Poker Blog - 10 Reasons Why Every Player Must Have One

So you are a poker player. Are you Good? Just learning? They call you a "fish" or a "donkey" or maybe you're already a "shark"? Playing live more than online?;) No matter what kind of poker player are you, there are so many interesting stories to tell. It is probably too early for writing a book, so it would be nice to practice a little by starting your own poker blog.
Everyone can write their own poker blog without any particular knowledge on how to create a website. There are many free blogging services which allow you to start a personal weblog just in a few minutes.
Why should every poker player have their own blog? Here are 10 main reasons:
1. Socializing with peers. Every poker player should communicate with the other players. Sometimes with people they don't even know. Blog is a perfect way to approach them all.
2. Sharing poker experience with the others. When you see a driver who's still learning to drive, you always remember your own experience when you just got your drivers license. Poker players should also share their basic experience with the beginners.
3. Analyzing one's play. When you lose having AA, you might want to ask yourself, what has just happened? When writing a blog a question is not enough, you must tell your readers WHY did it happen. Therefore you need to analyze your play and try to learn from your mistakes. Blog is a perfect way to share this "loud thinking" or "brainstorming" with the others.
4. Boasting. While playing poker live or online, the players sometimes meet some celebrities and in some cases even bust them out. The world must know about the failures of their beloved poker celebrities against the humble and unknown players. A blog is like a billboard where you can shout out loud - I knocked out Phil Ivey at the last Sunday's FT tournament!
5. Asking for advice. Blogs usually have some particular audience of readers, who can help you in all kinds of life situations. Poker is played by car dealers, electricians, programmers, lawyers who can definitely help you if you just ask, no matter if it's a poker related issue or not.
6. Moderating a blog debate. Blog is a form of discussion when the author may ask a question or announce their position regarding one or another important issue. The bloggers get to moderate the discussions themselves, unlike at the forums where moderators are hired or appointed.
7. Warehouse of interesting material. Blog is a perfect way to list some interesting videos, pictures and links to the other pages containing various useful information. People love reading and watching; the links can be accessed at any time. It is like Digg or Delicious, only with longer descriptions and huge collections of interesting poker stuff.
8. Practice your language. If you do not constantly employ the knowledge you get at school, you simply forget it (for example, my wife forgot her German, because she never used it after she finished school). It's the same with writing skills. We do not write long letters anymore, because we can simply make a call or send an SMS. Writing a blog can be useful to your own development. It may also be a good trampoline to starting a writer's career at some poker magazines.
9. Social networking skills. A blog must be promoted to the masses. In order to do so you are almost obliged to use Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIN and other social networks. You are sure to meet a lot of interesting people there who might not only start reading your blog, but even help you in your real life. Social networking skills help people to improve personally.
10. Earn money. If your blog has at least some traffic you can always add a couple of banners of your favorite poker rooms with nice bonus and rakeback offers and earn some cash for referring new players via the affiliate deals. Every online poker room offers them, so do not hesitate and make your blog a source of your income.
Of course, there are much more reasons why poker players should start their own blogs and update them at least once a month, but these 10 are the most common. If you disapprove, start your own poker blog and write 10 reasons why poker players should not have their blogs. No one has posted such a topic yet, therefore it would be interesting to read. Anyway, another topic on what not to write about in your poker blog is also necessary, but let's just leave it for the next time.

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How to Know When to Walk Away From a Poker Game

If there is any lesson a poker player needs to learn, it is how and when to walk away from a game. Many people love gambling, both at brick and mortar casinos and online. It is a huge rush, comparable to a rollercoaster, that gets the blood pumping and the body begins to feel electric especially if you can win some money. But, during all the excitement, people seem to forget how to walk away from a poker game.
When playing poker you need to be aware of when you are in control of the poker game and when you are not. You must also be aware of the odds of winning the game. To figure this out, some individuals need to step back and fold a hand or two. Remember, not every hand it worth playing. A sign of a beginner at the poker table is one that plays every hand, even when they have nothing.
Always go into a poker game with a set amount to play. Also, determine a strategy for playing poker with any winnings. Some individuals only play the amount of winnings they have left after subtracting what they originally brought to the poker table. Do not ask friends and family members for more money to play when the money has run out.
It goes without saying that the longer someone plays, the more tired they can become. Fatigue sets in and individuals are not liable to make correct poker decisions. Thank the individuals for playing and leave the table with whatever money is left. Many individuals enjoy online poker for this reason - they can get up and go for awhile, and come back at any time, when they are more rested, and play again.
Individuals play poker for fun. When it is no longer feeling fun, it is time to thank the other players and call it quits. It is the most important rule of any poker game - know when the game is over.

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Texas Poker Strategy Tips - If You Love Holdem You'll Love These Tips

Looking for a few tips to strengthen your Texas Poker strategy? Well don't miss out on these new tips I'm revealing right now, for you.
If you are reading this I know that you, like me, are interested in becoming a better poker player. You want to get better at Hold Em, learn a few tips and tricks to make your Texas Poker strategy better, and then go and make a bunch of cash playing a game you love. I know, and that's why you are probably realizing you are going to really enjoy this article.
Texas Poker Strategy Tips #1
Always bet the correct amount for the image you are trying to present. Forget your cards. Forget what you think your opponents want to do. Bet to present the image you desire to be seen as.
Texas Poker Strategy Tips #2
Choose what hole cards you play very carefully. Always enter a pot with good pocket cards. The biggest mistake inexperienced players make is they just play far too many pots.
Texas Poker Strategy Tips #3
Exploit your table position every chance you get. This is one of the first and foremost skills you'll need to become a great poker player. You can play some worse hands if you have position on your side - but you need to know how!
Texas Poker Strategy Tips #4
Always watch your opponents. You'll need to keep a keen eye on what cards they are playing, what amounts they are betting, if they check, raise, or check-raise. And always remember they are presenting some sort of image to you.
Texas Poker Strategy Tips #5
Play middle suited connectors and small/middle pairs. These cards are great to pull mega-strong hands post-flop and sneak up on opponents. But remember that if you don't hit them on the flop don't chase it.
Texas Poker Strategy Tips #6
Check your pot odds and outs. Pot odds are another area where you seriously need some practice if you ever want to become good. You need to know if the 'odds' depict you should play a hand or not, even before you start to factor in your own feeling.
Texas Poker Strategy Tips #7
Think your hands through. Don't feel pressured to make a move instantly. You are allowed your time to decide. And it's the critical thought process that you run that will determine how successful you are at poker.
I know that now as you are reading this article you are probably becoming more aware of how these tips can fit into your own Texas Poker strategy, and how you can use these tips to do better, win more pots and ultimately make more money. And you are realizing that there are certain areas that you aren't performing well in, and that in fact learning and finding out new information is really what you need to become successful in poker.
So continue to enjoy and experience this feeling of strong curiosity - that feeling that makes you just want to get any piece of information that will teach you more about poker - and continue to follow on and act on these thoughts, because when you do you will become a great poker player. And realize that every time you turn away and don't act to find out new poker strategy information you will become a worse poker player.

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Improve Your Poker Game Now With 5 Tips

Everyone wants to become a better player and fast if is possible. As every writer I try my best to make my point and help you with your strategy. Poker is a complex game so tips to improve your poker performance and profits can be written every day and night. If you are a beginner or a pro player, you should always remember a few poker tips once in a while.
For some of us it will be easy to follow for other not. So, poker tips to improve your poker game. Every time that you play you will need some pointers to get rid of those costly holes in most players poker strategy. Follow all this tips and easily reduce those unprofitable moves and improve your winning poker strategies in no time you will be a winner.
I just have to remember you that being able to read your opponent can seriously improve your game ( you should think about this). This ability could help you win hands normally you would just fold. If a player realizes that you are good at reading tells he will not be able to play at his best against you. This comes as an advice that any serious poker player should learn.
1. Never Play Every Hand
You must learn that playing more dose not mean winning more, it usually means losing more. The number one mistake beginning poker players make is that they play far too many hands. When you are just starting out playing poker, you want to play poker, and that means staying in hands that are not very good just to be part of the action. Remember that you can fold !
2. Never Play Dizzy
The truth is that this is a beautiful game and a couple of drinks can be helpful in your mind but the other truth is that it may lead to you playing looser and less sharply. Often you can watch how players get plastered silly and throw away their entire stack of chips.
3. Never Bluff
My opinion is never bluff, but if you do, it may work in certain situations and against certain people, if you know a player always calls to the showdown, it is literally impossible to bluff that player. Once again it is better never to bluff. Use only good cards.
4. Always pay ATTENTION to the cards on the table and to other players
As you play, observe your opponents, even when you are not in a hand, but pay attention to your own hand you may get some nice hands ;). A) When you watch your opponent you know if one player always raises in a certain position, and when another bluffs, the 3rd folds to every re-raise, you can decide how to play against them. Once you know that player 3 always folds to a re-raise on a river, that is when you can bluff & steal a pot. B) You MUST read the table figure out the best possible hand that can fit the flop. See the flush and straight possibilities. Remember once you have you will be able to better read opponents and even use reverse tells against them.
5. Play hard, do not show pity !
If you see a leak in someones game, exploit it! That player will learn his lesson as we all did. Everyone has to pay to learn "THE" lesson. If you ever start feeling guilty about taking some fool for all he is worth, remember a time when it happened to you. REMEMBER do not feel bad Its part of the game, no other player will fill bad for you when he will be the winner!
Those are a few quick tips to help you out. Follow those, keep practicing, and you will be beating the pants off your friends at home games in no time. Leave your comment if the tips have been useful. Thank you!

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Poker Training Lesson No 1 - Listen to Poker Stories

I have found there are definitely options for poker training whilst listening and learning from opponents, especially when they're sharing their poker stories. I know it often gets monotonous listening to the same old voices bragging about their talents or degrading other opponents play. How often do you come across a poker player that wants to tell you how close they got to winning, but just got lost to a bad beat? Or even poor play from another opponent.
You should not simply consider this idle chatter... this is poker training.
These poker stories are an extremely valuable opportunity for you to learn about your opponents. Whoever is telling the story is actually divulging information that you can use against them. They are providing information such as:
what hands they like to play
 the value they think certain hands are worth
 what they might consider a good fold or a poor fold
 what they consider is an acceptable raise
 what may put them on tilt
 what they believe is bad play
 how they react to other players actions
 and much much more....
Can you see this information is gold, it's a read, these are poker tells on your opponents. They may be friends or strangers, and regardless whether you get the opportunity to use this information on that particular opponent, you should store these poker stories in your 'poker vault'. Your poker training is to develop this vault to gather a vast range of knowledge of poker personalities and perspectives. You can and will start to see patterns develop amongst players and this is often formed through conformity, players reading similar books and players swapping methods and telling each other what they believe is correct.
BUT do not start to believe everyone will act the same. This is the beauty of Poker, no one player can define the correct or right way to play.
Every hand is like a fingerprint, they are all different. WHY? Because human emotion is involved. Any poker hand may and will be influenced by so many different reasons, such as past hands, reactions to opponents, chip stacks, limiting beliefs or even something unforeseen like a fight with a girlfriend at home the night before. You can never play the same hand the same way twice. How can you tell? How do you know? What sort of poker training can help you learn these things? Well the answer isn't in the cards, it's in listening to your opponents and the poker stories they so often want to openly share with you. All you have to do is ask the whole table, "what's the worst beat anyone has ever seen?" I guarantee, someone will pipe up and open the flood gates of  sit back, listen and enjoy and remember to take mental notes of what is said. And if you want to take it to the next level, watch if the other players are listening too. Ask yourself if anyone else is listening the way you are, are they that 'switched on', are they learning as much as you, are they someone to look out for too. You will always learn more from listening than talking, which reminds me of another one of my favorite quotes from the past US president, Richard Nixon:
"I learned that the people who have the cards are usually the ones who talk the least and the softest; those who are bluffing tend to talk loudly and give themselves away"
I have found this to be oh so true. The loudest are often the worse talented players (provided their volume is not deliberately to annoy or intimidate).
Can you imagine there is more to learning about poker than just reading books. Poker training and information can be gained from a whole range of sources. Listening to poker stories is just one of these techniques, but they don't just have to be poker stories, they can be any type of stories. A story told by an individual has a personal spin to the story, therefore that person will give you insight into how they want to tell the story. How they recall the story, thus you learn more about them and how they think. Live poker is about knowing people and how they act and react in different situations. The day you stop learning about people is the day you will stop improving your poker game.
Take it from me, any poker player at any level can always learn from this type of poker training, go forth and listen and you might just learn something. Good luck.
If you enjoyed this article be sure to visit the Poker Power blog as we have many more posts like this one designed to help you improve your poker skills and become a better poker player. I look forward to you stopping by.

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Texas Hold Em Poker Tips - 3 Tips To Increase Your Winnings

These Texas Hold Em Poker tips will improve your game and increase your winnings. Learn them and become a better poker player now.
There are many different Texas Hold Em Poker tips around. Some will teach you strategies, others mistakes to avoid, some are based on cards, betting or bluffing.
The poker player that continually research and learn better ways of playing and winning Holdem are the ones that are seriously profiting from their efforts. So keep up the good work and never turn down an opportunity to learn more tips about how to win.
The Texas Hold Em Poker tips I'm going to share with you today will directly allow you to increase you winnings the next time you play poker.
Tip To Increase Winnings #1
The first and easiest way to increase your winnings is to perform blinds steals when in the cutoff or late positions. To do this, make a large aggressive raise at the pot when no one contests it pre-flop.
Tip To Increase Winnings #2
The second thing to do to immediately increase your winnings is to value bet at the pot post-flop when there are straight or flush draw cards. This will weed out any chasers and allow you to win more easily.
Tip To Increase Winnings #3
The third thing to do is when you are the one chasing a draw. Whenever you have a card to make your draw always bet out at the pot. Don't follow common advice of checking or limping through to see the next card cheaply. It works out better over the long run if you bet out.
Before you go on to learn even more Texas Hold Em Poker tips have a think about how useful these tips have been for you and how you can utilize them to make more money the next time you sit down to play a game of poker.

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Some Common Poker Pet Peeves

If you're a poker player and you intend to be serious in your game, the last thing that you need and do on the table are distractions. Concentration need to be intense. So, if something is bothering you while you play, let it roll off your back. You don't need it. Don't let it consume you and your winning hand.
Breaking the rules while on the table or discussing the hand while it is still in progress are cases when you better speak up. Talks about a bad player playing a bad hand should also be avoided when you're at the table. These things can hugely determine your bottom line earnings, so if you feel that anything is interfering with that, you have to take appropriate action since if you want to make money with poker, you don't always have to focus on your cards.
There should be no discussion about a hand whenever it is still being played. "Sighs of disgust" immediately lets out your hand. Take this for example, the flop is at JJ6. The other players are still involved in the hand. A player who is not involved heaved a "sigh". This is giving out information to players that they should not have in the first place. Other players can then conclude on the hand that the "sighing" person has and could use this to their advantage. Some do not only sigh, some even announce out loud the hand that they're playing, something that seasoned poker players do not do. Whenever a poker player does this, they should be reminded that the hand is still being played and what they just did is simply inappropriate.
How bad you played the other night or on a particular on that night should not be discussed as well on the table. The bad a player becomes, the better is it for his or her opponent. Poker players on TV plays very bad, or at least most of them do. Eventually they will learn their mistakes but it's not for anyone to tell them how to. Keep your bad plays to yourself. Improve on your own. Note that your opponents thrive on your weakness so don't make it too obvious.
String bets should always be something that any poker player should not tolerate. Whenever a player breaks a rule, somebody on the table should speak up. This is to protect the integrity of the game and the players as well. If you're unsure about the specific rule that you want to call about, ask a floorman to approach your table to explain everything. Your opponent who does the string bets might be annoyed. He can if he wants to but not at the cost of the game's integrity.
Have you ever played with people who ask for deck change? What's with it anyway? The same 52 cards will be on the new deck, maybe on a different arrangement, but heck, it's still aces and jacks and sixes and fives, right? They may simply be superstitious and rely on luck to save their hand but as any poker would say, winning poker needs more skills and a lot of talent.
There are more things that would bother a poker player at the table. It is thus important that you separate what is relevant and what is not in a poker game. If it's irrelevant, let go. Don't let everything stir your nerves. You'll be a total wreck before you get your winning hand. Not only that, your bankroll might be a wreck too so watch out.

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Player Classification For No-Limit Hold'em and Why it is Important

Most poker players get so involved with trying to play their cards correctly that they completely forget about one of the most important aspects of the game.  One of the main keys to success at playing poker is to be able to put your opponents on certain hands in certain situations.  If you constantly find yourself completely in the dark and have no idea what kind of hand you opponent is playing then you are probably not doing well at the tables.  The quicker you can learn to put you opponents on hands the easier it is to exploit them.  It allows you to stay away from there strengths and hammer away at there weaknesses.  This is very good for your bankroll.

For the beginning player you should focus on the four main categories of players.  They are Loose/Aggressive,  Loose/Passive, Tight/Passive, and Tight/Aggressive.  While you can break player profiles down further into more subcategories you should only do that once you are comfortable with placing players into the four basic categories.  Being able to correctly label your opponent will provide you with several advantages that will allow you to take your game to another level.  If you want to play and be profitable you have to able to read players.  It is almost more important then your whole cards.

Once you understand the four basic categories you will be able to tell several things about your opponents.  It will give you insight into what type of whole cards your opponents could have and how they would play them in different positions.  You will be able to predict there general style of play and be amazed at the accuracy you have at placing them on the correct hands that they have.  You will also be more aware of the circumstances that they like to bluff in.  

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