That said, there are two big differences between online poker and your brick and mortar poker room-and no, it’s not just the cigar smoke and sometimes annoying wait to get into a game. The two main differences are time and tells-the two T’s. Today, I’ll break them down for you.

Time

Online poker is a lightning fast game compared to real world poker. When you watch poker on TV, they actually do a major editing job to make it look more up to speed.

When you play online poker, you’re acting within 20-30 seconds. You either act before your timer goes down or you’re done. There isn’t much think time.

Now, play in the real world and it’s a drastic change. The game moves at a snail’s pace. For some this is good. You can sit there and think about what to do.

However, the slower game means less hands per hour, which in turn can mean lower profit per hour. If you’re a mechanical online poker player that just cranks out the profit per hand, real world play might not be good for you.

Tells

Countless articles and books have been written that deal with tells at the poker table. In fact, talk to any poker pro and he or she will talk about playing the player not the cards.

Good or bad, you can’t do this with online poker. Tells virtually don’t exist. Sure, you can pick up some playing habits if you play with someone long enough, but it’s difficult. There’s no way to study your opponent.

For some, this is a good thing. Your opponents can’t see you doing cartwheels, because you’ve just scored a full house on the river or picked up trips on the flop. But, true pros do their best work when they are sitting across from other players in the real world.

Several recent events in congress has brought attention to the legal standing of online wagering in general. The first thing to understand is the skill game of poker is not the same as sports betting nor even “random chance” casino games like craps and roulette. It may be treated the same eventually, or it may not. Legal precedent for a lot of this simply does not exist. As of this article, no person has been charged, brought to trial, convicted, or sentenced for playing online poker. But this does not guarantee that if will not happen in the future.

In my research I found that Professor I. Nelson Rose, Professor of Law, Whittier Law School Costa Mesa, Ca, is one of the world’s leading authorities on gambling law. He states that “no United States federal statute or regulation explicitly prohibits Internet gambling, either domestically or abroad.” Still, the US government has taken the position that certain things are illegal, and more importantly, certain things are worthy of prosecution. The Wire Act is the statute most often cited as making on-line gambling a federal offense. He notes that the operative subsection reads: “Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

Rose goes on to say: “The first element of the Wire Act, says that the statute applies only to an individual involved in the ‘business of betting or wagering’ (not to a common player).”

The question of whether Internet sportsbetting is covered by the Wire Act seems to have been answered by the US Supreme Court’s refusal to review the conviction of Jay Cohen. Whether online casinos and online poker cardrooms are covered under the aimed-at-sportsbetting Wire Act is a different question. In February 2001, Judge Stanwood Duval of the US District Court in New Orleans ruled that it did not: “‘in plain language’ [the Wire Act] does not prohibit Internet gambling ‘on a game of chance.’”

On November 21, 2002, the US Fifth Circuit Federal Appeals Court upheld Duval’s ruling, stating: “The district court concluded that the Wire Act concerns gambling on sporting events or contests… We agree with the district court’s statutory interpretation, its reading of the relevant case law, its summary of the relevant legislative history, and its conclusion.”

The Appeals Court further states: “Because we find neither the Wire Act nor the mail and wire fraud statutes may serve as predicates here, we need not consider the other federal statutes identified by the Plaintiffs… As the district court correctly explained, these sections may not serve as predicates here because the Defendants did not violate any applicable federal or state law.”

The Appeals Court specifically cites Duval’s statement: “[A] plain reading of the statutory language [of the Wire Act] clearly requires that the object of the gambling be a sporting event or contest.” This is very explicit language. You would have to jump through a lot of mental hoops to consider the playing of online poker to be “a sporting event”.

So, while the US Justice Department recently stated that the Wire Act covers casino games in addition to sports wagering, the Federal Appeals Court has directly ruled that that interpretation is not correct. This is not a small disagreement. It is a direct contradiction that could well spur the creation of new, 21st Century Federal legislation that actually deals with these issues. One bill introduced by James Leach of Iowa, aims to inhibit the ability of citizens to gamble online. It however does nothing to criminalize actual gambling online. But other bills may be introduced in the future with that goal.

Gambling regulation traditionally has been the responsibility of individual states. For instance, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer reached a settlement with Citibank and PayPal regarding their involvement with online gaming. Some individual states have laws prohibiting any form of gambling online (or any gambling for that matter). That is a different issue from whether it is legal on a US Federal level.

A key distinction exists on a Federal level between bettors and those operators whose business is to benefit from the actual making of wagers: “engaged in the business of betting or wagering… which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers…” As long as players stay in the “players” category and not in the in-the-business-of-wagering owners/bookies/runners/agents categories, a significant difference in status exists.

There are many ways to read the Wire Act, but only under the broadest interpretation could playing online poker be deemed illegal in terms of the Wire Act. In my opinion (which isn’t worth a hill of beans… only the US Supreme Court’s view will matter unless new legislation passes) playing online poker is not illegal for US citizens, in regards to Federal Law — unless it is a crime in an individual state, in which case the Federal Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 may apply. The Act makes it a federal crime for five or more persons to engage in a gambling business illegal under state law. Gambling online is definitely illegal in some states, but the Crime Control Act of 1970 does not apply to players. In addition, since the Crime Control Act does not refer to foreign commerce, it is hard to see how a case could be made that it applies to Internet gaming across multiple international borders.

Finally, in November 2004, the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda won a World Trade Organization ruling that United States legislation criminalizing online betting violates global laws. In April 2005, the WTO Appellate Body affirmed the principal conclusions involved.

Will Holdem always be the poker game of choice, or is it possible another game will become the new favorite? Older poker games like Stud and Draw could possibly regain some momentum however this is an unlikely scenario as these games are currently being shunned by many new action players for their naturally slow pace of play. Other known games like Guts (3 card poker) seem a little too wild and precarious for most players and Pan (a form of chinese poker) is immediately seen as being just too complicated.

It is more likely that a newer game like Crazy Pineapple or Badugi would take over as the number one. Pineapple is essentially a spin-off from Holdem and Badugi is a fun new form of 4-card poker that is played triple-draw for low. These new games can be exciting poker alternatives when a bit of variety is needed in our playing sessions.

Regardless of these tendencies, it’s certain that the Holdem craze is not going to end anytime soon since it has been the introductory game for the biggest wave of new players in history.

Playing poker is a good way to waste time for most players, but there are many people who play to win and this can be addictive. Poker is a good entertainment source as long as it is just time pass, but it is dangerous to get addicted to gambling. Remember this before you decide to jump into the world of playing poker for cash.

Play poker on the internet for free and you can still receive that bonus. How? There are a number of websites, which endorse their gambling site by giving introductory offers such as online poker bonus or sign up bonus so that you can get access to their games and bet with real money, without paying anything. In theory, what they are doing is offering you the chance to play at their site without risking you money up front. Beware, however, that this ploy is very effective in getting you to deposit your own cash eventually.

Today, there are numerous websites promoting these free online poker games—but you will get the online poker bonus only for a limited period after registration, however they offer you lots of excitement while playing these poker games. To increase your fun, as well as their profits, they offer you the online poker bonus starting at around a few hundred dollars.

This is a ploy that is designed to get you to deposit your money into their bank account. If, however, you are comfortable with your poker skills and feel that you are indeed ready to play for money, why not use their bonus to get you started? You never know, the couple of hundred dollars that they give you may be turned into double that for your wallet.

Single Table Tournaments Or “Sit and Go” Tournaments

These are reasonably small tournaments, usually nine or ten players. You’re only competing against the other players at your table. These types of tournaments usually start when the required number of players has registered. These tournaments tend to be shorter then mult-table tournaments, often lasting around one hour. These tournaments often have only one winner.

Free Roll Tournaments

These tournaments are free. Pokerrooms periodically hold free rolls. Entry into one of these may be given away as a comp to existing players or as a bonus for making a deposit. In any event, it costs you nothing to enter, and you have a shot at willing real money.

Satellite Tournaments

Satellite Tournaments are smaller tournaments in which the prize is entry into a bigger tournament. At some pokerrooms, you can “satellite” your way all the way up to free entry into the World Series of Poker held in Vegas.

Here’s some additional info

Re-buy or Addons: some tournaments allow you to purchase additional chips after the start. There are usually specific rules about how much and when you can purchase. Also, the ability to purchase additional chips usually ends at a certain point in the tournament.

Blinds: During most tournaments, blinds increase periodically on a specific schedule. This is to help to shorten the length of the tournament, by making it more costly to simply keep folding. Larger blinds force players to play more aggressively.

THE PROCEDURE.
Take your online seat.

Wait for large blind(2 players pay large and small blind every hand to start pot) – you will be prompted,just click to pay)

Two cards will be shown to you,and no one else.

A round of betting will now take place by other players round the table.
If there has not been a “raise”(increase in your large blind stake you have already paid) then just “check”(it costs you nothing and you get to see next card for free).

If there has been a “raise”you can either go with them(“call”)and increase your stake or cut your losses and “fold” – We will show wether you should stay in or fold hands later.

Next the “flop” occurs – this is when 3 cards are dealt onto table,which everyone can see.

There is now another round of betting,and apply same procedure as in first round of betting.

Every player will now see another card dealt – the “turn” card.

There is now another round of betting,and apply same procedure as in first round of betting.

Every player will now see another card – the 5th and final card – the “river” card.

There is now another round of betting,and apply same procedure as in first round of betting.

The game is now finished – the player with the best hand wins the pot – less the poker house cut,the “rake”

Another game now begins,this time you will be prompted to pay the “small blind”-click to pay.After this game you will get a respite from paying to play,and will only pay again(unless you have good hand that you do want to play) when big blind rotates the table.

THESE ARE THE BEST HANDS IN RANK ORDER
1. Royal Flush
This is the highest poker hand. It consists of ace, king, queen, jack, ten, all in the same suit. As all suits are equal, all royal flushes are equal.
2. Straight Flush
Five cards of the same suit in sequence – such asJ-10-9-8-7. Between two straight flushes, the one containing the higher top card is higher. An ace can be counted as low, so 5-4-3-2-A is a straight flush, but its top card is the five, not the ace, so it is the lowest type of straight flush.
3. Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank – such as four queens. The fifth card can be anything. This combination is sometimes known as “quads”, and in some parts of Europe it is called a “poker”, though this term for it is unknown in English. Between two fours of a kind, the one with the higher set of four cards is higher – so 3-3-3-3-A is beaten by 4-4-4-4-2. It can’t happen in standard poker, but if in some other game you need to compare two fours of a kind where the sets of four cards are of the same rank, then the one with the higher fifth card is better.
4. Full House
This consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank – for example three sevens and two tens (colloquially known as “sevens full” or more specifically “sevens on tens”). When comparing full houses, the rank of the three cards determines which is higher. For example 9-9-9-4-4 beats 8-8-8-A-A. If the threes of a kind were equal, the rank of the pairs would decide.
5. Flush
Five cards of the same suit. When comparing two flushes, the highest card determines which is higher. If the highest cards are equal then the second highest card is compared; if those are equal too, then the third highest card, and so on. For example K-J-9-3-2 beats K-J-7-6-5 because the nine beats the seven.
6. Straight
Five cards of mixed suits in sequence – for example Q-J-10-9-8. When comparing two sequences, the one with the higher ranking top card is better. Ace can count high or low in a straight, but not both at once, so A-K-Q-J-10 and 5-4-3-2-A are valid straights, but 2-A-K-Q-J is not. 5-4-3-2-A is the lowest kind of straight, the top card being the five.
7. Three of a Kind
When comparing two threes of a kind the hand in which the three equal cards are of higher rank is better. So for example 5-5-5-3-2 beats 4-4-4-K-Q. If you have to compare two threes of a kind where the sets of three are of equal rank, then the higher of the two remaining cards in each hand are compared, and if those are equal, the lower odd card is compared.
8. Two Pairs
A pair is two cards of equal rank. In a hand with two pairs, the two pairs are of different ranks (otherwise you would have four of a kind), and there is an odd card to make the hand up to five cards. When comparing hands with two pairs, the hand with the highest pair wins, irrespective of the rank of the other cards – so J-J-2-2-4 beats 10-10-9-9-8 because the jacks beat the tens. If the higher pairs are equal, the lower pairs are compared, so that for example 8-8-6-6-3 beats 8-8-5-5-K. Finally, if both pairs are the same, the odd cards are compared, so Q-Q-5-5-8 beats Q-Q-5-5-4.
9. Pair
A hand with two cards of equal rank and three other cards which do not match these or each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better – so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too compare the lowest odd cards. So J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-7-6 because the 9 beats the 7.
10. High Card
Five cards which do not form any of the combinations listed above. When comparing two such hands, the one with the better highest card wins. If the highest cards are equal the second cards are compared; if they are equal too the third cards are compared, and so on. So A-J-9-5-3 beats A-10-9-5-4 because the jack beats the ten.

HANDS TO PLAY.
To stress again this is an introduction to limit poker,after time you will not stick to any strict guidlines,you get a feel for the game,there might be an idiot playing who you want to get involved with,it is your lucky day,and also you do not want to become too predictable.

But for now some guidlines may be useful.

Position is often portrayed as very important – it may be in no limit,but in limit not so important,if a hand is worth playing there is no need to be put off by an increase in stakes.If it is not a great hand,and you are early player(in other words you may get raised by later player)then fold,whereas if you are late player(fewer players have opportunity to raise you)then you might run with it.

Also you should always defend your big blind stake to at least one raise.One of the biggest pots i have ever won at limit poker was a situation where i was dragged unwillingly into a raising game holding a 6 – 2 unsuited,and you can’t get much worse than that.The flop threw down 3 sixes !.
Let the small blind go unless you have at least a half decent hand.

These are hands you must play,or raise even if raised previousley.
AA, KK, QQ,
A K, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ,
A – anything suited

Include these hands to check,and call if raised.
QJ, 10 – 10, J – J
4 – 5 suited, 5 – 6 suited, etc……through to………….10 – J suited.

Include these hands to play and check(discard or play,depending on your,and the games circumstances)
Any pair
4 – 5 unsuited etc……….through to ………………..10 – J.

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND.

Players bluff a lot.

Players bluff much more than you would imagine – if you hold at least a pair from flop,it may pay to see it through to the end.Particularly if 2 suited cards,or a possible straight was flopped,and now their straight can’t be made,and their flush busted.

Have rough idea of odds involved.

You can exhaust yourself,and make poker pretty hard work if you take the maths to extreme lengths,but a rough idea of the odds to draw is a must.
Just have in front of you the odds involved to make your hand.For these examples the river(last card)is to come,and below are the approximate odds.If,say for example,you have a pair of 3’s and know you need another 3 to win the pot,there are only 2 cards in the pack that can win it for you.The odds are 22/1,if the pot,plus what will be played this round is only paying you 10/1 you have to fold,if the pot has potential for paying 30/1 you have to play.

Odds below are for river card – last card only to come.
It is roughly half the odds given below for turn plus river card – last 2 cards still to come
2 cards wanted is app 22/1
3………………………….14/1
4………………………….11/1
5………………………. … 8/1
6………………………….. 7/1
7………………………….11/2
8………………………….. 5/1
9……………………………4/1
10 cards wanted just play!

Most players are now too aggresive.

Almost everyone has read the poker instruction books,and the recurring theme within those books is be agressive.Don’t be intimidated,when someone raises and reraises,if you have the hand,go with them,let them up the ante,wait and hit them late,particularly if the raiser does it all the time – the table will go with this player,but maybe fold if you raise.This is the reverse of popular tactics,but i have tried both,and at least you have the option of bailing out if it goes wrong,most players having raised agressively early feel they have to stay with it whatever they end up with,and try to bluff their way out of trouble.

Despite our inability to properly assess which poker action to take beforehand on many good or marginal poker hands, even beginner players can recognize some decisions to immediately fold bad cards regardless of the action that has happened before them. An example of this scenario would be getting dealt a hand like 8s-3c in middle position while playing a relatively tough limit Holdem game. Even before the cards are dealt most players will have a certain standard of hand needed to open the pot or be the first to limp in, and this hand usually falls below that standard. If any players are calling or raising in early position, then it becomes even more certain that it would be a mistake to play this hand. It seems that using the ‘check/fold’ button wouldn’t be much of a mistake when dealt some of these rag hands.

It’s interesting to note that making a tiny bet at a pot in online tournaments (normally not strategically correct) has now been turned into a tool to get the players using the ‘auto-fold’ button to toss their hands without possibility of a free miracle card. Players using the auto-check/fold feature consistently are in fact exposing themselves to a uniquely possible online poker tell, albeit a small one.

Many will argue that even if a rare strategic poker betting mistake was made by using these buttons, the higher number of hands dealt per hour more than compensates good players financially and helps all players in way of enjoyment of the game.

But, as time passes and the blinds increase, these smaller chips eventually are more bothersome than helpful. With blinds at $75 and $150, putting up fifteen $10 chips to pay a big blind is not convenient.

So, once a chip value is no longer needed to pay any of the remaining blinds on the schedule, those chips are removed from play. When possible, they are cashed in at face value for a higher denomination chip. But, someone is bound to have the odd chip or two, and that brings us to the question of how to remove those odd chips from play as well.

The first way to deal with this situation is to ignore it. It won’t go away, but those leftover $10 chips will only be put into play when a player is going all-in. At that time you can sort out any situations as they occur. Eventually one player will gather enough of the small chips to cash them in.

Or, you can race off the smallest chips of the smallest value. A chip race begins with the player in the dealer’s position. For each odd chip they have, they receive one card, face up. So, if the dealer has three odd chips, he will receive three cards face up.

This continues around the table until all the players have given their odd chips in exchange for cards.

At that point, the collected chips are totalled and a pile of the same value is made using the next higher chip denomination. So, if $100 worth of $10 was collected, $100 of the next highest chip value (perhaps $25’s) would be set aside to award in the race.

If the numbers do not match, they are rounded up. So, if $120 worth of $10 chips were collected, $125 worth of $25 chips would be awarded in the race.

Now, the awarding of the chips. The player with the highest card receives one chip. Then the player with the second highest card. And so on. Each player may only receive one chip, so once a player is awarded a chip in the race, all of his cards are taken from him.

It is important to note that a chip race cannot eliminate anyone from a tournament. If a player has only one small chip left when the race begins, that chip is traded in for a card as usual. Should he lose in the chip race, and additional chip of the new value is given to him so that he may keep his place in the tournament.

Convenience for the seasoned or beginner poker player is one of the many advantages of playing online poker. Even though gaming institutions are popping up in more and more places these days, it is still likely that you will have to drive a good distance to reach a casino. As a number of casinos will usually have ample parking, there will still be those instances where you will have to look around for awhile for a parking spot and sometimes even pay for your parking while you are inside the casino. By playing poker online at home you are able to completely disregard the notion of driving anywhere at all and can use your time more wisely as opposed to wasting it by driving to and from the gaming facility. Another plus with not having to drive to a gaming establishment is that you will save money on gasoline. Online poker is definitely for the convenience-lover.

Lower stakes in the poker game are also an advantage of playing poker in an online setting. As individuals that play poker online are often beginners and are trying to learn the ins and outs of the game, low stakes poker games online make this type of table game a great place in which to learn without losing large amounts of money. In order to find the websites offering low stakes poker online, simply do a general search using a phrase such as “low stakes poker online” or “poker games online low stakes” and you will be met with a number of poker websites from which to choose the one you like best. Just be sure to thoroughly review the site prior to playing for safety reasons to make sure it is legitimate.

A third advantage of playing the game of poker online is that concentration will be more focused and centered in the comfort of your own home. Sometimes when you are playing poker table games at a casino, or any type of table games for that matter, other players can be distracting and almost intrusive. With online poker, you are able to concentrate better thereby increasing your chances of winning. When people are unable to concentrate, they tend to make silly moves thereby losing more money than they might have had they been able to concentrate. Playing poker online enables you to be able to concentrate on the game at hand and eliminates any outside distractions that may be present within a casino setting.

Having the availability of playing online poker 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is another wonderful advantage of playing a poker game in this manner. This is wonderful for the individual who likes to wait until later at night when the house is quiet and work is done for the day when he/she can sit down in front of the computer and enjoy a game or two of online poker. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is as you are sure to find an online poker game in progress. Availability is a beneficial advantage to the poker game lover.

Finally, playing online poker is a great way to ensure your place at a virtual gaming table. How many times have you driven to your local casino, or in some instances not so local casino, and found that you had to wait an unimaginable amount of time to secure a spot at a card table that was within your budget? My guess is quite a few of you have experienced this type of waiting game. By utilizing the availability of online poker websites you will be able to find a place at one of their virtual tables and no longer will you need to wait in line to enjoy some poker action. This may also help you to relax as sometimes waiting in lines can cause unnecessary anxiety and aggravation.

3-4 Players 300 chipset is usually enough

4-6 Players 400-500 chipset will suffice

6-8 Players 500-650 chipset is required

8-10+ Players 1000+ chips depending on numbers

The above guide is a suggested number only. Remember that you cannot really have too many chips, only too few so buy all you can afford. Many chip sellers maintain an open stock of chips so you can purchase more as you need them.

Buying a quality set of Poker chips isn’t cheap but if you’re buying a full set of chips (300, 500 or 1,000), the price typically includes an aluminum carrying case, one or two decks of cards, five dice, and sometimes a dealer button.  At online stores, a set of 300 11.5-gram composite, two-color chips goes for $75 or more, depending on the style. A similar set of 300 real clay chips will cost about $25 to $30 more.