Poker Experience: PartyPoker.com
Posted on May 22, 2009
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While playing poker on Party Poker, I encountered an interesting hand. This hand, I have no doubt led to me winning my SnG earlier today, even though it happened quite early on. The hand was Four of a Kind, it was up against one player with a set of Queens, and another player with a Full House, and the game being played was Five Card Draw. All three players got all their chips in, leaving one player with almost half the chips in play, another player eliminated, and the third player critically low on chips.
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The reason I speak about this hand in third person is because in fact, it wasn’t me holding the Four of a Kind, it was the player who was looking like the least experienced pocker player at the table. He played his hand well enough, but then Four of a Kind in a Pot Limit FCD game isn’t exactly the trickiest of hands to play when two opponents are raising into you.
Despite his strange plays which seemed averse to any sort of logic, this player eventually made it to heads up with a comfortable chip lead, and with some early pressure on me, would perhaps have won. The fact that I didn’t see many cards in the first 10 hands of heads up play was not fatal due to my opponents passive play, and eventually, I picked up the hand I needed. From there, the chips counts were looking a lot better for me, and I had my space to manoeuvre and played well, taking victory.
This was a strange SnG in that my opponent took out most of the players on the table playing very strangely and seemingly getting lucky. Perhaps though, he was confusing peoples reads of his hands intentionally, in a way which was tactically very astute. Either way, without that Four of a Kind hand, the pocker game would never have played out the way it had done.
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Learning How to Play Poker
Posted on May 22, 2009
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It is not overly difficult to learn how to play poker in terms of the basic rules, and you do not have to start off by playing a game like Holdem to understand the basics.
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I started off playing Five Card Draw and found this an enjoyable way to get a feel for hand rankings amongst other aspects of the game. Talking to other players who are experienced at the game will often help your game develop too. Books written by professional players provide an interesting way to gather more in depth information about pocker, but sometimes I find this can be a little too much, too soon, for players starting out.
Setting up a home game to provide regular practice is very helpful way to better understand the game, as with anything, putting in the time to play regularly will help your pocker game more than anything else I feel. Understanding position is one of the most important aspects you can learn after you get a feel for the game, but reading the dangers of board cards will help you greatly too.
As an amateur player, I would advise against watching the professionals play on television and simply trying to play like they do. This is partly because you can see what the players do when faced with different problems, but you cannot see their thought processes and their reasonings. You will find it almost impossible to simply sit down and replicate the way they play no matter how much you watch them.
The only way to really become skilled at the game is to put in many hours, develop your own game, and then be ready to sometimes play better than the player beside you and lose anyway. For this reason, pocker can be a very frustrating, yet ultimately exciting game to play.
ABC Poker Review
Posted on May 22, 2009
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When I talk about ABC Poker, what I really mean is playing strong hands only, playing them well, and doing what is mathematically correct. Keeping risk taking to a minimum is important too if you wish to play this way, but the main point is to keep your play simple and effective.
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I know one or two pocker players who are experienced in the game who play this way, and are successful at it too, but it is not always the way I like to play myself. In my view, you can become predictable playing this way, and so you have to try something slightly different some of the time. Having said this, you cannot underestimate the benefits of making the correct moves at the correct times. I would certainly recommend playing this way to beginners, as getting creative and trying to outplay superior opponents will only get you into trouble.
Experienced players, including myself, can find cause to tighten up and play this way sometimes too, especially if you have a nice chip lead on a full table. In this situation there is no need to take risks with your chips, but when you are shortstacked, you will often find you do not have time to wait for a strong hand. In this instance, you are sometimes forced to take risks and get involved with marginal hands. To me, this is where the true test of pocker lies and although I wouldn’t say I play marginal hands and make risky moves all the time, I certainly do not feel uncomfortable about it when I have to.
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What’s new at partypocker
Posted on May 22, 2009
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I should firstly mention the excellent Party Poker facilities for beginners. The poker school here is very detailed and informitive, giving new players the helping hand they need.
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In terms of promotions, Party Poker are running a ‘Million Dollar Race’ at the moment which pays out huge cash prizes for those players who can accumulate the most points on the cash tables over the course of the promotion. This is excellent in terms of potential winnings, but obviously the high stakes players will be more likely to end up at the top of the board. Also running currently, are numerous guaranteeds, and many ways to plot your path to the WSOP 2009.
Recent updates have made multi tabling easier at Party Poker, and personalised avatars are now available, giving a choice of pictures to represent you at the table. Searching for the table you want has also been made easier, with the opportunity to add favourite tables to a list for easy access.
Many new changes have been made since the new year, and all of these demonstrate how hard Party Poker are working to remain at the top in the online poker room industry. These improvements make playing pocker here a simple and smooth process, offering maximum choice and preference to players.
All the details of these changes can be found onsite, and hopefully, we will see Party pocker continue to make improvements during the year.
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888poker.com online poker
Posted on May 21, 2009
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888poker.com - This week has been a turbulent one in places, finishing on the bubble in my live event after playing pretty well throughout. I also played a small cash game with a friend of mine and had him on the ropes three times when he was all in. He managed to survive each time though and came back to win, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
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Next week I will get back into the Omaha games on PKR as I have not been involved in much online play this week.
I enjoy cash Omaha tables a lot at the moment, and hopefully I can turn a little bit of profit while I’m there.
The grand final game of our local poker league beckons in a months time too, and so as ever, my live tournament on Wednesday will be a priority. I should have cashed the last two times, but at least I am picking up plenty of points in the poker league table.
Another small cash pocker game with a couple of friends will I am sure, be a fixture, offering the chance for some light hearted revenge for being beaten last time. I have withdrawn some money from Pokerstars this week, but left enough to get involved in the ‘Battle of the Planets’ leaderboard this week if I wish. My focus has gone away from this recently, although if I find the time to, I shall resume trying to break onto that board. Generally speaking though, I hope as ever, to play at my best. I have done so in patches this week, but consistency is what is needed in the coming week I feel.
Partypocker - Case Study 3
Posted on March 30, 2009
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www.partypocker.com - In this instance, we have a Holdem tournament, with the second person to act holding (Ax,Kx). This player decides to limp in with 7 players behind them. Four call, and so five players see the flop of (7c,As,10d). The small blind then raises 300 into the pot, the big blind folds, and our player with (A,K) flat calls. One other player behind also calls, and the turn falls (3). The small blind then raises 600, prompting our player with (A,K) to move all in for 4,000 more. the other player in the hand as well as the small blind, call. The small blind shows (10,3) for a turned two pair, and the third player shows (A,9) for a single pair with a worse kicker than our player with (A,K).
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I should firstly say that I have no idea what the player with (A,9) was thinking calling an all in reraise with this hand on the river, but primarily, it is a perfect example of how to horribly misplay (A,K).
Being early to act is never the most ideal situation, but with (A,K) I feel you have to raise here preflop. This will eliminate all the players that might be holding complete muck… (10,3) for instance. If our player raises preflop, the loose and foolish call by our (A,9) player on the river clearly tells us he would probably have called a bet preflop no matter what the size. The (10,3) would muck and (A,K) would win a nice pot against (A,9). Fortunately for our (A,K) man, he gets another chance to win that pot after flopping an Ace. Again, he passively flat calls allowing whoever else wants to see a turn to come along for the ride. If he reraises strongly the (10,3) almost certainly folds, and the (A,9) calls. After he goes behind on the Turn though, our (A,K) man decides this is the right time to shove all in. He turns over the worst hand, loses all his chips, and you have to say, gets exactly what he deserves. Partypocker.com
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pokerstars.com
Posted on March 20, 2009
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I spent a fair amount of time playing regular poker at Pokerstars, and still hold them in very high regard as a poker site. One of the key points that kept me playing at Pokerstars was the large variety of games they have on offer. An old favourite of mine called Five Card Draw is also offered which I found pleasing, along with a compilation of other games which make up the most extensive list of games I have ever found anywhere online. the professionalism of Pokerstars has never been in question for me, they have excellent security and customer care, which is of course important for any top site.
Their list of professional, sponsored players, is distinguished, with the simple fact that so many household names have joined team Pokerstars, telling it’s own story. Their schedule is filled with all the tournament types you could wish for, with great variety when it comes to satellites and guaranteeds.
Bonuses and Promotions are also very good, with most offers being at least the average for the industry.
All in all, I think Pokerstars has done very well to continually ensure their poker room is of the highest standards. Very strong player traffic coming through the site on a constant basis shows that thousands of players enjoy playing at Pokerstars every day.
My only wish for Pokerstars would be for them to upgrade the whole visual feel of the site to something much more exciting and interactive. But then this would probably require a large amount of time and work, and perhaps Pokerstars feel they are successful enough in their current format not to need such changes.
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Pockeroom.co.uk Review
Posted on March 13, 2009
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The number of games on offer at this particular site are not as vast as a site like Pokerstars, but for my personal tastes they are very good. Holdem is a game everyone seems to love these days and I am certainly no different. Seven Card Stud is still enjoyed by many too, although I have to say it is not a game I have seriously taken to yet. Five Card Draw is great to see and brings a certain sense of nostalgia for me, as I used to play this game a lot when I was younger. Finally Omaha, a game which I have found myself increasingly drawn to in recent months.
These games are offered in all the usual formats you would expect too, whether heads up games, or MTT’s or anything in between happens to be your thing, you should find what you are looking for here.
If I were to suggest one possible change to the schedule, it would be great to see the hi/lo variation of Omaha, and whilst it may not be to everyones tastes, I certainly like the more open play it provides. Blackjack is also offered at Pokerroom, although this is not a poker game as such. But still, if you find yourself bored or frustrated by poker and need something different entirely, Pokerroom have catered for this eventuality too.
Overall I think the different games offered are very good here, but personal taste is the main point. Even so, there should be a strong enough list of games to keep most players happy I feel. www.pockeroom.co.uk
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888 pacific pocker - Problems and Solutions for Tight Players
Posted on March 6, 2009
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pacificpocker.com - When it comes to playing on a full table, this type of player never really gives you much in the way of immediate cause for concern. You know they are only playing strong hands and as long as you keep that in the forefront of your mind when you do happen to get involved in a hand with them, you should be fine. As long as there are one or two players to get involved in a few pots with, I can usually deal with tight players at the table as and when a hand develops. What does give me problems though, is when I am playing heads up when the blinds are not overly large, or when I am on a table full of players who are being very careful with their chips.
I have always had to keep a lid on my desire to get involved in pots with cards that have some potential but aren’t quite premium,simply beacuse I love to get involved and play poker.
Whilst I might be able push these tight players around for a while, I will inevitably walk into a hand sooner or later and undo much of my work. Ideally I want players who like to get involved and play, as the patient side of the game is not really my favoured way to play.
As for dealing with a table full of tight players, I think the best thing you can do is engage them in a protracted, drawn out battle and force yourself to be careful and patient too. You can of course steal some pots to give yourself an edge, but I think you should be very careful about your timing and make sure you do not bluff too often. 888pocker
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Partypocker - The Future of Poker
Posted on February 24, 2009
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www.partypocker.com - Historically, different variations of the game have become prominent. In times past we have seen Five Card Draw become the favoured game, as well as Seven Card Stud, and in recent times, Texas Holdem. To me, the natural progression would be that Omaha will take the stage as the most favoured game soon. The fact that so many online sites offer the game on their schedule shows that it has a strong following already. I am sure Holdem will also remain very popular for years to come too, and perhaps the very way in which these games are played will gradually alter.
Strategically, games seem to develop in their own ways, as do the stage on which they are played. You only need to look at online poker to see that. In terms of technological advances, I cannot see how poker might develop further in future years, it is of course possible that some sort of video uplink will allow players to face each other over the internet. This would give some of the social aspects back to the game which are usually missing in online play of course. Despite this, I think that such advancements are not really worth the complexities of setting up such video links, but then who knows what technology will be available in 20 years. No matter what aspects of the game change with time, the important thing is that the enjoyment for thousands of people playing poker across the world, continues. www.partypocker.com
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