Holdem Top 10

Ratings

Software: 10 Player Volume: 10 Game Variety: 9 Bonus/Promotions: 2 Support: 6 Visit: Pokerstars

Overview

Pokerstars is the first choice for many advanced poker players, perhaps due to Poker tars’ excellent software and its wide variety of tournaments.

Review

Pokerstars has earned the reputation of being the industry leader when it comes to online tournaments. The site is second only to Partypoker when it comes to tournament traffic. You will see tournaments with up to 1,500 players, without it causing any problems for the software. Pokerstars also allows players to upload their own pictures at the tables.

Pokerstars also sees plenty of ring game traffic, with up to 4,000 players during peak hours. Note that Poker Stars started the trend with micro-limit games. The limits go as low as $0.01/$0.02. There is no rake on these games.

The competition at Pokerstars is very tough as the site attracts plenty of advanced poker players. It’s not uncommon to see view the flop percentages in the mid 20s and low 30s.

Ratings

Software: 7 Player Volume: 10 Game Variety: 6 Bonus/Promotions: 7 Support: 8 Visit: Partypoker

Overview

Partypoker generates more traffic than any other poker web site and is also famous for its promotions and its loyalty program.

Bonus code

Use code HDTP100 to get a 20% bonus on first deposit (up to $100 bonus) or use code HDTP25 to get a $25 fixed bonus on first deposit (minimum deposit $50). We recommend the HDTP100 code for players who intend to deposit more than $150. $5,000 free roll for all new players!

Review

The software Partypoker is using is of average quality. The program runs smoothly but the design is not very attractive. Unfortunately, Partypoker doesn’t provide statistics on how many players are seeing the flop in a room and information on hands-dealt-per hour is also missing. Game selection is important at Partypoker since there are so many weak players. Because the site is lacking important statistical information there’s no easy way of finding the really loose games.

During peak hours Partypoker has more than 50,000 active players. Most of them are playing Texas Hold’em. The limit in the fixed limit games vary from $0.50-$1 to $30-$60. There are also plenty of no-limit games with buy-ins ranging from $25 to $200.

In addition to Texas Hold’em, Partypoker also hosts plenty of other games including Omaha High, Omaha High-Low, Seven-Card Stud, and Seven-Card Stud High-Low.

On the lower limit games ($0.5-$1 and $1-$2) the rake is high, players pay 10 percent rake on $5 pots.

Partypoker is famous for its bonuses and promotions. Frequently the site has re-load deposit bonus campaigns and Partypoker also hosts plenty of free-rolls for loyal cash-game players.

Ratings

Software: 9 Player Volume: 9 Game Variety: 10 Bonus/Promotions: 3 Support: 8 Visit: Paradisepoker

Overview

Paradisepoker has excellent software and very high traffic, but players need to be ready for some tough competition and there aren’t very many perks for regulars.

Review

The software Paradisepoker is using is the most stable and reliable in the industry. However, one drawback is that the pot is not automatically provided numerically.

Paradisepoker recently lost its position as the world’s number one Internet poker room, but during peak hours the site is still averaging 3,000 real money, ring game players. When it comes to variety Paradisepoker is industry leading. You can find rare games here, including five-card draw, five-card stud, and pineapple.

Paradisepoker is not the place for easy money. Many of the games are very tight and the quality of the players is generally high. The view the flop percentage can oftentimes be as low as 25 percent. Bonuses and promotions are two areas where Paradisepoker is behind the industry average. For example, Paradisepoker has no loyalty bonus program

The precise origins of poker are still an actual matter of debate. It is generally agreed today that poker descended from poque, the famous French game, which derived from the German game known as pochen, meaning to knock. Poker also has many affinities with as nas, the famous Persian game that the Persian sailors taught the French and with primero and brelan, other two popular games during renaissance. All these games have influenced the poker games in general and Texas Hold’em, in particular, as bluffing and betting was invented with these games.

The earliest signs of poker date from 900 AD, in China. Soon after paper was invented, the Chinese thought of designing the first deck of cards. From here, playing cards have traveled through the Middle East and soon arrived to Europe. Since all this happened a really long time ago, there is very little evidence to sustain these theories. What we can be more certain about is the more recent information according to which poker was first played in New Orleans around 1829. It was played from a deck of 20 cards by four players who would bet on whose hand would be the highest at the end of the game. From the 19th century up to the present the evolution of poker is much easier to follow as many poker-related books have been published in this period. During the gold rush, the game spread all over the world and gambling became a common hobby.

Today we all accept the theory which states that poker came from the middle ages, when in Germany, people refered to it as pochspiel (the betting game). It included betting money and it closely resembled the poker we are familiar with today. Each player was dealt five cards, of the same value and suits as today. Players used to bet until they got to an argument because of bluffing, so it was quite an aggressive game.

Texas Hold’em poker was first played in 1919. Until 1910, poker as well as other betting games were considered lawbreaking in many countries. It was in America where poker began to be considered a game of skill and it had to be considered legal. As a consequence, more and more licensed casinos appeared. The number of gamblers increased and poker has suffered more and more changes. The wild cards, the shuffling of the cards, multiple card decks, the royal flushes and straights were introduced and made poker a more complex game but equally loved by its fans.

Even though the roots of this game are quite unclear, what we know for sure is that in the past decade, it has developed more than we imagine. Due to modern technology, we don’t need to fly to Las Vegas to enjoy Texas Hold’em as it is now accessible from the comfort of our homes.

You know the basic rules of Texas Holdem, but if you’ve never played in live poker tournaments before, there are some additional poker rules you should be aware of. Certain rules apply to the play of the game, whereas others are related to etiquette, but all are rules you need to know. These rules will help you for winning at Mac Texas Holdem. Here are a few important ones.

Texas Holdem Rules –Play of the Game

In a tournament, an oversized chip put in before the flop is a call, not a raise. For example, if the blinds are 10 and 25 and you throw in a 100 chip, this is simply regarded as a call and you will get 75 back if no one else raises. If you wish to raise, the best thing to do is announce “raise” before acting. Then announce the specific amount of your raise. This avoids any confusion. This also prevents problems with “string betting,” going back to your stack to bet more after you have already put money in. Once you announce the amount, you can go back as many times as you need to get the amount you have announced.

Another rule in tournaments is that once everyone left in the hand is all-in, all players in the hand must turn their cards face up. While this is well known to those who watch poker on television, players who only play poker online or only play in cash games may not be aware of it. The reason for this rule is to prevent collusion. If players in a tournament intentionally give away their chips to build another’s stack, this is a disadvantage to the other competitors. Turning the hands face up proves that no one is putting all of their chips in just to give them away.

Texas Holdem Rules -Etiquette

One rule that is being enforced more and more strongly is a provision against swearing. In most tournaments, you will now get a 10 or 20 minute penalty for swearing, with successively stronger penalties for continued violations. There is some disagreement over the value of this rule. Some players like it, as they believe it creates a more pleasant atmosphere for playing. Others feel that the players are adults, and should be able to say whatever they like. Still others feel that no talking should be allowed at all during the tournament.

Another rule involves cards leaving the table. In many tournaments, if your cards go off the table onto the floor, you incur a 20 minute penalty. This rule was instigated to prevent dealer abuse, that is, players throwing their cards at the dealer after a bad beat. However, since many players would argue that the cards flew off accidentally, the penalty is now often enforced even if the cards clearly fell off the table by accident. Be sure to slide your cards softly to the dealer or you may find yourself sitting out unexpectedly.

These are a few of the important rules to know during live tournament play. When you sign up for a tournament, there will be a rules sheet for you to look at. Be sure to peruse it and make sure you are aware of all the rules before you begin. This should help you avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings while the tournament is in full swing.

• Learn table selection: remember the weak players that you have an edge over and stay away from the strong players that will beat you over time. Look for tables where at least 40% of the players see the flop.
• Make sure to have a good kicker to your Aces and kings; low kicker-cards create second best hands that are loosing hands in the long run.
• Let go of the pots when you are uncertain of the outcome. Don’t call all the way to the river if your intuition tells you to fold.
• Strive to become unpredictable. Good players will eat you alive if they know you only play good cards. Raise with poor hands and call with strong hands on occasion.
• Look for tells in your opponents, try to remember how they play their hands. What hands they raise with, what hands they call with, how they play the strong hands vs weak hands and how they play from different positions.
• Don’t play too high; playing when you can’t afford to lose is destined to end in one way. You will quickly end up being broke. A normal bankroll should at least consist of 200 big bets in fixed limit and 1000-2000 big blinds in no limit.
• Don’t drink alcohol if you’re playing poker for the purpose of making money. The alcohol takes away the focus and concentration on the game, whether you are playing poker, keno, craps or the slot machines.

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Unpredictability is absolutely vital in poker. If you are able to confuse your opponents, they are likely to make mistakes. Sometimes they will play weak hands and sometimes they will fold strong hands, just because you have made them feel uncertain. These are some effective tactical moves you should use when possible:

Slowplaying

When you are holding really strong cards it might be a good idea to slowplay. Slowplaying means checking or/and calling in one betting round with the intention of betting/raising in upcoming betting rounds. This play is frequently used on the flop, since the bets are doubled on the turn and river (in fixed Limit games). If you can lure one or more opponents to bet or raise in one of the last two (or both) betting rounds your profit will obviously be greater. However, this move shouldn’t be used carelessly. If you slowplay and lose you have wasted a hand that probably would have won if you hadn’t slowplayed. Don’t slowplay when:

• The pot is large.
• There are many players still in the hand.
• A free card can beat your hand.
• A free card is not likely to give your opponent a second-best hand.

Check-Raising

This is a move that will help you make the most of really strong hands. When you’re holding good cards you might check instead of making a bet. You do this hoping that one of the other players will bet giving you the chance to raise when it’s your turn to act again. Another reason for check-raising is to make it too expensive for drawing hands, like gut-shot straight draws or overcards, to call. The check-raise from an early position will also give you command of the hand. If your opponents still call, at least you have obtained information about what hands they’re holding, and forced them to pay as much as possible for trying to outdraw you.

Gaining a free card

When you are sitting in late position or are last to act, you might make a raise with a drawing hand on the flop. This raise will probably make the other players check to you on the turn, giving you the chance to check (if your hand doesn’t improve. If that’s the case you have gained a free card) or bet (if your draw hits). This play will save you money if you don’t improve your hand, and make you money if you hit. However, this move is a bit risky and will cost you some money if you are re-raised on the flop. But even if that happens it’s still a good and valuable play? you will have obtained information about your opponents and in addition to this you will have a draw to a stronger hand.

Semi-bluffing

Sometimes you should bet or raise even though your hand is not likely to be the best at the moment. The time to do this is when you have many outs to improve your hand, for example a flush draw. This play is called semi-bluffing. When you make a semi-bluff you’re hoping to win the pot right away, but if you don’t you still have the chance to hit your draw. If you don’t hit your draw your raise might give you the opportunity to take a free a card on the turn or river.

No other poker concept has gained more attention than the bluff. Yet, poker players do not bluff nearly as often as Hollywood movies would have you believe. That said, being able to make a timely bluff is a necessary skill for a poker player. The reason is simple – if you never bluff you will be an easy read for your opponents and whenever you play a hand they are bound to fold.

By definition a bluff is a bet that conveys to your opponents that you have a stronger hand than you actually have. It is important to remember that it is possible to calculate the profitability of a bluff. The key is to compare the odds of pulling off the bluff to the size of the bet and the size of the pot. Consequently, you need to be able to figure out the probability of your opponent(s) folding. That is why you should not try to bluff weak opponents who call everything (”calling stations”).

There are a couple of factors that will reduce your chance of bluffing:

• You are facing three or more opponents.
• The board presents many drawing possibilities
• You have a loose table image.
• There is a large pot on the table.
• You sit in an early position

Pot odds is one of the most important casino concepts to understand for a poker player. The term refers to the size of the pot divided by size of the bet. If you are sitting at a table with $20 in the pot and you want to call a $4 bet, you are in fact getting pot odds of 5:1. To call a $10 bet with the same pot, you are getting pot odds of 2:1.

To be able to calculate your pot odds you need to always be aware of the pot size. This is no problem when playing online poker since the pot is displayed on the casino screen. When you play poker in real-life this takes a little more effort, but it is crucial that you do it.

When you know how to calculate your pot odds, you need to start applying the information and connect the pot odds to the value of your hand. The key is to calculate your chances of making a better hand than your opponents. If you have a flush draw on the flop when playing hold’em, there are nine cards (outs) that will give you a flush. Every out gives you approximately 4 percent chance of hitting the turn and the river. This means that nine outs give you a 36 percent chance (approx. 2:1) of making the flush on the turn and the river. In other words you need pot odds of at least 2:1 to call a bet on the flop.

However, when betting you need to know more than what is currently in the pot. This is more complicated than bingo. You must have an understanding of implied poker odds, the expected size of the final pot compared to the bet you currently face. When you expect further action on a hand the implied pot odds are higher than the pot odds.

Hands that look like good starting Texas Hold’em hands, but instead have a tendency to become second-best hands are known as trap hands. Having too much faith in hands such as AT, AJ, KQ, KJ, KT, QJ, and QT is an error often committed by beginners and even intermediate players. It is important to realize that these are weak starting hands and that opponents are likely to hold better hands. Flopping to a trap hand can cost you a lot of money.

However, under the right circumstances trap hands can be played. If you are in late position and you are the first player in, a trap hand indeed becomes a raising hand.