Online poker Best is a new poker rooms guide for 2012 that ranks and reviews tons of poker brands, mainly the top-rated ones that people actually play at. There are loads of rankings and reviews for over 50 poker rooms.

Anyways, just thought i’d update a post on here, mainly for myself so i can reference this in the future. Im bout to eat dinner before logging into carbon poker and hopefully building my sng bankroll so i can move up the the $5 buy-in levels.

I love poker, it has many variations. Normally, I love to play short handed no-limit-texas-holdem sit-n-gos, but lately i’ve been experimenting alot more with pot-limit omaha cash games.

I think a large part of my recent success has been just being interested in the fun of the game. Being, interested in the uniqueness of a new game can often cause you to play with a more fresh strategy and stick to what wins.

Anyways, just thought i’d write a post about having fun while playing online poker. Poker is indeed a GAME. Make sure that you have fun with the games you choose to play and winning will follow.

In fact, limit casino poker games are once again gaining ground in popularity. limit texas holdem casino poker tourneys differ from NL events in somewhat the same way as limit and NL cash games are different, but not exactly. We’ll get to that in a minute.

limit casino poker tourneys move more slowly cuz Ur entire chip-stack won’t be at risk until U’re small-stacked, or until the blinds have significantly risen and almost everyone has fewer chips than they would like.

Some experts suggest that U can play more aggressively in limit games precisely cuz Ur losses are limited.

U cannot be eliminated on any single hand unless U find Urself with few chips, facing big and antes, or both. According to these mavens, U ought to come in for a raise if U come in at all. In other words, either fold or raise – don’t call.

That’s a fairly simplistic approach, so let’s dig a bit deeper and see how well this strategy holds up.
How Limit poker tourneys are Different to limit holdem Cash Games

One of the differences between tourney and cash game play is that in casino poker tourneys newbs have to consider the relationship between their chips to the blinds in addition to the hand that they are playing. When a player’s chip count is small in relation to the blinds and antes he has to take more risks or suffer the pitfalls of having himself eaten alive by the blinds. But that’s not the case in a casino poker cash game, or at the beginning of a tourney, or even during re-buy events cuz U can always buy more chips if U go broke during the first few blind ranges.

At the beginning of most limit poker tourneys, every player has a big number of chips in relation to the blinds, and as a consequence play can proceed just as it does in limit cash games.

In other words, when everyone has plenty of chips, U can play as U would in a holdem cash game, without regard to the relationship between Ur chips and the size of the blinds or whether U have more, or fewer, chips than others in the pot with U.

U can usually afford to pursue flush or straight draws to their conclusion in limit casino poker games. If there’s $60 in the pot and the betting limits are $20, U can call a bet with a flush draw cuz the pot is offering U 3/1 on Ur money while the odds against making Ur flush are only 2/1 – never mind any additional real money U plan to make if Ur flush pans out and Ur opponent keeps calling while U continue betting.

But in a NL tourney Ur opponent can easily price U off Ur draw by forcing U into a nearly even-money bet when U are a 2/1 underdog. He can do this even while the blinds are low in relation to persons’ chip counts early in the event. If he bets $200 into a $60 pot and U call, U’re facing a 1.3/1 price against a 2/1 pot-odds proposition – and that’s a money loser over time.

Later on in limit events, when the blinds have grown quite big in relation to most newbs’ chip counts, drawing hands become unplayable cuz they consume too big a portion of one’s chips on a hand that’s not favoured to win the pot. But when U have a big pocket pair, two big cards such as A-K or A-Q, or U’re on a pure bluff, raising is almost always a superior idea than calling.

Why Aggression Dominates CAsino Poker Games

Most of us have a propensity to call unless there’s a specific reason to fold or raise. But calling actually runs afoul of one of poker’s best strategic precepts: be careful with selection, but be aggressive. The need to be selective is almost self-evident. The player who gets involved in too many hands will win his share of pots and then some, but a poker player’s objective should center on winning money, not pots, and playing too many hands is a surefire way to go broke. This is true whether U’re playing fixed or NL, cash games or casino poker tourneys.
Dip Into Ur Chips

In limit casino poker tourneys the same concept of relative chip worth that U find in NL casino poker tourneys comes into play, although not until later in the event, and then only if U are short-chip-stacked. When U have only a few chips, they are worth more on a relative basis than each chip is when it’s part of a big chip-stack.

If this seems to fly in the face of logic, try thinking in terms of Ur percentage oftourney equity rather than absolute chip value. In other words, if U have 100 chips and are able to win or lose one, the gain or loss to Ur tourney equity is small – only 1%. But when U have only ten chips, losing or winning a single, solitary chip makes a difference of 10% of Ur tourney equity.

When U get into desperate mode – suppose U have only five chips remaining – winning an additional chip results in a 20% gain in equity. In other words, the fewer chips U have left, the more precious each one is, and when U are nearly down to the felt, U simply can’t afford to take a flyer on a weak hand if U hope to remain in the tourney.

When U get into desperate mode – suppose U have only five chips remaining – winning an additional chip results in a 20% gain in equity. In other words, the fewer chips U have left, the more precious each one is, and when U are nearly down to the felt, U simply can’t afford to take a flyer on a weak hand if U hope to remain in the tourney.

Early in a tourney, particularly in a limit event, chips have the same sort of relative worth that they do in cash games, and fixed beting limits prevent U from losing all U have on one hand. A bet on the flop in a limit tourney is the size of the big blind and is usually a small percentage of the pot.

That’s why newbs stick with flush and straight draws in limit texas holdem casino poker tourneys, never mind the fact that when the pot is raised it is only one more bet to call. When the pot grows big and the odds against completing Ur flush are not even 2/1, U can afford to risk a few chips for a sizeable reward.

But a flush draw in a NL event might force U to commit most or all of Ur chips on this betting round or even the round that follows. Most newbs prefer to gamble their tourney lives on a made hand, even if it’s no more than one pair, than go out on a failed draw.

In limit casino poker tourneys U won’t find many newbs releasing top pair, top kicker, overpairs, or two pair, and U’ll seldom see them release a set unless the board is very threatening. But in NL casino poker tourneys newbs run the risk of losing all their chips unless they are able to release hands like these when circumstances dictate.

Every skillful player can tell U a story about getting a distinct and overriding feeling that he did not have the best of it when an opponent bet enough to force him to commit his entire tourney life to the pot if he decided to call. That’s when sets are ditched. And although no-one is ever happy about releasing big hands, folding a strong hand and losing some of Ur chips is a lot superior than dying with a losing hand – even in Fixed Limit.

Poker newbs don’t gain anything by falling on their swords, and when it’s a choice of tourney elimination versus living to play another hand, just take solace in the words of general George Patton, when he said: “The idea of war is not to die for Ur country. The idea is to make the other fellow die for his.”

Playing selectively and aggressively is a universal component of winning poker. Aggressive play gets extra money in the pot for the player who is favoured to win cuz he has the best hand. He can also win if his opponent folds to his raise. Aggressive play provides two roads to winning; passive play provides only one.

In limit casino poker tourneys U can afford to raise cuz U do not have to fear a big, over-the-top re-raise, as U would in NL events. If U raise in a NL tourney, there’s always the risk of someone re-raising U all-in. That’s when U have to throw away hands like top pair with top kicker, two pair and sometimes even a set.

Along with folding Ur hand, U are also relinquishing any money U beted – which can be a relatively hefty sum. But while Ur opponent can always re-raise in a limit game, whether it’s a cash game or tourney, the size of that re-raise is limited and if U have a lots of chips, losing one additional bet shouldn’t hurt you too much. Poker’s ‘be selective, but be aggressive’ mantra suggests that unless there’s some overriding reason to call, folding or raising is usually a superior decision in the long run.

now there are definitely players who play alot of online poker that sometimes hop around, bonus hunting, or checking out particular or special tournament offerings at specific rooms, but when it comes down to it there are only a few places worthy of being the best place to play online poker.

now, that list can indeed grow according to your individual characteristic.  Do you live in the usa? well, you’ll have to play at a room that allows you to play there.  Do you live in the uk? well you can play pretty much anywhere.  The best sites accept USA players, thats why they offer the most game selection and promotions.  But there are also some great UK poker sites that are publicly traded and liscensed in a local jurisdiction.

Other than those two considerations – - location and traffic, there really isn’t a whole lot else to consideder.  The biggest rooms offer the best game selection (convenience and variety) and promotions (what we all love) AND security, as these rooms are huge moneymakers and in the public spotlight.  They are making so much money just allowing players to play there that it is not in there interest to make bad business decisions that spread like wildfire in poker communities.

Anyways, i hope that gives you a decent idea of what the best place to play poker might look like.  Here is another page talking about the best poker rooms to play at… and how to get the most out of a sign up.

Eliminate Outside Distractions

I’ve found that, most of the time, simply freeing myself of distractions and other influences that might affect my mind-set is the most effective way to renew my focus and see improved results. Here are a few tips that have worked for me:

Get rid of distractions ahead of time – This means turning off the TV, cell phone and keeping the music down to a low volume. If U have kids or pets to take care of, be sure their needs are tended to before U play your game.

Disciplined Routine

Develop a regiment – This means everything from signing up the same time before a tourney to sitting in the same seat at the poker table. Every time I take my seat, I click the “sit here” option on the bottom seat exactly in the middle. This helps me to focus.

I never have to change my eye level and look for my seat, as I always felt a little awkward if my seat was in a corner position or at the top. Plus, just getting into a routine this way helps me focus on the poker game at hand.

Preparation

Be prepared to play – This covers everything from being rested, clean and focused, to making sure U have no time commitments that are going to get in the way of your current game. If U are playing an MTT holdem tourney with 2,000 players, U should anticipate that U will be playing for the next 6 hours or so. Clear Ur schedule. Do not play if U have later plans. Also, be sure U have eaten and used the bathroom (take a dump) before U start. Just as is in live poker games, failure to do this will result in U missing potentially valuable hands at the table and missing opponent information processing. The breaks are short; be sure U have snacks or drinkage readily prepared so U can re-fuel in a timely fashion.

Distractions At The Online Poker Table

Eliminate distractions at the table – In addition to sitting in the same spot each time, I recommend turning off all avatars and avoiding chat at all costs. Many avatars appear intended to distract U and, let’s face it, some of them will accomplish their goal. Whether it’s a picture of a  buxom beauty that has Ur attention, or some other sort of violent or semi-graphic image, it’s relatively easy to have Ur attention drawn to these skimpy images. Eliminate that possibility by turning the display feature off. Also, keep chatting to a minimum. If Ur adversary sys “nh” or “nice hand” after losing a pot to U and U believe his sentiment is sincere, a “ty” or “thank U” is acceptable, but do not draw out the conversation. If he is clearly being sarcastic, ignore him. Resist the temptation to engage in petty battles, even if someone types an offensive sentiment such as “nice call, donk.” Engaging in extended chats will only distract U from the current game and task at hand, and could possibly put U on tilt. Leave tilting to Ur adversary.

Do not play if U are hungry, pissed, lonely, horny or tired. As previously stated, be sure U are fed if U intend to play a long tourney. If U are angry, from taking terrible beats or for some other personal reasons, it’s never a good idea to play because U will have a compromised mindset. Playing to kill time before U go to bed is usually a not-so-good idea, too, as U will have sub par focus and be tempted to make decisions U normally wouldn’t make.

Be Competitive

Play better than Ur adversary – Isn’t this always the goal when U play? Of course, but this is meant in the most basic sense. Online poker players notoriously play way too many hands, try too many novice bluffs and overvalue and overplay starting hands. They refuse to fold when they clearly are beat, and shove all-in when they obviously are behind. The masses are asses … don’t be one of these people. Make sure that you don’t lose sight that patience is still a key skill in online poker.

Many beginners seem to crave instant gratification, and all it leads to is an early bust-out. So let everyone else ram-and-jam in every pot, and put all their chips in the middle on a 3-outer. U, meanwhile, sit back and pick Ur spots. Be selective about Ur starting hands, and don’t be afraid to fold when U are beat. Don’t make novice calls or push with mediocre hands just because U’ve been running cold. U’d be surprised how huge an advantage a little patience will give U over Ur enemies. use this article as a guide to optimal online poker play

I’m trying to focus on not playing so much at once and just register in 2 or 3 multi table tourneys a week at the 20-50 dollar buy in range.

I plan on primarily playing At Absolute Poker.

I’ve always liked Absolute Poker when playing online poker, probably just because it was the first place i seriously played at because of their college tuition tournaments.

its usually good i think to get established somewhere and not to over think the game, just play and learn at you’re pace. Decide what you like about online poker and do your best to develop solid strategy and discipline. — quick online poker guide

AK and KQ suited or unsuited never hit, KK, QQ and JJ always lose…WTF am I suppose to play!!

They say play the cards and percentages…Funk that, I’ll will stick with the mind game! and Funk my cards, percentages and pot odds! shit, fuck, cock!

It’s exciting to be able to follow along like on TV but you can actually see every hand and not just the all-ins. What a great way to see online poker played at it’s highest level.

I think it can really be a great learning tool. I like to try to predict what each player’s next move will be. I was surprised at times and shocked at others.

It’s a great watch. I highly recommend watching as much live poker and tournament replays as you can stand. It really helps you to see that poker isn’t as complicated as it sometimes seems. Its simply a battle of making correct plays over an extended period of time. Online poker is such an intriguing game