I said before that it is fine to create a bit of “tilt” as long as you keep control of your emotions.  Not just in poker but also in everyday life, emotions can get in the way and sometimes cause even more problems.

How often have you allowed your emotions to take over…. and then afterwards when you have calmed down… thought how stupid was that?…. why did I do that?

Anger, fear, worry, jealousy, embarrassment… they all get in the way and cloud your judgement.  It is your “inner self” or your “ego” that usually creates and feeds off emotion.  Most of the time emotion does not help a situation, in fact most of the time it gets in the way and makes things worse.

If you are able to realise that what you are feeling is just an emotion and that it is not important.  If you can put aside that emotion and concentrate on what is important – like your poker game…

I guarantee that your poker will improve, in fact your whole life will improve, if you realise that it is just your ego wanting to be pleased and that your ego is not that important!!! 

Be aware of your emotions and control your emotions – you will be able to focus more on your poker, make better decisions and become a better poker player.

Glad you enjoyed the clips of the Poker Brat doing his thing.  To give Phil Helmuth credit he doesn’t always behave like this and I have chosen particular video clips to show how someone can lose it whilst playing poker.

By the way have you ever seen anyone lose it whilst playing poker online?  That’s also entertaining, in fact some software includes animation of various actions you can take whilst playing online poker have you found them yet?

You can use these animations to irritate people and get them to go on tilt or you can use them to express your own frustration – it brings a whole new dimension to the poker table.

Sometimes when playing online poker the game really slows up.  Sure you can play multiple hands and computer games on the side, but if you want a bit of entertainment, a good ‘poker guide’ is to watch how people react to what you make your online character do.

Some players will just ignore you because they know what you are up to, others get really irritated and can go on tilt.  Its a good way to get your opponents distracted and playing bad poker, so that you can take advantage of the situation.  And now for ‘poker guide’ number 2 – As long as you remain in control of your emotions it is fine.

Try it, you may enjoy being the Poker Brat of the online poker world – only thing is that you may have to change your online name afterwards…

I got sent a question from Mary, who is a new online poker player.

She asked what does on “tilt” mean?  And, “Why is their a poker room called “Full Tilt”?

The “Poker Guide” will try his best to answer these questions.

Well Mary there is a good explanation on Wikipedia, they say it is when a poker player is in a state of mental confusion or frustration and then they don’t play to their potential.  Its when a player just loses it and cant focus on their poker game.  A “blow-up”, a sudden rush of blood to the head, call it whatever you want, but in poker its on “tilt”!

It happens to all poker players at some stage.  Some people are better at controlling their emotions than others.  The best thing to do when it happens to you – poker guide tip – is to take a break, take a deep breath, get a grip of yourself and calm down so that you can think clearly.  Because its not going to help your game, if you are so mad that you can’t think straight.

Be very aware of other players “winding you up” trying to get you to go on “tilt”, so that they can take advantage of you whilst you are not concentrating fully on your game.

Here are some fantastic examples of the “King of Tilt”, who other than Phil “Poker Brat” Helmuth.  I can think of no better person to demonstrate to you the meaning of “tilt”…

Not a lot of poker is played, but it makes very good entertainment….

Now we have Phil on Poker After Dark, there’s more poker in this one and Phil does a whole lot of talking, the editor has his work cut-out editing out all the swearing!

And then he goes way out of line on the big stage of last year’s World Series of Poker.

Another poker guide tip is to use “tilt” to your advantage, by getting other players on “tilt”.  Its not really polite to do this, but if there is someone who deserves to be on “tilt” then go for it.  There are subtle ways of putting people on “tilt” and it is probably better to be more subtle about it.

Of course, if you are online then you don’t have to deal with that persons rage, face to face, so you might be a bit braver.

I hope this helps to explain the term on “tilt”, Mary.  As for Full Tilt, I think they just thought it was a good name for their site.

And now for my next bit of advice, my ‘poker guide’ to the beginners out there, in fact not only to the beginners its also for some of the more experienced players.  Often people can’t be bothered to study the numbers behind poker, they just want to play… forget about the math, that’s too complicated.

Know your poker odds

But the reality is that you have to know the odds in order to be confident of your betting.  Know the probabilities or chances of each hand winning.  Use an odds calculator if that makes it easier for you.  And, one benefit of playing online poker is that you can have all sorts of tools open to help you as you play.

But the point is – it is a good poker guide to learn the strengths of each hand don’t just accept what the odds calculator gives you, so you know exactly how to play the hand i.e. raise, call or fold…. but also how much to raise by.  If you over play it, your opponent may fold too early.

If you know your odds, your poker game will improve dramatically!   Let’s face it, it’s really all about the probability of your cards beating your opponents. Or put another way, what is the probability of my opponent having a better hand?

Simple really…. ahh but maybe not so simple… that’s what makes the game of poker so great and attracts millions of people to play it!

Well Christmas has been and gone.  Late Christmas wishes to all of you out there.  Yet, not too late for the ‘Poker guide’ to catch you before the end of the year and wish you all the best for 2009, I hope its a good year for you.

I said I would start giving poker guide tips to all the people starting out at poker – so here goes with my first bit of advice for all the beginners:

1. Do your research and try as many online poker sites as you can

Many new payers ask,”Where shall I start playing” or “Can you recommend a good online poker site?”.  The truth is that it has become very competitive out there in the online poker world and there is a lot on offer.  There are many great sites, pick one of the top 10 poker sites and just start playing.  Don’t get hung up on where to play.

It becomes a personal thing, people have their preferences for certain sites, for their look, the level of players, integrity, functionality or features.  Once you’ve tried a few, you will develop your own preferences.

And the best poker guide is to try as many of the top poker sites as you can, because there is a wide range out there and it is only once you have tried many, that you begin to get a feel for what you want, or what your needs are.

May luck be with you!

Jason

Hi everyone, I have been away on a holiday for a few weeks and have taken a break from poker.  It’s allowed me to gain a new perspective, which I will share with you.

Whilst I was traveling during my entertaining holiday, I managed to chat to people and get some completely new, fresh ideas from people outside of the game.  What I have realized is just how hard it is for new poker players to start the game.  There are loads of poker strategy sites and blogs, all giving their opinion on what to do, what not to do and how to make your next big win!  But not many sites that will take you through the steps of “how to start playing poker online…”

New players are completely confused by all the jargon.  There is enough to cope with learning the game, the last thing you need is some smart a.., giving it to you in some strange lingo!

So, over the next few weeks, I am going to go back to some of the basics of online poker and how to start playing online.  I am going to also include a few interviews on the blog, with new players that I have made contact with. I will be calling myself the ‘Poker guide’ at times, so don’t be confused when I start talking about the Poker guide, because its me, its my new name.

To those of you that have been playing for a while, stick around you never know, you may learn a thing or two.  My poker improved so much when I started teaching and explaining poker to new comers, because I had to go back to the basics and actually think why things were that way, so that I could explain it better.

The ‘Poker guide’

How many of us learned to play poker when we were kids?   No, not how many of us gambled when we were kids but actually learned to play poker?  Who was your poker guide, who taught you poker?

And don’t think for one minute that playing poker is gambling.  It isn’t!   Yes, there is a luck factor but you aren’t committing your money and then seeing the outcome of your action. When you play poker you have choices, interactive choices that happen all the way through the play of the hand, which gives you the ability to win the hand even if you don’t have the best two cards.  That cannot be said in a casino game where the edge has already been figured – that is gambling.

Maybe you are one of those people that never played cards, of any type, and the whole concept of poker seems foreign?  That’s because you never had a poker guide to guide you.  It does seem a bit absurd that people come together just to beat each other out of their hard earned money with a deck of cards in a game of poker, right?   Right!

And doesn’t it just get a little more absurd and strange when you consider that everyone has their idea of what ‘real poker’ is?  What if you’re sitting between two friends and one only plays 7 Card Stud and the other will only play Texas Hold’em and they are arguing that their game is ‘real poker’ and they both play at PokerStars?  How can that be?  Where can you find a good poker guide of what PokerStars is all about?

If you aren’t a poker player, you’re still wondering what the big deal is and why another one of your friends can stay up all night to play in a poker game but when he’s not playing poker, he’s asleep on the couch in front of the TV by 8 p.m. But then his eyes light up as he explains that the rake is a percentage the poker room takes for spreading the game and he is getting paid to play at Full Tilt Rake Back because he receives rake back on hands that he plays.

The real question now would be – if you have at least three friends that play poker, why aren’t you a poker player? And unless you take a seat in the game, you’ll never know how it played out. Do you want that on your conscience?  Get yourself a decent poker guide and start learning the game – What’s wrong with you?

The internet is the main factor behind the online poker revolution.  Today, millions of people all around the world are playing Texas hold’em poker and other games in the comfort of their own homes.  They can learn poker texas holdem through online learning sites, free sites, poker guides and finally they can master texas poker and can play with real game sites.  This new way of playing naturally demands other skills than live poker.  Guidepoker.com will help you become a winner at online casino games.

The pace is one of the things that makes internet poker special.  Players switch tables rapidly and the hands fly by without any time wasting.  You also have the opportunity to play at multiple tables. There’s a lot of money to be won online but your bankroll could be gone just as fast, learn how to tackle these special circumstances here at guidepoker.com.

Tells are an important part of poker, but how do you read your opponents when you can’t see them?  There are ways to do this, and of course we have the answers you need.  A good poker guide will teach you what to look for and to work out people’s tells.

We hope you will find our poker guide valuable – good luck!

There are so many so called poker experts out there calling themselves the poker guide. But on my blog I will try to be open, honest and straight forward about all aspects of poker.  

Many poker players are natural gamblers or have converted from playing casino games onto poker.  Then along came the internet and changed everything.  Now at a click of the mouse you can change to playing online casino games whenever you wish.

There’s a lot of money to be won online but you have to learn the intricacies of poker, don’t just go out there and think that you can win straight away.  To become a really good poker player and to win money playing poker, you have to learn poker strategy – how to be better than the other players at your table.

To get the most out of your poker bonus codes, you should read this article about estimating your monthly rakeback.

Find the best places to play bingo games in the Bingo Hideout Directory, everything from free bingo to UK online bingo.

We hope you will find our advice valuable.   Good luck!

And then a few more places to keep you informed and to help you get ahead:

• Tired of Poker?   Maybe it’s time to move on to Texas Holdem.   Don’t know the rules?   Don’t worry we have all the Texas holdem rules you’ll need.
• Texas Holdem poker is a very popular variant of poker game in the casinos and poker rooms.  It is easy to learn and you can become a winning player with a little effort.  It is a favorite game of many poker online players.
• Sportsbook Reviews, Online Sportsbook Guide, Live Lines, Sports Handicapping Articles and Free Sports Picks.
• Casino Detroit Magazine, your source for information on Detroit area casinos and gambling.

Some players start playing online poker and immediately build a huge bankroll with a tremendous win rate. However, success at online poker is typically a long process that requires a willingness to learn and a great deal of patience and discipline.

You don’t have to plan to become a pro in order to enjoy online poker. However, you probably will enjoy it more if you have a good understanding of some basics. I consider myself to be a poker guide and in this blog, I’ll provide tips on how to become a winning player in the long haul.

Poker Is a Waiting Game

In games like blackjack and craps, you’re in action on every hand. A general poker guide is that this is not so in poker. One of the ways you get an advantage in poker is by making sure the average hand you enter a pot with is stronger than the average hand of your opponents.

This means throwing away a lot of hands and waiting for the next deal. You’ll need to hone this skill set to be successful at online poker.

Poker Is a Game of Aggression

The general poker guide is that poker is a game that you should play aggressively if you want to succeed. If opponents know that you will only call bets or raise pots with a huge hand, they will force you out of every other pot. You won’t get any action on those big hands because everyone will know what it means.

You need to be willing to test for weakness by throwing out bets when you appear to have an advantage. You cannot be afraid to bet and raise when you enter a pot.

Online Poker Is an Information Game

All poker is about information, but in online poker you have access to much more information than you would in a live game.  A good poker guide tip is to take notes on your opponents and input them right on the screen, so they are available to you whenever you play.

This was just a scratch on the surface. Carry on reading for more tips on how to become a winning poker player.

The ‘Poker Guide”