Playing live you’re pretty much restricted to playing one table at a time. Learning to multi-table online is key to making more profit over the long-term. And that’s where online poker excels.
WHICH POKER HANDS WIN The hidden factors of strength
A fundamental skill in poker is being able to determine whether your hand is strong or not. A common beginners’ mistake is to think that the strength lies purely within the hands. But there are numerous outside factors that contribute to how strong or weak a certain poker card combination actually is. Here are the main four:
1
3
The number of players
The number of players helps determine poker hand strength. If lots of players have chosen to play the hand voluntarily, you have to assume they are doing so because they hold strong hands. However, if only two players are involved in a hand, it is less likely. A pair of Aces, for example, is quite a strong poker combination against one player, but its value decreases significantly against four players.
2
Community cards
The composition of the community poker cards will determine how many strong potential hands are in play. If you hold three of a kind, but there are four cards to a flush and four cards to a straight, your poker combination strength goes down. This is called a 'wet' board. Likewise, if the board is made up of out of sequence cards with no flushes possible, your hand strength goes up.
4
Opponent’s style
If your opponent plays “tight”, meaning he plays few hands, then you can expect him to show up with a strong hand when has one. If he is “loose” meaning he plays a lot of hands, then the relative strength of his hand usually goes down.
Amount of chips
In a tournament when chip stacks are shallow, it is not unusual for players to commit their money with weaker holdings to avoid 'blinding away'. However in cash games, where the stacks are deep, you are less likely to see such risks being taken.
All the suits in poker are of equal value. It makes no difference whether someone has the ace of clubs or the ace of diamonds. If remaining players have exactly the same hand at showdown, only in different suits, the pot is split.
A
A
A
=
A
A
=
A
=
A
A
Poker hand rankings | Traditional High Poker Hand Ranks
Print version
#1 Royal/Straight Flush Five cards in numerical order, all of identical suits.
#2 Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank, and one side card or ‘kicker’.
#3 Full House Three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank.
#4 Flush Five cards of the same suit.
#5 Straight Five cards in sequence.
#6 Three of a kind Three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards.
#7 Two pair Two cards of a matching rank, another two cards of a different matching rank, and one side card.
#8 One pair Two cards of a matching rank, and three unrelated side cards.
#9 High card Any hand that does not qualify under a category listed above.
TABLE POSITION Which are the best positions Table position is a very important factor in poker, especially in Texas Hold’em. The best position to be in is when you are last to act on the hand. This means that you gain knowledge about what kind of hand they may have before the action gets to you. Having good position in a hand can easily turn a losing hand into a winning one.
The earlier your position, the stronger your hand must be! Remember that poker action moves clockwise. If you can choose, sit behind (to the left of) opponents who are unaggressive. That way when you raise, these players will already have money invested. If you’re on their right and raise, they probably won’t play and you’ll lose their action. You should also sit to the left of experienced and aggressive players. They can interfere with your strategy, so let them act first.
“Under the gun”
EARLY
MIDDLE
POSITION
POSITION
EARLY
MIDDLE
POSITION
POSITION
EARLY
MIDDLE
POSITION
POSITION
BIG BLIND
EARLY
LATE
LATE
POSITION
POSITION
POSITION
SMALL BLIND
SMALLBIG BLIND BLIND
Dealer
Cut-off
The Blinds
Blinds are bets that are made before any cards have been seen.The player to the immediate left of the dealer posts the small blind, and the player to their left posts the big blind. The blinds are placed in the pot to kick-start the betting and give players an incentive to enter the hand. They also mean that the winner of the hand can never walk away completely empty-handed.
In most situations you should be coming in for a raise on every dealer position for a hand which you want to play. This is because acting last is a big advantage and you would be wise to build bigger pots for the hands where you have the advantage.
WHICH HANDS TO PLAY AND HOW Before the flop Choosing the right starting hand is half the battle in poker and many players lose their money at exactly this point. If you enter the game with the right cards, you will not only avoid difficult situations in the later betting rounds, you can also be reasonably sure that you are indeed holding the best hand. You will learn when certain hands are playable and why, as well as how to extract maximum profit from them.
Examples of preflop hand potential
Weak potential
A
4
K
10
9
6
Medium potential
Good potential
A
Q
- Ace & medium kicker
A
K
- Ace & strong kicker
- Offsuited, unconected
7
5
- Suited, unconnected
9
8
- Connected & Suited
- Random numbers
J
10
- Medium kickers
6
6
- Pairs
- Ace & weak kicker
One player raised
Fold
CHEAT-SHEET: HOW TO PLAY BEFORE THE FLOP
Print version
A9s stands for ace nine of the same suit KQo stands for king queen of different suits
Your Cards
Actions before you
Early Position Middle Position
Late Position
Blinds
High Pairs AA, KK, QQ
All players fold
Raise
One player called
Raise
One player raised
Raise
All players fold
Raise
One player called
Raise
One player raised
Call 20
Middle Pairs JJ, TT
Low Pairs 99 - 22
All players fold
Fold
One player called
Fold
Call
Actions before you
Call
Call
One player raised Your Cards
Raise Call 20
Early Position Middle Position
Late Position
Blinds
Ace-High Kicker AK
All players fold.
Raise
Someone called.
Raise
There was one raise.
Raise
Ace-High to Middle Kicker All players fold AQ, AJ, AT
Fold
One player called
Raise Fold
Raise
One player raised
Call
Fold
Ace-Small suited A9s - A2s
All players fold
Fold
Raise
One player called
Fold
Call
One player raised Your Cards
Actions before you
Fold Early Position Middle Position
Late Position
Blinds
Suited Face Cards All players fold KQs, KJs, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs
One player called
Fold
Raise
Fold
Call
One player raised
Fold
Face Cards Offsuit All players fold KQo, KJo, KTo, QJo, QTo, JTo
Fold
One player called
Raise Fold
One player raised
Call Fold
Suited cards in sequence All players fold T9s - 54s
One player called
Fold Fold
Raise Call
Fold
WHICH HANDS TO PLAY AND HOW After the flop After the flop the weaker your hand, the more you should pay control the size of the pot. Try to keep the pot small with weak hands, and if your opponents create too much resistance or too much action, fold. The more opponents you are facing, the stronger your hand needs to be. If there was no raise before the flop, or if you called a pre-flop raise, you should have a really good hand before you get involved in any large post-flop pots. Your hand
Community cards
Your potential
What should you do
4
4
A
9
4
Great
Bet or Raise
4
4
K
Q
7
Bad
Check or Fold
8
7
10
9
6
Great
Bet or Raise
8
7
K
5
6
Strong draw
Bet or Raise or Call
8
7
6
2
6
Monster draw
Bet or Raise
8
7
K
9
4
Bad
Check or Fold
TIPS & TRICKS Advice from the pros
Look for check-raises If a smart guy check-raises an unconnected flop, he has a good set in his hands and you should watch out. Michael Mock
Check-raise is a common deceptive play in which a player checks early in a betting round, hoping someone else will open. The player who checked then raises in the same round.
Top mistake of rookies The biggest mistake that rookie poker players make with a flopped monster hand is to automatically slow-play to the river. The desire for deception is admirable, but it usually comes at the cost of profits. Instead of asking yourself how can I look weak you should be asking how can I get as much money into the pot as possible? This won’t work if you haven’t been bluffing and being aggressive before, so try to be moderately aggressive all the time.
Look for patterns
Bodo Sbrzesny
Make your deposit last The first time you play poker online can be intimidating. There are so many buttons to press and more exciting noises than a Vegas Casino! Just relax. Don’t try to play every pot, or bluff every hand. Patience is a virtue, the longer you’re initial deposit lasts you; the more experience you will get. The more experience you get; the higher your win rate. James Sudworth
Use a city for your nickname Many poker players are afraid of players who are nicknamed after a city. So if you want to instill fear - this is an easy way to do it! Erik Jensen
Bet while eating While eating, put down your fork and make a huge bet. They’ll fold double queens! Tyler Patterson
The difference between winning and losing can be as a simple a quick distraction. Does your opponent always limp in with big hands? Does he only re-raise with AA or KK pre-flop? Take notes and take the game seriously then you’ll see how you’ve been doing. Erik Jensen
TIPS & TRICKS Tournament strategies Who to attack
Raise from early position = danger
As a short stack, you want to attack the medium stacks who can’t afford to call you light. Big stacks can call you more freely. As a medium stack, you want to attack fellow medium stacks and the big stacks. Don’t attack the small stacks, as they have less to lose. As a big stack, you can pick your spots more carefully, if you must - play against some big stacks who have a seat locked.
If an early-position player raises, it means he feels that his hand is already better than the rest of the table. After all, his raise has to make it through the entire table, and each player left to act could potentially hold a better hand. If, however, he raises from late position, he is really only saying "my hand figures to be best against everybody else." Thus, an early-position raise holds a lot more weight than a late-position raise because it needs to beat more players.
Mix up your play
Stay aggressive
You should be taking different lines in marginal spots. So most of the time you should be playing in a similar fashion, but sometimes you should change your play. For example, don’t always reraise preflop with the same types of hands or don’t always check raise a flush draw on the flop.
The more aggressive players tend to have an advantage over a less aggressive player. Most of the time neither one of you will make a strong hand so whoever makes the most convincing argument will win the pot.
Confidence is Key I really believe that you have to believe you’re going to win everytime you’re going to play. Confidence is key to being successful at poker. Antonio Esfandiari
You can’t win every pot Amateur players try to win every pot. You can’t, so don’t. David Vamplew
Don't bluff too much Another common misconception about poker is that you need to bluff to win. You may see spectacular bluffs on the WSOP shows, but these are edited to show the highlights of the tournaments and give the wrong impression of how often top players bluff. Bluffing in poker is not as essential as you think it is.
LIVE POKER TELLS
LIVE POKER TELLS Master how to read your opponents When you have learned the basics of poker, the main element for success becomes the ability to read your opponents. A tell is any mannerism or movement that a player makes subconsciously or purposely when trying to disguise the strength of their hand. Average players double and triple their profits when they master the science of tells.
Why and how players lie Tells happen because players are trying to conceal the true value of their cards. If a hand is weak, they will try to make you believe you it's strong. If a hand is strong, they'll try to convince you it's weak. Your opponents are actors. But if they’re not Ben Stiller, you can learn to decode them.
Most decisions are spontaneous It’s critical to understand that most decisions of your opponents will be made randomly. That's because there are relatively few overwhelmingly strong or weak hands that dictate an exact tactic.
Reverse psychology The most important tell is the one you give to the other players. Don't use the same method every time you bet or raise. Do one method on strong hands several times and then use it again on a bluff, or after getting caught on a bluff, use the same method the next time you have a monster.
TOP14 LIVE POKER TELLS Master how to read & fool your opponents Tell #1 Chip stacking Neatly stacked chips
Players often stack chips in a manner directly indicative of their style of play. You shouldn’t expect a player with neatly stacked chips to bluff very much or be in with weak hands.
Messy chips - Those are his winnings. Usually if you bet just a little more than those winnings, he won’t call. This is especially true when the night is coming to an end.
Tell #2 Sudden silence Some players that are normally talkative get very quiet when they hit a hand. And if they suddenly raise, that's usually the tell to watch out!
Tell #3 Insta-Raise A player who does an instant raise is unlikely to be bluffing. He was just waiting for the action to get to them and then quickly tosses the chips - that’s a sign of a good hand.
Tell #4 Fold percentage It is very important to determine the style of your opponent - is he a tight or a loose player. Your first clue to this is how many hands they actually play. A tight player is likely to only find about one hand in 10 they really want to play. Simply count the hands they are involved in. If they fold a lot, expect the hands they do get involved in to be all pocket pairs, face cards and face cards with an ace.
Tell #5 Lying whistler A player who raises pre-flop and on the flop, will sometimes try to act so relaxed that he actually whistles or sings a little tune when he bets on the turn or the river. That's usually a good tell that he hasn’t improved his hand, he’s just acting happy.
Tell #6 Chip glance An almost involuntary move by many players is to immediately look at their chips when they love a card that hits. It could be the flop, turn, or river. However, when they look down quickly, then act uninterested until it is their turn and they raise, I'm usually convinced they hit something nice.
Tell #7 How long is the tell? The shortest tell is the most reliable. Most long, drawn out tells are false, set up to confuse.
Tell #8 Sounds of sadness Anytime a player uses a sad tone, he or she is trying to fake weakness. Remember, pretended weakness means strength, so you should be cautious about calling sad tones. Especially cheerful tones are attempts to show contentment. Usually, these mean weakness.
Tell #9 Sits upright Most players do shuffle around in their chair and sit upright when they have a good hand
Tell #10 Instant check If a player looks at his hole cards and then checks instantly, it's unlikely that he improved his hand.
Tell #11 Why is he staring at me? Players staring at you are usually less of a threat than players staring away.
Tell #12 Staring at his cards Players staring at their cards are usually weak. The player would normally guard his hand if he liked its looks.
Tell #13 Asking for clarification Players who ask for any clarification of the rules before they raise are legitimately strong. Often they already know the answer to their questions. By acting dumb, they're trying to convey that they're uncertain — that perhaps they'll raise or bet only if it doesn't cost too much. This is an act to appear weak and unsure. You should seldom call when a player asks, "How much is it to raise?"
Tell #14 Gentle bet A gentle bet usually means strength. In his mind, overly forceful or exaggerated betting moves will make his hand appear strong. Bland, timid motions convey weakness, he thinks.
5 GOLDEN RULES OF BLUFFING How to bluff correctly The purpose of bluffing is to force opponents with better hands to fold so you can win the pot.
1
Bluffing is better if your hand can still improve.
2
Only bluff against opponents that you know usually fold.
3
Don't bluff against several players at once.
4
Don't inflate the pot with bluff bets.
5
Only bluff when you can credibly represent a strong hand and you think that your opponents don’t have monster hands.
ONLINE POKER STRATEGY & TOP6 TELLS
ONLINE POKER TELLS How to read your opponents wihout seeing them Since you can’t physically see your opponents when playing online, the physical tells we’ve mentioned are clearly not going to apply. Remember though, that betting patterns are the most reliable of all poker tells. Online tells are mostly related to the speed with which an opponent acts. For example, online it is possible to use the "in turn" buttons, or you can wait until it is your turn to act and click on the desired button. When using the "in turn" buttons, a player can select "check/fold" or "bet/raise" before the action gets to them. There is clear distinction in speed between these two methods of acting and, in certain situations, it can provide you with advantageous information.
The insta-call after you bet
The delayed check
Most players who call your bet immediately have a weak calling hand. These players want you to believe they have a stronger hand and hope that you will not bet into them again.
Most players who take longer than normal to check to you do not want you to bet. They are attempting to display strength because they want to see the next card for free.
The insta-bet/raise on the river
The delayed bet
The player who utilizes this move will usually be holding a very strong hand. By raising or betting so quickly, they are trying to make you think they are bluffing. This move can also be used on the turn and generally, though not as frequently, denotes strength.
When an opponent thinks for a long time and then bets, they are usually holding a strong hand. They want you to believe they are weak so that you will call/raise.
The insta-check
The bet into on the turn
A player sitting in late position who uses the "in turn" check/fold button is usually weak. Often, they are playing at multiple tables and are hoping to save time by using the "in turn" buttons.
When a player has checked and called on the flop and then bets into you on the turn, it usually indicates weakness. This type of bet often means that they picked up a draw or that they are semi-bluffing with a draw they picked up on the flop. Strongly consider raising even though you might be bluffing yourself.
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Visit www.poker4beginners.com for regularly updated poker site reviews!
THE OFTEN MISSED FACTS ABOUT POKER BONUSES Every second beginner stumbles upon a shocking surprise about the nature of the sign-up bonuses of 100%, 200%, etc. They use the bonus without reading the associated terms, win a nice amount of money, and then are shocked to find out that they can’t withdraw the winnings as they wish. If you use bonuses, then there are certain limits of overall turnover you must make before withdrawing. It is called “Rollover”.
Rollover Rollover refers to the total number of wagers you need to make in order to cash out your bonus. Rollovers vary from 1X - 30X depending on the poker site. For example you will need to rollover your deposit and bonus 3 times prior to making a withdrawal at bet365 poker.
Gradual release Most poker sites don’t give you the bonus straight away. Instead it is released in stages as you play a certain amount of hands or earn VIP points at the site.
For your safety we have included the info about rollovers, minimum withdrawals, etc. in our reviews (most other poker resources skip this). So study, compare them, and have a safe and productive gaming!
DETAILED REVIEW About This London Stock Exchange listed company offers PokerCam tables for face-to-face play. Poker players looking for loose games with lots of easy-to-beat-players, big and frequent promotions and tons of options often find themselves at 888Poker. Initially known as Pacific Poker, 888Poker was one of the first real quality poker sites in the industry and remains that way as the third-largest poker site in the world.
APPROVED FOR REAL MONEY GAMING IN NEW JERSEY, NEVADA & DELAWARE
WINNER 2013 EGR AWARDS POKER OPERATOR OF THE YEAR
Bonuses • $10 free, no deposit needed • Deposit $100, get $100 extra free. • Win $2,200 packages to Live competitions
Key info Players: 30,000+
Games: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud
Min. withdrawal: $6 online, $20 wire
Established: Holding established on 1997
Cashout time: 6 days see all timeframes
Rake (Commission of the pot): 1%-5%
Min. deposit: $0 (first $10 are given for free)
Bonus rollover: 30X
Payment methods: Visa, MasterCard , Diners Club, Laser debit card, Eurocard, Paypal, Skrill Maestro debit card see all deposits & limits
Website: www.888poker.com
Pros • • • • • • •
Wide variety of all sorts of poker games Biggest choice of platforms including iPhone Unique and interesting promotions going on $88 Free & exclusive $888 deposit bonus A cool animated graphic hand replayer Great software and graphics Face-time play option with PokerCam
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Platforms: Win, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Linux
Cons • Does not accept all US players • Games lobby could have better filtering • Not many high stakes tournaments
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DETAILED REVIEW Bonuses
About
• 200% Signup Bonus • Over $250K in Guaranteed Tournaments! • Win $1,900 package to Battle of Malta €500,000
BetOnline is currently one of the largest US facing poker sites and was launched back in 2004 as part of the Chico Poker Network. BetOnline Poker offers a good selection of games and a lucrative $2500 welcome bonus. They are also one of the most active online poker rooms that accept US poker players. Further, BetOnline offers tons of freerolls and is notorious for its loose players and incredible monthly promotions.
Key info Players: 6,000+
Games: Holdem, Omaha
Min. withdrawal: $25
Established: 2004
Cashout time: Same-day
Rake (Commission of the pot): 5%
Min. deposit: $10
Bonus rollover: 10X
Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Bankwire, Cheque, Skrill. see all deposits & limits
Website: www.betonline.ag Platforms: Win, Mac, Android
Pros • • • • •
Up To $2500 Bonus Plenty of freerolls Great deposit options Simple, fast software Accepts US players
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Cons • • • •
Low player traffic until site builds Small tournaments Difficult to find high limit games Small variety in poker games offered
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DETAILED REVIEW
About Full Flush Poker is one of the latest new poker sites that is US-friendly and accepts players from all states, except NJ, NV & DE. Besides a Windows client there is also a Mac native version available. The amount of poker players is increasing each day. The site utilizes software that is licensed from Playsafe Holding AS, a publicly traded Norwegian Poker software provider (tried and tested over many years).
Bonuses • 150% welcome bonus • 20% instant cashback on First Deposits over $50 • Free $3000 Tournament Ticket with Deposit $125 • Free ticket to the $5000 First Depositors Freeroll • $350 of Daily Freerolls
Key info Players: 1,000
Games: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Blackjack
Min. withdrawal: $100
Established: 2013
Cashout time: 4-6 days
Rake (Commission of the pot): 5% - 10% (max $3)
Min. deposit: $25
Bonus rollover: 20X
Payment methods: Credit cards, Skrill, Neteller, see all deposits & limits
Website: www.fullflushpoker.com
Pros • • • •
Fast Cashouts of average 24-48 hours! Plenty of easy-to-beat games with weak players Play for free option to test the waters Lots of inexpensive tournaments and freerolls
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Platforms: Win, Mac
Cons • Limited banking options • Hefty fees for withdrawals • No withdrawal requests taken on weekends
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DETAILED REVIEW Bonuses
About Titan Poker is an established online poker provider, winner of the 2011 Gambling Readers' Choice Award for Best Customer Service and popular destination for PokerStrategists. Titan Poker is hosted on the iPoker Network and belongs to the top tier. What you'll love about Titan is that the majority of your opponents are recreational players who find the poker tables via the big sports betting brands who share the 'iPoker Network'. This makes the games fun, loose and - best of all - very profitable.
• • • •
Deposit $50, get $100 (200% bonus) Exclusive $30 free cash on deposit Exclusive $100K freerolls $1 cash for every 100 points earned
Key info Players: 10,000 - 55,000 at tournaments.
Games: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud
Min. withdrawal: $100 (No less than Bonus)
Established: Holding established on 1997
Cashout time: 10 days
Rake (Commission of the pot): 1%-5%
Min. deposit: $10
Bonus rollover: 30X
Payment methods: Credit card, Neteller, Moneybookers, Wire Transfer see all deposits & limits
Website: www.titanpoker.com
Pros • $16 million in guaranteed prize money per month • You can play up to 16 tables simultaneously. • Fantastic Titan Rewards program for new and experienced players • Easy to Navigate • Ongoing Poker Tournaments
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Platforms: Win, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Linux
Cons • Lack of game selection • No synchronized breaks
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DETAILED REVIEW
About Carbon poker is one of the best real-money poker sites for US players with quick cashouts, reliable software and helpful customer service. With a variety of stakes, games, and promotions, CarbonPoker has something to offer players of all experience levels and bankroll sizes. The poker software has unique features, allowing players to run it twice, rabbit hunt, expose one card, and much more.
Bonuses • 200% bonus • Over $6 million in monthly GTD Tournaments
Key info
Min. withdrawal: $50
Games: Hold'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, Five Card Stud, Five Card Draw, Razz, Badugi
Cashout time: 3 -7 days
Established: 2005
Min. deposit: $ 25
Rake (Commission of the pot): 1%-4.5%
Payment methods: Credit Cards, Cash Transfers (Western Union and Moneygram), Checks see all deposits & limits
Bonus rollover: 35X
Players: 6,000
Website: www.carbonpoker.ag Platforms: Win, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry
Pros • • • •
Free Poker Odds Calculators Free Poker Training Videos US and International Players Welcome Carbon OPS tournaments series
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Cons • No Loyalty Program • Only 1 free withdrawal per year, others cost 3%
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DETAILED REVIEW
About William Hill Poker is one of the oldest and largest bookmakers in the U.K. If a rock solid reputation is what you want, then William Hill is for you. Given its U.K. origins, William Hill Poker is a popular poker room for British players (and European players in general), making the busiest traffic time around European peak hours.
Bonuses • 200% bonus up to $2000 • $16m+ guaranteed on network every month • Weekly $200k GTD events
Key info Players: 65,000
Games: Holdem, Omaha, 7 card stud.
Min. withdrawal: £5
Established: 2002
Cashout time: 1 -5 working days
Rake (Commission of the pot): $1
Min. deposit: £10
Bonus rollover: 30X
Payment methods: VISA, MasterCard, PayPal, Neteller, ClickandBuy, Skrill see all deposits & limits
Website: poker.williamhill.com
Pros • Incredibly loose games and players • Massive amount of guaranteed tournaments • Great tournament traffic and sit-and-go selection • Reliable software with smooth game play
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Platforms: Win, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad
Cons • Not the best graphics in the world • Doesn't accept U.S. players
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DETAILED REVIEW
About Party Poker is a monster among online poker sites. They are one of the biggest rooms with tremendous player action at any time of the day. They did suffer a costly hit to their player base when they decided to exclude US customers as a response to US legislation towards online gaming. Party Poker’s outstanding marketing efforts have resulted in a rebound of player traffic and they are once again on the rise.
Bonuses • 100% up to $500 • $10,000 freeroll
Key info Players: 70,000 at peak times
Games: Holdem, Omaha, 7 card stud,
Min. withdrawal: $50
Established: 2001
Cashout time: 3 - 7 days
Rake (Commission of the pot): $0.50 - $3
Min. deposit: $10
Bonus rollover: 10X
Payment methods: VISA, MasterCard, PayPal, Neteller, ClickandBuy, Skrill see all deposits & limits
Website: www.partypoker.com
Pros • • • •
Known for fewer pros & softer competition Run by a huge, publically-traded company Software is very user-friendly Many satellites and promos
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Platforms: Win, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad, Linux
Cons • Not many high stakes tournaments • Doesn't accept U.S. players
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DETAILED REVIEW
About PokerStars is the largest poker site in the world and offers an awesome variety of games, from the super high-limits to some of the rarest mixed games. Many of the world’s most famous poker players are PokerStars pros, including Canadian star Daniel Negreanu and WSOP Main Event winners Chris Moneymaker, Rafael Nadal and more. The main drawback of Pokerstars is that the opposition is tough at higher stakes.
Bonuses • 100% bonus up to $600 • Deposit with bonus code ‘FREE20’ and claim $20 free
Key info Players: 60,000 - 150,000 Min. withdrawal: $5 Cashout time: 3 - 10 days Min. deposit: $10 Payment methods: VISA, MasterCard, PayPal, Neteller, ClickandBuy, Skrill see all deposits & limits
Pros • The largest site in the world - excellent traffic. • Award Winning and Secure Software • Best VIP Program and Rewards • PokerStars always has qualifiers for the WPT, WSOP, EPT event and more.
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Games: Omaha, Holdem, 7 card stud, 5 card stud, Courchevel, Razz, Horse & Mixed games, Badugi Established: 2000 Rake (Commission of the pot): 1.3% - 8% Bonus rollover: 16X - 26X Website: www.pokerstars.com Platforms: Win, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad
Cons • Tough opposition in high-stakes tournaments and cash games • Doesn't accept U.S. players
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DETAILED REVIEW
About fulltilt.com is a leading poker brand known for delivering the most authentic online poker experience in the world. Full Tilt Poker's innovative software, game design and gameplay make it the online home for serious poker players. Full Tilt Poker was re-launched in November 2012 by The Rational Group, which also operates PokerStars, the world's largest online poker site.
Bonuses • 100% First Deposit Bonus up to $600 • Regular tournaments
Key info Players: 30,000
Games: Holdem, Omaha, Stud, Mixed Games.
Min. withdrawal: $10
Established: 2004
Cashout time: 3 days Skrill, 3-10 Visa
Rake (Commission of the pot): 5%
Min. deposit: $50
Bonus rollover: 16X - 26X
Payment methods: Visa, Neteller, Skrill. see all deposits & limits
Website: www.fulltiltpoker.com
Pros • Awesome promotions • Smooth software • Endless customizable options
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Platforms: Win, Mac, Android, iOS
Cons • Tough mid-stakes cash games • No ten seat tables
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