Poker Busto - Poker Busts and Beats

PokerStars is, by far, the largest and most popular poker room in existence.  PokerStars is bustling with activity, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  As the leader in online poker, PokerStars offers great action, a wide variety of stakes, and the best tournaments online.

Poker Stars also provides some nice incentives to new players.  First of all, the standard PokerStars bonus offers new players $50 when they make a deposit of $50 or more.  Although this may not seem like a big bonus, it’s actually a great value because you only need to earn 500 Frequent Player Points.  With PokerStars, earning FPP’s is quite easy, and you can earn 500 points in one sitting.

The FPP’s are earned quite easily.  1 FFP is awarded once the rake reaches $.40 for the lower stakes games, otherwise the rake must reach $1 to earn an FPP.  A 2nd FPP is awarded if the rake reaches $2 or $3, depending on the game.  A 3rd FPP is earned if the rake reaches $5.  Tournaments also reward players with FPP’s, at the rate of 5 FPP’s for every $1 paid in tournament fees.

So once your reach 500 FPP’s, you get $50 - that’s it!

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FlopTurnRiver.com is offering $800 in private freerolls and money-added tournaments every month, but you must sign up through FlopTurnRiver.com and use their exclusive PokerStars codes to participate.  Register your account in the FTR poker forum and you can receive email reminders for all the FTR private events.

As you start increasing your play at PokerStars, you’ll find that through the Poker Stars VIP Club, you can earn PokerStars FPP’s and then spend those FPP’s on gifts, tournament entries, or even cash bonuses.  The PokerStars VIP club is available to all players and acts much like a Pokerstars Rakeback, where you can spend FPP’s towards cash bonuses.  And as you move up in VIP levels, the benefits and bonus increase.  At the higher levels, you can actually employ the services of the Pokerstars Concierge to help you find, book, or buy just about anything!

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There are many benefits to playing cards online, the first of which has to be convenience.  A lot of people may try to say that playing card games on the Internet is an exercise in antisocial behavior.  At the very least, a lot of them consider it to be asocial.  But honestly, that is such a silly point of view!  Most likely, the only critics are people who have never actually played games online themselves. 

In truth, when you play games on the Internet, you are doing far more than simply playing a card game.  You are entertaining yourself, for one thing.  For another thing, well … card playing seems to be a lost art, at least as it applies to playing with family and friends.  It used to be that dreary, rainy days were made for a game of penny or matchstick poker, a good round of Hearts or Spades, maybe a few games for Gin Rummy.  Poker, candy bet Blackjack, and even Old Maid were played parties, family reunions, and get togethers.

Sadly, somewhere along the way, card playing fell out of favor for a lot of us.  It just did not happy any longer.  Arguably, we could probably blame it on the increasing popularity of computers.  However, the ability to play cards online has taken care of that – again, except for the fact that some critics maintain it is an antisocial activity.  However, in every single card game on the Internet, you are quite well and able to talk to your fellow players.  Sometimes you can just talk to the table, sometimes you can talk to the whole card playing community, right through a little chat window.  Long lasting friendships are formed this way.  People have just moved their game nights to their computers – which actually allows them to play together far more often that they would be able to otherwise.

To be sure, some games are more popular online than others.  Without a doubt, casino games like poker and Blackjack are the most popular games played on the Internet.  Online casinos may garner a lot of controversy, but they are allowing a whole new group of people into the thrilling, exciting world of casino games.  For most of them, it is the joy of the games rather than the love of gambling which keeps them coming back.

You cannot even think about playing cards online without further thinking about partner games.  Hearts, in particular, is extremely popular.  Think about it: every new PC even comes with a game of Hearts.  The best part of playing it online is that you actually get to talk to people.  The same goes for both Spades and Rummy.  Players flock to game forums which offer these two favorites.

Speaking of which, there is a virtual wealth of such forums.  You do not have to rely solely on online casinos to play cards, though there are certainly plenty of them which welcome U.S. bettors with open arms.  There are more traditional forums offering everything from poker to Pinochle, from Gin Rummy to Go Fish.  You can get together with old friends on your computers, or meet new ones.  You can hold tournaments or just play away a rainy day.  Whatever you choose, playing cards online gives you access to a whole spectrum of favorite past times.

Detailing all the individual card games played around the world would be pretty much impossible.  There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different games, many of which have been popular for hundreds of years.  They are a family reunion favorite, a camp standard, and a frequent choice among students going on long field trips.  We play them on while camping out, we play them at summer camp, we play them at band camp.  We play them on vacation when the rain makes other activities impossible – face it, card games and word games are rainy day necessities.  Sometimes we play them for money, more often the majority of us just play them for fun.  There are games as easy as Go Fish and as difficult as Texas Hold ‘Em poker.  It is much easier to discuss all the possible types of games than to discuss all of the individual kinds, but chances are, you have probably played at least one game out of every category.

Trick taking games are some of the most popular played with cards.  As the name suggests, the ultimate object of these types of games are to win the biggest number of tricks, which is just the round of a single hand of cards being played.  The specifics vary, of course.  Some games are won by picking up the most tricks, such as Spades.  Some, like Hearts, are won by picking up the least amount of tricks.  Bridge, Pinochle, Bid Whist, Euchre, and traditional Whist are other examples of trick taking games.

Matching games are extremely popular, especially for those of us who love a challenge.  This is different from trick taking, because the general object of these card games is to take the most groups of matching cards before your opponent(s) can.  This does not, as you might think, just include games like Go Fish and Old Maid, although those are two much loved examples.  Actually, Rummy is probably the most popular type of matching game – at least among those older than twelve or so!  Canasta also falls into this category, along with all the different Rummy games – Bing Rummy, Gin Rummy, Liverpool Rummy, and so on.

In shedding games, the aim is to get rid of all your cards before your opponents.  As you can see, some card games are cross genre games, because certain types of Rummy fall into this category as well, as does Old Maid and Go Fish.  Other popular examples are Crazy Eights, Switch, and Dai Hin Min. 

Accumulating games speak for themselves – the object is to get all the cards in the deck.  Simply put, War! and all its variations are the most popular type of these games.

Most casino based card games are qualified as comparing games – i.e., whether or not you win depends on how your cards compare to everyone else’s hands.  Blackjack, every type of poker, and cassino are much loved comparing games.

Of course, there are also card games you can play yourself.  These are called Solitaire or Patience games.  As you probably figured out, Solitaire is one of these games, as is Free Cell.  Klondike and Pyramid are two other popular examples.

To be completely honest, it is almost impossible to find any truly helpful Blackjack strategies – unless you are willing to invest the time, effort, patience, talent, and memorization skills needed to count cards with any kind of effectiveness. Of course, that does not really help the keen Blackjack player – because, face it, not many of us are interested in devoting that much time to such a complicated process. Still, there is no denying the fact that, without the ability to count cards, Blackjack is a game based largely on luck. However … it may be practically impossible to find any effective strategies, but “practically” is a long way from “entirely.” It just so happens that, if you look around long enough, there are quite a few things Blackjack players can do to increase their chances of beating their opponents, not to mention those crafty dealers.

One of the most important Blackjack strategies involves considering the cards. You need to pay close attention not only to your own, but to the dealer’s exposed cards as well. This will help you immensely when it comes to deciding whether to stand or to take a hit. Namely, you should not necessarily always take a hit just because your hand looks low. The dealer’s hand could be extremely weak, leading him or her to go bust. If the dealer has anything, whether it is a two or an ace, and your cards equal out to anything between seventeen and twenty one, then naturally, you should stand. If, however, your cards add up to anything between four and eleven, you should always take a hit. If your have 13-16 and the dealer shows a 2-6, stand; if the dealer shows a 7-A, then take a hit. If you have twelve, then stand if the dealer shows a 4-6; any other card, take a hit.

There is also a strategy for a soft hand, which is what your hand is called when the dealer gives you an ace. Since an ace can be worth one point or eleven, that is why it is a soft hand. This greatly affects the decision of whether or not to take a hit. You see, it is generally riskier to take a hit when you have a hard hand than it is with a soft one. If you have an ace and 8-10, stand no matter what the dealer shows. If you have an ace and 2-6, take a hit no matter what the dealer shows. If you have an ace and a 7 and the dealer shows 2-8, stand; if the dealer shows 9-A, take a hit.

Doubling down can involve a couple of different strategies. First of all, you have to be willing to take advantage of a strong hand. It is only by doing so that you can really offset the house’s advantage. Different casinos have different rules specifying what hands you can double down on, but you can still learn when to do so. For example, you never double down when the dealer shows an ace. You never double down if you have twelve either. If you have eleven, you can double down as long as the dealer does not show an ace. If you have ten, you can double down as long as the dealer does not show an ace or a ten card. If you have nine, you can only double down if the dealer shows 3-6. The strategies for doubling down when you have a soft hand are significantly different. Then, you rarely should. If you have an ace and an eight or nine, never double down. If you have an ace and a six or seven, you should only double down if the dealer shows 3-6. If you have an ace and four or five, only double down if the dealer shows 4-6. Finally, if you have an ace and a two or three, only double down if the dealer shows a five or six.

Keeping with the subject of tells and chips, poker players can give themselves away in a number of other ways, just by the way they behave with their chips. For example, a player may dart a quick look between the flop and his or her chips if the Flop helps out his or her hand. Sometimes, when a player glances repeatedly at their hole cards if the flop is showing a potentially winning pattern, which may suggest that they are trying to decide whether and not any of their cards connect with the emerging hand. These tells, which are generally not only involuntarily, but completely subconscious gestures, are yet another reason why so many poker players wear sunglasses and hats.

The Swedish Government has declined the option for an international poker network that would be in direct competition with the government run Svenska Spel. The government’s stance is based on the idea that if they put together players at the state run site, it would guarantee larger prize pools and keep players from playing at online places that are “less socially responsible.” While the decision sounds final it will be up for review in 18 months and could be overturned. The decision was based on a recommendation that came from the Swedish National Institute of Public Health.

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For this installment of how to tell a tell, we are going to take our focus away from poker players themselves – sort, at least. You know, poker chips are an extremely important part of the game – well, of course they are. They’re your livelihood, after all; they represent how much you’ve won, how much you’ve lost – and how long you can still play! A player’s behavior where his or her poker chips are concerned can be very indicative of the kind of player he or she is. Generally speaking, if a player keeps sloppy stacks, he or she is an aggressive, confident player; if he or she keeps them in a neat, tidy stack, that points to conservative playing. During play, someone with a good hand may be very nonchalant and indifferent when tossing chips in the pot, indicating a player who is sure he or she will win. If someone has a bad hand and few chips, you may notice him or her playing with them incessantly, as if afraid they will soon disappear.

Oh yes, we’re still on the subject of those telltale tells. Body language – your own and your competitors’ – is key in poker. Body language is an essential part of every day conversation, so of course it’s important in poker. If any of your fellow players are, to wit, pulling a Cory Hart, you can still pay close attention to their faces. Nervousness, excitement, anger – they all show in our facial expressions and movements as well as our eyes. It doesn’t have to be anything as obvious as a tic; a facial tell can be incredibly subtle, but if you pay close enough attention, you’ll catch the pattern. By the same token, be aware that other players may be reading your face too. Play with some buddies, see what they say about what you give away – you maybe be able to train yourself away from the behavior.

Sticking to the subject of tells, there are also several types of tells for all different types of things. First off, let’s discuss some of the tells to look for which give away a good hand:

If you or the players act indifferent or completely uninterested in the hand currently being played, watch out. If you’re the one doing this – stop it! And if your play partners are, be careful – they’ve got such a good hand, they’re trying very hard to act like they aren’t the least bit excited.

Shaking hands are another dead giveaway, and they signal an extremely good hand. Rapid breathing is yet another side; like shaking hands, it is hard to control, and usually points to one of those hands you only give once or twice in a lifetime.

Back to the subject of tells – how can you tell a tell? What do you need to look for, exactly? For starters, eyes are the big thing; eyes are the key – that’s why you see so many poker pros acting like Cory Hart and wearing their sunglasses at night – or whenever. If one of your competitor’s is into this tactic, just try to follow where he’s looking. Whenever someone is shadeless, you’ve got an upper hand: study the way he plays, see if his eyes widen with a good hand, if they fall with a bad one, et cetera. Ask players about their cards – if they don’t look you right in the eye when they answer, chances are they’re lying.