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Online Casino Games – Craps

September 23, 2009

Craps is a very popular online casino game both on the internet and at live casinos. I personally think craps is one of the most complicated online casino games. It is certainly complicated at a live casino as well but at least then you can ask the attendant or the other players if you have a question. Every online casino that offers this game provides easy access to craps related content like rules and strategy though. In this article I will explain the basic rules of craps for online play.

Craps is a casino game that uses dice and a custom built gaming table. When you play at a live casino there are several rules relating to how the dice must be handled/thrown. Since this article is focused on online play these rules do not come into play but I just wanted to make you aware of this fact incase you find yourself playing craps at a brick and mortar casino.

Playing craps at an online casino is much different than playing at a live casino. One big difference is that you are playing by yourself. You won’t be able to have a pretty young lady blow on the dice for luck.

The First Roll In Craps

When you start a game of craps the initial roll is called the “come out roll”. There are several ways to bet in craps. I have provided a list of these betting options below:

• Pass
• Don’t Pass
• Come
• Don’t Come
• Odds Bet
• Place Bet
• Field Bet
• Proposition Bet

if you make a pass bet and the roll is 7 or 11 you will win your bet. If the dice equal 2, 3 or 12 you will lose your bet. Dont bets are basically reverse. You will lose with 7 or 11 and win with 2 or 3. If the dice equal 12 you will tie.

27 Single Draw Strategy

September 17, 2009

Since 27 single draw has become a popular poker game at Poker Stars, many people of all experience levels have been visiting the site for great entertainment playing against many other players from all over the world.  Not only does Poker Stars have more players than any other site, they also have the best promotions and bonuses that no other poker site online can come close to matching.  Because 27 single draw has increased in popularity, below are five strategies that will help any level of player to help them win and continue to the game.

Bluffing In 2-7 Single Draw

Bluffing is an art form, as many experienced poker enthusiasts will freely admit.  Because of this, bluffing shouldn’t be habitual, but well-thought out.  If you’re a player who bluffs often, your bluff will often fall on deaf ears, much like the “little boy who cried ‘wolf’”.  Space your bluffing out – especially if you’re bluffing amongst players who you’re familiar with and who you play with frequently. Inversely, if you’re the “resident” bluffer – this may also work to your advantage in certain situations; as an example, when you have a really good hand, it might be assumed by other players that you are bluffing when you bet aggressively – so they’re more likely to hang in with you until the end – and you can scoop their chips! Also, it is unwise to bluff against players that typically call their hands.  This by far is the biggest and most common mistake players make in 27 single draw.  The key here is to use sound judgment, and NOT bluff for the sake of bluffing.

Don’t Stay

Players often make a mistake of justifying the need to stay in the game after they have “called” because they have a lot of money in the pot. If your hand has become weak or you see that you’re not going to win, just consider your money a donation that you’ll win back later! Staying in when you know that your hand is less likely not to win than to take home the pot is just plain foolhardy, no matter how much you have seeded the pot before that realization came to mind.

7-Game Poker Rules

August 29, 2009

Since 7 Game Poker is a combination of 7 different poker games, for a beginner trying to keep up and understand the rules can be quite confusing. Each of the games in 7 Game Poker is played ten times before the players move towards the next game in the set. Since there are seven differing poker games, here is a quick set of rules of each on how to play. This game is only available at Full Tilt Poker.

Holdem Fixed Limit

Holdem Fixed Limit is the first set in 7 Game Poker.

• Players are dealt their pocket card face down.
• The first betting round begins.
• Each player may either fold, raise, check, or even call their hand at this time.
• The betting in this game is set to the advance level. If you play on a $5/$10 table, the max that you can bet on for round one and two is $5 and the last two of the rounds are played at $10.
• Raises and bets are the same where the max is $5 for the beginning two rounds and $10 for the last two rounds.
• The small blind bets at $5 and the big blind is at $10.

Seven Card Stud High/Low Fixed Limit

• This game set of 7 Poker Mix is played with an ante and five rounds of betting.
• In the beginning of the game, players will be dealt two cards facedown, four cards face up, and a face down river card.
• Before receiving the opening three cards, the players must ante.

The player with the lowest card on their porch will initiate the betting at only one half of the low bet. Each of the subsequent rounds are started by the card player that has the best hand.

• Rounds one and two are bet at the lower limits and the last two rounds are bet at the higher limits.
• Aces can be either low or high, which depends on the hand that you are constructing.
• Players can combine any of the five cards to make their best low or high hand.

Razz Fixed Limit

Razz is the same play as seven card stud; however, the low hand will win.

• All players must ante before the initial deal.
• A bet must be placed at the low limit after the beginning deal.

All bets must equal the lower limit during round one and two of play, while the remaining rounds are bet at the high limit.

If you run out of cards in the deck, the dealer will deal out a community card to the middle of the table, where all players can use it for their hands.

Omaha High/Low Fixed Limit

Players work to get the best hand achievable using the two of their pocket cards and three other cards from the community spread.

• Each of the players will be dealt four cards known as pocket cards.
• The player that holds the button can begin the betting.
• The two players to the immediate left of the dealer are the small and big blind.
• The player following the big blind is first to place a bet before the “flop”.

Seven Card Fixed Limit

• Three cards are played face down and four cards are placed face up.
• The standard poker rules will apply while trying to get the best five card hand as possible.
• Five rounds of bets are available in Seven Card limit.

Texas Holdem No Limit

One of the more preferred and popular forms of poker, no limit Texas Holdem is often played less than the limit of regular Holdem.

• Players will receive two pocket cards at first, then five cards will be dealt to the middle of the table to be used as community cards.
• There is only one small blind and one big blind during game play.
• The bet for Big blind is usually 1% of the buy in for the game.

Omaha Pot Limit

Pot limit Omaha, also known as PLO is one of the tougher games in 7-Game poker in my opinion. Below are some basics rules for PL Omaha.

• All players will use two cards from their own hand and use three cards out of the community spread.
• Omaha pot limit will have a small and big blind, where only those players can make bets before the cards are dealt to them.

If a player(s) run out of betting chips before the game ends, then they are referred to as “all in.” The pot is then divided to form a side pot where that player(s) have no interest in for the rest of play unless they acquire more chips.

If you enjoy variety and fast paced action, you will love the new Full Tilt 7 game poker mix. You will only find this mix at Full Tilt – so if you haven’t registered for a free account with Full Tilt, now is the time to do so.

Big 2 Poker Tips

June 14, 2009

Big 2 Poker is an interesting version of poker that has its birth in China around the beginning parts of the 1980s.  Known as a “climbing” card game, game play dictates that each player takes turns playing a higher card than the player in front of him or her.  Cards can also be played in combinations by one player.  Players also have the option of passing their turn if they cannot beat the previous player’s card in terms of value; however, players who get “caught” with cards at the end of the game must pay a penalty to the winner.  Thus, the goal of the big 2 poker game is to rid yourself of all of your cards during play.  Alternately, if players cannot get rid of all of their cards must attempt to get rid of as many cards as they can, or pay a penalty for having the cards remaining in their hand at the end of the game. So, as you can see, big 2 poker is certainly a huge twist from the traditional poker games that you might be more accustomed to playing.  Let’s have a peek at some big 2 tips for upping your game to its highest level.

Know the Rules of the Big 2 Poker Game

One of the most important factors in determining how successful you will be as a big 2 poker player is whether or not you are well adjusted to the rules of the game.  Players who expect to make money and avoid penalties in big 2 poker know the rule book that controls the game inside and out.

Practice Your Big 2 Poker Game

You may have heard this tip over and over again for games other than big 2 poker, but it is, at any rate, applicable to the big two poker success that you will see – practice, and then practice some more.  It is only through diligent and sound practice sessions that you will master and become a profitable player of any poker game, and big 2 poker is not any different.  If you cannot find an online poker room that offers big 2 on its play list, then get some poker buddies together and learn everything there is to know about big 2.  Your bankroll and your ego will thank you for it.  Practicing will allow you to form the appropriate strategies for playing big 2 like a pro, and help you learn the best ways to avoid heavy penalties along the way. These big 2 poker strategy tips will improve your game.

Selecting the Right Time to Play Your Cards

Enthusiastic big 2 poker players know that there is a time to hold onto the cards in your hand and a time to play them off onto the table.  If you have a great big 2 poker combination but play it too soon, you reveal to your opposition around the big 2 table just how close the game is to its completion. This gives your opponents a great window of opportunity that they can use to get rid of the cards that they might be holding on to.  This reduces your profit potential. You want them to be holding the biggest number of cards possible when you sneak up on them and get rid of your entire hand.

Watching Other Players’ Actions

Again, a universal poker tip that applies to big 2 poker.  Through close observation of your opponents around the poker table, you will be able to determine a number of things, the most important of which is the strength of their hand and thus, the strength of their future plays.  And being able to judge how good your fellow players’ hands are is priceless because this will allow you to begin eliminating the cards that you might have otherwise saved to play later in the game.

Avoiding Penalties

There can only be one winner in big 2 poker.  That means that you are going to lose sometimes.  When you do have to lose, however, you should learn how to avoid the stiffer penalties that are assessed in big 2 poker based on the number of remaining cards in your own hand when someone gets rid of their entire hand.  There are thresholds for penalties that you should be aware of in big 2 poker, including triple penalties for getting stuck with all of your cards.  Getting rid of four cards as soon as possible allows you to duck below the double penalty level, which is comfortable for most players.

London Lowball Poker Strategy

April 14, 2009

London lowball poker is immensely popular in England where it was first played, but has failed to prompt an international audience like its cousins, Razz and stud. London lowball is unique because unlike many games that are similar, the flush and the strait count against a London lowball hand and London lowball is a pot-limit game in most instances. Because players who enjoy and are successful at London lowball must have patience as their biggest virtue, implementing a great London lowball strategy is necessary. This poker strategy guide will help you become a better lowball poker player.

Developing Your London Lowball Strategy

There are some common London Lowball poker strategies that many of the most successful London lowball players enjoy to “up” their game to its most successful. Perhaps even more important than following a specific strategy during London lowball poker game play is learning which particular strategy works the best for your game. Perhaps the greatest strategies often involve hours upon hours of hands on play to master. London lowball is seldom offered online, which means the avid player may need to introduce the game to his poker buddies if he plans to get any quality practice time in!

Learning Which Hands Work in London Lowball Strategy

One thing that the best London lowball players have in common is the strategy of playing the most workable hand possible. To do this, London lowball players must know which hands work – which should be folded, which can be bet on, etc. The best London lowball hand is the ace-two-three-four-six hand. Wondering why there is no five in the best low hand combination of cards? Because straights count against a London lowball player’s low hand, the five would constitute a straight, thus making the hand a high one – which is the opposite of what the goal is in London lowball.

London Lowball Strategy Doesn’t Favor the Bluff

If your normal game of poker allows you to pass off a bluff often, London lowball will be a big change for you. Most of the cards that make up your London lowball hand will be visible to the other players around the table; this fact makes London lowball one of the worst possible games for pulling off an effective bluff – although it is not impossible to do so. This can be to your benefit, however, because most of the bets and raises in London lowball are sincere. You also have the advantage of being able to see the biggest part of your opponents’ hands as well, which serves to give you a better idea of what cards are remaining in the deck and what the chances are that your opponents have the hole cards they need to make a good hand (based on their porch cards).

London Lowball Strategy: Determining Which Cards are Dead

One thing that London lowball want to see (as opposed to other games) is dead cards. Pairs count again the low London lowball hand, thus making holding any pairs a big drawback. Always be observant of what cards are visible in your opponents’ hands when deciding to bet, raise, or fold. For instance, if you see two “threes” on the table or porch, and you have a three in your own hand, you can pretty much be guaranteed that you will not be dealt a three. Of course, there is always that slim chance – but as a rule of thumb, the statistics against getting the fourth three are stacked in your favor.

7 Seven Card Hi-Lo Strategy

April 8, 2009

A winning 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Strategy is much more complex than your standard poker game strategy. Because of the way 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo often awards a split pot to two hand winners, combined with the complicated nature of Hand Development in the Low Hand, you’ll need to concentrate on several aspects of the game to apply a good 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo strategy.

For this 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo strategy, we’ll be covering some of the most important aspects of the game that will ensure minimal losses and maximum profits on the felt.

7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Strategy – Scoop the Pot

In a normal poker game, simply winning can bring in a nice profit. In 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, however, you may be winning only half of the pot, which isn’t nearly as profitable, and, in some cases, may leave you breaking even. If you want to make a worthy profit from 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, your ultimate goal should be to scoop the pot.

Scooping the pot means winning both the High and Low Hand; or winning the High Hand when there is no qualifying Low Hand at the table. Winning both High and Low hands will require an excellent hand. Something like A-2-3-4-5-*-* would be perfect, as the Straight hits the High Hand and A-2-3-4-5 is the best possible Low Hand in 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo.

Another great hand would be something like A-A-A-2-4-5-7. The last four cards don’t have to be exact, so long as they are all 8 or below without pairing. A-A-2-3-5-5-7 would be good as well, with two pair, Aces and Fives, plus the Qualifying Low Hand.

The second option – having no Qualifying Low Hand at the table – requires a very strong High Hand, of course. If you observe the board, you can easily determine that there is no Low Hand coming if all players are showing at least 3 cards of 9 or higher, or two cards 9 or higher and a pair (9-J-K, 9-Q-Q, etc.)

7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Strategy – High Hand First

Many novice 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo players simply don’t realize how valuable the High Hand is. Being dealt a good Low Starting Hand is not enough to move forward with. A hand like 2-3-5 should be Folded immediately. Why? Because it has absolutely no High Hand potential, and the chance of qualifying for the Low Hand is too slim to risk money on.

The Low Hand requires 5 cards of 8 and below with no pairs. You only have 7 cards coming. The odds are stacked against you. Yes, qualifying Low Hands do happen, but without a High Hand to work on, you are likely siphoning chips into a losing pot.

You must at least win the High Hand to ensure minimum losses and maximum profits – the key element to a 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo strategy (or any poker strategy for that matter).

7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Strategy – Door Cards Prevail

In the earliest stages of a 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo hand, the Door Card is the most influential aspect of the game. For instance, if you have a terrible hand, but an Ace in the Door Card position, you will appear very strong against your opponents – especially if they are all showing cards between 6 and J. Placing a good size bet or raise will incite a Fold from most players, allowing you to steal the Antes with a junk hand.

The same works in reverse with a bad Door Card. If your Hole Cards are great, like Pocket Queens, Kings or Aces, your 9 Door Card is a great way to keep your opponents dropping chips into the pot. They assume you are weak, giving you a perfect opportunity to control the pot. Check down from early position, Call from other positions, keeping as many players as possible in the pot.

No Limit Texas Holdem Strategy

February 13, 2009

No Limit Texas Hold‘em is for the high rollers and possibly is the most popular version of poker played in tournaments all over the world. The glitzy settings and the sophisticated technology that one finds at Aced Poker is also conducive to attracting some serious poker talent as well as the eager to begin amateur player. No Limit Texas Hold‘em, in all, has tremendous winning potential, but it is not a game to be taken lightly.

A beginner to No Limit Texas Hold‘em should ideally start off with a low buy-in table; at this level it is easier to pick up the fundamental aspects of game play, without the worry of losing a great deal.

Position plays a very important role in No Limit Texas Hold‘em: Using position decision making, it is possible to corner one’s opponent into surrendering a substantial amount of their stack.

As with Fixed Limit, No Limit also advocates the use of tight and aggressive playing tactics. Tight play involves betting on fewer rounds, and aggressive play includes substantially more betting and raising. Passive players will essentially lose out to the more aggressive skilled player. True, this will limit the losses to a certain extent, but then again that defeats the purpose of a poker game.

Poker play is a study in discipline in many forms – whether in the control of facial expressions or having patience to wait for good hands. Also, more importantly, avoiding tilt is of paramount significance. Tilt is caused by human emotion, something even the most experienced poker hands will have come across as some point of time. Usually it occurs during a spell of bad luck, or what is known in poker parlance, as negative variance; in other words a losing spree. Here is where tilt comes into the picture – reckless play, in an effort to recover past losses. It is hardly a sensible path to take, as however much one may deny it, everyone is susceptible to it, from the best poker players, to the rawest entrants. The best course of action is to take a break from poker altogether, till the impulse to tilt melts away.

A surprisingly underplayed factor in lucrative poker play is table selection. It is important to choose a table carefully – and there are a few rules to aid in this decision. Firstly, choose a table where the opponents are not of the same skill level, and it is easy to beat them. Skill levels can be compared when any opponent’s action can be interpreted accurately. The other main factor is the position on a poker table. Later position betting is more often than not, more successful than early position betting, simply because the later positions have more information. It is important to position oneself on the right of people with large bankrolls, as this is the general direction of money flow. This is a requirement as No Limit games as it here that the players play less conservatively than with other variants of poker games.

Fixed Limit Texas Holdem Strategy

February 11, 2009

Texas Hold‘em is perhaps the most popular version of poker played worldwide. The games are exciting, fast-paced and involve a great deal of skill. Full Tilt Poker offers three variants of the game; Fixed Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit Hold‘em.

Experienced players will need no introduction to Full Tilt, as it is the biggest, most popular gaming site on the Internet, especially for Texas Hold‘em. There are options to play for fun or play online for real money. Both these options are great for new and experienced players respectively.

The Fixed Limit game starts off with every player’s two individual hole cards, and five community cards. The goal of the game is to make the best possible hand using a combination of the two hole cards and the five community cards. The betting in Fixed Limit takes place in four rounds: firstly, the initial bet is made; the second round is the first raise; the third round is the second raise, and the fourth and last round is the cap or final raise.

Bluffing has always been a major component of poker, being a way to convince opponents that the hand a bluffing player is holding is better than it actually is. In Fixed Limit Texas Hold‘em however, it is best to refrain from early position bluffing, or even for that matter, complete bluffing. The limited rounds of betting leaves little room for opponents to force folds from other players. The best route to take is a middle path of semi-bluffing; the hand may not be the highest, but in a showdown, with bluffing, it is possible that it may just turn out to be the winning hand.

The strategy adopted by most players, in fact this technique is advised on the FTP website as well, is to play a tight game in Fixed Limit Texas Hold‘em. This means to play fewer hands, and to fold early with weaker hands. The tight poker playing strategy also allows semi-bluffing or bluffing to be effective. Another tactic used during Fixed Limit is aggressive play, where the players bet and raise. This is in contrast to passive play where the play is mostly more conservative, and therefore is usually made up of checks and calls.

Fixed Limit Texas Hold‘em is an excellent way to practice the skills involved in poker playing. Playing at low-limit tables initially will allow the beginner a chance to hone their tactics and the strategies they adopt. Additionally, other necessary skills like reading one’s opponents or calculating poker odds are best learned at low-limit tables.

The best way to get started with Full Tilt Poker is to avail oneself of their free poker room facility. The process is simple, involving one free download, and registration to the site. The most experienced players in poker have suffered great losses at some point of time or the other; they all agree that it is part of the learning process, and those losses were actually instrumental in making them better players.

Fixed Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Strategy

February 11, 2009

One of the best places to go for secure online poker, FullTilt Poker offers a variety of poker gaming styles. Of the many, one that seems to be gaining in popularity is the Omaha Hi Lo game style. Also known as the Omaha Eight or Better, this poker game has the potential for large wins.

In Omaha Hi Lo, each of the players is dealt four playing cards, known as pocket or hole cards. Then a total of five community cards are dealt which is shared by all the players at the table. The goal is to make the best hand using two cards from the pocket cards, and exactly three from the community cards.

Each player makes two hands, one high and one low. The two hands can use all the four different hole cards, so long as one hand is made up of only two hole cards at a time. The best high hand wins half the pot, and the best low hand wins the other half. A valid low hand can be a flush or a straight, but pairs do not exist in low hands. The cards must be made of denominations less than 8. In the eventuality that there is no qualifying low hand, the best high hand scoops the entire pot – a term also used to describe a scenario when one player has both the best high and low hand.

In Fixed Limit Omaha Hi Lo, there are four rounds of betting that are allowed. The first two rounds consist of betting that must equal the low limit bet. In the subsequent betting rounds, all bets must be equal to the high limit bet. An additional rule in Omaha Hi Lo, is that a maximum of three raises are allowed per betting round.

Since Omaha Hi Lo involves attempting to create the worst and the best possible hands at the same time, the play can get fairly complicated. This can work to a player’s advantage especially when an opponent slips up. The strategy to be adopted is to scoop the pot every time. Winning the pot is always good, but can sometimes be disadvantageous when a split occurs. And even worse scenario is being quartered. Quartering occurs when one hand wins half the pot, and the other half is split by two equal hands. This could actually work out to a loss.

Fixed Limit Omaha Hi Lo poker is perhaps the easiest game to win money at, especially at smaller buy in tables. This is definitely the case if the player has a knack for the poker playing style, because most players find it difficult to grasp its nuances, especially those who are more used to playing Texas Hold‘em. Omaha Hi Lo is a game of less probability that other poker variants, but it also banks on a higher level of skill. Full Tilt Poker is recommended place to start, as they offer a secure environment to try out all the multiple variations of poker.

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