What to track

The minimum information that you need to record should be the date, game, the stakes involved, start and end time, number of hours you played, and the results. Write these down on your notepad when you start your session and at the end of each session. You can make most of the technology today and keep tabulation sheets on programs like MS Excel which can easily help you sort out data. There are also poker programs out there that can help you record your games.

Remember tracking applies to whatever scenario you are in. One of the biggest sins you can commit when recording your poker game is keeping a good history of your winning sessions while missing out on your losing streaks. So the best practice, is to keep a record without fail whether you win or you lose.

Separate short summaries

If you are playing several kinds of poker games in day, you should keep separate summaries for each. You can take note of the date, results, and the number of hours played. This will build discipline over time. Once you have a substantial amount of data, you can sort it to depending on the length of the poker sessions. Check your 5 biggest wins and 5 biggest losses. If you see a big discrepancy in the number of hours, like you play longer during your losing days then you might have discipline problems. This indicates that you do not quit playing when you are tired and already slipping.

The first way to begin making sure that you are playing poker to win is to make sure that your face does not reveal anything about your hand. Too many times people smile or frown if they get a good or bad hand. Doing this, automatically tips off your opponents as to what type of hand you have. You will want to work on your poker face, and make sure it is devoid of all emotions. Once you have this down, you can experiment with facial expressions to throw off your opponents, however, it is not recommended until you have really learned the ins and outs of poker.

Secondly, you will want to observe the people who are playing against. Do they do facial motions at certain hands, does their hands tap on the table nervously? Any and all of these clues can help you determine if the person has a good or bad hand. From there, you can make your move.

Once you have won a few hands, it is time to try out your bluffing technique. Since you have won the past few hands, the people at the table are more likely to believe that you have another winning hand, however, you have to make sure that your bluff is believable. If not, and you do get caught, more than likely that bluff is going to cost you dearly.

Be patient. Patience cannot be defined enough when it comes to poker according to Sven’s Tight Poker Tips. If you have good hand be patient, do not jump the gun and have that huge smile on your face of a winner. You want the pot to build up so that you win more. So it is important to keep that poker face, maybe even bluff a little to make the others think that they are winning so they throw in more chips. If you find yourself wanting to jump out of your seat because you have a full house, then you are going to find that you may win hands while playing poker, but it will not be for high amounts.

You must understand that age old saying that good things come to those who are patient. And this saying is very applicable to the game of poker and should be understood first and foremost before anyone attempts their luck at the game.

The use of 5 cards per round of game became all the rage during the American Civil War. The game is one of the most well like versions of Stud Poker, the other involving the use of seven cards. Now a days, most professional casino parlors as well as informal games involve playing with seven cards.

Naming the betting round often depends upon how many cards are possessed by each player at the start of the round. If the players possess five cards each the round is deemed to be the “fifth round” or the “fifth street”. However, this naming convention is ordinarily disposed of in the final round which is generally known as the “end round” or the “river”.

Stud Poker in itself has a number of variations as well. Some of these are Australian Stud, Crocodile Stud and Buffalo Stud to name a few. Crocodile Stud is played as a variation of the conventional five card stud. Each one of the players is handed an extra card which acts as a downcard. This is done at the beginning of the game round. The rule defining Crocodile Stud is that in the concluding set of the game each player can employ the use of only one of the two downcards that have been dealt to him. Buffalo Stud involves changing some of the rules of the conventional seven card stud set. In the usual game, each player is dealt two downcards in the initial round. In Buffalo Stud however the players each receive three cards that serve as downcards. The rule is that even though the players possess three downcards, no more than two of these can be used during the closing hand of the game. Australian Stud is played much in the same way as Buffalo Stud, the difference lying in the rule that the players must remove their additional card that serves as the hole card once the initial betting round is over.

Blind Stud is also a form of poker and can be played in any one of the Stud Poker variants. It involves placing all the cards such that they face downwards on the table. The cards are dealt to face down, thus leading to the name “Blind” Stud because none of the cards are actually visible.

Beautiful poker between both Allen Cunningham (probably the player I respect the most in tournaments) and Phil Ivey (probably the player I consider to be the best all-round gambler in the world).

Mike Matusow was dabbling a little at start, but he’s way outclassed AND out-handed.

Great laydown by Allen by the way. Guess he could Phil on 78 too.

Although there are abundant ways to cheat in online poker but here we shall discuss one of the most famous ones, cutting the cord.

I believe if you have tried your hand at poker, you must be aware of passing out on the table.

Cutting the cord actually is an online version of the “passing out on the table”. This kind of cheating is put to use when the player intentionally disconnects his internet connection if he feels that his hand is not strong enough to win the game. Sometimes he can also raise a bet and then disconnect, in order to claim his part by protesting later.

Though the player might feel he is absolutely safe and pretty intelligent but the stewards are better. They keep a track of the IP addresses of each and every player that has played even a single game. They just keep on surveying every now and then, and if they trace any recurring pattern of playing in such a manner they just veto the player from playing poker anymore.

Though a person can try and cheat the web-sites but they are already game for it. They have better than the best experts to look after the security department. And if anyone breaches the security code, he is chucked out that very moment. So play it safe, you are bound to win some time.

(Oh and euh… I’m sure Mike Matusow passes out at the table every once in a while…. But that’s…. unrelated…. )

While Phil Laak has not played poker for a long period of time, he does have experience in the mathematical and engineering scene. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and was a sports broker before coming to the professional poker scene. Phil can get extremely angry, however, this is due to his intense passion for the game of poker. When not playing poker, Phil is usually extremely calm and organized.

Phil has also earned a nickname that is quite different. Many people chose to call him the Unabomber because of the hooded sweatshirt and sun glasses that he often wears at the table. Phil also dates a celebrity poker star named Jennifer Tilly. He met Jennifer when she entered into a World Series of Poker tournament designed for celebrities. The two have had a great relationship ever since.

Phil is climbing the ranks of professional poker extremely fast. You need to watch out for him to make sure you can see one of the greatest poker players that you will see in your lifetime. It is just a matter of time before Phil Laak takes over the professional poker scene.

Photo source – Poker Stock Photos.