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How to Become a Poker Master

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Mastering poker is no easy feat. Whilst most card games have a relatively straightforward set of rules, to start with, poker requires a good understanding of the ranking value of different card combinations which include:

  • High card
  • One pair
  • Two pairs
  • Three of a kind
  • Straight
  • Flush
  • Full house
  • Four if a kind
  • Straight flush
  • Royal flush

As you can see, there are quite a few combinations and rankings that you will need to understand. Then, you also have to get your head around the tactics involved and the psychological side of the game. You will have heard the term ‘poker face’, which originates from the way poker players are able to conceal their expressions, so they don’t give their game away to their opponents.

When you’re sat with an unbeatable hand, you need to make key decisions regarding psychology – raise the stakes too much and you could cause your opponent to fold early. This is just the start; there is so much more to understand and get to grips with if you are to become a good poker player.

Learning the basics

Different people like to learn in different ways, so it is best to find the right way for you. Some people prefer to watch YouTube videos that explain the rules, whilst others like to read books. There are loads of websites dedicated to teaching novices the ropes if you like to do your research that way.

Other people prefer to learn poker by playing the game, either without any money at stake or using very small sums whilst they develop their understanding. You can take a look at our recommended live games to have a go at one of the poker games if that is your favorite way to learn how to play games, or just come back to it when you have built a good understanding of the game.

Like most games, the more you play, the more you improve, so playing regularly will help to get you quickly up to speed. As your understanding of the rules advances, you can start to think about applying more complex tactics to your game. David Sklansky’s books on poker, such as The Theory of Poker, are a good place to start if you are looking to take your poker to the next level after mastering the basics.

As a successful professional poker player, Sklansky has been sharing his tactics and insights into poker through numerous books and videos; there are few players in the world who can offer his experience and knowledge.


“poker 005” (CC BY 2.0) by raffaelesergi1977

Styles of play

Poker players tend to rotate through different styles of play:

Tight – A more cautious approach with few risks

Loose – A high-risk approach

Aggressive – Putting pressure on other players with big bets

Passive – Allowing the opponent to dictate play, with more calling than betting

The more comfortable you become with floating in and out of these styles, the better chance you have of success, as you become less predictable. This is particularly important if you play with the same players on a regular basis.

This is just a very quick introduction to the best ways to develop your poker knowledge and skills but, in reality, it can take years to master. However, if you spend the time to educate yourself and practice, you will have a really good chance of becoming a poker master.

Beginners Guide to Backgammon: The Terms

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When it comes to learning anything new, there are nearly always a few new words associated with that game or hobby that people will throw around which will confuse the newbie to the game, and when it comes to Backgammon that is no exception, there are plenty of ‘Backgammon words’ that will stump new players to the game, so bonusbets.com is here to demystify the mystery surrounding some of these terms.

Blots – This is one of the most important terms to learn. A blot is a single checker on a point. This is important because your blots are open to attack by the opposing player. Any player landing on a point with your blot on it will ‘hit’ that blot and send it back to the bar.

Bar – This isn’t the place you go to get a nice drink to wash down your recent defeat at Backgammon but refers to the area in the centre of the board. Normally the fold that the board folds along if you board folds like a chess board. This centre line is where all of your checkers start, and it is a sort of starting line if you like. Once one of your checkers has been hit, then it is returned to the bar to start again.

Hit – This is a term to describe landing on an opposing players blot. If you can hit a blot, then it is sent back to the bar, thus making it much harder for your opponent to win. It is important to try and hit your opponent’s blots whenever you can, as long as this doesn’t leave you open to being hit back. Making a hit can be a very tactical move in Backgammon and should be considered carefully.

Make a Point / Build a Point – This is the process of you landing more than a single checker on a point on the board. This is strategically important because unlike a point with a blot, a point with two or more checkers on cannot be used by your opponent, you have effectively stopped them from being able to move to that point. It is also defensive in that your checkers on a built point are not open to being hit by your opponent and so it will keep them safe.

Prime – A prime is a row of anchors that you have made, that locks out your opponent from moving into the area. These are built side by side and will shut down your opponent from being able to use that area of the board. They are mainly constructed for the purpose of trapping or containing your opponent’s checkers, preventing them from moving.

Home Board / Outer Board – These refer to specific quadrants on the board. The Home Board is the final quadrant on the board. The area in which checkers must land before they are able to be cleared from the board. So there are two home boards, one for you and one for your opponent. Opposite to each of the home boards are the outer boards. Therefore there are two of each on a board.

Video Poker: How Did it all Start?

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Author: Jonathan Turner

Video Poker is one of the most popular games in both brick and mortar casinos and online casinos, and the game has a fascinating history – from its earliest iterations to the versions now played today.

While video poker machines are typically traced back to 1970, the origins of the game go back much further – all the way back to 1891. That was when the New York-based Sittman and Pitt Company created the first video poker game that would forge the foundations of the machine game that would eventually be rolled out at casinos in Las Vegas, and ultimately around the world.

The original game had five drums – now known as reels – and each drum had images of 10 playing cards. A player would insert a coin into the machine, pull the lever, and wait for the machine to provide a combination of the 10 cards across the five drums to make a poker hand.

Charles Fey – credited as the man who invented the very first slot machine – then refined this video poker machine in 1898 by inventing the Card Bell, which paid out up to 20 coins for a royal flush. Fey wasn’t done there, however, and in 1901 added a hold feature that allowed players to hold one or more of the cards and re-spin the rest. This machine was called the Skill Draw poker machine.

It was the Skill Draw poker machine that made these games stand out when compared to regular slot games, as it gave the players a measure of control over the cards, rather than the blind luck players rely on when playing regular slots.

Fascinatingly, these machines only had 50 cards instead of 52 – which makes sense considering they were designed with 10 cards per five reels. Typically, it was the 10 of Spades and Jack of Hearts that were excluded, which therefore reduced the odds of a royal flush by 50 percent.

Following these early versions, it wasn’t until 1970 that video poker machines started to appear more commonly. A machine created by Dale Electronics called Poker-Matic was introduced to casinos throughout Las Vegas, but interestingly the game was not all that popular. Given the boom of casino poker at the time, this video version failed to capture casino-goers’ interests.

That all changed, albeit gradually, when a man named William ‘Si’ Redd came on to the scene. Redd pitched his version of a machine he called Video Poker to the bosses of his company in Chicago, which they outright rejected.

After taking over the patent, Redd formed Si Redd’s Coin Machines (SIRCOMA) after striking a deal with Fortune Coin Company. After releasing his version of the video poker machine, interest started to increase and by 1981 it was one of the most popular games in casinos across Las Vegas.

Video poker still needed a lot of refining, most importantly determining the house edge that would make it worth casinos’ time to house the machines on their floors. This process involved dozens of people playing video poker for weeks and recording their results, which were then used to determine the house edge. And if you think, everything nowadays is done just by creating algorithms!

From there, video poker has evolved and is no longer limited to casino floors but is one of the most popular games in online casinos.

Sports betting – like betting on NFL Super Bowl favorites, winners of the English Premier League, and horse racing – makes up the majority of online gambling, but there is still a massive industry for online casinos, and video poker makes up a crucial section of that industry.

And to think it all began nearly 130 years ago with a humble five-drum slot machine in Brooklyn…

Unusual Games Available At Online Casinos

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Sometimes the daily grind of playing another game of roulette, blackjack or poker can be a bit tedious with the same cards and rules going around in your head time and time again. However, the rise in the popularity of online casinos has put an end to that, and now there are many variations of games and new types of games that can be explored online.

This brings an end to punters getting bored, and should you find the perfect online casino with Americancasinos.com, you will be kept busy for hours on a host of entertaining and fresh games. Some are complex, but some are much more straightforward, let’s go through some of the best ones that you can expect to find.

Red Dog Poker

The game is a variation of the classic casino game Acey-Ducey but is probably even more straightforward than the previous edition. There are no complicated rules to remember and follow; which would mean that you would easily get entertained by playing the game for hours. You simply place a bet and then are handed two cards. The initial bet is just an acknowledgement that you’re taking part in the game. Then you can place a second bet before being given a third card.

The main aim of the game is to match all three cards; then you could win money at the odds of 11/1. If you have two of the same cards from the initial dealing but then the third card is different, then you will get a push. Should you be dealt with a non-consecutive card which is also non-identical and not the same, then the game will be decided on whether the third card is between the values. Should this be the case, then the player can win at odds of between 1/1 or 4/1 depending on the value. However, should the third card be higher or lower, then the player loses.

War

One of the most popular games that everybody plays when they are younger is War, and now there is a variation of that game available online. The simplicity of it, combined with the low house advantage makes it a solid choice for punters. The player places their bet and is then given a card. If your card is higher than the dealers then you win; however, the fun truly begins if it is a tie.

From here you can either surrender and lost your stake, or choose to ‘go to war’ and double your stake, hoping for the best.

Spin a Win

Using familiar themes and adding them to solid games is a virtually sure-fire way to create a successful variation, but undoubtedly, this is the best. This type of game can be found in every casino around the world, but the ‘Spin a Win’ variation of it online is the best.

The most significant advantage that the game has is that it doesn’t require a significant stake to be put down; players could play with $2 spins. You can spend hours on this game, and be entertained in every second of it; without spending a fortune.

Common Blackjack Terms

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If you are new to the game of blackjack, you might hear terms mentioned and wonder what on earth people are talking about. There is always an assumption that everyone knows so you are unlikely to find people explaining themselves, so whichcasino.com has put together a quick glossary of some of the more common blackjack terms.

Ace: The ace card in blackjack can be counted as both high or low, which is a value of 11 or 1.

Bust: The aim of the game is to get to 21 or as close as possible. Going above the value of 21 is classed as bust, and you are then out.

Bust Card: The offending card that causes the hand to go over 21 and therefore bust.

Card Counting: This is a strategy used in blackjack that players use to try and get an edge. It is a method of tracking the cards to see which high and low cards have already been played. Once they see cards that change the favourable odds, they then increase their bets. There is some school of thought that suggests it is ineffective whereas others swear by it.

First Base: The player sat on the far left of the dealer; this is the first person to be dealt their card every time.

Hard Hand: This refers to a hand without an Ace, or if the ace is being used as the value of one.

Hard Hand: This refers to the actual total of cards in a hand where the aces are counted as a value of one.

Hit: Once the cards have been dealt each player can decide whether to ask for another card or stand where they are. When they ask for another card, this is classed as a hit.

Preferential Shuffle: This is where the casino allows a shuffle whenever they decide which destroys any edge the player might have. It is usually done when bets are placed.

Round: Each round starts with an empty table of no cards. The player must place their bets, and then the dealer will deal a hand of cards to every player. The round will then be classed as finished when the hand has been played, and all the bets are paid out.

Soft Hand: When there is an ace in the hand which can double as 11 or 1, therefore if you hit you cannot bust.

Stand: Once the hand has been dealt the player can add the value of their cards and decide whether to hit or stand, which means that they keep the cards they have. If you have 21 or close to 21, it would be sensible to stand as the chances of going bust with another card are quite high. You can also win if you are the closest to 21 anyway.

Two-Round: A directive from the casino to the dealer. They are told to deal just two rounds and then shuffle the cards. This destroys any player edge.