Top 10 Poker Sites - The "On-Going Mystery" Unveiled Here Today!

Top 10 Poker Sites - The "On-Going Mystery" Unveiled Here Today!
There are some criteria that make up a poker site among the best choices. They are such as traffic levels, variety of games offered, reputation, promotions, features, and so on. If you are wondering about which site to deposit your money at, consider this list of "possible" top 10 poker sites.
10. Players Only Poker. It is open for US players and the welcome bonus is up to $1,000 at 125% match. Players Only Poker offers 24/7 support via email, chat, and phone. The site emphasizes a lot in great playing experience.
9. Bwin Poker. This site has a worldwide community, with up to 28,000 live opponents at any time. Welcome bonus is up to $500.
8. Carbon Poker. This stylish site is open for US players. There are diversities of games, satellites to live events, high-end software, and also great choices of loose games. Sign up bonus up to $1,000 at 200% match.
7. Everest Poker. You can choose your own seat here. It's a truly multinational poker site, supporting 16 languages and country-specific tournaments and promotions. The site also offers strong loyalty program. Sign up and you are playing at one of the top poker sites.
6. Sports book Poker. The site has excellent software and players come from worldwide. Welcome bonus up to $1,000 at 100% match.
5. William Hill Poker. One of the largest in UK allows multi currency deposit and provides a wide range of game selection. There a lot of promotions and you can play the Sports book, casino, and bingo games by using one account only. That is one deposit for three games! This is not for US players however.
4. Poker Stars. This site has excellent software, massive numbers of tournaments, and a sponsor for some world's most famous players to play with. You can play at various stakes and skill levels. If you really like tournaments, this is a great place for you.
3. Titan Poker. This site has a good traffic and offer many interesting promotions. There are also great satellites for live events and free rolls.
2. Full Tilt Poker. This site has a team of over 40 world class poker professionals; Full Tilt Poker has built an excellent reputation so far. The site has good 24/7 support and is open for US players.
1. CD Poker.  This site is a unique online established poker room and is designed to attract different types of poker players, this includes the experienced and beginner. CD Poker is the ultimate brand of poker games. They even have a strong VIP program for loyal players. This is not for US players however.

Read More

Paradise Poker - Learn How to Win Today

Paradise Poker - Learn How to Win Today
Poker has continually been growing in popularity over the past couple of years. More and more people are learning how to play the game everyday. But it's not everywhere that one can find a place where one can simply join and play the game. Casinos and poker rooms cannot be found just anywhere, and getting into games can cost some serious money. This is where online poker comes in.
Online poker sites offer a place for different people from anywhere in the world to play the game. They set up rooms where friends who live far from each other can enjoy a game and chat with each other at the same time. People who just want to play a game can look and join rooms where they can play with anyone around the world and meet new friends at the same time. Some more serious players can go online and get more experience in plating the game. Online poker sites can be an aspiring professional poker player's jumping off platform to the professional poker gaming circuit.
Paradise poker is one such site. It is one of the very first online gaming sites and was launched in 1999. Its popularity grew over the next few years. The advent of other online gaming sites entering the business paved the way for Sportingbet, a massive online gambling corporation, to purchase the site for $347.5 million dollars on October of 2004.
The site mainly offers playing of Texas Hold'em poker. Players can choose from a lot of different tables and can select a table that will suit one's needs. Paradise poker offers its players the chance to join tournaments. They hold special tournaments free satellite tournaments one can join and win in order to qualify for larger tournaments that boast of very high prices for the winners. They also hold qualifiers for the world series of poker so that professional and aspiring professional poker players can join no matter where they are. With a lot of players playing online in any given time, one cannot
Paradise poker provides a downloadable application one can use in order to play online. The software can be easily downloaded and installed in anyone's computer. The interface makes it easy for players to interact with other players and play the game. It provides adequate graphics and is quite easy to use. The game play it provides can be described as fluid and smooth. The only drawback is that the software sometimes is a little slow.
The site also offers a couple of bonuses one might have an interest in getting. They offer a signup bonus and a couple of other bonuses that one can use in playing online poker. The site accepts different credit cards and online payment companies in order for the player to make deposits and payouts. Different currencies are even accepted so that players from different countries can play with each other.
Paradise poker also allows one to play multiple hands and play in multiple tables at the same time.

Read More

Hollywood Poker - Your Ultimate Strategy Guide

Hollywood Poker - Your Ultimate Strategy Guide
Probably the best online poker site you could find is Hollywood Poker. This online poker website does not only offer excellent graphics, bonuses are good as well. Not only that, this website could actually give you the opportunity of playing along side your favorite celebrities. Famous Poker commentator Vince Van Patten and Hollywood star, James Wood are only two of the people who are endorsing this website primarily because of the benefits they are getting. For non-celebrities, playing here is actually more fun because beating the celebrities who are currently playing would give you the bonuses you are wishing for. When celebrities play here, they bounties are actually placed on top of their heads, making it more challenging for the other players to knock them off the poker table.
Of course, even if you are a beginner, you would be excited to play against these celebrities and prove that you can beat them. However, without the skills of a professional poker player, that would be close to impossible. It is true that poker always involves luck but you would still have to learn to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you in every hand. If you clearly have no idea about the rules of poker, it would be best to learn about the basics first. The first thing you would have to learn, of course, is the different kinds of hands. Not knowing this before actually playing would be suicide because you would not know how to bet. There are various sources where you could get comprehensive information about the different hands in poker and most of them are free so you would not have to worry about paying extra. Even the main website of Hollywood Poker provides basic tips and strategies for the newbies so you would not have to look far. The lessons provided by this website are all comprehensive and useful, so you would be able to learn the basic rules of poker in no time.
The most important thing in poker, though, is practice. You really have to play more to learn more. Though you could never do well without learning about the basics first, it is a must that you develop skills in time, that is if you do not already have one. The most important ability you should have in playing online poker is bluffing. If you are unable to bluff the other players, you would be in trouble. You would not even have the time to analyze the current situation on the table because you will soon find yourself losing all that precious dollars.
It is necessary that you make occasional bluffs but you should know that bluffs do not work all the time. Some of the situations when you could actually bluff and make it work are when there are not a lot of players who are still betting and when the other players are actually scared of you. When there is only a low number of players and you have established yourself as a skillful player, you would have the right to make bluffs and it would actually work to your advantage.

Read More

Playing Rush Poker With Stephen Krex

Playing Rush Poker With Stephen Krex
Stephen Krex and Rush Poker is an interesting new spin for our beloved game at Full Tilt Poker. Basically it is the same as a regular poker game; except that as soon as you fold your hand, you are immediately dealt into a new hand, at a new table, with all new opponents.
What this means is that the speed of poker is greatly increased. It is a "rush." This might be good if you are a winning player, because it means that you will get to see many more hands per hour. What is more important, however, is to focus in on the unique aspects of this game and make some strategic adjustments.
It's Virtually Anonymous
This is a plus and a minus. If you are good at getting a handle and reading your opponents, your advantage is almost wiped out in Rush Poker. On the other hand, they will not get a read on you either.
Every hand that you play, you are against a table of new opponents. They have no idea how you play, and you have no idea how they play. What this means is that you generally want to play a solid plain vanilla poker game. It doesn't matter if you've folded your last 30 hands in a row; when you open with AA, no one will know how tight you're playing and won't fear your bet any more than they would fear anyone else's. No one can use hand tracking software to determine your playing style.
You won't be able to tell the sharks from the fish, but most of your money will as usual, likely come from the fish who play sub-optimally. They'll play cards out of position, overpay to draw cards, and call even when they're beat. Pay close attention to your position!
Some Important Considerations
Stephen Krex says that it's important to remember that players have the option of folding even before the action gets to them. If they are dealt a poor hand it is unlikely that they are going to sit through a round of betting just to try to make a move to try to win the pot. If you raise from early position and the small blind or a late position player calls, watch out. They probably have something.
It may make sense to call a raise in late position if someone right in front of you raised as many; are doing this with no cards to pick up the blinds. It depends, but that late position player will often just click the fold button so they can get the next hand immediately dealt to him.
This doesn't apply to the big blind. The big blind doesn't have the option to instant-fold because he already has a stake in the hand.
The Strategy
So far, Stephen have said that the best strategy in this game is to play tight fundamental poker and to raise in late position with a wider range to pick up the blinds. While this strategy is good and will allow you to win small amounts somewhat consistently, there may be a few adjustments you can make to increase your profit even more.
From playing a few thousand hands at these tables, it seems as if the vast majority of players play like a very tight nit. This means that you are able to loosen up your raising hands preflop. (NOT your calling hands, except for obvious steal attempts). If your raise gets called, you should be able to get away from your hand as the typical player in Rush Poker will have a real hand in this spot. The nice thing about blind stealing in Rush Poker is you get a new table of players every hand. So you don't have to worry about the other players getting sick and tired of your constant stealing and calling or raising you.
Rush Poker is a unique and innovative game that those folks over at Full Tilt have developed. It may not be for everyone. I would say it benefits Full Tilt Poker the most since the more hands that are played the more of a rake they collect. That said, if you are an online poker fan, this is one game you definitely need to at least check out.

Read More

Famous Players at Full Tilt

Famous Players at Full Tilt
Full Tilt Poker is widely known for excellent casino software, great customer support and the best poker games online. Even people with no bankrolls could stick around to watch how the pros hit it. Aside from that, Full Tilt Poker is home to the biggest names in the poker industry today. Not only do they endorse this website, but they pride having roots planted here. As a matter of fact, these names are so popular that they even made themselves into a team and called it, "Team Full Tilt." Read on to discover the amazing story and uncover the secrets behind the names; Howard Lederer, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Phil Ivey and Gus Hansen.
Howard Lederer
The Poker Professor: That is what many call Howard Lederer for his astonishing hit over the poker world. For Lederer, tournament poker can be tremendously exciting while still being gravely terrifying. According to him, nothing beats the thrill of playing on the final, big money table.
Mike Matusow
An American master poker player, Mike Matusow got his nickname "The Mouth" for trash talking at the poker table. While this isn't particularly a commercial behavior, he is surprisingly a good player. He would ruin hours and day of poker tournaments by throwing a good old misquotation on the table.
Chris Ferguson
The "Jesus of Poker," Chris Perguson, did not only get his name from his Jewish-rock-star hair style. He is in fact on his attempt of turning water to wine (at least figuratively) with his nearly one year experiment on Full Tilt Poker. His goal was to turn $0, totally no investment, into a $10,000.00 bankroll. And he is about to win his self-imposed wager.
Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey holds the record of the biggest rakeback, which evidently, is a result of how much hands he played on poker. Ivey also decorates his name with eight bracelets from World Series of Poker, and a title from the World Poker Tour. Not to mention, Ivey has appeared at nine final tables at the World Poker Tour.
Gus Hansen
Last on the list, but definitely not the least, Gus Hansen completes the Team Full Tilt with more steam than a steam engine. Hansen's career is bedecked with three open titles from World Poker Tour and was the winner of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament's first season. In 2007, Hansen also grabbed bacon at the main even of the Aussie Millions.

Read More

The Truth Behind the Argument 'Is Online Poker Rigged?'

The Truth Behind the Argument 'Is Online Poker Rigged?'
Ever since the advent of online poker there has been arguments on both sides claiming that online poker is rigged. While one side maintains that there is no truth to the rigged poker sites debate, the opposition claims that way too many anomalies occur for the sites to not be rigged.
For a further understanding of the debate, this article will take a behind the scenes look at the software that controls many of the major online poker sites. Examining deeper into what motivates the debate and an attempt to explain what is really happening.
The Software
Online poker differs to a great extent from live poker simply because the deal of the cards online is controlled by a software program that can be changed, manipulated and altered by the programmers. In a live game the cards are shuffled by a human and then dealt out without any possible interference from any outside force. (Barring cheaters, mechanics or persons setting the deck) The cards in a live game are 'predetermined' once the shuffle and cut is completed.
In internet poker, the shuffle is controlled by a Random Number Generator (RNG) program, which uses a sophisticated set of protocols to simulate a random shuffle and cut. The RNG, by all accounts, is supposed to ensure that the cards are not predictable, that players can not manipulate them and that it will simulate a true-life experience.
In addition to the RNG, internet poker sites also include controls that prevent cheating, collusion and formulate a variety of potential action hands to encourage players to get involved in the game. Some of these controls (or poker algorithms) are designed to specifically create an exciting atmosphere for players by producing draw heavy boards.
Action Inducing Hands
These action-inducing hands create the majority of constant bad beats and subsequent claims that online poker is rigged. When a player is the victim of what otherwise would seem to be a highly improbable bad beat, they will undoubtedly believe that online poker is rigged.
The fact that poker sites choose to add in any controls, algorithms or other software outside of the scope of the actual game would indicate that there is a potential that online poker is rigged. Changing or altering true life facts and statistics lend credibility to the fact that the software creates an unfair advantage to less inferior hands for the sole purpose of encouraging action among players.
The Reasoning Behind Rigging
Some claim that the poker sites would not risk their profits to rig the game and therefore would be foolish to do so. However, as witnessed in the well-publicized cheating scandals involving several online poker sites, it is evident that the operators of the online poker sites are not so quick to solve or even admit when there is a problem.
The primary purpose of any poker sites is to turn a profit. The bottom line is the rake they charge in the cash games and tournaments. Therefore, because profits are easily a motivating factor, there is plausible reason to believe that a site might rig a game for their own benefit. Especially since a regulatory body is nonexistent and therefore the poker sites do not have to answer to any higher authority.
The Difficulty of Rigging an Online Game
From the perspective of a programmer, it is quite easy to rig online poker. Primarily because the cards and the deal as well as the shuffle, and the outcome is all determined by a computer program that can easily be controlled by any number of additional programs or codes set up by the operators of the poker site.
For example, it would be simple to pre-program the deal to give a high pocket pair to seat 7 every 25th hand, simply by adding in a few lines of code. Furthermore, the programs can easily be manipulated to deal winning hands to any particular player just as well as to deal losing hands to any specific seat or player.
All of this is easy to accomplish, since the deal of the cards are controlled by a computer program and not truly randomized as is the case in a live game or poker. The truth of the matter is that by adding in additional software and making their game less true to life, online poker is rigged.
One advantage that players may have in the online poker world is the potential to spot these anomalies and patterns that occur. If you are aware of a potential situation wherein the online poker is rigged, and you are familiar with how to recognize it, you can take back the advantage by not falling into the trap set by the poker site.

Read More

Party With Poker - Different Kinds Of Sit N Go Tournaments

Party With Poker - Different Kinds Of Sit N Go Tournaments
The different kinds of sit n go tournaments in Poker make some of the most popular card games of all times. In this form of Poker, there are a fixed number of people required on the table, usually 9 or 10 and the game starts whenever all the fixed number of persons come to the table. Read on for more information on the Sit and Go Poker (SNG) tournaments; the different kinds and general rules followed:
A traditional sit and go tournament has one table in which there are a fixed number of players who pool in a certain amount of money on the table. The prize structure is made up by the buy ins you are contributing. In most of these games, there are three prizes given: 1st place earns you 50% of pool in money, 2nd place earns 30% of prize pool and the 3rd place gets 20% of prize pool money. However, with the online Poker games gaining tremendous popularity, there is a faster version of the tournament introduced called the "Turbo" mode. In this fast paced mode, the tempo of the tournament goes very high with blinds going up every 5 minutes.
The newer version of the SNG Poker offers players to sit at multiple tables. This kind of game is especially popular over the Internet. Most gaming sites would allow you to sit on 2 tables with 18- 20 players each. The prize pool is much higher and if the turbo mode is introduced, you are likely to win a much larger amount in a short period of time. Many sites even allow you to play in 3 or 4 tables at the same time. Although the prize structures vary from site to site, the common trend goes like as stated below:
2 tables: 4 places
3 tables: 5 places
5 tables: 7 to 8 places
Of all the different kinds of sit n go Online Poker Site or traditional casino tournaments, the multi table form of game has immense popularity for the gamers over the Internet. The simple reason is that you need to risk very little money ($10 + $1/ $20 + $2/ $30+$3) and you can enjoy an action packed Poker game for at least an hour with reasonable chances of winning. This form of game is also a great way to practice and sharpen your skill for a real table. Moreover, many sites allow you to graduate to larger tables and pool prizes ($200 + 15) which give you the opportunity to win some serious money. Lot of players these days are hooked on to these games right from the comfort of their homes.

Read More

Online Poker Tips, Strategies and Tricks

Online Poker Tips, Strategies and Tricks
Nowadays the trick to online poker is not about playing the best, but instead it's now about playing at the best and most profitable tables. But how do you find these profitable sites and tables? The first tip is to play during peak times. This is the time when people come home from work and relax in the evening by playing poker. Another thing about online poker is multi-tabling. Playing multiple tables at once is the best thing about playing online. This is the reason why there are so many grinders at the big sites who play tons of tables at once. They make a slight profit on each one, but it all adds up to a big profit. But how do you get to this stage and how many tables should you play at the same time? The first thing to remember is that you should only multi-table if you are a winning player.
Online poker is much more profitable than live poker. The rake percentages of online poker sites are less than that of live brick and mortar casino poker. Typically the casino rake is about 10% and that doesn't even include tipping. Online poker is around 5%, so about half the rake of a real casino. It gets even better with deposit bonuses, rake back and loyalty rewards, you will end up paying even less rake.
The best thing about online poker is the tournaments. Tournament poker is different to cash game poker. Play conservatively at first when the blinds are small compared to the stacks. Be more aggressive later when the blinds increase. Single table Sit n Go's are becoming increasingly popular. These are small tournaments with 9 or 10 tables with the top 3 places being paid. Just like larger tournaments, be tight at first and wait till there are 4 or 5 players left.
Heads up poker is a very fun variation and is quite profitable. In fact the best players in the world often play this form the game almost exclusively. The thing to understand about heads up poker is that the person who is the most aggressive will often win. This is because you are going to miss the flop more often than not. You can't wait for a decent hand because they are so rare. Often you will find ace high wins the pot and a stack of chips. I have improved my full ring game by playing heads up poker. It taught you aggressive and what to do when you come up against one player.

Read More

What Are the Differences Between Live and Online Poker - Is Online Poker Rigged?

What Are the Differences Between Live and Online Poker - Is Online Poker Rigged?
First of all, both online and live poker each have their own individual advantages and disadvantages. Let's discuss the advantages. In regard to online poker, you obviously see many, many more hands per hour, especially if you are playing multiple tables and tournaments at once. This can be one of the most effective ways to learn the game quickly and efficiently, as well as be an avenue of much higher profits for more skilled players. It allows a player to stay in the appropriate level for his/her bankroll without sacrificing the potential to make some substantial profits. Online also offers very low limit games such as .25/.50 and .50/1 as well as $5 to $25 SNGs, which are excellent learning games and are basically unheard of when playing in a live card room. 
Also, the fact that you cannot be seen when playing online can be a benefit, especially if you are a very readable player. However, it can obviously be a disadvantage as well because you cannot read physical tells of other players, which leads me to my next point. Reading players online is a completely different animal from reading players playing live. As I mentioned before, it is much more "timing-based and click-based". 
By this I mean you are looking at factors such as the length of time it takes someone to call or raise, and making adjustments based on it. This is actually an advantage of online poker because many players will not even realize how fast or slow they are clicking and giving away the power of their hand. In addition to that, the WORST thing that a player can do online is use the hot-buttons (check/fold, raise any, check, etc.) Players who are lazy and habitually use these buttons will get CRUSHED because others always catch on. DON'T USE THEM.  
Live poker also has its advantages. The most obvious is that you can SEE the other players at the table, and use your voice to your advantage. I will discuss some standard tells later, but once you learn how to effectively read other players consistently, you will see that it really is almost like their cards are face up. The best players and professionals play the opponent about 80% of the time, and only depend on powerful cards about 20%. 
For almost all beginners, it is the complete opposite or worse. You also can get your cash immediately from the cashier, while it may take weeks to get an electronic transfer or check from an online account. This can also be extremely helpful in restricting yourself from playing too much when you are on tilt, and can definitely help you stay within bankroll limits.  
Moving on, let's discuss the major disadvantages without being repetitive. Many of them are the opposite perspective from the previously listed advantages, but just to summarize...

Less hands playing live and one game at a time.

  Substantial length of time to receive cash outs from online poker.

  Can't see your opponents online.

  Hard to find very low beginner limits when playing live.

  Online can be played in the comfort of your own home 24 hrs/day, while live can't.

  Have to tip the dealer playing live, which can be costly.

  Hard to find big live multi tournaments, online can have 2000 to 5000 players easily.

  Travel costs when playing live (fuel, tolls, etc.)

  Cannot take advantage of load bonuses, re-load bonuses, and rakeback when playing live.
There are obviously many other factors that may be considered for both live and online poker, but these are some of the most common. It is up to the individual to decide which style fits him/her best; however, both can be extremely lucrative if you stick to the strategies mentioned in this game and have a true dedication to improving your poker game. Remember, education IS expensive and you will lose sometimes during the learning process, but it is my goal to minimize that expense as much as I possibly can for you.   
Ok, let's discuss the most controversial topic in poker today. Is online poker rigged? The answer is NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT. However, there are definitely some points to make regarding this topic. If you look at any poker discussion forum about this, you will see many players claiming all of the bad beats they have taken and how they completely defied the odds of that given hand. You will hear people saying things like "the hands are set up to build rake" or "they create action hands and give everyone a piece of the pie." 
Personally, I have played millions of hands online. I admit that I have had many, many phases where I truly believed this, and promised myself I would never play online again. But this is the bottom line. Although there are so many small sites that are scams, the big names like Absolute Poker, FullTilt Poker, and PokerStars are 100% legit and 100% highly regulated.  
The fact is that you really do play 25 or more hands an hour online than live, and you will see AT LEAST 25 times more bad beats. The reason that it seems so much higher sometimes is because of a few primary factors. First of all, many players tend to be looser online, and it is much easier to click a button to go all-in then actually push their entire stack of physical chips forward when playing live. 
Also, the skill level online is typically much lower due to the ease of access. A combination of these factors as well as some others definitely makes things make more sense. Think about it. So many people have done mathematical studies to see if hands really do defy the statistics over the long run, and nothing has been proven with real data. In addition to that, the level of regulation is so high and these sites make such ridiculous amounts of profit that they would never even consider risking getting shut down for a few extra bucks an hour. 

Read More

Poker Room - Having Fun & Security

Poker Room - Having Fun & Security
As the whole gambling industry now continues to be really technologically advanced and killing the actual barriers of distance and time, many a people are now moving towards the online poker rooms. All you need to have is an Internet connection and sufficient funds to start your much loved game of poker. But it is wise to choose a good and reputed poker room in order to ensure your safety, wins and enjoyment.
Traffic is the very first thing that one should look forward to while selecting the best poker room. See how many poker players are there with searching in the poker room lobbies as well. The lobbies should provide a wide variety of games including the Texas Holdem and even have a huge amount of tables. When surveying these poker lobbies, look out for the various limit levels and the various buy-in amounts. Also, one should be aware of what all a poker room is offering you.
Every person is different and the most effective poker room for a player can depend on his or her specific needs and preferences. In case you are a player who loves playing different forms of poker, it is better to look forward to the poker room that provides numerous styles to play. While there are other players as well who love playing just a single style like the Texas Holdem and therefore such people should consider the rooms that are specialized in offering the particular poker style. In addition, when looking for the reputed poker room, you need to make certain that you know the rules of that room well in advance. Ensure that the poker room has those rules that you can live with before actually playing.
Indeed, another thing to ensure is the security offered by the particular room. Protection against the illegal tampering and security against collusion is important to note. Also, the beginners should be extra careful while choosing a room to play poker at. without proper protection features, the players cannot be well assure that the personal data and payment details are not being copied from the poker site and all the details stream from one poker player or room to the other. While selecting the best poker room, game flow and graphics are other important points worth noticing. You wish to make certain that while playing, the poker game runs really smooth without any crashing. Most Texas Holdem poker rooms highlight the flaws just after 15 minutes of the play. Talking about the room graphics, ensure that you are really comfortable with layouts as well as overall look of that poker room. It is actually no fun playing at the table that distracts you from your strategies and skills.
At last, select the rooms offering special bonuses and packages to the online poker players. This is actually beneficial to the players who love playing large and deep betting amounts. There are even some sites that provide the sign up bonus which the players can take benefit of. Be extra careful regarding such bonuses as they are just made to lure the players.

Read More