Online casino reviews

How to play a monster hand

Poker is a game of thought, deception, and strategy, so even before I sit down for a tournament, I like to be prepared for anything. There are times when the cards aren’t going to agree with you, and you’ve just got to play through it, but there are also times when you know you’ve got a monster hand and you need to know how to take as much advantage as possible.

One of the first orders of business to attend to when you’re dealt a monster hand is making it known to the rest of the table that you’re holding something worth playing. There are theories that “slow-playing” a monster hand will increase the number of players that will play against you, but in the long run you might not win as much and in Texas Holdem especially, winning one big pot can take you a long way. Also, the cards that are shown off the flop and beyond can hurt you.

Even though monster hands are a great asset, in tournament play folding one in the beginning isn’t such a bad idea. This lets you watch the rest of the table giving you the knowledge of being able to read the other players. By using this technique early enough, you can almost anticipate who your opponents will be later in the game and how they will play against you. Read the rest of this entry »

Poker Bullshit: The Art of Bluffing

In order to really understand the competitive beauty of poker, you need to accept the fact that a good liar can make a great poker player. Acting like you’ve got something - or pretending like you don’t - can take you a long way in a poker tournament, so becoming an expert in bluffing can almost guarantee at least mild success. Personally I love to bluff; it stirs the pot and keeps people from getting a pinpoint idea of the cards you are playing. If you win a hand or two with a solid bluff and your opponent knows this, you’re letting your opponent know that you are not afraid of losing and that “you won’t be pushed around”.

So what is a bluff? Bluffing is representing what you don’t have, hoping to win a pot you have no business winning. But remember, your bluffs have to make sense. I like to think of bluffing as telling a nice fictional story. As a kid, I’m sure most of you told a little lie or two to avoid a bad situation, and poker essentially works the same way. But also like as a kid, if you bluff too much, you can get yourself in some serious trouble, so be careful. Read the rest of this entry »