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Fresh up to date news on Texas Hold’em Questions and the gambling world.

How to Handle Being Card Dead

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Card Dead

Being card dead is part and parcel of poker. For many, it’s just bad luck and you can’t change anything. A lot of players believe you cannot do much to avoid it and you will have sessions of card dead and either lose some money in cash or blind down in tournaments. This is only partly true. Obviously, poker is easier when you are on heater or picking up good cards but there is ways to help your chances of success without requiring strong hands. In this article, we will explore ways to handle being card dead so you are better prepared next time.

Beginner Texas Hold’em Question

What Does “Card Dead” Mean?

It is where someone is dealt poor starting hands for a long period. Hands like deuce-seven and eight-three off-suit would qualify.

Take Advantage of Your Tight Image

One of the key parts of poker is perception. Now, if you’ve been folding for an hour, forget that you’ve had rubbish hands – your opponents don’t know what you’ve had. They’ve just seen you fold continuously. You have a solid table image. This image will allow you to get away with a steal or two that other players can’t. Use it to your advantage! This could be as simple as a pre-flop 3 bet or a flop check-raise against an active c-bettor.

Using your image to your advantage is something you should always be looking to do. Whether it’s getting paid off as a LAG or pulling off more bluffs. This strategy should employed regardless of whether you’re card dead or not.

Stay Active From Late Position Regardless

Have you ever noticed that a lot hands just end pre-flop? A simple raise pre-flop is all that is needed against some players. I’ve banged the drum about stealing in late position many times and will continue to here. As we know, hand selection widens, the later position you are. It’s important to keep your tournament stack growing and for your image and win rate in cash games too. So this point is important for both types of poker player.

Being an active player from late position is a way to help you when you’re card dead. This can come in a two forms:

  1. Raising first in. If it folds to you in the cutoff or button, put in a raise and pick the pot up or play post flop in position. I recall in live poker, I used to pretend to look when I was in late position then just play the pot. I didn’t want to look down and find rags so would prefer to just play blind. You’d be surprised how effective this was! Be prepared to adopt solid continuation bet strategy though. You can’t just blindly c-bet, you need to know the right opponents and flop textures. (Take our course to improve your c-betting)
  2. 3 Betting bad LAGS in position. If you’re observant, you will realise who is active preflop and who isn’t. An effective counter strategy to bad LAG players is to 3 bet them when you’re in position. They’ll often just fold pre-flop. Therefore, you can sometimes do this with rubbish hands. The strength of your hand is irrelevant, it’s the situation you’re playing. This is particularly effective on the sports-betting sites which attract bad LAG players. Free Bets UK showcases reputable sports betting sites so take a look there and use ones that offer poker.

Assess Your Hand Selection…

Many players cry “I was card dead” when they’ve actually had lots of profitable scenarios and hands. If you’re folding ace jack under the gun or folding suited connectors multi-way in position, you may want to review your hand selection. If you’re continuously finding yourself card dead, you may not actually be card dead, but just playing too tightly.  

This happens to a lot of poker players who have hit a level in their learning. They are not a beginner anymore but think they can skirt by playing super tight. This is rarely the optimal strategy and will find you losing a lot in blinds and more importantly, wasting opportunities to make money.

Conclusion

Being card dead is just probability. Poker is more than the cards you’re dealt though. We’ve looked at a few ways to help your win rate when you’re card dead but there are other ways too. Pay attention to your table, stay patient, pick your spots and don’t tilt. These are all practical ways to ensure you are equipped to handle being card dead. As are taking advantage of your image, staying aggressive in late position and assessing the cards you play.

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Perfect Poker Doesn’t Exist

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Perfect Poker

I am as much of an optimist as the next person, but when it comes to perfect poker, I contend it doesn’t exist in the real world. Not the world we live in. It’s not popular opinion to hold this view. After all, surely a poker coaching website should be aspiring for perfection? We can be positive and aspire for greatness while realising our limitations though. In this article, I will set out what perfect poker means, two reasons why I believe there’s no such thing, but more importantly, what this means for poker players aspiring to be the best.

Beginner Texas Hold’em Question

What is Perfect Poker?  

Perfect poker is the theory that there is a perfect, 100% optimal way of playing poker. It means making no mistakes whatsoever.

Disclaimers

Before I set out why I don’t think perfect poker exists. I need to preface it with a couple of disclaimers. When I say perfect poker, I am referencing a perfect session, a perfect week or a perfect month of poker. A hand taken in isolation can be played perfectly, this cannot be disputed. One hand may require one decision i.e. folding pre-flop with deuce seven off suit. In many instances, this will be the perfect play, for that hand.

I also need to add a disclaimer that there are scientist’s that have worked on AI that play poker perfectly. I’m not qualified to state whether this is true or not, but even if it is, the content in this article is strictly aimed at you and me, people.

I just wanted to make these disclaimers before putting forward my case against perfect poker.

1) Humans Are Fallible

We are imperfect beings, not robots that are programmed to do certain things. We all have our own tendencies and patterns that we adopt. This translates to the poker table and is evident in our playing style. Whilst this is not a universal truth, and, with hard work we can alter our strategy, the point stands that we are human and prone to mistakes.

In order to subscribe to the notion that perfect poker can be played, we must discount the enormous factor of us being human. Be it on a conscious, or subconscious level, we will make mistakes when we play poker. This mistake could range from as seemingly innocuous as slightly under-betting to incorrectly shoving. This point cannot be stressed enough as to disregard human nature is to disregard what poker is, a people game.

2) Too Much Information in Poker

Poker is complex isn’t it? The rules are simple enough but the reason sites like mine exist is due to the inherent complexity involved. There are so many aspects to poker, each with differing skillsets required and it’s why we love it.

Texas Hold’em is the best poker format, evidenced by the fact it’s the most popular poker variant. However, this level of complexity makes it all the more harder to become “perfect” at it.

Often, there is just too much information involved for anyone to correctly assess what the perfect move may be.

This is not true for every hand in Texas Hold’em as per my disclaimer, but it will stretch to a lot. We’re making mistakes without even realising it. This isn’t even necessarily due to a lack of attention. You could be 1 tabling on a 6 max table and not take in all the information. Perhaps you missed the fact your opponent only checks twice out of position with bottom pair or worse and missed a bluff?

What Does It Mean If Perfect Poker is a Myth?


This is the crux of my article. Whilst I don’t believe anyone can play perfect poker over a sustained period of time, we can work hard and do our best to get as close as possible. Remember that “shooting for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among stars”. You can only be the best version of yourself. That’s not a negative though. On the contrary, it’s an encouraging thought and should be motivating.

I think we need to be realistic, humble and have a good worth ethic to be successful, both in poker and in life. By adopting this attitude, you are more likely to succeed. So, when you hear people bust a tournament and say they played perfect, by all means offer empathy, but don’t believe it.

I hope you enjoyed this article. If you’re interested in improving your game, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a message in our contact page and we will get back to you soon.

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Pros and Cons of Playing Poker vs Sports Betting

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Poker vs Sports Betting

Gambling is increasing in popularity across the US as more states relax gambling laws, opening up casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms online and in-person. As more people than ever look to get involved in gambling as a way of fun and excitement, there’s an increasing number of people who also want to make money this way. Gambling is mostly about having fun, but some people use their knowledge and experience to turn a consistent profit.

If you’re looking to make money through Poker or sports betting apps in Michigan, it’s a good idea to look at the pros and cons of each. While it is possible to win money from gambling online, it’s not without risk, and you should always gamble responsibly. If you’re having trouble with staying away from gambling, you can use your state’s gambling commission to self-exclude from any legal gambling sites.

Sports Betting

Sports betting is one of the oldest and most popular forms of gambling with a history as long as sports themselves. Today, sports betting can be done in-person at specific retail sportsbooks or online. Be sure that the online sportsbook you use is legal and licensed in your state. That way, you can be sure that your money is safe and the site is fair to use.

Pros of Sports Betting

  • A large variety of sports to bet on
  • Gamblers can turn a good profit through careful research
  • Lots of good online sports betting sites and apps
  • In-play betting and cash-out features enhance the experience
  • Most online sportsbooks offer big bonuses to new users
  • Aside from the research, betting is fast and straightforward

Cons of Sports Betting

  • While it’s possible to spend lots of time researching the sport and betting options, bettors can still be unlucky
  • Pay-outs for winning bets tend to be fairly low. Unless betting on an underdog, you have to stake a lot of money to win big

Poker

Poker is a classic card game that can be played at casinos and poker rooms across the country. In recent years, online poker has also become available in some states, and many players also choose to play at off-shore poker sites. There are lots of different versions of poker, which all have different rules, but the objective remains the same, to create the highest-scoring hand.

Pros of Poker

  • Poker is a skill-based game that can be mastered if you put the time in to learn and study it
  • The best Poker players can win consistently
  • Poker sites often hold tournaments, which can sometimes feature massive prizes. The pay-outs are generally much larger than in sports betting
  • There are lots of different Poker sites available which usually offer great bonuses
  • Because there are so many different types of poker, you can pick one type and specialize in it
  • Freeroll tournaments allow players to enter for free and still potentially win big prizes

Cons of Poker

  • Games can take a long time, and professional Poker players devote hundreds of hours to practicing and playing
  • Poker is a complicated game to learn and can be daunting for new players
  • Poker training is often required to become a winner

Conclusion

Both sports betting and poker are fun hobbies that can potentially make money if you put enough time and effort into them. The very best poker players are able to win tens of millions of dollars, although it’s extremely difficult to get to this level. Sports betting is generally much more accessible, and anyone can instantly start betting without much previous knowledge or research. However, just as with poker, you’ll need to dedicate time to research in order to find the best odds and the best picks.

Neither are guaranteed ways of making money, and the best option ultimately comes down to which you prefer. Some people enjoy the strategy and competitiveness of poker, while others prefer to enhance their sports viewing experience with betting. Whichever you choose, be sure to use a site that’s licensed by your state if you want to stay safe while gambling online. There you have it poker vs sports betting in a nutshell.

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Poker Variants with a More Approachable Pace than the Fast Tempo of Texas Hold’em

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Texas Hold’em may be the most popular variant of poker in the world, but it isn’t always loved by everyone from the outset. For some people just starting out, it can seem intimidating. After all, it is fairly fast-paced and requires players to have a solid strategy nailed down. On the internet, there can be a lot of sharks out there who are ready to pounce on the fresh fish as well. To get the hang of poker in a more controlled and relaxed environment, it could be a good idea to practice other variants such as Caribbean Hold’em and seven-card stud.

A Change from Texas Hold’em?

Now, before you start getting all up in arms about an article suggesting that someone shouldn’t be playing Texas Hold’em, let’s just make one thing clear. This article isn’t advocating avoidance of Hold’em for intimated newcomers altogether. It is merely a suggestion about how they can ease themselves into the community game later on.

On top of that, some Hold’em players may feel their skills stagnating or their progression halted. They may have watched all the training videos and played for some time without moving up the levels. These people may also find that a change from Hold’em to playing other poker variants could be beneficial to their overall improvement. It could lead them to take stock of the game and then come back more refreshed later on.

Caribbean Hold’em

It’s a lesser-known strain of poker, but Caribbean Hold’em poker is one option for beginners. This uses almost exactly the same rules as Texas Hold’em but, instead of having a number of players around the table, it is just the player against the dealer. The player and the dealer both receive two hole cards before three community cards are dealt in the middle. The player then decides whether to fold or bet. If they bet, the turn and the river are dealt in quick succession and the winning hand is revealed.

This game is good for beginners who want to get the hang of the hands. There is no time limit when making decisions, which gives the player a good opportunity to work out their odds of winning a hand. They can assess whether they have any good draws and calculate their outs. With practice, players are able to do this much more quickly.

Seven-Card Stud

Seven-card stud is a classic poker variant that has been overshadowed by community offerings since poker moved online. However, it can still be found at a number of poker sites and it makes a fun and exciting alternative to Hold’em.

Seven-card stud used to be the most commonly played variant of poker in the United States until Hold’em took over during the poker boom. The reason why this variant disappeared into the shadows is that it was far less exciting for live audiences to watch, and there wasn’t quite as much interaction between players. Still, it can be a great way for beginner players to learn the ropes and understand draws.

In seven-card stud, each player gets dealt their own cards. It starts with two face down and one face up, followed by a round of betting. A second, third, and fourth upcard is dealt to each player, with betting occurring at each stage. The final card is dealt face down with another round of betting. Players make their best possible hand of five cards with the seven at their disposal. They can also look at the four face up cards of their opponents’ to gauge what they may be holding.

Apply the Learned Knowledge to Hold’em

From playing Caribbean Hold’em for some time, players may feel that they are ready to take their newfound skills to the Texas Hold’em table. After learning the hand values and mastering how to calculate outs in a controlled environment, players should feel way more confident at the Hold’em table.

In seven-card Stud, players should be fairly accustomed to working out their own draws. During this variant, players need to assess multiple players’ draws by observing their upcards as well. In Hold’em, they only need to look at the community cards to assess everyone’s draws. This means that they may find Hold’em easier after having played seven-card stud.

Texas Hold’em players shouldn’t be against the idea of straying away from the number one poker variant from time to time. After all, some of the best players in the business have been known to play different games. For instance, Phil Ivey is widely considered to be the best player in the world, and he spends a lot of his time at the baccarat table. Bertrand Grospellier, better known as ElkY, plied his trade as a competitive gamer for some time before making it in the poker world. Beginners who opt to play these games first may also feel less intimidated when they sit down at a Hold’em table.

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What’s Next for Online Poker in 2021?

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Online Poker 2020

2020 turned out to be a difficult year for everyone. But, when most companies were forced to close, there was increased activity on the sites of many online gambling establishments, including well-known poker sites. At the start of the year, most of the online casino sites reported increased demand for online poker, and as a result, a sharp increase in their income. Millions of people, once at home, suddenly found a lot of free time. The online poker sites began to massively change. They transferred real games to online events, launching dozens of promotions to maintain the interest of the audience.

All this had a positive impact on the development of the online gambling industry. 2020 is ending and its time for future projections. Let’s analyze what can be expected from online poker in 2021, in which direction this industry will be developed, according to experts and players.

Online Poker in 2021

The main directions of online poker in 2021 will be:

  • The main problem of the well-known poker networks is bot farming, which has not disappeared until now. Large rooms have been fighting bots for a long time. However, so far they have been unsuccessful, although not for everyone.
  • Often, players independently identify the presence of specific bots. In 2020 The online casinos blocked and confiscated close to $2 million. Fortunately it was redistributed between honest players. We can expect this identifying and blocking bots to continue for online poker in 2021.
  • Development of worldwide casinos. Today, more and more players prefer online poker rooms of worldwide networks, not from particular countries. This is due to the fact that world sites introduce new items faster and give much more generous bonuses. The trend is expected to continue in the future.
  • Bitcoin and blockchain! Most of the online casinos make attempts to implement the crypt, while others create such a format for mutual settlements. Bitcoin has already proven its superiority. Therefore, one can assume increasing demand among players and mass adoption of blockchain for sites with bitcoin poker. This technology allows to commit all players activity and bring down the possibility of fraud.
  • The bonus policy of the rooms, most likely, will not change. Most of the online casinos are now actively working to expand the audience boundaries to attract new users.
  • The emergence of new online poker rooms. In most countries, legislation is changing. The poker industry is gaining more freedom and more countries recognize online poker as an official sport.

BTC poker new mainstream for online gambling

You must pay special attention to the fourth point above, because bitcoin in gambling can solve most of problems. Cryptocurrencies, are in many ways similar to electronic payment systems e.g. making payments and transfers. But in fact, it this is not so. Cryptocurrency is a type of money implemented in a digital format. In the form of ciphers that obey the laws of cryptography. This is controlled by a distributed computer network (computers of many ordinary users around the world, who are rewarded for the participation of their computing power in the functioning of all systems). This system does not obey anyone and its value is determined only by the market. This is a promising and deep topic, which will definitely become the future of online poker and gambling in general.

All transfers made by using bitcoins are anonymous. Transactions are recorded in a public system, but their addressees may not reveal their identity. This allows online bitcoin casinos operating through cryptocurrencies to accept players from all over the world without restrictions. Usually, such bitcoin casinos do not even require identity verification, allowing their clients to remain incognito.

To create an account in a bitcoin casino is your email account and a bitcoin wallet. If you don’t know how to get a bitcoin wallet here is the link. You do not need to provide your full name, country of residence, or personal data. Wallet ID will be used for added security. By the way, crypto casinos work with bitcoin but also with other cryptocurrencies. To make a deposit or withdrawal, you only need to have a digital wallet. You can do so with one of the cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Litecoin, or Ethereum.

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Where Can Italians Play Texas Hold’em?

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Italian Poker

Italy is one of the best places to play Texas Holdem. This variant has become increasingly popular thanks to the well-known World Series of Poker (WSOP). Two reasons to make Italy the friendliest place to appreciate Texas Holdem is the freedom to play this game as well as the warm welcome of the poker players there. 

Mind that gambling is completely legal in Italy and various poker sites at NonAAMS.com. Other types of gambling establishments are available all over the country too. If you are looking for the best poker rooms or poker sites to play Texas Holdem in Italy, read on.

Bwin Poker

Among the several online poker rooms available today, Bwin is probably one of the oldest that has offered its services since 1999. This site holds a licence from the renowned Gibraltar Regulatory Authority. It offers everything that players are expect when playing Texas Holdem. Although this company has joined the PartyPoker network which does not accept US players, the Italians are allowed to register at this platform. 

They can, therefore, take advantage of countless variants of poker including Texas Hold’em and the perks associated with these games. In fact, Bwin Poker is among the top 10 online poker sites in the world. It has around 5,000 players per day. Moreover, Bwin is the first operator to launch a real-money mobile poker app. In addition to Texas Hold’em, the players will be able to have fun playing other poker formats too.

Those who register and make their first deposit will be rewarded 100% up to €100 and other interesting advantages. For the players who want to enhance their experiences or win huge sums of money, Bwin Poker offers an opportunity to participate in poker tournaments, with many formats available. Apart from the standard style tournaments, the platform also offers other tournaments like Bounty Tournaments, Shootout tournaments, Up tournaments, and more.

PokerStars

PokerStars is the most popular online poker room in the world and its name is probably on every player’s lips. The company was founded in 2001 and averages over 15,000 players playing for real money cash every day. This home to poker is the perfect place for the Italian players. It offers a large number of poker variations including Texas hold ’em. The players who register at this site and make their first deposits will be granted a generous welcome bonus package.

In fact, the new players will receive immediately €20 allowing them to play with other players from around the world. Since Texas Holdem is played on a single table with 2 to 10 players, an opportunity to meet others passionate about this game is possible. Moreover, PokerStars is well-reputed to run some of the most prestigious online poker tournament series on this planet. And when it comes to a poker tournament, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the most well-known name. 

However, other online series are also seductive and gather both professionals and amateurs. Some of these lucrative tournaments include the PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship, the World Championship of Online Poker and the Spring Championship of Online Poker.

PartyPoker

Released in 2001 by PartyGaming, a network of gambling sites in the Caribbean, PartyPoker (or partypoker) is one of the largest poker rooms. The site offers variants of poker games but the most seductive is Texas Hold ’em which has attracted predominantly Italian players. Licensed by different powerful regulatory bodies, a safe gambling environment is ensured. 

Another reason to make this online poker room the perfect place to enjoy Texas Holdem is the high-quality services provided by the support team. PartyPoker is mainly recognized for encouraging its members to freely complain about service-related problems. Previously, when playing at PartyPoker the stakes can range from 0.1/0.2 to100/200 but today, the platform changed its high-stakes cash games to €10/€20. This means that every player is able to play and have fun at this poker site. 

Concerning the tournaments, the website is home to a variety of tournaments ranging from 10 to thousands of participants. Actually, when registering at PartyPoker, the player will have the opportunity to find the biggest live and online poker tournaments. The most popular one is the Power Series. It has a $2.20 buy-in but can reward up to $10 Million every week.


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How Do Players Cheat in Online Poker?

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

How to Cheat in Online Poker

The world of online poker is a very competitive one. Whenever the stakes are high in life and there is money to be had, there will be people out there looking to get hold of it via nefarious means.

Given the security measures involved, not every potential poker cheat is attempting to defraud the house, rather they are often looking to cheat their fellow players and win an entire pot for themselves.

Most reputable poker sites have managed to avoid such fraudsters, however, players in Poland and beyond have become quite clever at attempting to use various tools to enable them to cheat with being noticed. Those looking to hoodwink people, especially on Texas Hold’Em poker, quite often would have no need to take the risk if only they invested some time in training via Texasholdemquestions.com.

We look at the various ways people cheat on poker. Writer  Jacek Michałski, whose profile you can review here, has shared some of his thoughts on this subject.

Tricky Cheaters

As long as people have had brains, there has been cheating. In the gambling world, this is something companies such as Zet Casino have to guard very carefully against.

In Poland, where among other territories people search for the best mobile payment apps to use for gambling, more and more players are protecting themselves but sometimes the tricksters are just too clever!

Online poker cheating is hard to get away with thankfully, and there have been careful ways developed for instance to catch a potential PokerStars cheat. Here’s how they try to achieve their goals.

Using Bots

This is how some of the biggest and most controversial poker cheats in history have got away with cheating. Poker bots exist, and that is just a sad fact.

There have been recorded instances of such bots being programmed and defeating “real” players at the online poker table. Bots know when to play and when to fold. They have no emotion and so aren’t tempted to play at the wrong time.

Using Collusion Methods

One thing every Polish player should be aware of is this. The collusion method involves two or more players putting their efforts together. Using a form of communication, such as Skype or WhatsApp, the players share their hole cards and intended stakes to ensure one of them wins before they share the cash.

This method differs from ‘ghosting’, which instead involves gaining help from someone on the outside.

Using the Ghosting Method

This is similar to employing a ‘ringer’, someone or something that is better at the game than they are purported to be.

In this case, the cheat asks for help from a professional poker player who knows all the best moves. Again, using an online communication tool the player in the game simply screenshots their hand each time and asks a coach to help them through and make their decisions for them in return for payment.

This can even be done when playing mobile casino poker games as it is even quicker on handheld devices to screenshot or take photos of hands as pass the information to a pro.

Using Multiple Accounts

This is probably the simplest method of all for poker cheats. There will always be an unfair advantage for a player or players to be able to see more than one hole card and more than one hand, only with this method the cheat doesn’t have to involve anyone else.

Although online casinos have a rule allowing only one account per person, email address, household or IP address, the use of credit cards registered in different places as well as VPN has meant one player being able to hold various accounts and play multiple hands in the same game. Using this method, a player may have twice or even three times the chance of winning a hand.

Conclusion & Disclaimer

So, there is more than one way to cheat playing online poker and it is one of the last things the online gambling world has to tackle that gives it a disadvantage versus bricks and mortar casinos. To know if you’re playing against a cheat, look out for the same “people” winning all the time via similar methods.

Please note, this article is purely an informational piece on how to cheat at online poker and to help players be aware of it. Texas Hold’em Questions does not condone cheating in anyway and recommends you inform the poker site if you suspect someone of cheating.

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Biggest Online Poker Pot

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Intro to Biggest Online Poker Pot

There have been some pretty insane pots won online over the years. Generally, they are going to be aces versus kings and post flop coolers as most professional’s are not stacking off in deep stack cash game with weak hands. Would you invest hundreds of thousands with medium strength hands?
Let’s look at the one biggest online poker pots and give commentary.

Tom Dwan (Durrr) vs Urindanger – Pot of $723,941

This game was played on Full Tilt. One of the major poker sites, trusted and endorsed by GamStop. This hand would be less likely to be found on CasinoGap. A resource website for finding more enjoyable poker games, not on GamStop.

In a 6 handed game (as most of these high stakes games are), Urindanger opened to $3,000 from the cuttoff with Ac Ad, elmariachimacho flat called and Tom Dwan 3bet to $16,300 from the small blind with Kc Kd.  Urindanger puts in a 4 bet to $45,000, elmariachimacho folds and Dwan calls.

Flop – 9h 5c 4h ($94,000)
Dwan checks, Urindanger bets $52,700 and Dwan check raises to $139,500. Urindanger moves all in for $314,971 and Dwan calls it off.

Turn brings 3d and river falls 6h leading to one of the biggest online poker pots at $723,941.

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Commentary

At face value this is just a cooler right? Aces against kings, no commentary required for the biggest online poker pot. I beg to differ; this is deep stacked cash games where an error can lead to you losing the value of a house. Let’s try and dissect it a little.

Before the Flop – Urindanger

This could have been the biggest online poker pot with it all going in before flop is dealt. However, they are playing over 350 big blinds effective here and neither player knows that the other is holding what they are. Keep in mind they are playing in games which are super aggressive. In urindangers spot he is trying to get as much in as he can without losing Dwan.

He makes standard open-raise, notices a squeeze play from Dwan (which doesn’t need to be pocket kings) and makes the 4 bet on the smaller side. I like his sizing as he is in position and want to elicit a call from Dwan who will play the hand out of position. It also serves to increase the pot size and also gives Dwan more perceived fold equity and implied odds too. His sizing is less than 3 x the bet made by Dwan. It is also enough for elmariachimacho to get out the way.

Before the Flop – Tom Dwan

Tom is loving being able to squeeze here as it gives the element of doubt to his opponents. His sizing is ok as he is out of position and he has factored in the pre flop call from elmariachimacho. Once he has been 4 bet and action is on him, he has two options, flat call or get the 5 bet in and stack off. If he 5 bets, it is likely to $120 – $130K at which point he is committed to going all in. By flat calling, he keeps in potential bluffs from Urindanger and won’t lost him if he is 4 betting Jacks or Queens for some reason. I like his flat call a lot, particularly as he recognises that if he 5 bets and faces an all in, he knows he has to call and is likely up against pocket Aces.

Flop Play – Urindanger

Once this dry flop falls, Urindanger just has to try and get in one way or another. He knows Dwan has many overpairs in his range and doesn’t want a potential scare card on turn or river. The question is, how much can he bet to generate what he wants. His bet is fine, betting $52K, this could certainly be an AK that is trying hard to get a TT type hand to fold. In truth, I am not sure the sizing matters a great deal here other than if Dwan has a weak to medium hand like Ace high or pocket pair, a smaller bet allows Dwan the perception of fold equity and may increase his chances of a bluff. For this reason, I slightly prefer a smaller bet of around $38K-$40K.

Flop Play – Tom Dwan

I like Dwans check on the flop here. Betting won’t accomplish much as he may let his opponent off the hook if he was making a play. Checking is at least likely to get a c-bet out of his opponent. Once this flop comes, Dwan recognises he will be prepared to stack off. If Urindanger has pocket aces, good luck to him.

After he checks and Urindanger bets, he has to decide whether to check raise and call all in, or slow play.  He opts to check raise, which is fine. My personal preference is to flat call here and check call it down. It keeps in any potential weak hands or overpairs that Urindanger may otherwise fold. As it happens, it’s irrelevant but when you are playing for the long term, you need to ask these questions and consider whether your line is the most profitable.


Bounty Poker Tournament Guide

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Bounty Poker

Bounty tournaments have been increasing in popularity for years. Check the tournament schedule on any online poker lobby and you’ll see plenty of them running. In this article I’ll take a look at what a bounty poker tournament is, why they are popular and offer some tips on what to expect.

Beginner Texas Hold’em Question 

What is a Bounty Poker Tournament?

A bounty tournament is where players are rewarded for knocking out their opponents. The amount they can win is dependant on the tournament, some offer 20% of the buy-in as the bounty.

Why Are Bounty Poker Tournaments Popular?

Its tournament poker with a twist. You can make money, or some of your buy-in back without even having to cash. This is particularly appealing for those who like to take risks early on and gamble it up. Where they may usually have a low ITM rate, bounty poker tournaments offer a way of claiming some money back. Most online tournament takes a few hours to hit the money so one can see the appeal of incentivising knocking out opponents.

Bounty Poker Strategy Tips

Bounty poker or “knockout” tournament poker has a different feel to it. Soon as a short stack goes all-in, they are swamped by people trying to take their bounty. Sometimes you’d think the bounty was 50% of the buy-in (some knockout tournaments do offer this level as bounty). But, it’s important to recognise and calculate the risks throughout a tournament. If a player is all in, look at how much of your stack you need to risk in order to win the bounty. If it’s a high percentage of your stack, you need to consider whether your hand is likely to be ahead of their range. I see too many players make soft calls in bounty tournaments when they should still be employing solid calling ranges.

Isolating Opponents

If you have an opponent all in and you think you have them beat; you are often best served isolating that player. This protects you, as it reduces the chances of more people entering the pot to try and win the bounty. I’ve found this a more successful strategy than making lots of light calls that end up multi-way. By playing that way, you are more likely to bleed your stack. Remember, in those hands you have to beat more players hands so you’re playing a riskier, high variance game.

Register Early

As with most tournaments, the weaker players often bust early. This is especially true for bounty tournaments where there are lots of even weaker players looking to gamble. Therefore, you should want to take advantage of this by playing from the start. It’s great that online poker sites let you register late, but don’t be one of the late entrants if you want to improve your chances of building a stack against fishy opponents.

Going Deep > Early Knockouts

Don’t go mad trying to bust people early on. Even in bounty tournaments that offer a higher percentage, it pays better to go deep. Therefore, your tournament poker strategy should not change significantly in this regard. Going deeper trumps some early bounties. There’s no substitute for a final table finish so stay solid and don’t let what other players are doing affect you.

Conclusion on Bounty Poker

Bounty poker tournaments are an innovative twist on regular tournaments. They are available at online poker rooms at CasinoDeps.co.nz and most major poker sites. They are arguably more profitable for regular tournament players due to bad players making incorrect adjustments. The final table pay-outs may not be as high as they otherwise could be, but they reel in weaker players so swings and roundabouts. If you decide to give them a shot, remember to register early, play solid and isolate those short stack shovers!


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Poker Jokes to Share at the Table

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Poker Jokes

Sitting at the table or playing online can be a little monotonous after a while can’t it? You can lighten things up with a laugh though. Telling poker jokes is also more likely to get your opponents to loosen up, feel more at ease and potentially concentrate less too? This article is a light-hearted piece focusing on some poker jokes you can share with friends and foes at the casino or in the online chat.

Why do poker player’s not get written tattoos?
Because the other players could read them like a book.

Why should you never play poker with an alligator?
You will lose every hand.

What’s the difference between poker players and politicians?
Politicians tell the truth.

What did the dealer say to the cards?
I can’t deal with you anymore.

Where do you find vampires in poker?
At the high stake’s tables.

Parties are like when you’re on a rush at the poker table.You start with a pair and end up with a full house.


Paper, Rock and Scissors were playing poker together. They are in the middle of a hand when the scissors bets $50, the rock goes allin and the paper snapped in half and died. Scissors asked the rock “what happened to paper?” The rock answers “I think he folded”.

My brother is new to poker and was getting lucky on everyone. The other players called him a donkey and he answered “At least I don’t ten two play the Doyle Brunson”.

How do you know poker player’s care about music?
They hate bad beats.

Why do professional poker player’s stay away from mountains?
They do their best to avoid going on tilt.

Why do unlucky poker player’s make bad sportsmen?
They run bad for a long time.

Conclusion on Poker Jokes

Poker jokes are a great way to have fun and liven things up a little. I know some of the jokes in this article aren’t the best! Feel free to contact us with some of your poker jokes and perhaps we will feature them in a future article.

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