Poker Friends

With the enormous boost in poker’s exposure over the past few years, many new players are introduced to no-limit hold’em through online poker tournaments. It’s a natural progression seeing as how many beginners have gone from the couch to the computer, learning tournament poker from professionals and fortunate amateurs on countless televised events. Many beginners even do the smart thing and immerse themselves in a no-limit poker book or two to refine their skills, and they may even have some success at Sit ‘n Gos or multi-table tournaments. However, many of these players spill over into the no-limit side cash games offered at all online sites and fail to adjust their play. While it’s true that in poker the most money is made in cash games, many players make critical errors when they try to transition into this format. My goal in this article is to help you eliminate some of those mistakes.

One of the most basic, but important, things to realize about cash games is the difference in structure to tournaments. In no-limit poker tournaments, you pay a specific buy-in and are given an arbitrary amount of arbitrary chips. Those chips have no cash value, and you can only make money by finishing in one of the top places. You can only lose your original buy-in. In cash games, you’re playing with your own money. The chips on the table – digital or otherwise – represent your hard-earned dollars. Don’t treat them like a tournament buy-in. You can lose real money real fast, and no one will be there to stop you from re-buying as many times as you’d like hoping to recoup your losses.

Another cash game mistake that many tournament players make is playing too aggressively too often. They also tend to bluff more often than cash game players, trying to use the same relentless aggression that has worked for them in tournaments. That style of play simply isn’t necessary in cash games where the blinds stay at the same level and no one is worried about being knocked out. I tend to play more aggressively and bluff more often in tournaments because my opponents tend to be more timid and willing to let go of their hands. Veteran cash game specialists can simply wait for a premium hand or trap their opponents when they have the best of it. You don’t need to play a lot of hands and combat the blinds in a cash game. Playing, and winning, one big pot with pocket Aces can make you a winner for the session. The great part about playing online is that no one will give you the evil eye when you double-up and promptly leave the table.

Also, tournament-style gameplay has become common in online no-limit cash games. Many inexperienced players have an all-in mentality that stems from loose tournament play. You’ll see hands like AK vs. JJ or AQ vs. 66 where all the money goes in preflop. This is simply unnecessary and a sign of impatience. None of these hands are a big favorite, which means that these players are willing to risk their entire stack on a coin flip. This type of play makes sense in a tournament setting where you are continually battling the blinds, you may be shortstacked and need to double-up, or you’re just looking to put the maximum amount of pressure on your opponents. In a cash game, why not wait for a better spot before getting in all of your money? Instead of going all-in and chasing out worse hands when you’ve Aces or risk going broke when you’ve got Jacks, why not make a standard raise of 3 or 4 times the big blind and re-evaluate the situation on the flop? Patience is rewarded in no-limit cash games and you’re under no pressure to accumulate chips.

Unlike in a tournament, you don’t have to play in a cash game until you either go broke or gain every chip on the table. The blinds are the cost of doing business at the table – not an ever-increasing chip monster dictating your actions. If you’re a beginning player, you should play tight and wait until you have a top hand in proper position. As you gain experience, you can begin to open up your starting hand requirements a bit. Don’t forget that in cash games, you can take your chips off the table and walk away at any time. Separating your cash game strategy from you tournament strategy can do wonders for your bankroll. Playing a straightforward, dull, and consistent game is often the best strategy to crush no-limit online cash games.

The principal instrument due to which a casino systematically wins is an in-built mathematical advantage in all the games. Either you play in slot machines, roulette, baccarat or dice - it is all the same, firstly, you play against a gambling establishment, secondly, it must still be in the black. It charges a fair price for satisfaction of a human game need, in particular a gambling need.

However, there are gambling games in which you can gain mathematical advantage thanks to your abilities. These are black jack, poker, slot machines, for example, some types of videopoker.

As regards black jack, videopoker, then, in point of fact, you play against a casino, so to say, dive into the pocket of a commercial enterprise. Do you think a gambling establishment likes it?

Surely, not. Therefore, a casino will always counteract such gamblers. As a result, even if you win, yours will be rather a hard toil.

What is left afterwards? As you have probably guessed - it is poker. Poker is a game in the variety of types of which there are both the factor of luck as well as the factor of abilities, mixed in different degrees.

For example, in a tournament poker the factor of luck is rather considerable - here a super champion can get the knock after the first round. Here a person who has got a gambling experience of just one year, more than that, on-line, can win the largest tournament and get a check for a seven-digit sum. It happened just this way last year at the World Series of poker.

To understand poker’s rules is not difficult. It will take you hardly a few hours. To thoroughly understand and effectively use a number of strategies, it will take you a few weeks. Even on this stage one can gain the result which will at least come to zero. It is already great - to satisfy one’s gambling need free of charge. If you are a football fan, then it is just the same as to visit all the matches of your favourite team free of charge!

To become a master of poker you will need several years. In this case, again sticking to a football analogy you will not simply watch your favourite team play, but become its full member and get money for it.

There are not so many real professionals. Generally speaking, I would not personally recommend to become a full-blood professional. It is my belief that for the majority of people it is quite enough to become a successful poker player, regularly to gain, and then you will decide for yourself if it is worth “getting mad” and in the course of many years playing one and the same game.
How is it still better to play: off-line or on-line? Much can be said about it, but if you are a beginner and would like to try yourself, then I am sure it is better to start with on-line games.

You need a computer priced at more than 300 dollars. You need a stable access to the Internet. You need a lifelong gambling bank the size of 500 big stakes or the so called sessional one the size of 200-300 big stakes. I won’t go into detail - to begin with 100 dollars will be more than enough, also, having opened an account on-line, be sure that you will get a bonus from 50 to 100 dollars on average. It will be enough to start with.

The basic advantages of an on-line game are as follows:
1. a possibility to play “for papers”;
2. a possibility of free instruction - there is a great deal of forums, books, handbooks;
3. a higher speed of the game;
4. a possibility to play with the players from all around the world at any convenient time for you;
5. a smaller size of minimum stakes;
6. absence of extra expenses (transport, tips, a hotel, meals);
7. a possibility to evaluate one’s level of game very accurately due to various statistical programs;
8. you can play in your underwear, swear - nobody takes any interest.

Also, a very important moment to remember: you can play without any strategy and use poker as an ordinary slot machine, to play at random and at a venture.

At this you can surely win something like jackpot, that is to win some big on-line tournament and the chances for it are not less than let’s say while playing on the ordinary slot machines.

Nowadays poker is played by dozens of millions of people all around the world, I advise you to start playing this interesting game which can considerably add to your budget as a result or even become your profession and principal earner!

An exciting feature unique to online poker is the ability to play at multiple tables at the same time. Certain card rooms have restrictions on the number of simultaneous tables you can have running, however many have recently enabled players to join up to four poker games at once!

As the variety of poker software continually improves we are seeing custom options also developing to assist in the fun and viability of multi-table play. Reknown for their innovative poker sofware, Ultimate Bet has had a ‘mini-view’ feature that has been popular for quite some time. For those lucky enough to have minimum screen resolution of 1600 x 1200 , Poker Champs has view options that can fit up to 6 tables running fully visible on your desktop. Most players for now will content themselves with moving around different poker tables as well as a lobby accross their desktop into patterns that seem the most appropriate depending on the seating at their tables.

With the prospect of earning more rake from the same players, the poker rooms have been very keen to promote their multi-table capabilities. The debate on whether each of us should actually play more than one table at once usually depends on our poker skill, playing styles and goals.

Recreational players seem to be mostly divided into two camps. Some players love the action, and enjoy playing tons of hands. The pure number of cards being dealt and almost constant action is the only way these players will really pay attention to the game and come out winners, otherwise they are easily bored and distracted by elements outside the game, often proving very costly. others that enjoy a more friendly and relaxed slow-pace game with side chatting. Any players that are easily confused or frusturated at making a strategy or possible a clicking mistake should be forwarned about the pitfalls of playing too many tables.

More serious players also have varying ideas on the subject that usually fall into main two view points. Some pros, intent on maximizing their winnings, will argue that a profitable player would earn at least a percentage of their hourly profit rate at each additional table they play at. Even if the profits per table are somewhat reduced, the total wins should be greater, justifying multi-table action. There are other excellent players that will insist certain playing styles, particularly those that heavily rely on reading other players, need the focus of only playing one table at a time, otherwise losses will likely occur on all fronts as their style is put to a disadvantage.

The practice of playing in tournaments and side games simultaneously has increased, adopted mostly by tournament enthusiasts looking to earn the same card room player rewards as the rest of the cash game players. This trend is only expected to grow as the past year showed many poker software upgrades enabling multi-table options at card rooms that were previously lacking the ability.