Beginner poker tips

Online poker is not a hard game to play but as many other things in life, just knowing the rules isn’t enough. In order to succeed, one must experience the game, and learn from mistakes. The problem is that each mistake means the loss of money and some mistakes can be avoided mainly by understanding a number of principles. What follows is certainly self-explanatory for experienced players but I’m sure beginner poker player could save quite a bit of money by reading this article.
1. Don’t forget to take the rake back. Most sites charge for every hand of rake but some do put some of it back in your account. This recharge saves a lot of money in the long run.
2. Don’t enter the game with any hand you are dealt – remember that an experienced player can win with almost every hand, must usually a bad hand will lose you money. Think twice before you decide to enter a game.
3. Don’t try to bluff all the time – everybody thinks that poker is a game based mainly on bluffing, but this isn’t so. You are being shown segments of a play, but that doesn’t mean that bluffing was the main part. Especially for a beginner, it’s always better to play according to the hand you were dealt.
4. Always think about the cards that you opponent might have. A good hand in poker is just not enough because your opponent’s hand might be even better. If you sense suspicious signs coming from your opponent, then it’s better to fold with a good hand then to lose money.
5. It’s always better to play at tables where the players aren’t as good as you, so you chances of winning increase.
6. Your position at the table in one of the major factors that determine who wins at poker. If you are the last to play you gain knowledge of the other players, which can help you win.
7. Watch your opponent’s movements and body language even as you are folding. That gives you a way to find out when you opponent has a good hand.

It’s true that I’ve discussed tips that sound obvious, but beginners will be helped during the first steps. Avoiding mistakes is important for poker players, as it is for poker sites. Just look at Full Tilt Poker, the major online poker site that was shut down due to its mistakes. Live and learn!

Liv Boeree – From Astrophysicist To Poker Pro

One of the newest members of Team UB, Liv Boeree represents the online poker room UltimateBet in live competitions around the world.  Who is she?  Where did she come from?  Her origins might surprise you.

The player known as “The Iron Maiden” for her love of heavy metal studied astrophysics at the University of Manchester before moving to London.  It was there she was introduced to the game of poker when she was selected as a contestant on “Ultimatepoker.com Showdown,” a reality TV series where players were mentored by a poker professional and competed for cash and prizes.  It was during the filming of this series that she met Phil Hellmuth, who coached her and showed her how to play poker.

After appearing on TV, Liv began playing poker more seriously.  Her good looks and quick wit made her a natural presenter for Gutshot TV’s coverage of the World Series of Poker as well as Challenge TV’s coverage online for the EPT, and her regular column in “Bluff Europe” magazine is read by thousands of poker fans.  There’s more to Liv than her media presence, however: she’s a threat at the tables, both online and off.

In just a few years, Liv has secured multiple top-10 finishes in a number of first place wins in Texas Hold’em tournaments across London. In May 2008, Boeree claimed the top spot in the Ladbrokes European Ladies Championship, besting a field of 53 players for $30,000 in cash and positioning herself as a top female poker player.  Liv took the 2009 WPT Championships series in April by storm by making two side event final tables and finishing 37th in the main event for $41,000.

It’s easy to see why Liv has become a valuable part of TeamUB.  “It’s an honor to play with the two people who helped launch my poker career,” she said after joining the elite group. “Annie and Phil are two of my favorite players so to sit on the same team as them is a bit of a surreal experience but one I’m definitely proud of.”

Liv can regularly be seen at both online and real-world poker events around the globe,  If you’re looking to play against her, add “Liv Boeree” to UltimateBet’s UltimateBuddy feature and see if you can rock as hard as The Iron Maiden!

Poker rules

Poker unlike other casino games such as; Backgammon, Blackjack or Roulette is more like a game with strategy rather than luck, since in this game you don’t need either to count or calculate anything, just to have a winning hand.

The poker game has many variations, that you can play them in an online casino site, at home with friends or if you wish you could go to Vegas too.

Let’s start with Texas Holdem. Holdem is the most popular online poker game played among professional players around the world.

Here below are two rules that will sharpen your game skill:

1) Raising

When there are more than two players still in the hand, only one bet and three
raises can be made in one betting round. Once the third raise is made the betting is
“capped”. Once betting is capped, the players can only call or fold.

However, if a player intends to raise, he has to declare it or put the same amount
of chips he is going to raise. After the raise, the player cannot bet anymore,
meaning place more chips.

2) Buying chips

The minimum number of chips a player is allowed to buy before their first hand
dealt is determined by the house rules. Typically is 50-200 times the  big Blind.

The player may reload or add more chips to their stack any time between their
hands.