Playing on Tilt

player goes on tilt when his or her emotions take over. A player on tilt no longer plays rationally and instead plays like a maniac. Often, the player just suffered a terrible set back and is very irritated. A player on tilt often loses a lot of money, money he cannot afford to lose. However, even the best players go on tilt at times.

If you are like me, you have experienced poker tilt and the purpose of this article to help you learn the cause, consequence and the cure for tilt.

Causes of Playing on Tilt

1. Overly Tired. Exhaustion is one of the best recipes for tilt. When you are tired, your decision-making will fall off and you become prime candidate for making mistakes. If you are constantly yawning, you have heavy eyes, and having a hard time staying awake, it is time to stop!

2. Cold Cards. Poker players often experience a wave of frustration from catching cold cards. You need to maintain a calm approach or take a walk because players who face poker frustration tend to push the action more. Will often play hands out of position and chase cards.

3. Suck Outs. Suck outs and bad beats are the MAJOR CAUSE of tilt. By "suck outs," I mean a BIG POT that you COULD have won... Then again, even perhaps OUGHT TO have won... but you did not because another player caught a "miracle card" on Fifth Street. For some reason, poker players can always dredge up their FAILURES, but never remember their ACCOMPLISHMENTS at the poker table.

4. Abusive Opponents. Don't allow other players to put you on tilt with their sarcastic attitude and foul mouthed words. In the brick and mortar venues, poker etiquette is the rule of law among professional poker players. However, playing online, you have the advantage of hiding behind a computer screen. That secrecy allows people to get away with poor behavior that he would not get away with in real life. It is common to find players online who will cut loose a heavy flow of racial insults, curse words, and harassing statements. The best way to handle those players is to mute them.

5. Problems at Home. Usually when bad things are happening to you, it tends to affect your play at the tables. If you are fighting with your wife or you just lost your job stay away from the poker table. POKER and PROBLEMS do not mix. Do not look at poker as a way to escape from your problems, because if you are running from your problems you will only find them magnified at the POKER TABLE.

Consequences of Playing on Tilt

1. Tilt Distresses the Mind. Tilt is an emotional condition, which affects the way you think and behave. As much as we would like to believe we could ISOLATE our emotions from our thinking, we cannot. The truth is our emotions are MORE POWERFUL than logic or reasoning. When on tilt, you will start playing in a way that JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

• * You might call bets you should not.
• * You might allow a personal feud to cloud or dominate your judgment.
• * You are likely to try too hard to get even.
• * You might play in games you cannot win. Players playing on tilt play more aggressively because their trying to catch up.
• * There is a universal poker rule: GAINS COME SLOWLY. LOSSES COME QUICKLY. It can take three hours to win a hundred dollars but only THREE SECONDS to lose it all. Texas Holdem strategy is all about playing smart and keeping the odds in your favor. A player on tilt is hoping to catch a MIRACLE HAND like quads or a full house. The problem is... the ODDS do not work like that. You cannot SUDDENLY win what was lost in the previous hand.

2. Tilt Distorts the Perception. A pre-flop raise of 1,000 chips no longer looks "big" after you have just lost 10,000. Therefore, you decide to call the raise with your K 2 offsuit... because TILT has you by the balls. Accept the outcome of every hand and then forget about it and move onto the next hand.

3. Tilt Destroys the Bankroll. Going on tilt will wipe out your bankroll. It takes months sometimes even years to build a bankroll which can be lost in one hand. So, save your bankroll and quit when you feel the poker frustration.

• * Get up and walk away.
• * Turn off the computer. I mean it! You will be glad you did.

Cure for Playing on Tilt

1. Get Away. Getting away is the secret to avoiding tilt. Take a break from the game. Take as much time as you need. A day, a week, or a month. However long it takes. Just "sit out" for the next few pots and pay the blinds. Getting away from the game allows you to KEEP THINGS IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE.

2. Proper Bankroll Management. Circumventing tilt can quite possibly have the BIGGEST effect on your bankroll. Whether you spend ten hours or ten THOUSAND hours "grinding it out" at the poker tables, your money will DISAPPEAR if you go on tilt. The key is to avoid playing limits that will destroy and wipe out your bankroll.

3. D.A.P. There are three things that separates a great player from an average player and it is D.A.P.

• * Discipline. Learning to discipline the emotions, playing within their bankroll and having total focus at the table.
• * Attitude. Have a positive attitude. Focus on winning.
• * Patience. If you are patient, the good cards WILL come!Once a player can do this, they will have an advantage over their opponents.

It is not enough to know what we have covered in this article, you must be able to do them 100% of the time. It is all up to you.

The Top Poker Sites On The Internet That You Can't Afford To Miss

On the Internet, there are so many poker sites that sometimes it is hard for you to find the best poker site that will satisfy your thirst for the poker game. In this article, let me share with you some of the best poker sites around and hope that you will enjoy your games there.

1. PokerRoom. PokerRoom is one of the best poker sites out there on the World Wide Web. At PokerRoom, you will not need to worry about payment transactions. Payments from PokerRoom are also very prompt which is definitely good for online poker players. Currently, PokerRoom is ranked the third largest online poker site on the Internet.

2. TitanPoker. TitanPoker is a room that offers great features for online poker players. They have the best graphics and software which you will definitely be impressed by them. Most of the times, their rooms will be filled up quite easily as most of the players on TitanPoker are members of the iPoker network. Therefore, you do not need to wait too long to get a game going. Moreover, the customer support from TitanPoker is also very helpful so you can get any of your questions answered quite promptly.

3. PartyPoker. PartyPoker is also one of the largest sites on the Internet and it has members online all round the clock. So if you are eager for some poker action in the middle of the night, you should visit PartyPoker and you should not have any trouble finding players.

4. AbsolutePoker. Some people may complain that the software at AbsolutePoker is not that fantastic, however it still has a very attractive signing up bonus. Therefore, it is still worth to give AbsolutePoker a try.

5. UltimateBet. If you are an experienced poker player, I will recommend you to try out UltimateBet. In this poker room, there are a lot of good players. So if you are new to poker, it might be hard for you to make money here. However, if you are an expert, you will like the challenge in this room.

I hope that after reading this article, you now have a better understanding of the big players of online poker. Choosing a good poker site is crucial to your success in the game. Sometimes it is difficult for a new player to identify a good poker site. So with this article, you now have some of the best choices to choose from.

Poker and The Lobby

Though the rules are generally the same for both offline and online Poker but the way the games are played varies and the primary reason for this is that there is a complete lack of visual tells online. This holds true even when working with the lobby. Conventional Card Rooms allow you to walk around the room, to look at all the games and limits being played, and study what type of game each one is similarly you can get the information from the online lobby just by clicking buttons that will display information on average pot size, how many hands played per hour, names of the participants in each game, number of players seeing the flop who is on the waiting list, and number of games of a particular limit that are underway.

This information is very important for you because it aids you to choose the right game and limit. Selection of game and table is a significant part of casino poker and it is even more significant online as it has already been mentioned that there is a complete lack of visual tells online. Moving from one game to another very easily will give you the impression of not to take table selection seriously but in reality it is not true. This is because there are great chances for a bad game to turn into a good one or it can happen otherwise and this happens just because the players usually come and go. Therefore it is very significant for you to keep constant watch on lobby. Look for the best game and be prepared to make table changes when apposite and get yourself rewarded.

Signing up for games is also an important part in playing poker. Usually games that are full and have a waiting list will offer you with either sign up for a specific game, or to sign up for the first available seating at a given limit. It is better that go for the first option since selecting the second options will simply restrict you to your loss. It will also remove you from the waiting list for all the games. Choosing the first options will give you more suppleness and game assortment options, which will permit you to make better planned choices about the games that you will play in.

It is essential to keep several card rooms' software on your PC that will provide you with lot of information regarding the steps and the point that should be emphasized while making the table selection and game limit at the popular online card rooms. The more you gain knowledge the more you can play well. Try not to restrict yourself instead educate yourself to become more watchful about the game texture so that you can act rightly.

Using the 4/2 Rule to Master Poker Hand Odds

If you want to master Texas Holdem poker playing, understand this: not all poker hand odds are equal. Sounds simple, right? Sure, you already knew that. Okay, so do you know how to accurately determine if the odds are in your favor or not? That's not as simple, now is it? One technique that you can make use of to help you with figuring this out is the 4/2 rule.

Now, poker hand odds--or, that is, the odds of you winning the pot given the hand you currently have, and then given the hand you have and the cards that are subsequently laid on the table by the dealer--are very important for you to determine accurately. It's more than just thrilling yourself with how much you can potentially win. It's vital to know if you should Texas hold'em or Texas fold'em. Are you going to take the risk of staying in the game longer, or are you going to cut your losses, realizing that the odds are just too slim-to-none that you'll be playing the winning hand in the end? Poker players who have problems with knowing the odds have problems losing money and decimating their bankroll.

The 4/2 rule in poker has been figured out so that players can quickly calculate accurate odds of their winning the jackpot. Not all bets are equal in poker. Depending on circumstances, you might need to bet an amount that is fairly large--perhaps half the pot or more--while other times you only need to be a relatively small amount, perhaps like 10--which is not too bad (you want to be around 20 of getting that straight. Sure, you still might get another potential winning hand, like a pair of Jacks, but it's not as strong as the straight and 8% odds are not too good. Are other players acting like they could beat a pair of Jacks? Do you want to risk it? Do you want to go for the straight still?

Whether or not you stay in or fold at this point is up to you, but with the 4/2 rule at least you have accurately determined your poker hand odds of winning this round.

How To Identify Poker Tells And Win The Game

When you can identify poker tells, you will become a winner at the game of poker. So what is a poker tell? A poker tell is any sign, reaction or behaviour from your opponent that can tip you off about their hand. It can also refer to your reaction and behaviour that tips your opponent off about your hand. So you can see how important it is for you to be able to identify poker tells in order to win a game.

To understand poker tells, it will involve the psychological component of your poker game strategy. After you have been at the table for a while, you should be able to know some of the unique habits that your opponents have. These little habits can really help you to identify crucial poker tells that can make you win the game. If you are an online poker player, do not worry. Some of this poker tells work for online too!

The first poker tell that I am going to share with you is whenever a player acts as if he has a weak hand, he probably has a strong hand, and vice-versa. This behaviour can come through online too by identifying the betting patterns of the online players. However, one thing to note is that experienced poker players will know when to give false poker tells. They may use false poker tells to trick you to their advantage and burn you in the game. Therefore, try to gauge how experience your opponents are before the game.

At the table, there are some very common poker tells that you can identify. If a person has a strong hand, he will most probably act disinterested of a hand but still keeping focus on the game, or he will be looking at chips just after looking at hole cards because he is thinking how much he is going to bet as he has a very strong hand. So make sure that you do not miss out on these common tells.

So now you might be thinking about what are the common poker tells that indicate a player has a weak hand? Examples are glaring at other players or holding their breath when viewing their cards.

One more poker tell is if you see a player takes a great deal of time before calling a bet, most probably he is doing a lot of mental calculations of risk. This is because he might have a hand that contains possibilities but is not a winner yet.

By knowing how to identify poker tells, you will have a winning edge during a poker game. The more poker tells you can identify, the easier it is for you to judge the hands of your opponents. Moreover, as you get more experienced, you can use poker tells to confuse your opponents and win the game.

Expert Advice for Winning Poker Online

Learn the easy way to win poker online without losing all your hair or even the shirt on your back. How would you like to learn what the experience players know and put it into practice within minutes?

Can you be the next Chris Moneymaker? Online poker received a shot in the arm from the inspiring story of Chris Moneymaker. Chris won the World Series of Poker besting 839 other players. He qualified for the World Series after winning a satellite tournament of Poker Stars, which had a $40 entrance fee.

Online poker is now becoming a global phenomenon. The UK recently passed a bill sanctioning and regulating online gambling companies.

Learning basic skills and poker theory from the experts is an advisable way to get started in the sport. Poker tutorial sites have arrived to help new players to nurture their skills. Some of the recommended books about online poker gambling are Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players by Sklansky, Texas Hold'em by Ken Warren and Killer Poker by John Vorhaus.

In addition, various poker training sites are available online. They offer useful and effective tips on how to play the game the right way and increase chances of winning, however they are rather expensive.

Winning strategies - Poker School Online.

The training software from the Poker School Online is free of charge to for everyone's use and includes multi-table and free-roll tournaments. However, most of the tools are exclusive for members of Poker School Online. The site charges a monthly fee of $14.95 or $149.95 annually. Training includes tips from online books, poker experts, audio lessons, tests, reference articles, hand analyses, practice play, league tournaments and a chance to enter major international tournaments.

Low Limit Hold'em.

This online poker training site specializes on Limit Holdem winning strategies. A good source of articles and guides, this site is the perfect resource for beginners and also advanced players that want to polish basic skills. Very detailed strategy and instructions on various playing situations. A partner of UltimateBet and releases a monthly newsletter.

A small online training site that focuses on mental goal setting and training to help improve poker performance.

So You Wanna Learn Poker

* Highly recommended for beginners * Tips on the fundamentals of the game * Betting strategies and variations of the game.

Poker Pro Association

This online site supposedly provides advanced research on poker strategy and tactics. The Poker Professionals Association charges a membership fee of $100 annually.

These are all ways to improve your online poker skills and winning strategies.

Finding Good Poker Rooms

When it comes to finding good poker rooms and guaranteeing that you are playing in the top poker rooms, there are two different avenues that you may pursue. The first avenue is to simply choose an online poker room that seems popular and start playing, assuming that if everyone else is happy and actively playing there, that you will be satisfied as well. The more obvious option is to browse different online poker room review websites to get a feel for what the pros are saying about good poker rooms, and make your decisions accordingly. But before you can get a good feel for why a poker room is as good as someone says it is, you need to understand what the categories in an online poker room review mean. Here are some of the most important parts of a good online poker room review, and how you can best use them to discern what the best top poker rooms are.

Customer Support - This is extremely important, especially when you are just starting out with online poker. The level of customer support offered by each of these good poker rooms is unique, and you need to know how to reach customer support when you need it. Some poker rooms only offer e-mail support, while others offer telephone and live chat. Some of those that only offer e-mail make up for it with lightning fast response times, but this is not always the case. When choosing top poker rooms to play at online, you should give serious consideration to customer support options and response times.

Traffic - Traffic is another important consideration when reading online poker room review information about good poker rooms because it indicates not only how popular a particular online poker room is, but also where the players are spending their time. For example, the popularity of an online poker room will not matter if all of the players are sticking to low limit Texas Hold'em, if you are a pot limit kind of player. Or if your preference is Texas Hold'em and traffic tends toward Omaha Hi/Lo, that particular top poker room will not do you any good. When choosing which top poker rooms to play in, make sure you are giving consideration to where the traffic is, and whether the numbers are adequate for the type of play that you prefer.

Software - Most good poker rooms have their own proprietary software, so pay attention to what each online poker room review says about the software. You are going to want to play in top poker rooms featuring user friendly and visually appealing software that doesn't slow down the games, so keep this in mind when choosing which top poker rooms you will deposit money into.

Bonuses and Promotions - Bonuses are promotions are not an important consideration for all online poker players, but if you care about the money you earn when playing online, pay attention to this information in every online poker room review that you read. Even some of the best top poker rooms have poor bonuses, so if you care about sign up and deposit bonuses, loyalty bonuses and other special promotions, figure out what is offered before you sign up for anything. Good poker rooms will always have a wide selection of promotions and bonuses to participate in.

5 Tips to Make Your Money Last Longer in the Casino

Do you have a plan for winning when you visit a casino? If not, most probably you will not be able make your stay long in casino. So it is important for you to have a plan before you can make a winning in casino.

No one likes losing their hard earned money. Therefore, when you are in a casino, winning is all that matters. You need to put in your best effort towards winning at the table.

So, now let me share with you 5 tips that can help you to stay longer in casino and go home as a happy man:

1. Determine how much money you wish to spend. If you never set the amount of money you are going to spend in the casino, you will definitely overspend. So decide how long you plan to stay and divide your money accordingly. For example, if you plan to stay in the casino for 6 hours, you can divide your money accordingly by the hours. Then determine a maximum amount that you are willing to lose and do not bet beyond it.

2. Plan your casino trip. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Before visiting a casino, you should plan your trip. Call them up and enquire about available ticket promotions or entertainment options. When you are on a gambling trip, you should not stick to only one casino. Check if there is any neighboring casino around the area. If there is, call them up and ask the same questions.

3. Determine your game plan. Do not try to create a winning streak at a table without first watching the trend. Always start slow and see if you are on a hot or cold streak. If you are winning, play on. If not, you should walk away and explore other tables. Also, plan your game according to your money. As you have already determined your budget for the day, you should know how much money you can wager on a single hand or a throw of a dice. Control your temptation to try and create a hot streak if you are losing the first few games.

4. Take a break in between games. If you are on a cold streak, you should always take a break and observe the trend. There are other activities that you can do in a casino. That is why your plan is important. Go for a meal or a show as planned.

5. Do not be afraid to walk out of the casino. You need to plan the time to leave the casino with whatever winnings you have. It is harder for you to leave when you are winning. When you are broke, it is easy as you cannot play anymore. However, when you are winning, it is important to stick to the time that you have set to go home.

With these 5 tips, hope that you are more well-prepared for a trip down to a casino.