Poker Guides Archive

Learn to play A-5 and 2-7 Lowball Poker rules for beginners. The first poker games most of us learn are 5 Card Draw and Texas Hold’em. Those who learn at a younger age tend to start with 5 Card Draw, as it teaches us basic playing skills and fundamental poker hand ranks, without too...

The FairPlay Protocol: Online poker without the rake. Anyone who’s enjoyed real money online poker in the past knows all about “rake”. It’s the small portion of each pot that poker rooms collect as their profit. The average rake is 5%, give or a take, depending on the stakes and number of active players....

Doubt, repetition, redundancy and other poker proverbs. Life is filled with moments that can be chalked up to one philosophical proverb or another. The same goes for the game of poker. We spend so much time playing, studying the game, and trying to improve, that we often overlook the smallest things that could do...

Be wary of private games you aren’t familiar with. Poker can be a great career choice if you have the right skill set and are dedicated to the necessarily ceaseless learning experience. But choosing your poker scene is just as important as game, stakes and table selection. Playing in a land-based casino is a...

Adjusting your pre-flop poker game to pounce on limpers. When playing in a live poker game, you’re likely to come across a high volume of pre-flop limpers; especially in cash games at ‘locals’ casinos. Limpers are most often casual poker players will little genuine skill for the game. Montreal’s Playground Poker Club is known...

Poker mathematician explains why an inflated ego is the worst ingredient in a successful poker recipe. Professor Konstantinos Palamourdas PhD, or “Duncan”, as most of the staff and students at UCLA’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) know him, is an award-winning mathematician. The poker and chess classes he teaches at UCLA are very limited...

Become a stronger poker player by studying videos, reviewing your hand histories and tracking stats. No poker player ever finishes mastering the game. There is always something new to be learned from others, and reviewing your own game play can identify existing leaks, as well as new ones that may spring up against different...

The “check-Raise” is among the most effective weapons for skilled poker players, when used properly… There are a few spectacular poker betting strategies that can be extremely effective. The bluff is the one every player is most familiar with (although the majority don’t do it well). Another is called the “check-raise”. Even fewer players...

Learn the difference between a dry flop and a wet flop, and why it’s so important in your poker game. Moist… it’s one of those words people either love your hate. The same is true for poker players. Moisture is extremely important on the felt, and I’m not talking about spilling drinks, either. I’m...

No one wins without bluffing in poker. Master the art, or you might as well be playing blackjack. Having quite a bit of experience with both gambling genres, I would have to say that the most significant difference between traditional casino games and poker is not whether you’re competing against the house or other...