Tip From a Poker Pro: Don't Limit Your Poker Abilities

As poker invade your TV viewing schedule, grows your fervent wish to play in one of those tournaments and win big prizes. No-Limit Texas Hold'em is the usual poker game you see on TV, and while it is arguably the most popular form of poker right now, you shouldn't limit yourself to learning this variation alone.

Howard "The Professor" Lederer, a poker star and member of Team Full Tilt Poker, tells us that there is danger in specializing on No Limit Hold'em alone.

"First, you run the risk of getting bored, and boredom will lead to a stunting of your poker development. Enthusiasm is a critical ingredient for a successful poker career. When I spend time around the best poker players in the world, the one thing that they all share is a genuine love and passion for the game.

"Next, you might be missing your true poker calling. As it happens, my best game isn't No-Limit Hold 'em - it's Limit Hold 'em. Had I not tried playing limit, I would never have found the game I am best at."

Lederer encourages poker players to try their hands at the different poker games like 7 Card Stud and Omaha.

"Playing the other games will develop skills that will simply make you a better poker player. Skills that have subtle value in No-Limit Hold 'em are very important in the other games. Acquiring these skills will have profound effects on your No-Limit game, even though you might not even be aware of their importance now."

Read more and learn more from The Professor, Howard Lederer at Full Tilt's Tips from The Pros.

Poker, No Limit Texas Holdem, Howard Lederer, Poker Game

Poker Hand Rankings and Nicknames

Despite wearing a poker face and looking like they're always having a bad day at the poker tables, poker players aren't as dead serious as they seem. In fact they cheekily even give their poker hands trendy pop culture nicknames.

Here are some of 'em nicknames:

American Airlines- is a pair of Aces, pretty strong poker hands by any yardstick.
Blackjack poker hands - are those with an Ace and a Jack-in Blackjack a Jack and an Ace ad d up to a winning 21.
Three Wise Men - poker hands with 3 Kings
Ladies or Jailhouse Rock - are poker hands with 2 Queens, and
Royal Couple - is a King and Queen pair

Now, the key to winning in poker is knowing the Hand Rankings. In fact, you should memorize them by heart. You should know the difference between a Royal Flash, Straight Flush, and a Flush; which of them ranks higher that can win you the pot.

For complete Poker Hand Rankings from the highest to the lowest, click this link:

Practice your knowledge of the poker hand rankings and be a poker master soon! Play poker now at Party Poker. Play your favorite poker game like Texas Hold'em, 7 Card Stud, 5 Card stud, and Omaha. Make Party Poker your poker page now!


Poker, Poker Hand Rankings, Party Poker

The Bright Future of Poker

If you lump poker into pop culture, it’s certainly one of the hottest trends to grip the United States and Europe this decade. But, like a lot of trends, will it be a passing fancy or does it stand on solid ground? Of course, only time will tell what’s in store for poker’s future, but all signs seem to point in the right direction.

The staggering success of the World Series of Poker shown on ESPN and World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel has caused television producers and production companies to fall over each other in a race to get their own versions of poker on the air.

When Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP, a turning point was achieved. A 27-year-old accountant and relative unknown on the poker scene, Moneymaker beat veteran Sammy Farha to win the $2.5 million top prize. Moneymaker’s road to the WSOP was as improbable as it gets, qualifying vie an Internet poker tournament. This scenario, not to mention the name Moneymaker, is perfect Hollywood material, fostering the get-rich-quick dream that anyone can win the World Series of Poker.

So what’s in poker’s future?

Well, obviously television has jumped on board, and the coming years might produce an all poker cable channel. An idea that was so remote just a few years ago seems to be the natural progression of things.

Online poker will no doubt grow to epic proportions in the coming years. New sites are created weekly to capture this lucrative market, and it’s a young, computer savvy market as well. Because the poker phenomenon has resonated with a young crowd, it has and will continue to be a boon for casinos and card clubs across the country. Poker rooms will be expanded in casinos and new card clubs will likely be built throughout the country. Since TV is focused on no-limit poker, casinos will have to offer it instead of the typical limit games you’ll find now.

One thing is certain, if the celebrity status of poker and hype eventually wanes, the home game will never lose its charm as an experience where friends and family can bond together and enjoy some good, old-fashioned card-playing fun. That foundation will never crack.

(Poker Gazette)

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Poker, Poker News, Party Poker

How To Play Poker

It's the hottest thing in town right now. Poker is fast gaining as the favorite card game in the world. Poker has become a household name and major poker tournaments have penetrated mianstream TV programming.











Now everyon'e scrambling to play this game, live or online. If this whole poker thing is all new to you and you want to go along with the ride, here's the basic of playing poker:

Poker 101

Poker is played with a standard 4-suit 52-deck card. In other poker games a joker or an extra card, called the Wild Card, is added. The wild card can take whatever rank or suit the player chooses.

Cards suits are arranged alphabetically, from highest to lowest value: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades. In some games, no suit is higher than the others.

Meanwhile, card rankings are as follows: Ace (highest), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8,7,6,5,4,3,2 (lowest). In some game variations, the Ace is considered as the lowest rank.

Suits are not used to break ties, a poker hand contains five cards in which the highest hand wins. In case of a tie the pot is split among the winning hands.

The number of cards dealt among the players depend on the kind of poker game. For the common poker game, Five Card Stud, players are dealt five cards face down; for 5 Card Stud players are dealt 5 cards as well; in 7 Card Stud, 7 cards.

The most popular poker games are Texas Hold'em , 5 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud, and Omaha poker. They have different set of rules, tips, and strategy.

Betting

During the betting rounds, the players may take one of these following actions:

Check or Pass. A bet of zero that does not forfeit interest in the pot. Players may no longer check once an opening bet is made.

Bet or Raise. You first match the previous bet and then raise it. Once a raise is made, other players must match or exceed it, or else forfeit their interest in the pot.

Call. You match a previous bet that has been made and maintains your interest in the pot.

Fold. You surrender your interest in the pot; along with your cards and previous bets.

Standard betting proceeds in a circle (clockwise) until each player has called bets or folded. Different poker games have various rules on the number of betting rounds. But when there are only two players in the pot, they may keep betting until one of them decides to fold.

During a showdown, the player who made the last bet or raise is obliged to show his hand first. Whoever has the best hand wins the pot.

Bluffing

Bluffing is a poker strategy where the player pretends he has a strong hand, when it's actually the opposite, in hope that the other players will fall for this trick and call his bluff.

It is called “semi-bluffing” when you actually have a winnable hand, but not right now. However, you have the chance to outdraw the other hands. If everyone folds, you win the pot outright, if they call you still have a chance because the next card may be your winning card.

Bluffing is exciting but you must use it wisely. Before bluffing, you must have a reason to suspect that your opponents have weak hands.

It is also important that you have a good record. If you are winning many pots, the other players are more likely to believe your bluff and eventually fold.

Meanwhile, see the best poker players bet it out for the 2005 World Series of Poker World Championship from June 2- July 15 in Las Vegas. For more tournaments coverage also check out The Poker Tournaments Page.

Poker, Play Poker, WSOP 2005