Poker Strategy

Ladbrokes Poker Room Review

	Ladbrokes Poker Room Details:
	Country of Origin	:	United Kingdom
	License	:	Gibraltar
	Year of Foundation	:	2004
	Software	:	Microgaming
	Currencies Used	:	EUR, GBP, USD
	Audited By	:	PWC
	Language	:	English, French, Danish, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, Portuguese, Norwegian, Finnish. Italian and Greek
	Accepts USA Players	:	No
	Bonus	:	Sign up Bonus of Up To $500

Ladbrokes Poker Room Review

Summary:

Ladbrokes is a well-known name in the field of gambling and now it has also ventured into the world of online betting with a bang. Ladbrokes Poker came into existence in 2004, wherein it planned to offer poker players not only the joys of playing their favorite game but also to indulge in some of the hottest casino games too. These action packed games combined with the various promotional offers make it lucrative enough to draw a considerable amount of traffic to the website. Traffic has noted to be a good 1,400 players at the cash tables and more than 5,000 players playing tournaments during the European peak hours. The services offered are exceptional as is common to the Ladbrokes efficiency. US players are however not allowed to wager at Ladbrokes Poker any more because of their country’s legislation that has put a ban on online gambling.

Software:

Ladbrokes uses the software of the Microgaming network though it has been customized especially for Ladbrokes and operated by it too. The graphics are clean and straightforward with a touch of 3D effects. The lobby is clear-cut and easy to navigate, giving access to all details such as hand histories, player notes, live table stats and many other useful features. An event organizer in the form of a calendar is available for players to mark their favorite upcoming events. Three table size options are offered to suit the needs of different players.

Bonus:

Every new player who signs up at Ladbrokes Poker along with making a first time deposit is offered a generous bonus of 100% up to $500. This bonus can be availed by them by betting thirty times the deposit amount in the form of raked hands and tournaments. Players have 30 days in which to wager for this bonus amount.

Games Offered:

Texas Holdem in fixed limit, no limit and pot limit versions, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 5 Card Draw, 5 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud. The games move at a fast pace and players are not made to wait for new games to begin. The turbo tables offer some really fast hands and experienced players can have a good time here. There are various stake limits available that allow players with different budgets to indulge in games of their choice that fit their pocket too. Most of the action as usual is seen at the Texas Holdem tables but the other games also draw a fairly good amount of traffic.

Tournaments:

Tournaments are the most favored at Ladbrokes Poker and there are several tournaments on offer. These include single table and multi-table tournaments. Also available are various satellite tournaments with some of them having buy-ins to larger poker tournaments such as the European Poker Tour and Monte Carlo Millions. Buy-ins to tournaments can start as little as $1 and these are quite popular among the players. Tournaments begin at intervals of every fifteen minutes so that you have several tournaments taking place in a day, as games are available around the clock.

Promotions:

Ladbrokes pampers its players with a lot of promotions but the prevalent promotion are the player points that are awarded to players every time they play with real money. These points can be accumulated and exchanged for the bonus amount and thereafter for cash deposits to your account or for buy-ins to live tournaments.

The other promotional offer is the rake race leaderboard program that rewards the top players on the leaderboard every month, with cash amounts that total a whooping $1,000,000. So the more raked hands you play, the higher you go up on the leaderboard.

Tags:
5 Card Draw, 5 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud, LADBROKES POKER, MicroGaming software, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Online Poker, Poker Game, Poker Room

6 Man Tables -vs- 9 Man Tables

There is a lot of debate between players about what kind of tables are the best to play in both SNG’s and Ring games. It all really comes down to what type of player you are and how much you want to be in on the action. Each of these tables presents their own sets of challenges and skill sets to be successful.

SNG’s

When you are looking at SNG’s, you are taking a much larger risk to play in the 9 man tourneys than you are in the 6 man tourneys. It takes you longer to fight your way to the money and you also are adding an additional 3 players to get through. Together this means that your cards are going to have to hold up longer in order for you to cash and you are going to have to have much better hands early on in order to stay alive.

When you are playing a 6 man table, you only have to get past 4 players as compared to 6 in order to make the money. The main concern here is that you are creating the extra traffic to merely get your entry fee back in a 9 man tourney. The payoff for making the money in a 6 man tourney is usually significantly higher than it is in the 9 man tourneys.

Ring

This is much more difficult that SNG’s. This truly comes down to playing style. A lot of players are not comfortable playing a lot of hands. When you are in a 9 man game, you can use all of your live skills at the table. You can be very selective in your starting hands and not mix it up so much unless you are playing a monster. This is the style of a lot of players as they do not like to get in there with small starting hands and take a shot. You may have one or two players on the table that are like this, but for the most part they are going to play very tight.

A 6 man table is the total opposite of that. You are already starting out short-handed and when someone gets up from the table, the game really opens up. Your starting strength goes way up on hands that you would not even consider playing were you on a 9 man table.

Another factor that scares a lot of people when they are playing a 6 man table is that the blinds come around much more frequently. This means that there is the potential to go through a lot more money when you go card dead as you are facing 3 rounds of blinds to every 2 at a 9 man table. When you do the math, you can see how quickly this can add up.

In all, you would have to think that playing 6 man SNG’s is a much more reasonable move. You have to fight through less people and the payouts are more rewarding. For a cash games, it is a matter of preference. If you are a tight player, stay away from the smaller tables. If you like to mix it up and play a wide variety of starting hands, you are the ideal player for a 6 man game.

Tags:
6 Players, P Players, Poker, Poker Table, Sit And Go

You want me to fold AA pre-flop?

While it may sound like a crazy and unorthodox thing to do, there is a time when you need to fold AA. While you are never likely to fold it in any situation in a cash game, there is a time when you have to let the hand go in either a SNG or a MTT. It is a rare time, but sometimes surviving is better than risking your stack.

Sooner or later you are going to be in a SNG tournament or a MTT and you are going to be sitting somewhere from the button to the BB and you are going to have multiple players that are pushed all in ahead of you. If you are looking at a stack where you are covered by most or all of the players that have already pushed, you are going to have to let this hand go. The time to do this of course is when you are on the bubble. It may be difficult to do, but if you want to make the money, this is a golden opportunity to slide right in there with absolutely no risk.

Let’s say that there are 6 people left in the tourney (of a SNG) or there are only 2 positions left to go for the money in a MTT and you are on the button. Everyone has started the tournament with $2,000 in chips and you are sitting at $1,200 and you are in the BB. Under the gun pushes with a short stack of $1,000 and next position immediately pushes all in with $4,000 in chips. The next player also pushes in and has $2,100 and the button also pushes and has $2,400 in chips. If you double up, you would be looking at $5,800 in chips, but you have to get through 4 hands to survive.

Before you rush and just throw those chips in there, start to break down the hand and really figure out where you stand. In most cases, the short stack is going to be sitting on some type of pair. The big stack will more than likely be looking for isolation and would have two high cards or a pocket pair. The third and fourth players in almost certainly have a pocket pair. Best case scenario, you are looking at three pocket pairs and AK or AQs.

While you are still the favorite on the poker table, your percentages go dramatically down every time someone else puts in their chips. You are not going up against only one hand here, you have to beat all of them in order to be alive. For arguments sake, let’s assume that they all have a pocket pair. At pre-flop, you now have 8 cards that can beat you in the deck. That means that you are actually a severe underdog to the rest of table as any one of those 8 cards can beat you and send you to the rail.

While the ‘technical odds’ have you much higher, AA will really only hold up about 70-80% of the time. In this situation, you are better off dropping the hand and letting other players get eliminated. You can actually make the money right there if the big stack wins, but either way, you are going to be a lot closer to the money and in no risk of being eliminated.

This is not an easy play to make as most people will rush to get their chips in the pot here. However, if you have the discipline, you are must better laying down the hand and letting everyone else go to war. We all know you will get sick to your stomach if the AA holds up, but you can be assured that in most scenarios, it is more likely to go down that it is to win that hand. Take solace in knowing that you made the right call.

Tags:
MTT, Online Poker, Poker, Poker Games, Pre Flop, SNG

Pacific Poker

	Basic Details
	Country of Origin	:	Gibraltar
	License	:	Gibraltar
	Year of Foundation	:	2002
	Software	:	888
	Size	:
	Audited By	:	PWC
	Language	:	English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Polish, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Czech, Lithuanian, Latvian, Russian, Estonian
	Accepts USA Players	:	No
	Bonus	:	$400

Pacific Poker Review

Pacific Poker is among one of the gaming websites of 888.com Group that has also produced one of the world’s largest gaming networks, Casino-on-Net, a popular online casino gaming site. Pacific Poker offers players the common available poker games but what is fascinating about the website is that the games are loose and there is a high possibility of raking in huge amounts of profits from the games, especially those at the Holdem cash tables.

The games are fun, as you will find various kinds of players competing at the table. Since players are allowed to switch over from one website to the other, you will find a huge number of casino players at the poker tables, which makes the games all the more exciting. You can expect to see some outrageous stakes being made with high levels of flop percentages that can end up being highly rewarding.

Software:

The Pacific Poker website has had a refurbishment and so has its software. The main complaint of Poker players earlier was the instability and lack of efficiency of the software but with the modification in effect, these complaints have ceased to exist.

The software is easy to maneuver while the spruced up lobby gives access to the available menus that are now customizable. The graphics are clearer and more specific and the search functions are easy to manage. The use of 3-D avatars has made game play more realistic and the lobby allows easy filtration of the games.

You can view the hand histories, which is an important aspect as it allows you go over the hands you have played. The cashier is clearly visible at all times besides which you can also learn about the flop percentages and the average pot size of the games being played.

A new multi table facility enables you to play at more than one table at the same time. The software is available in eight different languages including French, German, Italian among various others, making the website accessible to players from different countries.

Pacific Poker has also made a recent addition of the non-downloadable software, one that is compatible with users of Linux and Mac. This feature has added to its popularity as no other website provides this facility to its players.

Games:

Pacific Poker offers Limit, Pot Limit and No Limit Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha High, Omaha Low, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud High and Seven Card Stud Low. The most played games are those of Texas Holdem but there is a fair amount of players playing Omaha too. Stakes at Fixed Limit can start as low as $0.02/$0.04 and can exceed up to $75/$150. At Pot Limit and No Limit stakes start at $0.01/$0.02 and can go up to $10/$20.

Tournaments:

Players can choose from single table tournaments, multi table tournaments and sit and go tournaments. Stakes for single table tournaments can start as low as $0.25 and go up to $750 while that of multi table tournaments start at $0.01 and go as high as $215.

Pacific Poker Bonuses:

There is a 100% sign up bonus of up to $400 offered to players when they open an account with Pacific Poker. This bonus has to be wagered for with at least twenty times the bonus amount within 30 days of the sign up.

Loyalty Programs and Promotions:

Pacific Poker players are entitled to loyalty points for each $10 that they wager for on cash games. Every 100 points give you $1, which would not be a difficult task for high stakers to accumulate but for low budget players it is a difficult feat to gather so many points quickly.

Promotional offers include high hand and bad beat jackpots and in order to win these jackpots, you have to use both the hole cards to make the winning hands. A complete high hand jackpot can be obtained by making a Spade Royal Flush.

Deposit and Withdrawal Methods:

Pacific Poker offers a number of deposit options that include Credit Cards, Debit Cards, FirePay, Neteller, Prepaid ATM, Bank Wire and Transfer, PaySafeCard, Cheque and Citadel.

Withdrawal methods include Credit and Debit Cards, FirePay, Bank Transfer, Neteller, Bank Wire and Prepaid ATM.

Customer Support:

Customer Support is a bit of a damper as the staff is slow at corresponding to your problems if you are in a crisis. Emails are responded to very late while the phone lines are also not of great help. However, if the problem is minute they are quick to have answers for it.

Tags:
No Limit Poker, Online Poker Game, Pacific Poker, Poker Reviews, Poker Room, Poker Tournaments, Pot Limit, Texas Holdem

Virgin Poker

	Basic Details
	Country of Origin	:	United Kingdom
	License	:	Malta
	Year of Foundation	:	2005
	Software	:	iPoker Network
	Language	:	English
	Bonus	:	100% Upto £100

Virgin Poker Review

As we are all aware of the fact that Sir Richard Branson, a man with a vast business acumen, has carved a fine niche for himself in almost all the large businesses in the world, ranging from mobile phones and record companies to huge things as trains and airline companies. Now, it has opened its doors to the world of online poker. What really amazed us was that Virgin Poker, exceeded our expectations, by being one of the most professional gaming sites. It broke all the taboos that we may have had in our minds about it. Today, it has become one of the most visited sites and a favorite of many a people. And it is because of its multi-faceted reasons that it has become so popular.

The home page itself is beautifully laid out in burgundy and maroon colors and has the well known red Virgin logo. When you see the large list on the menu, you can immediately understand why the site has gained so much popularity. To begin with, we have to download the software, which is 3.4 MB in size and takes about a few seconds to download, from the “Download Client Now” box which can be seen on the top center of the screen. The next step is to register and fill in all your personal details such as your name, address, e-mail address and so on. And in case you want to play with cash, you will have to give your credit card details as well. All this takes but a couple of minutes.

Virgin Poker makes sure that it can fulfill the requirements of all kinds of poker players. The list of games includes Texas Holdem, Omaha, 7 Card Stud, 5 Card Draw with a choice of single or multi tournaments. Stakes beginning at 0.05/0.10 US$ may reach up to 500/1000US$ and you have a number of tables available using the currencies, Euros and the Sterling.

The playing techniques are easy and the option buttons clearly tell you what to do, allowing the players to have a smooth game play. The tables are simple in design with the red Virgin logo sitting pretty in the center. The sound effects are also kept low key, but the overall experience of playing is quite pleasant.

Another thing that makes the Virgin Poker site more distinct from the others, is the excellent “Learn The Game” and “Master The Game sections. These sections have an immense variety of information regarding poker, including tutorials for amateurs and advanced skills such as when to bluff safely, how to play your position wisely and to how to use the aggressive “all-in” call correctly. Some of these subjects can be viewed on video tutorials that have experienced player exhibiting these game techniques. And even if you have been playing for a very long time, some of these tutorials can help you perfect your gaming skills.

And this is not the end of its surprises. Virgin Poker offers V-points to players who frequent the site. These V-points can be cashed against Virgin products, such as Virgin vouchers, Virgin mobiles top-up cards including air miles or you have the option of using it to play more poker.

To round up the whole thing, we can say that the Virgin Poker site is just fabulous, thanks to Sir Branson and his efficient team members who have made this gaming experience, a time to remember.

MONEY & SECURITY

You have a wide range of choice for depositing money into your Virgin Poker account, which include payments through credit cards, debit cards, NET Teller, Click2Pay and Bank Transfers. Payments are made through WebDollar, which uses a 128-bit encryption and has its own security procedure and hence is quite safe to use.

CONTACT:

Round the clock customer services are available 7 days a week at support@poker.virgingames.com. You can get a prompt response to your query within the next two hours.

Telephone support is also available on the following numbers:

• From within the UK : 0800 2790 681 (free phone)
• From outside the UK : 0035 040 680 (toll number)

Online Poker

• Best Online Poker
• Poker Directory
• Poker Reviews
• News

Poker Equipment

• Poker Chips
• Chips Sets
• Cards
• Software
• Accessories

Poker Basics

• How to Play Poker
• Poker Rules
• Variations
• Poker Hands
• More…

Poker School

• Strategy
• Poker Odds
• Chip Handling
• Poker Bluffing
• More…

Poker Clubs

• Major Clubs
• Poker Club
• Poker Law

Tags:
Bonus, Games, Tournaments, Virgin Poker, Virgin Poker Review