I was reading the poker shrink (a pretty prominent poker online publicationg) when I came across a term I had never heard before. It was a term related to stress only it was stress polarized. We all know the term distress, which is a bad kind of stress, it causes our performance to decline. In high enough doses, it can cause us physical or mental illness. Just about everybody in today’s high speed, competitive world has had their fair share of run-ins with distress.
But the poker doc, he had something else in mind, it’s usually confined to sports it’s that feeling of just enough stress (external environmental stimulus), to make one perform optimally and at a higher level than one would if one had no stress.
I know it sounds a little strange that stress can be “good,” but hear me out. Sometimes we need that stress to motivate us to get things done. The student with the term paper due in a week, has eustress to get the paper done to pass the class.
Now, number one is a neutral mindset when it comes to poker. It’s neither playing in a state of distress or eustress. And while it’s not as dangerous as playing in distress, it’s still detrimental to your game as you have no motivating factor to keep you playing well.
Number two is playing in a state of distress, also known as playing with “scared money.” You’re game won’t be optimal since you’ll be so nervous about losing this bankroll, you’ll be more timid. You’ll miss opportunities of taking down stacks since you’ll be more reluctant to get all your chips in. You’ll also be less inclined to make more complicated moves against players who you know you can outplay.
But number three, that’s the ideal eustress mindset when you’re in such a situation as described above. You’re a little nervous since you know this is the bottom of your bankroll, but you’re going to play it confidently. You know you’re just on a downswing, and that at any moment you can come back up. You’ll be more prone to get your money in good, and if you get drawn out on, you’ll just take it as part of the game. Quite simply eustress here is playing on a higher level since you know that if you lose it’s over for a while. But there’s that slight nuance, your play isn’t nervous. In fact, your play is more confident because you are finding yourself rising to the challenge, meeting it head on, and conquering it at the casino.
The newest member elected to the Poker Hall of Fame is professional player and WPT host and narrator, Mike Sexton.
His career in poker has spanned 30 years, with earnings of more than $3.5 million, which includes one WSOP tournament win and gold bracelet for 7-Card Stud. He finished in the money at this year’s Main Event in 420th place to win $27,469. In 2006, he won the invitation-only Tournament of Champions, where he competed against some of the game’s heavyweights and made it to heads-up against Daniel Negreneau.
Sexton is widely recognized in the poker community not only for his play but also for his clear, insightful commentary during World Poker Tour events. He is the 38th inductee into the Hall of Fame, and will be awarded the accolade during the Final Table for the Main Event on November 7.
The competition for nomination was vigorous. Other candidates included: Barry Greenstein, Dan Harrington, Phil Ivey, Tom McEvoy, Men Nguyen, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu, and Erik Seidel.
The candidate must meet these criteria to be elected:
* Has engaged in play against known top competitors
* Has played high-stakes games
* Had earned respect of peers through consistent good play
* Has endured over time as a respected player
Non-players can also be elected for making a significant contribution to the growth of the game that produces a last impact on poker online.
This year’s voting added a new element since the Poker Hall of Fame accepted nominations from the general public.
Lots of online poker players tend to panic when the cards don’t seem to be going their way. A few rounds of dry cards can make the tightest poker online player bet with garbage if they start to panic. Luckily, you can rock a tournament without flopping a full boat every other poker online hand. I recently cashed in a casino hold ‘em tournament this week, and I managed to do it with just three winning hands. I hadn’t really realized it, but when I realized that I was in the top four, that I hadn’t won very many hands. It doesn’t take a lot of work to make it to the end of a poker tournament, just a few big hands every now and then. The trick is to make those hands count. When you get a winning hand make sure that you do everything you can to fatten up that pot. Aggressive players love to bet when they sense weakness, so checking may induce a bet from them .If you’re playing aggressive players, suck them in with feeler bets and some well-timed checks. Passive players will be happy to check to the river, so be sure to bet into them and make them pay to play. If you’re not getting a lot of exciting cards, don’t worry. Try to set a goal of winning one big hand every hour or so, and if you can pull that off, you should be doing well.
Another etiquette style point to consider is how fast you play the game, how fast you make the decision to check, bet, raise, or fold.
Most players play at different speeds. Some plat fast, some play slow and take time in making each and every decision. Certainly, there is no right or wrong speed with which to play poker.
Online poker tends to be faster than live games, because there is no liver, human dealer to deal and shuffle the cards. That is all done automatically. So, most online players expect the game to go at a quick pace and can voice frustration at those who take a long time to play.
Certainly, when involved in a big hand in online poker, you should deliberate and take as much time as you need to make the proper decision. But if you are taking up the full time limit to make a decision on every single hand, you should probably try and figure out why it is taking you so long. Not every single decision in a game of poker requires excessive thought and deliberation. When playing online poker, for the most part, you should try and move at a brisk pace.
When you are sitting on a big stack in a Texas Hold ‘Em poker online tournament, you want to protect it and make it grow with as little risk as possible. That factor is why poker pundits often exhort players with strong stacks to avoid engagement with other big stacks, especially those that are larger and able to bust you out of the tournament.
Though you only want to take on another big stack after careful consideration, to always back down from a big stack’s challenge simply invites repeated attempts to steal your blinds or intimidate you by raising your bet. You become a target, and most likely the bully stack will attempt to push you around with any two live cards if you are so tight that you fold every time.
You can’t just wait for a monster hand because your stack will erode and your intention will be so clear as to make your cards almost visible to your poker online opponent.
The way to counter a bully big stack’s threat is to come back with a strong defense that does not totally decimate your stack. If the bully has continually three-bet your blind, then at some point, you are going to have to raise when the option comes back to you.
You can’t avoid this bully forever, and you are going to have to fight fire with fire. Obviously you can go on the attack yourself when you do have a good hand, but there are other times when you will have to leverage your position and come back over the top of the big stack when you are under attack.
Bingo Paper: Different Bingos Use Different Paper
If you’re looking to order bingo paper , but are unsure of exactly how to do it, this bingo article should help. There is no doubt that bingo managers and bingo players unfamilar with the game or the industry terminology can have trouble. Frequently, people who want to order the bingo paper for their “early bird” games or for their “speedball” games assume that their “early bird” paper is the same paper that everyone in the country uses for that style of game. However, this isn’t the case. Different states, different regions, and even different cities use different bingo paper and many use different bingo paper even for the same style of bingo games. So, how do we get everyone on the same page? Well, you first need to know bingo paper terminology, and that begins with what we call “the cut” Bingo Paper:
“The Cut”
Bingo paper comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be “cut” into just about any of the common styles you see at bingo. The paper is named for its “cut”, the number of plays on the sheet, and how the paper flows (either horizontally/side to side or vertically/up and down). For example, bingo paper comes in 1ons (1 face sheet), 3H (3 faces horizontally or side to side), 3V (3 faces vertically or up and down), 4ons (4 faces in a square) , 6H (6 faces horizontally or side to side), 6V (6 faces vertically or up and down), and 9ons (9 faces in a square). Bingo paper can also come in 12ons, 18ons and even a few other obscure type of cuts. When you need to order bingo paper, most often you should describe the cut of your paper first, before describing its other characteristics such as color, etc.
For more information on Bingo Supplies and Bingo Paper or to read the rest of this article, go to wholesalebingosupplies.com
Flashpoint is a Canadian police drama television series which debuted middle of last year and has caught the hearts of many viewers. The story revolves around the emotional journey following the lives of members of the SRU (Strategic Response Unit) as they solve hostage situations, bust gangs, and defuse bombs. They work by utilizing their training to get inside the heads of these people in order to make them reach their breaking point (aka their flashpoint).
Sgt. Gregory Parker who has a tough job, leads the elite team on their missions. The SRU, inspired by Toronto’s Emergency Task Force, is a handpicked team of elite cops. High risk is their business and these men and women do it all. They rescue hostages, bust gangs, defuse bombs, talk down suicidal teens, protect the Pope. They handle state-of-the-art weapons - sniper rifles, flash-bang grenades, tasers, they climb the sides of buildings and also see through walls. But they’re different from other SWAT teams because their arsenal also includes a gift for words. They have a knack for human intuition, which can help out in sticky high pressure situations, such as hostage taking crisis. On the scene, they’re in charge. No one knows their job better. SRU Constables outrank senior Inspectors - and the Inspectors don’t like it. Regular uniforms grumble when pushed aside by the SRU ‘prima donnas.’ Although they secretly wish they were in their shoes. SRU’s members have it tough, they deal with a lot of stress that comes along with their job which inevitably disrupts their personal lives. It’s a stress that shades all your choices and can take a heavy toll on families, friends, lovers…However, they are tough on their jobs, their training is hard. On the job, they play by the rules, bend them if they have to.
There has never been a more opportune time than now to become a professional poker online player. The casino game has become so popular worldwide, that you can find poker in just about every major casino and poker online on many online casinos as well. But the Internet is what has really turned the world onto poker, and extends the opportunity to play often and for real money.
Online poker is a great way to practice your skills. To become a professional poker player requires extraordinary discipline, an ability to temper one’s emotions, and skilled bank roll management. Many players are introduced to poker through a friendly home game. Others start out playing in online poker rooms. Many who love the game, imagine they can make a living at it. But in fact, only about one percent of those players will ever master the necessary skills to achieve professional level earnings.
You must learn the game inside and out, know all the card combination possibilities, and make lightning fast calculations based on your accumulated knowledge. When bad beats occur, as they inevitably do, you must suppress your anger and continue to play calmly and with fixed focus on the action taking place that minute. A professional poker needs nerves of steel to succeed at deceiving others and facing risk.
Online practice is a great way to hone your skills, and is readily available. Once you are confident you understand the rules, the odds, and can keep cool in the face of nerve-wracking situations, you’ll be ready to move into the real money games.
Though Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha poker are similar games, the structure, probabilities and play are quite different. Good starter hands in Omaha differ than those of Texas Hold ‘Em.
Omaha poker is a game of nine cards while Hold ‘Em only uses seven. With Omaha, you are dealt four pocket cards, and two of these cards must figure in your final hand. Unlike, Hold ‘Em, where only one of your pocket cards might win the pot, Omaha players must show two cards that contribute to the winning hand, be it a flush, straight, a set, or two pairs. Holding the Ace of a suit that matches four on the board does not give you the nut flush in Omaha as it would in Hold ‘Em.
Any four pocket cards that already make a pair, contain two to the flush or a straight can be played, depending on your position. Pockets with no pair, all rainbow suits and big gapped cards will probably go nowhere and should be folded. When the flop comes out, there has to be some connection to two of your pockets in order to play. Look for two on board to match your suited cards, and cards that fill in the gaps between your connectors for a straight. A paired board that gives you trips is no good without another pocket card figuring in the poker hand -such as hitting the improbable full house.
If you don’t remember this hand, then you should. It’s called these days the Doyle Brunson. And it was the hand that won this poker legend back to back world series of poker events in 76 and 77.
So what is it about this man that evokes the respect from so many players, professionals and amateurs alike?
Perhaps it’s his lack of humility. When asked about who’s the best player in poker he says, “That’s like asking who’s the best fighter…(You) have to judge players according to the time they played.” And no one can argue that Brunson has been around for a long, long time in the poker scene.
His first big win came in ‘76 at World series of Poker, and the rest, as they say is history.
And what do most superstars do after they establish their fame? They write a book of course. Only Brunson, is one of the few who actually knew what he was talking about.
He wrote the gospel on poker, what is more formally referred to his “Super System,” and is a definitive source for the ins and outs of the game. Many an amateur player has risen through the ranks just because of this one book. I personally recommend it as a must read it one truly wants to understands the ins and outs of poker, especially Texas Hold ‘Em.
The man originally wanted to teach and coach, he pursued his Master’s degree in Administrative Education, but decided against it saying, “…I saw that the pay scale for teachers was so poor, I decided not to pursue that profession.”
And it was probably the best decision he could have made. The man has a knack for the game, and has definitely made is mark way before the poker frenzy ever took hold in the main stream.
So the next time you’re sitting at the table with the old 10-2 off suit, think about it for a second before you just throw it away. And if you read that book closely enough, you may just realize, that sometimes the cards don’t matter. Sometimes it’s all in the situation.
