While it is true that practice makes perfect and that there is in fact an element of strategy in poker with the way players bet, a large portion of what determines the winner of a particular hand is luck and only luck. Not even two weeks ago, I was a participant in a poker tournament and called a player on a large bet. I had nothing but did not believe that my counter-part had much either. He ended up having a pair of Queens. I held King/Jack. Five cards and one King later on the last card drawn I was the winner and sent someone home packing who up to that point had been doing very well until one single card changed their fate.

I challenge anyone to convince me that poker is more about skill than pure luck. Poker is about taking risks not only on what we hope to draw but what we hope the other player doesn’t draw or more importantly does not hold in his/her hand. My original point was to make the point those players who constantly think they can tell other players at the table what to do or how to play because of their experience are out to lunch. Tell anyone that gives you a hard time that if they are so angry about the way you play, to please recommend which store to buy their crystal ball at.

Do you want to play Texas Holdem but you can’t because you have a Macintosh computer? A lot of Mac users have come to learn that this is the case.

Must be frustrating to know you have the superior operating system in Macintosh yet not be able to get the same sort of access as PC users into online poker rooms. It’s a sort of online racism that Mac users have experienced for years. Every Mac user knows a PC is useless, unless someone enjoys reading computer manuals and tech support is their idea of computer dating, or they actually look forward to computer viruses.

Play Mac Texas Holdem

So what, not every online poker room is adaptable for the Mac. It’s not the end of the world. A player can enjoy Texas Holdem online with a Mac only they just need to know where to go.

For starters, the Mac user can play Texas Holdem in a poker room that does not require a downloadable version. There are few major poker rooms that offer this service, including Euro Poker, Poker Room and Pacific Poker. These sites run games using either Java or Flash technology and offer Texas Holdem, either for free or real money.

In excellent news for Mac users, Party Poker has recently launched a no-download version of their software that is compatible for both the Mac and Linux systems. Of course certain features will not be available, like table filters and hand histories, but alas, for the first time the underdog Mac user can have access into the world’s biggest online poker site, with over 17 million registered users.

Play Mac Texas Holdem Like Everyone Else

Some websites offer the Mac user a fully downloadable version of the software needed to gain full access into the online poker room, where Texas Holdem is offered in many versions and varieties, including tournaments and ring-games, for free and for fun.

FullTilt Poker is an online poker room with a Mac online poker download. The software has excellent graphics and shares many of the same features as the Windows version. When compared to other poker rooms, Mac users rate FullTilt as the best place to play Texas Holdem.

1 month after announcing their plan, the ministry of Interior continues to fight online gaming sites with 2 new measures: control of the access to money and of financial movements.

They’re added to the project of law that will be discussed in parliament on 21 November.

(Interview with a ministry spokesman)

What’s the legal situation concerning money games?

Opening a land-based casino in France is subject to approval from the ministry of Interior based on recommendations of the gambling commission. This system allows a strict control of the operators and the money flow.

What about the Internet?

In France, casino, gambling and other money games were banned in the 19th century. They are submitted to 3 state organizations (PMU, state casinos & FDJ).The same rules apply and in principle that makes all the sites that offer online money games illegal.

The law doesn’t allow operating casinos on the net but practically speaking they kept growing in the last years. Online games are a new risk factor that strengthens and multiplies the risk connected to gaming.

Online casinos sites are outside the law and it facilitates white-washing money, evading taxes, scamming players and influences vulnerable people and minors into playing.

What are the new measures?

A “money games in new technologies observation center” was put in place.

The police track activities of illegal gaming sites and they will systematically bring to justice anyone who is promoting/advertising illegal gaming sites.

Stiffer sanctions against such advertisers will be discussed on 21 Nov. Other measures to fight gaming sites will be introduced too.

The main idea is to control the access to these sites. ISPs will be forced to warn users that these sites are illegal and legal sanctions can be taken.

The 2nd idea is to fight white-washing money. Because most sites are not located in France it’s hard to track if the money transferred to a French citizen is clean.

It’s impossible to track outgoing money but we’ll force banks to block all INCOMING money from such illegal gaming sites.

Is it in accordance with European law?

The Euro laws leave it up to the states to decide how to tackle the issue, as long as the state laws are in accordance with the common interest.

Online money games are not part of the new directive about electronic commerce.

Most countries have strict laws, except the UK and Malta.

The UK voted the Gambling Act last year and it will come in effect in 2007. Commissions will deliver licenses for all gaming (internet, cell-phones). This law is also to protect against illegal activities and vulnerable people.

France has to prove that its policy of money control and state controlled monopolies are justified. This will take months.

Meanwhile France is working hard to convince other countries to create a common law at the EU level that will be in the same direction as the French law.

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The key decision in Seven-Card Stud is made on Third Street. You need to decide whether to play your hand or to fold it. It is important to recognize that certain hands are more suitable in multi-way pots while other hands work better with shorthanded pots. Drawing hands are most suitable for multi-way pots while big pairs play well in shorthanded pots.

Patience is an important virtue when playing Seven-Card Stud as you need to be very selective about what hands you play with. Playing too many hands ends up being a very costly mistake

Below is a list of issues to keep in mind when you are contemplating whether to play a a hand or not:

• What cards are out?
• How many players are already in the pot?
• Are you sitting at a tight or loose table?
• Number of players at the table?
• Has the pot been raised? By whom?

Hands

As you are contemplating whether or not to play a starting hand you have to look around and see if your hand is live, i.e. the cards you would be drawing for is not among the open cards on the table. For example, (Td-9c) 8h is a lot stronger starting hands if all jacks and sevens are live.

Here is a list of the best starting hands in Seven-Card Stud:

1. Rolled-up trips (three of a kind), starting with aces.
2. Big pairs, AA-JJ. A hidden pair makes your hand stronger since it is more deceptive to play against. The kicker is also important to determine the strength of your hand.
3. Big suited connectors, down to ten.
4. Medium pairs (TT-88) and medium suited connectors down to seven.
5. Big suited semi connectors, for example As-Qs.
6. Your position in relation to the raiser

Do

• Be selective with your starting hands. It is imperative to choose the correct starting a hand based on your situation.
• Be selective when choosing a table. You should only play in games where you have an edge. Also, you want a couple of weak players at the table.
• Play the players. It is important to immediately evaluate the opposition.
• Pump it or dump it. Either fold or bet/raise. Avoid calling unless you have a valid motive, like trapping an opponent.
• Be respectful of a majority of big bets and raises. Most players do not bluff in Pot-Limit Omaha.
• Bet your best drawing hands. This will enhance the deception in your game and you will win more hands without a lot of opposition.
• Draw to the nuts in multi-way pots. However, avoid committing to draws without additional value.

Don’t

• Get married to the nut flush draw. Unlike Texas Hold’em you can not win the pot by pairing your ace or with a flush even though the board pairs.
• Get married to an eight-way straight draw. Since it is possible to flop 13-way, 17-way, and 20-way straight draws in Omaha, you should wait for one of those draws before committing yourself to the pot.
• Overplay unsuited aces. There is little you can flop to improve your hand.

Trap Hands

Hands that appear to be very good but easily can turn into second-best hands are known as trap hands. Always watch out for trap hands since they can make you lose your whole stack. There are three types of trap hands in Pot-Limit Omaha: small pair hands, low wrap hands, and small flush hands. These hands are discussed in detail below.

• Small pair hands are hands with pairs below nines. These hands are dangerous to play because it is very hard to escape the hand if you flop a set. If you are up against a bigger set you are drawing to only one out. The time to play a small pair is when you are running low on money. At this point it can be the right move to commit your whole stack if you flop a set.
• Low wrap hands are lower four connected hands, for example 5c-4s-3d-2s. The danger lies in risk of flopping or drawing to the low-end of a straight.
• Small flush hands are risky hands. You cannot commit a lot of money with a small flush hand and, if you were to get any action, chances are good that you are already beat.

Whether to Raise or Limp before the Flop

One tricky aspect of playing Pot-Limit Omaha is that no matter what cards you hold, your opponent usually has a good chance of beating you. Case in point, a double suited hand of A-A-K-K is only a 3:2 favorite to win against a double suited hand of 8-7-6-5. This begs the question of whether or not to raise when you hold a good starting hand. One strategy would be to only raise when you hold aces. However, this routine quickly becomes predictable. Another strategy would be to always limp in. Even though this is a better strategy than only raising with aces it is not the best strategy. You do not make other limping players pay enough to see the flop when you have strong hand

The optimal strategy is instead to raise on a wide range of hands. Here are some of the advantages to raising on a variety of hands before the flop:

• You become unpredictable.
• You make the pots bigger because you make players pay to see the flop.
• You will have more bluffing opportunities.
• You will have more fun

Next

Your goal in Omaha high-low is to win both the high and the low, also known as to scoop the pot. It is best to avoid a playing style that frequently gets you quartered or makes you split the pot. In order to steer clear of this you need to be extremely selective about what hands you play, both before and after the flop. Below is a list of DOs and DON’Ts that should improve your game.

Do

• Remember that your goal should be to scoop the pot.
• Often fold on the flop.
• Only play premium starting hands.
• Select tables with loose games. You want five or more players to see the flop on average.
• Learn how to calculate pot odds.
• Only play hands that contain A-2, A-3 or 2-3 for low hand.
• Usually only play hands with four cards (9 and higher) for high hand.
• Fold hands with a 7, 8 or 9 as they have negative expected value.
• Play aggressively when you hit a good flop.
• Often fold your hand on the flop.
• Only play marginal hands in late position, with several players having called before you.

Don’t

• Raise pre-flop, at least very rarely.
• Play after the flop if you do not have nut potential.
• Play too many starting hands.
• Call all the way with only a high or low potential.
• See the flop with four middle cards.
• Raise with A-2 in early position. This will make your opponents fold instead of seeing the flop cheaply.
• Call on the flop with only a low draw when the flop has two high cards.
• Call on the flop with only a high draw when the flop has two low cards.

Starting Hands

Your hand is everything in Omaha high-low. There is not much bluffing involved and the player with the best hand usually wins. The premier starting hands in Omaha high-low are likely to win both the high and the low.

As the most important decisions in Omaha high-low are made pre-flop it is key to have and understanding of what hands to play. Here is a list of the top ten starting hands:

1. A-A-2-3 Double-suited
2. A-A-2-4 Double-suited
3. A-A-2-3 Suited
4. A-A-2-5 Double-suited
5. A-A-2-4 Suited
6. A-A-3-4 Double-suited
7. A-A-2-3 Non-suited
8. A-A-2-2 Double-suited
9. A-A-3-5 Double-suited
10. A-A-2-6 Double-suited

Below is a list of very strong starting poker hands in Omaha. Some other solid hands include double suited hands with four connecting cards, starting at six or higher. The abbreviation DS in the list denotes that the hand is double suited, while x refers to any card.

Position is one of the most important concepts in No-Limit Texas Hold’em. Position can greatly impact your stack. For example, if you trap an opponent with the help of position, you can win his entire stack. Compare this to earning a couple of extra bets in Limit Texas Hold’em.

Another difference between Limit and No-Limit is that big connectors decrease in value when playing No-Limit. The reason is that you have an opportunity to double through your opponents if you hit a set. Consequently, big pairs increase in value in a No-Limit game. Big pairs also give you a chance to trap an opponent.

When playing No-Limit it is vital to keep track of the amount of money you and your opponents have on the table. The size of a players stack greatly affects how he plays the game. For example, you and your opponent both have $100 and the blinds are $2-$4. You hold a QQ and bet $20, while your opponent goes all in. Unless you know that your opponent does not hold AA or KK you should fold. However, if your opponent instead re-raised with $60 you should call.

What To Do Before the Flop

Sometimes referred to as “the Cadillac of poker”, No-Limit Texas Hold’em is not for the faint hearted. Avoid playing marginal hands if you are a beginner to No-Limit Texas Hold’em as the guessing will leave you vulnerable. Instead restrict yourself to playing only pairs as well as AK and AQ. As you will not be playing very many hands this requires a great deal of discipline. However, this strategy the extra time provides you with an ample opportunity to study the game and your opponents. Here are some pieces of general pre-flop advice that should make your early days of playing No-limit Texas Hold’em a little easier:

• Generally raise or re-raise with top pairs down to QQ and top connectors down to AQ. Your goal is to make opponents with low pairs and connectors pay to see the flop.
• Only see the flop with premium hands.
• Keep most raises to between 70 percent and 100 percent of the pot. This to save money if you get re-raised or called by a stronger hand. With limpers in front of you, raise about five times the big blind.
• Respect strong/tight players. For example, fold your AQ if a strong player raises under the gun.
• Generally see the flop when there are weak players in the pot.
• Mix up your play to avoid becoming predictable.

No-Limit Texas Hold’em DOs and DON’Ts

Do

• Be selective when choosing a table. You should only play in games where you have an edge. Also, you want a couple of weak players at the table.
• Play the players. It is important to immediately evaluate the opposition.
• Pump it or dump it. Either fold or bet/raise. Avoid calling unless you have a valid motive, like trapping an opponent.
• Be respectful of a majority of big bets and raises, especially on the turn and the river. Most players do not bluff.
• Raise pre-flop with a premium hand. This puts pressure on limpers with drawing hands.

Don’t

• Play too many starting hands. For example, fold AJ under the gun.
• Call with weak cards when facing a bet.
• Hold on to a decent hand when beat. You could lose your whole stack on one hand.
• Over or under bet the pot. When over betting your risk a lot to win a little, under protecting means that you are not protecting your hand.

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Limit Texas Hold’em is easy to learn but difficult to master. Follow the pieces of advice listed below to take your first step toward elevating your poker game.

• Only play good starting hands. Generally you should not see more than 25 percent of the flops.
• Beware of tight and aggressive tables since they usually mean low profit and high volatility. Also, do your best to avoid strong players in general. When selecting a table look for games where at least 30 percent see the flop on average.
• Only call the bet if the pot is big enough to justify the call.
• Analyze the relative strength of your hand.
• Anticipate the holdings of your opponents. Consider the playing styles of your opponents. Pay close attention to how they play the game.
• Bet or raise if you think you have the best hand. It is important to not give away any free cards.
• Vary your game by occasionally limping on raising hands and vice versa. This makes you less predictable in the eyes of your opponents.
• Fold in time. Do not draw when you know that you are beat. This will save you money.
• Bluff infrequently.

Starting Hands

When playing Texas Hold’em it is very important to be selective about what hands to play. Here are five factors to consider when choosing what hands to play:

• Tight/loose table?
• Number of players?
• Players in the pot?
• Has the pot been raised, by whom?
• Your position?

When many players see the flop you should generally play more drawing hands. For example, 87s and small pocket pairs increase in value in multi-way pots. When the pot is big you are getting a better price on a drawing hand.

At a short-handed table (six players or less), big cards increase in value. However, if you are playing in a full ring game, hands like AT, KT can easily become trap hands (second-best hands).

How to Play the Flop

Many players consider the turn to be the most important betting round. However, the defining moment in Texas Hold’em is the flop as you now see 71 percent of your cards. Also, it is often mistakes that you make on the flop that create mistakes on the turn and the river. Therefore, it is essential that you can decide the relative strength of your hand when seeing the flop.

There are ten main flops that you have to master as they all come with different threats and opportunities:

• Three of a kind
• High pair
• Low pair
• Three-suited
• Two-suited
• Three-connected
• Two-connected
• All high cards
• Rainbow with one high card
• Rainbow of all rags

As the flop is the most crucial moment in Texas Hold’em there are naturally some things you need to consider when deciding your course of action on the flop:

• The strength of your hand.
• The number of players seeing the flop.
• Any pre-flop raise? If so, from what position?
• Your pot odds (the size of the pot versus your number of outs).
• Are there any draws on the board?
• Likely hands of your opponents.
• Your position

Trap Hands

A trap hand is a hand that is prone to becoming a second-best hand, costing you money if you see the flop with it. The most common trap hands are AT, AJ, KQ, KJ, KT, QJ, and QT. Beginning and intermediate poker players often make the mistake of playing any two big cards or ace from an early position. For example, if you limp in from an early position with KT and someone in late position raises it you could easily find yourself trapped against common raising hands such as KQs, AK, AJs, AA, and QQ.

Nevertheless, trap hands are playable under the right circumstances. If you are first in from a late position, the trap hand actually becomes a raising hand.

Start with playing limit holdem

If you are new to poker I recommend that you start with playing limit holdem. If you do a mistake when playing limit holdem it will probably only cost you an extra one or two bets, when the same mistake could cost you your entire stack when playing no limit. If you are interested in learning the characteristics of the different types of holdem poker I recommend the site Learn Texas Holdem. There you can read about how the game changes when you change betting structure.

common than they are in Europe. Among the unusual but still popular poker variations are Crazy Pineapple which is a relative to Texas Hold’em, Razz which is a form of Seven-Card Stud and Lowball which is a form of Draw poker. The unusual poker forms are mostly played in home games.

Texas Hold’em is the most popular form of poker in the world. Its rise in popularity came after a series of tournaments were aired on television as a part of the World Poker Tour in 2002, plus the explosion of online poker. Take a look at this site for texas holdem rules (external link) and everything else about texas holde’em.

Omaha was a very popular game in theeighties and nineties before the expansion of Texas Hold’em. Today Omaha is still played by many Europeans and in the pot limit structure which is more common in Europe. In the US the high/low version of Omaha is quite popular.

Seven-Card stud was very popular in the eighties but the popularity cooled off in the nineties. It is still popular in some countries in Europe like Denmark and Germany but its highest concentration of players are on the east coast in USA.

Draw poker is the poker game most people are likely to have played, at least on some occasion in their lifetime. It is unusual that casinos or clubs host Draw poker, but it is still common in home games where it is being played with a large number of different rules. Draw poker is considered to be the basic form of poker and was almost the only form that was played until the mid-seventies when a series of new games were introduced, like Omaha and Seven-Card Stud for example.

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