Essential Poker Books For You and Me

Essential Poker Books For You and Me
Improving and tweaking your poker game is a never ending process and using various resources to do so is highly recommended. No matter if you're a rookie or an experienced player a good poker book can and most definitely will improve your skills. Here's a summary of three excellent poker books that we recommend any and all to give a read.
SIT 'N GO STRATEGY Book Title: Sit 'n Go Strategy  Author: Collin Moshman  Publisher: Two plus Two publishing  Pages: 274
Looking for some Sit 'n Go strategy? This book is the Nuts and a major contribution to poker as there has been little literature on Sit 'n Go tournament strategy. "Sit 'n Go Strategy - Expert advice for beating one-table poker tournaments" is logically divided into four chapters; Low blind play, Mid blind play, High blind play and Career play.
Rather than just telling you how to play, it gives you the opportunity to make a decision about what you would most likely do in a given situation, and then the author explains what the correct decision is. The organizational structure of the book is also excellent and makes it very easy to quickly find a situation that you might want to review after an on-line Sit 'n Go session. We highly recommend this book for intermediate to advanced players as it takes general knowledge and applies it to 1 table Sit 'n Go tournaments.
Collin Moshman received an honors degree in theoretical math from the California Institute of Technology in 2003. He is considered to be one of the best 1 table sit 'n go tournament players using his specific math based approach.
THE THEORY OF POKER  Book Title: The Theory of Poker  Author: David Sklansky  Publisher: Two plus Two publishing  Pages: 276
Sklansky's The Theory of Poker has generally been regarded as a classic since its initial release and a must have on learning the fundamentals of poker. It applies a very mathematical and theoretical approach to the game for players who are interest in taking their poker game to the next level. Despite the fact that poker has changed tremendously over the 26 years this poker book was written, The Theory of Poker remains as valuable today as it was back in the Eighties. It's definitely not the easiest read for the uninformed but if you're looking to become a good poker player, it's a must have.
David Sklansky is a professional poker player and considered a top authority on gambling in general. He has written numerous books on poker, blackjack and gambling. Sklansky has won 3 WSOP bracelets (1982/1983) and won the "poker by the book" invitational event (2004). His 1976 book "Hold'em Poker" was the first widely available on the subject.
CARO'S BOOK OF POKER TELLS  Book Title: Book of Poker Tells  Author: Mike Caro  Publisher: Cardoza publishing Pages: 320
This sure is one of greatest books ever written on poker and a must read for every serious beginning and live poker player. It covers around 50 different tells of various types divided into simple categories in which Mike Caro teaches you how to generate profit from reading your opponents. Caro also lists the reliability of tells based upon how good your opponents are. You should know that skill and an understanding of poker theory and game situations are more important than spotting tells but knowing all about these tells could give you the edge you need over your opponents.
In 1978 Mike "Mad Genius" Caro already contributed 50 statistical tables to Doyle Brunson's Super System and wrote that book's chapter on draw poker. He is a professional poker player and the founder of the Mike Caro University of Poker, Gambling and Life Strategy which is considered to be the world's first permanent poker school. Caro is the author of a number of books about poker including; The Body Language of Poker, Professional Hold'em Play by Play and Poker for Women.

Read More

Poker Strategy In Basketball - A Mental Approach To Winning

Poker Strategy In Basketball - A Mental Approach To Winning
Like poker, basketball represents a game of skill, strategy, schematics, opportunity and personality. Each game philosophy may vary, depending on the players involved. And, similar to poker, there may be times in a basketball game when a certain strategy that has worked against one group, may fail when facing others. Masters of both sports may recognize similar, elemental strategies that exist in both games.
In both basketball and poker, players must face many complex choices that can lead to an infinite number of results and situations. In poker, every dealt hand could change the direction of the game, so too can every ball possession in a basketball game. In both games, players recognize the need to prepare themselves with a practical strategy to help them establish an appropriate game plan to meet each possible move of their challengers. Many basketball teams have been known to issue detailed, scouting reports that offer statistics and player profiles to help analyze the opponents in various conditions. So too, are many poker players known in their player community by the type of moves they make when facing specific situations.
In general, the psychological strategy in both games, is to deceive the opponent into committing with less desirable moves. To achieve this end, poker and basketball involve more psychological activities than the average spectator may notice. In both games, to be successful, a player must learn "to read the cards" of the opponents. Thus, one of the most important strategies known in both sports is to read the body language and expressions of the opposition. When used properly, a this intuition faculty can aid to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the challenger.
To counter reading the other's "hand", both games also include schemes for a player to bluff, his or her approach. This would include fakes to offset the other players. For these bluffs to succeed, both games require a player to perform these faints in a way that is both realistic and believable. The goal of these fakes is to present constant variations and moves, to lead others into difficulty when trying to predict one's true intentions.
However, bluffing alone should never be the only game strategy. When done too often, they may loose their effect. Therefore, these bluffs should be used only when the opponent is not prepared. Otherwise, endless faking may result in loss of one's advantage.
Another well-known poker strategy is to consider hand strength. A player should not only control the rank, but also their comparative strength during a set. This factor is also relevant in basketball. For example, when a team's best players have almost reached their maximum foul limit, the team will likely alter the team's defensive plans. These players may not fall for the fakes. Instead, they may tend to play in a conservative nature. So too, will a card player alter playing nature once his or her card strength is redefined. At any given time, due to whatever cards that have been already used, a full house may represent a good hand or a liability. As the basketball example seen above, this revelation may cause one to alter playing nature.
However, the greatest strategy in both basketball and poker, may be to avoid predictable patterns of playing. Keeping your opponents at bay by varying one's approach at times, may represent the most precious scheme one could learn. And, to achieve this end, one should learn to perform various, well executed moves as often as needed. This approach may help to prevent any opponent of predicting his or her moves, and thus, raise his or her chances of winning big!
This article provides only a few of the mental strategies presented in both basketball and poker. Any player of these games can expect to improve his or her performance in these two sports by learning the above material and practicing these skills until reaching a level of mastery.

Read More

Defending Against the Continuation Bet With Stephen Krex

Defending Against the Continuation Bet With Stephen Krex
The Continuation bet, or C-bet, is the strongest bluff commonly used in poker. I went into more detail in the previous post, but basically the c-bet is a continuation of pre-flop aggression. The pre-flop bettor takes advantage of the 70% chance that his opponent didn't hit the flop. This works often enough to be profitable and many players will do it 80% or even 100% of the time. Learning to recognize and defend against the c-bet is important yet difficult.
It would be an understatement to say that Stephen must have position to properly defend against the c-bet. Though it is important that you defend against c-bets, you will still need to fold to them most of the time. Too many defended c-bets will lead to exploitation by opponents the same way that too few will. My rule is 1 out of 5 times.
Stephen Krex says you must first put your opponent on a range before you try to defend against his continuation bet. It's always possible that he hit the flop hard and is making a legitimate bet. So why should you defend against the c-bet? There are two reasons: one, to prevent your opponent from stealing every pot from you. Secondly, you need to disguise your hands so that it isn't obvious when you do hit the flop. The 1 out of 5 rule will help with this.
To put your opponent on a range, you need to gather some information on him. Whether you take mental or paper notes or use a program, check out his stats. If he's a tight player, odds are that he's got a good hand. Likewise, if he's a loose player, it is more likely that he's just making a c-bet. In addition, note his position. A player who raises under the gun or in early position is more likely to have a good hand than one who raises on the button or in the cutoff position.
So if you have determined that your opponent is making a continuation bet and you want to defend, you now have two options: call or raise. Just calling is a good idea against tight players, who are likely to check/fold to you on the turn. Call rarely, as a player who notices your line might fake weakness by checking on the turn and then proceed to re-raise you. Keep in mind what hand you're representing. Against these tight players consider calling on a flop with an ace or king, because your opponent will likely put on you a pair. If you call on a low board, though, your opponent will probably put you on a draw. This will make it hard to raise on the turn if the "draw" isn't completed and you will almost certainly be facing another barrel.
Raising is a good option on low boards that aren't likely to have hit your opponent, like 268, or flops that look like a draw. If you raise a tight opponent on such a board, he may put you on an over pair and fold.
Be careful and remember that defending too often is a mistake.

Read More

All About Small Ball Poker

All About Small Ball Poker
Small Ball Poker is a poker strategy that is used by top poker professionals in no limit Texas Hold'em tournaments. Many top professional poker players including Daniel Negreanu and Gus Hansen are regular proficient users of this strategy. It benefits players in a number of ways in the early parts of a tournament keeping pots small and allowing their skills to be the deciding factor in a  hand.
When you use a small ball poker strategy you aim to play many smaller pots to create a loose table image. Hands like 76 suited, KJ and other hands you may fold when you are playing a tight strategy become playable. By creating a loose table image you are making it difficult for opponents to put you on a hand. Using top professional player Gus Hansen as an example, he is known for being so wild that he could be holding anything. He is therefore often called with weak hands when he holds the nuts because opponents do not believe him. However, when he bets big he usually has a big hand and small ball poker helps maintain his deception.
I will boxing to explain how playing small ball works. Two fighters squaring off in the ring. A boxer using a similar strategy to small ball poker would throw little jabs and probe at their opponents defence rather than throw wild hooks and risk being knocked out. When he sees an opening (i.e. he has a strong hand) he takes aim for the knock out punch.
Small ball poker strategy recommends that  you probe pots with small bets. You should win plenty of small to medium sized pots to ensure you accumulate chips in the early stages of a tournament. If you are raised you can get away from the hand losing far less chips than if you played a more standard style with larger bet sizes. When you do get a big hand you bet on each street and hope your opponent incorrectly decides that because you play lots of pots you are betting light and your frequency of bets suggests you are a weak player.

Read More

The Basics of Omaha Hold Em

The Basics of Omaha Hold Em
Omaha is a poker game that is less popular than Texas Hold'em, but it's quickly becoming the new favorite for a lot of poker players.
Omaha is played much like Texas Hold'em; it just involves more cards and better odds of catching a good hand.
Players are dealt four cards face down to start. A round of betting and blinds occur, and three cards are flipped over on the table. Unlike Hold'em, Omaha requires that the player makes a hand out of two cards they are dealt and three of the ones on the table. After the flop, a round of betting occurs and another card is turned. Betting happens again after the turn and the final card is exposed. One more round of betting, then the players flip over the cards to determine the winner.
Obviously, a player can choose to fold when he or she feels necessary.
Since a player is dealt twice the cards in Omaha as he is in Hold'em, he gets more opportunities to catch a good hand. Odds play a much more significant role in Omaha because a player can potentially have many more outs with each new card. It doesn't always take a good hand to play because most of the time you can catch a good hand if given the chance.
Omaha also gives you the opportunity to play both a high or low hand. This way, even if you're dealt bad cards, you can still have an opportunity to win a portion of the pot. A player with a bad hand full of low cards can win half of a pot, as long as there are enough low cards on the table to make a proper low hand.
To qualify as a low hand, the highest of the five cards has to be eight or less. In the case of two low hands, the one with the lowest high card wins the pot. For instance, a 7653A will beat an 8653A. The cards cannot be paired and flushes don't count in a low hand.
It is possible to have both a high and a low hand. Someone with an AA2Q in their hand can possibly win a high and a low pot if an A7456 is on the table. They AAA76 could win the high with trip aces, and the A2456 could win the low.
Omaha gives a poker player a lot of opportunities to win money and is probably the most statistically beneficial of all poker games. If you're worried about losing money, then Omaha is probably the best game for you.

Read More

An Online Roulette Player's Guide to the Proper Way of Selecting a Reliable Online Roulette Casino

Since you have become aware that there are numerous venues where players can get to enjoy and play roulette online, one may end up confused when trying to decide which casino can provide the most excitement one can expect to have. The process of selecting this internet roulette casino may sometimes be difficult but not really as difficult as one thinks it can be if the basic process that has been laid out below is to be followed. There are particular things that must be given attention when making a choice before one starts placing out bets. A casino which can satisfy several playing abilities that is suited to the level of playing each player requires is one that can be considered as amongst the top-notch roulette casinos.
First Step:
Presuming you are done searching for "roulette online" and you get a long list of places where you can possibly play online roulette, you should begin looking for their certificate which proves that they are a licensed casino. A player can feel comfortable placing bets in a certain casino, when they see a certification coming from a reputable gaming authority. On the contrary though, try looking for casinos that are famous for offering online roulette. Famous casinos are seemingly the ones that gives the best place for playing and more security for players. Casinos that are not that well-known in the community are often reputed to cause fraud cases.
Second Step:
Review the payment options available for the online roulette casino. Know all the conditions involved for depositing and withdrawing money. It is important to know what these conditions are so you'll know what to do when you need to add or claim money any time you need to.
Third Step:
This third factor is not really as complicated as the first two that has been mentioned and it is easier for casinos to meet this requirement once they have met the first two standards. Though it is not what you should really consider as a must to have for every casino, the quality of the software used gives players the assurance they get first class graphics when playing the game. The graphics gives the players the same feel they get as if they are playing in land casinos. This includes the speed of the wheel, the noise that the wheel produces and the appearance of the wheel.
Fourth Step:
Privacy policies and terms of conditions are very basic requirements for websites and any good online roulette casino should have this very well displayed on their website. It is a thing that players should look out for.
Whatever information give out in the Internet about yourself, should be guaranteed to be safe and must never be sold to other companies who get information from other websites to be able to send spam emails to unsuspecting people.
All in all try not to forget doing a complete check on the online roulette casinos reliability, just before you start to decide spending your hard earned money. Check out some online reviews about the casino that you are eyeing for.

Read More

Roulette Tips - How to Win at Roulette Nearly Every Time

Roulette is a game played by millions of casino players around the world, both online and in the bricks and mortar casinos of towns lucky enough to have them. The wheel based random game of black and red numbers has grown more popular in recent years by the powers of the online world. So what's the best way to play this wonderful game.
The roulette percentage method is a casino gambling system used by professional roulette players across the planet. These players are smart enough to know that you can't change the game, you change the player. Random games like roulette give away nothing to the player, so top players use percentages to help them overcome this problem, it can also increase the odds significantly.
Take your average casino roulette player, throwing away hundreds if not thousands of dollars a day against roulette. They bet red, the bet black, they bet anything they can. Eventually this pattern becomes so powerful, that the player loses everything. The casino loves your average casino player, that's why you must become something else entirely, a percentage player.
The first sequence of this roulette system involves starting with a green limit of credit. The green limit is made up from specifically ten percent of your overall account fund. So you have $500 in your online casino, then you play with no more than $50 at any one time playing roulette.
The second sequence is that you then play with just five percent of the green limit on every spin of the wheel. So that means you never bet more than $2.50 on any one given spin.
Now that you know how much to bet with, we'll discuss how to bet so you can crack this game nearly every time. It revolves around the player and how they play each spin, this is the percentage method.
You bet $2.50 on red or black and continue to do so. You are aiming for anything above $55. This means as soon as your roulette total in the game is at $55 or more, then you leave the game immediately. Your giving yourself a $5 profit which requires only two winning bets from the start. These odds are 50/50 when you consider red and black betting with a green zero offsetting for house advantage.
Don't get greedy and remember to leave with your small profits, it's better to make $5 a hundred times than it is to lose $500 once. It's a system that requires absolute player discipline and control, but something that can work nearly every time.
Winning on roulette nearly every time is not difficult, it just requires a player changing everything about themselves and not the game.

Read More

See for Yourself: How to Win Casino Roulette

Playing Roulette may sound like a very easy game and some people may think that it just relies on pure luck in order to win. The truth is playing this game also relies on the capability of the player to strategize and use certain ways to win more often than losing. Many ways, which have proven successful, can be used to increase the probability of winning casino roulette.
First of all, a player must know how to place his bets in order to avoid losses. He should try to chase only small winnings rather than one huge win. This is because placing all your bets in only one number is too risky since the probability of winning is too low, while combined small winnings give greater chances of increasing your profit and avoiding huge losses as well.
Next is choosing the right wheel for the game. Remember that there are two types of wheels: the American wheel and European wheel. The American wheel has an extra 00 number, which gives a lower probability of winning than in a European wheel. Therefore, it is better to choose the European one, if you are aiming for a high chance of winning.
One must also take note of the types of betting done when playing roulette, especially for beginners. There is the inside bet and the outside bet. The former allows a person to place his bet on the numbers of the board; the reason why it is called inside. The latter allows the person to place his bet literally outside the board. You can choose to place your bet on red or black or odd or even. If you are a beginner, it is better that you only try doing the outside bet. Although the pay is lower, the chances of wining are definitely higher.
Once you are used on the betting done in roulette, you can try doing inside bets to gain a lot more money. You should just remember to be ready of the consequences when taking the risk of placing a huge bet on a particular number. There are still many ways on how to win casino roulette but the strategy still depends on the person playing the game, and the situation he or she is currently in. The most important skill is adaptability - any endeavor based on luck should have players who are capable of adapting to sudden changes and random occurrences.

Read More

The Exciting Game of Online Casino Roulette

Do you want to play Roulette but are you too busy to get to the casino? Well now you don't have to go anywhere! Relax; you don't even have to leave the house! Play Roulette online, anytime you want to at online casinos.
In the mid 1990's, during of the boom of the web online casino Roulette became really popular. Since this revelation, online Roulette games have been further developed to be of far higher quality and these days many people all around the globe play them.
Many people don't forget the excitement and fun they obtain from placing a wager on a Roulette wheel. The suspense is high as they watch the little white ball bounce away. What exhilaration! How stimulating is this! By playing online casino Roulette, you now don't even have to leave house to get that same pleasure and excitement as in a real casino.
There are two versions of online casino Roulette, which are American and European. Most online casinos offer these in single and multiplayer format.
Historical information about Roulette
Where did Roulette first originate? The name of game "Roulette" means small wheel in French and it's said that France is where the game was first invented. The person who established the game is meant to be a Frenchman named Francois Blanc. In Monte Carlo, he built the first casino. In order to get the secrets of the game, it is said that Francois Blanc placed a bet with the devil. The numbers on a Roulette Wheel add up to 666, which the Christian book of Revelation stated is the Number of the Beast, Satan.
Nevertheless, Roulette is masked in mystery and the exact historical past of the Roulette game is not thoroughly known. Roulette is a game that is prominent all across the globe, notably in American and European countries. It brings in big crowds of people and these days you don't even have to go anywhere to experience playing it.
How to play Roulette
Many strategies can be utilized, when you take part in online Roulette, but you shouldn't let this put you off. Roulette is a simple game and it is very easy to learn how to play it. All you have to do is place bets on number and color combinations on a Roulette wheel and then just sit back and hope for the best! The aim of the game is to acquire a prize, by placing gambles on combinations of colors and numbers, then just watching to see if the ball lands on what you chose.
Go on give it a go and play online casino Roulette, without having to go anywhere. It's really simple and you can pick up some amazing prizes along the way!

Read More

Roulette Wheel Trends

As an ex-casino worker and avid roulette player, I couldn't even begin to tell you how many hours I've spent in casinos from coast-to-coast. The hours I spent in the casino while I was working, I would watch the players and observe their strategies. I saw everything from the most brilliant strategies to the most foolish strategies that I've ever seen. One of the games in which I saw just such a brilliant strategy is roulette.
Roulette has long been thought of as a suckers game, but let me tell you one thing.. a roulette wheel is more predictable than a deck of cards. You see, a roulette wheel will exhibit non random patterns even though many believe the game to be random.
These non random patterns are known as trends. The first type of trend you may observe is a pattern of the same. The same color may be on a run, or the even numbers may be on a run. Maybe even the high or low numbers may be trending. This is an example of a non random pattern.
Sometimes, you may find the opposite to hold true. This type of trend is known as the chop pattern. When observing a chop pattern, the numbers would go black, red, black and so forth. Likewise the numbers may be odd, even, odd in a back and forth pattern. This is also a non random pattern on a roulette wheel.
And lastly, there is a repeat pattern which we know will occur on any roulette wheel you play. This pattern can be decoded by using the law of the third. Try this for yourself. Record 38 consecutive roulette spins from any roulette wheel and you will see that only 24 to 27 of the numbers will hit. That means that 11 to 14 of those spins were repeat numbers. This happens every time like clockwork.
Use the law of the third to your advantage. Be on the repeat numbers when they repeat.

Read More