POKER

STRATEGIES

FOR DUMMIES

IN 15 MINUTES

Vol. 1

AFTER READING THIS E-BOOK

YOUR FRIENDS WILL ENVY
YOUR NEW SKILLS AND SUCCESS!
In order to save your valuable time we have collected
only the best poker know-how & tips
from multiple books and other resources.

The usual way

Our way
best for
beginners

Time: months

Time: 15 minutes

Good luck and have fun!

Poker involves risk. Use logic and exercise a good degree of caution when making decisions.

STORIES OF REAL PLAYERS

1 of 3

The accountant from Tennessee who

turned a $39 investment into
$2.5 million
Chris Moneymaker (Yes, that is his real name)
Casino Winnings:

$3,460,405

Online Winnings:

$413,459

The 27-year-old Chris was working as an accountant

and also serving it up part time at a local restaurant
when he won a seat into the 2003 World Series of
Poker (WSOP) main event through a $39 satellite
tournament at PokerStars.
Thus, his journey to the high rollers' table began with
the click of a mouse. After beating out eighteen other
players in a $39 satellite, Moneymaker found himself
with a seat in a qualier for the largest and most
prestigious tournament in the world of poker. Just
one victory later he had won a $10,000 buy-in for the
2003 WSOP Main Event.
After he won his trip to the WSOP, he didn't have
enough money for the cost of flying to Vegas and
staying there for the week, so he sold part of his
entry to his father and his friend in exchange for a

portion of his winnings.

Moneymaker's amateur status was painfully obvious
during his run to the 2003 WSOP nal table. He often
made mistakes, betting and checking out of turn. In
the end, Moneymaker certainly caught some lucky
breaks en route to his victory, but he also likely
beneted from the fact that his opponents didn't
think much of his game.
Chris made it to the nal and crushed Sam Farha,
who basically was a living caricature of a
professional gambler - a smooth-talking player with
slicked-back hair and an unlit cigarette dangling
from his mouth. Overnight, he went from "I work two
jobs" to "I'm a high roller", and celebrated
victoriously by blowing $25,000 at a strip club. To
balance out his karma, he also donated $25,000 to
cancer research.

STORIES OF REAL PLAYERS

2 of 3

The boy who realized his dream to

live like James Bond
Tony Dunst (AKA Bond18)
Casino Winnings:

$1,482,179

Online Winnings:

$493,608

Throughout highshchool I was attracted to the Bond

or GQ lifestyle and I wanted to live that lifestyle to
be able to travel the world, be dressed elegantly, be
able to pick up girls with ease, have a bunch of really
cool friends who could connect me to stuff going on.
That was the dream for me. Instead of owning a
bunch of things it was having a bunch of
experiences.
When I was 19, I won a package on PartyPoker, while
playing in my dorm, that gave me an entry, a trip and
a hotel to a tournament down in Australia. I would
say it was the happiest period of my life. It was just
online poker every day, hanging out with friends
every evening, taking days off to go golng or play
tennis, go drinking with my friends. So i just had a
happy and very balanced life when I was able to do a
little of everything I wanted.

The biggest difference that the money online poker

provided me was a real direction for what I wanted to
do in my life. I was a theatre major in college and I
didnt really care about it and I knew that I wanted
something that allowed me a large degree of
autonomy, but would hopefully make me a fairly
wealthy guy and that was exactly online poker. Plus
it allowed me the freedom to be whatever kind of
person I wanted to be and hanging out with
whomever i wanted so as long as you could go
home, log on and play well enough to win, everything
else you did was to your discretion.

STORIES OF REAL PLAYERS

2 of 3

The kid who won $2,1 million

at the age of 21
Yevgeniy Timoshenko (AKA bballer88)
Casino Winnings:

$6,824,703

Online Winnings:

$4,712,278

I was rst exposed to poker around 2003. I saw Chris

Moneymaker win the World Series on TV and was
immediately enthralled and became interested in the
game. I gradually started playing with friends I was
in high school and a few of my friends got into poker
as well at that time. We started small games for fun
and from there I slowly made the transition to online
play. I started playing online with 888poker and
things started growing from there.

Yevgeniy Timoshenko is an Ukrainian poker player.

He was born in 1988 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Timoshenko
moved to Washington when he was 8 years old. He
currently resides in Seattle, Washington.

POKER GLOSSARY
Terms you must know
Community cards (The Board)

Flop
K

Turn

River

Hole cards (Your Hands)

K
A

1.

Flop

Now that the rst round of betting is out of the way,

it's time for the flop. The flop is the set of three
cards that are dealt face up in the middle of the
table, and each player can use these community
cards to build their hand. At this point you can begin
to assess the strength of your hand. After the flop
it's time for another round of betting.

3.

River

Four down, one to go. The fth and nal community

card to be dealt is the river. Now that all the cards
have been dealt, each player remaining in the hand
can now see what their best ve-card hand is. It's
now time for the nal round of betting, again at the
higher level of the table stakes.

2.

Turn

Once the post-flop betting has nished, it's time for

another card to be dealt face up on the board. This
fourth card is called the turn card, and again can be
used by all players to construct their hand.

4.

The Showdown

It's now time to see who takes the pot - the

showdown. Each remaining player in the hand
shows his cards, starting with the last person to bet
and so on. The winner is decided using universal
hand rankings.

POKER GAME RULES

Betting

Check
The act of checking passes the action to the next person,
immediately clockwise from the player.
A check does not forfeit interest in the pot, only the current
right to bet. If all active players check during a round of
betting, the round is considered complete.

Bet
If there is not yet a wager on the current betting round, a
player may bet. If a player bets, the player immediately
clockwise from him or her (and any subsequent players) may
fold, raise, or call.

Fold
The act of folding forfeits all interest in the pot.
A player who folds is not required or allowed to wager any
further money during the current poker hand, but cannot win
that hand either.

Call
If there has been a bet on the current round of poker play, a
player may call. The act of calling requires the player to
match the current bet made by his or her opponent(s).

Raise
If there has been a bet on the current betting round, a player
may raise. The act of raising requires the poker player to
match the current bet, and then make a greater one. All
subsequent players are required to call the raise or raise
again ("re-raise") to maintain interest in the pot.

PLAYING STYLES

What playing tactics to choose

Best style combo for beginners

Loose

Passive

Tight

Aggressive

Playing too many

hands, including weak
ones.

Frequent calls and rare

raises.

Playing strong hands

and folding weak ones.

Frequent bets and

raises, and calling
rarely.
Style used by almost all
successful poker pros

Tight-aggressive Strategy
Playing tight and aggressive means waiting for
protable situations and consistently taking
advantage of them.
Tight play
Tight means that you dont play everything that falls
into your hands. There are many cards that look
weak and actually are weak. However, there are also
some hands that look strong, but aren't, such as King
Jack. After the flop you dont need to see every
showdown simply because you have a pair. Knowing
when you are beat or when the price is too high can
save you a lot of money.
Aggressive play
There is one simple rule in Texas Holdem: You dont
want to be the one to just call, i.e., the one who just
goes along with the bets, without betting or raising
yourself.
In a poker game your prot is a result of your
opponents' mistakes. And when do people make
mistakes? When they have to make an important
decision under pressure.

At a table with nine players you should

only play 15% to 20% of the hands you
are dealt, on average. This means you
should fold before the flop in four out
of ve cases.

It is also protable if all your

opponents fold their cards, giving you
the pot without having to show your
hand. This is only possible if you are
betting and raising a lot.

DAN BILZERIANS
ONLINE POKER TIPS
A couple factors differentiate my online strategy from regular poker. In a regular live game I
cant switch tables all the time, and I also cant play tight all the time as others would learn my
pattern of only playing good hands. But online I can switch tables as I wish and no one will
notice this. Online I can also play as tight or as loose as I want.

1 Change tables every

2 or 3 rounds
I change tables every two or three rounds of the
blinds and always have four tables going. Since I
play only premium hands I am not overwhelmed with
decisions. My time is spent folding, going all in and
changing tables. For this I use the multitable
feauture on betonline.

2 Play Tight-Aggressive

10

10

10

10

I love home games because I can socialize face to

face. Until recently it was not possible online, but
now on some sites like 888poker you can play face
to face via webcam technology. You can brush up
on your blufng skills, just have fun with mates or
even make new friends. It gives you the real taste of
poker.

3 See opponents faces with PokerCam

Switching tables allowes me to get a lot of action

even with playing only the best hands like AA, 1010
and AK. Of course, to mix it up I randomly also bluff
and go in with weaker hands.

Examples of hands to play

BENEFITS OF ONLINE POKER

Try before you buy

Become your own boss

Poker in a live casino can prove

very costly. The beauty of
online poker is that most good
sites offer play money tables so
you can get used to the game,
etiquette and rules before
committing real money

With online poker you can

manage your time as you wish.
Dont miss any important life
moments just because your
boss tells you to.

Play Anytime, Anywhere

24/7

You can play poker from the

comfort of your couch or travel
the world while playing. The
choice is yours. Poker rooms
are open 24/7.

Bonuses
Theres so much competition
online right now that all poker
rooms offer generous welcome
bonuses for rst-time
real-money depositors.

Smallest stakes

There Are More Fish Online

While Las Vegas may boast
more drunk tourists just dying
to donate their money to you,
the pool online is much bigger.

Much smaller commission/rake

Live tournament fees of 15% on
a buy-in are common. Live
games also have 5-8% rake
compared to online 3%
average.

Any poker game you want

Not only you can play virtually

any poker variation you can
think of, you can also nd great
online sites that offer micro
stakes of only $0.02.

No-limit Holdem, Limit Holdem,

Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card
Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, Five
Card Stud, Five Card Draw,
Razz, Badugi - are just a few
that you can play online.

Tracking your opponents

Multiple tables simultaneously

Some major sites have now

banned the use of tracking
software but taking notes on
players at an online table is now
easier than ever with a simple
on-screen notebook.

Playing live youre pretty much

restricted to playing one table
at a time. Learning to
multi-table online is key to
making more prot over the
long-term. And thats where
online poker excels.

WHICH POKER HANDS WIN

The hidden factors of strength

A fundamental skill in poker is being able to determine whether your hand is strong or not. A
common beginners mistake is to think that the strength lies purely within the hands. But there
are numerous outside factors that contribute to how strong or weak a certain poker card
combination actually is. Here are the main four:

The number of players

The number of players helps determine poker hand

strength. If lots of players have chosen to play the
hand voluntarily, you have to assume they are doing
so because they hold strong hands. However, if only
two players are involved in a hand, it is less likely. A
pair of Aces, for example, is quite a strong poker
combination against one player, but its value
decreases signicantly against four players.

Community cards

The composition of the community poker cards will

determine how many strong potential hands are in
play. If you hold three of a kind, but there are four
cards to a flush and four cards to a straight, your
poker combination strength goes down. This is
called a 'wet' board. Likewise, if the board is made up
of out of sequence cards with no flushes possible,
your hand strength goes up.

Opponents style

If your opponent plays tight, meaning he plays few

hands, then you can expect him to show up with a
strong hand when has one. If he is loose meaning
he plays a lot of hands, then the relative strength of
his hand usually goes down.

Amount of chips

In a tournament when chip stacks are shallow, it is

not unusual for players to commit their money with
weaker holdings to avoid 'blinding away'. However in
cash games, where the stacks are deep, you are less
likely to see such risks being taken.

All the suits in poker are of equal value.

It makes no difference whether someone has the ace of clubs or the ace
of diamonds. If remaining players have exactly the same hand at
showdown, only in different suits, the pot is split.

=
A

Poker hand rankings | Traditional High Poker Hand Ranks

Print version

#1 Royal/Straight Flush
Five cards in numerical order,
all of identical suits.

#2 Four of a Kind:
Four cards of the same rank, and one
side card or kicker.

#3 Full House
Three cards of the same rank, and two
cards of a different, matching rank.

#4 Flush
Five cards of the same suit.

#5 Straight
Five cards in sequence.

#6 Three of a kind
Three cards of the same rank, and two
unrelated side cards.

#7 Two pair
Two cards of a matching rank, another
two cards of a different matching rank,
and one side card.

#8 One pair
Two cards of a matching rank,
and three unrelated side cards.

#9 High card
Any hand that does not qualify
under a category listed above.

TABLE POSITION

Which are the best positions

Table position is a very important factor in poker, especially in Texas Holdem. The best position
to be in is when you are last to act on the hand. This means that you gain knowledge about what
kind of hand they may have before the action gets to you. Having good position in a hand can
easily turn a losing hand into a winning one.

The earlier your position, the stronger your hand must be!
Remember that poker action moves clockwise. If you can choose, sit behind (to the left of) opponents who are
unaggressive. That way when you raise, these players will already have money invested. If youre on their right and
raise, they probably wont play and youll lose their action. You should also sit to the left of experienced and
aggressive players. They can interfere with your strategy, so let them act rst.

Under
the gun

EARLY

MIDDLE

POSITION

POSITION

EARLY

MIDDLE
POSITION

POSITION

MIDDLE

EARLY

POSITION

POSITION

BIG
BLIND

EARLY
POSITION

SMALL
BLIND

SMALLBIG
BLIND
BLIND

LATE

LATE

POSITION

POSITION

Dealer

Cut-off

The Blinds

Blinds are bets that are made before any cards

have been seen.The player to the immediate left of
the dealer posts the small blind, and the player to
their left posts the big blind. The blinds are placed
in the pot to kick-start the betting and give players
an incentive to enter the hand. They also mean that
the winner of the hand can never walk away
completely empty-handed.

In most situations you should be

coming in for a raise on every dealer
position for a hand which you want to
play. This is because acting last is a
big advantage and you would be wise
to build bigger pots for the hands
where you have the advantage.

WHICH HANDS TO PLAY AND HOW

Before the flop

Choosing the right starting hand is half the battle in poker and many players lose their money at
exactly this point. If you enter the game with the right cards, you will not only avoid difcult
situations in the later betting rounds, you can also be reasonably sure that you are indeed
holding the best hand. You will learn when certain hands are playable and why, as well as how
to extract maximum prot from them.

Examples of preflop hand potential

Weak potential

10

Medium potential

Good potential

- Ace & medium kicker

- Ace & strong kicker

- Offsuited, unconected

- Suited, unconnected

- Connected & Suited

- Random numbers

10

- Medium kickers

- Pairs

- Ace & weak kicker

One player raised

Fold

CHEAT-SHEET: HOW TO PLAY BEFORE THE FLOP

Print version

A9s stands for ace nine of the same suit

KQo stands for king queen of different suits

Your Cards

Actions before you

Early Position Middle Position

Late Position

Blinds

High Pairs
AA, KK, QQ

All players fold

Raise

One player called

Raise

One player raised

Raise

All players fold

Raise

One player called

Raise

One player raised

Call 20

Middle Pairs
JJ, TT
Low Pairs
99 - 22

All players fold

Fold

One player called

Fold

Call

Actions before you

Call

Call

One player raised

Your Cards

Raise
Call 20

Early Position Middle Position

Late Position

Blinds

Ace-High Kicker
AK

All players fold.

Raise

Someone called.

Raise

There was one raise.

Raise

Ace-High to Middle Kicker

All players fold
AQ, AJ, AT

Fold

One player called

Raise
Fold

Raise

One player raised

Call

Fold

Ace-Small suited
A9s - A2s

All players fold

Fold

Raise

One player called

Fold

Call

One player raised

Your Cards

Actions before you

Fold
Early Position Middle Position

Late Position

Blinds

Suited Face Cards

All players fold
KQs, KJs, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs

One player called

Fold

Raise

Fold

Call

One player raised

Fold

Face Cards Offsuit

All players fold
KQo, KJo, KTo, QJo, QTo, JTo

Fold

One player called

Raise
Fold

One player raised

Call
Fold

Suited cards in sequence

All players fold
T9s - 54s

One player called

Fold
Fold

Raise
Call

Fold

WHICH HANDS TO PLAY AND HOW

After the flop

After the flop the weaker your hand, the more you should pay control the size of the pot. Try to
keep the pot small with weak hands, and if your opponents create too much resistance or too
much action, fold. The more opponents you are facing, the stronger your hand needs to be. If
there was no raise before the flop, or if you called a pre-flop raise, you should have a really good
hand before you get involved in any large post-flop pots.
Your hand

Community cards

Your potential

What should you do

Great

Bet or Raise

Bad

Check or Fold

10

Great

Bet or Raise

Strong draw

Bet or Raise or Call

Monster draw

Bet or Raise

Bad

Check or Fold

TIPS & TRICKS

Advice from the pros
Look for check-raises
If a smart guy check-raises an unconnected flop, he
has a good set in his hands and you should watch
out.
Michael Mock

Check-raise
is a common deceptive play in which a
player checks early in a betting round,
hoping someone else will open. The
player who checked then raises in the
same round.

Top mistake of rookies

The biggest mistake that rookie poker players make
with a flopped monster hand is to automatically
slow-play to the river. The desire for deception is
admirable, but it usually comes at the cost of prots.
Instead of asking yourself how can I look weak you
should be asking how can I get as much money into
the pot as possible? This wont work if you havent
been blufng and being aggressive before, so try to
be moderately aggressive all the time.
Bodo Sbrzesny

Make your deposit last

The rst time you play poker online can be
intimidating. There are so many buttons to press and
more exciting noises than a Vegas Casino! Just
relax. Dont try to play every pot, or bluff every hand.
Patience is a virtue, the longer youre initial deposit
lasts you; the more experience you will get. The more
experience you get; the higher your win rate.
James Sudworth

Use a city for your nickname

Many poker players are afraid of players who are
nicknamed after a city. So if you want to instill
fear - this is an easy way to do it!
Erik Jensen

Bet while eating

While eating, put down your fork and make a huge
bet. Theyll fold double queens!
Tyler Patterson

Look for patterns

The difference between winning and losing can be as
a simple a quick distraction. Does your opponent
always limp in with big hands? Does he only re-raise
with AA or KK pre-flop? Take notes and take the
game seriously then youll see how youve been
doing.
Erik Jensen

TIPS & TRICKS

Tournament strategies
Who to attack

Raise from early position = danger

As a short stack, you want to attack the medium

stacks who cant afford to call you light. Big
stacks can call you more freely. As a medium
stack, you want to attack fellow medium stacks
and the big stacks. Dont attack the small stacks,
as they have less to lose. As a big stack, you can
pick your spots more carefully, if you must - play
against some big stacks who have a seat locked.

If an early-position player raises, it means he feels

that his hand is already better than the rest of the
table. After all, his raise has to make it through the
entire table, and each player left to act could
potentially hold a better hand. If, however, he raises
from late position, he is really only saying "my hand
gures to be best against everybody else." Thus, an
early-position raise holds a lot more weight than a
late-position raise because it needs to beat more
players.

Mix up your play

Stay aggressive

You should be taking different lines in marginal

spots. So most of the time you should be playing
in a similar fashion, but sometimes you should
change your play. For example, dont always
reraise preflop with the same types of hands or
dont always check raise a flush draw on the flop.

The more aggressive players tend to have an

advantage over a less aggressive player. Most of the
time neither one of you will make a strong hand so
whoever makes the most convincing argument will
win the pot.

Condence is Key
I really believe that you have to believe youre going
to win everytime youre going to play. Condence is
key to being successful at poker.
Antonio Esfandiari

You cant win every pot

Amateur players try to win every pot.
You cant, so dont.
David Vamplew

Don't bluff too much

Another common misconception about poker is that
you need to bluff to win. You may see spectacular
bluffs on the WSOP shows, but these are edited to
show the highlights of the tournaments and give the
wrong impression of how often top players bluff.
Blufng in poker is not as essential as you think it is.

LIVE POKER
TELLS

LIVE POKER TELLS

Master how to read your opponents

When you have learned the basics of poker, the main element for success becomes the ability to
read your opponents. A tell is any mannerism or movement that a player makes subconsciously
or purposely when trying to disguise the strength of their hand. Average players double and
triple their prots when they master the science of tells.

Why and how players lie

Tells happen because players are trying to conceal
the true value of their cards. If a hand is weak, they
will try to make you believe you it's strong. If a hand
is strong, they'll try to convince you it's weak. Your
opponents are actors. But if theyre not Ben Stiller,
you can learn to decode them.

Most decisions are spontaneous

Its critical to understand that most decisions of
your opponents will be made randomly. That's
because there are relatively few overwhelmingly
strong or weak hands that dictate an exact tactic.

Reverse psychology
The most important tell is the one you give to the
other players. Don't use the same method every time
you bet or raise. Do one method on strong hands
several times and then use it again on a bluff, or after
getting caught on a bluff, use the same method the
next time you have a monster.

TOP14 LIVE POKER TELLS

Master how to read & fool your opponents

Tell #1
Chip stacking
Neatly
stacked
chips

Players often stack chips in a manner directly

indicative of their style of play. You shouldnt expect
a player with neatly stacked chips to bluff very much
or be in with weak hands.

Messy chips - Those are his winnings.

Usually if you bet just a little more than those
winnings, he wont call. This is especially true
when the night is coming to an end.

Tell #2
Sudden silence
Some players that are normally talkative get very
quiet when they hit a hand. And if they suddenly
raise, that's usually the tell to watch out!

Tell #3
Insta-Raise
A player who does an instant raise is unlikely to be
blufng. He was just waiting for the action to get to
them and then quickly tosses the chips - thats a
sign of a good hand.

Tell #4
Fold percentage
It is very important to determine the style of your
opponent - is he a tight or a loose player. Your rst
clue to this is how many hands they actually play.
A tight player is likely to only nd about one hand in
10 they really want to play. Simply count the hands
they are involved in. If they fold a lot, expect the
hands they do get involved in to be all pocket pairs,
face cards and face cards with an ace.

Tell #5
Lying whistler
A player who raises pre-flop and on the flop, will
sometimes try to act so relaxed that he actually
whistles or sings a little tune when he bets on the
turn or the river. That's usually a good tell that he
hasnt improved his hand, hes just acting happy.

Tell #6
Chip glance
An almost involuntary move by many players is to
immediately look at their chips when they love a card
that hits. It could be the flop, turn, or river. However,
when they look down quickly, then act uninterested
until it is their turn and they raise, I'm usually
convinced they hit something nice.

Tell #7
How long is the tell?
The shortest tell is the most reliable. Most long,
drawn out tells are false, set up to confuse.

Tell #8
Sounds of sadness
Anytime a player uses a sad tone, he or she is trying
to fake weakness. Remember, pretended weakness
means strength, so you should be cautious about
calling sad tones. Especially cheerful tones are
attempts to show contentment. Usually, these mean
weakness.

Tell #9
Sits upright
Most players do shuffle around in their chair and sit
upright when they have a good hand

Tell #10
Instant check
If a player looks at his hole cards and then checks
instantly, it's unlikely that he improved his hand.

Tell #11
Why is he staring at me?
Players staring at you are usually less of a threat
than players staring away.

Tell #12
Staring at his cards
Players staring at their cards are usually weak. The
player would normally guard his hand if he liked its
looks.

Tell #13
Asking for clarication
Players who ask for any clarication of the rules
before they raise are legitimately strong. Often they
already know the answer to their questions. By
acting dumb, they're trying to convey that they're
uncertain that perhaps they'll raise or bet only if it
doesn't cost too much. This is an act to appear weak
and unsure. You should seldom call when a player
asks, "How much is it to raise?"

Tell #14
Gentle bet
A gentle bet usually means strength. In his mind,
overly forceful or exaggerated betting moves will
make his hand appear strong. Bland, timid motions
convey weakness, he thinks.

5 GOLDEN RULES OF BLUFFING

How to bluff correctly

The purpose of blufng is to force opponents with better hands to fold so you can win the pot.

Blufng is better if
your hand can still improve.

Only bluff against opponents that you know usually fold.

Don't bluff against several players at once.

Don't inflate the pot with bluff bets.

Only bluff when you can credibly represent

a strong hand and you think that
your opponents dont have monster hands.

ONLINE POKER
STRATEGY
& TOP6 TELLS

ONLINE POKER TELLS

How to read your opponents wihout seeing them

Since you cant physically see your opponents when playing online, the physical tells weve
mentioned are clearly not going to apply. Remember though, that betting patterns are the most
reliable of all poker tells. Online tells are mostly related to the speed with which an opponent
acts. For example, online it is possible to use the "in turn" buttons, or you can wait until it is your
turn to act and click on the desired button. When using the "in turn" buttons, a player can select
"check/fold" or "bet/raise" before the action gets to them. There is clear distinction in speed
between these two methods of acting and, in certain situations, it can provide you with
advantageous information.

The insta-call after you bet

The delayed check

Most players who call your bet immediately have a

weak calling hand. These players want you to
believe they have a stronger hand and hope that you
will not bet into them again.

Most players who take longer than normal to check

to you do not want you to bet. They are attempting to
display strength because they want to see the next
card for free.

The insta-bet/raise on the river

The delayed bet

The player who utilizes this move will usually be

holding a very strong hand. By raising or betting so
quickly, they are trying to make you think they are
blufng. This move can also be used on the turn and
generally, though not as frequently, denotes
strength.

When an opponent thinks for a long time and then

bets, they are usually holding a strong hand. They
want you to believe they are weak so that you will
call/raise.

The insta-check

The bet into on the turn

A player sitting in late position who uses the "in turn"

check/fold button is usually weak. Often, they are
playing at multiple tables and are hoping to save
time by using the "in turn" buttons.

When a player has checked and called on the flop

and then bets into you on the turn, it usually
indicates weakness. This type of bet often means
that they picked up a draw or that they are
semi-blufng with a draw they picked up on the flop.
Strongly consider raising even though you might be
blufng yourself.

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Visit www.poker4beginners.com for regularly updated poker site reviews!

THE OFTEN MISSED FACTS ABOUT

POKER BONUSES
Every second beginner stumbles upon a shocking surprise about the nature of the sign-up
bonuses of 100%, 200%, etc. They use the bonus without reading the associated terms, win a
nice amount of money, and then are shocked to nd out that they cant withdraw the winnings
as they wish. If you use bonuses, then there are certain limits of overall turnover you must
make before withdrawing. It is called Rollover.

Rollover
Rollover refers to the total number of wagers you
need to make in order to cash out your bonus.
Rollovers vary from 1X - 30X depending on the poker
site. For example you will need to rollover your
deposit and bonus 3 times prior to making a
withdrawal at bet365 poker.

Gradual release
Most poker sites dont give you the bonus straight
away. Instead it is released in stages as you play a
certain amount of hands or earn VIP points at the
site.

For your safety we have included the info about rollovers, minimum
withdrawals, etc. in our reviews (most other poker resources skip
this). So study, compare them, and have a safe and productive
gaming!

DETAILED REVIEW

About
This London Stock Exchange listed company offers
PokerCam tables for face-to-face play. Poker
players looking for loose games with lots of
easy-to-beat-players, big and frequent promotions
and tons of options often nd themselves at
888Poker. Initially known as Pacic Poker, 888Poker
was one of the rst real quality poker sites in the
industry and remains that way as the third-largest
poker site in the world.

APPROVED FOR
REAL MONEY GAMING
IN NEW JERSEY,
NEVADA & DELAWARE

WINNER
2013 EGR AWARDS
POKER OPERATOR
OF THE YEAR

Bonuses
$10 free, no deposit needed
Deposit $100, get $100 extra free.
Win $2,200 packages to Live competitions

Key info
Players: 30,000+

Games: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud

Min. withdrawal: $6 online, $20 wire

Established: Holding established on 1997

Cashout time: 6 days see all timeframes

Rake (Commission of the pot): 1%-5%

Min. deposit: $0 (rst $10 are given for free)

Bonus rollover: 30X

Payment methods: Visa, MasterCard , Diners Club,

Laser debit card, Eurocard, Paypal, Skrill
Maestro debit card see all deposits & limits

Website: www.888poker.com

Pros

Wide variety of all sorts of poker games

Biggest choice of platforms including iPhone
Unique and interesting promotions going on
$88 Free & exclusive $888 deposit bonus
A cool animated graphic hand replayer
Great software and graphics
Face-time play option with PokerCam

Table

Platforms: Win, Mac, iPad, iPhone,

Android, Linux

Cons
Does not accept all US players
Games lobby could have better ltering
Not many high stakes tournaments

Lobby

DETAILED REVIEW
Bonuses

About

200% Signup Bonus

Over $250K in Guaranteed Tournaments!
Win $1,900 package to Battle of Malta 500,000

BetOnline is currently one of the largest US facing

poker sites and was launched back in 2004 as
part of the Chico Poker Network. BetOnline Poker
offers a good selection of games and a lucrative
$2500 welcome bonus. They are also one of the
most active online poker rooms that accept US
poker players. Further, BetOnline offers tons of
freerolls and is notorious for its loose players and
incredible monthly promotions.

Key info
Players: 6,000+

Games: Holdem, Omaha

Min. withdrawal: $25

Established: 2004

Cashout time: Same-day

Rake (Commission of the pot): 5%

Min. deposit: $10

Bonus rollover: 10X

Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Amex,

Bankwire, Cheque, Skrill.
see all deposits & limits

Website: www.betonline.ag
Platforms: Win, Mac, Android

Pros

Up To $2500 Bonus
Plenty of freerolls
Great deposit options
Simple, fast software
Accepts US players

Table

Cons

Low player trafc until site builds

Small tournaments
Difcult to nd high limit games
Small variety in poker games offered

Lobby

DETAILED REVIEW

About
Full Flush Poker is one of the latest new poker sites
that is US-friendly and accepts players from all
states, except NJ, NV & DE. Besides a Windows
client there is also a Mac native version available.
The amount of poker players is increasing each day.
The site utilizes software that is licensed from
Playsafe Holding AS, a publicly traded Norwegian
Poker software provider (tried and tested over many
years).

Bonuses
150% welcome bonus
20% instant cashback on First Deposits over $50
Free $3000 Tournament Ticket with Deposit $125
Free ticket to the $5000 First Depositors Freeroll
$350 of Daily Freerolls

Key info
Players: 1,000

Games: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Blackjack

Min. withdrawal: $100

Established: 2013

Cashout time: 4-6 days

Rake (Commission of the pot): 5% - 10% (max $3)

Min. deposit: $25

Bonus rollover: 20X

Payment methods: Credit cards, Skrill,

Neteller, see all deposits & limits

Website: www.fullflushpoker.com

Pros

Fast Cashouts of average 24-48 hours!

Plenty of easy-to-beat games with weak players
Play for free option to test the waters
Lots of inexpensive tournaments and freerolls

Table

Platforms: Win, Mac

Cons
Limited banking options
Hefty fees for withdrawals
No withdrawal requests taken on weekends

Lobby

DETAILED REVIEW
Bonuses

About
Titan Poker is an established online poker provider,
winner of the 2011 Gambling Readers' Choice
Award for Best Customer Service and popular
destination for PokerStrategists. Titan Poker is
hosted on the iPoker Network and belongs to the
top tier. What you'll love about Titan is that the
majority of your opponents are recreational players
who nd the poker tables via the big sports betting
brands who share the 'iPoker Network'. This makes
the games fun, loose and - best of all - very
protable.

Deposit $50, get $100 (200% bonus)

Exclusive $30 free cash on deposit
Exclusive $100K freerolls
$1 cash for every 100 points earned

Key info
Players: 10,000 - 55,000 at tournaments.

Games: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud

Min. withdrawal: $100 (No less than Bonus)

Established: Holding established on 1997

Cashout time: 10 days

Rake (Commission of the pot): 1%-5%

Min. deposit: $10

Bonus rollover: 30X

Payment methods: Credit card,

Neteller, Moneybookers, Wire Transfer
see all deposits & limits

Website: www.titanpoker.com

Pros
$16 million in guaranteed prize money per month
You can play up to 16 tables simultaneously.
Fantastic Titan Rewards program for new and
experienced players
Easy to Navigate
Ongoing Poker Tournaments

Table

Platforms: Win, Mac, iPad, iPhone,

Android, Linux

Cons
Lack of game selection
No synchronized breaks

Lobby

DETAILED REVIEW

About
Carbon poker is one of the best real-money poker
sites for US players with quick cashouts, reliable
software and helpful customer service. With a
variety of stakes, games, and promotions,
CarbonPoker has something to offer players of all
experience levels and bankroll sizes. The poker
software has unique features, allowing players to
run it twice, rabbit hunt, expose one card, and much
more.

Bonuses
200% bonus
Over $6 million in monthly GTD Tournaments

Key info

Min. withdrawal: $50

Games: Hold'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud,

7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, Five Card Stud,
Five Card Draw, Razz, Badugi

Cashout time: 3 -7 days

Established: 2005

Min. deposit: $ 25

Rake (Commission of the pot): 1%-4.5%

Payment methods: Credit Cards, Cash Transfers

(Western Union and Moneygram), Checks
see all deposits & limits

Bonus rollover: 35X

Players: 6,000

Website: www.carbonpoker.ag
Platforms: Win, Mac, iPad, iPhone,
Android, Blackberry

Pros

Free Poker Odds Calculators

Free Poker Training Videos
US and International Players Welcome
Carbon OPS tournaments series

Table

Cons
No Loyalty Program
Only 1 free withdrawal per year, others cost 3%

Lobby

DETAILED REVIEW

About
William Hill Poker is one of the oldest and largest
bookmakers in the U.K. If a rock solid reputation is
what you want, then William Hill is for you. Given its
U.K. origins, William Hill Poker is a popular poker
room for British players (and European players in
general), making the busiest trafc time around
European peak hours.

Bonuses
200% bonus up to $2000
$16m+ guaranteed on network every month
Weekly $200k GTD events

Key info
Players: 65,000

Games: Holdem, Omaha, 7 card stud.

Min. withdrawal: 5

Established: 2002

Cashout time: 1 -5 working days

Rake (Commission of the pot): $1

Min. deposit: 10

Bonus rollover: 30X

Payment methods: VISA, MasterCard,

PayPal, Neteller, ClickandBuy, Skrill
see all deposits & limits

Website: poker.williamhill.com

Pros
Incredibly loose games and players
Massive amount of guaranteed tournaments
Great tournament trafc and sit-and-go selection
Reliable software with smooth game play

Table

Platforms: Win, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad

Cons
Not the best graphics in the world
Doesn't accept U.S. players

Lobby

DETAILED REVIEW

About
Party Poker is a monster among online poker sites.
They are one of the biggest rooms with tremendous
player action at any time of the day. They did suffer
a costly hit to their player base when they decided to
exclude US customers as a response to US
legislation towards online gaming. Party Pokers
outstanding marketing efforts have resulted in a
rebound of player trafc and they are once again on
the rise.

Bonuses
100% up to $500
$10,000 freeroll

Key info
Players: 70,000 at peak times

Games: Holdem, Omaha, 7 card stud,

Min. withdrawal: $50

Established: 2001

Cashout time: 3 - 7 days

Rake (Commission of the pot): $0.50 - $3

Min. deposit: $10

Bonus rollover: 10X

Payment methods: VISA, MasterCard,

PayPal, Neteller, ClickandBuy, Skrill
see all deposits & limits

Website: www.partypoker.com

Pros

Known for fewer pros & softer competition

Run by a huge, publically-traded company
Software is very user-friendly
Many satellites and promos

Table

Platforms: Win, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad,

Linux

Cons
Not many high stakes tournaments
Doesn't accept U.S. players

Mobile

DETAILED REVIEW

About
PokerStars is the largest poker site in the world and
offers an awesome variety of games, from the super
high-limits to some of the rarest mixed games.
Many of the worlds most famous poker players are
PokerStars pros, including Canadian star Daniel
Negreanu and WSOP Main Event winners Chris
Moneymaker, Rafael Nadal and more. The main
drawback of Pokerstars is that the opposition is
tough at higher stakes.

Bonuses
100% bonus up to $600
Deposit with bonus code FREE20 and claim $20
free

Key info
Players: 60,000 - 150,000
Min. withdrawal: $5
Cashout time: 3 - 10 days
Min. deposit: $10
Payment methods: VISA, MasterCard,
PayPal, Neteller, ClickandBuy, Skrill
see all deposits & limits

Pros
The largest site in the world - excellent trafc.
Award Winning and Secure Software
Best VIP Program and Rewards
PokerStars always has qualiers for the WPT,
WSOP, EPT event and more.

Table

Games: Omaha, Holdem, 7 card stud, 5 card stud,

Courchevel, Razz, Horse & Mixed games, Badugi
Established: 2000
Rake (Commission of the pot): 1.3% - 8%
Bonus rollover: 16X - 26X
Website: www.pokerstars.com
Platforms: Win, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad

Cons
Tough opposition in high-stakes tournaments
and cash games
Doesn't accept U.S. players

Lobby

DETAILED REVIEW

About
fulltilt.com is a leading poker brand known for
delivering the most authentic online poker
experience in the world. Full Tilt Poker's innovative
software, game design and gameplay make it the
online home for serious poker players. Full Tilt Poker
was re-launched in November 2012 by The Rational
Group, which also operates PokerStars, the world's
largest online poker site.

Bonuses
100% First Deposit Bonus up to $600
Regular tournaments

Key info
Players: 30,000

Games: Holdem, Omaha, Stud, Mixed Games.

Min. withdrawal: $10

Established: 2004

Cashout time: 3 days Skrill, 3-10 Visa

Rake (Commission of the pot): 5%

Min. deposit: $50

Bonus rollover: 16X - 26X

Payment methods: Visa, Neteller, Skrill.

see all deposits & limits

Website: www.fulltiltpoker.com

Pros
Awesome promotions
Smooth software
Endless customizable options

Table

Platforms: Win, Mac, Android, iOS

Cons
Tough mid-stakes cash games
No ten seat tables

Lobby

THANKS
FOR READING