Spanish Poker
By launchpoker, Sep 2, 2008
Spanish Poker
Aka – Synthetic Poker. It’s played in Spain and usually has a no limit structure. It's unusual because in this variation the deck consists of 28 cards (8-A). Ace can act both as the highest card and as the lowest one (7).
In this game there is an ante. The players are dealt two cards. One card is dealt face up. Then there is a round of betting. Another card is dealt face-up. And so on until there are 5 cards on the board.
Then to make a hand you must use both of your two cards and 3 from the board. You can’t 4 board cards. Now let’s suppose that you have: Kh Qc. And the board cards are: Jh 2h 7h 9h Ad.
Sorry, but you don’t have a flush. Another thing about flush - in this poker variation it can beat a full house.
Intra in lumea jocurilor de carti si joaca cele mai frumoase jocuri de casino si de carti . Gasesti Jocuri de poker, solitaire... Alege sa te joci jocuri de carti pentru ca alegi in acelasi timp cel mai bun mod de distractie si oriunde ai fi vei uita de plictiseala.
Sunday 18 October 2009
Monday 21 September 2009
a letter from Vicky Coren
Dear INTELLIGY,
For Richer, For Poorer:A Love Affair With PokerThis might be the most nerve-racking week of my life: book publication week. I have written a personal memoir of my life playing cards, called For Richer, For Poorer:A Love Affair With Poker.
Details are available on my website here, and you can buy the book on Amazon here. It will also be stocked in the PokerStars VIP Store soon, and I have read some extracts for PokerStars.tv which you will find here.
I am very proud of the book, but nervous about people reading it. Of course it is full of happy things – lucrative moments of victory, funny stories about the game and anecdotes about the famous faces - but it is also very honest about the dark times, the periods of low confidence and the heartbreak that came from falling in love with a fellow poker player. Once everyone’s read it, I half-wonder if I will ever dare go into a card room again.
But of course I will be going into a card room again very soon, because it’s nearly time for my favourite tournament of the year: the EPT London. The book tells all about my victory in this event in 2006, going through all the hands I played at the final table and how I won it. If you feel confident you’re going to win this year, read it
quickly now for a taste of what it’s going to feel like!
From September 23, you’ll be able to buy in for the main event in London directly online at PokerStars.com. But there are still plenty of cash and FPP satellites to get in far cheaper – just look in the PokerStars lobby under ‘Events’ > ‘EPT’.
And I am especially pleased that this year’s London festival will also include many other variants of poker: Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, round-of-each Holdem/Omaha and two magnificent 8-game tournaments. There’s a £2000 European 8 Game Championship for the high rollers and a gentler £500 version later. Full schedule for the festival is here:
http://www.europeanpokertour.com/tournaments/london/index.html#lon2
Good luck and I’ll see you in London. If you’ve bought the book and you disagree massively with my opinion of Las Vegas or the way I played that pair of sixes, you’ll find me at the table…
Best wishes,
For Richer, For Poorer:A Love Affair With PokerThis might be the most nerve-racking week of my life: book publication week. I have written a personal memoir of my life playing cards, called For Richer, For Poorer:A Love Affair With Poker.
Details are available on my website here, and you can buy the book on Amazon here. It will also be stocked in the PokerStars VIP Store soon, and I have read some extracts for PokerStars.tv which you will find here.
I am very proud of the book, but nervous about people reading it. Of course it is full of happy things – lucrative moments of victory, funny stories about the game and anecdotes about the famous faces - but it is also very honest about the dark times, the periods of low confidence and the heartbreak that came from falling in love with a fellow poker player. Once everyone’s read it, I half-wonder if I will ever dare go into a card room again.
But of course I will be going into a card room again very soon, because it’s nearly time for my favourite tournament of the year: the EPT London. The book tells all about my victory in this event in 2006, going through all the hands I played at the final table and how I won it. If you feel confident you’re going to win this year, read it
quickly now for a taste of what it’s going to feel like!
From September 23, you’ll be able to buy in for the main event in London directly online at PokerStars.com. But there are still plenty of cash and FPP satellites to get in far cheaper – just look in the PokerStars lobby under ‘Events’ > ‘EPT’.
And I am especially pleased that this year’s London festival will also include many other variants of poker: Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, round-of-each Holdem/Omaha and two magnificent 8-game tournaments. There’s a £2000 European 8 Game Championship for the high rollers and a gentler £500 version later. Full schedule for the festival is here:
http://www.europeanpokertour.com/tournaments/london/index.html#lon2
Good luck and I’ll see you in London. If you’ve bought the book and you disagree massively with my opinion of Las Vegas or the way I played that pair of sixes, you’ll find me at the table…
Best wishes,
Thursday 17 September 2009
WSOP Main Event on ESPN
The ninth and tenth hours of ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event took us through the highs and lows of Day 3, the first day of play in which the entire field was united in one room. A pair of Melbourne-dwelling Aussies took center stage this week, with 2005 Main Event champion Joe Hachem and triple bracelet winner Jeffrey Lisandro dueling on the featured table. These two were certainly familiar with one another’s tendencies at the table, as they’ve spent countless hours playing together in high-stakes cash games at the Crown Casino. Pairing the icy Lisandro with the tiltable Hachem was an interesting lesson in contrast, with only one of the boys from Down Under surviving to play the next day.
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PokerStars League 2009
Cast of Characters: While Hachem and Lisandro ruled the main featured table, Kenny Tran captained the secondary along with Ville Wahlbeck, the only player remaining in the field that could wrest 2009 Player of the Year honors away from Lisandro. Tran was later joined by the always-entertaining David “Devilfish” Ulliott while out in the field Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman, J.C. Tran, Peter Eastgate, Greg Raymer, Phil Hellmuth, Jean-Robert Bellande, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jason Alexander, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Josh Arieh, Dennis Phillips, Jordan Farmar, Hevad "Rain" Khan, Joe Sebok, and Kent Senter worked on growing their chip stacks.
Advertisement
PokerStars League 2009
Cast of Characters: While Hachem and Lisandro ruled the main featured table, Kenny Tran captained the secondary along with Ville Wahlbeck, the only player remaining in the field that could wrest 2009 Player of the Year honors away from Lisandro. Tran was later joined by the always-entertaining David “Devilfish” Ulliott while out in the field Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman, J.C. Tran, Peter Eastgate, Greg Raymer, Phil Hellmuth, Jean-Robert Bellande, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jason Alexander, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Josh Arieh, Dennis Phillips, Jordan Farmar, Hevad "Rain" Khan, Joe Sebok, and Kent Senter worked on growing their chip stacks.
Monday 24 August 2009
New Poker event arena in london
The forest city locker room
RED HOT POKER TOUR
It's hot and it's here 6 nights a week.
You can register at 5:30 pm
The best poker around with the best prizes anyone can offer
RED HOT POKER TOUR
It's hot and it's here 6 nights a week.
You can register at 5:30 pm
The best poker around with the best prizes anyone can offer
Saturday 16 May 2009
Top 10 Online Poker Playing Tips
Want to become a better player, fast? Follow these 10 tips to boost your poker performance & profits. While geared to beginner players, there's poker tips that even seasoned pros should remind themselves of once in a while.
1. Don't Play Every Hand / Do Fold More
Probably the number one mistake beginning poker players make is that they play far too many hands. When you're just starting out playing poker, you want to play poker, and that means staying in hands that aren't very good just to be part of the action. But playing more doesn't mean winning more, it usually means losing more. If you find you're staying in half or more the hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade your starting hand requirements.
2. Don't Play Drunk
Countless nights have I sat across a table from someone & watched them get plastered silly and throw away their entire stack of chips. I've been that person too - and there are nights where you're just playing with friends for low stakes and it's more about the fun than the poker - but if you're in a casino, watch the alcohol. The truth is, while you may be more relaxed after 2 drinks, it may lead to you playing looser and less sharply, even if one's not 'drunk.'
Related: Vote: Should Poker Players be Allowed to Drink at Tournaments?
3. Don't Bluff Just For Bluffing's Sake
A lot of beginner's understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but not exactly how. There's is NO rule that one must bluff a certain amount or at all during a poker game, but many players don't feel like they've won unless they've tried a poker bluff. Bluffs only work in certain situations & against certain people, and if you know a player always calls to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that player. It's better never to bluff than to bluff "just to bluff."
Learn more about bluffing dos and don'ts
4. Don't Stay in a Hand Just Because You're Already In It
Another common mistake beginners make is to think that "Well, I've already put that much in the pot, I have to stay in now." Nope. You can't win a pot just by throwing money at it. There may be cases when pot odds warrant a call, but if you're sure you're beaten, and there's no way your hand can improve to be the best hand, you should fold right away. The money you've already put in the pot isn't yours anymore, and you can't get it back just by playing a hand all the way to the end.
5. Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Keep Someone Honest"
This one follows the last tip. I see a lot of players look at another player's final bet, look at the hand, & say "I know you've got me, but I have to keep you honest," as they throw in a final call. It may be worth it to see if a player really has the hand if you're not sure & you're gaining information that will help you later on, but if you really feel a player has the hand he's representing & you're beat, why give him another pile of your money? Those bets will add up over an evening.
6. Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad Mood
When you play poker, you shouldn't do it to escape from being depressed or having a really bad day. You start out on tilt -- playing emotionally, not rationally -- and you won't play your best. Likewise, if during a poker game, you lose a big hand or get sucked out on and feel yourself going on tilt, stand up & take a break until you feel calm later on. Fellow players will sense your mood & take advantage of it.
7. Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table
When you first start playing, it's enough just to remember how to play and pay attention to your own hand. But once you've got that down, it's incredibly important to look at what's going on at the table. In Texas Hold'em, figure out what the best possible hand would be to fit the flop. Make sure you notice flush & straight possibilities. In 7-card stud, pay attention to what's showing & what people have folded when you consider calling opponents.
8. Do Pay Attention to the Other Players
As you play, one of the single best things you can do is observe your opponents, even when you're not in a hand. If you know if one player always raises in a certain position, & another has a poker tell when he bluffs, & a 3rd folds to every re-raise, you can use that information to help you decide how to play against them. Once you know that player 3 always folds to a re-raise on a river, that's when you can bluff & steal a pot.
Learn more about reading poker tells
9. Don't Play at too High Limits
There are many reasons people move up to a higher limit game than they usually play. Good reasons like they've been winning consistently at a lower lever & are ready to move up, & bad reasons like the line is shorter for higher limits or you want to impress someone. Don't play at stakes that make you think about the actual money in terms of day-to-day life or with money you can't lose. Even if you had one super-good night at $2/4, resist the urge to play $5/10. The next tip explains more why.
10. Do Pick the Right Game for Your Skill Level & Bankroll
One of the reasons you shouldn't jump into a $5/10 game after winning a huge bunch of money at $2/4 is because as the stakes rise, so does the average skill level of the players sitting there. You want to be one of the best at the table, not the fish who sits down with sharks. If you're making stacks of money at a lower level game, why move? You're winning stacks of money. The swings up & down at higher limits are much bigger, and one big night's win won't last long at a high-stakes game.
1. Don't Play Every Hand / Do Fold More
Probably the number one mistake beginning poker players make is that they play far too many hands. When you're just starting out playing poker, you want to play poker, and that means staying in hands that aren't very good just to be part of the action. But playing more doesn't mean winning more, it usually means losing more. If you find you're staying in half or more the hands you're dealt, you need to upgrade your starting hand requirements.
2. Don't Play Drunk
Countless nights have I sat across a table from someone & watched them get plastered silly and throw away their entire stack of chips. I've been that person too - and there are nights where you're just playing with friends for low stakes and it's more about the fun than the poker - but if you're in a casino, watch the alcohol. The truth is, while you may be more relaxed after 2 drinks, it may lead to you playing looser and less sharply, even if one's not 'drunk.'
Related: Vote: Should Poker Players be Allowed to Drink at Tournaments?
3. Don't Bluff Just For Bluffing's Sake
A lot of beginner's understand that bluffing is a part of poker, but not exactly how. There's is NO rule that one must bluff a certain amount or at all during a poker game, but many players don't feel like they've won unless they've tried a poker bluff. Bluffs only work in certain situations & against certain people, and if you know a player always calls to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that player. It's better never to bluff than to bluff "just to bluff."
Learn more about bluffing dos and don'ts
4. Don't Stay in a Hand Just Because You're Already In It
Another common mistake beginners make is to think that "Well, I've already put that much in the pot, I have to stay in now." Nope. You can't win a pot just by throwing money at it. There may be cases when pot odds warrant a call, but if you're sure you're beaten, and there's no way your hand can improve to be the best hand, you should fold right away. The money you've already put in the pot isn't yours anymore, and you can't get it back just by playing a hand all the way to the end.
5. Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Keep Someone Honest"
This one follows the last tip. I see a lot of players look at another player's final bet, look at the hand, & say "I know you've got me, but I have to keep you honest," as they throw in a final call. It may be worth it to see if a player really has the hand if you're not sure & you're gaining information that will help you later on, but if you really feel a player has the hand he's representing & you're beat, why give him another pile of your money? Those bets will add up over an evening.
6. Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad Mood
When you play poker, you shouldn't do it to escape from being depressed or having a really bad day. You start out on tilt -- playing emotionally, not rationally -- and you won't play your best. Likewise, if during a poker game, you lose a big hand or get sucked out on and feel yourself going on tilt, stand up & take a break until you feel calm later on. Fellow players will sense your mood & take advantage of it.
7. Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table
When you first start playing, it's enough just to remember how to play and pay attention to your own hand. But once you've got that down, it's incredibly important to look at what's going on at the table. In Texas Hold'em, figure out what the best possible hand would be to fit the flop. Make sure you notice flush & straight possibilities. In 7-card stud, pay attention to what's showing & what people have folded when you consider calling opponents.
8. Do Pay Attention to the Other Players
As you play, one of the single best things you can do is observe your opponents, even when you're not in a hand. If you know if one player always raises in a certain position, & another has a poker tell when he bluffs, & a 3rd folds to every re-raise, you can use that information to help you decide how to play against them. Once you know that player 3 always folds to a re-raise on a river, that's when you can bluff & steal a pot.
Learn more about reading poker tells
9. Don't Play at too High Limits
There are many reasons people move up to a higher limit game than they usually play. Good reasons like they've been winning consistently at a lower lever & are ready to move up, & bad reasons like the line is shorter for higher limits or you want to impress someone. Don't play at stakes that make you think about the actual money in terms of day-to-day life or with money you can't lose. Even if you had one super-good night at $2/4, resist the urge to play $5/10. The next tip explains more why.
10. Do Pick the Right Game for Your Skill Level & Bankroll
One of the reasons you shouldn't jump into a $5/10 game after winning a huge bunch of money at $2/4 is because as the stakes rise, so does the average skill level of the players sitting there. You want to be one of the best at the table, not the fish who sits down with sharks. If you're making stacks of money at a lower level game, why move? You're winning stacks of money. The swings up & down at higher limits are much bigger, and one big night's win won't last long at a high-stakes game.
Monday 11 May 2009
2009 WSOP Preview: Downtown Las Vegas
The most common off-the-strip side trip taken by Las Vegas visitors is a step back in time to downtown Las Vegas. Not that Casino Center Drive is all that retro these days; there are fits and starts of remodels and rebuilds going on all over downtown. But downtown Las Vegas will always be a reminder of what the old days were like, simply because they don’t blow up casinos downtown – they rework and remodel instead.
There are two ways to begin your downtown Las Vegas adventure. Take “The Deuce” bus on the Strip heading north and get off downtown on Fremont Street, or you can jump in a cab anywhere and say: “Take me to Binion’s.” Let’s take a cab.
The cabbie will drop you off under the covered portico at Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel (formerly known as Binion’s Horseshoe). As soon as you step inside, you will find yourself looking out over a sea of poker tables. You are walking into the Binion’s poker room tournament area. During the Series, there is likely to be at least one tournament running from the Binion’s Poker Classic series. If you head up the right side of the casino, you will come to the new cash-game poker room and the relocated Poker Hall of Fame and WSOP Wall of Champions. A lot of poker players start and finish their downtown tour right here in the poker room at Binion’s.
Advertisement
If you are determined to see more of downtown, just walk out the wide-open back wall of the casino onto Fremont Street. Look up and you will see the structure for the Fremont Street Experience. One very good reason to be downtown after dark is to see the light show that goes off here every hour, every night.
If you look down to your left, you will see those folks who took The Deuce strolling up Fremont Street; once they join up with you we can continue on the tour. Immediately to the right of Binion’s is your chance to have a deep fried Twinkie, a deep fried Oreo, or several other delectable choices. Don’t kid yourself, we all tried them once.
Continue on down Fremont Street and you will see the Plaza Hotel & Casino at the far end. Once a thriving casino with a great poker room, the Plaza has fallen on hard times, but it still looks imposing as it covers the end of Fremont Street. You will also see the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino. This one is worth a closer look. Situated at One Main Street, Las Vegas, the Golden Gate is one of the oldest operating casinos in town and the preserved interior still has a great feel. The cafeteria in the back still has those great shrimp cocktails, but the price has gone up a bit recently.
Heading back down Fremont Street, across the street from Binion’s is the Golden Nugget. This place has been completely redone over the last two years. It has a nice poker room, if a bit cramped for our taste, but you want to walk towards the back of the property to the pool area. Here you will see a swim-up shark tank and yes, that water slide goes right through the center of the tank.
Back out on Fremont Street, walk down two blocks past other casinos (Four Queens, Fitzgerald’s) and down to the El Cortez Hotel & Casino. On this block you will see some of the vintage neon signs from early Las Vegas, which have been restored and moved here to Fremont Street. These neon signs are truly unique and worth seeing at night, while you take in one of the jazz clubs or restaurants in this up-and-coming section of downtown Las Vegas.
If you are looking for a really spectacular view, head back over to Binion’s and try the Ranch Steakhouse on the top floor. As the name suggests, the restaurant offers a wide variety of generously-portioned meat dishes, or you can just head up there for a drink and the long-distance view of the dazzling Las Vegas skyline.
There are two ways to begin your downtown Las Vegas adventure. Take “The Deuce” bus on the Strip heading north and get off downtown on Fremont Street, or you can jump in a cab anywhere and say: “Take me to Binion’s.” Let’s take a cab.
The cabbie will drop you off under the covered portico at Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel (formerly known as Binion’s Horseshoe). As soon as you step inside, you will find yourself looking out over a sea of poker tables. You are walking into the Binion’s poker room tournament area. During the Series, there is likely to be at least one tournament running from the Binion’s Poker Classic series. If you head up the right side of the casino, you will come to the new cash-game poker room and the relocated Poker Hall of Fame and WSOP Wall of Champions. A lot of poker players start and finish their downtown tour right here in the poker room at Binion’s.
Advertisement
If you are determined to see more of downtown, just walk out the wide-open back wall of the casino onto Fremont Street. Look up and you will see the structure for the Fremont Street Experience. One very good reason to be downtown after dark is to see the light show that goes off here every hour, every night.
If you look down to your left, you will see those folks who took The Deuce strolling up Fremont Street; once they join up with you we can continue on the tour. Immediately to the right of Binion’s is your chance to have a deep fried Twinkie, a deep fried Oreo, or several other delectable choices. Don’t kid yourself, we all tried them once.
Continue on down Fremont Street and you will see the Plaza Hotel & Casino at the far end. Once a thriving casino with a great poker room, the Plaza has fallen on hard times, but it still looks imposing as it covers the end of Fremont Street. You will also see the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino. This one is worth a closer look. Situated at One Main Street, Las Vegas, the Golden Gate is one of the oldest operating casinos in town and the preserved interior still has a great feel. The cafeteria in the back still has those great shrimp cocktails, but the price has gone up a bit recently.
Heading back down Fremont Street, across the street from Binion’s is the Golden Nugget. This place has been completely redone over the last two years. It has a nice poker room, if a bit cramped for our taste, but you want to walk towards the back of the property to the pool area. Here you will see a swim-up shark tank and yes, that water slide goes right through the center of the tank.
Back out on Fremont Street, walk down two blocks past other casinos (Four Queens, Fitzgerald’s) and down to the El Cortez Hotel & Casino. On this block you will see some of the vintage neon signs from early Las Vegas, which have been restored and moved here to Fremont Street. These neon signs are truly unique and worth seeing at night, while you take in one of the jazz clubs or restaurants in this up-and-coming section of downtown Las Vegas.
If you are looking for a really spectacular view, head back over to Binion’s and try the Ranch Steakhouse on the top floor. As the name suggests, the restaurant offers a wide variety of generously-portioned meat dishes, or you can just head up there for a drink and the long-distance view of the dazzling Las Vegas skyline.
Wednesday 6 May 2009
when to go all in playing no limit holdem
No limit holdem is not like any other poker in that you hand is not as important as your playing style.
To win hands easily ( percentage wise ) you should play tight for a few hands
fold repeatedly then with or without a real hand go all in if most other players before you fold and the board does not show a pair.
Just cooly slide all the chips to the centre and give no eye contact to any opponent
JUST WATCH EM FOLD!
To win hands easily ( percentage wise ) you should play tight for a few hands
fold repeatedly then with or without a real hand go all in if most other players before you fold and the board does not show a pair.
Just cooly slide all the chips to the centre and give no eye contact to any opponent
JUST WATCH EM FOLD!
Tuesday 7 April 2009
Knowing what to do and when to do it
If you are playing for money, every poker action’s results are part of a mathematical equation. The fact most players don’t think about the math doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Rhonda and Billy’s bluffs led to a mathematical result. But if Billy is sitting there proud of himself for finding the $1300 profitable what, he sure is missing the boat. Finding the proper what -- Billy knowing that a bluff is the right move -- is a relatively basic, rudimentary skill. It sure isn’t the end of the road. It’s merely the elementary school part.
Great players routinely change the math of their situations. They execute the how in ways that makes them win bets that other players do not get. And winning limit poker is all about bets -- a bet won here, a bet saved there, a pot stolen here, a successful snapping off of a bluff there.
Suppose after the river card is dealt, you are last to act against three opponents and you hold the nut hand. Obviously you bet. That is a what that isn’t in doubt at all. But your job as a player isn’t over -- the how you make that bet could be the difference between getting one or two or three callers (or getting checkraised!). If how you make that bet can get you one or more extra bets from your opponents, as a player you sure better be trying to find the right how. The mathematically correct move is to bet, but if betting quickly with your left hand instead of slowly with your right wins you an extra bet, you sure should be betting with your left hand, and not merely patting yourself on the back for having the sense to bet the nuts in the first place.
Finding the right action is not nearly as important as making it work. How (and why) you do everything matters a lot more than what you do. Think "how am I going to do this" and not merely "what am I going to do."
Great players routinely change the math of their situations. They execute the how in ways that makes them win bets that other players do not get. And winning limit poker is all about bets -- a bet won here, a bet saved there, a pot stolen here, a successful snapping off of a bluff there.
Suppose after the river card is dealt, you are last to act against three opponents and you hold the nut hand. Obviously you bet. That is a what that isn’t in doubt at all. But your job as a player isn’t over -- the how you make that bet could be the difference between getting one or two or three callers (or getting checkraised!). If how you make that bet can get you one or more extra bets from your opponents, as a player you sure better be trying to find the right how. The mathematically correct move is to bet, but if betting quickly with your left hand instead of slowly with your right wins you an extra bet, you sure should be betting with your left hand, and not merely patting yourself on the back for having the sense to bet the nuts in the first place.
Finding the right action is not nearly as important as making it work. How (and why) you do everything matters a lot more than what you do. Think "how am I going to do this" and not merely "what am I going to do."
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