Over the years, I have watched a number of TV poker shows. I began watching the World Poker Tour from the very beginning. In the early years, I also watched now defunct shows like Celebrity Poker Showdown, Poker Royale, Poker Superstars, Ultimate Poker Challenge and others. I still watch some of the World Series of Poker on ESPN each year. I really enjoyed when cash games started to take the focus with shows like High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark, The Big Game, and various other shows. I thought it might be interesting to share the seven things I learned from watching TV poker and how it can influence your play as a poker player.
A common question that a lot of newer poker players will ask is can I be cheated in online poker? The answer is yes. Unfortunately, the incidents of cheating get so sensationalized that many live or amateur players fear playing for real money online. The reality is that cheating in online poker occurs in relatively few circumstances compared to the large number of poker sites and players that play.
One of the best ways for a new poker player to grow their bankroll is to play Sit-and-Go’s (also known as SNG). For a newer player, playing cash games can be tricky to learn and your mistakes potentially quite costly. Tournaments take a long time and entail a significant amount of luck and variance. SNG’s, on the other hand, can be an excellent way for a newer poker player to regularly profit. They are essentially a one table tournament with the top three spots reaching the money, or top two if it’s a six person SNG. You have a set number of starting chips with no re-buys. The blinds begin low and move up steadily.
One feature that all successful poker players share is aggression. In order to succeed in the game, one needs to display a certain level of aggression, thereby seizing the initiative, which in turn applies pressure to your opponents. In the long run, the reality is that all poker players will get the same distribution of cards dealt to them. You need to have that killer instinct. Those that play their cards with the most aggression will likely come out on top.
One of the defining steps to improving as a poker player is your ability to change gears. By that I mean to change up your style of play within a session or tournament, often multiple times. As a newer poker player, you are working hard on developing structure and discipline in your game. You are learning what range of hands you should play pre-flop. You are learning learning when to continuation bet the flop. You are learning the highest percentage plays to make to ensure success; like when you should chase or when you should fold. You are looking to establish a tight aggressive foundation for your game. But as you move up and play tougher players, that isn’t enough.
Talk to any poker player and they will be more than happy to share a poker strategy tip or two. Interpreting and implementing those same poker tips can be challenging. They are much less likely to give you the bigger framework or all the secrets of their success for fear of giving away their advantage. Poker Curious has put together ten highly recommended general poker strategy tips for you to try to incorporate in your game.
Once you actually sit at the virtual poker table, there are some general strategy recommendations that will help improve your results. Each suggestion involves considerably more work to refine and work into your game, but they are an important part of most successful player's games. Being aware of these more optimal approaches is the first step to incorporating them into your game.
Poker is a game of incomplete information. Even the best players will disagree on the best strategy in every situation. But there are steps that every player can take to help ensure they have the best chance to become a consistently profitable online poker player. I've included 10 suggestions that have helped many players.
Most people learn poker in a live setting, long before they ever play it online. While it may seem like it should be similar online, there are many different dynamics and considerations. We have recommended ten initial considerations to shape your mindset and manage your play so that it has the best possibility of eventual success.
One of the most popular goals of many newer poker players is to build a bankroll from nothing. These newer players dream of replicating the famous path Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson took of going from nothing to $10k, or as I like to call it from "zero to hero". These players are typically reluctant to deposit money for fear of losing it quickly in real money games against more experienced players, thus discouraging their ongoing play.
Poker Curious is proud to announce a new association with Betboo poker. Betboo is one of Latin America's most popular gambling companies. From offices in Brazil and Uruguay, Betboo offers sportsbook, bingo, and casino in addition to their poker room. They have focused on the passionate Latin American market, but are expanding rapidly and increasing their market penetration in Europe and elsewhere. Their slogan 'Play among friends at Betboo' is embodied by their youthful but experienced support staff who emphasize a fun time at their tables.
DeucesCracked, in conjunction with 918 Films and Robusto LLC, created the ground breaking documentary, From Busto to Robusto, featuring the poker journey of Greg 'Zeebo' Lavery. The poker community really enjoyed an honest quality perspective of one poker player's life. The team is back for a second From Busto to Robusto documentary featuring Andrew 'Good2CU' Robl, which debuts March 28th. Ryan Firpo, the director, took a few minutes to discuss the documentary process and series.
Steve Pavilanis, an experienced high stakes poker player in his early 30's who hails from the Midwest, is the author of A Life Less Anxious which deals with how to better handle anxiety and stress. Steve kindly took some time to share his experience and expertise regarding what poker players can do to improve their game, starting with improving their body and mind.
Have you ever wondered what is involved in writing a poker book and setting up your own site to sell and promote it? I recently interviewed Tri 'slowhabit' Nguyen, the co-author with Cole South on Let There Be Range and his own The Pot Limit Omaha Book: Transitioning from NLHE to PLO about poker, writing and his site DailyVariance.
For some, playing poker exclusively is their ultimate dream. But for many of us who love the game but don't aspire to poker's highest levels and the sacrifices necessary to achieve them, we look for ways to apply our life skills and experience to carve out a place in the poker world. A perfect example would be the two person team that brings you Ante Up Magazine and Ante Up PokerCast, Scott Long and Chris Cosenza.
Knowing what your options are and helping you make an informed decision. That is Poker Curious' goal in representing the entire online poker universe. This week we spotlight GrinderSchool , a smaller poker training website specifically geared for newer low stakes players. Not only are they the most affordable monthly subscription site we've reviewed, but all their content is focused on low stakes tourney and cash game play.
The key to a successful poker game is the exploitation of every edge. One of the most profitable - and easiest - edges to exploit is rakeback. Every player has to pay in rake to play online poker, so why not explore your options to receive some of that rake back. This week we take a closer look at one of the industry's most reputable rakeback sites, RakeTheRake.
The best way to create a successful company is to have a good idea, executed well by good people. Certainly that's how our latest spotlighted poker site - DeucesCracked - got its start. "We’re a pretty small team," confides Rob 'Entity' Cole.
Poker Curious presents, describes and rates hundreds of poker websites. We want our visitors to know their options and make informed decisions. But websites are never just a domain name and some HTML code. They are real people with real stories to tell. In this ongoing series of articles, Poker Curious will bring the spotlight onto the human aspect of websites that we cover.
Our first article brings the spotlight on DevilFishPoker.com. DFP is a poker room on the fast growing Entraction network. Well known U.K. based poker player Dave 'Devil Fish' Ulliot is the ambassador for the site. The management team consists of CEO Paul Barnes, COO Karl Hutson, CFO Andrew Flitcroft and Nic Whelan, the Gaming & Services Manager. They all play poker, a couple of them semi-professionally.
Our first article brings the spotlight on DevilFishPoker.com. DFP is a poker room on the fast growing Entraction network. Well known U.K. based poker player Dave 'Devil Fish' Ulliot is the ambassador for the site. The management team consists of CEO Paul Barnes, COO Karl Hutson, CFO Andrew Flitcroft and Nic Whelan, the Gaming & Services Manager. They all play poker, a couple of them semi-professionally.
