Thursday, January 27, 2005

Aces were working last night at Partypoker

The aces were flying last night at Partypoker and I got my fair share. Getting aces cracked happens but I was on a roll. I normally play ring games at
pokerchamps because it's easy to get a short handed table. I like pounding on the opposition and playing against 3 or 4 players is my favorite thing. I like tournys and learning shorthanded play is your best bet to win. Here's some interesting info on aces:

With 6 players you have a 50-50 chance of no one having an ace when you do.
With 3 players it's 77 %
And heads up it's 88%
What's more if your short handed no one has an ace:
with 5 players it's almost 50-50heads up it's 85% that no one has an ace.
This gives you an idea of how to play aces. Bet the Hell out of them. Raise. Take the money. You will be beat occasionally, but in the long run you make more when you bet more.
If you are interested in trying, go here to Partypoker and sign up for free tourney action.





Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Ring game tip # 6

Understand player position

...and how it is critical. Not only is it important to play strong hands, it is even more important in what position you play them. For example, the ideal position is the Button (the Dealer), as you are last to act, and have the advantage of watching all of the betting action before you need to make a decision. eg. If the action before you consists of a bet, a raise, and a re-raise, and you hold a pair of Tens, you might think that folding is the right decision.

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Bonus Whores Party Poker Review

Theres many ways to make money besides winning. Chasing online casino bonuses is a good one. Check out the following:
Bonus Whores Party Poker Review: "Party Poker is by far and away, the largest poker site on the internet. Many times they have more real money players online than the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th largest sites combined. Their games are very soft and easy to beat. The software is average, but their customer support is some of the worst in the industry."

Monday, January 24, 2005

Ring game tip # 5

Betting to gain knowledge

Betting is not always because you have the best hand. Top players use various betting techniques to try to gain information. For example, a defensive bet is one that you can use early on to avoid calling a bigger future bet. A re-raise may be used to probe the credibility of your opponent's hand.
Also, betting or raising can win many pots with out confrontation. This makes you money ahead.

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Saturday, January 22, 2005

Ring game tip # 4

Watch your opponents habits

Especially when you aren"t in a hand. The best time to study is when you aren't emotionally invested in the hand, and you can make more prudent observations. Watch how opponents bet, and how much they bet, in what position are they betting. Learning how your opponents play is key.


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Friday, January 21, 2005

Ring game tip # 3

Choose less skillful opponents

...if you want to win money. Sounds fairly obvious, but you should play at betting limits where you can beat the majority of players. Move down in limits if you are having difficulties winning money. In poker, always leave your ego at the door.
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Tough week at Party Poker

2 wins 2 losses 1 third at the tables. Lostcauser brags about 4 wins at pp. However we didn't hear how many he lost. I'll be at Guss' this week end about 9 or 10 eastern if you need to get in the action.

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Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Ring game tip # 2

Know when to hold'em, and know when to fold 'em
Learn how to fold a hand, and don't be a calling machine. Many beginners keep betting regardless of the board or what their opponent's actions are suggesting. Top players frequently say it's the hands you can lay down that are often the key to profitable play. The following is a good start for you:
play big pairs, A-K and big suited connectors (such as 10-jack 9-10,or K-Q) and any two cards that add to 20 or more. (10-10, 10-jack, king-Q, A-K etc...) to see the flop. Bet when you have the best hand, elfoldo the rest. Simple to say, tough to do.






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Tough night at Partypoker

Bad beat city at Partypoker last night. Won 1 tournament, came in second once, third twice. Lost 7 more. So, my money count was 120$-107$=13$ for 2 hrs. Would anyone like fries with order.

Of course many people would be satisfied to win one. But not me, read my headline on this site, Ha Ha. If you can do better, try and let me know. By the way, I have a new affiliate you may want to try, Pokerroom, seems like soft competion so far. I'll let you know.


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Monday, January 17, 2005

Ring game tip # 1

Beware of playing too many hands

Most beginners play way too many starting hands, in fact top players typically play between 20-30% of their starting hands. Concentrate on higher value starting hands and help remove the luck element of the game.This site has plenty of info gathered here to learn the game or improve what your doing now.

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Heads up is where the money is.

Playing poker means studying the best. After all it's a money making opportunity. Most people pay for golf lessons. All you have to do is read and play..

Written by Mike Bernstein at pokertips.org

Heads Up Play

One of the most exciting parts of playing poker is when you get to play someone heads-up. For any players who are new and don´t know what that means, it is when two players play one on one. When you play heads up with someone the strategy of your game completely changes. Many beginners struggle with this because they don´t know how to adjust their style of play accordingly. So to give you a little help with that, I wrote this. Like most of my other articles on strategy and techniques, the information and tactics I describe in this section are what I and many others feel are the best. Yet these tactics might not always be the wining ones and it is that part of poker that makes it so interesting to play. I will however, try to make it as clear as possible on how to play heads up and on what techniques to use.


What to do and Why

In a normal, multi-player game, the best strategy to use is to put the most money in when you have a hand and the least when you don´t have one. When you are in a heads up battle you must widen your spectrum of typically playable hands. The main reason why you play more hands in a one on one game is because there is only one other hand you are playing against and so your initial odds of winning, before the cards are dealt, is 50%. This is a very high percent compared to something like a 25% in a four person game, or worse, 10% in a 10 person game. Since your percent of winning is so much higher, you want to play more hands and change your betting strategies.

Some Guidelines

Like I mentioned above, in a normal game you want to get the most money in when you have a hand and the least when you don´t. This general guideline helps you to know that you should probably only raise when you have some very good hands, unless you prefer to play more bluffs.

However, this strategy does not work as well when you are playing an opponent heads up, especially when there are blinds. This is true because in every hand you have some money in the pot from blinds, and if you just wait for a great hand you will continually lose to your opponent who will most likely raise before the flop with a less powerful hand. When playing heads up you should aim to raise much more with mediocre hands then you would in a multi-player game. When I play heads up this is the table of cards that I usually play or raise with.

Hands I raise with:
* Suited connectors
* Two face cards, suited or not
* Anything with an Ace
* A King and anything higher then 9
* Suited cards higher then 7
* Any Pocket Pair

Hands I call With if it hasn't been raised:

* Suited low cards not connected

* Low connectors

* Q and any card (except face cards)

* J and any card (except face cards)

* 10 and any card (except face cards)

In Conclusion
Playing heads up is one of the most essential tournament poker skills, and probably also the most ignored. It can be fun, intimidating, and challenging all at once, and is one of the finer points of playing poker. With some practice and the advice provided here you should be on your way to scoring that first place pot, and not always settling with second best.


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I lose the freeroll at Pokerroom

I finished 16th (out of 2200 players) in the freeroll Friday at Pokerroom. I got folded out, "all in" with the nut flush by the server on the next to last hand I played. My opponent had 2 pair. Because I'm wireless I can't tell if it interference on my end or not.

It's obvious that you have to take the good with the bad, but this smarts. O well......

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Final thoughts on tournament play

In terms of strategy, No-Limit tournaments are very different from No-Limit ring games. You simply can't bluff as much because people's stacks tend to be smaller in relation to the size of the pot. Also, since the amount of chips you win from a bluff is worth less than the amount you stand to lose, bluffing loses a lot of 'value.'

Now, many of you may be confused. Suppose you bluff 1000 chips at a 1000 pot and figure you have a 50-60% chance of taking it down. Many of you would think it's worth it to take that risk. However, those 1000 chips you win are worth less than those 1000 chips you stand to lose. If you have a 2000 stack, getting knocked down to 1000 has much more negative value than the positive value of getting up to 3000. The 1000 chips do not represent money. The only monetary value in the tournament is either losing all of your chips or winning them all (and losing them all is more important because you do get a prize if you lose them all in the late stages of the tournament). Losing those 1000 chips knocks you half the way out, but winning those 1000 doesn't do squat for winning.

This is not to imply that you can simply fold your way into the money. The blinds will eat you alive. You must win pots so you don't get knocked out most of the time. Towards the end of the tournament, you can think of winning pots to win the whole tournament. However, most of the time you must win pots simply so you don't lose!

Thus, in the early stages of the tournament, you should avoid gambling much. Generally, the amount you win isn't worth the gamble. If you can see the flop for cheap with a suited connector or someone goes all-in preflop and you have AA, by all means go for it. However, I wouldn't suggest bluffing all-in. In the early stages, you want to win a huge pot here and there because you hold the nuts. Target a bad player and make him pay you off.

Towards the middle of the tournament, you need to switch gears. Since the blinds get bigger, stealing the blinds will help you stay alive. Here, the 'gap' concept becomes more important. It takes a much weaker hand than usual to raise to steal the blind, but a stronger hand than usual to call a raise. The middle rounds introduce the 'survival mode' concept.

Again, most of the time you will be looking just to survive and increase your stack bit by bit in the middle rounds. You want to avoid confrontation without the nuts and just take down some small pots without controversy.

However, if you are a large chip stack (or even just a medium one), you may want to take advantage of this survival mode. Take control of the game by raising and frequently putting other people at a decision for all of their chips. After all, if they go all-in, they're risking it all but you aren't because you can lose the pot and still keep on fighting. However, don't do this too much. Steal some pots, but don't be so obvious that people will call you all-in with top or even second pair. Also, don't do this against very bad players. They will call everything.

Towards the end of the tournament is when the coin-flip decisions become very important. Frequently, the blinds are so high it makes sense for a player with a low or moderate stack to go all-in preflop. Generally, when you go all-in you want to have A(good kicker) or a pocket pair. If you have A(good kicker) you are an advantage to all non pocket pairs and may even have someone dominated. If you have a pocket pair, you are a small advantage against all non pocket pairs and at a huge advantage/disadvantage against other pocket pairs (depending on their size).

Generally, if you have one of these marginal hands, it's best to just shove all of your chips in preflop. When you are a low stack, you cannot afford to be blinded away anymore. Once the flop comes, chances are it's not going to be perfect. By shoving in all of your chips preflop, you have the added chance of stealing the blinds and can avoid being bluffed out.

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Friday, January 14, 2005

Join bosscauser at Pokerroom.com for free money

This site offers 100$ first prize in their freeroll. Can't resist playing.
Wish me luck.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Tournament Strategy-the turn

On the turn, we have to evaluate whether to "chase" or not:

For example, if the pot were 5 big bets on the turn, and it would cost you one big bet to call, you are getting 5 to 1 odds to call. Suppose you had a hand that would win 1 time for every 5 times it lost. In that case, if you were getting 5 to 1 odds from the pot, then your call would have an average result of zero, right on the border between calling and folding. If the pot were any bigger (like if you could expect a call on the river) then it would be clear case to call, and if the pot were any smaller, then it would be a clear case to fold.

Before explaining how to figure out precisely whether or not you should chase, here are some guidelines:

Rules of thumb for calling on the turn: Usually, call one bet with open-ended staight draws and flush draws, and with a medium pot size you can call two cold. With a set you should usually be calling all bets (or raising, of course.) Two overcards are usually no good to draw with on the turn, except sometimes heads-up. When the pot is big, you can call with a gutshot straight draw to the nuts.

Keep track of bets:

With a little practice, you can be a lot more precise. You can learn to keep track of the big bets going into the pot almost subconsciously, and hence you can know the current pot size at all times. With a little experience, you can estimate the amount of additional action there will be. And your chance of winning is simply represented by your number of outs.

Your effective pot size is how much you can expect to win at the end if you indeed win. It's the current pot size plus expected action. Generally that will be at least one big bet bigger than the current pot size, possibly many more big bets if you expect a lot of action.

Your effective pot odds are the effective pot size divided by the amount you have to call.

You should at least call when your effective outs times one more than the effective pot odds is greater than the number of unseen cards. The number of unseen cards is usually 46 on the turn or 47 on the flop. Recast the effective pot size in units of the number of bets you will need to call.


BUYING A FREE CARD

You can raise in late position on the flop with the intention of checking it through on the turn. Seeing the river card is not free in this case, but half price. Actually, it's a bit less than half price, since your flop drawing odds are better than your turn drawing odds. Savvy opponents are well aware of this play from flush draws, however, and may thwart it by betting into you on the turn. Use this play sparingly, mostly when you have big overcards versus a few weak opponents, and you can always adopt-a-flush-draw if the flush draw comes in (that is, bet to represent a made flush.)

SEMI-BLUFFING

Your opponents cannot fold if you never bet or raise. Betting or raising usually is worth at least 4 outs, sometimes 20 or more outs, in terms of increasing your chance of winning the pot. Sometimes when you would have to check and fold rather than check and call, you can bet profitably instead. The combination of a chance of winning with your draw and a chance of your opponents all folding can make betting (or raising) more profitable than checking (or folding.) David Sklansky coined the term "semi-bluffing" to describe this concept.

If you've been betting hard the whole the way, your opponents may not put you on a draw, and may fold to your bet on the come, or to your bluff bet on the river, allowing you to steal a large pot. For this reason, and since you presumably cannot win in a showdown without making your hand, think twice about taking a free card on the turn, if you think a bet there or on the river might buy you the pot.

A MADE HAND WITH A DRAW

Sometimes you will have a pair and a flush draw, or other combination of a hand that may be best and a draw. When your made hand is vulnerable or likely already beaten by fairly weak hands, you usually should play such a hand very hard, trying to force out better hands and hands that could draw out on your made hand, with your draw as a backup in case you get called down by a better hand. Even with a very strong hand like a made straight with a flush draw, you might wish to play it hard, hoping to get almost unlimited reraises from an equivalent straight that you are "freerolling" to beat with your flush.


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tournament strategy-post flop

Theory of Sucking Out According to Abdul

Copyright 1999, Abdul Jalib

After the flop, we calculate our chances :

If you have the best of it on additional money going into the pot, you should try to maximize the additional money going into the pot. If given the money in the pot by the end you have odds to chase, you should at least call. Keep in mind that betting or raising will often give you additional ways to win the pot. If you don't have odds to chase or bluff, you should fold.

BETTING OR RAISING FOR IMMEDIATE PROFIT

Try to get money into the pot if you will win the pot more than your fair share. You will win more than your fair share of the time when you have more than the number of outs shown below for the number of opponents:
Betting or Raising
Breakeven Win Chance & Outs for # of Opponents
# Opponents Who
Will Be Calling Chance to Win You Need
to be Breakeven on Bet Corresponding
Number of Outs
1 1 in 2 23
2 1 in 3 15 1/3
3 1 in 4 11 1/2
4 1 in 5 9 1/5
5 1 in 6 7 2/3
6 1 in 7 6 1/2
7 1 in 8 5 3/4
8 1 in 9 5 1/9

When you have a strong draw, you usually want to keep people in, so think carefully about how to keep them in while increasing the pot size. Consider all your options. When no one has bet you can check-call, bet, or check-raise, and when facing a bet you can call, raise, or call-reraise.

Your outs are the number of cards that will complete your hand. For example, if you have JT and the board is KQ23, then any ace or nine will give you the nut straight, and there are four of each of those, so you have 8 outs. Here are some of the common draws:
Outs When Drawing One Card
Draw on the Turn Outs
4-straight & 4-flush => straight or flush 15
set => full house or quads 10
4-flush => flush 9
overpair vs 2-pair => better 2-pair or set 8
4-straight => straight 8
4-straight vs 4-flush => straight vs no flush 6
overcards => top pair 6
pair using board card => trips or two pair 5
gutshot straight draw => straight 4
two pair => full house 4
pocket pair => set 2

Your effective outs are your potential outs fudged downwards to better reflect your actual chances of winning the pot. For example, if there is a two flush on board and you think the flush draw is out there, then instead of 8 outs for a straight draw you effectively have only 6, as the other 2 cards bring in your opponent's flush draw.

On the flop, if you are planning on taking your draw to the river, then you effectively have a bit less than double the number of outs for one card:
Equivalent Outs When Drawing Two Cards
Draw on the Flop and Turn Outs
4-straight & 4-flush => straight or flush 25 1/2
set => full house or quads 15 1/2
4-nut-flush => nut flush 16 1/2
4-baby-flush vs. one => 5-flush 15
4-straight => straight 14 1/2
overpair vs 2-pair => 2-pair, set, etc 12 1/2
4-baby-flush vs. many => only 5-flush 12
nonpair => pair 11 1/2
gut shot straight draw => straight 7 1/2
two pair => strong full house or quads 7
3-straight & 3-flush => straight or flush 3
3-flush => flush 1 1/2
3-straight => 4-straight => straight 1 1/2

For the runner-runner draws, you need to use both your cards, except for an ace that makes a 3-flush. You should usually treat them as just 1 out, not 1 1/2 or 2, since a lot of things can go wrong with them.


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Saturday, January 08, 2005

Single Table Tournament play (early) at Partypoker

Preflop

Generally speaking in the first rounds we find our best friend, Elfoldo, and run for the tall grass. Only after 3 or 4 opponents are eliminated do we loosen up and pound the opposition. I only play big pairs, A-K and big suited connectors (such as 10-jack 9-10,or K-Q) and any two cards that add to 20 or more. (10-10, 10-jack, king-Q, A-K etc...) to see the flop. Most players will have familiarize themselves with following odds discussion to understand that in no-limit tourney's we only get one bad decision to ruin our payday.
For example:
if you are dealt a pair before the flop, you have a 12 percent chance of making a set on the flop. The odds against flopping that set are 7.5-to-1.

Before the Flop Percent Odds Against

* You hold A-K, your chances of flopping at least an ace or a king are: 32% 2-to-1
* You hold a pair, your chances of flopping a set are: 12% 7.5-to-1 With two cards to come
* You hold a straight flush draw, your chances of making a straight, a flush, or a straight flush by the river are: 54% 0.9-to-1
* You hold a flush draw, your chances of making a flush by the river are: 35% 1.9-to-1
* You hold an open-ended straight draw, your chances of making a straight by the river are: 32% 2.2-to-1

In low limit tourney's your not going to need to know much math, but you should understand that certain cards are more important than others when it comes decision time: Bet, check, call, or fold. Poker is a set of decisions that have to be made every hand and every card. The more you play, the better you get but giving money a way because of impatience is called--LOOSING your money..

PartyPoker

PartyPoker is the place for playing tournaments. If you want to have the most fun and win the most 24/7 this is it. These guys are famous now on t.v. for promoting hold-em. If you seen them, Mike Sexton, Vince Van Patten and of course, Shan Hiatt on the World Series of Poker you know what I mean.

I like to play ring games on Pokerchamps because it is not as busy with tough players but for tourney's I prefer PartyPoker the premeir site to play, and learn to play, Tournaments. The action is loose and rather easy. Once you set up a money account you can play dozens of touney's for a 0 $, 1dollar, 3$, 5$, 10$,20$ or more. I'll be doing a lot of tourney's in the future and will keep you posted. If you want to learn more click on one of these links and get a free shot at a million dollars.

Much of the next entrys on the site will deal with entering and playing for big money in tourney's. Come back and have a look..

Tourney Prelim

Thanks to Pokertips

In terms of strategy, No-Limit tournaments are very different from No-Limit ring games. You simply can't bluff as much because people's stacks tend to be smaller in relation to the size of the pot. Also, since the amount of chips you win from a bluff is worth less than the amount you stand to lose, bluffing loses a lot of 'value.'

Now, many of you may be confused. Suppose you bluff 1000 chips at a 1000 pot and figure you have a 50-60% chance of taking it down. Many of you would think it's worth it to take that risk. However, those 1000 chips you win are worth less than those 1000 chips you stand to lose. If you have a 2000 stack, getting knocked down to 1000 has much more negative value than the positive value of getting up to 3000. The 1000 chips do not represent money. The only monetary value in the tournament is either losing all of your chips or winning them all (and losing them all is more important because you do get a prize if you lose them all in the late stages of the tournament). Losing those 1000 chips knocks you half the way out, but winning those 1000 doesn't do squat for winning.

This is not to imply that you can simply fold your way into the money. The blinds will eat you alive. You must win pots so you don't get knocked out most of the time. Towards the end of the tournament, you can think of winning pots to win the whole tournament. However, most of the time you must win pots simply so you don't lose!

Thus, in the early stages of the tournament, you should avoid gambling much. Generally, the amount you win isn't worth the gamble. If you can see the flop for cheap with a suited connector or someone goes all-in preflop and you have AA, by all means go for it. However, I wouldn't suggest bluffing all-in. In the early stages, you want to win a huge pot here and there because you hold the nuts. Target a bad player and make him pay you off.

Towards the middle of the tournament, you need to switch gears. Since the blinds get bigger, stealing the blinds will help you stay alive. Here, the 'gap' concept becomes more important. It takes a much weaker hand than usual to raise to steal the blind, but a stronger hand than usual to call a raise. The middle rounds introduce the 'survival mode' concept.

Again, most of the time you will be looking just to survive and increase your stack bit by bit in the middle rounds. You want to avoid confrontation without the nuts and just take down some small pots without controversy.

However, if you are a large chip stack (or even just a medium one), you may want to take advantage of this survival mode. Take control of the game by raising and frequently putting other people at a decision for all of their chips. After all, if they go all-in, they're risking it all but you aren't because you can lose the pot and still keep on fighting. However, don't do this too much. Steal some pots, but don't be so obvious that people will call you all-in with top or even second pair. Also, don't do this against very bad players. They will call everything.

Towards the end of the tournament is when the coin-flip decisions become very important. Frequently, the blinds are so high it makes sense for a player with a low or moderate stack to go all-in preflop. Generally, when you go all-in you want to have A(good kicker) or a pocket pair. If you have A(good kicker) you are an advantage to all non pocket pairs and may even have someone dominated. If you have a pocket pair, you are a small advantage against all non pocket pairs and at a huge advantage/disadvantage against other pocket pairs (depending on their size).

Generally, if you have one of these marginal hands, it's best to just shove all of your chips in preflop. When you are a low stack, you cannot afford to be blinded away anymore. Once the flop comes, chances are it's not going to be perfect. By shoving in all of your chips preflop, you have the added chance of stealing the blinds and can avoid being bluffed out.

If you want to learn: join bosscauser at pokerchamps

Thursday, January 06, 2005

playing for free?

If you get around the internet poker sites, you'll here a lot of whinning about "playing for free is a waste of time." What a crock. If you want to learn the game you have to play as many hands as possible,under different limits and situations. Playing for free gives us an extra challenge. Many players(keep a list) you will encounter in internet play will play just as good or badly whether it's for money or not. If you can't beat them for free when can you beat them?. I play chess or pool for free, you really don't think I'll not give it my "A-game" ?. The problem with fre is you need extra patience to win. These player love to bet the river or raise to get a little excitement in their shallow live. Chipjockey readers are in training to kick ass and will give you all the "freeplay you can handle."
That being said, It's much more exciting to win a few bucks, but learn the game first, then sit in a few ring games and tournaments and watch the same people give their money away. Next we talk about "tourneys" join bosscauser at pokerchamps
Now to get paid:

Fourth Street
Once fourth street has been turned, you should have a good idea on what you are going to do. If you were on a draw and your card came, you can attempt to check raise, or you can just bet. In both situations you have a very good chance of winning the pot if you played the draws that I listed above. If you had a medium pair and the next card gave you a better hand then the top pair, you should bet. Since you have assumed your opponent has top pair, you know you have him beat and you need to bet, since the right play for him is to call, and maybe even raise. Yet if fourth street didn’t help you, then you should check, or fold if your opponent bets. Lastly, if you had top pair before the flop, and fourth street is below your pair you should bet or call. If the card is above your pair you can still bet, but watch out for a check-raise.


Fifth Street
In limit holdem, fifth street is a time where you try and get the most money from your opponent if you have a good hand, or save the most money if you are uncertain about your hand. You should have a pretty good feeling about what your opponents strength is, and from this you should determine if you should bet or not. Rarely you will find a player who is trying to bluff you, but remember to watch for it and try and catch their hands in the cookie jar.

                              Thanks to Michael Bernstein.

Flop
Once the flop has come, in a limit poker game, you can decide if you should stay in the hand and risk more money, or if you should get out. If you have a medium pair or higher from the flop you should bet or call, and after you do this you will get a feeling on what cards your opponents have. If a person calls/bets then you have to conclude that he/she has a hand, since players don’t bluff as much in limit. If this was your situation then you have made a good play by betting, even if u get called by opponent who has you beat. It is better then you checking and giving him free card and you not having a clue on what he has. The next decision you have to make after this is based upon fourth street, which I will talk about next.


If you have flopped top pair then you have a couple of options. You can choose to slow play and check, or to bet or raise if someone has already bet. Slow playing has been described in other articles on this site, so if you have questions then refer back to that article. If you choose to bet or raise, and are called then you have to worry about one main thing that could happen; your opponent out drawing you. To avoid this from happening, make sure you make it as expensive for him/her as possible on the flop and 4th street so they can’t receive any free cards. There are always situations where your opponent will hit trips, or some other monster hand on the flop and you will be beaten. If this occur just remember that you played the hand right, and try to avoid going on tilt.


The last situation that you can be in when the 3 cards are flopped, besides folding, is having a good draw. If you are four to a flush with a high kicker, or four to a high straight, you should call a bet, or check to see fourth street. I would suggest you not call a raise since you know you are beat if your cards don’t come, unless your opponent is bluffing. Try to get as many free cards as you can so that you have cheap chances to get your draw. This situation brings up an interesting tactic that you can try to execute: the semi-bluff. If you feel like your opponent has a low to medium pair and your draw has a 35% or higher chance of coming, you could bet and try to take the pot. This is considered a semi-bluff because you don’t have a hand yet, but you have a good chance of making one. Coming soon will be an article focusing specifically on semi-bluffing.

Intro Playing Limit Holdem

Written by Mike Bernstein in the category Holdem Intro
Playing Limit Holdem


The game of texas holdem is the most played version of poker, and within it are two entirely different ways to play it. You can choose to play extreme stakes and play no limit, or you can take a more conservative approach and play limit. Both games are incredibly exciting and both have their positives and negative. This article will focus on limit poker and the strategies and tactics behind it. Coming soon will be an article on no-limit, but until now enjoy, learn, and good luck with the great game of limit texas holdem.


Before the Flop
Your starting hands in any poker game are the most crucial part of your game. Your discipline is very important, and your ability to be patient and wait for the right hand to play is very important. Occasionally you will need to mix up your play, and play starting hands you normally wouldn't, but that is to be explained in the future. In limit holdem poker, it is important to play good hands because your chances of bluffing and stealing a pot are limited since you can't bet without a limit. With that said I will give you a brief list of the appropriate hands that I suggest you call, bet, or raise with.


Call


* Medium to high suited connectors


* Small pairs


* An Ace with any card above 7


Bet


* Two face cards (including Ace)


* Medium pocket pair


* High pocket pair


* Suited face cards


* AK, AQ, KQ


Raise


* High Pocket Pair


* Suited face cards


* AK, AQ


* High suited connector face cards


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Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Useful Math in Hold-em

A Strategy Primer for New Hold'em Players
By Lou Krieger


As poker's popularity continues to grow in the United States and overseas, experienced home game players as well as those who are new to the game itself, continue to sidle up to casino poker tables asking to be dealt in. Although new and exciting, playing poker in a casino can be confusing at first, and new players are usually full of questions. This is particularly true, and quite understandable, when that newcomer is playing hold'em for the first time, since even experienced home game players may either be more familiar with stud or have played such a wide variety of home poker games that they may never have studied, or even thought about hold'em to any measurable degree.


Some newcomers think they know it all. Others ask a lot of questions, particularly when they are attempting to learn hold'em the right way. Rather than simply sitting down and paying for lessons at the table, many new players - in an attempt to fast-track their own learning process - are reading books and using computer software to learn essential poker principles before attempting to put them in action in live games.


Some new players have read so extensively about poker that their questions are quite sophisticated. While these players are the exception rather than the rule, you can usually tell how schooled they are because their inquiries are aimed at sorting out information hierarchically, so they'll know what's important and how to apply that knowledge in the heat of battle. Players who haven't read much about the game, or even thought about it at all, generally bounce their questions all over the lot; some are important, while others range from trivial to the completely insignificant.


Stop me only if you haven't heard this one before: "I had A-K and raised. The dealer turned over three small cards - unconnected and unsuited. One player bet and another called. What should I have done?" I'll bet you've even heard that same mantra from experienced players. The big pair question is almost as popular: "I raised with Q-Q, but another player made it three bets. The flop was ragged. What should I do, check and call, come out betting, or check with the intention of raising?"


What should he do, indeed? If you are new to casino poker, new to poker in general, just learning to play Texas hold'em, or even if you happen to be an experienced player and these questions seem baffling at times, here are some guidelines to consider when faced with what appear to be vexing choices.


Basic Arithmetic: You can't escape it. Many of the choices you have to make in hold'em are based on numbers. Regardless of how you phrase it, you always need to answer the Prime Question: "Are the odds against making my hand offset by the money in the pot, or the money that figures to be in the pot by the end of the hand?" If you know the correct answer to this question, you are well on your way to resolving many of the dilemmas you'll encounter at the poker table.


If, for example, the odds are 2-to-1 against making your hand, but the pot will pay three dollars for each dollar you must invest in order to try and catch that winning card, it pays to call. In fact, if you figure to attract more than two dollars for each buck you wager on that particular betting round, it pays to bet your draw aggressively. Yes, that's right. If you have three opponents who are all wearing signs saying, "I call all bets," go ahead and bet your draw. If you're heads up, but there's already enough money in the pot so that it figures to pay you more than 2-to-1 on future investments, try to make your draw inexpensively - all other considerations notwithstanding - by checking and calling, or better yet, by getting a free card.


If the relationship between the odds against making your hand and the pot were different, and you figured to make your hand only one time in four attempts, you'd better not call if the pot only appears to be offering a 2-to-1 return on your money.


One comforting feature about hold'em is that situations frequently repeat themselves, so even if you are innumerate - a word that describes those of us who are "illiterate" where numbers are concerned - you can simply memorize the odds against catching the card you need in certain situations, compare it to the pot odds, and your answer becomes obvious. Just as an aside, we'll ignore those instances when it pays to bet, or even raise, when the relationship between the pot odds and the odds against making your hand are not justified arithmetically, but you think there's a good chance that betting or raising will cause your opponent to fold. That way we can keep this analysis Simon pure and simple, and unconfound with subtleties.


Don't worry if you have a hard time counting the pot. You don't need to be all that precise about it anyway and a close estimate will usually suffice. But when you do count the pot, be sure to consider how many additional bets you're likely to win from those opponents who will probably call if you make your hand. The first column in the following chart describes some common situations you'll encounter playing hold'em, along with the chances of making your hand. Those chances have been expressed as percentages. The second column of figures shows these same percentages expressed in terms of the odds against making your hand, which have been rounded, for simplicity's sake.


For example, if you are dealt a pair before the flop, you have a 12 percent chance of making a set on the flop. The odds against flopping that set are 7.5-to-1.


Before the Flop Percent Odds Against


* You hold A-K, your chances of flopping at least an ace or a king are: 32% 2-to-1
* You hold a pair, your chances of flopping a set are: 12% 7.5-to-1 With two cards to come
* You hold a straight flush draw, your chances of making a straight, a flush, or a straight flush by the river are: 54% 0.9-to-1
* You hold a flush draw, your chances of making a flush by the river are: 35% 1.9-to-1
* You hold an open-ended straight draw, your chances of making a straight by the river are: 32% 2.2-to-1


When you play hold'em, there are many other situations you'll encounter when your decision about whether to continue on with your hand once you see the flop will be based on the size of the pot compared to the odds against making your hand - but these will do for starters. If you memorize these odds, and can make a reasonable estimate about how many opponents will pay you off if you make your hand, you shouldn't go too far afield.


Count Your Opponents: The more opponents in the pot, the more straightforward you'll probably have to play. If you hold A-K, and the flop is comprised of three rags, what should you do? The answer depends, at least in part, on the number of opponents you are facing. If the flop didn't hit your hand, but there are seven other active players, you can be certain that the flop was kind to someone. If there's a bet and a call, consider this: To win, an ace or king needs to fall on the turn or the river, and it cannot give your opponents two pair. In addition, you have to hope you are not up against two pair - or better - already.


How do you assess whether you're up against two pair? Look at the flop. If the flop were 10-9-7 or J-10-9 chances of two pair are greater than they would be with a flop like J-6-3. Why? Most players will call with connected cards, or cards with a small gap, much more often than they will with an absolutely ragged hand like J-6, J-3, or 6-3.


Against only one or two opponents, your A-K may be the best hand regardless of whether the flop helps your hand. But if you are contesting the pot against more than two opponents, you need to be extremely careful. With a multitude of opponents, any flop that doesn't help you probably helps one of your opponents. When that's the case, "fit or fold" is usually the best course of action. If you need a metric to guide you, the breakage point is usually two or three. Two or fewer opponents and you stand a decent chance of winning even when big cards like A-K don't improve. Against three opponents or more, your chances will decrease progressively - from slim to none - based on the number of opponents contesting the pot.


The more opponents, the less bluffing you can do. It's nearly impossible to bluff seven players, and foolish to even try. After all, the flop that missed you probably hit one of your opponents, and he's the one who will call your bet. But if you are up against only one or two opponents, you might be able to steal the pot often enough to make a propitious bluff pay off.


What's Your Position? Life's a lot easier when you're in late position or last to act. After all, once your opponents have acted you know what it will cost to see the next card. If no one bets and you're last to act, you can even see the next card for free. If you are up against only one or two opponents you can bet and that might be enough for you to win the pot right there. When you are first to act or in early position, you usually need a strong hand to come out swinging. And you can't really assess the strength of your opponents' hands - real or purported - without some information.


Although every credible poker pundit advises selective and aggressive play, there are times when checking is advisable, and unless you have reason to think a bluff might win the pot right there, holding a marginal hand in early position is one of those times that discretion is often the better part of valor.


What Are My Opponents Like? There's no substitute for knowing your opponents. If you are playing against a habitual bluffer and you're holding any hand at all - even a marginal one, like second pair - you have to call when he comes out betting. While he's going to hold his share of big hands, just like the next guy, you will come out ahead in the long run by calling often enough to pick off his all too frequent bluffs.


Any time you have a good hand and a habitual bluffer bets, raising becomes mandatory. You'd ideally like to play him heads-up, since he might not even be holding a legitimate hand. After all, your raise might cause other opponents to fold, and that's a good thing, especially if they otherwise would call, get lucky, and draw out on you. While the world is full of poker players willing to stick around with weak hands in hopes of catching a miraculous card if the cost is only a single, solitary bet, that coterie narrows significantly when they have to cold-call two bets with a dial-a-prayer hand.


There's a lot more to feeling comfortable at the hold'em table than we've covered here. This is simply a primer - written with new players firmly in mind - as well as an easy way to keep your mind on the information you're likely to need in the heat of battle.


Thanks to: http://www.pokerschoolonline.com/

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Things you must do:

learn to put your opponents on a hand

Once you have mastered , it is time to put your knowledge to work. Try putting yourself in your opponents shoes, and learn to put them on a hand. Ask questions like €œWhy did he re-raise me that amount?, and €œwhy did he only call in the previous betting round?€. €œMaybe because he only called me, he has a kicker problem?

Learn how to bluff and semi-bluff

...at the right times against the right players, and at the right frequency. Bluffing is often a misunderstood concept, and much to many beginner'™s dismay most pros use bluffs quite sparingly. A bluff can be very effective when used rarely, and where there is a seemingly low risk of being called by your opponent.

Changing Gears

Unpredictability can be good. Most pros can figure out a really loose player by waiting for the nuts and being patient. However, an even easier opponent is a tight player or a €œrock€, who plays only the Group 1 type hands. You need to change your game up, and let them see that you can run bluffs, and can play some lower value starting hands. These changes should be subtle and should not dramatically affect the flop rate .

Understand player position

...and how it is critical. Not only is it important to play strong hands, it is even more important in what position you play them. For example, the ideal position is the Button (the Dealer), as you are last to act, and have the advantage of watching all of the betting action before you need to make a decision. eg. If the action before you consists of a bet, a raise, and a re-raise, and you hold a pair of Tens, you might think that folding is the right decision.

Read books and take notes

Players can always learn more if they want to be a better poker player. Keep notes on what works and doesn̢۪t work for you, and eventually you will come up with a style of play that works uniquely for you and improves your game. .

Thanks poker top 10

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I am not an expert but a winning player. Loosers do the following:

Playing too many hands

Most beginners play way too many starting hands, in fact top players typically play between 20-30% of their starting hands. Concentrate on higher value starting hands and help remove the luck element of the game.

Don't bother learning when to hold€™em, and know when to fold™em

Learn how to fold a hand, and don'€™t be a calling machine. Many beginners keep betting regardless of the board or what their opponent'€™s actions are suggesting. Top players frequently say it'€™s the hands you can lay down that are often the key to profitable play.

Refuse to choose less skillful opponents

...if you want to win money. Sounds fairly obvious, but you should play at betting limits where you can beat the majority of players. Move down in limits if you are having difficulties winning money. In poker, always leave your ego at the door.

They forget to watch your opponents habits

Especially when they aren't in a hand. The best time to study is when you aren'€™t emotionally invested in the hand, and you can make more prudent observations. Watch how opponents bet, and how much they bet, in what position are they betting. Learning how your opponents play is key.

Lossers ignore betting to gain knowledge

Betting is not always because you have the best hand. Top players use various betting techniques to try to gain information. For example, a defensive bet is one that you can use early on to avoid calling a bigger future bet. A re-raise may be used to probe the credibility of your opponent̢۪s hand.

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Tuesday, January 04, 2005

A Strategy Primer for New Hold'em Players By Lou Krieger

I think I'll call on an expert to discuss strategy

As poker's popularity continues to grow in the United States and overseas, experienced home game players as well as those who are new to the game itself, continue to sidle up to casino poker tables asking to be dealt in. Although new and exciting, playing poker in a casino can be confusing at first, and new players are usually full of questions. This is particularly true, and quite understandable, when that newcomer is playing hold'em for the first time, since even experienced home game players may either be more familiar with stud or have played such a wide variety of home poker games that they may never have studied, or even thought about hold'em to any measurable degree.

Some newcomers think they know it all. Others ask a lot of questions, particularly when they are attempting to learn hold'em the right way. Rather than simply sitting down and paying for lessons at the table, many new players - in an attempt to fa-track their own learning process - are reading books and using computer software to learn essential poker principles before attempting to put them in action in live games.

Stop me only if you haven't heard this one before: "I had A-K and raised. The dealer turned over three small cards - unconnected and unsuited. One player bet and another called. What should I have done?" I'll bet you've even heard that same mantra from experienced players. The big pair question is almost as popular: "I raised with Q-Q, but another player made it three bets. The flop was ragged. What should I do, check and call, come out betting, or check with the intention of raising?"

What should he do, indeed? If you are new to casino poker, new to poker in general, just learning to play Texas hold'em, or even if you happen to be an experienced player and these questions seem baffling at times, here are some guidelines to consider when faced with what appear to be vexing choices.

Basic Arithmetic: You can't escape it. Many of the choices you have to make in hold'em are based on numbers. Regardless of how you phrase it, you always need to answer the Prime Question: "Are the odds against making my hand offset by the money in the pot, or the money that figures to be in the pot by the end of the hand?" If you know the correct answer to this question, you are well on your way to resolving many of the dilemmas you'll encounter at the poker table.

If, for example, the odds are 2-to-1 against making your hand, but the pot will pay three dollars for each dollar you must invest in order to try and catch that winning card, it pays to call. In fact, if you figure to attract more than two dollars for each buck you wager on that particular betting round, it pays to bet your draw aggressively. Yes, that's right. If you have three opponents who are all wearing signs saying, "I call all bets," go ahead and bet your draw. If you're heads up, but there's already enough money in the pot so that it figures to pay you more than 2-to-1 on future investments, try to make your draw inexpensively - all other considerations notwithstanding - by checking and calling, or better yet, by getting a free card.

If the relationship between the odds against making your hand and the pot were different, and you figured to make your hand only one time in four attempts, you'd better not call if the pot only appears to be offering a 2-to-1 return on your money.

One comforting feature about hold'em is that situations frequently repeat themselves, so even if you are innumerate - a word that describes those of us who are "illiterate" where numbers are concerned - you can simply memorize the odds against catching the card you need in certain situations, compare it to the pot odds, and your answer becomes obvious. Just as an aside, we'll ignore those instances when it pays to bet, or even raise, when the relationship between the pot odds and the odds against making your hand are not justified arithmetically, but you think there's a good chance that betting or raising will cause your opponent to fold. That way we can keep this analysis Simon pure and simple, and unconfound with subtleties.

Don't worry if you have a hard time counting the pot. You don't need to be all that precise about it anyway and a close estimate will usually suffice. But when you do count the pot, be sure to consider how many additional bets you're likely to win from those opponents who will probably call if you make your hand. The first column in the following chart describes some common situations you'll encounter playing hold'em, along with the chances of making your hand. Those chances have been expressed as percentages. The second column of figures shows these same percentages expressed in terms of the odds against making your hand, which have been rounded, for simplicity's sake.

For example, if you are dealt a pair before the flop, you have a 12 percent chance of making a set on the flop. The odds against flopping that set are 7.5-to-1.

Before the Flop Percent Odds Against

* You hold A-K, your chances of flopping at least an ace or a king are: 32% 2-to-1
* You hold a pair, your chances of flopping a set are: 12% 7.5-to-1 With two cards to come
* You hold a straight flush draw, your chances of making a straight, a flush, or a straight flush by the river are: 54% 0.9-to-1
* You hold a flush draw, your chances of making a flush by the river are: 35% 1.9-to-1
* You hold an open-ended straight draw, your chances of making a straight by the river are: 32% 2.2-to-1

When you play hold'em, there are many other situations you'll encounter when your decision about whether to continue on with your hand once you see the flop will be based on the size of the pot compared to the odds against making your hand - but these will do for starters. If you memorize these odds, and can make a reasonable estimate about how many opponents will pay you off if you make your hand, you shouldn't go too far afield.

Count Your Opponents: The more opponents in the pot, the more straightforward you'll probably have to play. If you hold A-K, and the flop is comprised of three rags, what should you do? The answer depends, at least in part, on the number of opponents you are facing. If the flop didn't hit your hand, but there are seven other active players, you can be certain that the flop was kind to someone. If there's a bet and a call, consider this: To win, an ace or king needs to fall on the turn or the river, and it cannot give your opponents two pair. In addition, you have to hope you are not up against two pair - or better - already.

How do you assess whether you're up against two pair? Look at the flop. If the flop were 10-9-7 or J-10-9 chances of two pair are greater than they would be with a flop like J-6-3. Why? Most players will call with connected cards, or cards with a small gap, much more often than they will with an absolutely ragged hand like J-6, J-3, or 6-3.

Against only one or two opponents, your A-K may be the best hand regardless of whether the flop helps your hand. But if you are contesting the pot against more than two opponents, you need to be extremely careful. With a multitude of opponents, any flop that doesn't help you probably helps one of your opponents. When that's the case, "fit or fold" is usually the best course of action. If you need a metric to guide you, the breakage point is usually two or three. Two or fewer opponents and you stand a decent chance of winning even when big cards like A-K don't improve. Against three opponents or more, your chances will decrease progressively - from slim to none - based on the number of opponents contesting the pot.

The more opponents, the less bluffing you can do. It's nearly impossible to bluff seven players, and foolish to even try. After all, the flop that missed you probably hit one of your opponents, and he's the one who will call your bet. But if you are up against only one or two opponents, you might be able to steal the pot often enough to make a propitious bluff pay off.

What's Your Position? Life's a lot easier when you're in late position or last to act. After all, once your opponents have acted you know what it will cost to see the next card. If no one bets and you're last to act, you can even see the next card for free. If you are up against only one or two opponents you can bet and that might be enough for you to win the pot right there. When you are first to act or in early position, you usually need a strong hand to come out swinging. And you can't really assess the strength of your opponents' hands - real or purported - without some information.

Although every credible poker pundit advises selective and aggressive play, there are times when checking is advisable, and unless you have reason to think a bluff might win the pot right there, holding a marginal hand in early position is one of those times that discretion is often the better part of valor.

What Are My Opponents Like? There's no substitute for knowing your opponents. If you are playing against a habitual bluffer and you're holding any hand at all - even a marginal one, like second pair - you have to call when he comes out betting. While he's going to hold his share of big hands, just like the next guy, you will come out ahead in the long run by calling often enough to pick off his all too frequent bluffs.

Any time you have a good hand and a habitual bluffer bets, raising becomes mandatory. You'd ideally like to play him heads-up, since he might not even be holding a legitimate hand. After all, your raise might cause other opponents to fold, and that's a good thing, especially if they otherwise would call, get lucky, and draw out on you. While the world is full of poker players willing to stick around with weak hands in hopes of catching a miraculous card if the cost is only a single, solitary bet, that coterie narrows significantly when they have to cold-call two bets with a dial-a-prayer hand.




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A Key to Solid Poker: Sitzfleisch

A Key to Solid Poker: Sitzfleisch: "Most people who don't play poker have a seriously erroneous image of the game. And, alas, many people who do play poker have the same delusion. They all think that the game turns on three elements: the big hand, where you catch a monster and take all your opponent's money, the big session where you go on an extended rush and clean out the table, and the brilliant plays where your tricky bluffs or clever cold calls win big. Part of this image comes from movies written by people who haven't a clue about the game (like the notorious Cincinnati Kid). And, interestingly, part of it also comes from responsible journalists and poker writers who report tournament results by focusing on the big hands that decided matters. Rarely are readers told about the hours of grind that preceded the critical play--largely because rarely do readers want all that boring detail.

But poker isn't about big hands, it isn't about blockbuster sessions--and it most certainly isn't about tricky brilliant play. Sure, once in a while these things happen and they are great fun, but the essence of profitable poker is, to use the wonderfully expressive Yiddish word, sitzfleisch. Literally, sitzfleisch translates as 'flesh for sitting.' It refers to the capacity to sit there, hour after hour, and grind out the game. It means not losing your concentration, not falling into one of those funks where you start playing hands that should have been folded, and most importantly, it means making sound, well-judged plays on every hand.

The good poker player is only a little bit better than the average player. I know that sounds odd but it's true. The great player is a horse of a very different color but we're not concerned with them here. The good player--one who plays with positive expectation--does so because he or she plays basic, disciplined poker, has excellent concentration, and has sitzfleisch. These are the skills that give the edge. It is important to appreciate just how much money you can win in the long run if you hold a very small edge over your opponents. For example, in blackjack (a game where, unlike poker, we can get a good approximation of a player's statistical"

Poker Top10: Top Texas Hold'em starting hands.

Poker Top10: Top Texas Hold'em starting hands.:

"Ace Ace (AA)
King King (KK)
Queen Queen (QQ)
Ace King suited (AKs)
Ace Queen suited (AQs)
Jack Jack (JJ)
King Queen suited (KQs)
Ace Jack suited (AJs)
King Jack suited (KJs)
Ace King offsuit (AKo)"

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Lostcause and bosscauser are playing today at 4 Eastern time. We will be at the free tables learning to destroy these sorry asses.

Monday, January 03, 2005

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Poker is the game.

I got poker on my mind today. Been playing and kicking ass over here. Poker is in and you ain't nothing in life unless you play. Trust me it's a blast.
If interested, the first thing you do is click this link to pokerchamps: and and follow the simple directions to download the client. This will install a shortcut on your desktop, click on it and go to the website and open an account. This gives you the opportunity to play poker for real money for free. (if you win, you need to have a real money deposit of at least 30$ to get paid.) The proceedure is very straight forward and quick.

If you decide to play for real money (they have 1$ and 5$ tournaments forinstance) I recommend you set up a free or cheap checking account for poker only. If you hit it big, you'll need to pay the I.R.S anyway, and it makes good business senseto separate the two. Keep track of your expenses as they are deductible up to yourlosses. I hope you do well enough to need an accountant. Stranger things havehappened. Several big winners on t.v have made millions coming from internet play.


Any questions click on my name and e-mail me. By the way, you'll find me at the tables as bosscauser. ( I finished 65th in my first freeroll. Revenge is coming.)