Archive for the ‘holdem’ tag
The Plusses and Minuses of Limit Hold’em
A brief analysis of the pluses and minuses of certain poker games may help. Limit Holdem was once the single most popular game on the net. There are still many low and medium limit games being played and some $100/$200 games. So that the game remains one of the most accessible and prospective, and is likely to remain so for some time to come, especially since not many players rise to the levels of $20/$40.
What may be considered a significant plus of the game is the amount of literature devoted to it: many of the contemporary books on poker are devoted to limit games. It is a well studied game and it is possible that a thorough student may learn much from the experience of others. As a result decisions are simpler to make in limit hold’em and most of them are easily supportable by basic mathematic tools for quick mental in-game calculations.
Moreover, dispersion is less of a threat in limit games. That coldly calculating deity determines the chances of every player involved at a given moment and even the worst and unluckiest rookie may luck out (if you don’t want to go into actual statistics, just read any of Terry Pratchett’s hapless-Rincewind novels for a dramatization of this point of games and life).
There is virtually no poker game untouched by statistical dispersion. Huge losses happen to the most expert of players, a major deterrent to a lot of would-be players. Higher dispersion rates can be found in no-limit and tournament games making limit poker less intensive psychologically. Limit Hold’em can be indulged in with little money in one’s bank and there are several unique computer programs designed for limit poker. Two of which are Poker Tracker and Poker Office. These programs are very helpful especially for low limit players. They can be of use during play as well as after whenever you need to analyze or calculate statistics of the game at any point.
Now for the bad and the ugly. Because of the quantity of information available on the game, there is a large and ever-growing number of knowledgeable, skilled players. So the game while it is easy to find, is not very profitable. Poker rooms make their money from the small amount taken out of the pot for each hand. So, poker rooms earn money not from the number of players, but from the percentage of the total number of hands played at the end of a long series of poker hands. This sum more often than not turns out to be quite a tidy one. Limit games which include good players can wind up with minimal profitability or even a loss.
Finally, limit holdem is not widespread offline, offers little exposure to the nonvirtual outside world, and lacks the aspects which make casino and club games so rich in important and memorable experience. Certainly, those who love the game find most memorable that which is the essence of poker – the combinations of cards; but just like talking face to face to a company of people is more memorable than chanting to a hundred “friends” in ICQ, so playing poker at an actual table of wood (rather than of 1024768 pixels) you can actually knock on (makes a nice bluff) makes for a more intense and exciting experience.
The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Rakeback at Interpoker and Rakeback at Absolute Poker.
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Serious Poker is No Lure for Poker Fish
Those serious, arrogant poker professionals gathered around the table in big shades and hooded sweatshirts are out for blood. They are not attracting amiable amateurs, they are attracting expert players who are the only ones who are not intimidated by their demeanor. This may be good for TV’s World of Poker, but certainly not for the good players who want to pick up a few bucks.
The average amateur is looking to join in a poker game for some fun and is not really concerned whether he wins or loses. He’s looking for a way to spend some time with people, a chance to get away from the office routine, or to play with real people instead of online. He’s going to zero in on a table where everyone seems friendly, relaxed and having a good time. He is not looking for skilled poker players, just those who enjoy the game and each other’s company.
For a player intending to earn a regular income, it is important to be able to cater to these basic desires of the average amateur. Each amateur will not loose much, but if you entice a constant stream of them you will constantly gain. Moreover, an amateur is likely to stay longer at a table, dare more, bet higher, and loose more with a good will if they are having a good time.
The intimidating table full of folks that don’t talk to each other, don’t look at each other and have created a somber atmosphere will keep the amateur far, far away.
On the other hand, a good conversation and a sense of humor combined with a slightly flattering play which keeps the amateur trusting he has a chance will increase the chances of that player coming back for more next time, perhaps even specifically seeking out your table. Since they do not play for the money or the excitement of high stakes, they will not regret as much having lost to an entertaining player.
Keep your weaker opponents in a good mood and you will keep up their good hopes, believing that luck may still take their side. Good time and occasional “luck” may turn them into regular players and into regular income and attract still more amateurs. But a show of cold indifference will only make them disgusted with themselves or the table or both.
True poker professionals have not just honed their poker skills and technique, they have also created an public persona and the ability to use this persona to strategically manipulate the game. They create an attractive, relaxed, trusting environment for the unsuspecting good time boys. The suckers will happily lose a little and be thankful to you for entertaining them so well.
The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives NoiQ Rakeback and Gutshot Poker Rakeback.
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Not All Poker Players Are Honest – Don’t Use Standard Poker Chips In Your Game
It is late into the night and the poker game has come to an end. The players with no chips left have gone home with their head hung low. The players with chips are counting their poker chips and exchanging them for cash from the bank. When the last player is ready to cash out it is discovered that the bank doesn’t have enough cash to cover the remaining poker chips! You know that you were very careful when taking cash for chips at the start of the game but somehow there are more poker chips than cash.
For any game this is a big problem. Even if a poker game is not being played for a monetary amount, having extra chips brought into the game ruins the integrity of the game. It is even worse if the chips are worth actual money.
The problem is that there are several standard designs of poker chips that are available in dozens of retail locations and online websites. Any poker player can purchase these chips and bring them to the next poker game. With custom poker chips this would not happen.
With custom poker chips, it will be very difficult or even impossible to slip extra chips into the game. Whether you are hosting a game or playing in a poker game, you can feel much more secure knowing that the chip count at the end of the night will not be more than what was started with. The worst feeling at the end of an enjoyable night of poker is realizing that the bank does not have enough money to cover the chips that players have.
Not all custom poker chips are the same, though. They range in security, style, composition and even the amount of customization possible. The least secure chips have labels, inlays, or stickers placed in the center of the poker chips. The chip beneath the label is not customizable at all. With these chips you can only select from a few colors and just a couple designs to pick from. These chips can be purchased blank by any poker player and it is possible that the labels could be printed at home or any print shop.
The most secure custom poker chips are either clay or ceramic. Besides being secure, they are also the same type of poker chips that poker rooms and casinos use. They do cost more initially, but you will not have the headaches and the expense of having extra chips brought into the poker game.
Clay poker chips are one of the original types of chips that were used in casinos. There have been some changes over the years, but the current clay chips are very similar to the chips used nearly 100 years ago. Real clay poker chips can be completely customizable. The chip colors and stripes can be customized to your liking. These chips also have an inlay in the center of the chip. This inlay is not only of your own custom design but is also embedded within the chip. It is not a sticker or label placed on top of the chip.
Ceramic poker chips are relatively new. Lately, these have become a low cost option for very secure custom chips that home game players can own. Ceramic chips start as a white ceramic disk that can be completely customized. There are no base colors or designs. The edge and both faces are customizable. Also, similar to the clay poker chips, the image is actually embedded within the chip material. The image cannot be removed unless the chip itself is damaged. Due to these features, ceramic poker chips are the most secure custom poker chips available for home poker players.
We all would like to have full trust in all of the poker players at our games. Unfortunately, the brutal truth is that not everyone can be trusted. The poker night when there is not enough cash in the bank to cover the chips on the table will be a truly horrible night. Luckily, this can be prevented with custom poker chips. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
If you host games, have a set of custom poker chips designed and printed for you. If you don’t host but play at games that use standard poker chips that can be purchased at any retail store, suggest to the host that custom poker chips should be used at the game.
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