Online Poker News

There are lots of people out there that just like play online poker just for fun because when it comes to the current state in the industry, particularly in the U.S., there are risks with playing online.  Now that some of the bigger sites don’t accept players for real money from the U.S. and other areas, playing online for fun is a way some are keeping up their skills.

Playing poker at an online casino is a great way to familiarise yourself with the game, try out some new strategies, and get in some practise.  Many online sites offer play for free and low buys.  There are some incredible bonus opportunities and promotions too. Once you feel confident in your play, there is a plethora of different types of tournaments and cash games you can enter.  All of this and you don’t have to get all dressed up!

The difference between a casual card player and a skilled card player is the ability to effectively remember the cards that have been played. While there are many computer applications available to help a player keep track of cards while playing at home, nothing beats a good memory. If you have a bad memory, here are a few simple tricks and tips to help get it into shape.

The two most important things are trying to minimize your stress and learning how to exercise your brain. Casino games like poker and blackjack can be memory enhancing, but to really give your brain a boost, it is best to stretch your neural pathways by trying something new. If you don’t do them already, you can try doing different types of puzzles. If you don’t like crosswords, a jig saw puzzle is a great place to start.

If you are committed to stretching your brain, learning another language is a great challenge. The technology can be overwhelming, with language learning applications available for mobile phones, computers and mp3 players. This means that you can make the most of your down time, from commuting to house cleaning, to exercise your brain.

You will soon find that exercising your brain will improve your ability to memorize cards that have been played. It will also enhance your focus and doing things like jig saws can have the advantage of reducing stress at the same time.

Poker is a card game that can be played in ways that vary slightly.  It is common to have two pocket cards and three community cards.  The pocket cards are seen by each player only and the community cards are face up on the table and visible to everyone.  A player wins by having a winning combination of pocket and community cards.

In modern poker games, a player bets a certain amount of money and the action proceeds clockwise around the rest of the players.  Each player either matches the bet, raises it or folds.  A player folds if he retires from this hand and loses all money gambled so far.  Betting stops when players stop raising the highest bet or when all but one player fold.  The hands are then revealed and the player with the highest hand collects all of the money gambled (pot).  The outcome of a hand depends greatly on chance but as the game proceeds, it also depends on the experience of the player and his knowledge of the rules.

Poker can be played in casinos that are licensed for table games but also online, or for fun with friends and family.  In a casino, it is usually played around a table and a dealer distributes the cards to the players.  Some casinos have video poker which is played on a screen.  Whereas table poker would call for casino chips, video one calls for coins that can be real money or casino coins.

The problem suffered by some online casinos are not just confined to the United States it would seem, news is out that the French online poker site 200 Percent Poker has been closed down by its owners La Société Française des Jeux sur Internet (SFJI) which consists of around 40 bricks and mortar casinos.

This has taken people by surprise at the business was only launched as recently as September 2010 after receiving a licence from regulator Arjel and while the site currently displays an “Under Maintenance” message it is understood there are no plans to reopen it.

Players will be informed of the refund process after administrative checks are carried out will be paid in full. The French market has proved particularly challenging for online poker operators who have complained about the high level of taxation they are subjected to.

Poker is a game that may not make much sense to an outsider listening in on an explanation.  There are whole rafts of terms that may not be immediately obvious to someone who is unfamiliar with poker.  Here are some of the more popular terms.

Blind
In Texas Hold ‘Em, the blind is the amount of money entered into the pot before the game starts.  The Small Blind is the first amount and the Big Blind is the second, usually twice that of the Small Blind.

Button
The dealer will commonly have a button to signify that he is the dealer, which is what this term refers to.

Burn
In several games, when a dealer disregards a card before playing the next, this is known as ‘burning’ the card.

Deuce and Trey
If you hear these terms, they are simply another way of saying ‘two’ or ‘three’.

Dog
This refers to the player with the least likely chance of winning the hand.

Flop
In Texas Hold ‘Em poker, the flop is the three community cards dealt face-up for players to use.  Similarly, the turn is the fourth card and the river is the fifth.

Heads-up
When the game is down to just two players, it is called a heads-up round.

Hole
Hole cards are the cards dealt face-down at the beginning of a game.  They can also be referred to as ‘pocket’ cards.

Leak
A leak is another term for a mistake, as mistakes would lead to the player losing, or ‘leaking’, money.