Movie reviews: No Limit

Well I watched this thing today and “thing” might be a euphemism for

“utter garbage”. Perhaps I shouldn’t go that far, but this film certainly

lacked what most would consider insightful material for a document-

ary. Sure it had dozens of soundbites from top pro poker players, like

John Cernuto, Doyle Brunson, Kathy Liebert, etc, but most of what they

had to say was superficial and repetitive. An occasional funny line came

out, particularly from Devilfish Elliot, when he dissed American players

by saying he would swim shark infested waters with a piece of bloody

meat tied to his neck to get to them, but this hardly made a ripple on

the drone surface of this film.

Particularly annoying was the main “star” of the film, Susan Genard.

She came off far from looking as if she had any idea how to play top

level poker. The few times she was seen playing a hand she was either

allin on a draw or winning a small pot, leading one to believe she tele-

graphed the strength or weakness of her holding.

Now she may indeed be a highly skilled player, but nothing in this

film offerred any evidence to this. Her silly table antics I suppose

were to soften the cold seriousness that typically holds reign over a

poker table, show the lighter side of hardcore gambling. But you could

tell from the expressions of the other players, that she merely got on

their nerves most of the time, and, more importantly, you could liter-

ally most see them licking their chops, seeing what a total fish she

certainly was.

Sorry to sound so cruel, but she really came across

as a gambling degenerate. The best evidence of this was her inter-

actions, always strained, always patronizing, with her co-filmmaker

and one-time boyfriend and father to her son, Brick. Who the hell

names their son, Brick, for God’s sake! It was obvious this guy knew

next to nothing about tournament poker, its nuances and tactics,

and he was spending a year of his life making a movie on the subject.

What a waste of time and money! Money, freedom, and the American

Dream indeed.

Too bad we learn nothing of the dark side of poker.

Not a mention of No Limit Hold Em’s greatest and darkest genius,

Stu Ungar. Too bad we learn nothing about Poker Tournament

strategy, of how the pro players really live and think. About where

the line between addiction and skill gets blurred, even among the

best players in the world. Maybe a truly revealing documentary

on the poker world will come out someday, but this film surely

aint it.

Online Casinos – Online Gambling

A new form of gambling started its success all around the globe in the 1990ies that people are talking about. Online casino gaming, online gambling, internet gambling, or cyberspace gambling. Doesn’t matter how you call it. It’s fun and exciting.

Nowadays gamblers from all around the globe are playing their favourite casino games online. Video poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, slots and many other casino games. Some casinos offer more than 200 different games with their free software download.

Also availabe are no download flash casino games. This games can be played without downloading instantly in your browser. The graphics are also great and so is the sound but a quick internet connection is necessary. People who have a 56k modem should rather download casino games.

There are lots of classic casino games available, as well as video poker, online slot machines and progressive slots.

The jackpots are actually very high. Some people have won more than one million dollars from playing progressive slots. The latest payout was over $2.000.000!

Most woman like to play at bingo online. Cool are the 3D graphics that let your virtual self walk around in the bingo room and sit and play at the table. You also can chat with other players.

Men like live casino dealer games. Female dealers that you can chat with and watch via live web cam play baccarat, sicbo, blackjack and roulette in a multi player chatroom.

What makes online gambling also great is playing at an multi player poker room. Poker players can play against other players from all over the world online. What this makes so exciting is that players can qualify for poker tournaments via the internet.

Online qualifiers already play at championships like the monte carlo millions, the world poker tour and the world series of poker, the WSOP.

Relatively new are mobile casino games. You can play blackjack, poker or slots in your cell phone, pda, palm and many other wireless devices.

Sport book wagering online is possible, too. Bets on football, hockey, baseball, basketball, boxing, tennis and other US and european sports can be placed online. But not only that. The live odds can be watched in real time via an live sport betting line. Always updated.

Besides casinos run internet casino tournaments. Poker and slot players battle for real cash prizes.

Regardless if you are playing for big money at an high roller online casino or not for real money online casino gaming is a lot of fun.

Casinos offer a free casino sign up bonus to all players. Free extra money to play! The amount is depending on how much you deposit in your account by using one of the many online funds transfer services or your credit card. Online sports & race books also offer free cash bonuses as well as online poker rooms.

If you are interested in gambling online, looking for casino news, or the poker TV program please visit our website.

Also available are gambling jokes, a gambling dictionary, good luck sayings and some more usefull stuff.

Texas Holdem Poker Winning Tips

Texas holdem poker is both a game of skill and luck. However, it seems to be more a game of skill rather than a game of luck. How else can you explain the same people generally winning the top poker tournaments? In this article, we will explore some to the factors that contribute to success in the game of Texas holdem poker.

Successful poker strategies

1) Keep a poker face

If your opponents see you get excited, or upset, when you read your cards, you are as good as beaten. In order to trick your opponents, you must never show any emotions.

2) Only play solid hands

Don’t waste your time going all in, or placing large bets, if all you have to back you up is a pair of two’s. Sure, you may be able to bluff everyone once in a while, but what are you going to do when someone calls your bluff?

3) Be patient

Winning in poker is a marathon, its certainly not a sprint. If you want to win, you must be patient. Many players become impatient and immediately start losing. Impatience leads to careless betting and careless play.

4) Keep your emotions under control

We all lose big pots or big hands occasionally. When that happens, you must train yourself to recover as quickly as possible. Stand up and take a deep breath, or sit out a hand or two. Recover and get back into the game as quickly as possible.

5) Learn to read your opponents

Possibly the most crucial element of poker is the ability to read your opponents. When your opponents look at their cards for the first time, observe their body language, and look at their facial expressions. Do they look excited? Do they look shocked? If you can get a read on what your opponents are thinking, or feeling, you have gained a massive advantage.

If you can master these poker strategies, you will become a force to be reckoned with on any poker table. Failure to master one or more of the above strategies will result in failure every single time. If you are serious about becoming a better poker player, I have three words for you; practice, practice, and more practice.

Poker: the Deal With Free Online Poker

The saying that all good things comes for free seems to be applicable in free online poker. Before the revolution of technology particularly the internet, poker games are played in a very dramatic scene and an amateur in the tables of poker games are a real treat because the professional ones see them as opportunity for wealth gain. Now, let us fast forward a bit to the period when the internet revolution is starting. There! In the world of internet, some things come for free and this is what free online poker offers to ordinary people like us.

There are many sites which offer free online poker to people, the only thing that you have to do is download their software, which is free by the way, and after that, you are on your way to playing free online poker. There are many reasons why people are using free online poker as a stepping stone in playing a much more professional game of poker.

Some people might start playing free online poker just for the fun of it. Look at this, you have internet access, a computer, and of course, time. Once you have stumbled in the course of free online poker, all you have to do is click to the left then type to the right and viola! Free online poker is now in your monitors, staring back at you and almost daring you to take your first move. It’s free, convenient, and very fun to play which is why many people are now addicted to free online poker.

Being a professional poker player entails a lot of practice and time therefore; free online poker is the best way to make sure that a person has sufficient practice in playing poker. Some people utilize free online poker as their stepping stone to becoming a professional and experienced poker player.

Let us now proceed to the details of free online poker. As I said earlier, downloading the free software would be the best way to utilize free online poker therefore; a person must have internet access and computer (of course), windows 98 or higher. Running time for downloading the software is usually 15 minutes for 56 kpbs. and the software takes up 6.2MB of storage in a computer’s memory.

After learning the technicalities which is boring yet essential, let us now dwell in the fun side of free online poker. There are many features included in the free online poker software and once you acquire it, you would also be able to utilize these features. One of the features here is that you have the option to play in public tables or private tables. For private tables, one must first ask for permission or a request to join the private table. You could also have the option to create your own private table thus making you feel rich and powerful. Aside from these features, free online poker also offers different types of games. These games are Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, and 5 Card Draw. Any player could use from these different types of games from free online poker. These different options for games make the free online poker package even more attractive and tempting for people.

Just a reminder though, free online poker does not give out money just like in a casino because the amount that you see is not real. Though that is the case, the top winners of the free online poker would receive a gift from the web host like a t-shirt or other give-aways. So there you go folks! Enjoy the deal with free online poker.

Poker Bots – Are they a real Threat to Online Poker?

Concern is growing in online chat rooms and news groups devoted to poker that sophisticated card-playing robots – known as “bots” in the nomenclature of the Web – are being used on commercial gambling sites. The premise underlying online poker is that all players are humans. But with the growing availability of free poker “bot” downloads, it is becoming difficult to detect whether a player is real or a possibly unbeatable bot.

Poker playing computer programs helps human players hone their skills, but now that researchers have made programs that claims they can beat any human player, are online poker sites under threat?

Well because there’s no real way to tell a program from a person. Some players could enter programs, or poker bots, as people.

Ian Fellows of the University of California in San Diego (who make the Poker Bots) concludes “It wasn’t until mid-2000, [when] an algorithm was developed, that [bots] could even come close to a competent player. But now online computer poker playing may become a thing of the past,” said Fellows.

Fell Omen is based on an artificial intelligence algorithm called “fictious play.” The algorithm enables bots to use imperfect information. Unlike chess, for instance, players do not know what cards are held by other players. (In chess, all information is known to both players.) Normal game-tree searches like those used by chess-playing bots cannot be used for poker. Fell Omen “is all based on decision trees that tell you at any point in the course of the game, What’s the probability you should raise, call or fold? Then it generates a random number and goes with that action,” said Fellows. That strategy is combined with randomness that prevents other bots from guessing its strategy.

But skeptics argue the complexities of the game and the changing strategies ensure that creation of a program that can “read” opponents’ cards using screen scanning techniques and respond in real time is years away at best. They point to the handful of commercial products that claim to give online players significant advantage, which they deride are inadequate, as proof today’s bots are no match for humans.

“It is pretty much a certainty that bots are playing online,” said Gautam Rao, a 43-year-old Canadian poker pro who regularly plays three high-stakes Internet games simultaneously. “… What we don’t know is how strong they are.”

Widespread use of bots capable of beating your average player would pose a significant problem for the online poker sector, which has grown exponentially in recent years and is expected to top the $1 billion revenue mark this year. Without some way of verifying the identity – and humanity – of players, the business could be significantly undercut.

The Guide for Online Gambling Beginners of Online Casinos Directory

For all of the people who like to try their luck and betting skills in casinos, there is a new gambling option for you. There are plenty of casinos which have an online version of their games. Through these online casino games, you will be able to play poker or roulette right in the comforts of your own house.

When you are just starting to discover the fun of online casinos, there is a site you can use as your guide. With Online Casinos Directory, you will be able to know more about the best casinos over the Internet. What is more, the site will teach you how to play your game right. This is possible through the online casino game guide of the site. Do not just opt to log on to your favorite online casino without making preparations beforehand. If you only know a few things regarding gambling over online casinos, let Online Casinos Directory be your guide.

The first advice of Online Casinos Directory to online gambling beginners is to acquire information on their choice online casino. If you have found a casino wherein you would like to play in, you should know more about it. In order for you to be sure of the things that you have read, why not choose an online casino directly at the site. Online Casinos Directory has a list on the five best online casinos. Along with this list are reviews on the service and the games of the casino. This list is guaranteed to be dependable because the casinos do not get on the list if they do not meet the criteria.

On the other hand, you can get the information that you need from the feedbacks of the players on that certain online casino. You can also read more info in news articles. This is a very important tip since this will help you learn a lot about the casino. In turn, you will be able to decide whether you would like to play in that casino or not. If you do not like the information that you have gathered, you can proceed to another review of other online casinos. The secret tip here is to be patient while you are trying to look for a casino that it worthy of your money and your time.

When you have finally made a decision on which casino you would want to play in, the next step is to find out what games it offers. If you are not an expert on online casino games, you can use the casino game guide of Online Casinos Directory. It will give you background information on how to play certain games. Know more about the regulations of the game that you would like to try out. You should make sure that you know well enough about your choice when you log on to it. You would not want to play and wage your money even if you are not sure how the game goes.

Pot Limit Omaha Poker

A slight mistake can turn your luck and careful analysis can make you a winner. It is the fact you need to work hard at it that makes it so much fun.

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Texas Holdem Vs Pot Limit Omaha

Pot Limit Omaha Poker would need you to protect your winning hand by pot-size bets and raises. The greatest fun here is that the pot increases quickly and you must always be very astute about what amount you should bet on the turn, should you be called on the flop. In Pot Limit Omaha Poker the bets are always raised as per size of the pot, though on very rare occasions you could bet for less. Some such special occasions would be when you find the pot too huge, or when you want to call on the river and you are anticipating the bet that your opponent would call, or anything like that.

You Need To Know A Few Tricks in Pot Limit Omaha Poker

Pot Limit Omaha Poker needs a lot of skill, capability to analyze the game that other players are scheming and good memory to remember the cards dealt on the turn and the river. The following advice would help you win your game and avoid the common mistakes that one initially commits.

1. The starting hands are very important ? unless you choose your starting hands correctly your game is doomed. Be very careful with this particular aspect.

1. Assessment skills ? without a good assessment skill, you would not be able to master Pot Limit Omaha Poker. Keep a very close watch on your opponents and assess who reacts how ? who is scared of bluffs, who usually bluffs, who is intimidated by aggression, and so on. Once you have mapped each player’s strength you would be able to interpret their moves better and judge your chances of winning more accurately.

1. The nut flush draw ? be careful about playing for the nut flush draw. It is always a good bet to go for the nuts in multi-way pots. Do not fall into the trap of committing your money when there is no additional benefit coming through. You may find that you would have to split the pot if you get caught in the middle of nut flush draw and a set.

1. The eight straight draw is not great news in Pot Limit Omaha ? this game would see 13, 17 and 20 way straight draws. So do not get over enthusiastic with the eight straight draw. Wait until you get a suitable hand before you go after the pot.

Beware of the bluff in Pot Limit Omaha ? this is one game where you would find very few real bluffs. Therefore, when a player bet or raises big, you better take notice and respect it

The attraction of Texas Hold em – Part 1

Texas Hold’Em has existed for decades, but has never seen the popularity that it has now. The flagship game of poker can attribute its allure to the sudden, exploding popularity of poker, brought about by three key factors.

- Chris Moneymaker

An accountant from Texas (aptly) named Chris Moneymaker entered an online satellite poker tournament for $40 back in 2003, and parlayed that entry into an unlikely seat at the World Series of Poker Main Event at Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas, an annual championship tournament featuring the world’s top poker players that cost $10,000 to enter. The tournament Moneymaker entered was a satellite, which awarded a seat in the Main Event to its winner.

Moneymaker went on to thread the needle, make the final table, and defeat top pro Sammy Farha to outlast 838 opponents and take down the $2.5 million first prize and the title of World Champion.

The result rippled through the poker world, and once news hit the mainstream that an everyday joe not only made it to the World Series of Poker, but beat out dozens of pros and hundreds of other players to the Championship… poker’s popularity exploded as countless players were inspired by Moneymaker’s feat.

Prior to Moneymaker’s win, the Main Event had seen steady growth but the 839 competitors that year was the highest total of competitors. After Moneymaker’s win, 2004’s Main Event saw over 2500 competitors, and the total in subsequent Main Events quickly ballooned as high as 8700+ before receding to a relatively paltry 6000+ or so.

This boom is referred to as the Moneymaker Effect, though it couldn’t have happened without the help of…

- … the advent of online poker

Prior to the rise of online poker websites, based outside of the U.S. to skirt Federal gambling laws… the only way players could play poker was to find a brick and mortar casino, and outside of gambling meccas like Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City… even with the advent of Indian Casinos, places to play poker were few and far between. Even casinos in Las Vegas had closed their poker rooms by the late 90’s due to sagging demand.

Online casinos opened the gateway to online poker, which gave rise to the popularity of exclusive online poker sites. All anyone needed to play poker in their home was a computer, an internet connection and a way to transfer funds, and since the entire game ran off servers, random number algorithms and software, it cost the sites next to nothing to run thousands of games, outside

An Introduction To Poker Slang

If you’re new to the world of poker, you want to play desperately but you don’t want to look too “green” then you should probably brush up on some poker terminology. You don’t have to learn how to speak a new language to look like a pro because learning just a few terms can make a few fear you at the table!

Some of the most common terms like trips, quads or ole one eye are pretty obvious pointing to three of a kind, four of a kind and the notorious one eyed jack. When you’re looking to impress some avid poker players, brushing up on a few terms that aren’t so common will do the trick.

Let’s look at a few hands you may have and the correct terminology of portraying a big boy at the table. After all, the last thing you want to say when you see two aces in your hand is, “I have a pair” so let’s look at the terminology for pairs.

A-A= these are called “Pocket Rockets”.

K-K= these are called “Cowboys” or “Elvis Presley’s” and some times “Penn & Teller”

Q-Q= often called “The Twins”, “The Ladies”, “The Hilton’s” or “The Dirty Duo”.

J –J = sometimes Jacks are called “Jokers”, “Hooks” or “Jerky Joe’s”.

These valued cards often have some wacky names and it may seem hard to keep up with some of them but you’ll soon realize that’s not so bad compared to some others. For instance, take a look at the slang on these babies.

2-2= “Ducks” or “Deuces”

3-3= “Prom Night” or “Crabs”

6-9= “Top or Bottom”, “Delight” and “Big Lick”.

K-J= “KoJak”

A-J= “Apple Jacks” or “Apple Fritter”

The terminology listed above can help you but only to an extent.

To be seriously efficient in a poker game, learn a few other terms to show that you are experienced and you mean business, everyone bluff’s sometimes. These terms are usually used in context when referring to a stage of play.

What is the flop?

The flop as it’s called is actually the first stage of play involving the community cards when the first three are laid upon the table in any type of “Holdem” style of poker. There are several ways the word flop is used and if you’ve watched televised poker play, it can be confusing.

What does it mean when someone says:

“He’s seeing the flop”= generally speaking this means that “he” the player will stay in the game, stay in the pot or the ante until “he” sees the first three cards—the flop.

“He’s hitting the flop”= this is a phrase that any poker player loves to hear and it means that the flop cards which are the first three of the community laid in the center of the table are going together well with the hole cards the player is holding that were dealt face-down to “him”. The chances of putting together a winning poker hand is looking pretty good.

“The post-flop is up”= basically this describes an action such as a bet most commonly. A player has bet post flop; the player has waited after he sees the post flop cards and means that the player didn’t bet blind.

“It’s coming down to the river”= the river refers to the last hand of Holdem style poker game. The very last card laid upon the table face-up, is the river.

Learning some of these terms should get your foot in the door to a good poker game but after you’re in it’s up to you. Have fun playing poker and even more fun learning some of the new slang.

Online Texas Holdem Poker Strategy: Maintain Focus At The Poker Table

There’s no doubt about it, some people are just better at poker than others. They appear to win consistently and seemingly at will. So this leaves many with a few questions which linger on the mind.

Could it be that poker is only a game of chance with no other forces to play upon besides the fickle Lady Luck?

What makes a good poker player a great poker player?

Is there a way in which I can be a more successful poker player?

If these questions have been yours at one time or another, then you’re certainly not alone. Millions of average poker players would like to enhance their gaming skill, and there are tons of products out there selling every day which promise to make you a better poker player. Poker players and wannabe poker gurus spend hard earned cash every day to learn the one secret which will transform them into poker pros in twenty four hours or less.

Let’s face it, if skill came in a can, and Lady Luck in a bottle, we’d all be poker pros. Sadly, improving your poker game just isn’t as easy as opening a can or a bottle, but don’t lose hope, there is something you can do.

The main problem which plagues poker players is the lack of focus. Focus is the key which can turn mediocre poker players into successful poker players. When a player loses focus, they will most certainly lose the game to someone who has maintained theirs.

The main causes of loss of focus at the poker table are:

Focusing on talk rather than the poker game: Talking during play is without a doubt the toughest habit to kick, and is the biggest consumer of our poker time attention. Poker time chat is something that’s expected, especially among friends, so it’s tough to quit without appearing rude. Tone it down over time, and you’ll see your poker winning streak improve.

Focusing on food rather than the poker game: Food is essential to all human beings, that’s a fact we’re all familiar with. However, food shouldn’t be your focus while playing poker. Instead of munching during the actual game, grab something to eat before play begins, and during breaks in play. Focus off of food leaves more focus for poker.

Focusing on alcohol rather than on the poker game: Now here’s where I’ll lose some of you for sure. If you really want to improve your poker game, leave the drinking of alcoholic beverages for post game chatter. A clear mind places smarter bets, and also puts you at an advantage over your inebriated poker pals.

Focusing on a personal issue rather than on the poker game: We all have issues at one time or another in life. Bringing them to the poker table isn’t helping anyone but your opponents. If you have something pressing on your mind and can’t set it aside, then leave poker for another time. This may sound a little harsh, but it’s the truth.

Focusing on a local distraction: This could be anything from your friend’s bad toupee, the barking of a distant dog or the tv upstairs. Filter out the ambient non poker essentials. Forget the toupee, the dog and the tv. It’s poker time pal, let’s get down to it!

Focus in itself is a skill. Any skill can be developed over time if diligently practiced. The five focus stealers we discussed will kill your poker game if you let them. By developing a razor sharp focus, you can cut them off before they become a persistent problem.

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