The more you play, the more you will enjoy the challenge of poker, and find that it’s the ’skilled’ rather then the ‘lucky’ that are most often rewarded. Talk to winners of championship tournaments and they will tell you that their skill played a major role in their winning, and that conversely, the lack of skills of their opponents made their winning that much easier. From time to time, they will also tell you that luck played a role in their winning the tournament, but mostly poker is a game of skill.

Probably a good description of a skilled poker player is a person who has mastered the critical concepts of the game, and with that in mind, there are four skill concepts that a poker player must possess in order to become a master of the game.

Math skills

- Good poker players know the poker percentages. They know that you have about 1 in 8 chance of hitting a set when holding a pocket pair, and that you have about a 1 in 3 chance of completing a flush draw at the flop.

- They know the importance of ‘outs.’ Outs are simply the number of cards that will improve your hand. Count your outs, multiply them by two, and add one, and that’s roughly the percentage shot you have at hitting (Outs x 2 + 1 = % of filling your anticipated hand).

- Math skills are the most basic knowledge of poker; it’s Poker 101. Anyone who doesn’t understand these concepts should not play real money poker games until they do.

Discipline

- Good poker players demand an advantage. What separates a pro (winning poker player) from an rookie (average player) is that the typical player does not expect to win, while a strong player does.

- Good poker players understand that different games require different disciplines. A disciplined no limit player can be a foolish limit player and vice versa. A disciplined limit player is always very tight preflop (remember this, and it will save you a lot of money later on). He or she will not play too many hands, only the ones that have very good odds of winning.

Psychological Skills

- A good player is not a self-centered, or a conceited player, and always tries to have an answer to these three questions:

• What does my foe have?
• What does my foe think I have?
• What does my foe think I think he has?

- Knowing the answer to these questions is the first step, manipulating the answers is the second and more important step. A skilled poker player manipulates these questions by slow playing, fast playing, and bluffing in order to throw his opponent off.

Understanding Risk vs Reward

- Pot odds and demanding an advantage fall into this category. Skill poker players are willing to take a long shot risk if the reward is high enough, but only if the expected return is worth it.

- More importantly, they understand the Risk vs Reward nature of the game outside of the actual poker room. They know how much bankroll they need to play, and how much money they need in reserve to cover other expenses in life.

- Good poker players are fundamentally slightly risk-averse. If you cannot afford to lose the entire amount of money you bring to a poker game, you should not be playing with that much money. In essence it’s much better to risk what you can afford to lose, not what you don’t have to lose; and that separates the winners from the losers when you play casino games.

I wonder what it must be like to have made the final table of the Main Event of WSOP?  It must be an incredible feeling to think that you have made it, you have beaten some seriously good poker players and its now down to the final nine.

Of course it must be great to know that you are already assured a big prize of a over a million dollars even if you get knocked out first.  But can you imagine having to wait 3 or 4  agonizing months for the outcome?  It must play on your nerves a bit.  I wonder if the players that are able to put it aside and continue with their normal lives, will be the most rested and ready for the competition.

I’ll be following all the action on pacificpoker, just as I did for all the satellites and the build up to the main event.  Actually 888 Holdings is a company that you may want to watch for the future.  If you think that markets will soon return to normal and that people will start spending more on gambling, then you may consider buying their shares now, whilst they are relatively cheap.

Poker online has a very different feel than an actual room.  But just the same the ambiance and the rules are the same.  In fact, online poker can offer a little more than real poker room gaming.  Online poker has much less extra expenses – transportation, food, drinks and tip expenses can be reduced.  The only expense would be just for the game.

There are over 200 online poker rooms that can be found in the Internet.  During peak hours, there are 50,000 players in a room.  Some of the famous poker games are Pineapple, Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, Razz, Five-Card and Triple Draw.

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There are a few things to do when playing poker online.

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1. First, have a computer with good memory and a reliable Internet connection.  This will ensure that the game will be smooth and uninterrupted with computer problems and Internet disruption.
2. Then, find several online poker rooms.  Compare these, some of the things to compare are bonuses, software programs, payout reputation and customer service. Bonuses differ among several sites, find the ones that suits you.  There are also different promotions and jackpots rolling within the day. Check the software they use, some unknown sites might be at risk for viruses.  It is also important to check the customer service capabilities of the site, this will help if any problems arise.
3. Check your playing level skills.  If you are a beginner, you should find sites that are client friendly. There are sites that have tips for beginners.  Some sites have free playing games to get you started, or just play money.  For expert players, bigger poker rooms are recommended, this is usually where highly- skilled players are hanging out.
4. Another thing to do is to make sure that the sites accept your credit cards, although there are also some that accept online money transfers and wire transfers.  Some sites have customer service representatives to assist the clients in depositing.
5. Download the software.  The download time is usually a couple of minutes.  After the download, navigate around the pages first before joining the games.

And then just play the game…  There are poker rooms that can lead you to play with other players in different poker rooms.  These are affiliate rooms, they have the same rules, just different starting sites.  It is always wise to play in the poker room that you are most used to or feels the most comfortable to you.

If you are new to poker you’ll definitely need a guide to get you through and enjoy the game more.  As a beginner you need to know the possible errors and mistakes that you might make.  Here are some of the major mistakes that players usually commit:

One of the mistakes that a lot of people make is jumping into a competition without getting ready.  Of course, what do you expect when playing without knowing what your possible weapons are and how you can win the game.  You must always bear in mind that the more prepared you are, the better your chance of winning.

Second mistake that players usually do is bluffing too much.  Too much bluffing can cost you because the good poker players will figure you out and call your bluff.  Learn the art of poker first and later you can increase your tricks.

The third error that most players usually make is thinking-they-know-it-all.  Many beginners make this mistake.  No matter how long you have been playing poker, you still need to be careful unless you want to throw away your bets.  The best thing to bear in mind when playing poker is that you are learning all the time.

As you can see there are a lot of possible errors that poker players can make.  Not only beginners but also those who have been playing the game for quite a long time.  One important tip for players to remember is to have a basic budget.  This may not sound as much fun but it is a very big help for players who don’t want to throw away all their cash and winnings.

Keeping a basic budget and good cash management will keep you away from financial troubles.  If you keep on loosing, review your moves, as well as the performance of other players.  Research and read poker strategies that help to keep your bank roll.  As they say, practice makes perfect and bear in mind the errors that you might make along the way.

My man Jenson Button couldn’t compete against the Red Bull team in the wet, but he still earned valuable points and his car looks quick.  I think my money is safe at this stage.

We got chatting about the Eurovision contest that is happening in May, you can bet on the outcome of the song contest if you like at Eurovision betting.  The Eurovision Song Contest is where each European country puts forward an original pop song and competes against other countries for the best song.  I’m never very good at predicting the outcome of this competition, everything that I think is good, never does well.

When it comes to betting I prefer to stick at what I know best and not mess with subjects that I don’t know a lot about.  I know about cars and motor racing.  I know nothing about singing and dancing!

Have you noticed we are suddenly starting to hear news items about the World Series of Poker (WSOP)?  Its getting to that time of year where everyone is gearing up for the biggest poker tournament.  The excitement is already building, expectations rising and speculations being cast…

What intrigues me is  – where will the top ten poker players come from this year?  Will we see a change in the mix?  Will the European poker players challenge the top American players.  Or, will we see some players from completely new places?  Asia, Russia, Pacific, more from Australia, South America, South Africa… who knows?

One thing is that poker has spread even further and wider.  The games popularity just grows and grows.  Television, access to the internet and online poker has allowed anyone to play anywhere.  I cant wait for the WSOP to start… are we in for some surprises this year, or will the usual suspects finish in the top 10?  Its so open and there are so many unknowns in a poker tournament, there is just no ways I would bet on the outcome!

Damn kicker cards got the better of me, I’m bruised and battered – I got kicked by the kicker!

It happened to me three times whilst playing poker in the casino last night, twice I got beaten by higher kickers and we are talking queen kicking my ten and the other time this guy had a jack that was too good for my ten.  Ok I admit that I was living on the edge a bit and taking chances.  And if you are going to play poker like that, then sometimes it pays off and sometimes you lose – its 50/50.

But towards the end of the evening, I had a king, nine unsuited starting hand – when a second king came on the flop, my nine kicker was paired with the turn card and by the way the others were just checking – I thought, oh yeah babe!  Here we come I’m going to take this one with my two pair.

This dude totally fools me with a slow play and takes me with trip fives… I was gutted… absolutely blown away.  The guy was sitting there with a pair of fives, just checking…then he got his five on the river and caught me out.  By the way they were betting, I just thought there was no chance of anyone having a pair or higher.  He apologized and said he didn’t mean to slow play me, because I was betting strongly, he said he thought I had a stronger hand all along.

Just got up from my seat, said good bye and went outside to cry…

OK lets get back to online casino games after that brief indulgence in motor racing…

I just got excited to see that Jenson Button is finally winning something… and did you see he managed to get another win this weekend in Malaysia?

Looks like I have an apology to make to my aunties… I didn’t realize how much money changes hands at their bingo games and was a little disparaging about their bingo… needless to say, it didn’t go down too well… might even be struck off the birthday and christmas card list…. ooohh dear….

Anyway I ended getting a lesson from them about their gala bingo games!  A long lesson which I didnt have a choice of getting out of… damn I need to be careful of what I say, just keep on opening my mouth and gettin meself deep into trouble… just dont learn!

My guilt got the better of me, so secretly I did a little research and looked for some reviews.  Managed to find rushmore casino online which has online bingo as well as the usual suspects – like blackjack, roulette,  and poker.

Sorry aunties… wont make fun of your bingo again… I promise.  Maybe I’ll just keep my mouth shut… who knows…

Nice one, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello – One, two for the new boys – Brawn racing!  Amazing to come out in their first season and win the first Grand Prix and finish one, two.  Thank you Ross Brawn and your team, I got a little pay out thanks to my bet on you.  Unfortunately I don’t think the odds will be so good for the next race…

They had a bit of luck for Rubens to finish second, but they deserved it.

Did you notice how little sponsorship they have on the car?  All I could see was Bridgestone.  I wonder how many sponsors are phoning up Brawn now???

Its early days still and no-one knows how the technical changes will affect the teams – its certainly made the racing more interesting!

Talking about changing gears, its the start of the Formula One season in Melbourne, Australia again… can’t wait to hear that roar of engines again!!!

The new Brawn Team looks like a real threat to the old boys… McLaren, Williams, Ferrari… Will be interesting to see if Jenson Button can do something with a car that can perform.  Lewis Hamilton was complaining of a lack of grip… they are going to be hot on his heels this year.

The controversy surrounding the diffuser sure has got things heated up a bit!  Looks like they have let it go for now, but I’m sure we haven’t heard the end of it.  Some teams have been clever enough to have different diffusers that they can fit.

Time to get onto the online betting site and see what the odds are.  Qualifying starts this saturday, practice is the last chance to iron out those last niggles… think I might just fancy a little bet.  I always like taking a chance on the first Grand Prix of the season because there are so many unknowns.