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Texas Holdem Strategy

Learn How to Win at Texas Hold'em Poker
By : Cyman Harrison

With the way Texas Hold'em is taking over card tables everywhere, it's a good idea to learn how to play and learn how to win if you want to impress your friends, have fun or make some money at a fun and interesting game.

To win Texas Hold'em, a person needs to know more than just how to play the game. He or she needs to know about strategy.

Many poker experts and players will tell you that a tight and aggressive strategy is the only way to play Texas Hold'em. This involves playing relatively few hands and betting and raising often when you do play


This strategy, however, will only work if you understand hand-ranking. There are 1,326 distinct possibilities when it comes to the two hole cards a player can be dealt in Texas Hold'em. However, since suits are only relevant for flushes, many of these possibilities are irrelevant. So, that reduced the number of possibilities a player needs to know about to 169 possibilities.

One type of hand to get to know is a pocket pair or a wired pair. This is when you are dealt two of any card. For instance, two jacks, two aces, or two nines.

The hands which are not pocket pairs are either suited hands or unsuited hands. Suited hands are two cards of the same suit and unsuited hands are two cards of different suits. For instance a suited pocket might be an ace and a seven of spaces and an unsuited pair might be an ace of hearts and a seven of diamonds.

Generally, the higher the cards in the pocket and whether they are paired or suited increases the hand ranking. However, sometimes even a highly ranked pocket can turn into nothing after the flop, turn or river.

Some professional players are successful using other strategies as well. While most experts insist on only playing premium starting hands, others suggest a looser betting strategy. Ultimately, this is up to the player.

While some experts disagree on betting strategy, most agree that position is an important element of the game. Players who act later in a hand, have more information than those who act earlier. As a result, players often play fewer hands from earlier positions and more from later positions. This does have a disadvantage since a person's opponents can gain clues to his or her hand based upon the bets made after the flop, the turn and the river.

Those who play no-limit or fixed limit version of hold'em, play different strategically, and many players who excel at one, do not excel at the other. For instance, because of the limit placed on betting in limit games, players cannot bluff as successfully. And in no-limit poker, new players often lack the courage to make the larger bets.

Strategy can also vary between games with lower stakes and games with higher stakes. Small stakes games usually have more players participating in each hand and can have very passive playing strategies or very aggressive raising strategies, compared to high stakes games, which are more stable.

Related Link :
About Party Poker
Table Position in Poker
HOW TO PLAY

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About Party Poker

By : Rick Braddy

Looking for a great place to play online Texas Holdem poker? Well, Party Poker and its affiliate sites are a great place to play. You’ll find it all - Texas Holdem poker, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Hi/Lo games, including a wide range of games such as play-money tables, regular “ring games” (regular poker game with up to 9 players, limit, no limit, pot limit, tournaments, and more.

Party Poker is the most popular online poker room today, according to actual real-time, online measurements published by PokerPulse.com statistics. You’ll see that they generally have the most online poker games running at any given point in time, with many thousands of games of all kinds available around the clock.

Looking for a bonus code for making your initial deposit? There are a number of bonus codes that will provide you with an extra bonus for making a deposit at their site. Just search on Google or Yahoo using the keywords “party poker bonus code” and you’ll find all kinds of bonus offers – such as an additional $100 bonus or 20% matching bonus for your first deposit. If you’re considering making a deposit for real-money play, note that you should take advantage of that initial deposit bonus, since your first deposit will generally yield you the biggest bonus.

If you’re just interested in learning to play and enjoy having fun, then you’ll find thousands of players online around the clock. If you’re into Sit and Go tournaments, then you’ll definitely find a wide range of these final table style tournaments running all the time.

If you're looking for some great competition to hone your game, then you'll definitely find that, too. I've played against some very respectable players there. HINT: The best poker players are typically online in the evenings and during the weekends, so whenever you play keep in mind the time of day. If you're looking for less fierce competition, then you'll often find that during the morning and afternoon...at least that's been my experience.

I've been playing on Party Poker for many years and it's definitely one of my favorite place to play online Texas Holdem poker. You'll find everything you'll need to tune up your game and keep it sharp.

So, if you’re into Texas Holdem poker, and ready to have some fun, then you need to check out Party Poker. It’s free to join up and try it out on the play money tables, and it’s a lot of fun.

Related Link :

Table Position in Poker

How to Understand Casino Poker Chips' Weight

About Poker Chips

HOW TO PLAY POKER

Party Poker

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Table Position in Poker

By : James Jenson

A lot of professional poker players believe that position is one of the most important aspects of playing winning poker. Position refers to where you are sitting at the poker table. There are 3 main positions:

1. Early
2. Middle
3. Late

Early position refers to the first two or three seats that have to act at the start of each round of betting. This is the weakest position in poker and you should be careful about playing any weak hands from here. Early position is so weak because there are still so many players yet to act behind you . If you are first to act and decide to limp in with a weak hand, the chances are that someone behind you will raise the pot with a much stronger hand than yours. You are much better off waiting for better position before you decide to limp into a pot.

Middle position is the next 3 seats after early position. This is a slightly better position than early, but still not fantastic. You can afford open up your hand selection here because there are less players to act after you.

Late position is the strongest position at the table - especially when you are "on the button". Being on the button means that you are last to act in every round of betting and you get to see what everyone else does before you have to commit any chips to the pot. In late position you can afford to really open up your hand selection and play all those suited connectors and face cards.

Make sure that you pay attention to your position at the poker table. As a general rule of thumb - the later your position, the better off you are. Play tight in early position and loose in late position. Playing by these simple rules should be enough to lift your game slightly.

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How to Understand Casino Poker Chips' Weight


By : Brian Garvin

If you play poker, visit casinos frequently, or collect poker chips, it is important to know how to understand casino poker chips weight. There are numerous weights available on the market today when it comes to casino poker chips; however most of the casinos in the world have standardized weights that are 8.5 grams. Many will even specialize in chips that are up to 10 grams. In this how-to guide, you will learn how to understand different casino poker chips weight and a little bit of valuable information about each.

Step 1:

When researching casino poker chips weight, you will discover that the weight is measured in grams. If you visit your local department store in order to pick up a pack of plastic poker chips, such as those offered by Bicycle, you will find that they only weigh about 2 to 3 grams a piece. However, if you visit casinos and play around with clay chips, you may find that they are as much as 10 grams a piece. Ultimately, the weight of a poker chip will be dependent upon the materials that were used to construct the product.

Step 2:

When you come across a poker chip that is heavy, you can bet that this is a highly durable chip! Many who play poker, play in casinos, or are considered to be professionals in the gaming industry agree that when a chip has more weight to it, it is more durable than the lighter chips. This means that the sound produced by the chip will be more prominent, and the chip itself will typically last longer. If you are looking for a high quality set, try for those that are considered to be 9 grams or higher.

Step 3:

Handling is a very important consideration when it comes to casino poker chips weight. Players and dealers alike want to ensure that it is easy to handle the chips that are used in various casino games. Light weight chips tend to be slippery and more difficult to handle than the heavier chips on the market today, so this is the choice among most casinos. If you are opting for high quality chips that have excellent handling, it is important to go for weights that are heavier. 10 grams and 11.5 grams seem to remain consistently popular in the gaming community.

Step 4:

Believe it or not, there is a price tag attached to weight. Naturally, if a poker chip is light it is going to be cheaper than one that is heavy. This is because of the fact that most light weight poker chips are constructed with cheap plastic. Higher priced materials such as clay composite, ceramic, and wood are used to create chips that are heavier. Therefore, the price will be a bit higher. If you are purchasing casino poker chips on a budget, it is important to pay special attention to the weight that you are purchasing.

Step 5:

As you can see, there are many considerations to be made when it comes to casino poker chips weight. When deciding which is right for you, it is vital to consider all of the above mentioned areas of concern, so that you may have a better understanding of the impact that weight has on your purchase.

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About Poker Chips

The terms "Casino Grade Chips" and "Poker Chips" have different meanings in the Gaming Industry. Essentially, there are two classes of chips to be considered. The premier chip is the true casino grade chip and the other alternative is the low cost 'home game' chip.


Casino Grade chips are further divided into 2 categories; clay and clay composite. Both generally weigh between 9 and 10.5 grams.

The discerning or professional player considers clay chips the most desirous chips. These compression-molded chips are the standard for the vast majority of casinos worldwide. Both the composition of clay chips and their manufacturing process are highly guarded industry secrets. In addition, they are a very labor-intensive product. Both of these factors contribute to their higher cost. Clay chips are generally priced in excess of $1 per chip.
Poker Chips

Home Poker Chips - From Left to Right - Full Clay Poker Chip, A Clay Composite Chip, 13 Gram 'Casino' Chip, 11.5 Gram 'Dice' Chip

The second casino grade chip is the clay composite chip. These chips are injection molded. Chipco and Kardwell are the two primary manufactures of this style chip and both firms manufacture their chips in the USA. NJ utilizes a 'natural' feeling substance, giving their chip a clay sound and feel while Chipco's chip is a more 'cold' ceramic material. The major advantage these chips have over their clay counterpart is their ability to accept full-face graphics.

Although the clay chip has been the industry standard for decades, the composite chip's popularity and use has grown significantly in the past few years. While there is no tangible difference in the quality of a clay chip versus a casino grade composite chip, the lower cost and graphic capability of the composite chip has seen its popularity grow within the casinos worldwide. NJ offers a "production line" chip to the public for the purpose of creating an affordable quality chip for the home user and is releasing a second more traditional "casino line" soon.

There is a third type of chip available for the home user. This is a composite chip manufactured in China. These low cost, multi-colored chips are made of PVC injected plastic over a metal slug and are produced specifically for the inexperienced and novice market. Cleverly marketed as "the heaviest (11.5 - 13 gram) casino chips on the market", these chips are not casino grade.

It is their metal core that makes them heavier than a casino grade product. Their mass production makes them widely available throughout the world at sometimes extremely low prices. This doesn't make them better. just heavier and cheaper and therefore not casino grade. This type of chip, although never recommended over a casino grade product, may be appropriate for the occasional player.

Whilst the clay chips and clay composite chips are generally more expensive (often 3 to 4 times more) I would suggest any regular poker player invest in a quality set as acquiring poker chips should be a once in a lifetime purchase. The cheaper Chinese chips are quite slippery, making them difficult to create high stacks and perform some chip tricks. From our experience casino grade quality (clay or clay composite) is the way to go! The usual set makeup is from 300-500 chips and are available from the following retailers.

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