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It can be very hard for beginners to play medium pairs when playing No Limit Holdem. Medium pairs from 2 7’s to 2 Jacks can be tough to play and you need to have some good judgment when you are dealt them.
If you are dealt a high pair you will want to raise when it is your time to act. If you have a pair of Jacks or 10’s you do not want to let an opponent into the pot for nothing, as low limit poker players will limp into pots with an Ace or King high hand. You do not want to let opponents with these types of hands into the pot cheaply, which will give their over card they have a legit chance to beat your hand.
Usually if you have a medium pair it may not be a good idea to re-raise, but beginner players will often call a re-raise if they are not in position with a medium pair after they have raised before the flop. So now you are in a pot that has been re-raised and an opponent has position. Medium hands should not be re-raised by you because if you are behind, a flop set will have to come out..
Conversely, when you are in position on another player who has raised it may be a good idea to re-raise them if you hold a pair of Jacks or 10’s so you can be the one who has control of that hand. Generally this will make opponents check to you on the flop. If the flop comes out and they are all over cards it may be a good idea to check rather then bet so you do not have to risk being check raised. You have to be cautious when the flop has an over pair when you have a medium pair because if an opponents acts big there is a legit chance the one pair you have is not good, even if it is the case that it is bigger then any card that is showing on the board.
It may seem like the opposite, but lower medium pairs are actually easier to play. Basically, with a lower medium pair you will try to hit a set with the flop. Generally it is not a good idea to raise with a pair of 7’s through 9’s, unless you are either in the middle or late table position. Just like with higher medium pairs a lower medium pair will not stand to be re-raised. If you are sitting in early position there are a lot of players left to act and they can re-raise you because of the hand they are holding or their position. Because of this you will not know where you stand in the hand when the flop comes out.
If you are playing heads up you should raise all medium pairs. Medium pairs are not easy to play, as many times you will not hit a set when the flop comes out. A so-so flop when you have a medium pair would be a straight draw that is open ended. In this certain situation you have to know that if the turn comes out and you hit your set there are still 4 cards to hit a straight that is still showing on the board. If you hit a straight with your hand it will not be the hand that is the nuts.
Basically, never over-value a medium pair, as you have to be careful when you play them, as they get beat often with all the high cards still out there.
May 23rd, 2009 11:33:55 AM GMT+5 | Posted in Poker, Strategies, The Basics, Tips and Tricks by Jason Green | No Comments
When you have big pairs it is not easy to play them when playing no limit holdem. If the flop comes out and does not help you, you still only have a good pair. The pair may be better then any card on the flop, but it does not mean you have the best hand.
When you are dealt 2 Queens, Kings, and Aces you need to try to get the most money in the pot before the flop. Generally you will want to raise from any position. If a player in front of your raises you have to re-raise them with the exception being if a player is very aggressive and you will probably play them heads up in the hand. The reason you want to get money in the pot before the flop, because you probably have the best hand.
In some situations it is a good idea to slow play before the flop you have to know why you do so. The reasons to slow play before the flop are that you think you will be playing heads up, the table is an aggressive one, and there are aggressive players to the left of you.
A lot of poker players will limp into the pot when they have pocket Aces. By doing this if a player raises them they can re-raise them when it is their turn to act. If you discover a player doing this they probably have a big pair. In the late stages of tournament play this play should be reversed because most of the hands will be raised before the flop.
If you slow play when you have a big pair before the flop you need to know that you should not stick with them all the way if the flop does not help you out. If there is a coordinated flop and a lot of players act on it there is a good chance you no longer have the best hand. Do not waste your chips if the flop does not help you out and there is a lot of action.
If you are called when you make a bet on the flop you have to be careful. If you believe a player is drawing and a card comes that does not harm it is a good idea to act and bet. If an opponent raises you when the turn comes out you may want to bail on your hand, yes even if you have pocket Aces. Not a lot of poker players will raise on the turn if they have a hand that you will be able to beat. Basically, if the turn does not help you only have a big pair.
How you act when the river card comes out will depend on your table position. If you only have a decent hand and you are first to act you may want to raise if you think your big pair is still the best hand. You need to access the flop before doing this. Around a 1/3rd of the pot is a good bet, as your opponent will not out bet you for the pot if you do check to them. If they raise you on the river you can bail the hand.
If you are sitting in the late position, especially the last to act, and a player checks it is a good idea you check as well. This is the case unless you believe a hand not as good as yours can call you, as a single pair is usually not a hand that is solid enough to get checked when the river is dealt.
May 13th, 2009 7:59:52 AM GMT+5 | Posted in Poker, Strategies, Tips and Tricks by Jason Green | No Comments
Just like every other casino game, whether it be online or at a land based casino, slots is a game of chance and there is not a real strategy that will work all the time. However, you should know some things that you can do in order for you to increase your chances of hitting some jackpots or at least winning some green. These tips are not really strategies per say, but they may help you win more then you lose.
* Play at a slots game that has the highest payout. You should always look for a slots game that has a payout of over 95%. If it is lower then 95% then find another slots game that does, as you should be able to find one, especially online.
* Before you begin to play any slots game make sure that you know the odds of that game. Take some time and find out what the odds of the game are, as if you cannot find them move on.
* Know the payout schedule of a slots game before you start to pull the lever or press the mouse.
* Before you begin to play slots you should have a certain set amount of money that you will play with, which basically means that you can lose. When you get to that limit do not keep playing but quit, as if you keep playing and try to win back, or hedge your bets, it is the fastest way to lose a significant amount of money.
* If you are playing a slots game and it has not paid out for a significant amount of time head to another game. Do not have the mindset that you are due, as a cold game is just that cold and you want to play at a hot one that pays out. Continuing to play at a cold slots game because they think they are due is one of the main reasons people can lose a bundle playing slots.
* Find out what the maximum bet is and think about betting it every time. If you do not bet the maximum amount you will not win the maximum payout or the progressive jackpot.
* When you are hot you can increase your betting, but not by much. You want to ride your hot streak at slot game. Conversely, if you are cold you can decrease your betting amount in order to get out of the red.
* Play to your bankroll. If you have a bankroll of $50 then it is not a good idea to play at a slots game that costs $10 per spin. Obviously the payouts are higher when you play at a slots game that is more expensive to play, but you cannot play as often. This will decrease your amount of spins, therefore decreasing your chances of winning.
* As stated before never hedge or chase your bets. If you hit a cold streak when playing slots do not bet more trying to win your losses back. Try to chip away at your losses rather then winning it all back at once. The single main reason that people lose money when gambling is hedging bets.
May 3rd, 2009 4:07:36 PM GMT+5 | Posted in Casino, Strategies, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized by Jason Green | No Comments
When you just learn to play Texas Holdem you should not play decent hands, but only strong ones. Playing good starting hands is important when you are a beginner. Playing too many hands is, by far, the biggest mistake that new players make when they are just starting out. By only playing solid starting hands it will make it less likely that you will lose a lot of dough. Sure, you will not win as much since you will be throwing away a lot of cards, but you will not lose big pots by only playing hands that are decent. When you get a feel for the game and really know how to play it, you can then begin to play decent hands. There are really three times when you should play only decent hands, which are when you are in position, if your opponents are playing tight, and to change your table image.
Being in Position
Obviously, it is important that you know how the position has an effect on how you play your hand. If you are sitting in a late position then it is much better to play a decent hand. You will be able to see how the players acting before you play and there is also a better chance that nobody will raise you since there are fewer of your opponents to act after you. Also, you are in a better position to win the pot and manipulate how your opponents bet if you do hit a killer hand. If nobody has made any big bets before you can play a decent hand, but it will all depend on the action that happens before you.
Playing Against Tight Opponents
If your opponents at the table, or virtual felt, are playing very tight it may be a good idea to get a little more aggressive by playing more hands. Considering that playing tight usually means that your opponents will only act on solid starting hands, they may not fold a lot and not see the flop if you are a little more aggressive, i.e. playing decent starting hands as well as strong ones. If you hide a stellar hand you hit, any opponents still in the hand will, more than likely, have a good hand and they will lose to your killer hand. If you are playing against tight opponents be wary when they bet and calculate the outs you have when your starting hand is only a decent one.
Changing Your Table Image
You do not want to be seen as a one-dimensional player that only plays one way. If your opponents see you are a tight player you may not see a lot of action because of it. By playing a few decent to semi-decent hands it will show the other players that you are not just playing killer hands and they will be more wary of you. If you want to change your image by playing a few decent hands do not do it when there is a ton of money in the pot, as it may cost you. Choose the hands where it will not cost you a lot if you lose.
April 20th, 2009 9:00:00 AM GMT+5 | Posted in Poker, Strategies, The Basics, Tips and Tricks by Jason Green | No Comments
It is important that you use solid money management when playing Blackjack. If you do so you will still be able to ride out a streak of losing hands. If you use proper Blackjack money management you will not win every hand but you can lower the house edge and put yourself in a better situation to win.
Two mistakes that players often make are not having a big enough bankroll for the table they are playing at and over betting. Your Blackjack bankroll has to be big enough to withstand cold streaks. Hey, it is gambling and you will run into cold streaks. Make sure you have enough dough to ride out the streak until you start winning again. Remember never to hedge your bets, but we will touch on that later.
If you over-bet you will win more if you are winning but you will also lose more when you are losing. If you hit a cold streak you can lose all of your money pretty quick. To keep from over-betting a good idea is for you to have 30 bets every time you sit down at the table. For example, if you are playing on a $10 table you should have $300. You should also bet within your means, which is basically saying you should not be playing at $10 tables if your bankroll is only $50.
You have to have some discipline when you play Blackjack, as you need to know when to get up and quit playing. A winning player knows when to get up and many times they will do so after modest winnings. But, they did leave the table with more then they came with, which is always a good thing. To be a winning Blackjack player you have to know how to maximize the money you win at the table and minimize the money you lose there. It may be a good time to get up from a table, or leave the online Blackjack room, when other players do not know the game and are throwing off your strategy, when you lose your cool and are too emotional, and you go away from the basic Blackjack strategy because you are losing. Playing against Blackjack players that do not know the game can be frustrating and if they are frustrating you find another table. Loosing your cool at the Blackjack table can only lead to bad decision-making. The basic Blackjack strategy will pay off in the long run, so do not deviate from it when you hit a cold streak.
If you hit a hot streak while playing Blackjack and want to move up in bet amounts only increase the bet amounts in smaller increments. Don’t go right from $5 bets to $25 dollar bets just because you are hot. Go ahead and ride the streak, but do not go overboard with your betting.
Now we come to the biggest money management mistake that Blackjack players, and gamblers in general, make, which is hedging bets. Hedging bets is betting more after you have lost a few hands. This is also called chasing bets. Hedging bets is the quickest way to drain your bankroll. If you hit a cold streak never increase your bet amount simply to win that money you lost back. The best way to win your money back is to chip away at your losses rather than going for it all in one shot. Sure, you may win a hand, but if you lose you will be sorry. For example, let’s say you lost 5 hands in a row at $10 a pop. You are down $50. Don’t make one bet of $50 or two bets with $25, as you can get in over your head and lose a significant amount pretty quick.
If you follow these easy to follow tips you can effectively use Blackjack money management to your advantage.
April 15th, 2009 7:44:10 AM GMT+5 | Posted in Casino, Strategies, The Basics, Tips and Tricks by Jason Green | 1 Comment
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