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Best Online Poker Sites – A Comparison Of The Top 8
Feb 14, 2010
The genesis of poker:
The exact age people actually started playing poker is heavily disputed. This game has many variations. So it is possible that it was born in several different places. It is common belief
however
that poker was invented by the Chinese way back in the 10th Century A.D.
People believe that poker came from Chinese dominoes. It is said that Emperor Mu-Tsang of China played a game of domino cards
a possible ancestor of poker
with his wife a day before the 969 A.D. new year.
Some others feel that poker in fact has its roots in as-nas
a Persian game. This game which was first played in and around the 17th century was a 5 player game and was unique in the fact that it had only 25 cards in the deck with 5 different suits.
Some others claim that “poque”
a French card game was the true ancestor of poker. It was invented in 1480 by the French who settled in New Orleans. They used the normal deck of cards.
Dawn of the Era of Online Poker.
People invented games in the bygone era which resulted in poker. Now poker itself has reinvented itself into a new form -Online Poker. People are crazy about this game which offers many advantages over normal casino poker. This craze is spreading fast among all age groups and types of people.
Best Poker sites:
The best poker site is most probably one of those listed below. Novices can view these sites to find the site that suits him/her the best to improve his poker playing.
1) The forums on CardsChat.com
This is probably the best poker playing site online. It has a forum for exclusively poker and another for other card games. Poker players can read the various topics in the forums.
www.cardschat.com is the place to go if you want an active poker forum.
2) Learn Texas Hold’em
This is easily the best online pokers site for beginners. Here there are various write-ups on hold’em
advanced poker strategies and poker rankings. There are various poker tables
tips
and even a question and answer section in the site.
www.learn-texas-holdem.com is a must visit for beginners.
3) Celebrity Poker Showdown
It is the official site of the poker program on Bravo TV. It has complete videos of games and tip for gaming. It is the most famous poker site in the world wide web. If fame was everything
this site will win hands down.
It has an interactive flash animation on playing Texas Hold’em. It also features the poker great Phil Gorden
Play poker with the celebs at www.bravotv.com/Celebrity_Poker_Showdown
4) Poker Babes
It includes the profiles of prominent poker champions. You will be shocked to see the number of women champions in this man’s game
It is the best site for women poker players. It has many perks for women players and offers them a lot of priceless tips for excelling. After all
why should boys have all the fun?
All women poker players must visit www.poker-babes.com
5) Online Poker Guru
It is indispensable for poker rules
strategies
tips and tricks. It also runs down the memory lane by presenting the history of poker and poker vocabulary. It is among the best novice sites. This site is the true guru in teaching poker for novices.
Let the Guru teach you how at www.pokeronlineguru.com
6) Poker News
This site is a strong contender for the best poker site award. It offers unbiased reviews of other poker sites and helps users to join the poker room that suits them best. This is the place you need to be in if you want to stay in touch with poker and other poker players.
Get to know the latest in poker www.pokernews.com
7) Poker terminology glossary
This site has a comprehensive list of poker slang
definitions
terms and other must-knows for basic poker play. It cannot be done without for beginners. Even experts may have to cross check with this list at times.
Learn poker slang and terminology on www.conjelco.com/pokglossary.html 
Low limit Omaha
This site stands out in providing novices the various possible starting hands of poker and also gives strategies for hi/lo split low limit Omaha games.
Check out these strategies at www.lowlimitomaha.com
–
Doyles Room Free Poker Bankroll
PokerSourceOnline.com have extended their free poker bankroll offer at Doyles Room to now include players from Canada. Prior to this the instant bankroll was only available to American Players. This is a $50 free poker bankroll offer
and the free $50 is deposited directly into your Doyles Room poker account by PokerSourceOnline when you have [...]
Bluff Europe Poker Academy returns
The Bluff Europe Poker Academy has announced its return for the second year running. The first event will be held next month and will feature a host of poker pros including Nik Persaud
Neil Channing
and Stuart Rutter
who will be on hand to share their profound wisdom and advice to aspiring poker players. read more
Heads-up Tournament Play Tips
If you happen to play tournament poker
then you know that heads-up play is inevitable. There comes a moment when there are only two opponents left at the table and they must battle each other for the coveted top prize. Successful heads-up play requires both opponents to have some experience in poker
but more importnatly
experience in one-on-one action. read more
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Folding Poker Tables – 3 Reasons You Want One
Feb 12, 2010
Folding poker tables add an element of fun to your home poker games that just isn’t there when you play on your kitchen table. Like being in a casino
there is an exciting Vegas feel when you splash the pot on the colorful poker felt and out bluff your competition across the table.
So if your poker games with your friends and family are getting a little stale
look at these wonderful benefits when you have your own poker table.
Folding poker tables make the game more realistic. As stated before
instead of throwing your old army blanket over the dining room table and it bunching up when you try to rake in the chips
a poker table has a felt playing area. Under the felt is a pad that absorbs the sound when your chips hit the table which sounds more authentic then that wooden echo and the chips bouncing all over the place
just like real casino tables.
Folding poker tables have features for comfort and convenience. After long hours with your arms creased on the edge of a hard wooden table
you start to get pretty uncomfortable. Poker tables have cushioned armrests that surround the entire perimeter of the table to rest your arms on. They also have built in beverage holders for every player so you have a place to keep that beer from spilling all over the table.
Folding poker tables can be stored easily. Unlike a billiards table
when your poker game is over these can be folded up and put away
ready for your next game. And setup is just as easy. You are ready to play in a few moments. Poker tables are heavy
but they are still portable. You could fold it up and take it to a friends house if your game rotates.
Folding poker tables come in two common shapes
oval for larger games and octagon for smaller more personal games. For those large tournament games with more than 7 or 8 people
the oval tables can be as long as 7 or 8 feet long and have up to 10 player positions. The octagons are 4 feet across and are for up to 8 players where everyone sits facing each other
and all players can reach the pot.
If you have been putting off getting a folding poker table
I hope this has helped encourage you with the reasons why you really do want one. My games have never been as much fun as when I started using a poker table for my home games.
–
Poker Pros Understand Fold Equity
A level of online poker aggression that rarely gets discussed
but yet is quite prevalent and a large part of Texas Holdem poker games is fold equity. Fold equity is an advantage that the poker pro creates for himself by betting and raising
rather than just calling
with the intent of making his opponents fold their hands.
Poker Professional Reality
With the huge increase of people playing poker online and in casinos
the thought of becoming a poker professional always enters peoples minds. As appealing as becoming a poker professional might be to you
it is not easy to become a poker pro.
Full Tilt is under fire
The world of poker is a very complex structure built around players
the online poker sites and casinos that provide the games
the limits and games played
rake
backers
and a lot more
and in the end
trying to provide the best game possible that helps everyone. The entire situation with Townsend
Hastings
and Cole [...]
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Invaluable poker tips from 5plusnet to guide you
Feb 11, 2010
How to Choose an Online Poker Site
Feb 11, 2010
So
you have decided that you want to play poker Online
and your hunt for the perfect site has begun. But alas
there are literally hundreds of poker sites on the Internet. How do you discriminate between all of these available sites
to find that desired site ? There are several key criteria that you should be aware of
in your quest to find the poker site that is perfect for you. Understanding these criteria
and being able to use them as a basis for comparison
will significantly simplify your selection process:
Free Poker – If you are looking to play online poker for pure recreation
and not for money
ensure that the site you are interested in accommodates “free” players. Most online poker sites do cater to free players.
Software Download vs. Web-based – Most
if not all
online poker sites require you to download their poker client software onto your computer system to run. If you are adverse to downloading such software onto your system
then you might want to check to see if the poker site alternatively has a web-based poker interface
which allows you to play poker on the site from within your browser. Software installs run the potential risk of viruses and/or adware being loaded onto your system (although most of the reputable firms would never do that)
but software installs on your computer generally run a lot faster than web-based sessions. Software installations harness the power of your local PC’s CPU
whereas web-based interfaces rely on downloading any screen real estate updates over the Internet during play. This can be slow
particularly
if you are running over a slow internet connection (e.g.
a dialup line). Hence
if you are after speed
select local software installations; if you are concerned about your computer’s safety or cannot afford the disk space used by a software installation
select a web-based poker site.
Methods of Deposit/Withdrawal – If you are planning to play poker for money over the Internet
it is very important to consider the methods of deposit and withdrawal that a poker site supports. Many of these sites permit major credit cards to be used
which seem to be the universal deposit mechanism of choice. Others permit the use of bank transfer
ACH transfer
checks
and wire transfer from banks. Most poker sites also support some form of 3rd party eWallets
which provide an intermediary between banking institutions and the poker site itself. The main criteria to look at are: 1) What methods of deposit/withdrawal are supported by the poker site
and how many of these methods are supported by the locale that you live in ?; 2) Is it legal to fund/withdraw to/from a poker site
from the jurisdiction that you are playing in ?; 3) What are the fees associated with the 3rd party eWallet companies that you are able to use
and how reliable are they (this latter question can be researched on some of the poker message forum boards) ?
Locale Restrictions – Some poker sites restrict the playing for money (and even free play sometimes)
based on your locale
and the laws governing gambling in your locale. You should check with the laws of your local jurisdiction and check with the poker site
to see if there are any imposed restrictions on play
based on your locale.
Support – You should definitely look at the methods of support that a poker site offers. Poker sites generally provide one (or more) methods of support that include: telephone support
fax support
Email support
and live chat support. The more of these that a poker site offers
the better. For telephone support
check and see if the poker site offers toll-free support from your playing jurisdiction or not.
Game Variety – Depending on your level of poker playing expertise and your interest in variety
it is important to determine which game types the poker site supports. Almost all of the sites offer Texas Holdem
but depending on your leve
l of interest
you should check to see if they offer games like Five and Seven Card Stud
Omaha Poker (and all of its variations)
blackjack (not poker
but often included as a game option)
Stud (and its variations)
Draw poker
Tournament support
and limit and pot limit games. Tournaments in particular are very popular with online poker sites
and some site tournaments offer very large prize pools.
Bonuses – Most
but not all
of the poker sites offer some form of bonus to the player
when you initially sign up with the site. Each site’s bonus is somewhat different
but of the one’s that offer first time bonus
it is usually predicated on a minimum initial deposit. Many bonuses are also calculated based on the amount of money deposited and spent on the site. Additionally
many sites offer reload bonuses
which are bonuses that are offered to existing customers
beyond their initial deposit bonus
and as an incentive to keep you as a customer.
Graphics and Useability – This is a very important consideration. Every poker site has a different look and feel to it. If you are going to be playing poker for money
it is important that you feel comfortable with the screen graphics and your ability to navigate (via mouse or keyboard clicks) through the poker program. If you feel uncomfortable at all with the poker site
you should definitely not consider playing at it for money. You should always test a poker site out in “free” mode first
before actually considering it for real-money wagering.
Game Features – You should always consider the game features that are available with a given poker site. Game features such as hand history
multiple simultaneous playing windows
player notes
audible and visual indicators
player statistics
connection status indicator
player chat
turbo games
and screen options should always be considered.
Rake – Rake is the amount of the pot that the poker site takes (as part of its fee for doing business)
from each hand. You should always be aware of how much rake a poker site takes (compared to another site). Poker sites usually use a Weighted Contribution rake method or an Average Contribution method
when calculating rake. Obviously
the lower the rake
the more money you will take home on hand wins
but this criteria by itself should not dictate which poker site you use
since all of the above factors need to be taken into consideration as well. In summary
the aforementioned criteria should always be used
when deciding which Poker site is best for you. Depending on your preferences
some of these criteria should be given more weight than others. Happy Poker site hunting !!
–
Turning Poker into a Full-time Occupation
Turning Poker into a Full-time Occupation If you are good at it
you can turn poker into a full-time career. The fact that more and more people are joining the professional poker circuit means that playing poker can be a viable source of income for the person who has the right combination of luck
strategy and [...]
The November Niners
The November Niners Now that the last remaining players to compete on one of the most famous
one of the most prestigious and definitely the one of the richest sporting event in the world
are completed
its time to learn a bit of them and have a taste of what could happen in the poker table [...]
British Poker Software Company Joins with Italian Poker (source: launchpoker.com)
Playtech Ltd recently signed a deal with a leading Italian betting shop company to take them online
competing for the flood of Italian poker players looking for more online action. The British software supplier Playtech signed the deal with Snai
the Ital… (source: launchpoker.com) – RSS news feeds and Widgets on Feedzilla.com
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Women and Poker Part II – the Exploitation of the Female Form
Feb 11, 2010
Some of the main hubs of poker are also the most sexualized cities in the United States
name New Orleans and then later Las Vegas. These cities are absolutely oozing with sex
and although this paper is not trying to make a moralistic argument decrying these wild cities’ lifestyles
much of these images have stuck to the game of poker itself. Perhaps this phenomenon would not be so bad if it played out evenly between the two sexes
but all one sees is the portrayal of partially disrobed women advertising for poker sites. One only needs to log onto the internet and search for “Women and Poker” to have a dozen women in bikinis immediately pop up on the screen.
In fact
yours truly actually did run a search specifically for “Women and Poker”
and here are some of the surprising results. In no particular order we present 10 of the most tasteful poker sites on the web:
-Pokerium Online Poker Room and Casino: The front page of this website is a model of good taste and restraint. Many of the searches yielded interesting results
but this website was head and shoulders ahead. Upon opening the home page one finds an illustration of a scantily clad brown-haired vixen with a flower in her hair(no real women were harmed during the production of this design). The interesting part of this drawing is that she is placed inside of a huge Ace of Clubs. In the middle of the card
where the woman is located
lies a very large club
and the stem of said club just happens to terminate in the center of the woman’s crotch. Although there is a possibility that this not-so-subtle innuendo was unintentional
we would not bet on it.
-Next on our list is the deliciously tasteful advertisement on hollywoodpoker.com for their “Babes & Bounties” tournament. To begin with
the title itself should be enough to ruffle the feathers of most women poker players. Then
the image used on the page is of a woman in a bikini top with money in the background behind her. And finally
for those players who aren’t sold by the picture in the middle
the site claims that “12 of the sexiest poker hostesses in the game” will be present at the table. It’s a good thing too
because most serious poker players refuse to play in tournaments with any less than 8 sexy poker hostesses. Finally
jus tto make sure that one can notice all the different features on the side
there is a picture of a woman on the left-hand side of the screen dressed in her rather unsupportive underwear lying down in front of a laptop with poker chips lying around her body. She is happily wearing a pair of flattering white high heeled shoes so that she can model at any moment during her poker game. A truly classy website.
-PokerWorld.com
an up and coming online card room
is another tastefully crafted website
with nothing to offend save for their new “Topless Bonus”. The “Topless Bonus: The Shape of Things to Come” seems a stretch: with this promotion they will “top up” your account with a free 20% bonus. The stingy bonus does not only fall way short of the 200% bonuses floating around on various sites
it also offends the eye. They advertise it with a small silhouette of a woman
hardly exposing anything whatsoever. Why they chose to try and correlate a 20% with topless women is a mystery
but they surely went for it.
-Not to be outdone
Jungle Poker has its own female spokeswoman: none other than the lovely Cheynelle Fraser
a bartender/model who is now the official face of Jungle Poker. Why a poker site would need a sizzling hot model as a spokeswoman is a grand mystery. We suspect it is because the photos of Cheynelle – which include several excellent cleavage shots – surely have everything to do with poker and nothing with selling sexuality. Although the site may be using the good looks of beautiful Cheynelle to help promote their site
they are not just about T & A on th
eir site: on the front page of the site they have an advertisement for their heads up Sit & Go tournaments
featuring two headshots of a man and a woman
both fully dressed
challenging each other to a card game. Hurray for equality!
-Europeans are no exception when it comes to using alluring images of the female form to help them sell their products. In a recent article published on poker.gamble.co.uk
the author writes about the upcoming Great British Poker Tour
and the centerpiece image of this article is a nude woman relaxing in a bathtub full of poker chips. It’s a good thing that they posted this picture
because nothing says Great British Poker Tour better than a woman bathing nude in poker chips.
-The most morbid result found during the search came from best-poker-rakeback.net on their rakeback advertisement
which features a frightening illustration of zombie woman in a corset
fishnet stockings
heels
and a short skirt using a rake to gather up some playing cards that must have fallen off a tree. Although the idea of having somebody literally raking poker cards is cute
we’re not sure about the need for a sexy undead woman.
-Gambling blog Oddjack paid homage to the women of poker in an article titled “Top 10 Sexiest Women of Poker”. This enlightening four part series takes the readers through their list of what they view as the sexiest women in the poker world. Just to give a small taste of their depictions of these women
we will go over the first three women they talk about. Each woman has a picture with a caption beneath it. At number ten on their list is Courtney Friel
a television hostess for the world poker tour. The picture they have of her is in a lacy tank top: fair enough. She’s obviously OK with the picture considering she modeled for it. Underneath the picure is a caption that says “Stop teasing us Courtney
tear those laces off!”
The next featured profile is that of Evelyn Ng. Underneath her picture they put a quote that says
“Evelyn sure is one sweet ride…” Sadly
they did not even try to be creative with this comment
the only possible connotation for this remark is a sexual one. They also remarked in her profile that she won the WPT Ladies Night event and that
“Yup
she kicked ass. Asses that belong to Annie Duke and Kathy Liebert. Asses I don’t wanna see anytime soon. No matter how much they pay me to.” This hilarious joke about the physical assets of two of poker’s greatest female players was insulting to say the least.
At number 8 on their list is none other than Lily Elviro. This strong poker player who
besides being a strong poker player
is physically well endowed as well. The picture which they used for her was taken during a poker tournament she played in and shows her at the table holding a pair of cards. She is leaning forward a little showing a fair portion of her not so small breasts. Unable to resist
the comment beneath the photo says
“It’s hard for Lily to always carry a heavy set of puppies like that.” If it wasn’t for such brilliant writing most of us would completely miss out on such hard to miss features.
-Next on our list is an article written by Toby Bochan on her poker blog. This photo-article
featured on about.com
is titled “The hottest women of poker”
and it is essentially an amateur photo gallery of professional femal poker players. The women featured in this article are Evelyn Ng
Shannon Elizabeth
Clonie Gowen
Jennifer Tilly
Liz Lieu
Vanessa Rousso
Isabelle Mercier
Cyndy Violette
Jennifer Harman
Annie Duke
Kristy Gazes
Chantel McNutty
and Jennefer “Jennicide” Leigh. Perhaps the most disturbing part about this gallery is not that these women have their pictures posted
but that none of the pictures were studio pictures. They all seem like photos that were taken in a clandestine manner on a digital camera. Does this strike anybody as creepy?
Read about online gambling
-Coming l
ast on our list is none other than Full Tilt Poker
who recently issued a challenge between Paris Hilton and Clonie Gowen. Their hearts were definitely in the right place: they were to host a heads-up challenge between the two women and the winner would take the $100
000 prize and donate it to the charity of her choice. This sounds good
so why does this make our trash list? Well
if you go to the website
the page they created for this challenge has these two women stacked up next to each other. The title for their statistics is called their “Sexy Stats”
and just to make sure that the best poker player wins
they even added a “Who is sexier?” poll at the bottom of the page.
William Hill casino and Casino La Vida reviews
Thus concludes our trashy website list (NEED TO THINK OF A WAY TO PITCH THIS ARTICLE). Part IV will conclude “Women and Poker” by addressing what the future of women and poker may hold.
-
Series of Poker prize package from 888poker
888poker in Canada is offering its Canadian players the chance of a lifetime to make the transition to pro. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/Poker_Promotions/wsop_prize_package_888poker.html
Win a seat at the 2009 ECPokerTour Salzburg
Titan Poker presents the year’s most prestigious new tournament
the ECPokerTour Salzburg 2009. The ECPokerTour poker championship will be staged in the lavish new Alpine Palace Card casino between April 3rd and 5th 2009. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/Poker_Promotions/2009_ECPokerTour_Salzburg.html
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