Tricks and Tips for those Games of Chance and Rare Skill – Poker, Blackjack, etc.

Every poker player has his/her own system when it comes to which cards they’ll play and which they won’t during Texas Hold ‘em tournaments. That said, here are the nine starting hands I love the most: AA KK QQ These three are nearly invincible. I like to slow-play them, then go all-in and knock out [...]

Most casinos offer texas hold ‘em as poker, and occasionally you’ll see Omaha. There’s a version that’s also popular in many casinos known as Pineapple, which in a way splits the difference. I have no idea if this has been shown on the poker tour, but here’s how it goes. You’re dealt three hole cards [...]

Poker has become so popular that there are actually tournaments offering college scholarships to those who play. There is actually a College Poker Championship. I really don’t think people under 21 need any more encouragement to play than the heavily edited displays of people winning millions of dollars in highstakes poker on TV. What I [...]

I’m not one for the Wall Street version of gambling, but even so I’m surprised I missed the IPO of the World Poker Tour (quote) last August. I’m sensing a beginning of a downtrend in poker, so I’m wondering if there is any value to the stock. However, they did beta-release their online poker website [...]

I think the one thing that keeps a lot of people from really sitting down at a poker table in a casino – those that are close enough to do it, of course – is the assumption that you’ll need a sizeable amount of money to come in and be willing to lose. That’s simply [...]

Back in the old days, the days when I was an instructor in philosophy at an engineering university, I built a reputation for making hard things seem simple. And I was also one of th efirst people to use the internet to publish things like FAQs (Frequently asked questions) and those kinds of things. Then [...]

If you’ve never played poker in a casino – or a cardroom, even, it might be a bit daunting. Maybe you’ve got a lot of online experience under yourbelt but are a bit anxious to look like a complete beginner when you walk in. Here’s what to expect: Tables, players at tables, dealers (unless it’s [...]

The first time you show up to the casino to play some poker, you’ll probably be anxious. You’ll probably have a few hours of online poker under your belt, but it’s still a bit unnerving for someone who’s never stared an opponent down over a large pot. Obviously you should have a plan towards your [...]

If you are slightly more experienced with the casino, but definitely not to the level of comfort where you can read your opponents, I’ll expand the play table I introduced. Using the same conventions as in the other post: When you have these hands: Bet this way: AA KK 99 88 AJs ATs Check (Limp) [...]

Once you get the hang of the odds of your hand actually coming through, you need to then work out the pot odds. The pot odds are not strictly statistical odds as much as they are a ration of the amount of money you stand to win versus the odds of your hand winning the [...]