Archive for December, 2008

Poker - keeping your head in the game

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

When you’re playing poker, you’re playing to win. Don’t let your clay chips slip away because you’re too busy checking out the cocktail waitress or chatting it up with the guy or girl across the table. Many smart players give up a lot of chips because they get distracted and miss a read or poorly play a hand. When you sit down at the poker tables, you’re there for one reason, stay focused on that one reason.

There are some simple ways to keep your mind on the cards and the chips instead of the chicks. Always remember how much money you stand to lose by playing stupidly, and if that isn’t enough of a reminder to stay focused, you need to rethink your game. Most importantly, never get drunk at the table. Some say it is relaxing, but it is simply poor judgment and a sign of an amateur. The one thing that affects your success at the poker table more than anything is your judgment. If you stay sober, you can play like a pro and win like one too.

To get more info on how to play the game properly take a look at the best of poker to improve your poker game.

Cheating in Poker – An Unfair Advantage

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Cheating at anything in life is often viewed as a mechanism to get ahead when you are at a disadvantage, and can also be used for extra “just in case” padding when you have the clear advantage. There are obvious risks and rewards associated with cheating, particularly if done at the game of poker. At the poker tables, it can be difficult to cheat individually unless you somehow “mark” particular cards in the deck for future identification or manage to sneak a look at your opponents’ cards, which is fairly unlikely.

Cheating in poker can occur on an organized basis using a system of distractions. Players will often play with the texas holdem chip stack in front of them as a means to distract you from thinking about your move. The dangerous part of poker at the tables comes when two players are in collusion and intentionally cheating as a team.

In order to protect yourself from this, especially if you suspect something is “fishy”, you can either walk away from the table or play conservative to observe how the cheating is occurring. By chip betting in small amounts over a shorter period of time you limit your exposure to the cheaters at the table, and you should only make aggressive bets when your cards are very good.

Read more on how to protect against cheating in poker to protect your game.