42 Best Online, No-Limit, Texas Hold’em Poker Tips

  2. Don't play for real money until you canwin, or at least come close to winning, in
      freeroll tournaments.

  3. Fold, fold, fold those marginal hands whenyou are one of the first to act close to the
      big blind.

  4. Play more marginal hands when you are oneof the last to act close to the button and
      if you can get in cheaply.

  5. Don't be afraid to raise and re-raisepreflop with the top five starting cards. (Aces,
      Kings, QueensAce/King suited)

  6. Concentrate on surviving, rather thanmaking the big score early in the tournament.
      Your plan should be to play:

      A. Very tight early in the contest.

      B. Less tighter

      C. Gamble a little

      D. Gamble more

      E. Go for it!

  7. Play a tight/aggressive style thatconsists of folding often and raising with your best
      hands and not playing marginalhands unless it’s late and cheap.

  8. Control you emotions. Become a robot.

  9. Patience, discipline and selectiveaggression is the key to victory.

10.Don't get too tricky. Most of the players won't notice that you are a pokersavant and
      very close to turning pro.
11. Don’t call many hands on the river without the goods.
12. Pay attention!
13. Quit bluffing so much. And if you get caught, play very tight after thatfor a while.
14. Let the really bad players thin themselves out.
15. Don’t slow-play trips (one in the hole) on the flop.
16. For the most part, believe those big bets and raises.
17. Watch your kickers.
18. Never give up!

19.Don't slow-play (checking, calling or betting small) unless you are almostabsolutely
      sure you have a big edge or thewinning hand.

20.Raise more, call less, check seldom, fold often.

21.Keeping a small kicker with a high card and calling is a sure ticket tofinancial ruin.
      For example: If you keep an A or Kwith a two, three or four, and an A or K comes
      up on the flop, what are you goingto do, knowing that most people who stay will
      have an ace or king and usually willhave a higher kicker than you?

22.Keep a notepad and pen nearby to take notes about the game. You can forget alot of
      valuable lessons learned in theheat of the battle.

23. Expect long, boring spaces where you will get nothingbut garbage and have to fold,
      over and over again for what seemslike hours. Hang in there. Everyone gets these
      spells, including the eventualwinner.

24.Use the all-in rarely, and only with the nuts (the best hand possible using thecards
      available) or the near-nuts.

25.Occasionally, put in a bluff when you are the first to act and small cards hitthe flop,
      but not for a lot of money.

26.For the most part, respect a raise. Fold unless you have a really good hand.

27. Every once in a while with your marginal hands, try tosteal the blinds when you and
      the big and small blinds are theonly ones left to play. Put in a three or four times the
      big blind raise and see whathappens.

28. Check/call/raise periodically when you have a greathand. You will get more calls on
      your best hands later.

29.You don't need much to bet with, but you sure as hell need something to callwith.

30.The more people that stay, the better the hand you'll need.

31.Let the hand go if you're not sure if it's a winner and it is going to cost youa bundle if
      you lose. It's only one lousy hand.They'll be plenty more hands to come.

32.Watch for early position callers. Unless they are really bad players, theyusually have
      something.

33.Put reminders and tips on how to play the game on or around your computer. Keep
      referring to them as you play.

34.Don't put too much stock in how fast or slow people play their hands. Itdoesn't mean
      all that much.
35. And remember, you can make all the right moves...and still lose. Luck is abig factor
      in this game.

36.When in doubt and only if you have played a lot, go with your gut instinct. Agood
      portion of the time, it will becorrect.

37. Don't under bet you best hands, Pre-flop. Raise threeor four times the big blind, then
      half the pot or the whole pot onthe flop.
38. I find that a lot of players online like to keep their chip stacks at anice, round number
      and don’t like to call bets and raises thatput their chip count just under a certain
      figure. Like when an opponent has11,285 chips and you bet or raise 1,300 chips.
      They are reluctant to call becauseit puts them just below 11,000. Try it.

39. Good starting cards are the best protection against badplayers.
40. Stick to the plan.
41. Stick “OUT” post it notes on the image of the players sitting out.Sometimes you will
      have as many as six or sevenplayers out at the same time and it can get confusing.

42. And lastly, don't forget to wear those bad-ass sunglasses.You'll look really cool and
      intimidating, sitting in front ofyour computer

MOURNING AT POKER - morning playing poker

It’s Tuesday and I have taken a day off to baby-sit the dog and play poker. I may get some ironing done if I can get off the laptop for long enough. There is a heightened state of awareness after I play a couple of freerolls to get me going but I am still typing as well as playing anything to calm me down usually it’s a thriller book or Tom McEvoy’s excellent “Tournament Poker” sometimes I watch poker on the TV at the same time 55’s against KK mine where pocket though and I kept it cheap. I’m actually quite a rubbish player and writer but here goes  the morning.

I start with just two games but I have registered for more this hour up to four is all my brain can manage at the moment the 17” screen is a bit limiting really I’ll play up to 6 games when I get a 24” screen I guess and no more. Poker is quite boring when you are waiting for a hand to play but if they all come at once it can be big trouble as decisions and notes on players take concentration. The house has cooled right down and this keeps me on edge not like I’m an expert or anything but here we go. First of all I must say I like to wind people up in the chat boxes that is fun when they respond.

Firstly there are people trying to steal the blinds right, left and centre but mostly people are honest at the tables and bid what they think there hands are worth. I make note all the time on players and this helps once you have made a lot over a long period. I don’t watch games I’m not playing in but I did a bit of that when I started. I try to stay calm which is occasionally impossible and steal the small stacks BB when possible but only with decent cards, yes right, not. Being a short stack as I am often is a doggy tightrope to walk as you only have one move really, wait for a pair and push in my case. Sometimes I will push with an ace down to A10 approx. but occasionally A9. Playing a short stack is really an art form unless you get very lucky as I do sometimes which must be my Irish blood only an eighth on my dad’s side.

So here are the notes taken whilst losing on four screens,ha:

Get to the money every time and push when you have too. Protect your stack and watch out for the ante’s starting they can cripple you quick if you play tight like me, mostly. Try not to miss a trick and watch out for the thieves stealing blinds. Have a proper break at the breaks make a cuppa or something, clear your head especially if you just lost a hand.

Play your position first never your cards first and try to survive to the money, watch the betting trends and steal, steal, steal when you can. Raise it up when sae to do so and get “nh” in that chat box when you lose it will help you remember that particular player took your money, you don’t do it for any other reason because this is war and survival of the fittest, possibly or not depending on your point of view and calmness.

Try not to go fishing to often and don’t be the Blackpool Donkey either although I have been both. Try not to play 7 2 or even 9 2 as it only looks good when the pros do it really in cash games.

MOURNING AT POKER (part 2)

Watch the statistics for your position whilst out of hands and who is winning and how they are winning keep taking notes if you get to the final tables (2) they may help you make the right decision at a crucial time and be the difference better winning and losing that higher money placing. Don’t go all in with absolutely nothing as, for me anyway, it never works. Face to face your tight image may gain a little credit in the later stages but online not many people have that information nor care to use it really. Lucky charms are useful but only in live games, online being comfortable or even uncomfortable might be best for you.

Before you start any tournament online check the payouts for value, nowadays early 2011 there are a lot of crap competitions where you are virtually just wasting you time playing. I look for at least 40 times my entry fee if  win on smaller events and more if I am risking more of my bank roll. Bankroll management is essential and if you don’t watch your money then someone else will take it easily. It’s not easy to play when your playing for a big percentage of your money and even the best players don’t do that. Of course gamblers do play online and do lose perhaps all they have but I’m not addressing these words to them because they can’t or won’t read this anyway. Gamblers only live for the adrenaline which is great and even better if you have used your brain too get to the finish line. Many gamblers bully their way though if they get a good start and get to the middle sections of tourney’s and that is where they will wait for the tighter players. Gamblers are better in cash games I believe and a lot bust out for a cash game before the end of a tourney having kept the same loose starting hand strategy and losing to the patience of another player.

Just had a lucky A6 draw out that I had to play as the blinds where coming around on DTD online, wow but I’m still 69^th out of 70 players. I need a hand or two really as the blinds go up in 100 seconds, another thing to watch, seriously the blinds can kill you dead before you make your move. Hooray QQ all-in for me it’s the best I have had and UTG I have to ship it really 3^rd top starting hand and I won’t slow play that UTG. Wow 845 to 6,245 I must have quaded up at least, can be bothered to check really as I’m writing this instead. Now I need to play tighter for a while as I have had my luck for now A KK or AK only in big pots as I’m up to 23rd out of 65 players. These re-buy competitions are hard as it’s so easy go all-in every other hand. 95% of the time (I like stats and percentages) I will never re-buy except very small competitions or a serious bad beat. Opps I have 22 and no set came except for the guy that kept it cheap to stay in and get 600 off me. No add-ons either mind you I didn’t realise only 10 got paid in this comp. my fault I should have checked and you should generally check for a deep payout structure 10 out of 96 I think is a bit poor I would have expected at least 16 say or top 20 but this is a bigger payout for that top ten so it should affect how you play the game, it turned out to be quite aggressive which is ok if you are wide awake or on plenty of caffeine, know what they mean?

Attack on the Blackpool Donkey

It sounds extreme I know but last night was really a scream and I can't help laughing to myself even now. The generally light hearted banter almost got right out of hand in the usual Riley's Tuesday night poker match. Strange really because with only 12 entries this week we were really only playing for points, but, I guess points make prizes. It was the first week of the new season and unfortunately my last time at this particular Riley's for a few weeks as I am moving jobs. I have learnt so much from the regulars (but not enough according to them) and my aim is to get on the TV so they can laugh even more as 'I get busted up proper' and bring a tear to their eyes. I will be back though because if those gits down there thought I wasn't coming back then I know for certain they would be asking for my points to be redistributed amongst them, that’s how fierce it gets, so competitive and almost unbelievable. Poker is truly a modern form of warfare and occasionally hand to hand combat I’m told.

A few weeks ago I got labelled a "Donkey", I added the Blackpool bit because it nice to have a nickname in poker, even a crap one I guess, my original nickname of "Newbie" is wearing thin as I've been trying to be playing for a few months now BUT NOT YET A YEAR BOYS. Lots of 'Polish' people play the game and a few 'Russians', and they are hard to read, ha.

Donkey of course is a derogatory term much like "Fish" and you guessed it that I was cooking on gas that particular night (11th) much the same as last night (1st) but as I have only played for 9 months  now I am still finding my way. Note that at donkeytest.com you can actually take a Donkey / Pro test if you want to test your Poker IQ for $9.95.

However you just can't sit there with seasoned amateur players and expect to be left alone, I doubt if that ever happens because, passions run so deep in poker games (even for match sticks believe me). You hear some tales about chips being thrown in peoples faces on particularly bad beats. I've seen people jump out of there seats flexing their muscles in anger and outrage that someone (not me) had the nerve to play 9-2 against them and then accidentally hit a full house by the turn. Last night my disguised (till the all-in fell) straight got wild abuse for all of 5 seconds and then a STALKER label was thrown at me. Yes I do go looking for Poker game all over and if you mention one I will turn up because my life is just poker all the time at present, this does not mean that I am stalking you B (especially since you weren't actually there when I turned up anyway) perhaps I was stalking the Golf Hotel pub in Ipswich, m8 not you or perhaps it should be a free world??? Unlike many poker players I don't just talk about bad beats and wins, well just a little bit, there is also great disappointment in just missing the final table, my tears that night are still wet on my cheeks and that's three weeks ago now "final table bubble boy is a very lonely place".  I do talk about throwing away AA’s and other talk of me passing KK’s cause that’s how I play now – honest.

That abuse last night took the biscuit however at Riley’s I got that stalker label what a moron, I have been swore at and had the hands I played over analysed sometimes whilst playing the cards out. For heaven sake it's only a £11 buy-in and not the WSOP main event.

When B called someone something rhyming with shunt again I had to laugh, it’s just frustration and I know cause it’s a hard game. I couldn't believe he was being criticised by the people who had been bullying Jack’s all night long!

The abuse some people will allow to stream from their lips when playing poker is probably legendary but personally when someone loses it like that I love it, watching their faces go red as they steam up and occasionally boil over.

To be fair most of the time the comments are really useful in improving one's game and I feel if you want to improve in Poker then any 'given information' is great. It is important to sort the wheat out from the chaff though as there is a lot of absolute crap spoken during poker games. I would particularly like to thank 'Kev' and 'Jim' sorry that's K + J, they know who they are, for their help.

Nobody at Poker / Nobody_Poker dat me

1) Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?

No but I would have liked to my stupid “work ethic” instilled whilst I was you almost makes it impossible really. Sometimes I will take a day off and Iron whilst playing poker. No such problems for my brother or many other people I guess they just do what they want without the moral controls I am under.

2) Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?

Yes no one seems to understand the level of concentration that is required to win one of these events. I see pkr as very similar to my chess obsession.

3) Did gambling affect your reputation?

Who cares about rep’s these days nobody anybody life is for living not worrying?

4) Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

Every time I feel remorse it is a very hard sport to do well in

5) Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
No way bankroll and low ball are the most important thing to me. If I can’t make the grade within my very limited means then I’m taking my cards and going home man.

6) Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
Not yet but it will I guess when I play in more competitions.

7) After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
Initially this is a normal response but after you have played for a while you realise that the right frame of mind is critical.

8) After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
Again at first this is natural I think, you believe you have cracked the winning system but it really is about maximising your energy output and starting in the right positive frame of mind.

9) Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
No way as I think that is stupid?

10) Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
No way as I think that is stupid?

11) Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
No way as I think that is stupid?

12) Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?

Money management is important but should be completely separate, ring fenced and spent when your ahead

13) Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
Yep that’s a bad one really when your playing it is difficult to break the relationship with the game.

14) Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
Texas Hold’Em always takes longer when your winning this is a stupid question and too obvious.

15) Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?
Just to make money I don’t care as long as I’m in the money.

16) Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
No way there is an honour code.

17) Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
Of course the adrenaline rush is all pervading and over analysis is common.

18) Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
You need to be calm really or there is no point, even aggression needs to be controlled or you will be out.

19) Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?

Playing poker in tournaments is not quite as bad as gambling I feel and some separation needs to be made. Gambling for it’s own sake is serious but working towards improvement within a tight budget is not quite as bad, I feel.

20) Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

This is a crazy question for me when the next game can be just a click away – can you play when you’re dead perhaps it is that serious for some and I agree they may need help. I have tried not to be flippant with my answers but feel some of the questions are a little poor.

Nobody at techno-junkies with OCD logging off