Poker and The Art of Checking

Here’s a simple tip that requires some restraint to use. Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” outlines a fundamental tip of warfare as something like this. If you are weak your enemy should think you are strong, when your strong, your enemy should think you are weak.

Although poker was probably the last thing on his mind when writing The Art of War, the principles of this concept could not be more relevant, with this in mind let’s look at making your opponent think you are weak when you have a strong hand.

An over-eagerness to bet is one of the clearest “tells” of a good hand – there is little point scaring off everyone with an aggressive bet on the best hand you’ve had all night, you are telling your opponent you may have a great hand.

By checking or just following with the current bets you are giving nothing away as to how highly you rate your cards or at worse your opponent’s will think your hand is weaker than it is.

This is an ideal scenario since other players may begin to think they have the edge even with a much weaker hand which will lead to more players staying in, and for more rounds of betting, which of course will lead to more money in the pot.

Here is where the real beauty of playing in such a caged and controlled way comes in – after the “river card” is dealt you can bet big and bet aggressively and with confidence. This hammer blow is unexpected by your opponent’s they are forced to question the hand they once thought may have just been enough to steal the pot. but they are now faced with a complex physiological dilemma they feel a commitment to the investment already made in the pot, some players may find this commitment overwhelming and match your bet, many will fold as they realize they have just been ambushed by a true poker Samurai.

In either case, you should have landed a good size pot by keeping people in and committed to the betting for longer. There are other benefits too, delivering a large shock bet like this is a great way to pick up on your opponents tells, so when you make the bet look at the other players, not your chips, looking at your chips doesn’t tell you anything, looking directly at the other players can tell you everything.

The other benefit of betting like this is that from then on your opponents will have even less idea about the state of your cards when you check and bet low in the future which puts you in a strong position within the group dynamic and allows you to play the flip side of the coin making them think you have a strong hand when it may be weak.

Essential Advice For Playing Poker Online

Playing poker online is now one of the most popular internet pursuits on the planet. The sheer number of players now playing poker online at established sites like skypoker.com means that there is a suitable game for literally everyone, regardless of experience and skill level. As well as the instant access that poker online provides to gaming, the internet is also a valuable source of information that can introduce not only the basic rules but a wealth of strategic and tactical information to the new player. This can allow beginners to amass a great deal of knowledge in a short space of time, but the benefits of all of this research can be completely negated if you don’t take the correct approach to the game. For more information about basic poker strategy, look here.

In a physical, bricks-and-mortar casino there are layers of etiquette and table rules which help the player focus on the task at hand. These include a ban on wearing headphones at the table or reading a book, and in many casinos, you will not be allowed to play with a crib sheet next to you. While this last stipulation is handily absent from games of poker online, giving beginners a valuable chance to make learning the game a bit easier, the other rules can also be ignored when you play at home – but this is not necessarily a good thing.

Distractions can kill your ability to maximize good opportunities in a game of poker. Good poker play is not just about looking after your own hand, it is about observing the way that other players are approaching the game. Unlike blackjack, you are not playing against the house, and so you need to be able to pick up as much information as possible about the players around you.

Don’t listen to loud music, or try watching the TV while you play. If you are getting bored with concentrating solely on the game itself it is probably time for you to take a break – and you can do this and easily return to the table whenever you like, this is one of the advantages of playing poker online. For the same reason, don’t take calls on your mobile, or otherwise engage in conversation with others around you when playing poker.

One of the more dubious benefits of playing poker online is the ability to play multiple games simultaneously, but this can easily lead to you spreading your concentration too thinly. If you stick to one game – as you would in a brick-and-mortar casino – you will stand a much better chance of winning.

Online Blackjack Safety

Providing you choose to play blackjack online with a well-used, popular, safe, and reliable online casino, you can be confident in proceeding with your game. Having a concern with the use of online casino games is common and completely understandable. If you are searching for a reputable online casino, you merely need to spend some valuable time researching. Overall, gambling online is safe. With nearly everything in life, however, there are pros and cons to playing a traditional casino game, like blackjack online.

There are never any guarantees when gambling, however finding a reputable casino online makes gambling online that much easier. Having peace of mind when you gambling can make a pathway for your mind to play clearly and more effectively. When looking for a reputable casino, you can easily find directories of online casinos or look for player reviews. This is an easy and fast way to find the right casino for you. Reading player reviews can give you the insight that you look for. There will usually be directories for specific online casino games, so researching the reputable sites you desire is very easy.

What you want to look for when you seek a reputable online blackjack game that fits your needs are quite common and should not be hard to find. Firstly, try to find an online casino that offers a user-friendly interface. This way, if you have any questions or are looking for anything specific, you will be able to get to the topic, or find your answer, quickly and easily. Next, be sure that when you try to find the online casino you want, you see one that offers a secure website. This is most commonly and easily notable with the secure padlock icon found on the right side of your URL browser. When the site is secure while you input your data, you can rest assured that this is a safe and secure site.

Be sure that when you sign up for an online blackjack game you can easily read or gain access to the stipulations and regulations regarding the site. Gaming commissions will usually verify the security, accountability, reliability, integrity, and payability of online casinos. Because of this and the legality of many online gaming sites, you should feel comfortable signing up for any online casino.