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!
Tips from one of the best. This is part 1 of 3:
Here’s some basic strategy for becoming a better online poker player, from PokerQuiz.org:
Here’s some good information on a play called “Floating”, from PokerChannelEurope.com:
Floating is another one of those poker terms that didn’t even really have a name a few years ago but is now a regular part of the modern players toolbox. Floating is, sometimes, actually just a bad players clever name for making a ridiculously fishy call but when done properly it is a bluff that is more profitable than just blindly raising and demonstrates multi-street thinking that exploits those who can’t imagine anything beyond the flop.
Floating is calling a continuation bet (usually) on the flop when your hand isn’t strong, with the specific intent to bluff at the pot on a later street. So you hold king-jack on a 2-2-9 flop and, even though you haven’t improved, you call a bet from a pre-flop raiser anyway. Now, if the turn comes a blank and your opponent checks or makes a smaller bet, you read it as if they have given up on the pot and fire a bet out to take the pot down.
The reason why floating is profitable is because there are so many aggressive players who will continuation bet on the flop 100% of the time regardless of what the board texture is. When you consider that most hands don’t improve 2/3s of the time then floating is the perfect way to extract more money from a pot where you are both stealing. It is a very difficult prospect to fire a second bet on the turn when you hold nothing, especially as the call makes it look like you have a hand, and a great deal of players will give up and check the turn, giving you a free pass to steal the pot.
The most important thing about floating is that you should only really do it in position because that is where you get the information, that your opponent has given up, from. Floating out of position can get very expensive. It doesn’t hurt to float with a hand that could actually suck out on your opponent, like ace high or a gutshot, which has the potential benefit of tilting your opponent if you do hit.
You need to know already that your opponent is capable of laying their hand down and also likely to give up on the turn. Floating does not work well against hyper aggressive opponents and makes the most money from tight-aggressive players. Be fully prepared to give up on the turn if your opponent bets as it gets very expensive trying to outplay them from that point on and make sure you don’t float too often! because you’ll just become a calling station and your opponents will start value betting you very thinly or check-raising you with nothing.
Catch up on the latest in Poker news from the good people at CardPlayer.com:
Head over to MyHoldemtips.com for a Advanced Pot Odds Calculation lesson!
Here is a great article outlining some tips and strategies for winning at Internet poker from Highroller-Rakeback.com:
Online poker playing has become a favorite past time for many people around the world. The game of online poker is rapidly gaining popularity, and there are thousands of players on most of the major websites at any given time during the day and night. Becoming successful at online poker can also be financially rewarding for many players. To do this, you have to have a good strategy for the game. Several players run into games with no real plan in their head, and not really focused, and many will end up losing their shirts. There are several known errors that online poker players make that could easily be avoided by a good strategy before the game is begun.
One common mistake many online poker players make is that they are afraid to switch tables when needed. If you constantly play at the same table with the same opponents, they are going to learn to read your hands, your bluffs, and will be much harder for you to defeat. Experienced poker players will observe their opponents and pick up on their habits and quirks, giving them a winning advantage. They will also learn your betting habits and be better able to counter you. Staying at one table does give you the advantage of knowing your opponents better, but it is important to keep in mind that while you are learning other players, they are doing the same to you.
One of the most important things to keep in mind in any poker game is that you need to manage your money. Before you ever play, you should have a budgeted amount of disposable income that you can afford to wager, and not allow yourself to go beyond that amount during the game. Disposable income is any money that is left over once all of your other obligations have been met, food, mortgage, utilities, etc. You should also consider your poker playing ability as well when you are setting your betting limit. If you are a fairly new player, you should probably set lower limits, because you are more likely to lose your money than more experienced players. You also have to consider how much risk you want to take, playing in low limit games is pretty safe, but the higher limit games are very risky as these are usually more experienced players and play more aggressively because they place large bets. The best players are always aware of their bankroll and their limits.
Many online poker players are leery of poker tournaments. Players who regularly participate in tournaments however, will tell you that they can be the most fun and a lot of times, the most profitable for the winners. As with any poker game, luck does factor into your success, but luck does not account for skill. If you are considering playing in online poker tournaments, you need to be aware of the buy-in amount, and keep in mind that is money that you may well lose. New players to online poker tournaments will often lose their money quickly, so keep this in mind when you are playing the game and placing your bets. There are also numerous resources that can give you tips and tricks for being successful in online poker tournaments, a little research often will go a long way.
If you are going to be a serious online poker player, it is important that you know when to quit. It is hard for many players to understand this concept. Many players will play and play until they run so far into the red, they create financial problems for themselves and their families. They start to lose, and think they will play one more game to get the money back they lost, and they just continue to lose. By this point, their game is affected, because they are losing their focus, and usually will end up going on tilt, which will make the losing cycle that much harder to break. It is important to recognize that even the best players are human and have good days and bad days at the tables. Great players understand this, and when they see themselves begin a losing streak, or having a bad day, they know it is time to call it quits and come back to play another day. Learning to walk away at the right times, can save you quite a bit of financial hardship. You will find that you are better able to enjoy the game once you learn this valuable skill.
Playing online poker can be a very enjoyable experience, and also can be very profitable. The most important thing that players need to remember is just to play smart. Stay focused on the game, know what your limits are and stay within those. Learn how to manage your money wisely, and know when it is time to walk away. Keeping these things in mind, should help you become a better player.
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.
PLAY
