Free Poker Blog

The PokerStars “Big Game” debuted on the FOX television network earlier this week in what was considered a very successful first episode.

Perhaps the main reason for the successful debut was the fact that many of the world’s best live and internet poker players attended the Big Game. Those who sat down at the Big Game poker table included Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Tony G, Phil Laak, Daniel Negreanu, and amateur player Ernest Wiggins.

Wiggins, who hails from Washington D.C., was especially interesting since he qualified for the show through a “Loose Cannon” poker tournament at PokerStars. And Wiggins certainly didn’t look like an amateur since he played his poker hands just as good as any of the pros; he even took down a big pot against Phil Hellmuth! This win by Wiggins had the Ultimate Bet pro Hellmuth quite clearly upset as all the other pros decided to wind him up about the loss.

Tony G had the biggest afternoon out of any of the players as he made 95,000 US Dollars after playing just 32 holdem poker hands. For Doyle Brunson, who is the face of Doyles Room and their amazing 33% rakeback deals, it was a tough start as he lost his entire stack by the end of Episode 1.

Due to the success of the Big Game’s first show, it is expected that a lot more people will be tuning in to see how these pros fare in future episodes. There will be stack more people hoping to quality for the show through the Loose Cannon games of poker. Anybody who manages to qualify for the show will have their buy-in paid along with a guaranteed seat in the nationally televised poker show.

If you aren’t lucky enough to have a win at the Loose Cannon event, or earn a bit on the Big Game, you can still earn plenty of money through the VIP program at PokerStars.

Whatever you choose to do, you can enjoy plenty of games of Online Poker including perhaps a game of Party Poker, or maybe PKR Poker – you decide.

The Poker Players Alliance, which is the biggest lobbying organization for online poker, recently unveiled a new iPhone application that costs just 99 cents.  Unlike many other poker-related iPhone programs, the application offered by the PPA has nothing to do with playing poker games or teaching people poker strategy. Instead, the iPhone program was created with the sole intention of promoting internet poker worldwide and then trying to convince Governments in countries such as USA to then pass more favorable poker laws.

Some features of the PPA’s new iPhone app is that it alerts players about starting times for various poker tournaments, delivers messages from pro poker player Twitter accounts, and offers the latest poker news.  You may even find some great rakeback deals by using this iPhone program! A really important feature of the application is its ability to allow people to contact US Government Officials and in turn lobby for much better poker legislation.

To get this 99 cent application, you need to do a search for the Poker Players Alliance and complete the poker download once you find it.  While you’re downloading the poker software, you will notice that it’s only 2.1 MB, which really saves room on one’s iPhone.  When the download is finished, you will be able to browse through the various different such as News, Contact Congress, Tweets and of course search for the Poker Tournament Schedules.

The tournament schedule is especially important because you will be able to find out when different online and casino poker events take place.  This beats having to sift through every online poker room just to find out the information you need.  If you need help to learn how to play poker or find some poker training, you can look for other poker-related applications on the iPhone. This is also a brilliant way to find fantastic online poker deals that could earn you lots of money.

If you are not yet in possession of an iPhone, then you can still enjoy Full Tilt Poker and Littlewoods Poker from the comfort of your home.  You never know you could win enough money to get your hands on an iPhone.

Every day you can find thousands of people on the internet trying to figure out what to do with their spare time. In case you decide you would like to spend your time playing poker online your time will be spent well. Not only will you be competing against actual live persons, you will additionally have an opportunity to win loads of cash - for anyone who is good naturally! There are a lot of testimonials from ordinary people like everyone else who played online poker and they ended up winning a large amount while having fun.

You will see that the key to success in playing online poker is figuring out when to halt playing. You already know that old saying: “You got to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em”? It’s vital that you play with proper money management systems and should you be ahead by a lot it can be a good idea to walk away while you’re at the top. Anyone can begin to play as well as everybody can be a winner. It just takes a little self-education along with a key set of self-made guidelines.

There are lots of sorts of poker games on-line and you may very easily become confused with all the choices. Before getting in over your head many online casinos provide the games for free play. In this way you are able to exercise and fully grasp each game before playing for real money.

Most of these games aren’t tough to pick up and you may start playing for real money very quickly! Texas holdem poker can be a thrilling online game which keeps you coming back for more. Upon having mastered regular poker you probably should start advancing your way through the more difficult games such as Texas hold’em. Lots of people find Texas holdem poker to be one of the most fun and easier games to play online.

While you are playing your poker online you are able to chat with buddies via various poker discussion boards. You’ll find message boards to help you understand the different poker games and forums for useful poker hints. These discussion boards can help you educate yourself faster, learn quicker and start making money immediately.

Poker forums are stacked with skilled poker players and gurus. You could end up befriending an expert poker player that you can collaborate with in an effort to increase your bankroll. Inside the poker forums you will find just about every topic you may possibly think of and you’ll be amazed at the amount of abilities that people offer in these forums. You can absolutely get some good insight. Joining a poker site is straightforward and usually free, in fact we only recommend using free poker forums.

Go get a poker friend and make some bucks right now!

Everyone has heard the phrase “poker takes moments to learn, but a lifetime to master.” However, there are few who actually take the significance of this quote to heart. In order to really become proficient in the game one must invest time and effort. The more playing experience you have the better grasp you will have on building your ideal poker strategy. Poker is not just a game of chance, but a hard skill which can take a lot of time to master.

With the huge influx of online poker sites now out there for Internet users, its simple to keep sharp and improve your poker skills from the comfort of your own home. However, if you’re new to the game you are probably new to online poker as well. Choosing a site can feel as risky as staying in on a full-out bluff of a hand.

However, at RakeTheRake.com you can select from a multitude of poker rooms that let you concentrate on improving your game in an ideal online poker atmosphere.
For instance on the homepage you will see a list of the most popular online poker rakeback current offers and promotions.

These promotions and offers are popular for good reason and can be a great way to narrow down a good starting point for new players. Even better is that unlike other rakeback sites, the majority of promotions are only available to their players. What in reality does this mean for you? It means no splits between 3 or 4 outside affiliates who you never even considered to be players in the game.

Online poker and rakeback sites can be confusing and hard to see through just like a well-played hand by a seasoned poker player, but at the best rakeback sites this is not the case.

Check out featured promotions and exclusive tournaments, to win not only cash but also expense paid packages to worldwide live poker events.  Why not also try your hand at PKR Poker or Absolute Poker

Ferguson is prized for his 2008 win of the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship and the Main Event Winner in 2000. Ferguson brings a mathematical take to the game and is without question a strong element of Team USA.

Harman steps up to assume the role of the all American woman is to date is the only lady who has constantly played and achieved greatness in the highest stakes live games which run at frequent intervals at the Bellagio. Harman holds 2 WSOP bracelets and has contributed to classic poker instruction books as well.

America has its comical characters as well, which team USA personifies through the inclusion of Mike “The Mouth” Matusow. Notoriously Matusow is well know for his table talk, which is usually pretty out of this world and to say it’s entertaining is a bit of an understatement. Matusow was the champion of the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions and holds 3 WSOP bracelets.

Erik Seidel is the final member making up Team USA. Sdidel was the champion of the World Poker Tour Foxwoods Championship and is included in the top five on the all-time poker money list. Seidel holds 8 WSOP bracelets and is by no means a force to be taken lightly.

During the event, Team USA will face a number of International talents including China, Australia, Vietnam, England, Brazil and Greece. The World Team Poker Event will feature eight different countries, each of which will call forth five-man teams. This year the captains of the teams will have the benefit of being able to make substitutions during the game, this will add extra suspense to the games being played.

Surely, an event not to be missed- only time will tell if Team USA can pull it off and bring home that American Dream.

Everyone knows that with teamwork many amazing feats can be accomplished that one could never pull off alone; but did you know that there is a rakeback team out there waiting for you to join them? Opting in can bring big rakeback benefits to you and either your small group of poker buddies, fellow associates or even arch nemeses.

If you don’t have any buddies, then why not play PokerStars Rakeback or Party Poker from the comfort of your home?

Lou Krieger, a celebrated author of books regarding the art of poker stated that, “I believe in poker the way I believe in the American Dream. Poker is good for you. It enriches the soul, sharpens the intellect, heals the spirit, and – when played well, nourishes the wallet.”

On May 19th at The Golden Nugget, nine Americans hoping to make that quote and the American dream a reality will join forces together as Team USA in the inaugural World Team Poker Event.

It was announced on April 5th the line up for the prestigious event and this yeard it looks like it includes some fantastic talent. Lead by Team Owner Phil Hellmuth Jr. and Team Captain Doyle Brunson, the American dream chasers will combine forces to battle some of the best players from competing nations.

Looking for pairs on the table? Well, there’s no doubt that team America will have at least one pair backing them up. The fantastic brother and sister pair of Howard Lederer and Annie Due are now well know as two of Team America’s all-stars. Duke who is the double XX chromosome of the winning pair holds the current title of 2010 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Champion and he also in the past managed to walk away as the champion of the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions. Lederer of course can’t let his sister show him up and has therefore banked over five million dollars in tournament winnings throughout his career. Lederer also holds 2 WSOP bracelets.

The red, white and blue team consits of some great names, including Jennifer Harman, Allen Cunningham, Chris Ferguson, Mike Matusow and Erik Seidel.

Even the young are able to go after the American Dream and Cunningham is a true statement to that. Cunningham, at the age of only 33, has already managed to take home 5 WSOP* bracelets and ranks in the top ten on the all-time poker money list.

If you aren’t part of a team, then why not have a go yourself at Internet Poker. You can enjoy all sorts of different games including Full Tilt Rakeback and Everest Poker.

Despite having success in its first five seasons, the super-popular poker show High Stakes Poker decided to make a big change by dropping the witty A.J. Benza from the commentator booth and replacing him with the sultry Kara Scott. When the move was made, people immediately started criticizing the Game Show Network producers who made the decision, and some online poker rooms even considered pulling their advertising.

It’s just as well that the Internet poker rooms didn’t make any quick decisions because during Season 6 the High Stakes Poker ratings are actually showing signs of improvement. In fact, they’ve soared above Season 5 with the target audience of ages 18 to 49 watching a full 27 percent more! The poker sites that like to advertise their rakeback deals and services can be very happy with the growing popularity of Season 6.

The VP of Programming and Development at GSN, David Schiff, actually believes the improved ratings are a result of the participants themselves as he stated, “”We’re very gratified to see this season of High Stakes Poker performing so well among these important demographic groups, and we can attribute it to an especially strong player line-up this season. We are welcoming some of the bigger names in poker, including an increasing amount of international players and in turn the viewing public are clearly responding to the brilliant game play

Some of the players Schiff is talking about include Patrik Antonius, Antonio Esfandiari, Barry Greenstein, David Benyamine, Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Mike Matusow, Tom Dwan, Eli Elezra, and Daniel Negreanu.

Getting back to the whole announcer switch, fans of the older format are still complaining that the chemistry between A.J. Benza and Gabe Kaplan is missing from the show. They don’t think that Kara Scott works as well with Gabe Kaplan in the booth. It’s hard though to disagree with the switch when the show has attracted nearly 30 percent more of the target audience they were aiming for.

If you don’t have time to join in with the debate and just want to enjoy a game of Internet Poker then why not take a look at Absolute Poker or perhaps Party Poker.

For those who prefer action, Omaha or Omaha Hi/Low is a great game. Omaha is played almost in the same manner as Texas Hold’em, the difference being that the player receives 4 hole cards instead of 2. The extra 2 cards ensure the availability of a best hand. The existence of Hi/Low versions in these games give them more appeal. As the player who has hit tries to push the chasers out, the betting gets wild.

Though Texas Hold’em gets more attention, Omaha or Omaha Hi/Low is much better when it comes to action. The difference between Texas Hold’em and Omaha is that the participant receives 4 hole cards in Omaha. Having 2 extra cards almost make sure that there is a best hand possible. Another interesting thing about these poker games is the availability of Hi/Low versions. As the player who has hit tries to push the chasers out, the betting gets wild.

The strategy for these different types of poker games is significantly different though as you want to get involved in hands where you can scoop the pot. Scoop the pot means to win both the Hi and the Low hands versus only having one dimension of the pot covered. Due to all the variables and the 4 hole cards there is always a huge amount of money in the pot.
Also keep in mind that it almost never does any harm to rely on a great internet poker site or take in a couple useful poker tips!

While there are many different types of poker games to choose from, an old favorite is 7 card stud. This is also a game that has a Hi/Low version as well. You get 2 cards dealt face down and then one card dealt face up. Every contender is dealt another card with its face up after one round of betting. This process goes on until each player has 2 down cards and 4 up cards. This is the time when the final round of betting occurs.

The difference between the other varied types of Poker games like Omaha and Holdem Poker Stud is that Holdem Poker Stud is not a chaser’s game. If you cannot succeed in creating a good hand by the first round of betting and on getting the second up card, you have to give up. If you do not do that, you will lose. As it is necessary to keep in mind all the cards that have been dealt so far, this game requires brainpower too. You sure don’t want to be looking for a 10 when all of them have already been folded on board. Keep your eyes open and do not lose track of the cards on the board.

Razz is another different poker game just for people with bad luck. You stand to gain if you have a very bad hand. You can scoop the pot in Razz with A-2-3-4-6-7-8. The method of dealing and betting is the same as 7 stud, the difference is that you need the lowest ranked hand to win. Only 5 cards play just like normal stud.

Triple Draw is one more poker game which is becoming popular. It is filled with action and amusement. You can make money with it if you practice discipline. This game is played often at low levels for the fun of it. This game is like another version of Razz using a 5 card draw model. You receive 5 cards and a round of betting follows. By discarding as many cards as you like, you should try to get the worst possible hand. In standard Triple Draw, 2-3-4-5-7 is the nuts. When the first draw is over, one more betting and discard round takes place. The third and last draw is followed by one more betting round and then the showdown takes place. No pairs, flushes or straights are necessary to win. You only require the worst cards to win.

To get unique versions of this article or perhaps a piece about sit n go tournaments; take a look at Online-Gambling-Articles.com.

I am somebody who loves to play online poker. It is more about the enjoyment and the relaxation than about attempting to gain financially. It goes without saying that it is always good to win and if you can make some money from playing a game that you enjoy then it’s a massive bonus. I usually play on the five-man tables where the first two get paid out. I aim to play very tight in the early stages as I am eager to reach the final heads up. If I can get into the final two I feel that I have a seventy percent chance of winning the tournament as I then change my poker strategy from playing tight to playing aggressively.

I am by no means a professional poker player; in my business life I run a web promotion company and I also help people who offer bargain holiday deals. As a side line to these main business interests I am also involved in the DVD authoring sector.

I used to be a very poor “heads up” player as I would often get bullied out of the majority of the hands. I realised that I had to learn a new way of playing in the final stage of a poker tournament as what I was currently doing was not working.

I soon learned that I needed to be the aggressor, the poker bully if you like. Instead of folding the majority of hands I now play, on average, ninety-five percent of them. I raise the pot with any ace, king, queen or Jack and raise all in with any two picture cards or when I am dealt an ace with a picture card.

By doing this I win a lot of the pots by default and if the other player chooses to call I believe I have a great chance of winning the hand. You should never show any form of weakness by only putting a small amount of chips in as this could lead to a multitude of problems. Make it easy on yourself and your brain by being decisive early on. There is nothing fool proof about this strategy, you will not win each and every time but this method has proven to be very successful for me over the last few months. I hope these tips work as well for you as they have for me.

If you believe what the new Celebrity Apprentice Joan Rivers says, professional poker players are “beyond white trash.” But I think there are millions of people who would beg to differ. As a matter of fact, poker is incredibly popular at the moment and so are its practitioners. This is evidenced by the fact that professional poker players such as Jennifer Harmon, Phil Gordon, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow and many others have achieved huge celebrity status in the last decade.

Poker’s star-making ability has inspired many to try to make a living on on-line poker Web sites. The results have been good for some and because of this many more people have become Internet poker millionaires. These poker successes are not always who you would expect them to be, because there are almost as many teenagers and people in their early-twenties as there are seasoned professionals. Unfortunately, for every new batch of successful poker players, there are also plenty of people who are victims of online poker scams. Mostly new players step into this trap, because they don’t know how to check a poker site’s bona fides.

To make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to you, the following tips can help you assess whether a site has the potential to be a scam:

• If the site doesn’t look professional, don’t even register there. Low-quality construction could be the sign of a quick-buck artist at work or at the very least, a cash-strapped operator.
• Check if the site or its owners are members of the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC). IGC members agree to adhere to a code of ethics.
• Make sure the site has 24-hour support with a toll-free phone number and e-mail.
• If a site passes the first three requirements, do several small test transactions before you do any major gambling. These should tell you a lot about the integrity of the site.

Every poker player got his or her start somewhere, so there’s no reason why with a little luck and a lot of practice you couldn’t become one of online poker’s stars. Just make sure to do your homework first, so any success you achieve won’t be spoiled by regret.