Hands Which can Bring the Most

With the combination and the probability of cards in poker which are more or less known, hands can return rather often. Draw of certain combinations can indeed appear more often than others. If a player is used to recognize these hands or trained for their identification, they have a bigger chance to win. On the other hand, the failure of distinguishing these classifications can also bring players to invest thoroughly in some hands which are not nevertheless worth.

- The Top pair/top kicker: it is the maximum pair of the board with the kicker as high as possible. It’s also known under the abbreviation "TPTK". Even though this hand is rather interesting, it is moreover necessary to be watchful when you have it. In case the pot increases and in case all the players are active, better hands than the TPTK can be in opponents’ hands. To know the custom of every player is important too. Indeed, passive players can raise only by having nuts in hands while the most aggressive players make it with a check-raise and draw.

- Two pairs: two pairs also establish a very good game in poker. Even in flop, this kind of hand is completely interesting because it beats a top pair. In micro-limits, players who hold little lower cards widely prefer to fold.

- Three of a kind: such hand is completely competitive especially if it is about a Three of a kind "Sets" that is a Three of a kind with a pair served in hand. If it is a pair of 2 that accompanies it, the only arrival of a set to the flop makes it interesting. But in front of the weakness of the probability that it arrives, raise preflop which has to accompany it shouldn’t exceed 5% to 10 % of your stack.

- AA and KK: with this hand, you are the favourite at 80 %. You should not thus sub-play it but to try to finish in a pot "multi -way". In every raise preflop, it is thus necessary to re-raise at any time.

Micro-Limit Sets: How to Begin Well in The Set With small stakes

The micro-limit sets, poker games up to $10 of buy-in, are mostly played by novice players who begin their entrance onto online poker. Some good players can be rarely observed there, in case if they had lost their bankroll. The behaviour of these novices players present in these sets are rather easy to get down: they like seeing flops, they often pay and rarely raises and they maintain the biggest part of their concentration on their cards but not in the rounds. But other players can also play in a very aggressive way and raise with all the hands.

Given that aiming at big pot and by losing only small ones are the main objective in poker, the flop is often decisive in a process of reflection. It is indeed necessary to decide at this precise moment if you will go to pay or not an opponent’s stake with a hand more or less doubtful. If you call, you will often have to pay twice furthermore, making decisions which cost too much in the turn and in the river. So, given that many of other situations can happen to you, it is not recommended to involve you in situations if small gains are concerned. In this way, folding, even though you consider that your opponent maybe bluffs, will be a more profitable decision in the long term during these micro-limit sets.

On the other hand, players in micro-limits also tend to enter the poker game by making "limps" preflop that is by making do with paying big blind to allow them seeing at once three cards. To avoid that many players can arrive with you at the flop, four or five players (called also "multi-way" pot), you always have to raise as soon as you do an action. More and more players will fold with this strategy. Indeed, with 3-4 opponents in the flop, there will be more chances than one of them finds a good game in the flop.

Doyle Brunson: A basketball champion turned into a legend of poker

If it is necessary to choose one of the biggest names of poker players in the world, Doyle Brunson nicknamed “Texas Dolly” is unquestionably a choice which would make unanimity. Born in Texas in 1933, Doyle plays poker for more than 50 years. Twice world champion in 1976 and 1977, 10 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, he continues to swipe tournaments and to win cash games. His route path which is rather particular made him a real legend and his style of game still continues to impress all biggest poker players.
When he was young, Doyle Brunson already launched into a career of professional basketball player before a wound to his knee definitively puts an end to it. He tried then to move into a "normal” jobs as salesmen of agricultural machines before realizing that poker could bring him much more money. The legend tells that during his working hours by waiting for customers, he played poker and won one month of salary in some hours only. He decided then to leave his job and participated in tournaments through all States of the country to support his family, with other legends of poker as Amarillo Slim who became his fellow traveller. Doyle Brunson also likes betting, the most famous is the one he had done with his friend that he would manage to lose 50 kilos. He won this bet of million dollars.
Doyle Brunson wrote a book entitled “System High-octane gasoline” dedicated to poker published in 1979. The work which unveils some secrets of his style of game is recognized as the Bible of poker. A new version entitled "Great system II" was published in 2004. But in spite of his numerous articles and the craftiness which they give in his book, Doyle’s style of game on table of still continues surprising his opponents.

Seven Card Stud: Seven individual cards for each player

Like most of poker games, Seven Card Stud is played around a table with eight players at most. Seven hole cards among which two face-down cards, four face-up cards and the final card (the river) face-down distinguish this variant of poker played on most of online poker websites and in gaming room. An ante, a compulsory stake, is paid before the first three cards, two face down ' hole cards ' and a face-up card or ' door card ' for each participant are dealt. This last card indicates the one who has to launch the stake. Indeed, the one who receives the lowest face-up card has to begin the betting by starting from the ' bring-in ' with an amount equivalent with at least the half of the lowest limit. This round is so announced by the dealer saying "the Low Card Must Bet ". For the following rounds, after each new face-up card is dealt, it will always be the player having the highest hand who will open the betting.

The betting rounds can so continue. The dealer distributes then a second face-up card to all players still in game before a new betting round, then, a third face-up card is dealt , followed by another betting round. The latest card (the river) is dealt face down and opens the way to the latest betting round which becomes more exciting in poker games. But in the case there are not enough cards to be dealt, a card from the clog will be used as a common card for the river. Time for showdown, each player has to form a hand with five cards among the seven cards at his disposal. It will be the one who has the highest hand who will be the winner.

WSOP: 40 years of history in the poker world

The World Series of poker (WSOP) during its creation in 1969 was only a kind of marathon of poker dominated by two big players, Nicholas “Nick the Greek" Dandolos and Johnny Moss. It was organized by Benny Binion with two millions of dollars of stake during this launch. Moss was the winner after five months during which 39 tournaments succeeded one after the other. After this first successful attempt, Binion decided to structure better the organization of the WSOP and transforms the event in a more and more popular tournament with the help of media. Then the participation in the WSOP became the obliged passage to enter the closed circle of biggest players of poker in the world. Legendaries players such as Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan or Phil Helmuth, with 10 titles each, are some of those who succeeded their examination in the WSOP.

The WSOP didn’t stop winning fame during the 70s. In 1971, they were tournaments “freeze out” won by Jhonny Moss, then, by Thomas “Amarillo Slim Preston” in 1972. It reached the summit of its popularity in 1980 when qualifications by satellite tournaments started. The WSOP allowed average players to have an access in qualifications at a lower cost. It is the case of Chris Moneymaker, simple amateur player who became famous when he won 2,500,000 US dollars in 2003. After Chris Moneymaker, the WSOP became definitively a wonderful industry.

The 40th WSOP in 2009 marks a particular event in the history of poker. 57 tournaments were in the program allowing the best players of poker of the world to conquer the championship and a bracelet, the tournament Champions Invitational, the charitable tournament Ante up for Africa. The WSOP definitively became an annual meeting for all the community of poker in the world.

Omaha: The poker variant the closest to Texas Hold'Em

In general, enthusiasts of poker and those who are keen on gaming tables are fond of playing Texas Hold' Em, the most played variant of poker. The easy reading of his opponent’s game thanks to the existence of a lot of common cards are among its advantages because it reduces so the probability of the availability of cards in the hands of another player. Similar to Hold'Em, Omaha is different, simply because of 5 common cards face-up on the board and the distribution of 4 private or hole cards. On online games portals and in big poker tournaments worldwide, Omaha is also a game well played. But a different strategy is necessary for this game.

Four hole cards are distributed at first to every poker layer before the Flop, the first three community cards. After that, the first betting round can begin immediately. Then, the player who distributes (or the donor) opens the flop. The second betting round can then continue if players are still in the round. Then, the turn or fourth street is turned over before the 3rd betting round starts. The person who distributes card shows the River before the fourth and the last betting round closes the set and before the final showdown. The series of card showed by every player should be formed by 2 cards of his hand and by 3 cards of the board.

In spite of its similitude with Hold' Em, the strategy to play Omaha is a little bit different. In Omaha High, it is necessary to form more powerful high hand than in Texas Hold'Em. At all time, it is a question of forming the strongest hand possible, a double pair or a weak flush having a value rather average. The intermediate combinations will be beaten thus easily. In Omaha, it is then necessary to select scrupulously the hand at the beginning, to make a color (2 cards of the same color with one Ace or King), a full (a pair), a suite (strong cards which follow each other). 3 identical cards are to be avoid or 4 different colors. In Omaha High/Low, the strongest hands and the weakest hands can be simultaneously played.

The beginning of EPT tournaments

It is surprising to know that the place which gave birth to the pinhole was the place where takes place the biggest tournament of poker, European Poker Tour (EPT). The idea was launched in 1997 by an English TV station and spread beyond the Atlantic Ocean and became a major event of poker, as Poker Millions, World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour. The idea was arranged for European criteria by the English production and was animated and commented by the winner of WSOP, John Duthie of the TV station Sunrise and Vin in Europe. Duthie and his team of production set up a program similar to the World Poker Tour, with some differences.

History
The EPT was launched in 2004 as a direct competitor to the WPT. In order to entice numerous participants to this game, prizes were the half of those proposed by WPT. At present, the Tour goes to 10 countries per season. These countries include Denmark, Spain, England, Australia, Ireland, Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Germany, Poland, and Monaco.
Differences between EPT and WPT
Some points distinguish these two big tournaments of poker which invite thousands of players, every year.

1). The EPT takes place in diverse countries of Europe, while the WPT is played around the world and mainly in the United States, apart from a stage of the tournament
2). This difference of geographical zone makes the numbers of stars present in the event varying. The biggest players of the United States appear in the EPT tournament, except the famous Phil Ivey. In a general way, the American players are always beaten by players native to other countries. Then: what country does play poker the better?
3). The EPT final table is played by eight players, while that of the WTP with six.