Ok, so some of you may be wondering just what exactly is a smooth call in poker.  Quite simply it is when you’re holding a really good hand and someone bets into you, but rather than raising you merely call.  This can be a very powerful move, however, is one that is often misplayed.

When smooth calling your opponent, it really is a combination of two things, slow playing and anticipation.  Ultimately the smooth call is intended to trick your opponent into thinging they have the best hand while letting them dig a hole they can’t come out of.

Now this play operates on the fact that you anticipate that your opponent will continue betting into to you, all along knowing you have the best hand.  Of course they will continue to think THEY have the best hand, and will soon become pot committed and frustrated that you won’t back down off the hand.  This is when they make the unfortunate mistake of going all in, and once the cards are shown they will quickly realize they’ve been had. (more…)

Boy, there’s an answer that we’d all love to have.  In fact, there is really no secret to winning poker other.  To win at poker one must learn discipline, knowledge, and play the game to gain experience.  Combine all three and you have your secret to winning poker.

Ultimately poker comes down to showing the best hand to gain the most money.  Proper starting hand selection and optimal poker strategy will lead to this.  However, there are a few other tactics that one must employ to make the most of every hand they play.

The first tactic involves skillfully planning out moves and plays.  Having an acute prowess of the game and your opponents, applying masterful techniques, table selection, seat position at the table, time of day you play and table image will give you a cunning edge over others at the table. (more…)

Texas Holdem, whether playing no limit or limit, is a very basic game of poker that has very few rules, but rules none the less need to be followed.  First off, when playing in a casino or online the dealer never plays, whereas in a home game the dealer may be a player as well.  Therefore, a dealer button is employed to signify who is the dealer.

Preflop

In Texas Holdem Poker prior to dealing the first and second players left of the dealer are required to ante the blinds, known as the Small and Big Blinds.  The dealer then deals each player two down cards, known as hole cards.  The betting then starts with the person left of the Big Blind, of which players have the option to call, raise or fold. (more…)

Before you sit down and play poker online it’s obviously a good idea learn how to play poker first.  As with anything in life, this can be done using several methods, the primary method involving reading and research and the second method utilizing that knowledge learned to play the game of poker live.

Ok, so where do you start?  When I first started playing poker, I knew absolutely nothing about the game except what I saw on ESPN watching the WSOP coverage.  The money I deposited into my online poker account quickly went to other players, and I rapidly realized that I needed to learn to walk before learning to run.  (more…)

For a newcomer to online poker, this often is the number one question asked.  Certainly playing solid poker and winning big pots will help you to build your poker bankroll the fastest, and having a larger bankroll will allow you to enter into some of the higher limits and tournaments.

Another easy way for poker players to build their bankroll is to play at poker sites that offer deposit bonuses.  Poker deposit bonuses help to serve two purposes.  First,  once you complete the poker release requirements the money is credited to your online bankroll.  If you have employed strong poker strategy and have continued to win, this will provide a big boost to those earnings.  Second, playing online at sites that offer poker bonuses can help to minimize swings that may occur should you undergo a losing streak, which does happen to every poker player now and again.  Again, once you reach the bonus release requirements and it is in your account, even if you have lost some of the money that you initially started with you can come out with more money that you started with.  Either way playing with pending poker deposit bonus is free money waiting for you to take it.  I can’t remember the last time someone I know turned down free money.  (more…)