A Crazy Pineapple Poker Primer

Posted by: Thomas Kearns  /  Category: Poker

While Crazy pineapple poker does bear some resemblance to Texas Hold’em, the much more familiar game, its peculiar rules and betting mechanics set it apart from this and any other of the poker variations. The variance is much higher to Pineapple because of the various potential hand combinations and the increased odds given by the extra card. If you have not encountered this interesting form of poker before, I entreat you to not involve yourself in a game without a thorough study of the rules and betting strategies, both by observing many games and reading the literature.

How Crazy Pineapple Poker is Structured

To begin the game two players put forth a blind ante before the deal, which is similar to many other poker games. Once the antes are placed, the dealer gives each player three cards, a round of betting follows, then the flop, after which the dealer shows the table three community cards. Now comes betting round one which encompasses pretty standard rules after which the craziness begins giving this variation its name with its crazy labyrinth of strategies and moves. This is why one must be prepared to play the game before taking the plunge and making that first bet.

After the flop, the players will place a bet and are able to trade in one of the three hole cards in their hand, at which point, the game takes on more of a standard Texas Hold’em countenance. However, this traded in card adds greatly to the games intricacy and this is where the serious study of pineapple pays off. One must have a profound conception of the bluff, the worthiness of the pot and positioning. The format is not too different from Texas Hold’em after this second round of betting as the foremost 5-card hand wins drawn from the player’s hole cards and the community cards. There are often more chances to hit draw hands like flushes, straights or threes of a kind in pineapple.

A Plan of Action for Crazy Pineapple Poker

Because of the game’s high variance, the player with more experience has the edge in using it to overpower his opponents. In many cases, there will be a substantial number of players remaining active after the flop with fond hopes of strengthening their hands on the trade-in, however with a powerful opening hand this is also the time to take advantage of the opportunity to value bet. It is no rarity to find a large percentage of players donate to the pot all the way up until the river, which also gives forth yet another opportunity for increased earnings. An optimum strategy just might be a combination of aggression and patience post turn to engineer a successful end.

The most formidable opening hands are comprised of high suited card or high pairs that can morph into a flush or better hand with no sweat. Be aware that the high number of visible cards that can be put into play enriches the triumphant hands more so than regular hold’em so increase your hopes at the pot in accordance. The move to hold a pair into the flop can be a good one provide the board is not displaying a good sound chance of hitting a straight, flush or full house. The tactic of slow pay can work for you but aggression at the proper moment can throw your opponents for a loop. By varying your moves you can optimize the pot size whenever your hand is powerful. One way to mix it up is to semi-bluff and watch the pots come your way. In any case, don’t stick to one strategy and one method of play in Pineapple. Challenge yourself, stir it up, and make yourself some bucks in the meantime.

For more information on how to play other poker games like Crazy Pineapple Poker or Badugi Poker please visit Rakeback Solution.

Manila Poker: A Primer

Posted by: Thomas Kearns  /  Category: Poker

Manila poker takes a big departure from other poker types in that it is played with a deck of 32 cards shortened by virtue of the fact that all the cards are eight or higher. It is sometimes called Seven-Up Poker because of this. Its major claim to fame is in Asia and Australia where It bears some semblance to Texas Holdem in that each player is dealt two cards, after this, though not much similarity remains. Manila is growing in popularity in Australian casinos and may also be found in home games where the players want a variety of poker types to pass the evening away enjoyably. It is rare in online poker venues.

So, How Do You Play Manila Poker?

Manila is composed of five betting rounds where one card is visible at each turn. A player is required to use both cards at showdown as building blocks to the superior five card hand. In addition, chances of drawing a different hand given the 32-card, 8 low composition of the deck and that a flush stomps a full house and aces are only high in a straight are next to none. Manila is generally played with a fixed limit betting format, and occasionally you will run into a table with only three betting rounds. Five betting rounds prolong the game and require greater concentration and focus, making them unsuitable for some casual games.

Winning Strategy in Manila Poker

Because of the condensed deck, you strategy should include that you draw for a full house or more, which means that table position is vital in creating your strategy. In the early position, pair cards are your best bet as are high-suited connectors like Jack-Ten, which allow for the most possible draws as this dynamic duo is present in every straight in Manila. You are competing against opponents with high card hands so be choosy with your hands and play pairs, high suited connectors, and draw hands while in a good position. Manila allows discards of any hand lower than a King-Jack suited. The majority of winning hands are comprised of a ranking of at least a full house, though drawing to a flush can occur.

You may find it to your advantage to discard straight draws as the board will undoubtedly pair, trumping your straight even in the event of an on-the-mark draw. Focus on the betting patterns of your fellow players through all of the rounds. They often are drawing to a full house. If and when the board pairs or a player becomes zealous, attempt to squash him on a specific hand. A high percentage of players are very discriminating when it comes to their initial hand selection, given that there are no pot odds for a lucky draw to a flush or higher. In these circumstances, you should bless the five betting rounds for offering up more good data so you can readjust your anticipation of the triumphant hand.

The bluff strategy is not usually a good one in Manila as many players tend to stay in the pot due to the limit betting structure and the obstacle-free path that exists to draw to a strong hand. For this reason, one must be very careful when taking on an aggressive stance in a multi-way pot unless he is extremely certain that his hand is the nuts. Given good pot odds, you might want to stay on a strong draw because of the fixed limit format, but do stay clear of any multi-way betting Armageddons.

For more information on how to play other poker games like 5 Card Stud or 2-7 Triple Draw please visit Rakeback Solution.

Golden Rules On Online Poker: Top 5 Beginner Mistakes

Posted by: Merlin Pellerin  /  Category: Poker

In your life you encounter some rules that are Golden, rules that really apply. Once you find them you should always remember and don’t forget them.They can show you how throughout all your life. When you define your goals, begin searching for the Golden Rules that connect with it. Chart your course by these Golden Rules and allow them to guide you to achievement and success.

And listed below are the 5 Golden Rules to beginning to play Online Poker for real money.

Golden Rule # 1, Be Patient and Play Tight. The tried and true purpose of doing it in this way is that when you are new to poker, you avoid alot of trouble situations by folding marginal hands like 79 off suit and A4 suited. Once you become more experienced, you can expand your opening range and play more hands but at the beginning, tight is always right.. Remember, if you play the top 8-15 starting hands in poker, you will always have a mathematic edge over your opponents who play junk hands.

Golden Rule # 2, Don’t play above your bankroll or with money you can’t afford to lose. It would be best to manage this carefully because the psychological effects of playing with money that you can’t afford to lose is immense, you will often find yourself making mistakes when you place too much emphasis on the value of your stack and what it can buy in the real world. Understand that you should only ever play with money that you can afford to lose.

Golden Rule # 3, Don’t play out of position. This might be a good idea because more experienced players will tear you apart when you start playing hands out of position, this means in early position or out of the blinds.

Golden Rule # 4, Bluffing should be seldom and timed precisely. To make this happen you can carefully setting up your bluffs so that 90% of the time you will have the nuts but on the odd occasion you can get away with bluffing. Bluffing too frequently is just spewing off chips in the middle with nothing and will get you nowhere.

Golden Rule # 5, Leave all of your emotions at the door. Ways to accomplish this step include taking regular breaks, not playing when drunk, and remembering that a bad beat is a good thing because you have gotten your money in with the best of it. You will want to accomplish this carefully. It is essential to becoming an excellent poker player.

Carefully follow these golden rules to beginning to play online poker for real money and you will become a very profitable player and you will find your progress to be quite rapid as well as your successes greater, more frequent and more satisfying.

Eager to find out more about learning to play online poker? Have a look at the poker strategy articles on our website Rakeback Power.

Getting Started With Online Poker: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Adam James  /  Category: Gambling

Millions are won and lost everyday in Online Poker. It can be daunting for a new player keen to start making real money with so many bonuses and poker rooms available today.

If you are new to online poker, there are many common mistakes that can be avoided. This article hopes to enlighten you regarding a few common mistakes.

1) Select a popular, reputable poker room – Obvious but often overlooked. The most popular poker sites are also the most reputable and these include Pokerstars, Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet and Cake Poker. Choose one of these to start with.

2) Choose a rakeback provider to sign up to the poker room – When you sign up, you have the option of getting bonuses and rakeback for the rest of your poker career. There are numerous around but you need to sign up through a Rakeback Website in order to maximise profits. Rakeback sites provide a) Deposit Bonus, b) Rakeback, and c) Rake Races. Some popular sites include Rakeback Power, Rakebrain and Raketherake.

3) Hit the Play Money Tables – An important step is to adjust to the new poker rooms graphics and buttons. Get a feel for the games being played. When you are comfortable, it is time to deposit real money. Read the fine print on the Rakeback Site and the Poker Room regarding deposits and bonus release.

4) Finances and Depositing – There are a few security procedures to go through when depositing real money. Often you might need to provide evidence including a license and utility bill to ensure you are a real person. There are many deposit options available and you should take the time to read through the different options available and work out the best for you. A recommended international and secure option is Neteller.

5) Strategies and Forums – There are an abundance of strategy and forum websites on the internet to assist you. Two Plus Two is a recommended website.

6) Books about Online Poker – The more you read, the more you will learn. It’s that simple. Many poker books are available and they are all good. Some comprehensive recommended texts include Super System and Harrington on Holdem.

7) Poker Programs – Depending on the poker game and style you enjoy, there are many helpful programs out there. Holdem Manager is an excellent hand history tools and heads up display. Table Ninja is a useful hot key utility.
8) Coaching and Training Videos – Many membership websites allow you access to a vast arrange of poker videos demonstrating actual play with commentary. Very useful and relatively inexpensive.

9) Bonus collecting and find a poker room that suits you – Once you played enough hands at a poker room to collect the deposit bonus, it is time to move onto another room. Why not start collecting the next deposit bonus available? Eventually you should find a poker room that feels natural and the competition should be easy enough that you can make a steady profit.

10) Take care of yourself – Poker can be exhilarating when you win and infuriating when you lose. Look after yourself – eat well, exercise, take time away from the tables and most importantly keep smiling.

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Badugi Poker And How It’s Played

Posted by: Thomas Kearns  /  Category: Poker

You are probably not familiar with Badugi with its weird betting structure and moves but it is big in Asia and is becoming more well known in North America. The game consists of four cards and three drawing rounds in which bets are placed and players begin to assemble that fine Badugi hand into showdown. The game is usually played as fixed limit with two blinds and similar playing methods to other poker variations. Badugi games may also include pot or no limit play, most often seen in tournament play.

The Workings of Badugi

The game commences with a four-card face-down deal to each player. The first betting round ensues. The first player to place a bet is the one just before the large blind. A player is allowed to call, fold, or raise to the house limit. The players who did not fold are now able to draw from no cards at all up to four. These cards remain in their hands and are not played. Because of this rule, a player must pay strict attention to his discards and revalue his odds. In some games, the rounds are referred to as the time of day, much like streets in Texas Hold’em.

Do not discount the fact the hands that win in Badugi, will get you nowhere in traditional poker. It is essential that you master the composition of hand rankings in Badugi. Do not play without a thorough knowledge of this. In this game dual suits and duplicate cards are of no use, only discrete suits and values are of any worth to your hand. As a matter of fact, the name Badugi is in reference to a hand comprised of distinct suited cards. At the end of the game, while everyone is comparing hands, the first item to look for is the active card count followed by the lower value of the highest card keeping in mind that aces are low. Ergo, the best of the best Badugi hands will consist of ace, two, three, and four, all unsuited. The worst of the worst would be four kings.

Badugi Strategies to Win

The three drawing rounds in Badugi make it somewhat similar to 2-7 triple draw poker, of course the hand rankings set it apart as duplicate cards, whether two, three or four count for nothing. In all of the poker games, a player’s position at the table is very important. In Badugi, however, it is critical. When a player is able to observe his opponents’ draws from the catbird seat, he can determine the value of his hand relative to theirs. If an opponent draws many cards, the indication is that his hand is weak, the opposite for very few draws.

Assume you have a complete hand of four cards, i.e. a Badugi and are curious about the odds of your opponents drawing to a Badugi themselves. The odds can be calculated thusly. If a player swaps a card, he must hit upon the one that does not match a suit already in his hand. The odds in this case are 10 to 52 as the player will be unable to match any of the three cards present in his hand. Also to be considered are the odds of the player drawing a card with a lower high value.

Suppose you hold in your hand a four-card ten high. In this case, the player has a 6 in 52 chance of hitting a lower, discrete value as any card higher than ten in the correct suit will not make his hand better than yours.

A player has a 50% chance of drawing to a Badugi in each round, from the initial betting round on. These means that there is a little over 20% chance of drawing to that Badugi each round.

For more information on how to play other poker games like Badugi Poker or 7 Card Stud please visit Rakeback Solution.