UNSUITED

A-K	K-Q	Q-J	J-T	T-9	9-8	8-7
A-Q	K-J	Q-T	J-9	T-8	9-7
A-J	K-T	Q-9	J-8
A-T	K-9
A-9
A-8
A-7

 

Poker Talk by 123Splurge Group

Wired Pair - When you are holding any pair before the flop such as an ACE-ACE A.K.A "pocket rockets", even deuce-deuce.

Big Slick - When you are holding an ACE and a KING before the flop in any suit.

Little Slick - When you are holding an ACE and a QUEEN before the flop in any suit.

King John - When you are holding a JACK-KING in any suit before the flop.

 

Online Poker - The Lingo   by ron harris

The World Series of Poker has sprouted many followers in the last couple of years. Amateur tables are popping up all over the world and friendly cash games are everywhere come Friday night. Whether it is for thrill or profit the so called sport of poker has the attention of many onlookers year round. While Amateurs know the basics of the game they usually get lost in all the poker lingo spoken at the casino poker tables. While some is lingo is made up by experienced players to throw off the amateurs, some are actually well known terms in the poker world that any amateur trying to make it big should know. Below is a guide to all the poker lingo you could ever want to impress your friends or intimidate an experienced opponent. Take a look.

Ante: The initial money thrown into the pot to induce betting. This is done before the flop.

All In: When a person decides to put all his chips in to bet on a certain hand. No Limit Hold'Em is the most popular game and All Ins are allowed as many times as a player wants. In Limit Hold'Em you cannot bet more then the pot itself.

Backdoor: Backdoor is a reference to when players are chasing a card that has not come up yet but has a good chance to. Having 4 cards of the same kind is a backdoor flush draw, having four cards in a row is a backdoor straight draw.

Bad Beat: A Bad Beat occurs when a player has a large advantage over the other and the last card beats the big hand by luck. Bad beat is usually used to imply that the player with the weak hand should not have been in the hand at all and it was by mere luck that he won his underdog hand.

Blind: In Texas Hold'Em, the game uses blinds instead of antes. The blinds are forced bets to induce some money in the pot by the two people sitting to the left of the dealer. The first person to the left of the dealer is the "small blind" and bets a smaller amount. The second person to the left of the dealer is the "big blind" and bets twice what the small blind has.

Bottom Pair: The lowest pair out of the cards out on the table.

Check: When a player decides to not bet he calls "Check". This is the option of betting zero dollars.

Check Raise: When a player checks with a strong hand hoping another opponent will raise. The player then re-raises with his strong hand thus getting more money out of his opponent in the pot.

Drawing Dead: When a player is trying to make a hand that will still not win the pot.

Flop: The first three cards that are "flopped" onto the table. These are also called community cards.

Heads Up Play: When there are only two players playing a certain hand they are considered "heads up".

Muck: A pile of unused cards usually in front of the dealer. These come from folded or burned cards. To "much your cards" is to fold them by throwing them into the muck pile.

The Nuts: Likely the favorite expression of any poker player. The Nuts indicates a hand that is mathematically unbeatable with the cards on the table.

Offsuit: When the two cards you are dealt are of different suits.

Pocket: The two cards dealt to you in Texas Hold'Em that only you can see.

Rake: The total amount of money that the casino's dealer takes out of every pot.

The River: The last card to be flopped on the board. The 5th card to come out in a Texas Hold'Em game.

Short Stack: The short stack is referring to the player with the least amount of chips at the table.

Tell: A tell refers to a players action when he or she has a good or bad hand. Some players take off their sun glasses when they have a bad hand. Other players tend to itch their right hand when they have a good hand.

The Turn: The fourth card to be flopped onto the table in a Texas Hold'Em game.

These are the necessary terms in order to keep up with the pros. There are hundreds of other terms in the world of poker, yet they are much less needed or too experienced for the amateur. Learn this lingo and impress your friends or play at experienced tables and wow the crowd. Lastly, poker is a great game, but the greatest player in poker knows one this: When to know you're beat. Everyone likes to hold'em, but sometimes you get that feeling and you just have to fold'em.

For hundreds more great poker articles and to find out how to optimize your playing and win at poker visit www.poker-prophet.com Poker Prophet
 

New to poker ? - Limit holdem - a brief introduction.   by david parkinson

If you want to start playing poker,you had better decide to play texas hold'em !.This game,though arguably not the best game of poker,has somehow superceded other forms of poker,particularly online.

Within texas holdem there are still decisions to be made.Do you want to play limit poker,no limit poker or poker tournaments?

This introduction only concerns LIMIT TEXAS HOLDEM.

Why ?.Well the tactics you use in no limit poker,and tournament poker will be completely different to those used in limit poker. Also limit poker,i feel,is the best test for a poker player.

No limit poker can leave a player potless after hours of good play,just by going "all in" on what seems an unbeatable hand,only for a bad player,or loaded player who can go with you,to pull off a fluke.The player has done nothing wrong,they have to go with their hand,but,the bottom line is they are going home with nothing to show for all the good play that went before.

Tournament play is also largely down to luck(and patience).Also as with no limit poker,you can play great for hours only to lose out just before the share-out stage on one bad stroke of luck.Again the player does nothing wrong,but hours of play goes up in smoke with nothing to show for it. Limit poker is the game - you can play for as long as you feel good,and you can manipulate the stake you want to play for each and every hand.

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.

Play in the highest stakes table you dare play in.

Poker can be a drudge sometimes,particularly if you have a sequence of poor hands that you can't play.Even if you do have hands to play,the norm is you will win the stake of the table each hour - $5/10 table will return about $10 - $15,for a GOOD player,not that much really.So what to do ? - play on a big stakes table,and win or lose play for a shorter time,enjoy the thrill,and if you do win,you will make a decent return.

By Pendil at British Betting and Gaming Sites ©
 

About the Author

Article by David Parkinson at British Betting and Gaming Sites(http://www.sculpturebooks.co.uk/)More information can be found on our Poker page at http://www.sculpturebooks.co.uk/bpokersites.htm) This article can be reproduced anywhere so long as all links are intact.