Texas Holdem Poker

If you play poker long enough, you are going to find yourself in a position where you go on a bad run. It can be during a tournament or a stretch of a cash game. When this happens, you start talking to yourself, doubting every move and then of course you start to make bad plays that continue the bad luck run that you are having. When this happens, you have to be able to avoid going on full tilt or you will end up completely broke and hate the game of poker.

It is common knowledge that everyone forgets the bad beats that they lay out and always remember the ones that you receive. The first step in being able to deal with bad beats is to remember the ones that you are on the good side of. This will enable you to handle them as you can more or less consider them to be payback for the times that you did not deserve to win a hand. You know, that inside straight that chased down on the river because you ‘felt’ that it was going to hit and then found out you beat someone who flopped a set. File that one away because you will need it later.

One other thing that you will need to get straight in your head is that if there is a chance that the card can hit, then you are still at risk. While there are percentages to every hand, they are not true in odds in the respect that if 100 hands were dealt out that the side that is favored 70-30 would win 70% of the hands. While it is unlikely that it would happen, the favorite could actually lose every time.

The fact of the matter is that regardless of the percentages, the weaker hand HAS to hit sometimes. Unfortunately, you may feel that it always happens against you, but this again goes back to you remembering all of the bad beats that you have put on people yourself.

Another way to deal with bad beats is to simply take a break. If you are in tournament or a cash game, just get up and take a quick walk to clear your head and let it go. If you sit at the table and stew on it, you are not going to be concentrating on your cards and you can end up losing everything. If you are on a run of a few days where this is happening, take a longer break from poker. Give yourself a couple of days off and do anything but play poker until you can do so without thinking that you are going to take a bad beat.

Tilt is something that every great poker player has fallen victim to at one point or another. Hopefully, after it happens to you, you can learn the lesson of how disastrous it can be. Relax, get your focus back and start playing cards again. Remember, start filing all of those lucky hits you have to keep the bad beats that you take in perspective.

	Basic Details
	Country of Origin	:	Gibraltar
	License	:	Gibraltar
	Year of Foundation	:	2002
	Software	:	888
	Size	:
	Audited By	:	PWC
	Language	:	English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Polish, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Czech, Lithuanian, Latvian, Russian, Estonian
	Accepts USA Players	:	No
	Bonus	:	$400

Pacific Poker Review

Creators of the well known Casino-on-Net, the 888.com gaming network are also the initiators of Pacific Poker, the poker gaming website of this large online gaming provider. It is immensely popular because of the loose games that are played here and the traffic comprises mainly of players switching over from the 888.com casino website to play at the poker tables.

Pacific Poker runs some interesting events that draws huge amounts of traffic to the website with peak hour traffic exceeding 2000 players playing at the various tables. During the weekends the traffic is far greater than that during weekdays. There is loads of action and a lot of juicy games to choose from, making Pacific Poker a popular gaming website.

Software:

The upgraded edition of the software has some new features added to it that have greatly enhanced the overall performance of the software, which had earlier been a cause of disappointment for the players. The lobby has a new look with straightforward menus that are easily navigable while the filter search allows quick access to the games.

A multi table function allows players to play at four tables simultaneously without one screen overcrowding the other. The tables are neatly laid out and the cards are large and colorful enabling a clearer view of the hands being played. The game play has becomes faster and smoother while the graphics have shown a remarkable improvement with the introduction of 3-D avatars.

You can see the hand histories through a graphical replay of the played hands, which is a handy tool for those who prefer to maintain a record of their played games. Also available is basic information on flop percentages and the average pot size. The software now also offers a no-download version, which is compatible with Mac and Linux, a brilliant feature only available at Pacific Poker.

Poker Games:

Pacific Poker provides its players with the standard poker games available at all the other poker websites. These include the widely played Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi, Omaha Lo, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi and Seven Card Stud Lo. There is a lot of action to be seen at the Holdem Fixed Limit and Pot Limit games and players looking to earn profits can make a good amount of money here. There are games for all kinds of players starting from micro limits of $0.05/$0.10 to high limits of $75/$150 for players who like to play for larger stakes.

There are various tournaments available on Pacific Poker that include single-table and multi-table tournaments and sit-and-go tournaments apart from which there are guaranteed tournaments with huge pot sizes. Multi table tournament pools also run into five figure amounts. Tournaments are the most sought after and have peak traffic exceeding 8000 players playing at the same time.

Bonus and Promotional Offers:

New players get a 100% welcome bonus of up to $400 when they sign up for an account, but they must wager for this bonus amount to be credited to their account. A minimum wager of 20 times the amount, which is $2000 for each $100 of free credits, must be made so as to get the bonus sum.

Pacific Poker has various promotional offers for its players among which are the freerolls that are offered to new players, players who make re-deposits and players who attempt games for the loyalty program. Apart from this there are guaranteed tournaments such as the one held every Saturday with a pool prize of $100,000.

Players can also accumulate comp points for every raked hand that they play with $10 earning them 1 point. Every 100 points gets them a credit of $1 into their account.

Payment Options:

Deposits can be made via Neteller, Credit Cards, Debit Cards, FirePay, Bank Wire, Prepaid ATM, Bank transfer and Citadel. Withdrawals take a little longer and can be made via Credit/Debit Cards, Prepaid ATM, Neteller, Bank Wire, FirePay and Bank Transfer.

Security:

As Pacific Poker is a part of the renowned 888 Holdings Group, the transactions carried out here are safe and secure. It uses RSA encryption and is declared a safe site by eCogra and eCommerce and Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance, for secure online transactions. This ensures customers that they can make deposits or withdrawals at Pacific Poker without any fear of their personal information being divulged to a third party.

Customer Service:

The Pacific Poker customer service staff can be contacted via telephone, email and live chat systems. Support is available around the clock and the team is available to answer your queries as soon as possible.

	Basic Details
	Country of Origin	:	Gibraltar
	License	:	Gibraltar
	Year of Foundation	:	2002
	Software	:	iPoker Network
	Size	:	11.9 MB
	Audited By	:	PWC
	Language	:	English, French, Italian, Spanish
	Accepts USA Players	:	No
	Bonus	:	$600

William Hill Poker Review

William Hill Poker comes from the William Hill group, a renowned bookmaker in the UK. They have been in the gambling business for years now and offer Sports betting, casino games and poker games. They are one of the leading gambling providers in Europe who have been providing excellent offline services and now have an equally good reputation for online services too.

Poker enthusiasts can find some wonderful games and promotions at William Hill Poker. The variety of promotions and the cash rewards attract a lot of traffic to the site. Peak hour traffic can go up to 2000 players playing ring games with Texas Holdem being the most sought after game.

Software

William Hill Poker switched over to the iPoker Network early this year becoming a part of one of the largest gaming network across the globe. It uses the PlayTech software to run its games. The software is simple and can be managed trouble-free. The graphics may not be one of the best in the industry but the picture and sound are sharp and clear besides which the software has scope for customisation.

The lobby displays the player stats including the hands being played, average pot size, number of players at the tables, flop percentages among others. You can even compare your own play with the table statistics helping you analyse your game and improvise for the future.

Also offered is a multi-table playing option, however you cannot adjust the size of the tables. The software is available in both the downloadable as well as in the browser-playing mode.

Games

William Hill Poker offers a commendable range of games that include Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo and Five Card Stud. Tournaments also have a variety that include sit and go tournaments, multi-table tournaments, single table tournaments, freeroll tournaments, guaranteed tournaments and satellite tournaments that come with attractive cash prizes.

You can avail yourself of some of the exciting promotions that take place each day which include daily freerolls. Also available is a bad beat jackpot of £150 besides other jackpots. The top player in the month long tournaments also gets rewarded with a huge cash prize.

Players can also accumulate William Hill Loyalty Points that can be exchanged for cash or an entry to a live tournament.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options

William Hill Poker offers a number of deposit options that include VISA, PayPal, Moneybookers, Neteller, Bank Wire and others.

Withdrawals can be done via Neteller, Cheques, FirePay, Citadel etc.

Customer Support Customer Support is available via a live chat facility, telephone and email services, 24 hours a day seven days a week.

William Hill Poker offers poker games that suit a variety of players and is a good website to enjoy poker games that are not only exciting but rewarding as well. The luring promotions attract a huge amount of traffic to its poker tables making the games thrilling to both novices and experienced players alike.

	Basic Details
	Country of Origin	:	United Kingdom
	License	:	Malta
	Year of Foundation	:	2005
	Software	:	iPoker Network
	Language	:	English
	Bonus	:	100% Upto £100

Virgin Poker Review

Virgin Poker is one of the latest additions, having been established only in the year 2005, to the ever-growing Virgin network. True to its character, Virgin Poker like all the other Virgin ventures offers customers luring bonuses and promotions that attract a huge amount of traffic to its Poker website. The most attractive are the Virgin Poker Points that entitle you to a whole range of fabulous prizes. The website not only offers great rewards but also has some exciting games taking place at the tables. It certainly is worth a visit as it provides you hordes of fun and enjoyment to look forward to.

Software:

Virgin Poker uses the software from Boss Media, which is widely used by the iPoker Network. The software is quick to download, easy to handle and has a smooth game play. The lobby is designed in the patent red color and has all the typical features of the software offered by Boss Media. The menu is well laid out and there are no striking avatars to obstruct the visibility of the screen. You can choose to play on a full screen or opt for a window play. However, you cannot re-size the window and there is no mini mode available either, ruling out the chance of playing at multiple tables simultaneously. A four-color deck is offered for clearer visibility and differentiation of the cards.

All the other required elements can be found here, such as a note taking facility, your own current statistics as well as that of the table, a menu filter that allows you to instantly get to the game of your choice, flop percentages, the average pot size and other features. The quick filter menu allows you to access the game of your choice without difficulty, saving you the time of having to flip through each game before getting to the one you wish to play. You can also choose the limit you want to play. An interesting feature is the ‘player’s area’, that maintains a complete record of your winnings, your position on the leader board, the total V-Points collected by you and so on.

Games:

The games offered at Virgin Poker include the standard Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha High/Low, 7-Card Stud, Blackjack and a few others. Stakes can start as low as 5c/10c and can go up as far as $500/$1000 at the higher limits. Most of the action as usual takes place at the Texas Holdem poker tables.

Tournaments:

Virgin Poker offers a number of tournaments that include the sit and go tournaments and the multi-table tournaments with fixed buy-ins. The prize money is distributed among the players according to their ranking at the table. This is determined by how long their chips hold on. The last man to remain at the table is the final winner and gets to keep a larger amount of the pot while the rest is shared by the others as per their ranks.

Traffic:

As the iPoker Network is one of the largest online gaming networks in the world, there is no doubt that there will be a wide range of games to play. So not finding a game of your choice is hardly likely to happen. Texas Holdem is the most sought after and the games played are soft as most of the players here are amateurs and only those seeking fun. You will find a few sharks out there but the lower and middle limits are quite easy and have plenty of cash to be won.

The flop percentages generally fall around 40%, which means that the games are rather loose and full of action. The peak hour traffic at the cash tables is around 3,000 players while those playing tournaments fall around 13,000 players.

Bonus:

You get a generous 100% bonus of up to £100 when you sign up for a new account at Virgin Poker. This bonus is deposited as £10 increments into your account. To avail yourself of this bonus you are required to play £30 worth of raked hands or tournaments to have £10 put into your account. You have 180 days to wager for this bonus amount, which gives you enough time to do so.

Loyalty Program:

Virgin Poker offers loyalty points in the form of V-Points to its players every time they play a cash game, multi-table tournament or a satellite tournament. These points can be exchanged for some fabulous gifts such as Virgin flying miles, mobile top-ups and various other interesting prizes that Virgin is well known for promoting. You can also swap these points for cash or for buy-ins to satellite tournaments.

Promotions:

A €25,000 free roll is held every month as a reward for contestants who have played loyally at Virgin Poker for a whole month. In order to participate in this free roll you must have played 1,500 raked hands before the date of the tournament. Also available are jackpots of €10,000 and some other promotions that take place at Virgin Poker all the time.

Customer Support:

The customer support staff can be contacted via email, telephone or live chat facilities.

Regardless of the type of poker that you are playing, be it tournament or cash, betting for information is extremely important in NL Hold’em. There are plenty of players that simply will not do this and it is more than likely the reason that they are not very successful at the game of hold’em. At times, you have to be willing to lose money to win money. Only the great players grasp this concept and use it to their advantage.

The problem with a lot of amateur card players is that they are scared to put money into the pot without the best hand. Once the flop has hit, you don’t necessarily have to have the best hand to hit. By merely checking it down, you find out nothing and invite everyone to beat you. In order to be a great tournament player , you are going to need to fire, even if you don’t have the best.

As an example, assume that you have been deal Q9s on the BB and someone in late position has doubled the blinds. Both you and the small blind make the call for the hand to be three handed. The flop comes out Ad9h2c. You have a rainbow flop and you have hit middle pair with a decent kicker. The small blind checks and you fire a $400 bet into a $600 pot. The initial raiser calls and the SB folds. What does his call tell you?

Since there is no flush draw or straight draw, you have no worries there. Since he raised in late position, he more than likely has an A, but it Is probably pretty weak or he would have come over top of you. He could also be sitting on a pocket pair like JJ or 1010. The only other real alternative is that he is setting you up for a re-raise on the turn. So now the turn card is dealt and it is a 6s. There is still no draw on the board unless he was going after a runner-runner pre-flop. With $1,400 in the pot, you fire a $1,000 bet.

This bet is going to give you a very good idea of where he stands. If he is setting you up, he will come over the top of your, but in most cases, if he only has a weak A he will just call or fold here. If he calls, you are going to have to make a decision on the river as to how you want to approach the hand. For this example, let’s assume he calls.

By just calling, he has more or less told you what his hand is. There is no draw so that is not even a question. His weak raise prior to the flop would indicate a mid pair or a weak A. You can still possibly be the winner here, but it is unlikely. Depending upon the type of player you are up against, you may have to back off at this point and take the loss if he makes a big bet on the river. Again, this is why it is so important to pay attention during the course of the tournament.

If he has shown a tendency to fold on the river with a weak hand, you can fire at the pot and hope he doesn’t come over top of you. If he is a calling station, you have no shot of chasing him out so check it down and hope he does the same. Your betting told you what he had, now it is up to you to make the right move.