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

Summary: Getting started playing online poker games at an online poker room means learning a new set of basic skills, starting with this poker guide.

It seems that all your friends are playing poker online these days and you can’t wait to feel the exciting experience of playing online games. The purpose of this article is to provide you with a comprehensive online poker basic guide to begin learning about online poker. Start learning, go play and have fun!

What Are Online Poker Games?

First, let’s address what online poker games are not:

• Online poker games are not “video poker” – that game you’ve see in brick-and-mortar casinos that looks like a slot machine.
• Online poker games are not something that you play by yourself. This game has at least two real people, while most have eight to ten. Although you may be sitting at home all alone, you’re connected to a game server via the Internet. The larger poker tournaments have several thousand people all playing simultaneously at many different tables.

Getting Started with Online Poker Rooms

Even if you’ve played poker for years at home or at the casino, getting started playing online poker games at an online poker room means learning a new set of basic skills. You need a good poker guide for a start – you need to be able to find a game, sit down, buy chips and then, finally, see your cards and bet, raise or fold. In the online world there are few unique issues to consider, like what to do when you lose your Internet connection in the middle of a hand, and special rules of online etiquette.

When you are getting started, the first decision you generally need to make is which site to try out first. You can actually hold accounts at more than one online poker room if you like, but you’ll generally find the most action at one of the major poker rooms, such as PokerStars.com and Full Tilt Poker.

Online poker, also known as Internet poker, offers many advantages: a player can get a game any time, get advice from a poker guide whilst playing, use special online poker tools and play a variety of poker games.

Enjoy the games!

What are the best starting hands in Texas hold’em? To be successful in hold’em, you need to be selective about the hands you play. A good poker guide is that you should fold the average hands most of the time and wait for big hands to come into the pot. There are a few different categories when considering hands in Texas Hold’em.

Pairs

Two matching cards, anywhere from 22 to AA. If you have a big pair like QQ, KK or AA, in most cases a poker guide is to almost always raise.  You are really looking to get all your chips in the middle pre-flop most of the time.

As pairs get lower, they become more speculative hands.  An unimproved 99, TT or JJ could still be the best hand after the flop.  However, you must proceed carefully.

With lower pairs like 88, 77, 66, etc., what you are really looking to do is flop a set (three of a kind). If you don’t, you should get rid of the hand if there is a bet (with some exceptions, for example, you have 66 and the flop comes 345).

High Cards

Cards like AK and AQ are high card hands. The problem with any high card hand besides AK is that they can be trouble hands. You can flop a dominated hand and get into real trouble.

However, a good poker guide is that if you are first in, you should usually raise with these hands. Play them as aggressively as the board and your opponents will permit.

Connecting Cards

Two consecutive cards like JT or even with some spaces in between, like QT or KT (called one- gappers and two-gappers, respectively. Only play these hands if you can do so cheaply and if they have some high card value as well. These hands don’t hit often, although you can get paid off if they do.

Suited Cards

Two cards of the same suit. Unless they include the ace of the suit and sometimes the king, it’s best to avoid these hands.

You probably won’t flop a flush. Even if you do, you may get no action or get action from someone with a bigger flush.

Suited Connectors

These cards are suited and connecting. They are great to play in late position when you can see a flop cheap and get some great information after the flop.

A good poker guide will say that you need to hit these hands hard, however. If you only get a small piece of the flop, it’s often better to check fold than to call multiple bets on a prayer.

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”