Watch High Stakes Poker, it is the best poker show on TV bar none. While the World Poker Tour and ESPN’s World Series of Poker regularly garner the highest ratings, the half-hour segment on the Game Show Network is by far the most interesting.

Firstly and most importantly, High Stakes Poker is a cash game, while most other shows are tournaments. On top of that, most of those shows are only the Final Table of massive tournaments. There are no losers at the Final Table of any major tournament – they are all going to be making a lot of money. And you aren’t seeing every hand, only the ones that the producers think are the most interesting. Unlike when you watch the WPT and the WSOP, every hand is shown on High Stakes Poker. And when you see a $10,000 bet on High Stakes Poker, it is a real $10,000 bet representing real money.

This difference underscores a major shift in the style of play. In a cash game, you can buy in as many times as you want while in a tournament, you can only go broke once. This opens the door for bigger bluffs, more speculative pre-flop raises and a lot of very pricey decisions.

There are also no satellite qualifiers at the High Stakes table. While this hurts the Chris Moneymaker fan in all of us, it means that every seat is filled by a wealthy guy who is not afraid to move some money. In fact, High Stakes Poker is one of the only places to see wealthy amateurs face the pros: players like Jerry Buss and Guy Laliberte are too rich to play poker for a living, but will fool around on the felt from time to time.

And then there are those unique All-Star tables that only High Stakes Poker can make happen. There are just too many people in a major tournament to end up with a final table of Doyle Brunson, Antonio Esfandiari, Barry Greenstein, Sammy Farha, Jennifer Harmon, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth. This is an All-Star lineup that needs to be hand picked and assembled, both of which the producers of High Stakes Poker are happy to do.

So now, here is the list of the top 10 best hands in the history of High Stakes Poker. They feature big **** outs, big bluffs, great calls, huge pots and a couple of riverboat gamblers running a million dollar hand four times.

10. One of the most infamous moments in the history of High Stakes Poker occurred early in the show’s run. Daniel Negreanu was holding a K10 against Antonio Esfandiari who was holding pocket Jacks on a board that read Q 10 6. Kid Poker moved in on the Magician for almost $650,000 leaving Esfandiari to make one of the great reads in televised poker history. Too bad the deck disagreed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rut0vx-UtGI.

9. Want big bluffs? Watch the relative unknown Brad Booth bluff poker superstar Phil Ivey off a pair of pocket Kings on a board that read 3 6 7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYaWCKnGd8M.

8. 1 out of every 50 or so times that you pick up pocket Kings, someone has pocket Aces. In this heartbreaking hand Sammy Farha almost gets off of his Kings pre-flop against Barry Greenstein’s Aces. Almost, but then again, maybe it was a good call. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg551su1KnM.

7. One of the best parts of watching High Stakes Poker is watching the players come to arrangements about running hands twice and such. Watch in this hand as Patrick Antonius and Sammy Farha agree to run a million dollar pot 4 times. Also of note is how quickly Sammy Farha calls a $300,000 bet with nothing but a king high flush draw – and it’s the right call! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhEqem0c9A.

6. The biggest pot in High Stakes Poker history was almost this $1.2 million monster between Guy Laliberte and David Benyamine. But in the end, Guy is just too nice to be a poker pro after all. Watch for Doyle Brunson’s great line, “This represents a day in his life, it represents your life.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuzU_M8HtBU

5. If you play enough poker, you are going to get ****** out on. Not everyone gets ****** out on for $750,000 though. Watch as Patrick Antonius swallows a rivered full house from Jamie Gold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBm1wnq2C5o.

4. Another hand featuring pocket Aces, pocket Kings and Sammy Farha. Only this time he has the Aces and rubs up against the ever chirping 2006 WSOP Main Event champion Jamie Gold. The poker played in this hand is not nearly as interesting as the conversation. Then again, a $400,000 is pretty interesting stuff. There are two parts to this one as both Sammy and Jamie are chatters at the poker table.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF2P3lPSxS8

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRt_S0LxgZg&feature=related

3. All of the players at the table had agreed to pay any one who won a hand holding a 7-2 an extra $500 a piece. So naturally, poker brat Phil Hellmuth had to try. Only, he didn’t expect to run into Mike Matusow and his pocket Kings. This hand is for any one who thinks that Phil Hellmuth is a poker celebrity only because of his mouth. Watch the difference between a decent poker player with a huge mouth and great player with a huge mouth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF2P3lPSxS8.

2. Maybe the single best play in the history of High Stakes Poker was brought on because of tilt. Watch as Doyle Brunson ponies up $400,000 with top pair and middle kicker against the eccentric billionaire Guy Laliberte all because he lost a previous hand to Jamie Gold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csgzYv4jo6k.

1. Want crazy cards? How about a full house going up against quads? Watch this ridiculously cold deck between Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu climb up past half a million dollars. And the best part is, they both seem to know exactly what is going on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojeRwWIdQBM.

So there is a list of the 10 best hands in the history of High Stakes Poker. Check these and more out online and on the Game Show Network.

How many of you play games of poker? How many of you lose more often than you win, are you just making up the numbers but in the process giving away your hard earned cash? Maybe you want to start playing poker, either way this will help. Don’t forget to follow up what you read here with the free videos on www.bethepokershark.com

1. So just knowing the rules and nothing else won’t get you far. But not knowing the rules will have you in a hot caldron of trouble surrounded by hungry cannibals. So learn the rules of the game. Check out this video

2. The most common sign of a Poker Loser is a player who plays weak hands. Wasting your chips on hands which have no chance of winning is about as good a use for your cash as burning it to toast marshmallows. Wait for the right hands, then play, you will be rewarded!

3. Almost all poker players play with some sort of strategy whether they know it or not. If you want to be a Poker Loser then ignore the other players at the table, don’t watch how they are playing. If on the other hand you want to be a winner, do the opposite. Watch the rest of the table when you are in hands and when you’re out.

4. A sure fire way to be a Loser is to forget about simple probability. Remember your chance of winning is important to consider, so is that fact that it changes during a hand as the game develops. To simplify this as much as possible, think about how much you will need to bet in comparison to the pot, keeping this in mind should keep you on the right track. Check out this video

5. Ok so in step 3 we said watch other players if you want to avoid pinning the loser badge to your shirt. Once you have watched some poker you will see and recognise the different styles and strategies that players are using. For example you might notice the aggressive players on a table betting big on a small pot to make you think back to those odds we talked about in step 4. Once you understand how these styles work you will be able to start using them yourself and understand how other players are using them to give yourself the edge against them, turn the tables and set them up as the loser.

 

Lets check out some of the key advantages to playing online:

 



One of the key advantages of poker on the web is that its global, people from all over the world are playing and there is always someone up for a game 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This is great it makes it easy to play when you want to especially if you want to play some sit and go games.

Because of the volume of online poker players the choice of game and tournament options is almost never ending. Compared to playing against friends at home or playing in a casino or card room where you are tied to the type of game everyone wants to play, picking online gives you the opportunity to decide how you want to play by the value of the game, or number of players or loads of other options.

So there is nothing on tv and you fancy a bit of poker, instead of phoning around to see if anyone is about, getting ready and getting yourself out the house, fire up the computer and you can be playing in 10 mins. All you need is to be signed up with one of the trusted online poker rooms. Good news is they almost all offer bonuses to new sign ups and you can find them all here.

Loads of beginners play online, in fact players at all levels play which is great for finding games you will be well matched to. Pretty much all the online poker sites offer pretend money games, which you can play just for fun.

Of course if the chance to win some cold hard cash is more your style then playing poker is ideal. You can of course play several tables at once if you like to improve your hourly earnings. Or if you’re a beginner sit at your computer with a list of tips and our hand guide open to guide you through. As long as you know the basics and stay patient anyone can win online. Brush up on your skills with our free videos here.



 

The first episode of Season 4, starts with the return of Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth back after his much talked about meltdown on HSP season 2. And the game is on as they play Seven deuce…where all the players have to pay $500 for anyone that can win a hand with seven deuce. But when the Poker Brat lands deuce 7, can he make The Mouth fold with a pair of Kings? Todd Brunson, Phil Laak, Esfandiari, Voulgaris, and Mike "The Mouth" Matusow sit down for this all cash game. …

The poker player information is not really relevant to winning a poker tournament, so it is perhaps understandable that people would not follow it. However, an argument can be made that this news is indeed important and that it is indeed very important to follow it. This argument would be backed up by a few very interesting reasons, some of which are discussed below.

Information

In general terms, the more information you have, the better off you are. While some people would argue that poker news might be relevant in some areas, online poker gossip could not possibly be interesting in terms of information gathering. Even if it is not about the personal lives of poker players, it could still be about acquisitions and appearances at particular tournaments of famous poker players and while that information is interesting, is it really relevant?

The argument can be made that this information can and is very relevant. Knowing what is going on with the best poker players in the world will allow you to schedule your tournaments so that you avoid as many of them as possible. This type of information, even though it is sleazy, can also allow you to keep your mind focused on poker. The more your mind stays focused on poker, the less your mind is wandering and the better you will play when you get into a poker tournament. For these two reasons, information is a very good argument in favor of following the news.

Ammunition

Another reason to follow poker news and online poker gossip is the fact that it will help you against the people you are playing. After all, if you want to win the best poker tournaments in the world, you are going to have to go through the best poker players in order to get there. If you know what is going on with those players in their personal lives and in their professional lives, you might be able to use that information to get the players to make mistakes. Chiding a player about a tournament they just lost or getting them to talk about a particularly emotional moment in their life is the same as taking their attention off their game and placing it somewhere where it can not hurt you. If you can do this to a player then you automatically gain an advantage over them and if that is not a persuasive argument in favor of following the news, nothing is.

Conclusion

Whether you actually end up following the poker news or not, at the very minimum you should be paying attention to what is going on in the professional world of poker. If you do not do this at a minimum, you are really missing out. Once you have the professional world covered, you can then go back and start taking a look at other poker news and online poker gossip.

As the a gambling industry continues to be technologically advanced killing the barriers of time, and distance, many people are now playing the online poker room, that one needs is skill and sufficient funds to access the website and start playing against other people from different places.

If you have ever attended any casino or other gaming establishment, chances are good that you may have run into someone who the perfect place to play a hot game of poker could be found. Naturally, the level of accuracy of this statement depended greatly on the individual in question, as frequently these types of statements are completely based in imagination and fantasy on the part of the informant. The truth of the matter is that finding the one best venue for the playing of poker or other gambling and gaming activities is a near impossible task, since every casino, poker room and gaming establishment professes itself to be the best, the highest paying and the most reliable. The concept of truth in advertising is very loosely followed in the gray area of what constitutes the best or most reliable casino or poker room.

The experience of searching the web for online poker room like pokerpressbox.com can be just as frustrating as the search for the offline brick and mortar counterpart in any gaming friendly city such as Las Vegas or Atlantic City. The search for the best sites, the fastest payouts and the most secure online poker room and casinos can lead to a lot of dead ends, wasted time and even worse, wasted money. But the search for a suitable online poker room such as pokerpressbox.com doesn’t have to be difficult or even overly long if the user focuses on a few main characteristics that are critical to the success of any online poker room casino or poker room.

First and foremost, the issue of security should be addressed. Security against illegal tampering as well as protection against collusion and players who work together to cheat the other players who may be new to the concept of online poker room are both important areas to address in the search for online poker room and casinos worth playing. Without the proper security features, the player can’t be sure that payment information and personal data isn’t being copied from the site and the data that streams back and forth from player and poker room.

Fortunately, sites like pokerpressbox.com have effectively incorporated the latest effective technology into the online poker room room and casino concept and provides the maximum available protection against hacking with state of the art encryption technology. Safe and secure sign ups as well as day to day winnings are safe from the prying eyes of strangers.

The best online poker room sites have to be reputable. That is, they should be fair and pay out quickly and easily. It is important when you are deciding which site is best for you that you take into account what others are saying about the site. Some poker sites make it difficult to get your money out after you have won, while others lack the customer service to make guests feel comfortable. There are a number of best online poker rooms rating sites available with reviews from actual users. With very little research you should be able to narrow your search for the best online poker rooms, poker sites down to the most reputable three or four on the online poker rooms.

The next factor you want to take into account in your quest for the best online poker rooms is the number of people on the site. The more people that are on a poker website, the more likely you will be able to find a game quickly. Most people find it frustrating to go to a site only to find that it is difficult to get a table going or to join an existing table. If you are playing poker on line you want to log on and go. The idea is not to spend all of your time surfing around for a game. Also, you will want to weigh the number of people against the other factors to determine where it ranks in terms of importance to you in finding the best online poker roomsr for you.

Finally, you want to evaluate your own game so that you can determine what kind of competition you want to face. Different online poker rooms sites offer different levels of competition. By using the afore mentioned ratings sites, you can find reviews of which online poker room sites offer the steepest competition. Remember, better competition can get you into better games, but if you just want to be able to win a few bucks here and there you may want to stick with more intermediate or beginner online poker room rooms with lower pots. Determining the level at which you want to play, especially against the number of players on a site, is paramount in determining the best online poker rooms site for you.

Any online poker rooms player would be well advised to visit pokerpressbox.com and decide for themselves which online poker room is right for them. Fears surrounding online poker room rooms are not as great in magnitude as those of real life casino can be. With that realization you are free to explore the world of online poker roomspoker.

If you have been enjoying a game of poker as a hobby, you can now enhance that experience by joining a social network. First, a quick primer on what a social network is.

The Internet has been evolving rapidly. Traditionally, websites are all static pages with lots of useful information. Soon, people start to realize that the Internet is not just for sharing information but it can be used to communications as well. So we start to see a wide variety of communication applications launched. Such applications include email, instant messengers and VoIP technologies.

By then, many web developers started to look at different ways to make their websites more interactive and community based. Such websites allow visitors to register for an account, and interact with other members of the community through different tools such as forums, comments and rating widgets. These websites have become social networks.

Friendster and MySpace are true pioneers of the social networking space. They are the first social networking sites to have gained prominence in a very short time span. Facebook, another popular social networking website, became the fifth most popular website in the world with a few short years.

For sure, social networking has been on the rise on the Internet. One unique characteristic of a social networking site is that it allows people of the same interest group to come together and share a social experience.

For example, let’s say you enjoy a game of poker as a hobby. You can now go to a poker social networking site and register for an account. Once you are a registered member, certain privileges will be made available to you.

On the homepage of a poker social network, you will see the latest poker related news that are posted by other members of the community. As a member yourself, you can either vote for, or against the story. News stories that get the most number of positive votes will rank higher on the site. That means the story will get lots more exposure. You may also leave your comments and voice your opinions. Let the community know why you think a story is good or bad.

As a poker social network is specifically built for the poker audience, it is able to cater to the special needs of poker hobbyists. For instance, besides being able to comment and vote for your favorite poker story, you will also be able to see upcoming events and tournaments. Whether you want to join these events of tournaments is completely up to your own discretion.

At the end of the day, a poker social network will help enhance the poker experience because you can network with others who share the same interest as you. You can learn tips and strategies from other poker players, just by reading the content that they have posted. Participating in such a network will only make your games more enjoyable because you can now share the joy of playing poker with others.

Daniel and Doyle tangle on the felt. Watch High Stakes Poker Sunday Nights 9/8c! …

Texas Hold-em can be a lot of fun. Please always play with the intention of having fun and leave the heavy gambling to the pros. Many lives have been destroyed because of addiction to gambling.

A message about gambling: Gambling (or betting) is any behavior involving risking money or valuables (making a wager or placing a stake) on the outcome of a game, contest, or other event in which the outcome of that activity depends partially or totally upon chance or upon one’s ability to do something.

Texas Hold’em is a kind of card game that uses five-card combinations from a selection of seven cards. Texas Hold’em poker is relatively easy to learn but the details and the complexities involved make it hard to master.

In order to win, you need the best 5-card hand combination. There are a lot of Texas Hold’em poker tips that you can learn if you want to improve your game. Below are some of these winning Texas Hold’em poker tips.

Texas Hold’em Poker Tip 1

After the flop, you can see five of the seven total cards you need in order to create your hand. It is at this stage that you can determine how good your hand is going to be during the final round. A Texas Hold’em poker tip would be stay only beyond the flop if you have a strong hand. Another Texas Hold’em poker tip is to see if you have a draw to a potentially winning hand or good reason to believe that your opponents may fold when you bet in the next round.

Texas Hold’em Poker Tip 2

It is a basic Texas Hold’em poker tip to never continue beyond the flop if you don’t have any of those diverse possibilities mentioned above. If the pot promises great payoff and your odds of making a hand is quite good, a Texas Hold’em poker tip is to stick with it. Another Texas Hold’em poker tip is to stay for the turn or the river if you have a strong pair, a decent side-card, a kicker, a straight, or flush draw.

Texas Hold’em Poker Tip 3

An A/K is a terrific combination. But a Texas Hold’em poker tip would be to start playing aggressively only if you get either an ace or a king in the flop.

Texas Hold’em Poker Tip 4

In poker, being the last player gives you the edge. But what if you’re the first player? A Texas Hold’em poker tip would be to play few hands. This passes the weight of the action to other players who will be the ones to make the calls, bets, or raises.

Texas Hold’em Poker Tip 5

One of the most important Texas Hold’em poker tips is to always consider the community cards since these are the only cards that you can see. Try to gauge how these cards will interact with your two hidden pocket cards. This Texas Hold’em poker tip will help you make a good hand.

A Simple warning about gambling: Know your limit and play within it…

A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K, A-Q can be better played in short handed tables than in big tables; this is one of the main online poker tips you need to know. In fact, this result of requiring play these hands against short tables is most preferred and recommended by poker pros that have seen thousands and thousands of hands; this has in fact become a part of every kind of online poker tips after many case studies of hand histories of many players.

A-A can literally make you blush, and a one second dream of a poker-turned millionaire, but the winning chance for this hand is truly a lot of sacks and sacks, but this can necessarily loose too! This can be possibly when you are in the big forced bets. Before you can come out of your dream almost everyone in the table have placed their bet. And it may seem that your chances to win are thinning out. It is going to be one of the sensible online poker tips that will tell you to better check raise this hand because it has nothing better to improve than another pair. Try to get maximum people to fold when you are playing such hands. The same is true with A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K, A-Q; get many people out when you are with such a hand. Medium hands on the other hand would require a big table. Medium hands have a multi-way scope for improving. You can slow play select medium hands and make others to stay in the pot.

Whatever you hold, you need to necessarily understand where you exactly stay in the table; it would be better if you are sure about what you are expecting on the board. Unless you know what you need and what you are waiting for you might not be able to make a good play.

Online poker tips suggest that you need to know what you hold and you should also know the scope of the hand. Once you get a hand you should create a target or an expectation for what actually you are waiting for. If the card that you expect did not turn out in the flop, then the same coming up in the turn and river is a bit of slim. However, if you are just expecting one more card you can wait to see the turn or river. But it all depends upon how accurate you have been in deciding on the odds of other players.