Help Keep Poker Legal

On September 11th the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 4411, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which seeks to eliminate your right to play poker online. The bill is currently being considered by the Senate so I urge you to contact your senator and urge him/her to vote against the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. If care about the game of poker and want to help keep it legal I suggest you check out the Poker Players Alliance. They have a handy sample letter that you can customize and send to your senator. Click here for the full text of H.R. 4411

10 Things to Avoid as an Online Poker Pro.

There is a lot of advice on the web about how to "beat the game" but even if you do everything else right plus any of these 10 things you will lose money. Remember being a true poker pro means maintaining a professional demeanor at all times. Drinking alcohol – I always encourage my opponents to drink up. Nothing improves a poker player’s bottom line like a loose player whose decision making ability is impaired. I’ll have my drinks after the game thank you very much. Watching TV – It should be obvious that your attention should be fully in the game. Take advantage of those times your not involved in the pot to watch and learn from your opponents. The kinds of hands they play. How tight or loose they are. How aggressive or passive they are. If you pay attention to the important things at the poker table you’ll gain a key advantage and you will never be board. Chatting excessively – You shouldn’t chat at all with people outside the game and in game chat should be used only when necessary and not to discuss the meaning of life. Getting attached to a favorite hand – This can be a huge leak for some. The relative value of a starting hand doesn’t change just because you’ve gotten lucky with it in the past. Luck evens out over time. Playing while upset, sick or tired – When you sit down at the poker table you should already feel like a winner and be well rested and alert. If you are upset or otherwise not feeling well it will be hard for you to keep your head in the game and can be as bad as or worse than playing drunk. Having a vendetta against another player – Some poker players are jerks by nature and some act that way as a strategy to put you on tilt causing you to make stupid plays. Don’t fall into that trap play every hand the way it should be played based on the cards, your stack and your knowledge of your opponents and not how you feel about them. Playing at the wrong level – If you play at too high a level your bankroll won’t last through long spells of unplayable hands. If you play at too low a level you simple won’t make enough to make it worth your while. Being a know it all at the table or criticizing your opponents – Keep in mind at all times that most of the money you earn at the poker table will be from recreational players who are their to have a good time. It is bad for business to drive them away by belittling them and making them feel uncomfortable playing with you. Being a poor loser or winner – Again it is BAD for business to drive away the recreational players that most of your poker income comes from. When you lose do so graciously complimenting your opponent’s play and when you take a significant portion of an opponents stack show some compassion and offer a kind word or two. Blaming other players or your bad luck for your poor results – If you lose it either because you made a bad call or you were unlucky. You can’t control luck it is completely random. What you do have control over is your decision making ability and your willingness to learn from your mistakes. Play Online Poker

Understanding Probability and Odds

Most people think they understand the basics of probability and odds but there are a few misconceptions. For example, in Texas Hold’em the odds of being dealt pocket aces are about 1 in 220 hands. So you’ve played 110 hands without receiving pocket aces. What are the chances of being dealt pocket aces now? Or what if you flip a coin and it comes up tails. What are the chances it will come up heads on the next flip? Odds are defined as the likelihood of a specific event or outcome to occur usually expressed as a fraction, i.e. a coin flip has a 1/2 chance of being heads. The chances of getting dealt pocket aces is the 1/220 every time the cards are dealt, whether it’s your first hand, the 110th or the millionth. It’s possible, although unlikely, to be dealt a thousand hands without being dealt pocket rockets. With the coin flip it is always a 50/50 chance to come out either way. For some the example may seem obvious and it is if you really think about it. The problem is, and what can get you in trouble at the poker table is feeling like you are due. For example you know that AKs chances of winning are about 1 in 5 and you’ve been dealt AKs four times. The there is an ace on the board but a possible flush that you have no part of so you over play your hand and lose big because you thought you where due. Once you understand odds and probability you become better equipped to make some of those tough decisions at the poker table and much more dangerous to your opponents. Check out the article on pot odds for more information on using odds to your advantage.

Act now to keep internet poker legal!

The Following is taken directly from on newsletter from Doyle's Room. "The U.S. Senate is Seeking to Ban Online Poker PPA Phone March on Capitol Hill Scheduled for Sept. 12 Dear DBPN player, Your urgent action is needed! On September 12th the Poker Players Alliance with the support of leading poker blogs and forums, PocketFives.com, Wicked Chops Poker and others are organizing a 'Phone March' on Capitol Hill. From 9:00 AM Eastern Time, until 5:30 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, September 12th, we are asking all PPA members and anyone interested in defending poker to call this toll free number, (800)-289-1136 and be patched through to one of your two U.S. Senators in Washington D.C. When you call the 800 number you will hear a recording from fellow PPA member Greg 'Fossilman' Raymer and then you will be prompted to enter your five digit zip code so you can be directed, free of charge, to your Senator's office. Note: The 800 number will only be active between 9:00 AM EST and 5:30 PM EST on Tuesday September 12. Key points you should make: I am a voter in your state. I strongly oppose any legislation that would prohibit online poker, and urge the Senator to vote against such legislation. Poker is a skill game enjoyed by 70 Million Americans. The Senator should seek to regulate online poker much like the government regulates other forms of gaming, like lotteries. Prohibitions don't work. Any legislation that tries to ban online poker will only drive those players underground. Again, I urge the Senator to oppose any attempts to prohibit me from playing the great American game of poker on the Internet. The threat to poker is real. Please forward this information to everyone you know who cares about poker and an American's freedom to use the Internet. We need everyone possible to make their voice heard on September 12th! Sincerely, Doyle Brunson Poker Network" If you love poker as I do I urge to to follow Doyle's advice and take action now.

Hand Rankings and Texas Hold'em Basics

As promised I've just posted both the Hand Rankings and Texas Hold'em Basics pages to help those of you who are just starting. Look for more tools in future for both beginners and seasoned poker players. As always I enjoy hearing from Modern Grinder readers so as always feel free send us comments, suggestions, questions or complaints. You can do this by either posting a comment or sending an email to mg@moderngrinder.com