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Other related poker articles including table image and bots

Poker Glasses – To Wear or Not To Wear?

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

You’ve seen poker glasses on TV and the casino is full of poker players wearing them. Like Marmite, you either love them or hate them. You’re either a wearer or despise those that do and roll your visible eyes when you see a young man opposite wearing them in a $30 local game.

Famous Poker Glasses

The most famous pair has to be the lizard shades worn by 2004 WSOP main event champion Greg Raymer. How much did they help him win the $5 million first prize 16 years ago? Who knows, but he did win and laughing all the way to the bank. 

poker glasses
Image by freepik.com

Advantage of Concealing Your Eyes

The professionals are always paying attention, reading your betting patterns, body language and even your eyes. Wearing poker glasses certainly protects you from reading your eyes and makes you feel more secure. Knowing your opponent can’t look into your eyes and pick up anything is a great feeling and allows you to play your A game.

There are lots of famous professionals who wear/wore poker glasses. The list below are just a few players that spring to mind.

  • Phil Laak
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Stu Ungar
  • Chris Moneymaker
  • Mike Matusow
  • Marcel Luske

There are potential disadvantages to wearing poker glasses too.

Misreading Your Holecards

Wearing glasses can lead you to misreading your hand. Is there anything worse? Getting to the river thinking your value betting and you turn over K4 instead of AK? Embarrassment aside, losing the pot would be infuriating and needless.

Reflections Revealing Holecards

You never know what your glasses reflect. I have sat at tables before and felt obligated to tell my opponents that their poker glasses are revealing their cards. To not tell would be unethical and cheating but there are many players out there who would not say and use the advantage.

Conclusion

Poker glasses are not going anywhere despite players like Daniel Negreanu shunning them. I am not a wearer myself but appreciate they are a popular poker accessory. If it helps you play better and you feel comfortable wearing them then you should embrace them. There are some great sites where you can buy poker glasses, check out AceTenEyewear range. Their glasses provide a lighter tint and a rimless bottom so cards can be viewed without moving your head. The glasses also have a trademarked color warped reflection so the holecards won’t reflect. 

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Is Mobile Poker a Good Thing?

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Mobile Poker is Here

With the advances made in technology, poker enthusiasts are now able to play mobile poker. Who’d have thought when the poker boom happened, we would one day have the ability to play poker on our phones? At face value, it’s great isn’t it? You can get bonuses, play practically anywhere and earn on the move.  If you’re a winning player already, you may think this will increase your earning potential, particularly if there are more recreational players on their mobile phones playing poker against you.

There are some disadvantages to playing mobile poker too though.

Small Screen

Most mobiles are not that big. If you’re playing mobile poker, chances are you on an iPhone or Android which is a lot smaller than a PC screen or even a tablet. This is not great for visibility or your eyesight. You are more likely to make errors or mis-click the buttons playing on a small screen.

mobile poker
Photo by Jonas Lee

Distractions

The most obvious problem with playing on your phone is the distractions you are likely to encounter. You’re more than likely playing in an environment with noise, TV on, people around. This means you are not as likely to give the game enough concentration. Poker is a mental game and it’s challenging enough without distractions. If you add noise, conversations and TV to the mix, it is only likely to hurt your hourly win rate.

Difficulties with Multi-Tabling

If you are at your best playing 2-4 tables, then you will want to take this to mobile poker. This is difficult to say the least, while some sites allow you to multi table and your table will pop up when it’s your action, there is no denying that the visibility you have on a PC or laptop far outweighs the capacity to multi table effectively on a mobile. Depending on the games you play, one table may be your optimum anyway but if playing 1 table harms your win rate than maybe mobile poker isn’t for you.

Burn Out

Believe it or not, you can play too much poker. If you’re playing poker on your PC or laptop and then playing lots on your phone too, you might just be playing too much. This is negative several reasons including personal wellness and your ability to earn. It’s usually a good idea to track how much you are playing. Burn out is a real issue for poker players even the best ones. Many players just want to earn and will play far too long because they think the game is good or they have an edge. Having ability to mobile poker certainly increases the likelihood of burn out and fatigue

Conclusion

Mobile poker is convenient and can be a useful tool, particularly for a beginner wanting to learn. Check out pokerappguide if you want to know the best poker app sites around. For the serious player hoping to maximise earnings and play their best, it’s probably not as appropriate but still profitable.

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Strip Poker

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Introduction to Strip Poker

You have probably watched strip poker scenes on TV before. Strip Poker is the default party game. It involves losing players to remove items of clothing. It is usually played between 3 and 6 players but can also be played heads up (although a little weird!). Historically it has been played with men and women. It was likely founded in the late 19th century but earliest attestations date to early 20th century circa 1920 when it was played in New Orleans, USA and predominantly played in brothels, for obvious reasons. It has gained popularity in movies and TV shows, including popular sitcom Friends.

Which Game of Poker?

It is usually played to 5 card draw but can be played with Texas Holdem too. The main difference between the two is that Texas Holdem Strip Poker is usually the betting of clothes whereas 5 card draw relies on either the worst performing player in the hand removing an item of clothing or all but the winner of the hand removes an item. The Texas Holdem variant also means if you fold before the flop, you do not have to remove clothing. This essentially means a tight pre flop strategy keeps you clothed for longer!

Clothes

It is usually a good idea to have everyone have the same number of items of clothing. This sometimes means you will have to put a hat on or gloves to make the game fair. There is no point turning up to a strip poker game in shorts and a tank top and your opponents wearing 10 items of clothing.

strip poker
Image by freepik.com

The Spirit of Strip Poker

Strip poker is not really meant to be played seriously. It designed to increase the sexual tension and embarrassment between adults playing the game. It is usually played whilst drinking, at a party and between friends, with no money at stake. If you are at party and invited to play strip poker, don’t put on your sunglasses and get out your notepad to take notes, it’s all about the fun. A word of caution though, if you are particularly uptight or self-conscious about your body, best to bow out and watch the game with a beer than play yourself. It is not a game for the faint hearted.  

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Sit N Go Poker – The Pros & Cons

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

Sit N Go Introduction

A Sit N Go is a tournament with a predefined number of entrants, usually 9 or 18 but can be up to 180. Like a regular tournament, the top positions occupy the best cashes. It combines tournament strategy, survival, hand selection and the ability to play short stack well. Let’s look at reasons for and against playing Sit N Go poker.

Pro – Convenience

Being able to play a tournament in an hour is far more convenient than playing one lasting 8. You have plans to go cinema tonight? Don’t worry you can still play a SNG. They rarely last more than 75 minutes and turbo SNGs are available too which take even less time.

Pro – Multi-Tabling is Simple

You can increase your ROI easier with SNGs playing a few tables. If you are a competent player and looking at your ROI and hourly rate, you will quickly see you need to be playing several tables. Due to the relatively simple and predictable nature of a SNG, it is far simpler to multi table a sit n go than any other poker.

Pro – Improves Discipline

You will notice after playing many SNGs, that a defined strategy and hand selection will become imperative, particularly early on. This will improve your discipline before the flop and allow you to hone a strategy that works for you.

computer screens
Photo by Josh Sorenson

Con – Earnings Restrictions

We all play poker to make money, but unless you are playing many tables or playing decent stakes. It’s questionable how much money you can make. If you are ambitious and want to earn lots of money, SNGs may not be for you as you need a lot of volume to see tangible earnings.

Con – Technical Restrictions

You’ll see Sit N Gos develop into short stack poker mode quite quickly. That’s great if you are happy to play short stack poker, but if you are looking to develop as a poker player and learn to play post flop poker well than Sit N Go poker isn’t your bag. 

Con – Boring

This may be a contentious “con” but I find sit n go poker quite boring. The predefined nature, the same opponents, the same pay-outs. Where cash games and tournaments are dynamic and engaging, sit n go poker is more rigid and predictable.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Our poker training video membership has a video on spin n go poker if you are interested, just email us at info@texasholdemquestions.com to find out how to view it or click the button below and take advantage of 25% discount.

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Is PKC Poker and Chinese Poker Apps Safe?

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Introduction to PKC and Poker Apps

PKC is the abbreviation for Poker King Club – an Asian mobile poker site that offers Texas Holdem to predominantly Asian but also international poker enthusiasts.

What Do They Offer?

Chinese poker apps may sound like the Chinese poker game but it is the main poker games they offer. The games themselves appear very lucrative and fishy with many a poker expert labeling NL600 playing NL25. This is partly due to the Asian community playing, no HUDs and playing on a mobile phone. At face value this seems great but on close inspection there are a few reasons to avoid these sites and apps.

Problem Registering Accounts

Registering an account with these sites are often problematic and rarely direct. Many stories circulate online about people posing as agents to get money on the site for you, to vanish off with your money. Be very careful if you choose to play on these sites and can’t register direct.

Problems with Bots

Whilst bots are mostly used for rakeback purposes and rarely visible on most sites. They are known to be prevalent on the Chinese poker apps. Not only is this illegal but it brings the game and sites into question.  The safe poker sites have departments dedicated to fraud detection and can pick up on the use of bots and ban accounts. This security seems to be a concept lost on the Chinese poker apps and PKC.

Problems with Collusion

Another cause for concern with security is the stories circulating of rampant collusion. Where big money is, the cheaters will look to go and these sites appear fishy and draw the criminals to them. With poor security, this makes detecting and preventing collusion much more difficult.

Problems with Money?

Most of these sites deal in crypto currency like Bitcoin. Any App that wants to use anything else other than proper currency is suspect to me. In an industry that is already tarnished with a bad brush due to scams in the past, this does no site or app any favors.

Final Warning

You are free to make your own decision when choosing to play poker but please do your due diligence. There are plenty of review sites dedicated to helping you find the safest and best sites to play poker on. Whilst an app may seem profitable at first glance, think twice before depositing.

Please remember to gamble responsibly.

PKC Poker Hacker
Image by Freepik.com
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Poker Bots – Time to Worry?

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

What is a Poker Bot?

A poker bot is a computer program developed to play against human opponents online. They are despised by most players as people hate the idea that they are playing and potentially losing, to a piece of AI.

Why Would Anyone use a Bot?

Everyone likes free money and the idea of developing a programme that automates playing and allows you to have fun while it plays and wins money is appealing to some. The reality is, that whilst some bots may have capacity to win at micro stakes levels, they are likely to be used primarily to clear rakeback and bonuses on websites.

How Good is a Bot?

Most bots are likely to be programmed quite basic and unlikely to be profitable beyond very low stakes due to the inherent complexity that is involved in poker. They are programmed to work purely on mathematically theorems so whilst they are not burdened by tilt, ego or personal battles with opponents, they are not as observant or creative as a person is. Software has been created that was able to beat professionals  but this is very rare and we are a long way off this ever being used online.

Poker Bot
Photo by Franck V @franckinjapan

Are Poker Bots Legal?

Poker bots are illegal to use on all websites, however, developing and selling them is fine. You are unlikely to play against one but there are a few traits that distinguish them from your opponents; identical timing for decision making, deathly silent in chat box and repetitive use of same line in a hand e.g. check raising turns frequently.

Beating Bots

Anyone who developed a poker bot to play well has to be a very strong player in the first place and likely a winning player at decent stakes. In order to develop a poker bot strong enough to win, the person must have spent thousands of hours developing the strategy behind the bot’s decision making. 
Beating a bot can be quite simple, if you have identified you are playing a bot in the first place. Most bots will be sensitive to different bet sizes based on the coding. They may have been coded to call 3 bets for 8bb but not 9bbs – this type of leak is very exploitable. Once you have found the chinks in a bot’s armour, they are actually easy money as you can just repeat the same moves and they are very unlikely to adjust like a person would.

Conclusion

Poker bots are so rare that you need not concern yourself with their existence or them taking your money. The ones that are around are unlikely to be very profitable and are used purely for rakeback purposes. They are also illegal so feel free to report any signs of bot usage to the website you are playing on.

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Ethics in Poker

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

If you’ve been around poker enough, you’ll know that there is table etiquette to abide by and honor amongst the seasoned professionals. Whilst gambling isn’t traditionally synonymous with ethical behavior and pride, things have changed over the past few decades. A good reputation is very important in the poker world, it can take years to build and a day to lose.

The first thing you need to do is protect yourself playing online poker for real money by playing on the best websites and the best ran casinos for live play. You can find reviews online before playing so be sure to check them out so you are in excellent environments for playing poker.

Here are some tips and reasons to build and maintain a great poker image and reputation as an ethical poker player.

Never Slowroll
A slow roll is where a player takes an eternity to call a bet on the river. This is designed to taunt and annoy your opponent. Whilst it will work on players, you lose respect from your peers and will be disliked. It’s not a rule that you can’t do it, its just poor table etiquette and rude.

Honor Deals
Players often trade percentages or stake each other into tournaments or cash games with an agreement on what will be exchanged. Any time you do a deal with another player, be sure to honor it. Word travels fast so you should 100% keep to the deals you make, even if you later think it was a poor one.

See their cards? Tell them.
We’ve all been there, you’re at the casino playing with beginners and the gentleman next to you picks up his cards poorly and doesn’t protect his hand so you can see his cards. Some players will tell you it’s ok to look, it’s his fault. But let’s face it, it’s cheating. You are gaining an unfair advantage on your table by seeing an opponent’s cards. Please tell them when you see. You’ll build an honest reputation and have a less guilty conscience too.

Donate % to charity
The icing on the cake for building a squeaky clean, amazing reputation in the poker world is donating a % of your winnings to charity. Notable players have done this in the past, with Barry Greenstein the most well-known. You will be loved by most and people don’t mind losing to you as much!

We hope you found this post interesting. Please behave ethically and respectfully in the future and please remember to gamble responsibly.

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Online Slots

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

We’ve had several requests to discuss online slots recently . Online slots are not for the faint of heart. You can win and lose money quickly. For this reason, many poker players keep separate bankrolls, one for poker and one for their other online gambling. It’s important to distinguish the two as the luck and skill element in the long run is widely different. Whilst none of our poker coaches are big on online slots we do have 3 key things for you to consider if you choose to gamble online slots.

Progressive Jackpots
These are one of the most popular games to play. The pay-outs on some sites are crazy and it shows the level of interest they generate for it to build up to tens of thousands of dollars. It can be quite confusing to a new player which jackpot is which and how to win so be sure to read before you gamble.

Random Number Generator
The biggest mistake gamblers make is failing to realize or accept that the RNG has no memory. Its completely random and doesn’t care what has happened in the past. The software is always tested before being implemented to ensure systems are robust and fair and safe to use.

Bonuses
The best thing about online gambling is the bonuses available. If you look around, there are sites with huge welcome bonuses and free spins available. You can visit website here to see a list of online casinos with great offers. If you are going to gamble on slots then you have to take advantage of the best offers. Make sure you read the wagering requirements so you know how much needs to be gambled before cashing out.

Conclusions
Online slots are a fun form of gambling and there are great offers and bonuses out there if you look around. The software used is rigidly tested and fair so you can gamble safely.
Please remember to gamble responsibly and only with money you can afford to lose. We coach our poker players to play for the long run and embrace skill but there is no harm in playing online slots for fun as long as you are responsible and not playing above your means.

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Please remember to gamble responsibly.
The content on this site is not intended for an audience under 18 years old.

Pot Limit Omaha Coaching

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

                                                
Pot Limit Omaha is a probably the 2nd most popular form of poker and continues to increase in popularity. With its similarities to Texas Holdem and it’s exciting action; it draws in both the studious player and those who love to gamble. Investing in Pot Limit Omaha coaching is a way of staying ahead of the game.
The combination of the Texas Holdem player that crosses over to Pot Limit Omaha and those who sports bet or play casino games makes for wild action but also potential to earn lots of money. There are a lot of players transitioning to PLO and not making the right adjustments. Don’t be one of them.
Pre flop hand selection, post flop odds, wrap draws, multi way pots, deep stacked cash games, bankroll management, bluffing, mental game and game selection are just a few key topics to be discussed and considered when playing Pot Limit Omaha.

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Photo by Kay
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Undoubtedly Pot Limit Omaha is a game on the rise and going to be around for a long time, if you are keen to learn more and increase your win rate then get in touch and book in a call with and start your Pot Limit Omaha coaching today by emailing us at info@texasholdemquestions.com and we will arrange a convenient time to discuss your PLO game and how we can take you to the next level, helping you earn more money and enjoying playing at the same time.

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Free 30 Minutes Hand History Review!

Posted on by Narciso Baldo

We are spoiling you all! Would you like a poker coach to review some hands of yours? We are offering (on a first come first served basis!) a free 30 minutes hand history review session in October! This offer runs out 31st October 2019!
To take advantage, just email us at info@texasholdemquestions.com and will be in touch to arrange the 30 minute session.

All you will need to do is email the hands you would like reviewing and a poker coach will review them with you on the call. The hand history review will involve the coach and you discussing specific hands, in detail, the way hands are played with feedback, insight and intellectual discourse designed to help you improve your play.
Why wait? Email us today while we have capacity!

Alternatively, if you prefer a coach sweat a 30 minute session on teamviewer, then state that in your email to us and we can arrange that instead.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!
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