Poker Terms: STONE COLD BLUFF

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

A Stone Cold Bluff is a form of bluff where a player has no chance of winning the hand other than by getting other players to fold.

The risk involved in a stone cold bluff is very high since the only chance of winning the pot is when everyone else folds to your bluff and you often have to backup your bluff with very aggressive betting.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

A bluff works best against one opponent. Although it will work against two, that’s not recommended. Attempting a bluff against three or more players is usually a waste of perfectly good chips.

The best position for bluffing is early position. Coming into the pot with a raise from early position is a sign of a strong hand, and it should eliminate most players with marginal hole cards.

Looking for best online poker room website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

Most bluffs are attempted right before the flop, but you can fire off bluffs on fourth street and at the river as well. The deeper you get into a hand against a player who is still calling you, of course increases the risk of getting caught with nothing at the river.

Take advantage of paint cards that drop. If you made that pre-flop bluff and an Ace or King drops, take advantage and represent as though that paint fell for you.

However, should you be caught in a bluff, not all is lost. The fact that you bluffed all the way to the bitter end can be played to your advantage on a later hand, one in which you are actually holding gold, but your opponents may read as another bluff.



Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social

Poker Strategies And Tips: Betting Decisions At Blackjack

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

We are going to take a look at several betting and playing decisions that you can place and make at a Blackjack table. These betting decisions and playing moves are quite easy to remember, and each of them will allow you to make the correct strategic move whenever you have been dealt out any two initial cards.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

Initial Bet You first need to place an initial wager onto the table this will be your very first betting decision and this is placed in the circle directly in front of you. This must be a figure with-in the table limits, so don’t go placing a one dollar chip on a five dollar table or you will annoy the dealer! Make sure you have enough bankroll in case your need to double down or split (see below) your hand.

Splitting Cards

Another playing and betting decision that you are going to be faced with when you are playing Blackjack is in regards to Splitting a hand. You will be given the option of separating two cards into two new hands when for example a pair of similar valued cards has been dealt out to you.

When you split any pair of cards you are then going to have to place another bet which has to be of the same value as the initial wager you placed to get the Blackjack game underway on the second hand formed, and as such this type of wager will give you two chances of winning when playing any Blackjack game.

Hitting If you get dealt a hand that the correct Basic Strategy dictates that you should hit then you simply need to indicate to the dealer you wish to take another card, this card is given free of charge when you Hit a Hand. To indicate you wish to hit simply state “Hit” or wave your hand backwards and forwards, towards and away from yourself.

Doubling Down

Many Blackjack game variants will let you double the wager you initially placed on a base hand when it is your turn to take another card or stand your hand. However, you can only perform this Double Down move when you have been dealt certain two card hand combinations, and when you have doubled your initial wager you are only going to get one extra card in exchange for that additional stake.

The Double Down wager is a good valued bet but only at certain times. Much like any extra bet offered to you if you take it at the wrong time then you are playing the incorrect playing strategy which will cost you money over time and will have an impact on the overall house edge of the variant you are playing.

If you want to play a very, very low house edge, Blackjack game online then you are going to be very hard pressed to find a better game that the Classic Blackjack game found at any Microgaming software powered casino.

The only time you should take the Double Down options when playing this variant is when the Dealer has a 2 card or any card worth up to 9 in value and you have a hand valued at 10 or 11. Other times you should Double Down include when the Dealer has a card worth 2 to 6 and you have a two card hand worth 9 or when you have a pair of 5’s and the Dealer has a card worth 2 to 9 in value.

Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

Stand If you wish to stand your hand then this must be done clearly by either telling the dealer verbally you wish to Stand or wave your hand, palm down sideways.

Insurance When the dealer is showing an Ace you will be offered insurance this will cost you half your initial stake and you are betting that the dealer has a Blackjack. If you accept it you will have to place your chips on the layout as indicated by the dealer.

Always play the Blackjack game variants which have the lowest house edge. The house edge is of course a theoretical percentage of all players stakes that any casino whether land based or online, is going to win from players over the long term.

The best Blackjack games to play online are the Classic Blackjack game available at Microgaming powered sites and the Blackjack Switch game which you will always find readily available at all Playtech powered online casino sites.





Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

Poker Terms: Capped Ranges

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

When you’re playing poker, you can obviously never know exactly what your opponent has, unless he’s kind enough to turn his cards face up for you. The best you can do is to construct a range of possible hands he could be holding, based on what he has done on each street in the hand. As we get deeper into the hand, you should be able to narrow down this range significantly, so that by the river you have a very good idea of what he may have.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

A capped range in no limit holdem is a situation where a player’s possible hands include no very strong holdings, based on their actions so far in the hand. The transparent lines which people take in various situations can make it quite apparent to a good player that they are very unlikely to have strong hands in their range, allowing them to bluff with the right frequency when they themselves have weak hands, and to size their value bets correctly so as to get paid off by their opponent’s weak range.

Examples of Capped Ranges

Imagine you are in the first level (25/50 blinds) of a NLHE tournament and a tight player with whom you are very familiar raises to 3 times the big blind under the gun. These ‘Harrington on Holdem’-type players will have pairs from Tens upwards and AQ and AK almost always here. Now let’s say you call on the button with a speculative hand like 89s, because you are in position 100 big blinds deep and you feel your implied odds are very good.

The flop comes down 4d5h7c and your opponent bets 300 into the 375 chip. You can immediately narrow his range down to hands that are of medium strength on this board, specifically over-pairs and continuation bets with missed broadways. You on the other hand, can have all sorts of extremely strong hands: all of the sets on the board, 45 or and maybe even 57 suited for two pair, as well as 86 suited for the nut straight.

Even though your range is un-capped where his is, you still have to make a decision on how best to take advantage of this situation. Just because his range is capped doesn’t mean that he will fold if you try to bluff him. For example, if you raise the flop here a lot of players will convince themselves that you have a weaker over-pair most of the time and happily go all-in. Against such players it will be better to wait until the turn falls and then shove over their bet on the turn.

Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus

Defending Against These Plays

If you are in a game with a player who reads hands this well and has the cojones to makes plays like this, you might do well to find another table. But if you do choose to stay, you should know how to protect yourself.

The first and best strategy is to practice avoidance. When playing with a very competent hand reader, you must go to great lengths to disguise your hands and change up your play. This will require some unconventional play, such as occasionally raising 98s in first position at a 9-handed table or checking back a set on a coordinated flop. These are risky plays, but they are safer than enabling a tricky player to eliminate strong hands from your range altogether.

You may also need to resort to game theory and refuse to fold the best hands in your range, even if they are not objectively all that strong. If you were the Villain in the second example, you might have to call down when you turn a pair of Aces. Sure, your opponent could have a stronger hand, but since you very rarely will, folding a pair of Aces is highly exploitable.

Thin Value Bets

What if your opponent reads this article or just figures out that he’s getting exploited and decides to start calling down with his strong one-pair hands? Believe it or not, you don’t need to stop bluffing him. The occasional tricky play or thin call down are just stop-gap measures that turn an insanely profitable bluff into a marginally profitable bluff. You won’t win nearly as often, but if you can stand the variance, you’ll still show a profit in the long run.

Realize also that capping your opponent’s range will enable you not only to bluff but also to make big, thin value bets. In the second example, if you know your opponent rarely or never has better than one pair, then you could take the same line with a weak two pair hand like 54 or even one strong pair such as AK. There are very few second-best hands that will pay you off, but there are also very few better hands in your opponent’s range. And if he does correctly adapt by occasionally calling down with one pair, he’ll be in for a surprise!

Poker is a battle for information. Any time that you have more information about your opponent’s hand than he has about yours, the potential for profit is there. It is simply a matter of figuring out how to make the most of it. Even many players who read hands well don’t always take full advantage of that information.

Learning to recognize when there is an upper limit on an opponent’s possible hand strength and how you can exploit it can present you with some very profitable opportunities. Hopefully it will also demonstrate the critical importance of mixing up your own play, at least when there are good hand readers at the table, so that no one is able to take advantage of you.





Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

Poker Strategies And Tips: Playing ‘Spanish’ Blackjack

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

Many visitors to casinos know that one of the most popular games at the card tables is Blackjack. There are however over one hundred ways of playing the game throughout the casinos of the world.

While most variations hold to the standard rules of play, some make changes to traditional payout amounts, some allow “insurance” or bonus wagers against a hand, some make rewards to certain cards appearing in a hand, and some change the decks to make a game more interesting.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

That is the case with “Spanish” Blackjack, or as it is also called “Spanish” 21. For this game all of the ten cards are removed from a deck, though the face cards of the Jacks, Queens and Kings remain. This means that the player is working at a disadvantage since Blackjack statistics prove that decks of cards rich in tens always favor the player and not the dealer, or the “house”.

The game of Spanish 21 is one of the most profitable casino blackjack variations. Especially in casinos where the dealer stands on “soft 17” or where players are allowed to redouble, the game is often a better bet than standard blackjack.

The first thing that differentiates Spanish 21 from other variations of blackjack is that Spanish 21 is played with six or eight Spanish decks. Spanish decks are 48-card decks that are just like regular 52-card decks with four tens removed. Of course, removing tens from the decks give the dealer an advantage. However, Spanish 21 makes up for this advantage by offering players a host of favorable rules and bonuses. These rules are as follows:

Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.
A player with a hand worth 21 always wins, no matter what the dealer holds-a player blackjack always beats a dealer blackjack
Players may double down on any initial 2-card hand, no matter the value
Players may hit and double down after splitting any card values, even Aces (make sure to double check the rules, as some casinos do not allow this rule anymore)
Players may surrender after doubling, forfeiting their original bet but keeping their double down bet (called “double down rescue”)
When a player wins with a 5-card 21 the payout is 3:2 (bonus does not apply if the player doubled down)
When a player wins with a 6-card 21 the payout is 2:1 (bonus does not apply if the player doubled down)
When a player wins with a 7 or more card 21 the payout is 3:1 (bonus does not apply if the player doubled down)
A 21 hand consisting of 6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of mixed suits pays out 3:2; of the same suit the payout is 2:1; and of spades the payout is 3:1 (bonus does not apply if the player doubled down)
When a player obtains a suited 7-7-7 hand and the dealer has a face up 7 as well the payout is $1000 if the player bet from $5-$24 and $5000 if the player bet $25 or more. All additional players at the table receive a $50 “envy bonus.” (Bonuses do not apply if the player doubled down)

In addition to these rules, several rules vary from casino to casino. It is important to read the rules at the casino where you are playing to find out the casino’s take on the following rules:
The dealer may either hit or stand on “soft 17” (Ace-6) depending on where you are playing
Either 6 or 8 Spanish decks are used
Some casinos allow players to redouble up to three times, while others do not
Late surrender is allowed in some casinos





Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

Poker Terms: Railbird

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

Railbird is a derogatory, slang name for a person who tends to watch poker games from the rail.

Regal Poker is the Poker Online website, visit us and check out our promotions we offer you the best place to play online poker bonus.

Most casinos elevate the viewing area above the playing floor to provide better viewing angles. The audience looks down at the playing area or “the pit,” and those at the edge of the viewing area can hang over the rail to watch.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

Casinos are often societies unto themselves, and regulars mingle with peers on nights when they won’t or can’t participate. So the rail is a hangout for players who are out of the game or don’t have the funds to play at all.



Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

Poker Strategies And Tips: High Streak Blackjack

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

High Streak Blackjack is a brand new Blackjack game that gives players the chance of winning a bonus payout for an additional sidebet once you manage to get yourself on to a winning streak.

A winning streak is two consecutive winning hands in a row, and this winning hand can be anything and isn’t restricted to a Blackjack hand.

The side bet would payout up to ten times your side bet stake once you manage to get onto the fourth winning streak

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

High Streak blackjack is played exactly like regular blackjack.Players are attempting to make a total of 21 without going over and beating the dealer’s total. The primary difference is the High Streak side bet. When a player makes this side bet they are eligible to receive a bonus payout when they reach two winning hands in a row. As soon as the player has a losing hand the side bet is forfeited and must be placed again in order to qualify for the bonus.

For European Blackjack the standard rules vary slightly from what is played in American casinos as follows:
The game is played from eight decks of cards that are re-shuffled after every round. While in the United States this is called a “shoe” game and has special rules around it, in Europe all games are played with this large number of cards that are frequently re-shuffled.
A dealer is obliged to draw (“hit”) when they receive a hand of sixteen. They must “stand” on a soft seventeen – which means a seventeen composed of several cards.
“Double down” is available only on hands of nine, ten or eleven. To “double down” a player must double their initial wager and take only a single card on their hand.
“Double down” can be performed on splits. “Splits” are created by a player doubling their initial wager and then dividing their first hand of two cards into two new hands.
“Splits” are allowed, but not on fours, fives or cards with a value of ten.
No re-splitting is allowed.
Early surrender is still allowed with half of a bet being forfeited, and only if the dealer has no Ace showing.
No peeking allowed, meaning a player loses their total bet on a dealer’s “blackjack”.
A player with “blackjack” is paid three to two on their wager, while insurance pays two to one on the bet. Insurance is a side bet placed on the dealer’s hand. This can create a “break even” situation for a player whose dealer is holding an Ace.



Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

With these rules in mind, “High Streak” Blackjack introduces a new element to the standard game; a “side bet”. This feature pays out additional amounts to the winner of a round of Blackjack.

A player makes their side bet, and after two consecutive winning rounds gets an “even money” payout of one to one. Their third consecutive win will deliver a two to one payout; the third brings five to one on the wager and if a player wins four consecutive rounds after their first three rounds of “High Streak” they receive a ten to one payout.

What this means is a winning streak of eight games in a row will payout the biggest ratio to the winner. An experienced player with good strategy could use the rules of European Blackjack to build themselves some ample payouts on a good game of “High Streak” Blackjack.





Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

BLACKJACK STRATEGIES AND TIPS: BIG FIVE BLACKJACK

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

Big 5 Blackjack is yet another Blackjack variant that plays to a unique set of rules. In this particular game you will be offered late surrender but not when the Dealer is showing an Ace.

There are not many rules to follow on Big Five Blackjack so with out further a do let’s see what these game play rules are:
Well as you know the game is played with 5 full decks of playing cards and in the game of Big Five Blackjack the Dealer must always Hit a Soft 17.
The game is not a Hole Card game which means that the Dealer won’t be peeking at his cards.
Big Five Blackjack allows you to Double Down on any two cards.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjackand Texas Hold’em
You can also Double Down after you have Split cards.
If you get a Pair of Aces then you may Split them.
Just one card will be dealt to an Ace that has been Split.
A Split Ace and any Ten valued card will not be classed as a Blackjack it will simply become a 21 hand instead.
You can Split both unalike and alike Ten valued cards
You can Early Surrender any hand except for when the Dealer is showing an Ace
You can play Big Five Blackjack at Microgaming powered casinos and they also have an option that allows you to play it in autoplay, it will use the best strategy and allows you to give you mouse a break!

Tips for Playing Big Five Blackjack

With a house edge of 0.47% then it will pay to play Microgaming’s Big 5 Blackjack variant perfectly when playing it, if you do not play optimum strategy then you are going to be increasing the house edge of the game which will reduce your overall winning chances.

So let us now tell you how to play certain hand combinations which will be dealt to you from time to time.

If you have a Soft 17 hand then this can be a very tricky hand to play, however to play it perfectly always Hit such a hand unless the Dealer has a 3, 4, 5 or 6 card showing if so then Double Down that hand or Stand that hand if the Dealer’s up facing card is a 7 or 8.

Should a Pair of 8′s have been dealt to you then always Split them unless the Dealer has an Ace in which case you must Hit them, however should the Dealer’s up facing card be a 10 then the correct move to make when playing Big Five Blackjack is for you to Surrender your hand.

Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

POKER TERMS: STRAIGHT DRAW

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

Straight Draw is when there is at least one card remaining to be dealt or revealed.

Noun

When there is at least one card remaining to be dealt or revealed, a hand that contains four cards from among a series of five with consecutive values.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjackand Texas Hold’em

Noun

A draw game that does not have a minimum requirement to open.

EXAMPLE: Player A: “Would you like to play 5-Card Draw, Jacks or Better?” Player B: “I’d rather play some straight draw.”






Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

BLACKJACK STRATEGIES AND TIPS: WHEN TO SPLIT IN BLACKJACK

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

When you are dealt two of the same card number in blackjack, you can choose to split them into two hands. You will be dealt two more cards (one for each new hand). Your bet is doubled but you now have two chances to beat the dealer. Knowing when to split pairs in blackjack can add a significant amount to your expected return. And since there are only ten possible situations in which you can split cards, it’s not hard to memorize what to do in every single situation..

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

Just because a player can split does not mean that he should split. He should split only if it gives him a better chance of beating the dealer. In order to judge if that will be the case the player should assume that the next card drawn will have a value of 10. This is because there are sixteen cards in the deck of fifty-two cards that have a value of 10. This gives drawing such a card a probability of 31%. Therefore the player should figure out that by drawing cards with a value of 10 can he convert a weak hand into two strong hands.

Split aces and eights any time you get them. No matter what up-card the dealer is showing, splitting aces and eights is always correct.

Split fours when the dealer only has a 5 or a 6. Split a 4 when the dealer has the two weakest possible states.

Never split a five. When you see a pair of 5s, your reaction should be to forget that they’re a pair of 5s and remember that they’re a score of ten.Double down on a 10 against anything but a dealer’s 10 or A. So prepare to double down when you get two 5s.

Don’t split a ten unless you are counting cards and the count goes to six or higher. If it ever happens, if you’re counting cards and the count actually goes to 6 or higher – that’s six extra tens per remaining deck in the shoe. If there are two decks left, that means a count of +12., Split 10s against a dealer 5 or 6. But don’t hold your breath. A count that heavy is astronomically unlikely. This is assuming a hi-lo count (2-6 get +1, 10 and A get -1) or a closely enough related variation (such as two only gets half a point, but also seven gets half a point, which works better but is harder to do).

Split twos, threes, or sevens when the dealer is showing a two through seven. If the dealer has an eight or better showing, just take a hit.

Split sixes when the dealer is showing any card that’s two through six. If the dealer has a seven or better, just take a hit.

Split nines against the following dealer up-cards: 2-6, 8-9. If the dealer has a seven, ten, or ace showing, stand.



Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

POKER TERMS: NOSEBLEEDS

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

Nosebleeds refer to the very highest of high-stakes poker games

The implication here is that the money swings can be so large and so fast that they can cause nosebleeds the way that shifts in air pressure can.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjackand Texas Hold’em

Everything is relative, but generally, the term nosebleed stakes refer to games where the blind is at least $200/$400. Compare that to the average poker game played online, which ranges from blinds of $10/$20 to $25/50.

Often, games with nosebleed stakes use blinds that are much, much higher than $200/$400.

When a casino reserves a room or an area, or creates an exclusive group, just for nosebleed stakes, this is often called the “nosebleed section,” a term that typically refers to the area of upper seats at a sporting event or concert.

Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

MULTI-TABLING POKER STRATEGIES AND TIPS

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

In general, your goal during a session of multi-tabling should be to minimize the amount of different factors coming into play. When you have to think about strategic differences every time you move from one window to the next, you’re likely to experience problems and reduce your profitability.

Methods of Multi-Tabling

Tiling

Tiling is considered to be the most popular method of multi-tabling. When you tile your table windows, you arrange them such a way so that they’re adjacent to each other so that you can see each table in full with little or no overlapping. Most online poker rooms have re-sizeable windows to allow you to change the default size of the tables. How many tables you can fit onto your screen without any overlapping will depend on how easily you can view the tables – and of course the size of your monitor. Some online poker players like to play across multiple computer monitors but for the casual player a single monitor should be sufficient.

Tiling your poker tables means you get to see everything that’s going on across all tables and this has some clear advantages.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjackand Texas Hold’em

Stacking

Stacking is usually the method of choice for players who play a very high number of poker tables simultaneously. Each table window is placed directly on top of the other windows so that they are all positioned in the same general area of your screen. When stacking be sure to check the preferences of your poker software and have it set to bring a window to the front of the stack when it’s your turn to make a betting decision. Players who like to mass multi-table sit-n-goes of various types are most likely to use this method since many decisions in the game are more standardized and automatic than those of a cash game player.

There are advantages to stacking your tables. Firstly, unless you have a very large monitor, you can play on more tables simultaneously – and can increase the size of the tables. Also, since the active tables will pop up in the same position each time, you don’t have to move your mouse cursor across your screen for each betting decision.

Strategies

ABC Poker

Playing poker across multiple tables will naturally result in far more situations than playing on a single table. Therefore you’ll want to use a strategy that minimizes difficult decision making. This means you’re probably best served by playing “ABC poker” – which is to play a very basic style and avoid getting into tricky situations. Although playing poker this way might make you somewhat predictable, and won’t necessarily maximize your profits at each table, it’s a great way of ensuring positive winning percentages and making steady profits in the long run. In higher stakes games you will probably want to reduce the number of tables you play, because experienced poker players will pinpoint your predictability and exploit it.

Stick to One Game

You should avoid playing more than one game type when multi-tabling, so don’t play razz while playing 7-card stud! Playing a couple of cash games while playing in a poker tournament shouldn’t cause too many issues for most players, but it’s generally better to stick to either cash games or tournaments when multi-tabling. You’ll also find it easier to multi-table if you stick to the same table stakes because your bet sizing will be standardized. Remember, the fewer decisions you have to make, the better.

Avoid Distractions

If you take your poker seriously then you’ll know that it’s important to avoid distractions whilst playing. You’ll be using nearly all of your available time making decisions. Also, you’ll have little time for chit-chat. For this reason it’s in your best interests to ignore the chat box and if you can, disable it completely. Remember, the purpose of multi-tabling is to multiply your winnings.

Tournament Strategy

When it comes to tournament poker, there are two schools of thought regarding when to actually start the games. Some players like to start all their tournaments or SNGs at the same time, or at least as close as possible. By doing this it’s easier to keep track of what phase of the game you’re in since each table should only be separated by a level or two at most. The downside to this method of multi-tabling is that all of the games will become short-handed at roughly the same time, resulting in much less time to make decisions. Another drawback is that you would want to complete one set of games completely before starting another round.






Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

POKER TERMS: WINRATE

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

Winrate is the amount of money you win over a period of time.

The amount of money you win over a set period of time or hands is known as your “winrate” or “win rate” (I’m not sure if there is meant to be a gap). In poker, winrate is a very interesting topic for a lot of players as the higher your winrate the more money you win.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjackand Texas Hold’em

Win rate basics.

Poker winrates are most commonly expressed in the 4 following ways:

bb/100 = The number of big blinds you win per 100 hands.

bb/hour = The number of big blinds you win per hour.

$/100 = The amount of money you win per 100 hands.

$/hour = The amount of money you win per hour.

The most commonly used winrate in tracking programs and on forums for no limit Hold’em these days is bb/100.

A few other win rates.

The following winrates are less common, but just be careful not to get them confused with the ones above.

BB/100 = Big Bets per 100 hands. A big bet is 2x the big blind.

ptbb/100 = Poker Tracker Big Blinds per 100 hands. This is the same as BB/100.

So, if you have a winrate of 3 BB/100 or 3 ptbb/100 in a $0.5/$1 NL game, you would be winning 6 bb/100 or $6 per 100 hands.

The reason why BB/100 and ptbb/100 exist is because of limit Hold’em. “Big bets” are double the big blind and are used on the later streets in limit Hold’em. When PokerTracker first came out it measured winrates using double the big blind for both limit and no limit games, so to save confusion the notation “ptbb/100” was used.

Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

What is a good winrate?

This is easily the most frequently asked question when it comes to win rates, and the answer is always the same…

Any winrate above 0 is good.

A winrate above 0 means that you are a winning player and you should be happy about that. Something crazy like 95% of all online poker players lose money, so be thankful that you’re good enough to be in this elite group. However, I know that you’re not going to be satisfied with a very general answer like that. You want some figures don’t you?

Rough ballpark figures for good and great winrates.

1 – 4 bb/100 = Great. A solid winrate if you can sustain it.

5 – 9 bb/100 = Amazing. This is a very high winrate at any level. Consider moving up.

10+ bb/100 = Immense. Very, very few have a winrate like this. You probably have a small sample size though.

Once again, these are rough guidelines for good and ridiculously good winrates. If yours is much higher, then congratulations to you and I hope it remains high. At the end of the day though as anyone will tell you… you’re doing a good job if your winrate is above 0bb/100, so be happy with what you’ve got.

Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets.

Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

POKER STRATEGIES AND TIPS: DOUBLE DECK BLACKJACK POKER

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

The primary advantage to playing a double-deck game is the volatility of the count.Unlike a 4- or 6-deck game, the running count, which is converted to the True Count (count per remaining deck) in a DD game can rise or fall quickly, but it’s gone almost as fast, due to the shuffle. That’s obviously good when the count is negative, but no fun at all when the count is “up”. Things happen quickly in a DD game and the wise counter takes advantage, but it requires good skills at converting to the True Count and almost needs some ability to anticipate what’s going to happen, while remembering that we never make guesses when counting.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjackand Texas Hold’em

Double Deck Blackjack is easy to understand: you have to come as close to 21 without going over, while still having a higher total than the Dealer. To receive your cards, first place your bet. The cards are dealt in rotation from the dealer, moving left-to-right. The dealer’s hand features one card face up and one face down. You can then choose to receive more cards for your hand or showdown and see who has come closest to 21 without going over.

Rules
Double deck blackjack is played using two decks which are reshuffled after each hand.
Dealer will stand on a soft 17.
You may split up to three hands.
You may not surrender any cards.
Split aces receive only one card.
No re-splitting of aces.
A split ace and a ten-value card is not a Blackjack.
You win when you hold a score of 21 or less but greater than the Dealer’s final total or you achieve a score of 21 or less when the Dealer’s final score exceeds 21.

Card Values
Card suits are irrelevant.
Cards 2 to 10 have face value.
Jacks, queens, and kings are worth 10.
Aces have a value of 1 or 11.



Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

Getting Started

If you have never played DD games as a counter, you need to do some basic planning first. While they aren’t a world apart from 6D games, here are some differences to consider:

Many, though not all, DD games are dealt facedown and that requires you to count the cards in a different way.

Because it will be difficult to leave the table when the count drops, you’ll need to learn more “negative” Basic Strategy variations.

Many DD games require the dealer to hit soft 17 (I’m going to assume that throughout this series), so there are some Basic Strategy changes needed. You can get them at www.blackjackinfo.com

With penetration being such a crucial factor, you should first check your local game to see if it’s even worth the trouble.



Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

POKER STRATEGIES AND TIPS: A SHARK PLAYER

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

If you are to become a shark, you need to have the correct approach. Understand that becoming a shark is a lifelong process that is never complete. No matter how well you play, there will always be areas of your game that can be improved upon; there are always ways of doing things better.

If you are paying attention, you can always learn something, especially from those players who play better than you do. When you are playing against a shark, take the opportunity to watch how they handle themselves in various situations. Look specifically for spots where they acted differently from how you would have, and ask why. the best players are never satisfied with their level of play and are always hungry to optimize. That is exactly the approach it takes to become a poker shark.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

What makes a poker player a fish or a shark? One necessary ingredient is experience and there is no substitute for that. One way to speed up your acquisition of knowledge is to listen to the advice of experienced players and to focus on some specific aspects of your game.

The first fundamental element is to control your VPIP/PFR/AG. Many novice players want to play many hands and have atrocious VPIP of 50% or higher. Almost all winning poker players have a VPIP in the range [8-20] for full ring hold’em and [15-30] for 6-max hold’em.

The three secrets of hold’em poker are: fold, fold and fold.

Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

A few exceptional players might be able to be winners with VPIP outside these ranges, but your initial goal is to stay within them. If you call too many hands, the average quality of your hand is low and the average result is a loss. Study a starting hand chart and play tight.

The second thing to learn is aggression. If you play passively, all the neighboring sharks will smell your blood. Aggression is a difficult skill to master. It is similar to driving a F1 racecar. If you do not know how to use it, you will go very fast and you will crash very fast also.

Normally it is believed that the optimal level of your PFR should be 2/3 of your VPIP, wherever the VPIP is. If you find out that your PFR is 2%, study your gave as there is something wrong with it. This is the PFR of a fish.

Finally AG represents your aggression postflop. AG must be high enough as well, preferably above 2. It means that postflop you should avoid calling as much as possible. If your hand is strong, raise. Else, fold. Easier said than done, but it should be your goal.



Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

POKER TERMS: FLOAT PLAY

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

The float play essentially involves calling an opponent’s bet on the flop (floating the flop), and then betting after being checked to on the turn to win the hand before seeing the river card. It is possible to make a successful maneuver like this with any two cards, which typically makes it a good bluffing play.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

How to make a successful float play.

There are two criteria however that have to be met before being able to pull off a good float play.
You should be acting after your opponent.
You should be heads-up with your opponent.

It is actually possible to make a float play out of position, but this is far more difficult and it is not often recommended that you try to do so as it can become costly. In position you have the opportunity to spot any weakness on the turn from your opponent after calling their flop bet. If your opponent bets strongly again on the turn, you are able to comfortably fold knowing that they more than likely have the best hand. If they check however, you are in the perfect position to take down the pot.

A second and equally important rule for a good float play is that you should be heads-up against your opponent. If there is more than one player in the pot, it makes it more difficult to pull off such a complex bluff, as it is more likely that at least one of the players has a decent hand.

The float play relies on us trying to pick off a continuation bet from our opponents, and the addition of another player into the equation adds too many variables to make it successful, and often our attempted display of strength will go unnoticed. Therefore it is best to keep things simple, and stick to being in position against one opponent when attempting a float play.

Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

Float as a Bluff

One does not need a made hand to execute a float, even though the expected value will be elevated when one possesses a draw with which one could win the showdown if it were completed. Calling a continuation bet can be done as a pure bluff to represent a strong hand or slowplay or to show an opponent that the pot will not be easily won and to convince him to give up his bluff.

Many players avoid making a bet in the third betting round without a good made hand if an opponent calls two bets in spite of that player’s aggression. A float is therefore useful when a player is in position to give up his hand if it does not improve after his opponent has called a continuation bet. Against players who often make a third bet, a float is useless. It is also useless if an opponent only makes a continuation bet when he has a good hand. Players who often make a continuation bet after a raise and then fold when their hand does not improve are ripe for floats.

A typical floating scheme in Texas Hold’em goes like this:

Preflop: Player A raises, player B calls.

Flop: A bets, B calls.

Turn: A checks, B bets, A folds

Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

POKER TERMS: THREE-BET

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

One of the common definitions you will hear as you play poker is “3-bet”, or “three-bet” A 3-bet as most players use the term means the act of putting in the third bet, technically the second “raise”, the “3-bet” during any given round of action. It’s only in recent years that the term has become popular, indicative of its use during online play.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

A 3-bet, which is always a form of a re-raise is designed to be an indicator of a true premium hand. The 3-bet is a shot over the bow of the initial raiser, designed to capture that pot right there. The intent of the 3-bet is to say to the initial bettor. One common variation involves the initial raise coming from a late position, the button player or the cut-off , and the 3-bet is made by the small or big blind, who may assume the button or cutoff is attempting to steal the blinds. Overall, the 3-bet is traditionally one of the strongest moves a player can make, trailing perhaps only the all-in push and the check-raise in its ability to change a hand. It is supposed to mean that the player making the move has a very strong hand, though this being poker, that is not always the case.

Looking for best online poker room website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you are in the small blind. The table folds to the button, who raises. If you were to re-raise, you would be putting in the third bet. Why? Well, the button has actually put in two bets – his initial call and then his raise. When you make another raise, you’re putting a third bet into the pot.

Three betting is a critical part of modern poker. Before the advent of online poker, a third bet in no limit and pot limit games generally indicated a very strong hand. Now, as games have gotten more aggressive, the three bet is used quite liberally by players in cash and tournament play alike. Knowledge of when you should three bet and what your opponent’s three betting range is are both critical skills for players hoping to profit in modern poker.

Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

POKER TERMS: STRING BET

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

A string bet is an illegal bet where a player essentially makes two declarations to make one bet. It is either

When a player uses more than one forward motion to put chips in for a raise without verbally declaring the raise first.

When a player verbally states, “I see your call…and I raise”, without putting the full bet in first.

String bets are problematic because they are confusing and ambiguous. The proper way to raise is to simply say “I raise” or push all the chips you intend to bet in a single forward motion.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

String betting can also be a form of angle shooting where a player attempts to gain an advantage by gauging their opponent’s reaction to the call. The idea is that a player could call, then try and read the opponent’s response, then based on the reaction, elect to raise or stick with the call. The dealer will determine where to draw the line, but if you suspect that somebody is employing this tactic, you should learn to defend yourself by calling a person on it when it happens. Don’t be too quick to accuse somebody of deliberate string betting though, because it is a common accident, and nobody likes being unfairly accused of cheating. If you are certain that they are doing it on purpose, you may want to watch that person for other signs of cheating.

Looking for best online poker room website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.
As a dealer, it’s important to remember that string bets will be an accident the vast majority of the time. Since it is common for players to do this, so you should remind them to use one forward motion when raising. Now the question is what to do with their sloppy bet. If the player said the cliched “I call…and raise”, then it is just a call. If the player made two forward motions, the result depends on first motion…

If a single large chip is thrown in, it is a call according to the “oversized chip rule”, this supersedes the following bet-size rules.

If the first forward motion is less than half a legal raise, then it is a call and the player is refunded the extra amount.

If it is between half a legal raise and a minimum raise, then the player must complete a minimum raise.

If it is a regular raise then it counts as that raise and can’t be increased to a larger raise.

Remember to only include the first forward motion of chips, additional motions should always be refunded.



Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

POKER STRATEGIES AND TIPS: SURRENDERING IN BLACKJACK

Check Regal Poker for Latest Poker News, poker strategy tips and more.

Some Casinos offer a “black jack Surrender.” At any time before a player takes a card or stands pat, that player may simply fold their hand. That may sound crazy, but this is called surrendering your hand, Where surrender is offered, when you fold your hand you lose the equivalent of one half of the original bet.

Learn everything that you need to know about how to play poker, and become a professional in Blackjack and Texas Hold’em

Obviously, you should never surrender unless you have a very poor hand, and if surrender is still available, that means the dealer has not hit 21. Consider this option carefully. Here are the guidelines for scenarios which support the odds that favor surrendering your hand:

you should review the 2 ways this can be played:

The first option takes place after the cards are dealt, but before the dealer has looked at his cards. This is called an Early Surrender.

The second option takes place after the dealer has looked at his cards to reveal if a Blackjack hand was dealt. This is called a late surrender.

In both circumstances the dealer takes your surrendered cards, along with half of your bet.
Determining if this type of play is right for you will greatly depend on your strategy and the house rules of the casino.

Looking for best online poker game website? Follow us and check out our promotions we offer you the best online poker bonus.

The basic strategy for using the black jack surrender options are when your hand values are:
You are dealt a hand that totals 16 and the up card for the dealer is a 9, 10 or Ace
You are dealt a hand that totals 15 and the up card for the dealer is a 10 or Ace
You are dealt a hand that totals 17 and the up card for the dealer is an Ace

All other scenarios favor a different course of action.

When the surrender is not allowed, then the strategy would change to Hit on all but the Hard 16 Versus 10, you would stand



Don’t miss our special articles about Texas Hold’em and blackjack, become the best player that you can be! Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!