Pocket Aces
A pair of Aces is the most powerful starting hand in Texas Hold’em. The nickname for this hand is Pocket Rockets or American Airlines. No matter which name you prefer it is the most desired starting hand in the game. But don’t plan on seeing it too frequently. There are 1326 two cards combinations that can be made from a 52 card deck and there are 6 combinations for each pocket pair. 1326/6 = 221 so your odds of being dealt pocket aces, or any other pocket pair, are 220 to 1.

If you were playing a game of two card showdown, you pockets aces would win every time. However in Hold’em there are still five more community cards to come. Your pocket Aces will win about 80% of the time when you are heads up with just one player but will only win about 35% against ten players. Getting beat when you have pocket aces is known as getting your aces “Cracked.†For this reason you want to narrow the field when you have aces. You will do this by raising and re-raising the pot. Too many times a player will try to slow play their pocket Aces and just limp in with then allowing other players to get into the hand cheaply. They then get drawn out on and then complain about the bad beat they took. In reality it’s their own fault for not narrowing the field with a rasie. The other reason to raise is to get the most money in the pot for the times that your aces win. This swill make up for the times the hand does not hold up.

Pocket aces just about play themselves. You can play them from any position. There is not much thought involved, as the only decision you have to make pre-flop is whether or not to raise. Playing single aces need a little more thought.

Single Ace
Many players look down and see a single ace as one of their starting hands and get all excited. They think they have found a winning lottery ticket that they need only to bet tow cash in. This is partly due to the fact that you will only have an ace in your starting hand about 15 percent of the time. But a single as is not as strong as some players think it is. Many losing Hold’em make the mistake of playing a Single ace from Any Position. In my logbook I put the acronym SAP for this type of player and that is actually what many of them end up being when they play a single Ace.

If you are in a ten handed game and hold a single ace the probability that no one else holds an ace is about 25 percent. In other words, when you have an ace there is a 75 percent chance that someone else also has an ace as well. The second card that is with your ace is the kicker. When you play a single ace with a small kicker this is known as playing a weak ace. Playing a weak ace from early position is incorrect as you can be raised and re-raised. If you don’t flop an ace you will probably lose money. If there is another player in the hand who has a bigger kicker you will be a loser if an ace comes on the flop and your hand does not improve.

If you start with a single ace you will pair one or your cards on the flop about 32 percent of the time. Half of the time it will be your kicker rather than your ace. If you have a big kicker you will sometimes be better off matching your kicker on the flop. If it gives you top pair you will also have the top kicker to go with it.

As a good player you will not be playing a single from any position however there are many players, especially in low limit games, who will. If an ace flops and you don’t have one you have to be prepared to fold if you can’t beat a pair of aces or have a good drawing hand that can improve. We all know that sinking feeling when we rasie with pocket Queens and Jacks only to see an Ace fall on the flop. With a few Single Ace Players in the game we usually have to let it go and save money.

Laying Down Aces
It’s not only smaller pairs that you will need to lay down at times. Occasionally you will have to release your pocket Aces. If you have two black Aces and three hearts come on the flop, you are probably up against a flush if there is a bet and a raise. Many players refuse to lay down pocket Aces no matter what cards are on the board. A good player will accept defeat and toss the Pocket Rockets before it costs them more money. It’s not fun to dump a hand that only comes about every 220 hands or so but that’s what a winning player does.

Until next time, remember:
“Luck comes and goes…Knowledge Stays Forever!â€

source About.com ~ Bill Burton

Everyday new players are discovering the excitement of playing poker in the cardrooms around the world. Texas Hold’em is rapidly becoming the most popular poker game among low-limit players. Learning to play the game correctly can make a difference between being a winner and a loser. Here are 6 books that will help the novice player improve their knowledge of the game.

1) Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em: by Bill Burton
This is the book that was inspired by my “From the Kitchen to the Cardroom†series. I explain how to play Texas Hold’em and share my personal experiences in learning the game. It is everything you need to know to get started playing winning Texas Hold’em.

2) Winning Low-Limit Hold’em: by Lee Jones
This book is written specifically for low-limit players. It does not cover a lot of advanced poker theory, but rather focuses on solid poker play that will help you win in low-limit games. Whether you are a beginner or experienced low-limit player you will learn some valuable information from this book. Lee Jones writes for a national poker magazine and has an extensive knowledge of the game.

3) More Hold’em Excellence: by Lou Krieger
Lou Krieger is one of the top poker writers in the country. This book will teach the novice how to play and will help improve your Texas Hold’em game if you are an experienced player. Lou has a unique way of explaining the concepts needed to win at Texas Hold’em that is easily understood by the novice as well as the advanced player.

4) Hold’em Poker: by David Sklansky
This book was one of the first books written about Texas Hold’em. It was originally published in 1976 and was updated in 1997. Sklansky introduced the concepts of slow playing and semi-bluffing. The chart of starting hands has become the standard for winning players. Sklansky is considered one of the foremost poker authorities in the world.

5) Winner’s Guide to Texas Hold’em: by Ken Warren
This is a good book for the novice player. It stresses tight solid play and good hand selection. The writing is easy to understand. The book contains a good analysis of the types of players you will meet in low-limit games.

source About.com ~ Bill Burton

How To Play

This year the Poker explosion rocked the world as televised matches made their way to TV and into the living rooms of millions of viewers. The coverage of the World Poker Tour on the Travel channel and ESPN’s broadcast of the World Series of Poker has sparked the interest of the “kitchen table†poker players as well as some people who have never played poker before.

The game that has everyone buzzing is Texas Hold’em.
However before you race down to the casino and sign up for a high stakes tournament you need to learn the basics of the game and get some playing experience in low limit games. The matches you see on television are No Limit Texas Hold’em games. That means that at any time a player can bet all of his chips. This is a great format for tournaments but as a beginning player you will want to first learn to play Limit Texas Hold’em. Limit games has structured betting rounds and you are limited to the amount of money you can bet during each round. More precisely you will want to play Low Limit Texas Hold’em as you learn the game. Some of the low limit games you will find in the cardroom are have a betting structure of $2/4, $3/6 $4/8. After you gain experience you can move up the higher limits or No Limit if you desire, but you must learn to walk before you can run. Let me explain the game and then give you some winning tips to get started.

How to Play.
Texas Hold’em is a deceptively simple game to learn but a harder game to master. Each player is dealt two personal cards and then five community cards are turned up on the board. You make the best five card hand using any combination of the seven cards. For this example we will use a low limit structure of $2/4. There are four betting rounds and the first two have a limit of $2 and the last two rounds have a limit of $4. You must bet or raise only the amount of the limit for that round.

The Start
To start a new hand two “Blind†bets are put up or “Posted.†The player immediately to the left of the dealer puts up or “posts†the small blind which half the minimum bet one dollar. The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind which is equal to the minimum bet which is two dollars for this game. The rest of the players do not put up any money to start the hand. Because the deal rotates around the table, each player will eventually act as the big blind, small blind and dealer.

The Opening
Each player is dealt two cards face down with the player on the small blind receiving the first card and the player with the dealer button getting the last card. The first betting round begins with the player to the left of the big blind either putting in two dollars to “Call†the blind bet, or putting in four dollars to “raise†the big blind or folding his hand. The betting goes around the table in order until it reaches the player who posted the small blind. That player can call the bet by putting in one dollar since a dollar blind was already posted. The last person to act is the big blind. If no one has raised, the dealer will ask if they would like the option. This means the big blind has the option to raise or just “check.†By checking the player does not put in any more money. A rookie mistake sometimes occurs here. Because the blind is a live bet live, the player with the big blind has already put his bet in. I have seen some players throw their cards in not realizing that they are already in the hand. Another rookie mistake is betting or folding your cards when it is not your turn. You must wait before you act.

The Flop
After the first betting round is completed, three cards are dealt and turned face up in the middle of the table. This is known as the “Flop.†These are community cards used by all the players. Another betting round begins with the first active player to the left of the dealer button. The minimum bet for this round is again two dollars.

The Turn
When the betting round after the flop is completed, the dealer turns a fourth card face up in the middle of the table. This is referred to as the “Turn.†The minimum bet after the turn is now four dollars and begins again with the first active player to the left of the dealer.

The River
Following the betting round for the turn, the dealer will turn a fifth and final card face up. This is called the “river,†and the final betting round begins with four dollars being the minimum bet.

The Showdown
To determine the winner, the players may use any combination of their two hole cards and the five cards on the “Board†(Table) to form the highest five-card hand. In some rare cases the best hand will be the five cards on board. Don’t count on that happening too often. In that case the active players will split the pot. A sixth card is never used to break a tie.
… end

source About.com

The game of Caribbean (Stud) Poker originated in the Caribbean Islands, and soon spread to casinos in North America and Europe, becoming increasingly popular. Caribbean Poker is based on the card rankings of five-card stud poker, except that the player bets against the house instead of against other players. Caribbean Poker is played with one 52-card deck with no Joker, and the deck is reshuffled after each hand.
The player places an initial wager (ante), and receives five cards face up. The dealer also receives five cards; four cards face down and the final card face up. Now it’s the player’s turn to decide to stay in the game (raise) or fold. If the player decides to “raiseâ€, he/she must place an additional wager, exactly twice the initial “ante†wager. If the player decides to fold, he/she forfeits the “ante†wager. After the player has made his/her decision whether to raise or fold, the dealer reveals the remaining four cards. The dealer must “qualify†to play by receiving a poker hand consisting of an Ace/King or higher.

If the dealer’s hand does not qualify, the player receives a 1 to 1 payout (even money) on his/her “ante†wager, and the “raise†wager is retuned without additional winnings. If the dealer’s hand qualifies, the dealer compares his/her cards to the player’s cards. If the player’s hand is higher in rank than the dealer’s hand, the player wins and receives a 1 to 1 payout on the “ante†wager, plus winnings on the “raise†wager, according to the payout table below.

If the dealer’s hand is higher in rank than the player’s hand, the player loses both “ante†and “raise†wagers.

If the dealer’s hand and the player’s hand “tie†(all five cards are identical in rank - suits are not considered), the “ante†and “raise†wagers are both pushes, and the bets return to the player.

Winning Combinations (in case dealer’s hand qualifies)

Ace/King:
A hand consisting of an Ace and King (for example: A,Q,2,K,7).

One Pair:
A hand consisting of a single pair (for example: A,A,Q,J,6).

Two Pair:
Two sets of pairs of the same card denomination (for example: Q,Q,3,6,6).

Three of a Kind:
Three cards of the same denomination (for example: K,K,K,Q,10).

Straight:
Five consecutive denomination cards of different suit (for example: 6,7,8,9,10. An Ace can be the starting card or the ending card - A,2,3,4,5 or 10,J,Q,K,A ).

Flush:
Five non-consecutive denomination cards of the same suit (for example: 2,5,10,J,A and all cards of the same suit - Spades, Hearts, Clubs or Diamonds).

Full House:
A set of three cards of the same denomination plus a set of two cards of the same denomination (for example: K,K,K,A,A).

Four of a kind:
Four cards of the same denomination (for example: 7,7,7,7,J).

Straight Flush:
Five consecutive denomination cards of the same suit (for example: 5,6,7,8,9 and all cards of the same suit - Spades, Hearts, Clubs or Diamonds).

Royal Flush:
Five consecutive denomination cards of the same suit, starting from 10 and ending with an Ace (for example: 10,J,Q,K,A and all cards of the same suit - Spades, Hearts, Clubs or Diamonds).

Video-Poker.biz

Pai Gow poker is a variation of the Chinese domino game Pai Gow. Pai Gow first appeared around the mid-1800’s, and Pai Gow poker started gaining popularity in 1986 in Californian card rooms. Pai Gow is played with a 53-card deck - a standard deck of 52 cards and one Joker (the Joker may only be used as an Ace, or to complete a Straight, Flush or Straight Flush). Pai Gow poker is played one on one, the player against the dealer (or banker), each competing to make the best possible hands. After placing an initial bet, both player and dealer receive seven cards. The object of the game is for the player to split (or “set") the seven dealt cards into two hands - a five-card “High†hand, and a two-card “Low†hand. The cards must be set in such a way that the five-card hand has a higher poker rank than the two-card hand.
For example, the player’s hand is: 6,7,8,9,10,A,A. The player sets the pair of Aces as the Low hand, and 6,7,8,9,10 (straight) as the High hand. The dealer’s hand is: 2,2,2,A,K,4,5. The dealer sets the Ace and King as the Low hand, and 2,2,2,4,5 (three of a kind) as the High hand. The player beats both the dealer’s High and Low hands, thus winning the round.

The hands are ranked according to standard poker rules, with the exception that an A-2-3-4-5 straight is the second highest straight. By the way, the best Low hand is a pair of Aces. After the player finished arranging his/her hands, the dealer arranges his/her hands according to a set of fixed rules (the “House Way"). The player’s two hands (High and Low) are then compared with the dealer’s two hands (High and Low) to determine the winner. In order to win, both the player’s High and Low hands must have a higher poker rank than both the dealer’s High and Low hands (according to the Pai Gow Poker Hand Ranks table below).
If the player’s two hands beat the dealer’s two hands, the player wins an amount equal to the initial bet minus a 5% commission.

If both of the dealer’s hands beat both of the player’s hands, the dealer wins.
If the player wins only one of the two hands, the game is a push and neither the dealer nor the player wins.

If either the five-card hands or the two-card hands rank exactly the same, the equal hands are called “copies†of each other. The dealer wins all copy hands. For example, if the player beats the dealer in the High hand but copies the dealer with the Low hand, the game is a push. In case of a push, all bets are returned to the player.

Pai Gow Poker Hand Ranks (from highest to lowest)

The only real difference between Pai Gow poker hand ranks and standard poker hand ranks is that a five-Aces hand (four Aces and a Joker) beats a royal flush, and is the highest hand in the game.

Rank Hand Description
1 Five of a Kind Four Aces and a Joker
2 Royal Flush Five consecutive denomination cards of the same suit, starting from 10 and ending with an Ace - 10,J,Q,K,A
3 Straight Flush Five consecutive denomination cards of the same suit
4 Four of a Kind Four cards of the same denomination
5 Full House A set of three cards of the same denomination plus a set of two cards of the same denomination
6 Flush Five non-consecutive denomination cards of the same suit
7 Straight Five consecutive denomination cards of different suit
8 Three of a Kind Three cards of the same denomination
9 Two Pairs Two sets of pairs of the same card denomination
10 One Pair Two cards of the same denomination

Video-Poker.biz

Albeit it’s European origins, poker can be considered a true “All American†gambling game. What started as a simple five-card game evolved into many variations, up to today’s popular Video Poker. Video Poker, or Draw Poker, is played the same way that poker is played. The dealer uses a single 52-card deck with no Joker, and the deck is reshuffled after each hand. Odds in Video Poker depend on player’s ability. There is an element of skill in making the best decisions, of which cards to keep, which, unlike Slot Machines, will determine whether and how much you can win. The player is dealt one five-card poker hand. After the first draw, which is automatic, you may hold any of the cards and draw again, by pressing the ‘Deal/Draw’ button, to replace the cards that you haven’t chosen to hold (to hold a card simply click on it and a “Hold†sign will appear). All winning hands and their payoffs are listed on the machine and explained below. The object is to get the best possible combination so that you earn the highest payoff on the bet you placed.

Winning Combinations
Jacks or Better:
A pair pays off only if the cards in the pair are Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. Lower pairs do not pay off.

Two Pair:
Two sets of pairs of the same card denomination (for example: Q,Q,3,6,6).

Three of a Kind:
Three cards of the same denomination (for example: K,K,K,Q,10).

Straight:
Five consecutive denomination cards of different suit (for example: 6,7,8,9,10. An Ace can be the starting card or the ending card - A,2,3,4,5 or 10,J,Q,K,A ).

Flush:
Five non-consecutive denomination cards of the same suit (for example: 2,5,10,J,A and all cards of the same suit - Spades, Hearts, Clubs or Diamonds).

Full House:
A set of three cards of the same denomination plus a set of two cards of the same denomination (for example: K,K,K,A,A).

Four of a kind:
Four cards of the same denomination (for example: 7,7,7,7,J).

Straight Flush:
Five consecutive denomination cards of the same suit (for example: 5,6,7,8,9 and all cards of the same suit - Spades, Hearts, Clubs or Diamonds).

Royal Flush:
Five consecutive denomination cards of the same suit, starting from 10 and ending with an Ace (for example: 10,J,Q,K,A and all cards of the same suit - Spades, Hearts, Clubs or Diamonds).

Video-Poker.biz