Guys have their poker nights and now you can do the same with the gals. Here are some tips to hosting your first ladies poker night.
Not everyone knows how to play so make sure that you explain the rules before you begin. You’re also going to want to have some fun food and since it’s ladies only- you may want to add a girlish touch with pink poker chips and plates.
Good luck!
There’s a difference between someone who enjoys testing their luck in gambling and someone who is addicted to betting.
The easiest way to help a loved one who is addicted is by first understanding their addiction. It also is good to know what signs and symptoms to look for.
According to HELPGUIDE.org
You or your loved one may have a gambling problem if you/they:
-Feel the need to be secretive about your gambling.
-Have trouble controlling your gambling.
-Gamble even when you don’t have the money.
-Family and friends are worried about you
From Daniel Negreanu at Chron.com:
The best players in the world rely on small ball poker when playing in No Limit Hold’em tournaments. And though it is the optimal strategy, it’s not meant for players of all skill levels. You must have superior hand-reading and people-reading skills for it to be effective.
You’ll play a lot of hands in small ball poker which means you’ll often face difficult situations with marginal cards. That’s why this approach is simply too advanced for beginning players.
In my book, Power Hold’em Strategy, I teach two distinctly different strategies. One is targeted at the experienced player who is looking to get to the next skill level. The other is an entry level approach that seemingly contradicts some of the basic tenets of small ball poker.
Here’s the first tip for beginners: Avoid playing small pots against experienced players because you’ll almost certainly be outplayed after the flop. Instead, make much larger bets before and after the flop. Also, play fewer hands, especially when out of position.
On the other hand, experienced small ball players should come in for a slightly smaller raise when they are first to enter the pot. A raise of 2 ½ times the big blind is about right.
Say you’re dealt 7c-8c with the blinds at 50-100. A skilled small-baller would raise the bet to 250. Not so for a novice player; he should avoid playing the han
d altogether. You see, experienced players can get away with playing more hands pre-flop because they are less likely to make mistakes after the flop.
A novice, though, needs to play much tighter before the flop. And when they do get a playable hand, they need to make larger raises — as much as five times the big blind.
Large raises serve multiple purposes for the beginning player. They apply pressure on skilled opponents who like to play a wide range of funky hands. They also improve the beginner’s chances of taking down the blinds and antes without a fight. Finally, they can help novices avoid difficult decisions after the flop by inducing skilled opponents to lay down their hands.
Remember, this isn’t the optimal tournament strategy for skilled players; it risks too many chips in relation to the expected small payoff. It works for novice players, however, because their primary goal should simply be to stay out of trouble and survive.
Here’s the second tip for beginners: Use the same big betting approach through to the flop as well. For example, with 1,200 in the pot, make a large bet to apply maximum pressure on your opponents. A pot-size bet ought to do the trick.
A bet of that size, though, is clearly too steep for an accomplished small ball player. It’s too exploitable and forces skilled players to assume much more risk than is necessary. Instead, small-ballers should bet around 700 chips for which they would gain virtually the same information as the beginner’s 1,200 bet – but at much lower cost.
Big raises by inexperienced players cause advanced players to operate outside of their comfort zones. That’s because skilled pros hate playing big pots unless they have the nuts, or something close to it.
Big bet poker is effective against small ball players because it forces the skilled player to wait patiently for trapping situations. Yes, this approach does make the beginner more susceptible to a trap. But the pro must still catch strong cards in order to even consider calling a big raise, and that’s not easy to do.
Visit www.cardsharkmedia.com/books.htm for information about Daniel Negreanu’s popular book, Power Hold’em Strategy.
Here’s some basic strategy for becoming a better online poker player, from PokerQuiz.org:
Here’s a great site that should give you some ideas and methods for perfecting some pretty cool Poker chip tricks.
TricksWithChips.com … Start practicing!
Learn how to read your opponents when they’re bluffing… from PlayWinningPoker.com:
1. Watch the Eyes
This is why many pros wear sunglasses or visors/caps when playing, they know that the eyes rarely lie. For example, many players can’t help but stare at big hole cards, so their length of time peeking is longer. Conversely, if a player is looking to steal the pot, he may look to his left to see if the remaining players, who haven’t yet acted, have quickly glanced at their cards and are likely to fold. Another example, a player may try to ask you questions about your hand, knowing that people rarely can “look someone straight in the eyes” while being dishonest.2. Facial Expression
Again, many pros try to disguise their entire face by wearing a cap and looking downward. This is to avoid the classic stare-down that poker pros are famous for. They may try to study your face for nervousness (detecting a weak hand), or even look for repetitive characteristics like a body “tic”. You may have obvious unhappiness in your face when your hand is weak, and conversely, you may show a contrasting show of confidence when your hand is strong.3. Weak is Strong/Strong is Weak
In its most simplistic form, this usually applies to novice players but frequently applies to pros as well. Basically, players like to be actors, and when they have a monster hand they tend to look disinterested. For example: “Oh, is it my turn to act” or “Oh I guess I will play these cards”. Alternatively, a player increasing the level of his voice while raising the pot, and trying to look intimidating.. may be running a bluff.4. Anxiety
Anxiety typically occurs in people when they are confronted, or anticipating confrontation. Psychologists call this the “Fight or Flight” stimulus response, which links back to the days when we were cavemen/cavewomen. Physical changes happen including flexing of muscles, eye pupil dilation, palpitating heart rate, dry throat. In poker, when someone has a big hand they are typically ready for confrontation and can exhibit some of these characteristics. You may see the chest expanding abnormally, or you may notice the players voice become slightly higher as he makes a comment. Some of the top players in the game will stare at the vein on the top-side of your face for blood pressure changes. During a bluff, the player may demonstrate anxiety, but if he knows he will fold the hand if re-raised (non-confrontational end) may look quite comfortable.5. Trembling Hands
Also, a byproduct of anxiety, beware of a player whose hands are shaking, this nervousness can represent a big hand.6. Glance at Chips
Again, relating to the eyes. It is common for players to quickly glance at their chips if they connect with the board after a Flop. This may be a subconscious reaction, but the tell is the player is already planning his attack!7. Peeking Hole Cards on Flop
Some players will take another look at their hole cards when, for example, the board is showing a potential 3 card flush draw. Typically, the player is looking to see if one of his cards is connecting, because he remembers only that the two cards are different suits.8. Repetitive Betting Patterns
Usually the most revealing poker tells are based on the way a player habitually bets during particular situations. For example, maybe the player always checks when he has made the nuts, or a player may regularly fold after being re-raised.9. Body Posture/Attitude
Some players show obvious changes in their posture based on their attitude/hand strength. For instance, you may notice their shoulders drop/slump when they are not confident (weak hand). Conversely, you may notice the player is very attentive and sitting in an erect position when he has strength. You may also notice that a player who bluffs a lot, leans forward in a confrontational way… remember Strong is Weak!10. Chip Stacking
When you first sit down at a table, study the way the players stack their chips. Although it is a generalization, loose aggressive players typically maintain unorganized/sloppy stacks, while tight conservative players keep well organized/neat stacks.
Sharpen up with some tips for Texas Hold ‘em from Yahoo!:
To clarify the phrase limping is when you bet the absolute minimum needed to stay in a hand. Often used when the small blind simply calls the big blind instead of raising.
Some players feel they can see some flops cheaply with average hands this way. And of course if you are in a hand, you always have the chance to land a big pot.
This can be successful if you have the discipline to get away from the hand if the flop doesn’t work out and then you can get away from the hand for a small investment.
On the flip side, if the flop is positive then you are in position to take someone’s stack.
The alternative approach is if you raise when you enter a pot, that will put people off who are looking to get involved in the hand on the cheap. If there are less people in the hand then there are less chances of an opponent taking the pot.
Simply if your pocket cards are good enough then raise otherwise throw in your cards.
In truth, a mix of the two approaches based on your opposition is the shrewdest approach.
If you are holding a hand like a small pair or suited connectors, hands that get their value from hitting a specific flop, then limping in can be handy.
Raising can cost you if you raise and are re-raised as you will have to fold since your risk-reward ratio is no longer in your favour.
When facing a passive table in tournament play, limping in can allow you to see some extra flops that just may connect well. If you’re seated early at the table, you may be able to build your stack up early by limping in and then collecting a monster hand.
Also you can limp from early position with big hands when there are aggressive players behind you as you can count on an opponent raising and then you can re-raise.
But if an opponent is preventing you from seeing cheap flops then there is no future in limping in and raising first is the only course of action.
Of course if you know when to limp, you can also counteract opponents who are trying to limp.
Some experts advocate increasing the amount you raise by the amount of limpers in front of you if your hand is up to scratch. So when on the button with three limpers in front who are trying to see a cheap flop then raise by three times the big blind plus one for each of the limpers so you raise it six times the big blind and this will often pick up the pot.
But as always assess the situation and make the decision to limp or raise based upon how the table is playing.
In Limit, the situation is a little different and if you are the first person in the pot in a limit Texas Hold’Em game, you should almost always raise.
This instantly gives you control of the hand and makes the opposition aware that you are a threat.
A raise always gives you the chance to win the pot uncontested, and in a limit game where bets are fixed, being able to win just the blinds is great for your overall positive expectation.
The last thing you want to do is limp in because if everyone else folds, that will allow the big blind the opportunity to compete for the pot with you for free.
From Mlive.com professional poker player Daniel Negreanu weighs in on the differences in playing in a cash game versus a tournament:
There is plenty of discussion on Internet poker forums about the differences between tournament and cash game players.
The general consensus is that cash game players are superior.
While I believe there is some truth to that sentiment, it’s important to recognize that the skills required for each format are vastly different.
The most obvious difference between a cash game and a tournament is that in tournament play, once your chips are gone, so are you.
In a cash game, you can dig into your pocket for more money.
As a result, tournament players think in terms of survival and play their hands to avoid losing all of their chips.
A different mentality
Cash game players think differently.They are concerned about getting full value for hands when they’re ahead, and try to minimize losses when they’re behind.
Another difference between big buy-in tournaments and high-stakes cash games is the caliber of players that compete in each.
Even in the $10,000 World Series of Poker main event, you’re sure to find a high percentage of low-skilled amateur players.
That’s not the case in high-stakes cash games where the tables are littered with professional sharks.
I think most people would agree — it’s much easier to beat a bunch of amateurs than it is trying to outwit elite professionals.
Yes, you might take a few bad beats against amateur players who don’t know what they’re doing.
But at the same time, it will be much easier to get all their chips in situations where pros would fold.
Beating amateurs in tournaments is all about taking their money by playing fundamentally sound poker.
That approach isn’t good enough when playing pros in cash games.
That’s where Phil Hellmuth comes in.
Even though Hellmuth has won 11 World Series of Poker bracelets — all of them in Hold’em events — he doesn’t get a lot of respect from cash-game grinders.
But Hellmuth has mastered two of the most important concepts of tournament play. He knows survival is king and bluffing should be used rarely.
He knows weak players will make big mistakes eventually, and when that happens, he’ll clean up.
Or else he’ll take a bad beat and throw one of his patented temper tantrums.
Why it works
If Hellmuth tried that same patient, nonbluffing style of play against top cash game players, he’d see his chip stack slowly dwindle.He would never be able to trap his opponents — they would see right through his strategy, and he would be finished.
Hellmuth would be hammered into submission continuously before and after the flop.
Hellmuth’s successful approach to tournament poker just doesn’t translate into the world of high-stakes cash game poker.
Some major differences
Tournament play demands patience to survive and win.Winning at cash games demands a whole other level of thought and deception.
You need to reach into your bag of tricks and run the occasional big bluff to be a consistent cash game winner.
Not as easy as it looks
Don’t get me wrong, not all cash game players properly adapt to tournament play and tournament opposition either. They attempt bluffs that might work in cash games but fail miserably in tournament play.They don’t realize that many amateur players aren’t skilled enough to recognize when they should just fold their hands.
I am challenged the most by playing cash games against the world’s top players.
These games force me to think several moves in advance. I like this, as it reminds me of playing a game of chess.
Though I find tournaments fun, they just don’t provide the constant brain buzz that cash game players crave.
Learn skills, look cool:
From TigerWeekly.com:
There’s a misconception about tournament poker that goes like this: Players need to try frequent sophisticated bluffs and make lots of risky moves to maintain an unpredictable image and to win. Well, there might be some truth to that in small buy-in tournaments, or even online poker tournaments where the blinds and antes escalate quickly. But on poker’s biggest stage, the World Series of Poker, nothing could be further from the truth.
The best tournament players actually try to avoid risky plays altogether. They prefer to wait for their opponents to make the risky moves. They’ll wait patiently until they catch a strong hand. When they do, they’ll take down their overly aggressive foes.
Watch any tournament on television and you’re sure to see some no-name player at the final table. Chances are you’ll never see him again. Sure, you’ll occasionally you’ll see an unknown player win using ultra-aggressive tactics, but trust me, that kamikaze style just doesn’t work consistently.
You see, great players will play a wide range of dealt cards but they’ll never risk a large percentage of their chips on a marginal hand. When they do push in their chips, they’ll have a premium hand to back up their bet. In situations where it’s unclear whether they have the best hand, the best players will choose to play it safe.
To be sure, playing it safe isn’t a flashy style of poker. Some even claim that it’s too weak and passive. That being said, playing safe poker is still a proven recipe for success in the world’s biggest poker tournaments.
That’s because the goal in high-stakes tournaments is to win lots of small pots without the risk of going broke. Of course, you’ve got to occasionally win a big pot too. Just stay patient. Eventually, some hyper-aggressive player will go crazy with a bluff when you do have a premium hand. Or, he won’t believe you when you have a strong hand and he’ll call your big bet. It’s bound to happen.
Don’t get me wrong, bluffing is a critical part of the game. It’s a weapon all pros use in tournament play. They just won’t bluff nearly as often as you think.
Also, professionals will tend to make smaller, more controlled bluffs to minimize their risk. If they get caught, well, that’s not the end of the world. A failed bluff could easily payoff later in a much bigger pot when the pro has the unbeatable hand.
Now, you will have to change up your game when you become short-stacked in a tournament. You’ll be forced to make more risky plays. Just be sure you don’t push the panic button too quickly! Skilled players realize that a short stack doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on patient play. In poker, unexpected situations can occur at any time but you have to wait for the right opportunity.
If you do choose to run a bluff, don’t be afraid to put your table image to work. When other players observe that you don’t bluff often, that’s the time to confuse them with a little well-timed deceit.
And always pay attention to the skill level of your opponents. Big buy-in events attract players with a wide range of poker ability. If you find yourself seated at a table full of bad players, running a risky bluff would be foolish. Instead, wait for a good hand and hope you’re called.
That same approach won’t be quite as effective against highly skilled players; they’ll know just what you’re up to. Against tough players, you’ll have to bluff occasionally, but again, not as often as you think.
Visit www.cardsharkmedia.com/book.html for information about Daniel Negreanu’s new book, Hold’em Wisdom for All Players.
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