Poker Tournaments

Free Online Poker Skill Guide To The Most Important Poker Money Winning Skill Of All

There’s one skill, or maybe you could call it personality trait that sets successful poker players apart from the herd more than any other, be you a fun free poker games player or casino cash player the fact is that if you do not possess it you’ll never do well, what is it then, simple – Patience.

Even the blind mouse finds the cheese sometimes, and no matter how unlucky you think you are, how many chips you have, or how many people are left in your tournament, the most important thing is that you are patient with yourself.

Sometimes you get so tired of seeing terrible cards and your chip stack starts to drain enough to the point where you get desperate, and start calling with J5 off-suit, or other hands with the same idea. I’ve done it, so have most of us and it’s killed me 99% of the time.

A key to success through patience is not to be patient just pre-flop, it must be all hand. Let me show an example, You draw a K (c) Q (d), and you call with 2 other people in the hand. The flop shows K(h) A(h) 8(h). Clearly this is a very risky hand, and most of the time you will fold no question.

But to the desperate, sometimes I would get a false source off confidence in my hand, and 85% of this time I will get burned, despite only having two others in the hand.

Patience is one of the many obvious traits important to poker success. More so, is consistency with patience. Sometimes we may get carried away for a bit and then the losses occur. To build this consistency try to make rules on what you are willing to call pre-flop and what you won’t.

Obviously free online poker is a much different game than live, as online is much more fast-paced and live is more in-depth and slower. Despite many complaints from my peers, I like to milk out every second of my time limit for each decision. I recommend this to any competitive and casual online poker players, because it may be the difference between a bad beat and a great fold.

Many times in online free poker play you will run into, what we call “Donks”. Most of the time they will have a much larger chip stack, and will win hands using brawn and bluffing. It?s important not give into his bullying, and play it slow. If you get a good flop, let him make the mistake. The classical check-raise works well, but if you move too early, your chance will be lost to cash in. “Donks” can be a great source of chips, if you be patient and play it out right.

You will get bad beats, sadly they’re unavoidable. It happens to the best of us, and there’s nothing we can do about it. What we can do, though, is play smart, take your time, and, again, be patient.

These are all extremely important no matter who you are playing with or how long you have been playing the game, which brings me to my final point. Experience. You can read all the articles, books and magazines and watch all the TV and take online courses and classes but nothing can replace or shortcut true experience, so get out there and play poker online for free if you’re new to it all, build your skills and understanding and work hard to develop that crucial patience habit.

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Free Online Poker Guide To How To Semi Bluff

In this free poker games article we’re going to look at the art of semi-bluffing.

A good place to start is to define what a semi bluff actually is. A full, or stone cold bluff is when you have a hand with no potential at all. But if you bluff where you have a bit of something and that’s what we call the semi-bluff.

For example, when you have a hand like Ad-Kd at a board of 6h-7h-8s-10h and you bet large or raise your opponent?s bet large, you are executing a pure bluff.

This is due to the fact that the hand didn’t get better with the Flop and got even worse at the Turn. But if you put your opponent on a weaker hand like A-Q or even a draw like A-J, then you can push him out of the pot by betting substantially. This big bluff is the only chance you have should you choose to go for it rather than fold. If he calls your bluff, then your A-K can’t stand much pressure.

Now lets say you have 7-6 and the Flop shows 5-4-J. Your opponent checks. You reckon he might just have a raggy Jack so you check. Your intention is to fold if your hand does not improve and/or if he plays aggressive, but your primary reason for checking is to catch a 3 or 8 and nail the opposing A-J, K-J or 9-9 later on.

However, suppose your opponent checks and you bet? In this situation betting has two purposes. Increasing the pot if you manage to improve to your Straight is one. Two, of course, is to nail your opponent. If he’s got nothing then he’s out of course. (With 9-9 he may move out.)

But what if he has the Jack? If he had a weak Jack (say, J-8) he may put you on a bigger Jack, say, A-J, or K-J and he may move out. Because you bet (or raise) it indicates that your pocket cards somehow fit the community cards.

Now, he may call, and you proceed to the Turn and the River. You figure out now he may have A-J or K-J. Or he may continue with 9-9.

If your hand doesn’t improve yet on the later rounds then you can pure-bluff your opponent all the way or stop.

If you hit your straight though, what then? It could be that he was putting you on a weaker Jack post the Flop (such as J-8) or he might raise with A-J or K-J. He has no idea that the Straight was completed!

He does not realize at all that the 3 or 8 made it for you. You can now crush your opponent. This is the semi part.

Here you can now win in two ways: Through the “bluff” part, your opponent will fold and you still have the pot. Or through the “semi”, both of you will show down your hands, and you win a larger pot.

Also, you can check and check until you complete the Straight, but you show your opponent your hand. The next time he will play with you, he might be scared if a similar situation arises.

If you semi-bluff, however, you still show your opponent if he decides to continue, but additionally, you can make your opponent fold so he cannot guess what you have.

Overall lesson? You can be more unpredictable with semi-bluffing so get practising! And what better place to play poker online free than http://www.NoPayPOKER.com where you don’t have the fear of losing money like you do at on money sites or live tables yet you can still win real cash on risk free free poker games.

Free Online Poker Lesson On How To Play Backdoor Draws

In a poker game whether it is free poker online or cash game, a backdoor draw is a draw missed on the Flop but made on the Turn. This free online poker article will show you , using some examples, ways you can play for a backdoor draws with the best chance of hitting it.

Backdoor Draw As an example

In this situation you have 8-7 then the flop shows 5-A-J. There is no Straight draw as you need 2 cards to complete it.

But if a 4, a 6 or a 9 falls on the Turn, you have a backdoor Straight draw which you can hope on the river. If you complete your Straight on the river then you have a backdoor Straight (you can also have made hands like backdoor Flushes or Trips or Full Houses, by the way).

Lets presume we have 8-7, then the flop shows 5-A-J. Usually, when we don’t have anything on the Flop which will improve on the Turn into a complete hand, we fold.

But what about if you check and a conservative challenger decides to check his, say, A-10 or A-9? You then check, too (just as normally). When the Six (or Four or Nine) still doesn’t come then our options are to just retreat or bluff.

But additionally you can call in this situation. Suppose the pot is 200 (blinds 10-20), only two of us are in the pot, and he is first to act and bets only 25. The bet will swell the pot size to 225, and we are getting 9-to-1 on a call here.

We may as well call, so we can get a chance at even just a draw.

Also, it’s possible that after he bet his 25 he might be seeking to push you out of the pot with a really small bluff but it doesn’t change matters. Just call so you can have a chance at a backdoor draw.

And, note, don’t show you are a weak player by folding to some bunk bluff. Folding in a 500 pot after a 30 bet? Now that’s not just cowardice. It’s senselessness.

If the Six, Four or Nine appears, this is the time to figure out whether or not we shall still proceed. Usually we hope he plays conservatively and we hit our free Straight on the river.

Back to the aforementioned situation: What about if at the already 250 pot, he bets 200? Fold. 100? Fold, or call, if you feel like calling.

For a gutshot draw we’re about 11-to-1 hitting our Straight; to have an up-and-down Straight draw, about 5 1/2-to-1. Therefore if he bets 100, the pot is 350, and on a call we get 3 1/2-to-1.

It may still not be the right price, but if you feel like calling, call the 100 bet if it’s up-and-down. If it is a Gutshot then fold. 50 or lower? We get 6-to-1 (300 pot, 50 to call); so the pot odds are advantageous for an up-and-down Straight draw, so just call. Not quite for a gutshot.

But it’s also possible to call like, you’re representing A-K and you could take action on the river.

Next, should you get the Straight at the river it is time to play aggressive. Typically an opponent will put you on a made hand that the Flop and your “weak” call indicated that you have, e.g., a second Pair, J-10, even third Pair.

But we completed a Straight that contains the Eight and the Seven, and he has hardly any clue about it! Why? Because you called on the Flop, and unless he is a strong player and knows about it, that call may indicate a made hand! If he bets, raise (maybe a raise for value that will not scare him off), or if he checks, bet large.

If it is not looking good!

If you don’t hit your Straight, surrender.

Or, if you called on the Turn with the plan of representing A-K and moving at the river just play it fast but only if you can afford to lose. If it is just a smaller bet, you could call, but only in order to get information. Muck out as quickly as possible.

That is, if you do go and chase the backdoor draw; if, say, you can afford it with your chip stack. In general, don’t chase cards. Chasing is the favorite pastime of losing poker players (maybe next to tilting).

Or don’t pursue a backdoor draw with the intention of chasing. Usually you should be on the offensive by bluffing; on the above example, he may even fold the A-10 if he checked and you bet substantially. Just treat the Straight as angel’s grace.

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Play Poker Online For Free And Win With All In With King-High Hands

When a desperate player in a poker tournament even a free poker games one doesn’t get A-A or K-K they tend to go all-in with Ace-something. Many will move all in with A-K, A-Q, and even A-4.

At worst, if someone with A-4 is called with the medium Pair, there is still one overcard. With A-K you can be called by Ace-lower whilst still being be a significant favorite.

This is fine but should not be your only all in gambit in such situations. In this this free poker games article you’ll see why you should also move all in with King-High when your backs up against the wall!

The trend for tournament players today has changed slightly in favor of moving all-in with King-something, like K-Q, K-J, K-10 (needless to say, the applications here apply also to A-K) and even K-x suited. Other players may also call with a smaller pocket Pair, therefore A-x has the same probability of winning as K-x against a smaller Pair if both cards are overcards.

And K-x posseses an additional benefit. While a hand like A-5 is a significant underdog against A-J, K-Q or K-5 is just a slight underdog.

Approximately, it is a 13 to 7 underdog, but compare this to A-5 that is a 15 to 5 (or 3-1) underdog. What you want to fetch with K-x is its live card value.

With the A-5, you must hit the Five in order to pair and take the lead. With K-5, you may have both King and Five pairing.

If you extend your all-in hand range to include K-x, you may have to move all-in more than ever before. Because many players will fold to an all-in (including marginal high A-x such as A-10 or A-9) other players at the table will receive a more aggressive impression of your play.

Also you can steal the blinds more often. The all-in itself (and not really the cards employed to move all-in) is an indication of strength; it is the same with A-x or K-x.

On the whole, if you are running out of chips and the all in approach beckons don’t limit yourself to just Ace-x, think of the King too, it could just make your day!

So why not experiment with the King High approach on the free online poker tables first, get used to it and then apply in more risky poker games later.

Hopefully this was interesting and helps your poker game be it free online poker or for cash. Certainly it will demonstrate that in any given poker game situation there are options to consider based on the cards you’ve got, the game period, opposition and known and estimated risk to name but a few.

If you’re new to this thought process then by far the simplest way to get ahead is always to practice a LOT on free online poker sites for instance http://www.NoPayPOKER.com and ONLY when you are winning consistently progress to real money stakes.

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Play Poker Online For Free And Hit The Rare Straight Flush Draw

This draw is one of the rarest in poker, free poker online or cash tables.

You have, say, 8d-7d and the Flop comes 5d-6d-K. Anyone who holds A-K has the best hand, but is not the favorite.

If your AK opponent’s hand does not get better than 3 of a kind later then you will just be favorite to win the pot at 54 to 46.

If your opponent holds no Diamonds, you still have 15 more outs to complete a Straight or Flush (9 Diamonds, 4 Fours and 4 Nines, and minus 2 to avoid overcounting the 4d and the 9d which will give you the unlikely Straight Flush) and this converts to a 54% chance of completing your hand.

There are various ways to play this hand, and many analyses possible. Let’s consider 4 strong options.

1. You can fight it out in an all-in match-up. Since the odds for you to comple the hand are 54 to 46, which is about the same as Q-Q beating A-K, the question you need to ask yourself before moving all-in is are you willing to do the same with a small Pair if you know your opponent will call with two overcards?

If the reply is Yes, you can proceed. Otherwise, you will find far more palatable options for you. The thing is that this is just one of the possible ways. If you get called, treat it as Q-Q against A-K.

If the opponent folds, then it is okay; you’ve won the pot. However, rather than ending the hand suddenly, you might want to keep your opponent hanging so that you can obtain maximum value, so there are other ways.

2. You may play this like playing an Straight or a Flush draw. If my opposition plays weakly, then I play this weakly too, or bet instead. I can decide to build to pot by betting firmly (but not largely yet). If you hit the Straight or Flush, begin with the usual way of slow-playing or value-betting.

The only worry is the fact that a greater Flush is possible for your opponent, but pay it off. Now, if your opponent plays strongly, you can revert to #1. If your opponent has the Set, you’re still 54 to 46.

3. Also you can afford to call big bets more than you will call big bets when you have just a Straight or a Flush draw. Whatever bet the opponent throws is callable, because any bet gives you pot odds.

Ideally, you should be the one doing the betting (or raising), but in case you want to slow-play, and hope that you hit and trap the opponent later, this can be done too.

4. Finally, you have the option of not playing it at all. Consider; say you are both in the top 20% in chips in the tournament (e.g. in the tournament with 50 players left, both of you are in the top 10).

Now the opponent suddenly moves all-in, you must consider: You’ve not made anything yet. Top pair can still be the favorite. Your opponent might also hold the Set. Now since your stack is comfortable, fold and wait for a less risky spot.

Hopefully this was interesting and helps your poker game be it free poker online or for cash. Certainly it will demonstrate that in a given poker game situation you will find options to think about based on the cards you’ve got, the game phase, opposition and known and predicted risk to name but a few. If you’re not used to this approach then undoubtedly the best way to get ahead is always to practice a LOT on free poker online sites for instance NoPayPOKER.com and ONLY when you are winning consistently progress to real money stakes.

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Free Online Poker High Power Players Guide To Making The Most Out Of The Poker Call

The poker call is one of the most misunderstood and badly played moves in both money and free online poker and Texas Holdem.

It is such that players who always call are disparaged as calling stations; however, it is not because they always call that they easily spill their chips to other players. The lose because they do not call at the right times and places.

With this free poker games article, we’ll explain to you by way of example the way you use calling in poker correctly.

Are there right reasons for calling?

The reasons for calling often crossover with those used by more aggressive players for betting. Here are some example situations where you may use the poker call.

- For example, if you have A-K in a board of 10-3-K-7-8, if you are first to act, you bet; you don’t check and call.

- You value-bet. However, if you are not first to act, what should you do if someone else bets?

- Might you raise? Here, good betting reasons are not so good raising reasons. As you still have a hand you don’t raise but neither do you fold.

The rule now, for the above hand, is:

- If you’re first to act, you bet.

- If you’re not first to act, and someone bets, call an amount less than or equal to the amount you intend to bet if you’re the first to act.

- If the amount is greater, you fold. This rule applies only if you have a hand.

- Without a hand, like just Ace-high, you bet, but you fold to a bet.

- Don’t call with Ace-high (unless from curiosity).

Let us try another hand.

You have 8-7 and the Flop is K-6-9. You can check-call, but you can also bet. As your hand is not complete betting is the better option as you can hope to make the other player fold.

- If you check-call, however (or call a bet), chances are you’ll send a message to your opponent that you’re on a draw, and then your opponent may keep bullying you later.

- Nevertheless, you want to complete a strong hand, so you call.

- Just make sure you have the pot odds to call, however.

- If your opponent continues bullying you when you complete the Straight, you can raise.

Now, in another hand, you have A-6 in a Flop of 9-6-2.

- Since the flop comes small cards, anyone with big cards will fold to a bet.

- You can bet your Sixes. Or you can call, especially if your opposing player ended the hand right there with A-Q.

- You can call, and later, if your opponent keeps hammering you with small bets, you may call each small bet, because your odds are still satisfactory.

- Additionally, you may pair your kicker or your Six if you call.

Finally, if you have Q-Q in a Flop of Q-10-10, you’ve got the other guy dead.

When your opponent bets, and you raise, the chances are greater that your opponent will fold than not.

- For the reason that although your opponent might have A-Q, it is not likely as you know there are three Queens already out.

- Also an extra Ten is not as likely for the same reason.

- Your opponent might have K-J or A-K (for a useless Straight draw) or a Flush completer.

Give the opposing players openings to finish their hands, this way you hope to tempt more action from them. If an opponent completes the Straight or the Flush later, you will have the advantage. So just call, and call, until everyone escalates.

This also applies if you feel your opponent has got the spare Queen or Ten. You can let your opponent just bet and bet until the river, where he thinks you might be calling as you just had a Queen or a small Pair, so at the river you may move your chips in.

Now, what is flawed with calling stations’ calling beliefs?

- To start with: they call even with the pot odds against their favor. They usually chase inside Straight draws where they lose their chips in the long term when they keep doing this.

- Secondly: they call big bets with small, but marginal, hands even if they know they are beat. In a flop of 9-6-2 above, A-6 may call, but only if your opponents’ bets are small. But when in front of a large bet, fold A-6 because you might not win against 9-x if you cannot pair your kicker or turn Trips.

Calling stations are the ones always calling with small pocket Pairs in the presence of overcards.

- Lastly: they generally think that every player is bluffing so they are invariably tempted to call even with Ace-high. In other words, they call a bluff or something that appears like a bluff.

I hope these examples have helped you understand the poker call better. When you play try to look for similar situations where you can apply the call artfully and be aware of when not to use it.

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