Posts Tagged ‘free poker games’
Low pocket pairs are better then many people think they are. They are also a lot worse then some people think they are. If you’re playing a free poker game it may not seem such a big thing but when its high stakes this stuff matters! Actually, even if you are playing “just” free poker games for any reason other than fun then you should treat it serious. So read on!
First off if you have pot odds of at least 4 to 1 you can be safe to call, it is a slight disadvantage but nothing that will break the bank. 4 to 1 may sound like you would be calling every pocket pair but its actually quite hard and impossible in early position.
The difference in folding a few more times could be saving you thousands of dollars in the right environment. If the blinds are still relatively low in comparison to the chip stack and if you have enormous implied odds are also safe times to see these low odds hands.
When the blinds are few and far between then there’s not too much to fear monetary wise. As if you call every pocket pair you will see fewer blinds over a 3/4 of an hour spell.
Although predominately pocket pairs are used as cards to see from the flop, in some scenarios you may even consider going all in with them. To give this some context I wouldn’t suggest going all in with any cards less than 66 as A2 – A5 are favourable cards in today’s game. I cast my mind back to my early playing games where I would miss the flop with AK; you would still end up with an above thirty percent chance to hit the river- so I would go all in without thought.
I use to believe that a thirty percent chance was a favourable amount when talking odds, but as you become more experienced you understand that the only time these odds pay out is the rare occasion your put in a scenario and have to call. Learn your trade playing free poker games before moving on to the money tables so you can understand these rules and odds first hand.
Low pocket pairs are better then many people think they are. They are also a lot worse then some people think they are. If you’re playing a free poker game it may not seem such a big thing but when its high stakes this stuff matters! Actually, even if you are playing “just” free poker games for any reason other than fun then you should treat it serious. So read on!
First off if you have pot odds of at least 4 to 1 you can be safe to call, it is a slight disadvantage but nothing that will break the bank. 4 to 1 may sound like you would be calling every pocket pair but its actually quite hard and impossible in early position.
By folding a couple more times now could potentially saving you a lot of money in the long run. If the blinds are quite small compared to the money on the table, and you have gigantic unspoken odds it’s a good time to see these low odd hands.
If the blinds are low then you really have nothing to worry about the amount of money that you lose here calling every single pocket pair you see will be less then the amount of the blinds in 30-45mins.
Pocket pairs are mostly just something to see a flop with and get away from easy but in rare cases you may even consider going/calling all-in with them. I wouldn’t recommend pushing with anything less then 66 as A2-A5 are popular hands these days. I remember when I first started playing poker and I found out that missing the flop with AK your still usually over 30% to hit by the river so I would just push all in regardless.
Some people including myself at one time thought 30% was not bad at all but really the only time you should with such low percents is when you’re forced into a situation that calls for it. Practice your card skills like this in free poker games first before moving on and up into the green.
Excitement runs through your veins as your eyes lighten up to the possibility of what your hand shows: a 2, 8, and yes you guessed it a fabulous King. You mildly lean over giving the slightest touch to the 2 old boys that lay in front of you. All the practice on the free poker games sites has paid off. The cards you hold have finally come in rainbow and the 2 lows are a fair distance apart. Flushes and str8′s are pretty much finished- and the kings reign supreme.
Awaiting your move you glance across the table hoping all while your not revealing the monster you hold at bay. Of course there sits the fish. They have grown your stack and you thank them for it. There poor calls and lousy bets have been most profitable. Just outstack you after there latest Hail Mary and you send a prayer towards the heavens and call them to push.
Your heart stops as fishy gets his go and as if it was Christmas he throws more money at the pot. This is it, its time to take the pot home; it’s the moment you dreamed of while learning your trade on the free poker games, and you want to take this opportunity. Inevitably it’s time to push your stack and show them all the Kings.
The fish reveals and there lay pocket 7′s. The table gasps and all wonder what they were thinking. Your heart pounds then calms as you realise only two more sevens can save him. Now off to the turn. And as if on call appears the first of those magic sevens. Surely not you heart screams as the dealer speeds forward and delivers that dreaded fourth Seven.
You fall to you knees- how can this be possible, this seems more than a bad case of lady luck as you contemplate quitting poker till your dying day. You want to shout at fishy, but you still manage to keep some dignity and you simply say “well done” before leaving.
In hindsight you start pondering with what had just happened- is there anything you could have played different; probably not. I guess there’s no point holding on to this and you decide to let it go remembering how fishy played his hand.
I guess the moral of this article is just to remember all players have different strategies and all come with the belief there strategy will take them to the end. You must not discard the bad beats or reprimand the opponents who give you them, as these are money making people. Keep them in your mind but don’t divulge this to others- smile and believe their cash will soon be yours.
And remember, there are always free poker games to practice on before you have to take a serious bad beat for real!
Whatever game you are playing, free poker online or pay poker, it is always about skill, with an added pinch of luck.
After all, there are only 52 cards in a deck. And any 5 given cards will always win a hand. It could be the ultimate hand of a Royal Flush or the lowest possible pair of 2′s. In some cases, it could even be A high. This is the wonderful world of poker, not knowing which hands are going to win the game.
When dealt cards you must first decide whether they are suitable to your style of play. Then the decision is whether to fold, call or raise the big blind.
Every individual player has their own style of playing. Some players will only play face cards, whereas others will play any card given to them. That is a style of play. I know of many players who will play nearly every hand pre-flop as long as the bet is within their comfort zone.
Once the flop is seen, it becomes more interesting and a bigger decision needing to be made. If you are holding 3 4 off suit and the flop shows AKJ, what is the likelihood that you will continue with the hand? I would imagine you would fold, unless it is a check through until the turn card is shown.
No poker player is the same, and its important to remember that you can never bee 100% sure how each player will play a hand. I have been in a game once where a player had a 3 4 offsuit and they made a big bet after the flop. They were obviously bluffing, but they pulled it off. This isn’t something that I would do personally, but it proves how each player is very different.
That is why it is always important to observe and study your fellow card players. In time, you develop enough information on their style of play to fairly accurately predict what they will do.
Does that always work to your advantage you may ask yourself. Well, the answer would be no. As I stated earlier, any given 5 cards will win a hand and they may very well be holding Q 10 and flopped a straight. But the odds are in your favor to predict certain scenarios after learning others’ style of play.
As much as you can rely on studying opponents playing styles to help you win, you must also remember that its your own playing which will win you a game of poker. Have a go playing free poker online and practice, practice, practice before moving on to money games.
I love playing both pay poker and free poker online and very much hope my following tips are of use to you in your own games.
Lady Luck
The first thing to remember about playing poker, like any other card game, there is always an element of luck involved. Therefore the first tip is to make your own luck and this can be achieved by carefully choosing the cards you bet on. If you have any card above 10 it really helps, having an ace though is the best option. This is because most people bet only when they have a card with a high face value. The best time to go all-in is when you are holding a face card or even better, two of them. But, no matter how great your cards may be, there is always that element of luck required.
Observe the Players you are Playing With
One type like to take high risks and more often than not bet all that they have in one go. At times this can be good but in most cases it’s a suicide mission and you are advised to bet once these people loose all their chips or settle down and start betting in a normal way.
The other type of player is the one who is very tight with their betting and even if they have a decent hand is still likely to bet a low amount. These types of players are of no significant danger of knocking you out.
Next come the so called bluffers and these can be quite dangerous. It’s really hard to figure out when they are bluffing and when they really have good cards. They confuse you a lot so be careful while dealing with such players. The best thing though is to play with only when you are confident about your cards.
Betting Strategy
When it comes to betting you need to decide how much you want to bet and if possible wait until the last minute to decide, if possible. If not, just play according to the cards you have been dealt and go all out if you really have a good hand. If you are holding a good hand then bet low to keep your opponents interested and then slowly increase your betting. In this way the other players are forced to keep betting and you can increase the number of chips you earn.
I look forward to seeing you at the free poker tables soon!
Whatever type of poker you are playing, free poker games, pay poker or poker with friends for fun, watching the cards which make the flop is so important, especially when you are new to the game.
Since the community cards are played by everyone in the game, it’s possible for somebody to hold the same card as you do-but with a higher kicker. For example: Two pair is a very common hold in hold’em. Let’s suppose that player A has two sixes in the hole. That’s a turning hand, because there’s a damn good chance he’ll get one more to make trips, and he’s going to get three cards in the flop instead of one at a time to see if he can get that other six.
The turn comes an eight, eight, and deuce. Now Player A has sixes and eights. Right now, he’s a favorite over an ace, king because there are two more cards to come, and a player with an ace, king must catch one of those cards to beat Player A’s hand.
Along comes a ten. Player A still holds the best hand. Player B has tens and eights with an ace kicker. Since only five of the seven cards are played to make a hand, Player A has eights and tens with a six kicker. He now has a three pair, which are useless now. If the final community card hadn’t been a ten, then Player A would have won, but Player B has now won the pot because of his ‘ace kicker’.
If you are new to hold’em, have a go at playing free poker games and see how you get on before betting any real money on the cash tables.
Improving your playing skills will definitely help to increase your poker profits, but so will choosing the right free poker games to play. There’s an old story about a poker pro who was the sixth best player in the world but never made any money. That was because he chose to only play against the top five best players in the world. The moral of the story is that you make money when you possess a clear edge over your opponents.
Don’t be overconfident:
Everyone wants to be the best and play the best. It’s a matter of pride. However, unless your name is Phil Ivey, you probably won’t have an advantage over every opponent in every game. It’s also important to recognize that even the top poker pros will sometimes step down a level and play lesser competition because it’s more profitable.
Whatever type of game you are playing, whether it is at a live table or playing other players online, don’t try to head for tables with players who are far better than you are. You are just going to throw away your money.
I remember one time when I played for a couple hours in a $1/2 no-limit hold’em game at a small casino in Palm Springs, California. I nearly doubled my money without winning a single big pot. The players were passive and loose, and I ran them over by putting pressure on them with big bets and getting paid off for reasonably strong hands. I knew that I picked the right table.
I also remember one time when I played for five hours in a $1/2 no-limit hold’em game at a five-star hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. I barely broke even. The players were tight and aggressive and played back at me when I tried to put a move on them. I knew afterward that I picked the wrong table.
What kind of game to look for:
The first thing to keep in mind is your bankroll. If you can’t afford to play $5/10 live or $.50/1 online, then you shouldn’t do it. You should move down to a more affordable level or head for free poker games.
As much as you would love to think you are the best player in the world, its unlikely, so you need to think about your level of skill and stick to table levels where you realistically know you have a chance of winning.
Once you’ve decided the level you can beat, you then need to be choosy about the particular table you want to sit at. Look out for a table where your prospective opponents are playing loose and weak. Keep an eye out for errors. A loose game will allow you to win big pots because players will call you down with weak hands, and a passive game affords you the opportunity to hit your draws cheaply and bully your opposition.
You won’t always be able to find a ridiculously loose and passive table. But, you should still be able to get a good enough idea if the table is beatable by watching the players beforehand. It’s good to be a good player, but being a money-making good player requires skill in the fine art of game selection.
So, whether its pay games or free poker, live games or online games, observation and brutal honesty is what is going to make you profit in the long term.
A good technique to turn a solid hand in buy-in and free online poker games into a great one is to “sandbag,” or in plain language, not disclosing your power until the “Kenny Rogers Right Time.”
As the betting begins, call the initial bets, but don’t jump in with any raises, not even a small one
The aim is to entice as many players to stay in the game for as long as you can until the last second when you finish them all off with your hand.
Some player also call this “slow playing a hand.” I have found the real trick in sandbagging is to almost hide your hand by not signalling anything.
This technique works well when another player has good cards, too. That player will do the betting for you and you will remain “hidden” until you are ready to slam them with an allin.
Many times by doing this you get into a nutz situation as the flop, turn, and river fill up your hand.
I have found its much easier when playing online poker rather than face to face poker as its easier to hide your expression.
In internet paid and free online poker games it is much easier because no one can really “see” you. Sandbagging also gives you the option to make economic bets by not blowing a raise and ultimately losing to someone who hits big on the turn or river.
The initial hole cards don’t have to necessarily be killers (like pocket aces). Sometimes you just get a monster flop and just have to be very patient so sucker more players into feeding the pot. The real key, especially when playing free online poker where it is so easy to jump all-in is simply this: PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE!
I very much hope my tips on the sandbagging techniques help you in your poker play and look forward to seeing you on the poker tables soon.
When you join NoPayPOKER.com, you are given $10 to start playing poker with. There is no need to spend any of your own cash.
Start off by signing up for FREE tournaments and start increasing your money. Most tournaments don’t give out a lot of money, especially if you don’t win first, but a little money is better than no money.
Its worth looking at the tournament pay out schedule so that you can find out where you need to place to get some of the pot.
When the game starts just sit back and watch the other battle it out for a bit. Don’t make any large wagers unless you’re almost positive you have the hand. There’s no shame in holding back from a large bet.
If someone bluffs you, its ok. If you just wait a while an opportunity will arise and you can take the money from that guy who possibly bluffed you. It’s not about how fast you can win, it’s just about winning.
Take your time and get some money. As you start to win and you get some spending money under your belt, I suggest you try your skill where it counts.
Playing the real money table is a great way to up your cash, but bear in mind that it is also a quick way to lose all of it.
Start off at the small tables like the $.10/$.20 ($20NL). All you need is two dollars to get in and, if you stick to winning then that little bit of money can increase quickly.
Get a feel of winning and losing real money. You can’t stick back the entire time here because you won’t make any money, but you should still wait until a decent hand comes your way and then make smart decision that will increase you money.
When you are feeling more confident and are winning some of the lower cash games, then start hitting some of the bigger free poker games and see how get on with those. Remember though, all of the poker is free so you will never have to spend any of your own cash!
Whether you are new to playing in free poker tournaments or not, you may wonder how to play your chip stacks. If so, then read this guide which will help you decide how to play the stacks from short to big.
First here are a few pointers on playing a short stack. When playing with a short stack, play tight, but play aggressively. The best way to do this is to steal the blind where possible, rather than just pushing your opponents into a decision. There is no advantage to trying to trap as a short stack seeing you are risking a lot more than your opponents.
Now we look at the average stack. Here you should play your normal game and do not change your style as you are good enough on chips to not need to be aggressive in order to survive. This is a good position to be in, as you have plenty of chips to keep the bigger stacks on their toes, and also plenty to cover the small stacks. Its worth trying to steal the blinds at this level.
Now we look at the bigger stacks. There are two ways to approach this. You can sit back and play as tight as you can until the weaker players are out of the game, or the other approach is to be aggressive and force others into tournament life or death decisions. You can get away by moving with marginal hands in this case.
However, remember that playing aggressive can cause you to let others back into the tournament by doubling them up with marginal hands. So play wisely if you go this route.
By knowing how to play each type of chip stack should enable you to stay in the game longer and hopefully start winning some tournaments and increase your winnings.
I hope these pointers help you out, start by practicing and perfecting your method and skill in free poker tournaments and games and then move onto the money tables.