You are here: Home / Archives for Playing Poker

Poker Table Tops – An affordable way to play Poker during an economic recession?

January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Article by Liam Gallagher

The above question asks whether Poker Table Tops are an affordable alternative for Poker Players in today’s economic climate? And whether or not Poker Table Tops make the playing of Poker more accessable to general members of the public, the ordinary Poker player?

This question is not posed merely to promote the product of Poker Table Tops. It ponders if the affects of the recent / present Recession, which has resulted in growing unemployment, reductions in take home pay and subsequently disposable income and the limiting of individuals earning potential, has led to the playing of Poker in casinos to become an unaffordable luxury for many Poker Players.

In attempting to put forward some kind of rational and logical argument to the question that is posed by the title, one must first ask ‘Who is the ordinary poker Player?’

According to eCOGRA (e Commerce On-line Gaming Regulation and Assurance) the typical on-line poker player was:* Male 73.8%* Age 26-35 (26.9%)* Play two to three times per week (26.8%)* Have played for two to three years (23.6%)* Play between one to two hours per session (33.3%)* Play one table (24.1%) or two tables (24%) at a time* Play both cash games and tournaments (34%)* Play at big blind levels of $ 0.50 to $ 2.00(US) (61.2%)* Play with 6-10% of their bankroll on the table at any one time (23%)* Claim that they are average in terms of skill* Feel that there is slightly more skill involved in poker than luck (31.9%)* Travel over 100 miles to play poker at least 2 times per year (38%)* 52% Internet Poker players have a bachelors degree or higher* 75% of those who did not and would not try internet gambling where married while 56% of internet gamblers were married* 37% of casino goers gamble online as compared to 5% of the general populationThe above statistics not only show the general make up of the ordinary Poker Player but also their playing habits. Granted the above statistics are applicable to the on-line Poker Player, however eCOGRA went on to state, “Most studies suggest that demographics of online gambling are broadly similar to those of the offline gambling population, with a spread of income, gender and education.” Given the ravages of the world wide Recession money has become a scare commodity and people are retreating from the high streets. With less money in people’s pockets there is less money for people to spend to help boost the economy. With any recession people are left to re-evaluate their finances. Usually their little luxuries in life are the first to be sacrificed in their home budget. These luxuries include those trips to the casino to play the great game of Poker. It isn’t a free and desirable choice, it’s a choice dictated by the effects of a failing economy. Granted on-line Poker offers the ordinary Poker Players the opportunity to play the game but that, in my opinion is impersonal. For me there is nothing like the feel of playing Poker in a room, face to face with your opponents, yet being part of the camaraderie that exist between players.One could purchase a Poker Table for his / her home. This provides one with the opportunity to reproduce that Casino feel without having to travel. However it does also provide some difficulties. The cost of a Poker Table could be anywhere in the region of $ 2000 but in these recessionary times the luxury of having $ 2000 spare is not one luxury many people have.

Another option is to avail oneself of the many manuals on-line that illustrate how to build a Poker Table for between $ 200 & $ 300. Unfortunately not everyone has the skills or the desire to build one.

Further to the above, not everyone has the room to store a full size Poker Table in their house. As a result of the Recession, many people have had to downsize on their homes. Be it through choice, enforced sale or by eviction, people have had to seriously curtail their living habits and lifestyles. This includes reducing the living area / space in which most of us live. A full size Poker Table may not be a practical option.

Here is why I believe Poker Table Tops allow the ordinary Poker Player to play Poker during the Recession: Poker Table Tops allow all players to enjoy the game with like minded people in the comfort of their own home without the burden of high cost and with an added bonus of convenience. The cost of Poker Table Tops is relatively cheap compared to other products. Some affordable options start at around just $ 29 . At this low cost, one can still enjoy the face to face intensity of playing Poker, Octagonal or Rectangular shaped Poker Table Tops can fit up to 8 to 10 Poker players at any one time.

Unlike Poker Tables, Poker Table Tops are not bulky items, lay them anywhere on any surface and quickly prepare them for playing on, they are just as easy to store away. This allows one to recreate that casino feel without having to sacrifice much needed space in their home.

I do not profess to be an Academic on this topic. This piece is based on my opinion, an opinion formed by witnessing more people looking for cheaper and more sustainable ways of maintaining a lifestyle they had prior to the world wide Recession. In that I believe Poker Table Tops allow the ordinary Poker Player an opportunity to keep playing Poker in a truly competitive and fun atmosphere, while not having the added expenses that were incumbent when travelling to the casino during the good times.

Therefore, in answering the question posed by the title, ‘Poker Table Tops – An easy way to play Poker during an economic recession?’ I would answer ‘Yes, in my opinion Poker Table Tops do indeed offer an easy way to play Poker during a recession.’

Looking for the best range of poker table tops online? We can help you find them – just click on over to -> http://pokertabletopshop.com for more info.










Filed Under: Playing Poker Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Playing Poker for Free

January 20, 2012 By 2 Comments

Most online poker sites have a feature allowing you to play for free using play money.  In the United States, because of the misplaced morality of the religious right and their lackeys in Congress, poker sites advertise that you can play for free and learn the game and have fun in the process.  Well, sorry to disappoint you but you can’t play free poker and have fun at the same time.  It doesn’t make a bit of difference how many toothpicks, matchsticks, paper-clips or play dollars you win, in the end you have nothing to show for your efforts.  Accumulating a bankroll of fake cash leaves you no richer or poorer than you were prior to playing.  This simple truth changes the game so much that you cannot hone your skills playing for free.  You cannot bluff because there is absolutely no risk.  Raises mean nothing because there is no risk.  Everyone can be a maniac and when you go broke all you have to do is reload and keep playing.  Your unlimited access to play dollars removes rationality from the game, thereby draining all the fun from participation in the masquerade.  The essence of poker is money pitted against skill and a bit of luck.  Without money skill simply doesn’t matter.  So don’t play for free.  Learn to be comfortable playing for real cash.  At the same time don’t play in games in which your unable to sustain a loss.  Choose blind limits within the range that your bankroll can sustain.

Finding the Right Stakes for You

If you want to play Texas Hold’em you must first determine whether you will play in fixed-limit or no-limit games.  Fixed-limit games are less volatile than no-limit but they require entirely different skills to play effectively.  No-limit is far and away more popular but it carries greater risk in any given session.  I play in both limit and no-limit games depending on my mood and desire for taking larger or smaller risks with my money on any given day.

I follow a simple guideline for determining the blind limits I will play in cash games.  I buy-in for an amount equal to 5% of my entire bankroll or less.  For tournament play I pay tournament fees no larger than 2% of my entire bankroll or less.  I am generally comfortable buying-in to a limit game for 40 to 50 times the big blind and in no-limit games for 100 to 200 times the big blind.  Let’s say, for example that I have a bankroll of $ 1000.  Five percent of that bankroll is $ 50.  That is my maximum buy-in for a cash game.  This means that playing online in a no-limit game I can comfortably buy-in to a .25/.50 game.  For a limit game my bankroll allows me to buy-in to a .50/1.00 game.  As my bankroll grows my limits can increase and as my bankroll shrinks my limits decrease.  Disciplined bankroll management is critical to playing winning poker.

Often, playing in smaller stakes games is much like playing for free.  Because not much is at risk, players are often far less rational than when their risk is greater.  Many opponents you meet in small stakes games, anything under a big blind of $ 5, are less skilled and far less averse to taking risks than players at higher stakes levels.  In some micro-stakes games you are playing against opponents who play much like they would if they were playing for play money.  It is less likely that your skills will make much of a difference.  Playing in small stakes games also provides less earnings per hour than do higher stakes games.  If you are a solid player winning 2 big blinds per hour in a micro-stakes game where the big blind is, say, ten cents, you can earn no more than twenty cents per hour.  In a one dollar game you would, assuming the same winning rate, earn a mere two dollars per hour.  Building a bankroll which allows you to play in more expensive games must be a priority for you when  you are starting out.

In order to effectively build your bankroll it is important that you play at stakes that motivate you to play your best poker.  You should do this at any level but when there is little pain involved in losing it is difficult to stay focused and motivated.  If you play at games in which you never feel a risk then you are apt to do crazy things and lose money.  When you play where the stakes are to high for your comfort level you are apt to play far too conservatively and give up profits you might otherwise earn.  Playing at a level in which the pain of losing is enough to make you uncomfortable but not so much that it will keep you from taking calculated risks and playing with aggression is the right level for you.  When coupled with solid bankroll management and stop-loss game plans you will be able to play your best rational game.

Roger Fischel began playing poker with his friends in high school.  Seven Card Stud and Five Card Draw were the games of choice back then.  Over the years, Roger turned to Texas Hold ‘em as his game of choice.  He plays both limit and no-limit hold ‘em regularly.  During a long career as a teacher, Roger learned the value of sharing what he knows with others as a way to give back to the community in which he shares, thus, Rags to the River Poker was born.  Roger recommends online poker tracking software for improving one’s game.  He also offers a listing of online poker sites which welcome US players.

Filed Under: Playing Poker Tagged With: , ,

How To Avoid Getting Bored Playing Poker So You Only Play Perfectly

January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Article by Alex Poker

If you struggle staying entertained and concentrating when you are playing poker you are more likely to play worse hole cards and actually lose. Learn how to do this now.

It’s a simple fact, even though Texas Holdem Poker is extremely entertaining, high impact and like an emotional rollercoaster, it can get a little boring. It’s kind of like waiting in the line before you get on the roller coaster. Do you sometimes get bored playing poker?

2 Top Tips How To Avoid Getting Bored Playing Poker So You Only Play Perfectly

The first way that you can avoid getting bored while playing poker, say for instance you are waiting to be dealt great hole cards, is to play the most important mini-game in Holdem. It is ‘What’s he holding?’

This game is extremely fun to play. All you do is watch the players that are playing the pot and ask yourself ‘What’s he holding?’ You guess, and try to figure it out, and then at the end if he shows his card you get to confirm if you were right or wrong.

Players playing this game over a long time often find themselves getting their guesses correct more and more often. This develops your most crucial card reading skills, and also avoids you getting bored.

The second way you can avoid boredom is to is the game ‘If I had’. This game is a little more difficult to prevent yourself from cheating but if you are honest with yourself you’ll be fine.

All you do is firstly, take the range of starting hole cards you’d usually play, then, you pretend you had one of these and ask yourself ‘If I had cards X-X, what would I do?’ Explore how you would feel, what decision you would make and why.

Playing this game over the long term will make you a better poker player. You’ll get in touch with your inner truth about the type of player you are, the risk profile you have, and your capability for making the correct decisions.

These two games are extremely fun and not only that, are actually critical efforts to improve your poker game. I love poker, I love playing it and it’s always fun to me. I don’t get bored waiting for goods cards (and yes, I do play a lot of tight strategies) and that’s because I am always finding games to play that are actually improving my poker skills all the while.

Do You Want To Learn More Play Poker Perfectly Everytime?

If So, Download My Brand New Free Tips Ebook ’7 Of My Top Texas Hold Em Poker Tips’ here: http://MyTexasHoldemPokerTips.com

Alex is an avid Hold Em Poker player. Shoot him an email at alex@mytexasholdempokertips.com with any questions you have about winning Holdem.










Find More Playing Poker Articles

Filed Under: Playing Poker Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Play Poker Online: Genuine Funds Games

January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Article by Cake Poker

Play poker online – genuine cash games are exactly where all the action is at. Now I would not recommend genuine funds poker for beginners, whenever you first begin to play poker online the best issue to do is to concentrate on free poker just to have the feel in the tables and learn that the game works.

Free online poker comes in 2 forms, no cost online poker games (play money games) which are just essentially the same as paid games in their set up and freeroll poker tournaments. Both are out there at nearly all of the very best poker websites, you get a totally free bankroll to play with in each cases, but the poker freerolls give you a chance to win actual money.

The greatest poker site – Cake PokerBut once you feel confident sufficient to leave the free of charge poker games behind, I would strongly suggest which you would would like to progress on to play poker online inside actual income games. These come in 2 frequent formats, the sit ‘n go game and poker tournaments and are offered in all of the poker rooms.

Whether you pick sit ‘n gos or decide to play in a poker tournament is mainly due to your style of play, your confidence and also your concentration levels. Sit ‘n go table poker ways you just literally select a poker game using a totally free place at the table and sit down. The dealer will deal you in over a next hand and you will pay a blind to acquire in.

The other main method to play poker online in actual funds games is via playing in a poker tournament. There’s a massive quantity of these out there in all of the greatest poker sites, you just must decide what level you think happy about playing at. You may buy into a tournament for as tiny as $ 0.10 as much as hundreds of money as well as the numbers number from two players (head to head) up to 10,000.

The main internet poker game online is holdem, the vast majority of those who play online poker tournaments want to play texas holdem but there are other games obtainable like omaha and draw poker. All the action is at the holdem tables though, and specially the no limit holdem games. In case you need to play any other game you’ve got a bit of a wait for the table to fill up.

Try out Cake Poker and read the Cake Poker Rakeback Review










More Playing Poker Articles

Filed Under: Playing Poker Tagged With: , , , , ,