The Art Of The Poker Face And How To Pull It Off

Poker is a game of skill where luck plays a huge role. Luck is when you have a 9 and a 4 and you beat a hand of pocket aces. Skill is when you read what cards are on the table and gauge how well your hand stacks up against the competition. It also takes a special skill to lure your opponents into betting more and more in a hand that you have a big chance of winning. Pulling off a good poker face is also one skill that you must have if you want to be a successful player. You see more and more poker players on TV wearing shades indoors playing with their hoods pulled so low. Not to knock them off but that's close to cheating. Sure, the rules of poker do not prohibit players from wearing those but poker has been traditionally played without them and it was more fun. It was fun because the players had to work on their poker faces. Something they need to do to belie how good or bad the hands they are holding. Perfecting the poker face is not an easy task nor is it next to impossible. There are several ways you can pull it off and one technique that one person is using might not be suitable for you. Essentially, you have to work on your poker face on your own. To help you out though, here are some techniques you can try. Keep in mind that the more you think about your card, the more readable your expression would be. So if you can do it, try not to think too much about your cards until it is time to do so. The big advantage of doing this is that you would have more time to focus on what other players are doing. In fact, you can put a spin on this technique by focusing on what others are doing until you are on the clock. A poker face is not a stone-faced one. It is also about misleading your opponents and the best liars would tell you the truth and convince you that it is a lie. You can use this technique to mislead other players. If you have a great hand, act suspiciously happy. This would make them think that you might be bluffing it and walk right into your trap. Showing just one emotion can also work great. You can try the happiness route or the depression route. If you are a naturally easy-going person, the former would be best suited for you. If you are the more serious type, you can pull off the depressed look convincingly keeping a good hand secret to your opponents. So there you go, some techniques you can try to develop your poker face that will help you play better.

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The Most Elusive Texas Holdem Poker Secrets Around

The Texas Holdem Poker secrets revealed in this article are so elusive and exclusive you are extremely lucky if you are reading this sentence right now. This article is going to reveal exclusive Texas Holdem Poker Secrets that you can use to succeed at poker - anywhere, anytime against anyone. If you are looking to make a fortune at this game and leave your opponents pockets looking like rabbit ears then you are definitely in the right place. I will reveal in the next couple of paragraphs a few Texas Holdem Poker Secrets that work like a charm. As with just about anything the 5 Ps apply to Texas Holdem as well "Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance". That being said it is my hope that the information contained in the article will prepare you to win over just about any opponent rather they are experienced or not. Now that this is out of the way let's get right down to business shall we? The first secret I will cover should be used while flopping when you are in the early position or you are the one of the players that is located to the left side of the big blind. It is very important to keep in mind that when you are in this position you are basically clueless when it comes to knowing what is going on with the other players. With that being said it is strongly recommended that you limit the hands you play to only those better than AQ. The next of my Texas Holdem Poker secrets should be used when you are the 4th through the 8th player or what is called the "Middle Position". When you are in this position you tend to have a little bit more information on the early players but may still remain in the dark on the players that are in the late position. When you find yourself in this position, I recommend that you play the 10 or the A upwards, play 67 as a middle suit connector and middle pairs like 77, 88 and 99. Important note: do not bother with anything worse than these. Lastly if you are in the late position or when you one of the last two players standing I recommend you use the following secret. Now unlike like the previous two positions you now have information on everyone playing. When you are in the late position I recommend that you pull out all the secrets used in the previous two tips and use them interchangeably to take out your last component as soon as possible. The better you become at implementing these Texas Holdem Poker secrets the more it will become second nature to you. I hope this information has been useful and good luck on your Texas Holdem endeavors.

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The Difference Between Online Poker Bonuses and Poker Rakeback

In online poker, a player has a choice between poker rakeback or poker bonuses. The catch is you can only choose one of these benefits. All poker players have their own preference on which is best for them. In this article we will go through the advantages of each and which is better for you. Types of bonuses in poker are: Initial Deposit Bonuses: Bonuses given when players make their first deposit. Normally rooms match the deposit given, so if you deposit $100 they will add $100 into your bonus account which will be released as you reach the right amount of accumulated points or raked hands. Promotions: These are promotions that poker rooms run at various times of the year which do not require a deposit. An example of this is monthly promotions that run on the network. They make a new promotion almost every month for any event or holiday that takes place in that given month. For example in December they are running a Christmas bonus in which prizes and money is given to players for when they reach certain amounts of comp points. What is poker rakeback? To receive rakeback, a player has to sign up via a rakeback provider or by contacting the individual poker room. The room will not be able to give you rakeback if you are already tracked to an affiliate who does not allow this option. Rakeback is a bonus given to players in which they receive a percentage of the rake they have generated. The money is paid into their account daily, weekly or monthly depending on the room. If you are receiving rakeback you will not be able to participate in promotions or be eligible for deposit bonuses. The percentage of rakeback you receive varies on the room once more. Some offer around 25% while others are giving players the entire rake they have generated back to them. For recreational players, it is advisable to choose the bonuses. This is because a recreational player will not generate enough rake to make the payments worthwhile. These players enjoy the fun factor more than the competition. They like to participate in the monthly promotions and bonuses offered on the site which is not available if you take the rakeback route. Rakeback is recommended however to players who play for a living or who play high stakes games. This is because it is clear you are playing to make a serious income and chasing bonuses is not going to interest you as much as picking up an extra sum each week. Also the amount of rakeback you will generate will be worthy of picking up and can even turn a losing month in to a winning month. There are web portals that have done the research for you and offer a list of rakeback sites. Some have negotiated exclusive rakeback deals for players. Shop around on these sites and see which sites offer the best rakeback. Also for US poker players find a site that offers a list of US poker sites that offer rakeback. Overall, if you do not play poker for a living or play stakes above $2/4, it is advisable to steer clear of rakeback and take the bonus route. If you do play limits over the ones mentioned above, take rakeback and pick up a guaranteed amount of money on a weekly or monthly basis.

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The Art Of The Poker Face And How To Pull It Off

Poker is a game of skill where luck plays a huge role. Luck is when you have a 9 and a 4 and you beat a hand of pocket aces. Skill is when you read what cards are on the table and gauge how well your hand stacks up against the competition. It also takes a special skill to lure your opponents into betting more and more in a hand that you have a big chance of winning. Pulling off a good poker face is also one skill that you must have if you want to be a successful player. You see more and more poker players on TV wearing shades indoors playing with their hoods pulled so low. Not to knock them off but that's close to cheating. Sure, the rules of poker do not prohibit players from wearing those but poker has been traditionally played without them and it was more fun. It was fun because the players had to work on their poker faces. Something they need to do to belie how good or bad the hands they are holding. Perfecting the poker face is not an easy task nor is it next to impossible. There are several ways you can pull it off and one technique that one person is using might not be suitable for you. Essentially, you have to work on your poker face on your own. To help you out though, here are some techniques you can try. Keep in mind that the more you think about your card, the more readable your expression would be. So if you can do it, try not to think too much about your cards until it is time to do so. The big advantage of doing this is that you would have more time to focus on what other players are doing. In fact, you can put a spin on this technique by focusing on what others are doing until you are on the clock. A poker face is not a stone-faced one. It is also about misleading your opponents and the best liars would tell you the truth and convince you that it is a lie. You can use this technique to mislead other players. If you have a great hand, act suspiciously happy. This would make them think that you might be bluffing it and walk right into your trap. Showing just one emotion can also work great. You can try the happiness route or the depression route. If you are a naturally easy-going person, the former would be best suited for you. If you are the more serious type, you can pull off the depressed look convincingly keeping a good hand secret to your opponents. So there you go, some techniques you can try to develop your poker face that will help you play better.

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Poker Supplies As Christmas Gifts

If you are struggling to think of an ideal Christmas present for someone in your family have you ever considered if they like playing poker? Poker is one of the most popular card games in the world and is enjoyed by both men and women. Christmas gifts can sometimes be difficult to pick out but why not buy some poker supplies for their Christmas present? If you have been invited to stay over at a friends or family for Christmas and are tired of watching the same reruns on television then a great way to pass the time and have a good gossip is over a game of poker. If you have never played poker before its something that is easy to pick up and can be a fun game for family to play. Families that want to move away from the traditional Christmas fun should all be able to pull up a chair at the kitchen table and enjoy a game of poker. Poker supplies are easily found on the internet at specialized websites and even auction sites. If you are organized enough to have started your Christmas shopping already then this will make a great addition to your list. Poker games at Christmas time can be fantastic fun and allow for an alternative way for you to spend some quality time together. Poker supplies can include packs of cards, a green felt table mat marked out for the different games including Black Jack, poker chips that you can use to place bets, the spinning roulette wheels. You can even get pro poker tables. Additionally there are cases that you can buy to store all of your poker accessories as well as specialized professional card shufflers that do the job for you. Of course if you don't buy the poker chips then pennies will always do, its perhaps a better idea not to start playing for serious money with family members as it will inevitably lead to some sort of fallout. It's best just to play poker for fun, especially at Christmas. Additionally if you have a friend or family member that you know frequents the casino and is a professional poker then why not look at getting him or her a personalized casino polo shirt or t-shirt with his name or a fancy slogan? Ace High, All In, Its only a gambling problem if you are losing and Poker Face are jut a few clever and fun slogan t-shirts that you can get hold of online and in most good retail outlets. Additionally there are mugs, key rings and even caps that you can get for the avid poker player. Caps are of course something that many professional poker players use to disguise their facial reactions when they see the cards that they have been dealt. Its important to note that if you know someone has a bit of a gambling problem then its best not to get them anything that might encourage their addiction so think wisely about what sort of present is the best for them.

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Poker Tables And Dealers Make A Home Game Legit

Who does not like to play poker at the casino? There are so many challengers and great tables. The dealers are extremely professional and fair, and the cameras everywhere ensure the game is safe and fun for everyone. The only bad thing is the house gets a percentage of each game. Poker is a fun and exciting game; if only you can bring that wonderful casino experience to your home game. Actually, you can have just as much fun at home; you just need to know a few things to get started. First and foremost you need a good table. There are many poker tables to choose from; you just have to know where to look. The best place to look is online actually. That is because there are so many choices to make and so many stores to choose from. Some tables have seating for 5 while others have seating up to 10. It really depends on how big your games usually are. There are also convertible type poker tables that double as a dining room table by removing the top portion. Online stores offer all kinds of tables at great prices. Just make sure you get one that is made from solid wood. You do not want your table to break under the pressure of people leaning on the table. Once you have your table you will need a good dealer. Dealers are imperative to ensure a quality and fair balanced game. If you have a cheater in your game, no one will return and you will soon have to sell your table. You can hire a good dealer by putting an ad in the newspaper or placing an ad online. You want to pay the dealer a normal wage plus tips. Professional dealers really add an element to your game that makes it feel like you are actually in a casino. If you want to host a poker game at your house then make sure you have the right table and a good dealer. Of course you can always offer drinks and the football game on television as distracters for those who are not doing so well at the game. Follow these pointers and you are sure to host many games. This could be the beginning of having your own home casino, if it is legal in your state. Have fun and enjoy your game, your friends will come back for years.

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Poker Night With the Guys - Tips

Poker has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years thanks in no small part to the advent of Texas Hold'em. It has become a part of the mainstream American consciousness. A friendly poker game without gambling is a great way to have some friends over for a fun activity and a little bit of competition. We strongly recommend against gambling with friends because it could lead to some complicated situations. Here are a few tips if you would like to set up a home poker tournament. Make sure you have some food and beverages available. There are a lot to choose from at the grocery store but we recommend some light finger foods and some sodas. Having food is important because tournaments can go on to last for quite a while and it doesn't hurt to give people who have been knocked out of the game early something to do while they wait for another opening. You will also want to go through all your supplies just to make sure that you are fully stocked up on everything you're going to need. There are not too many things to worry about if you're not playing for money because there isn't as much pressure but you would still want to make sure you have some basic cheap poker supplies to actually be able to play the game. Check all your decks of cards (playing with two decks will save some time because one person can deal while another person can shuffle the other deck) to make sure that you have all the cards in them. You may also want to run through your poker chips to make sure they all match and can stack together evenly so people don't have to individually count all their stacks. Next, you will likely want to make up the rules of the game. Such rules as what the chip count is going to be and whether or not you will play with jokers. There are a few variants on Poker such as Texas Hold'em so make sure to list out all the rules to the guests. You may also want to post them onto the cheap poker tables that you may have so people can look at the rules if they are unsure about a particular game. Whatever you do though, do not put drinks or food on the fabric of the poker table as anything spilled could end up ruining the table for good. So, be confident you will throw a successful poker night and have fun!

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Is Poker All Luck When Pocket Aces Get Cracked?

My friends like to argue and ask is poker all luck? (we play Texas Hold'em) When someone is all in, then it only depends on the cards that turn over right? But otherwise, is poker luck or skill - or what combination of each? Consider getting lucky for a minute - getting good poker luck is not necessarily something you can control (NLP anyone?) I mean you could stop playing hands when you notice you're getting bad cards or getting "bad beats" - but that's all you can do in regards to changing your luck at poker. In our opinion, poker is all luck when pocket aces get cracked! Here are three examples from the 2009 WSOP (World Series of Poker): 1) Lambs aces are beat by Begleiter's Jack 9. Begleiter has J9 of diamonds: raises to 450k. Lamb raises to 1.1M with his aces Flop: 5 J 9 - Begleiter has two pair Begleiter checks, Lamb raises to 1.1M, Begleiter goes all in and get Lamb to call. The turn and river do nothing for Lamb. The odds went like this (Begleiter/Lamb): Preflop(20/80) - Flop (75/25) - Turn (82/18) Is poker luck? When Begleiter wins on a 20% change, we think so. 2) Robbins looses to Akenhead's King Queen. Robbins goes all in with pocket Aces, Akenhead calls with KQ Flop: KQJ - Akenhead gets 2 pair Turn and river do nothing for Robbins The odd this time (Akenhead/Robbins): Preflop (13/87) - Flop (62/38)... so Akenhead converts his 13% and then Robbins gets unlucky and can't do anything with his 38%! 3) Robbins beats Cada's AAs with pocket 10s Robbins goes all in with 10s, Cada calls Preflop, Robbins has a 21% chance of winning, after the flop, he's looking at 9% - then after the turn comes, he only has a 5% chance of winning... guess what happens? That's right, a 10 comes and Robbins converts his 5% into a lucky poker play. So we consider poker luck when someone is all in, behind, and gets the lucky card to win. But we also understand that there is skill involved when playing poker. When someone raises to represent having a very strong hand and scares the other player off a small hand, that is skill, and a gamble! What do you think? If you play poker often, we would love to hear your opinion

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Hero Calls: A Serious Threat to Your Poker Bankroll

It's become a staple of the televised cash game; someone decides to get tricky and make a multi-barrel bluff with a completely garbage hand, and their opponent somehow finds the will to call them down with a completely ludicrous holding; an underpair to the board, high card, etc, and win a monster pot holding napkins. It seems almost effortless when they do it, but every time you attempt to make the supreme hero call, you slam down 200 big blinds on the table with ace high, only to find your opponent indeed was bluffing; with 33, which means you've turned your hero call into an insanely thin value bet by your opponent. So, how are you supposed to know when the right opportunities are to make the hero call? The first major thing to know is this; you won't be making a lot of hero calls throughout the course of your career playing poker; if you do, you'll find yourself paying off far too often. You need to be looking for opponents who do three main things when they play; they bluff often, they bluff on suspected weakness, and they bluff on boards that make their bluffs easier to call down with marginal hands (for example, he attempts to bluff the king of clubs river on a 3782Kdd board, meaning he could've likely missed diamonds of a straight draw) Then, you also have to make sure you HAVEN'T caught this player bluffing yourself prior to your potential hero call. If you have, the player will be less inclined to make completely hopeless bluffs and more inclined to thin value bet; meaning you'll be making a lot more of those hero fails than you will hero calls. Once all of these facets are in place, you actually have to be in a situation that allows you to make a hero call (see why you won't be making many?) like the following example. You open to $6 on the button in a $1/$2 game with a $300 stack with A10d, and get three bet to $20 by the super loose aggressive small blind; you call. The flop is 679dd, giving you a gutshot and a flush draw. The small blind checks, and you bet out $35 into the $42 pot, and the small blind calls. The turn is another 6, and your opponent checks. You elect to check too, and the river is a completely blank deuce of hearts. Your opponent suddenly takes this opportunity to fire out $100 into the $112 pot. What bluffs could your opponent have in this range? A missed 8x makes sense, as do diamonds; he would probably be more inclined to check a hand like 87, but he could definitely be betting 67/68/69/810/77/99 for value here, meaning that, in order to profitably call, you have the think this is one of the bluffing scenarios more than 33% of the time. He could have air, but as far as diamonds go, you have nut diamonds, reducing the likelihood that he is bluffing with diamonds. He also may think you're tight enough to fold a hand like A7 to a river bet, and be bluffing with AQ/AK; another instance where you call and find that he bluffed with the best hand. I wouldn't hero call here; and hero calling in general is a difficult, and tricky proposition.

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Online Poker Benefits: The Webcam Wonder Girl Genie

Online poker has become one of the most popular online casino games. Whether it is played for real money or just for fun, playing poker online is the favorite activity of millions of people all around the world. Even though there are still a lot of people who do not understand why this is so, the reasons why so many players enjoy playing this addicting card game online are numerous. One of the greatest benefits of this game is the fact that it is played just like regular poker games at casinos, with the only difference being the fact that it is played from the comfort on your own home. What this means is that you have to follow the rules of the game, but not the dress code, nor the rules of conduct at a fancy casino. The Benefits of Playing Poker Online Although there are many different online casino games available to people, poker is still the number one casino game in the world. When playing poker games, poker players are given the chance to have loads of fun, play with people all around the world, play against real poker pros, enjoy multiple poker games at a time and even try to make some money while playing this addicting game. Aside from these benefits, another one of the amazing benefits of online poker is the ability of poker players to remain anonymous, which is great for those who have to keep this hobby a secret. Also, you can make a lot of money in the computer world and spend it in the real world on whatever you want. Playing Poker Online for Real Money Playing poker online for real money can prove to be either the best or the worst thing that has ever happened to you - depending on how seriously you choose to take it. Namely, it is easy to get carried away in a game of online poker and lose a lot of money without even noticing it. Therefore, it is always advisable to have a good plan of managing the money you invest and hopefully earn. Playing for fun at first and slowly starting to invest smaller amounts of money is the best way of managing your funds in online casino games. Besides this, you should also always put the majority of your potential winnings in a separate account and use it for everything but online casino games. By doing this, you will learn that the money spent or earned at online casinos is nevertheless real money and that it should always be respected. What is the 888 Genie?  The beautiful 888 Genie (a real girl from 888poker) has been surprising players on PokerCam (webcam poker) tables, challenging them to mini-games and giving away thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. Mini-games so far have included all players doing a Mexican wave, striking a pose and more. One thing is for sure – you’ll never know when the 888 Genie will pop-up. So get playing on PokerCam tables & look out for the surprises.

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Texas Holdem Poker Tips - 3 Top Secret Tips To Blast You Into Success

Are you irritated that you aren't quite sure what you are meant to be doing when playing poker. These Texas Holdem Poker tips will help you. Texas Holdem poker can be confusing. There is a lot to keep a handle on. If you just play to whatever cards you get you will probably lose. It's almost like the cards are the least important part of the game, which makes it all that more confusing. However, you can become a successful poker player by just mastering a few concepts. I'm going to reveal these in the following Texas Holdem Poker tips. Texas Holdem Poker Tips - Tip #1 To Blast Your Success The fact is that the most important part of the game is betting. How much you bet, when you bet, if you call or reraise any bets. This is how you win. Having an aggressive betting strategy is the easiest way to increase your success at poker. What's that, betting more!? Yes, betting more will win you more, for the very fact that when you bet aggressively you have two chances to win: 1- You win with your cards 2- Your opponents folds. You just don't get that when you call. When you call you have to have the best cards. Texas Holdem Poker Tips - Tip #2 To Blast Your Success Now, to make your aggressive betting even more effective all you have to do is target those with a small stack than yours. This is because although what you bet may be very small to you, it is a lot to them. That means the need to constantly be having stronger and better pot odds then you, which is difficult. This means you have an advantage the whole time. Note, try to avoid betting against players with a bigger stack than you, as this works both ways. Texas Holdem Poker Tips - Tip #3 To Blast Your Success Now, this tip isn't so much blasting you into success but preventing you from smashing through the floor. It is, when you all-in, only ever all-in against a player with a smaller stack than you. This is because if you lose you will still be in the game. Although you will be at a disadvantage you are still in the game, which is better than being out. If you all-in against a bigger stack and lose, well, you are done for. Now you are most likely realizing how useful these tips will be to you, and how they will help you win more money playing poker. Isn't it funny how a few minutes ago you didn't know these but now you do and you are a better poker player already? That is the biggest secret to all the successful poke players - the keep learning how to play better. That's why you should never ever turn down an opportunity to learn more about poker including learning new Texas Holdem Poker tips.

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Winning Online Poker Strategy: The Value Bet

The value bet is an online poker strategy which, if used correctly, will lead to an increased profit from poker. The value bet is a calculated bet which is used when you have the best hand and want to get paid off. You must put yourself in the shoes of your opponent, and imagine how much he would be willing to call. A lot of amateur poker players will push all-in if they knew they had the best hand, but if your opponent folds his hand, you haven't gained the most out of the situation. Let's say you're in a hand with one other player, it's the final betting round (after the river) and you've got a full house and you think you're opponent has a flush (so you're going to win the hand). Now you're going to make a value bet, so you need to look at the situation from your opponent's viewpoint. He's holding a flush, however, he sees that the board has paired, meaning there is a possibility of a full house. If you were to go all in here, your opponent would be able to fold (still a hard decision for him to fold, but it's possible). What would you call if you were in his position? If you think that you would call a pot sized bet if you were him, make that bet. If he pays you off, you have just made a profit from him using this online poker tip! If he folds, the next time you use the value bet, decrease the amount - you're probably being too optimistic. This technique will work against the vast majority of poker players, but as your opponent's skill level increases you'll need to mix up your value bet. If you make the same value bet in every situation you're in, your opponent will click on to it and stop paying you off. Vary your bets by around 20% and your opponent will never be able to work out what you're doing. If you increase your value bet by 20% in some situations, and reduce it by 20% in others - you'll end up making the same increase in profit, while hiding your tactic. This poker tip can be used in conjunction with online poker bonuses, allowing you to have a double increase in poker profits. Find out which poker website suits you, with free online poker room reviews, and try out the value bet today. No deposit poker bonuses allow you to practise these online poker tips for free, while still being able to win real money.

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LG 2012 Giveaway - Win Cash, 3D TVs and more at 888Poker

888 Poker is a big online brand in poker. In the early days of 888poker they used to be known as Pacific Poker. The implementation of the UIGEA legislation made Pacific Poker struggle for years. They decided to re-brand as 888poker under 888.com. They have improved their software, promotions and their quality of service. Their No Limit Hold ‘em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud interface is good and multi-table is allowed from micro stakes to high rollers 888poker does not offer a trial or play money table. Their player traffic is average but the tables are mostly fish and you can easily spot a shark. 888 Poker LG 2012 Giveaways Terms: All 888poker terms & conditions apply. The ‘LG 2012 Giveaway’ promotion is from 11/12/2011 until 2/2/2012. Full bonus policy rules apply. The Welcome Bonus comes in chunks of $10 each time you earn 100 status points. The Promoter reserves the right to alter, amend, modify and update these terms and conditions at any time in its sole discretion. These terms and conditions have been drafted in the English language. In the event of any discrepancy between the meanings of any translated versions of these terms and conditions and the English language version, the meaning of the English language version shall prevail. The $5000 LG 2012 Freerolls are on Wednesdays @ 19:15 GMT. Players eligible for the freeroll will receive invitation mails with details. The freeroll is only open to members that have already made at least one deposit at 888poker. Entrants who win seats in $5000 LG 2012 Freeroll can only win 1 seat per tourney per player per day. The top 100 places in the $5000 LG 2012 Freeroll will win a seat in the $50,000 LG 2012 Giveaway (Mega Event). The promotion code for the LG 2012 promotion can be used only once in the cashier. Due to shipping restrictions, members from the following countries will not be sent LG prizes: Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, China, Japan, India, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus. However, members from these countries may still participate in the Promotion and receive an equivalent cash amount of the prize as credit into their 888poker account if they win.

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EPT 8 Loutraki: Chris Moorman

Britain's hopes of taking down the PokerStars EPT Prague Main Event for a second successive year rest on the shoulders of one man, Chris “Moorman1” Moorman. Online poker's most prolific and profitable tournament player will return to his seat at 1200 CET armed with 557,000 chips, enough to put him in 18th place with 31 players remaining. Amazingly this is Moorman's first-ever cash in a European Poker Tour Main Event and although he is now guaranteed to take home at least €17,000 we know he will be bitterly disappointed not to go all the way and scoop the title and the massive €775,000 first place prize, doing so would get the monkey off his back and see the popular Brit win his first major title in the live arena. Moorman is certainly in form too coming off the back of an extremely successful World Series of Poker where he cashed five times, reached two final tables including a third and second place finish in two of the tournament's toughest events. He followed up that success by finishing as runner-up to Elio Fox in the WSOPE Main Event, a result t hat added €800,000 to his bankroll. Although Moorman will not fear anyone at the felt he cannot be too happy with his seat draw as he starts Day 4 in Sat 2 on Table 4 with the likes of Mike “Timex” McDonald (740,000), Ignat “0human0” Liviu (278,000) and Martin Finger (1,289,000) for company. But Moorman will almost certainly have played many hands with each of those players and as we say he will not be playing scared when he sits down. Special mentions go out to Max Silver (99th), Liv Boeree (83rd), Rupert Elder (62nd) and Martins Adeniya (50th) for making it into the money places showing the UK is still a force in this game. Read more: http://uk.pokernews.com/news/2011/12/moorman-last-brit-standing-at-ept-prague-7722.htm

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Apple a Day Giveaway Winners on Ladbrokes

Being one of the first in sports betting they have built a reputation that you can trust and now they have LadbrokesPoker, under Microgaming network. Powered by Microgamings poker software, you will surely have no problems with their interface. Opening multi table is allowed in Ladbrokes Poker and they offer play money or practice chips tables. They almost cover all types of poker in Ladbrokes and their player traffic is good, mostly fish and a few sharks to play with. Majority of the players in LadbrokesPoker are from Europe and they have a generous welcome bonus of ￡35 on your first deposit of ￡10. Apple a Day Giveaway Winners Find out who wins an iPad2 via Ladbrokes Poker this December... Terms and Conditions Only one iPad2 per person All iPad2s are Apple iPad2 16GB Wi-fi (this does not include 3G) If a customer has already won an iPad2 during the Apple a Day Giveaway and matched the requirements to win another, the iPad2 will be rewarded to the next player who met the requirements. Customers do not have to opt in to the promotion All winners will be notified within 48 hours All winners will receive an e-mail with details on how to claim their iPad2 Ladbrokes Poker reserve the right to use customer’s nickname and/or first name and last initial for use in reasonable amount of marketing and/or future promotions. The promoter reserves the right to modify, alter, discontinue or terminate this promotion at any time for any reason whatsoever without notice to players, using reasonable efforts to provide such notice Ladbrokes Poker does not tolerate any form of cheating or collusion. Any and all winners will be subjected to rigorous checks from our security teams before any prizes are awarded. We're unable to send iPad2's to Belarus, Russia and South American Counties so winning players from these countries (and these countries only) will be offered a Cash alternative Other Promotions: Deposit ￡10 get ￡35 -Make a Ladbrokes Poker account and deposit a minimum of ￡10 and earn 1750 poker points and get a reward of ￡35 as a bonus. €1000 a week for New Players Only -If you are a new player in Ladbrokes Poker, you can start boosting your bankroll with their new player freerolls. €7,000 Sit and Go Points Race -Every two weeks Ladbrokes Poker will be hosting a race especially for Sit n Go Players. Each week they give away €7,000 in prizes so make sure you don’t miss out. They have been busy for the past few years sponsoring professional poker players in live tournaments. Recently Ladbrokes Poker covered a live feed of WSOP. Ladbrokes may have a few promotions, but they are one of the most generous poker sites in giving out bonuses to online poker players.

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2011 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic 2nd Day: Scott Clements Among Leaders

Day 2 of the World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic saw 48 players take advantage of the late registration period, creating a total field of 413 at the $10,000 buy-in event at Bellagio. The number didn't quite reach last year's field of 438, but a prize pool of more than $4 million will be dispersed to the top 100 finishers. Found among the late stragglers Wednesday: Phil Hellmuth, Ben Lamb, Jason Mercier, Eli Elezra and Doyle Brunson. Most spent Day 1 playing high-stakes mixed games at Bobby's Room. All survived the day except Lamb, who ran pocket kings into Blake Kelso's pocket aces. Joining Lamb on the rail Wednesday were Daniel Negreanu, Hoyt Corkins, Faraz Jaka, Gavin Smith, Barry Greenstein, Brandon Cantu, Todd Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Jen Tilly, and Jeff Schulman. Among the 148 survivors on Day 2 was American Grant Lang who emerged as chip leader when play concluded on Wednesday. He bagged up 382,000 after taking a nice pot from Day 1 chip leader Vanessa Selbst on the night's final hand. He's joined at the top of the chip counts by Jeffrey Frerichs, Scott Clements, Soi Nguyen and Jean Max Gaspard. Clements, who recently won the Venetian Deep Stacks Extravaganza Main Event, played the most entertaining hand of the tournament Wednesday against Chris Klodnicki to shoot him up the leaderboard. According to the WPT Live Updates Team, Luis Velador min-raised to 2,000 from early position, and Klodnicki, John Smith and Clements called. The flop came , Smith checked, Clements bet 6,000, and action folded to Klodnicki, who raised to 15,000. Smith folded and Clements three-bet to 28,500. Klodnicki then fired back with a four-bet to 43,500, prompting a shove from Clements for 110,000. Klodnicki called and the cards went on their backs. Clements showed  for trip nines, but Klodnicki tabled pocket eights for a full house. Klodnicki's hand improved even further when the case eight on the turn gave him quads, but Clements hit his only out left in the deck when the case nine hit the river, giving him higher quads and a pot worth more than 220,000. Left with only 33,000, Klodnicki was eliminated later in the day.

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For the 1st Time: Tristan Wade Wins a Gold Bracelet

Poker players remember their first big poker milestone — the first time they played online to kick of their career, the first time they won a tournament, the first time they lost a $5,000 pot. In our new series, My First, we catch up with various poker pros and personalities to get the story on a significant "poker" first in their lives. One goal that every serious tournament player has in their sights is winning a World Series of Poker bracelet. In this edition of My First, we talk to Tristan Wade about accomplishing that goal. This summer at the WSOP, Wade had two close calls, finishing seventh in a $1,500 no-limit hold'em event and fourth in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Handed Championship. He carried the momentum over to Cannes, France, at the World Series of Poker Europe, cashing in a six-handed event, and then finally snagging a gold bracelet in the €3,200 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout. When did you first consider winning a bracelet as a goal you wanted to accomplish? It was immediately after watching the WSOP on television my freshman year in college. It was prestigious in my eyes. That was before I really experienced the WSOP and that feeling increased after I was able to take my first trip to Las Vegas to actually play in the series. When was your first trip to the WSOP? My first WSOP was in 2006. I failed to cash in a single event [laughs]. You have cashed every year after that and in multiple events. This summer, you made two final tables. Can you tell us what it was like emotionally to come so close? Was it disappointing or encouraging? It felt great to finally make a final table at the WSOP. To make two was even more incredible. For the first two, I was disappointed, but it didn't bother me emotionally. In both events, I felt like I played my best with minimal mistakes. Even though I didn't win, it was an accomplishment in itself, so I was happy. The things that really helped me this year, I believe, have been my attitude and mentality. You can only control your decision making in poker, and I've come to terms with that. Had you ever been to the WSOPE before this year? Nope, this was my first year there. Coming off the very successful summer, were you feeling confident about your game coming to the WSOPE for the first time? Yeah, without a doubt. Heading into the WSOP, I had played a lot of online poker. I have always been really comfortable playing live poker. After five years of experience at the WSOP, I felt like I had enough experience to make a few runs with a little luck. That momentum definitely carried over to Europe, although, I couldn't have expected the trip to turn out how it did. I was excited to travel Europe and play my best. The shootout event you won produced a very tough final table that included Bertrand Grospellier, Mike Watson, Steve O'Dwyer, and Emil Patel. Can you tell me a little bit your game plan coming in, what knowledge you had of your opponents, and how it may have changed over the course of the final table? Everyone who made the final table was an accomplished poker player in their own right. I knew it was going to be a very tough final table, but I also feel like I have a lot of experience playing sit-and-go shootouts. I did some research on the players I wasn't completely familiar with, one being Max Silver. He was seated directly to my left. On Day 2 of the tournament, I heard Vanessa Selbst talk about her bust-out hand against him, so he automatically had an aggressive image in my mind. I ultimately decided to get a feel for the table before I decided to do anything creative. Once I started to get an understanding on how some of the guys were playing, I was able to open up a little more and pick my spots, especially when we lost some players and went shorthanded. When the last card was dealt, and you realized you had won your first gold bracelet, can you describe the emotional experience? Was it what you would have expected it to be? The feeling was surreal. It was incredible at the same time. Any MTT poker player loves the rush they get when they outright win a tournament. Now factor in that this tournament was a World Series of Poker event. It is still sinking in a month later. It's an amazing feeling to conquer a goal I have had for years. Did the fact that it was in Europe have any effect on how you felt about the win? Although I had some amazing friends watching me throughout the final table, it would have been nice to have some family and other friends there supporting. Luckily, they streamed the table on the Internet, so I had plenty of followers watching and cheering me on. What's different now? Anything? And what is your next poker goal? A little weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I have accomplished one of my poker goals and feel like I know how to play MTTs well. I want to continue to be successful in tournaments and become a better cash-game player. There are plenty of tournament series to play in around the world, so I will be chasing more victories. I'd just like to thank all of my family, friends, and everyone else who supports me along the way. I am surrounded by incredible people. Hopefully the United States can get online poker legalized, regulated and back operating online as soon as possible. The poker community is filled with intelligent, hard working people. Too bad we have to deal with the politics of it all. Source: Pokernews

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ESPN to Provide "Near-Live" Coverage of 2011 WSOP November Nine

A 22 year-old poker pro from Cologne, Germany displayed a magnificent performance during the two day final table in Las Vegas. Pius Heinz the new WSOP winner won a total of $8,715,638. He also got the most desired prize, the WSOP gold and diamond bracelet. A few days ago, the world watched Team PokerStars Pro Pius Heinz conquer the World Series of Poker Main Event and win $8,715,638. PokerNews was able to sit down with Heinz the following day. In Part 1 of the interview, Heinz talked about how he feels as champion, and what he plans to do with the money. In Part 2, Heinz let us know how he responded to the final-table atmosphere and playing heads-up with Martin Staszko. He also discussed some of the key hands at the final table. What was your overall reaction to the atmosphere of the final table; being under the bright lights and the cameras? The atmosphere was just sick. It was just really, really exciting to be there. Did you get nervous at all? Yeah, especially when we started nine-handed play. For the first half hour, I was really nervous, which I didn't expect before hand, but I really was. My hands were shaking when I put the chips in and all of that. It was only this half an hour where I had to get used to it. How was it to come back to three-handed play, instead of heads-up play? It was interesting. Obviously it went really, really fast, which nobody expected. But yeah, I think it's a cool idea to make three people come back instead of two. On Sunday, you took the chip lead and started to really run away with the tournament in a way. Would you have rather just played the entire final table out on Sunday as opposed to having a break with Monday off, which could possibly let the other players regroup? No, I was actually fine with taking this break. By the time we got down to three-handed play, I was fairly exhausted. I think it was about around midnight, so we played for like 12 hours, basically. So yeah, I definitely wasn't sad at all about taking a break. On Tuesday, what was your reaction when you saw Ben Lamb and Martin Staszko get all the money in on the very first hand, and who were you rooting for? Personally, as a person I was more rooting for Ben because I like him and I think he's a great guy and I respect him a lot. Considering just what's good for me at the poker table, I was rooting for Martin. Which doesn't mean I want to take anything away from Martin, I think he's a really, really good player, but Ben is just sick, you know. How was playing heads up with Martin Staszko? He limped a lot of buttons and presumably because he felt that you'd be three-betting him a lot. Did you change you game plan when he started doing this or did you plan for him to do this? I think, actually, this was really smart for him to do that. And I definitely had my problems with his strategy. Usually I would react just by punishing a lot of his limps from the big blind, but when you look down at three-five off every single time he limps the button there's not much you can do. So yeah, I think it was really smart of him to do and I definitely had my problems with this a bit because you're really forced to play bad hands like three-five off out of position post-flop, which against a player as smart as Martin is always hard to do. You guys played heads up for a really long time, and you didn't have too many breaks because the final table was airing live on ESPN. Did you think you were getting tired at all? Would you have liked to have taken some more breaks? Yeah, I mean I understand that ESPN has to run the show and all that, but definitely as a player being there — we're playing for the difference between first and second was like, the better part of three million [dollars] — yeah, I definitely would've liked some more breaks. How did you feel you were handling things emotionally when you and Martin kept trading chips back and forth? For a while it seemed as though you would grind, grind, grind, grind, take a lead and then lose one big pot and reset things. That's basically how it went, yeah. At some point, I definitely started to get frustrated in the match because I could just never make a hand and he did. It was really, really tough at this point, but I just tried to not lose my focus and play as well as I could and hope the cards eventually fell my way. There are a couple hands we'd like to ask you about. The first one would be the king-queen hand where you decided to bluff-raise the river. Can you talk us through your raise on the river after checking back the turn? Yeah, sure. First of all, my preflop play is reasonably standard. I can definitely three-bet, but I thought that I was just going to flat here. The flop play is also really standard. I have the best hand there a lot. When a nine comes [on the turn] and he checks, first of all I thought that my king-queen is good most of the time so there's not really the need to bet a as a bluff because he's not folding. He might fold a six sometimes, but rarely, or a hand like two fives or two fours, maybe, but that's all I can get him to fold out. So there's really no sense in betting. And I thought, which I guess he disagreed because he made a really big call with kings, that by checking back I could rep a nine fairly well. I can also rep a hand like ace-ten or ace-jack, which I probably wouldn't three-bet. I probably wouldn't three-bet ace-queen, ace-king I probably three-bet. Source: Pokernews

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Larry's View: All I can say is wowww, it's amazing that this guy really won the WSOP 2011 Champion. And he's only a kid, 22 years of age thats awesome, he has a guts and the spirit to finish it up until the end. Before the game started, im expecting him not to win this title, this is really proves that poker is for every one. Either your old, young, experienced player, professional or amatuer. That being in the game you must have the attitude of the lion and the dragon that you have all the positive and lucky vibes. Never to to give up and fight until the end if you feel it right good vibes do it.