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A lot of people love the game of poker and it is a fact that this game is one of the most popular wagering card sports both online and in the casinos. The fact is, many people play poker for money, but very few are going to be able to play for profits unless they are very careful. These are some tips on how to play to win and actually profit in the long run – the hardest aspect of the game to master. For those who can, the sky is the limit and this can be one of the most lucrative wagering opportunities known to man.

Easy Does It – The main thing to remember is that those who win are the same people who understand when it is necessary to fold. They are the ones who will not take huge risks, but will sit back and make sure that they have a truly good shot at taking the pot before they wager a lot and then lose it. Small wins always beat big losses, so don’t waste a lot of time and energy trying to win every hand. In poker, no one is going to win every hand so figuring out when a fold is the wisest course of action is the smartest path. Easy does it, no need to get too aggressive, especially when you are just starting out at the tables.

Hold It to the Bankroll – One of the best tips for any player is to set themselves a limit that they are going to wager and then stick with it. When the instinct to just put a bit more into the bankroll and play a few more times hits, ignore this because it is not going to help. Poker is a game where being tight with your money is a very beneficial skill so don’t give into the concept of adding money over and over again trying to win the lottery. Poker is nothing like the lottery and to win consistently takes skill as much as luck is involved. Master the game before moving that bankroll up. If you lose too much at first, just shrink that bankroll and see how you do. You could play for $50 worth of a games a week until you profit enough that you don’t need to add more cash. That is smart bankroll management.

Play with Those at Your Level – Yes, it is true that the only way to get better is to play people who are better than you, but this is not the case when starting out. Be sure that you can consistently win against those who are new to poker as you are, whether that be 5 days or 5 years. Get good, make sure you are good and only then should you start testing the waters on risky moves. Keeping your playing style under control and really learning your chops is what this game is all about. This is the way you can gradually build your career and really end up taking the world by storm.

Network: Merge network
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US welcome poker site
Good deposit bonus
Best withdraw options

Few US states not allowed
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Deposit bonus

• 100% up to $650
• $500 freeroll if you use our link

No deposit bonus

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Sportsbook poker bonus

Sportsbook is an established and well respected online casino and sports operator that caters to many beginner and experienced betting enthusiasts. However, their poker system was only launched a few years ago and has yet to become as impressive or useful as some of the other online poker options. Even still, Sportsbook Poker possesses a poker player volume within the top ten of the world and is continually growing.

If you are a fan of Texas Hold ’em you will never run out of options when it comes to games that are running and Sportsbook Poker Tournaments attract quite a few players from all around the world.

Sportsbook continues to grow quite rapidly as it is one of the few online poker websites that still allows US players to take part despite new strict regulations.

What you should keep in mind when playing poker at Sportsbook is the fact that there are often many inexperienced players at the table.  The site recruits players from the sports and casino area into the realm of poker so games end up being much more passive than on other sites.

Promotions

Most of Sportsbook Poker’s promotions come by way of tournaments. There is over $5 million given away each month in the form of tournament prices and the site also offers some WSOP promotions as well. The site also offers buy in tournaments that help weed out the masses and offer generous sign up bonuses for new players.

Customer Service

Sportsbook has received a reputation for satisfying the needs of customers and answering any questions and queries as soon as possible. They do their part to fix any customer complaints and offer a hassle-free experience for all.

Tournaments

Players logged on at Sportsbook Poker can choose to partake in free roll tournaments or opt for one of the many buy-in options available. Either way, the tournaments are the big draw to this event and bring with them some of the most substantial cash prizes online and even unique rewards such as a seat the World Series of Poker.

Software

On the surface, Sportsbook Poker is one of the least appealing networks that you will come across online. However, the software itself is very functional, simple, and user friendly. On top of that, the entire theme and look is about to get an overhaul incredibly soon.

Traffic

The entire site continues to grow quite quickly and during peak hours there are always more than enough games going on at once to please any visitors to the site. No matter your level, there are games to suit your style and even more tournaments you can partake in.

Summary

Sportsbook Poker continues to have a reputation that precedes it in the online poker world and has continued to improve and grow since 1996. The site itself has been featured on ESPN, CNN, CBS, and even in the Wall Street Journal. Whether you are just looking for a quick and loose game, or want to find tournaments that offer substantial prize amounts, you do not need to look any further then Sportsbook Poker.

The deposit bonus 100% up to $650

Sportsbook poker offers a great 100% up to $650 and they also accept US players. Deposit and withdraws are very easy also for US players who often have difficulties cashing out on other poker rooms.

Use the promotion code FIRST100PK in the cashier. By using our link you will also be eligible to play in the $500 freeroll that runs every Wednesday (look under Special tab > Scheduled Tournaments)

Fundamentals of poker are important. It is not just the newbie player that could benefit from learning about the hard core basics of poker, most all players could use a refresher on the fundamentals if we are honest with ourselves. Poker is an intense game, whether it is played online or in a casino and those who expect to be able to win on a regular basis are going to have to do what they can to get these brass tacks down so that they can build their career. By getting a solid grasp of these essentials, nearly anyone can succeed, even early on in the game.

Know the Hand Values – This can not be said enough. The really important basic of poker is to know exactly what each hand is worth. Memorizing this is the real key to creating a mind set that is ready to win every single time. There is no way to win every game of poker, of course, but those who are serious about success know they have to never have a question in their mind about which hands top which other hands. A hint of hesitation can really kill the emotional momentum of a player so being confident is a way to get that edge over others at the table. The players who never have a 2nd thought about which hand will triumph in a given poker game are going to out perform everyone else around them, hands down.

Discipline – This is the next skill set to acquire and it is worlds more difficult to really master. In life, very few people ever achieve even mediocre discipline in most pursuits, much less something as intense and exciting as poker. However, this is the way that the pros bring in millions so it is certainly worth trying to get a good grip on. Don’t go for broke every time, don’t lay out a lot of cash unless totally certain of victory, or at least quite certain. Become a cool, calm and collected player that really enjoys the game and winnings are going to be much easier to come by and the end, which is what we all want from poker games.

Learn About Odds – Math is one skill that might be boring in school, but it is totally crucial in a poker game setting. Not having a solid grasp of math can hurt one more deeply than could be imagined because knowing the odds is a key to effective betting. There is no use putting down a pile of chips on a bet that was a long shot and then ending up upset over the loss. The real key here is to win by making intelligent bets because one understands the odds and how they are in favor or against one at the table. Study odds and study well.

Practice – Well, here’s a dirty little word, but it is the truth. Those who really excel at this game in all of its complexity know the value of serious and regular practice. The real skills come trhough trial and error whether or not money is involved. They are going to try their hand at game after game just to sharpen those skills and get better.

For those who are running their own tournament, knowing when to raise the blinds can be a big key to making the tourney go off without a hitch. This is a good piece of information to have because it can make the difference between an exciting game and a dull one, or one that is too frantic versus one that flows along at the right pace. Blinds, in the end, are all about pacing. This is the first part that you want to decide about your poker tournament and getting it right means a big success.

The first thing you need to decide on is how big the blinds are going to be each time you raise them, meaning what the amount will be in terms of an increment (ex: $5 versus $50 each time the blind is raised). For each raise you need to make sure that you have the chips available to do what you want. You can make a small chart and list the size of each blind raise, even scaling the amounts into bigger raises as you go. Remember to keep in mind the comfort level of your players. A home game should probably stick to small raises because players may not want to end up wagering hundreds of dollars at the table in this setting. Five dollar raises are good, twenty dollars might be pushing it. If you aren’t sure, ask around and get the opinion of the players prior to beginning the tourney.

Most people like to play a few hands in a home game before they begin. Five hands can be good before a blind is raised. This helps make the game more exciting at a set pace. Each dealer will do things a little bit differently, but as long as your players are happy with things that is what matters the most.

The real scoop in poker is that the game, just like any game that relies on both strategy and chance, ends up having a heavy element of chance. Those who are trying to game the system in poker get upset when they hit what is called a bad beat. The first thing you need to know is that a bad beat is going to depend upon who is describing it. There is no one way to call a bad beat and all it means is that the hand the person thought would surely win ends up not winning. This ends up meaning that a bad beat can cause a truly bad attitude at the table. There really is no excuse for this since we all know, when we sit down to play poker over the web or in person, that luck is going to have its way with us no matter how smart we think we are.

If you’ve seen Casino Royale, the movie, then you know a bad beat is sometimes as simple as a strong hand getting beaten by an even stronger hand. This angers some people and you are liable to see them storming off after they lose this way. Still not cool, so just avoid acting this way since poker is about more than cash, it’s about having fun, too. The river will sometimes favor someone with what appears to be a weaker hand. Do not let this get to you. There are people at the pro level who just can not fathom why the hand they simply knew would win ends up getting beaten by a less worthy hand they could never have seen coming. They will throw a tantrum, but this serves no purpose. The best math genius in the world can never predict the arrival of the bad beat.You have been warned.

However there are several poker rooms that offer a bad beat jackpot for example Carbon Poker. The badbeat jackpot at this poker room is at this moment (1 August, 2010) $241.000. So this means that if you have a bad beat you still can win a lot of cash.

Carbon poker also accepts US players. If you are interested in Carbon poker click here and get the full bonus of 100% up to $600.

Oh, the joys of earning money over the web playing everyone’s favorite game – online poker. The fact is, this is a lot easier to do than many people really believe. If you are just starting out, then be sure to read up all you can to get an advantage. There are plenty of tips, tricks, hints and even guides or tutorials for online poker that can really help you out. There are also lots of practice rooms where no money is on the table and you need to do your best to take advantage of the learning that can happen in these rooms. Meet people, connect and ask questions while you play. You’ll discover that there is a whole world of help to get you started.

But what if you already play and you want to know how to raise your income? This is easy enough, the one way to get your skill level up is to play a ton of online poker. This is going to help you in terms of experience, but you need to keep a golden rule in mind: fold often. That’s right, too many who play poker never get better because they try to win every single pot. This just plain will not work. You need to learn when to fold, as Kenny Rogers would tell you. You need to know when it’s time to let the game go and take a loss. Taking a loss is the most important thing you can do because you will lose less if you lose when you know losing is best.

The next big thing to remember is that small bets are the way to big pots. Don’t blow your wad on a few big money games. Get good at gathering up the small wins from one game to the next. Use these to get you to the next level and you’ll be making money in no time.

Want to start playing poker for real money? You can try Full Tilt Poker, the largest poker room in the world.

They offer a generous bonus of 100% up to $600. Make sure you read our Full tilt Poker review.

Those that want to be able to make it big at get to the pro level in online poker have got a long road ahead of them in many ways. It’s said that poker is a game that takes only a a short time to learn, but it takes a life time to master. The art of bluffing is a very well known aspect of this game and there are plenty of references in pop culture to this fact, but most of the time, in a non online setting it is really easy to bluff. It is a matter of reading the people at the table and just figuring out how to work their perceptions to your advantage.

Simple enough, really, but the game really changes when it comes to poker on the web. The fact that you can not see your opponent’s faces, read their body language, hear their tones in speaking or perform any other of a number of popular ways of figuring out what they think – this is a pretty significant road block. That is, until you begin to think about ways to work the whole web interface to your advantage in poker. You see, those who play online a lot know that much of how players judge one another comes in terms of not just what is said in the chat box, but also in the speed of decision making.

Think about it: a player who is confident about their hand is most likely going to play fast because they expect to win so there are not too many worries they have to mull over when it comes time to make a decision. A player who holds a poor hand is going to take their time trying to calculate whether to raise, call, etc.

One you know this, bluffing online is a cinch. Start playing poker on Full Tilt Poker or Everest Poker.

Full Tilt poker has a very generous first deposit bonus of 100% up to $600 and they also accept US players.

Everest Poker gives $200 bonus to all new players who deposit a minimum amout (minimum deposit is only $5). Everest Poker does not accept US players.

Who would not want to be the lucky player that got their name in this article? Obviously, all of us who love our poker and have ambitions of going pro with no other job to get in the way are definitely going to find a lot of fun in playing poker for a living. We want to be able to reach for the stars and pull down pots brimming with cash, but it is not an easy thing to do. Let’s take a look at where we would need to aim if we did want to win the largest pots and be part of history:

Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson vs. Guy LaLiberte – Texas Dolly, the real poker legend went head to head against the guy that made Cirque du Soleil in a TV episode of High Stakes Poker that has gone down in history as truly epic. It was a tough fought show down, but in the end old Texas Dolly hauled in a record for the show’s history, $800k in cash. Pretty amazing for a TV show win.

Tom “durr” Dwan vs. Phil Ivey – Remember the Million Dollar Challenge from Full Tilt Poker? Ivey and his pal durr went face to face in a big match with a blind that started at a grand. That alone got things off to a huge start and then things really heated up. In the end, durr pulled in $1.1 million – the biggest TV win ever.

Patrik Antonius vs. Isildur1 – We saved the best for last because we know online poker is the best of the best. Turns out, the largest pot ever won in all of poker was won by Antonius who defeated his unknown opponent to pull in $1.3 million. How is that for the luckiest online poker player ever on the web?

Everybody in the world of poker knows that as good as a person is in every single tourney they play, without a bracelet it can be pretty depressing. After all, this is the way we poker players show off our skills and it can mean a great deal to win one after years of polishing your skills. It seems like a great idea to pay tribute to some of the guys that have made a lot of money in poker but really have never gotten to win a bracelet. Of course, keep in mind that this list could change any year now as their fates change and they bring home that proof of poker domination. For now, though, here is a list of the best poker players who still haven’t got a bracelet, but really ought to get on in the future:

Tom Dwan – This guy who goes by the totally tongue in cheek name of durr online, is definitely one of the finest of the fine. He’s young and definitely has a really amazing set of skills and a sharp eye, too. He can play hard and win big, so here is hoping Mr. Dwan pulls down a bracelet soon enough. Tom often plays on FT poker.

Andy Bloch – Here is a man who was part of the MIT black jack team. He’s a math whiz and seems to have a knack for finishing in 2nd place during big tourneys. He plays like a pro and deserves a big win to keep him going. Best of luck, Andy.

Mike Mizrachi – Does The Grinder really need an introduction? He has brought down almost $7 million in wins so far but no bracelet. That is amazing and he really should win one soon if fate is kind. After all, he is a huge credit to this sport.

Double or nothing sit and go guides are not necessarily a new idea or playing option, but since the games began appearing on Poker Stars interest has increased ten-fold. The main draw for these games is the fact that half of the players within the game receive double their buy-in back at the end of the game. This type of game play offers great potential when it comes to building up and managing your bankroll. Players that are looking to work towards profitable wins and grind out money through online poker will often want to turn to double or nothing sit and go.

In terms of this game form, Poker Stars is one of the most popular sites to play on. While you may be able to find a number of other sites that offer this type of game, Stars has become known for having the most options and the most amount of players ready and willing to play this game variety.

With that said, let’s delve into what exactly Double or Nothing SNGs are and how they essentially work?

Double or Nothing sit and go’s are single table tournaments that start with ten players and end when there are 5 players left. When this happens, the players that are left at the table receive double the amount of money that they bought in while the 5 eliminated players lose it all. Poker Stars and other sites offer options such as turbo and standard blinds and most tournaments have antes that kick in when 2 or 3 players have been eliminated.

In most cases the buy in prices are the same for both turbo and standard versions are the same but the rake is lower for turbo games based on the speed of the game and the smaller reward that is offered in the end of the game.

Building Bankroll with Double or Nothing SNGs

The main reason why it is easier to build bankrolls with this game variety is the fact that each game only needs 2 or 3 players that do bust early in order to lead to major profits over time. Most of these tournaments and games have more players than that that will not adjust accordingly to the game, which opens up the door to opportunity for you.

On top of that, the game is also very straightforward in many ways. In these double or nothing games you will be folding more often and you will decide to play hands during the pre-flop which takes a lot of the guesswork out of the game itself. This decrease in decision making gives smart players the chance to play at a number of tables at once and improve their earnings per hour over time. The faster games create more earning power as long as you play it right.

In the end, the appeal of Poker Stars double or nothing SNGs is that there are a number of soft players that are throwing their money away in order to have fun. If you haven’t used Poker Stars as of yet, these games are the perfect time to start and see just how much you can build up your bankroll. Newbies love these fun games and forget to adjust their strategy accordingly, which gives you the opportunity to really build your bankroll fast without too much risk.

In the end, the fact is that both Full Tilt and Poker Stars offer a wide range of advantages and benefits to players. The final decision in terms of which site is better often boils down to personal preference. However, in many ways Poker Stars is more appropriate for recreational players while Full Tilt is the main draw for experienced players looking to hone their game.

Pokerstars is your best bet when it comes to Double or nothing SNGs. You also get a 100% up to $600 bonus if you use the bonus code STARS600.

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