• The Health Benefits of Playing Poker

    General

    Poker is a good way to entertain guests after dinner or merely to unwind on a weekend after a busy week at work. However, did you know that poker is also a healthy past-time? Many fear the possibility of getting addicted with playing poker. Of course, millionaires-turned-beggars are horror stories that nobody wants to experience. However, if a person has a good sense of self-control, poker can bring you several benefits that you never believed it could bring you. Here are some of the benefits of playing this famous card game:

    Increased Mental Awareness

    Aside from the ability to stay awake for long hours at your poker night, playing poker can also help increase your mental awareness. You become sensitive to the reactions of other people and intuitive to relate their gestures to how good or bad their cards are. In short, the things that you regularly dismiss in a normal day such as facial expressions are noticed in a simple poker game. You become more sensitive to your surroundings.

    Improved Memory

    Memory is often boosted in a poker game. You tend to remember the gestures, facial reactions, game outcomes, and the mistakes you made in previous games. Thus, you stand a higher chance of retaining a good memory even in old age. Playing card games in your golden years can surely pay off.

    Understanding Risks

    Playing a poker game can help a person understand risks. These ‘understood risks’, in turn, can also be applied in daily living. In short, playing poker can help people gain certain insights that are hard to be derived at regular activities. People can make informed decisions and look at things from different perspectives.

    Read More...

  • Why Losing in Poker is Strategic and Healthy

    General

    Have you ever heard of the term ‘Gambling Addiction’? Although this is a bad reason to stop yourself from learning even one card game, nobody would want you to end up being addicted to a card game like poker and lose everything you own. Don’t stop yourself from learning or playing poker, but there is one thing you should always remember: LOSING IN POKER IS NOT A BAD THING. Here are two good reasons why losing a few poker matches is good for you:

    Intelligent Game Strategy

    Losing at the early stages of a poker match can help you be acquainted with the tactics of the people you are playing with- who takes advantage of losing players, who doesn’t like taking risks, etc. If you always win at the first few games, the players usually closely guard their tactics, making it impossible for you to read their thoughts and actions. Never hesitate to make a few losses early on and don’t panic if you unintentionally lost in the first poker game.

    Financially and Mentally Healthy

    Losing in poker is financially and mentally healthy. Why? If you accept the fact that every card player is at risk of losing money, you will never dare to use all your possessions and bet them at a desperate poker game. It is also mentally healthy because you will less likely be addicted to playing it. People who always gain money because of numerous winnings become too bold and, later on, addicted. Losing helps you to not lose touch with reality; you will know your limits in any game and stop when you see that you lost too much already.

    Read More...

  • How to Keep a Poker Face

    General

    Poker is one of those games where emotions play a huge role in whether you win or not. When dealt with either a good hand or a bad hand it is imperative to keep what is known as a poker face. This means that players should try and hide their emotions and can be the edge that is needed to win the game.

    The first thing to remember is that having a poker face also relies on body language. If you face shows no emotion but your body does, there is no point trying to hide your hand. An expressionless look and body composure is essential when playing the game. If you find this difficult maybe invest in a pair of sunglasses.

    Secondly, it is important to keep in mind that small actions such as playing with chips, biting nails and tapping your fingers are all signs of nervousness and will be picked up by the other players at the table. You should know when to use signals like these (as well as eye contact) to bluff the other players around you.

    Lastly you should try to never, ever make your actions predictable. Once your fellow players can predict your actions it is a sure fire way to lose the game. If possible you should try and make your fellow players feel uneasy. Try and confuse them and make them start to wonder things about you. Whilst doing this keep an eye on how your fellow players react – you may learn more than you think.

    Read More...

  • Popular Types of Poker Chips

    Basics
    Popular Types of Poker Chips

    There are three main types of poker chips that are used regularly in poker games throughout the world. These are metal core poker chips, casino poker chips and plastic poker chips. Before these three makes the most common type of chip used was the clay chip but they were often broken and a newer invention with better durability was needed. Clay chips are still available but they are now very expensive to buy and often difficult to find due to their popularity.

    Metal core poker chips are very durable, and most are manufactured in China and Taiwan. This type of chip is heavy and readily available although it is the least most popular of the three mass produced chips on the market today.

    Casino poker chips are the most popular type of chip available, and when it comes to security they are well known as being the best. Each casino has their chips custom made in order to prevent counterfeit copies. The only place to buy this type of chip is from a casino at their face value or from a reseller who will often introduce a hefty mark-up tag. This type of chip generally weighs around 10g and is renowned as being the best type of chip available.

    Plastic chips are the most popular home game option and they can be purchased almost anywhere. This type of chip usually weighs around 7g and due to their material they are not as durable as they above types and can be easily damaged. For a home game poker kit though they are more than effective and are the cheapest option available on the market today.

    Read More...

  • How to Play Poker Like a Pro

    General

    Whether you plan to learn it as a past-time or you want to become a world-renowned poker player, every great pro starts from a humble beginning. Do you want to know what it takes to play poker like a pro? Although there are no definite, sure-fire rules that can lead you to poker greatness, there are simple things you can do even at the first-day of poker class to prepare you for a professional poker career. Take note of these simple things and you will surely be a poker pro in no time.

    1. Read Books and Watch Videos

    The greatest teacher in life is surely experience, but that doesn’t mean we turn away from other resources to learn a few things about poker. While being introduced to that wonderful card game, read online and familiarise yourself with a few poker terms you might hear at the table. For instance, ‘backdoor’ may sound like an ordinary term but it has a technical definition when somebody uses it at a poker game. Watching videos and shows such as Texas Hold ‘em will also give you an idea of how players manage their game.

    2. Practice

    This is a no-brainer as nobody can learn poker without actually playing it. Try to practice for half an hour or an hour daily so you can come up with your poker strategies and remember all those professional poker terms. Whether you play by yourself or with a few friends, what is important is to pay attention to the game.

    3. Never Play for Money

    Money should never be your motivation in playing poker or any other game. Play for fun or for passion. If you want to get rich by playing poker, just study medicine or law. Poker is a fast way to get rich and a faster way to get bankrupt.

    Read More...

  • Famous Female Poker Players

    General

    Poker is traditionally a man’s sport and unsurprisingly many top poker players do tend to be men (due to the large numbers that play). Over the last few years however a number of women have started to play the game and there have been some astonishing wins by some. These include:

    Annette Obrestad – Annette is a Norwegian who began playing poker at a young age. By the age of 22 she had won over $3 million dollars and had won one ‘World of Poker’ bracelet. In 2004 she broke all record by becoming the first female to win $2 million in one game. She ranks at number 110 on the all time poker winning money list and is the number one player in her home country.

    Jennifer Harman – Whilst at college in the US, Jennifer made over $2 million playing poker. Since then she has won two ‘World of Poker’ bracelets and ranks 174th on the all time poker winning money list. Much of the money Jennifer wins from playing the game has been donated to charity.

    Kathleen Leibert – probably the most famous female poker player of all time, Kathleen won her first $1 million in 2002. She won her first ‘World of Poker’ bracelet in 2004 and since then has gone on to win more than $5.5 million in prize money. Kathleen has won more prize money playing open field poker tournaments than any other woman and ranks at number 41 on the all time poker winning money list.

    Read More...