There are two main reasons to go all-in

• A hand is good enough to wager all of your chips on
• A bet is made that is more than your total amount of chips

All players have to bet the same amount as long as they have the chips to call bets. This is an important concept to master as many times players will be confused what to do in complicated all-in bets. An example of such is as follows

Player A goes all-in and he only has thirty chips left

Player B also goes all-in but he has fifty chips left

Player C calls and has a hundred chips in total. He only calls fifty chips.

All the players call Player A’s all-in so one pot of 75 chips total is created. Each player has given 25 chips into this pot. Since B also went all-in with 25 more chips, a “side-pot” is created that has the 50 remaining chips left in it. Each pot can only be won by players who have actually contributed money into the respective pots.

Another common side-pot circumstance is seen when a player no longer has enough chips to cover the blinds. If the blinds are 30 chips, Player A will have to bet his last 25 chips to call. He can only win 25 chips in total from any one player in the hand with him. The other players can compete for an additional side-pot, however, which may be worth much more after rounds of betting.

As shown before, if other players call the blind then two separate pots will have to be made. The first will have 25 chips from each player and can be won by whoever has the best hand. The second pot will have 5 chips plus additional betting from each player outside of A, and the hands can only be won by players who have put money into this pot.

A simple rule to remember is that the side-pot is awarded to the winner of the side-pot before the original pot is. Not a big deal but something to keep in mind.

Most online poker sites have various methods of support.

E-mail Support:
Usually more vague and general questions are best answered by e-mail. A staff that is unhelpful and takes a long time to respond, however, is obviously not too much help to any poker player looking for answers.

It is very common for poker venues to offer e-mail support, either through a given address or a form that can be filled out.

Telephone Support:
Telephone support is for obvious reasons a better method of getting help than e-mail support is. Problems that require attention right away should be left to interaction with a real person right away, and most poker sites that offer this type of support offer it at all times on all days.

If a poker site does not offer this type of support at all hours, it is important to note this. It is also a good thing to know how helpful the staff on the other line is. If you hear of many bad experiences then it might not be the venue for you.

Many online poker sites that offer support through telephone will also not be as easily available for international players. If you live in a country other then the United States or Canada, make sure there is a number for support in your area.

Live Online Support:
Occasionally poker sites will offer live online support. These will usually be noted by a picture of a smiling staff member that says click here for help now! Using this type of service, you will usually be able to enter a chat with a staff member and ask your questions live online. It is obviously quicker than e-mail and easier than telephone. If offered live online support usually is a good thing for people looking for help.

It is never good to have to account for needing customer support at an online site when choosing one to play. But in the unlikely situation where you may need help, it is important to know that you can get the support needed.

It is generally accepted that a pro player can anticipate making the corresponding one ‘big bet’ per hour in profit when it comes to playing ring games in a ‘regular’ poker room. This amount in nature differs according on what limit is being played and there is some natural instability from hour to hour, but that’s a good average.

In online where games go much faster than normal, hence a player can anticipate setting in closely twice as many hands if not more and can raise their profit anticipations accordingly as long as they can play at the same skill level on their computer. Increasing their profits even more, some players join multiple tables at the same time.

You are assumed a pretty good player for that formula. Any on top of an average player might be able to pull off this amount on the lower-limit tables but the higher the limits you select to play at, the more skill is required for you to make the goal a reality.

Some options to regular limit tables that can also be played for profit are offered together with single table, sit-and-go, tournaments that can offer fairly constant winnings for above average players, although the higher the buy-in, the better the competition is. Good tournament players can generally turn a constant profit at buy-ins of $30 or less where more relaxed players tend to dwell.

If you are devoted to profits, it is probable to have more money still by consistently being on the watch out for weak player, even ‘tagging’ them if it is allowed, thus you can continue taking a seat next to known losers when achievable. No-limit and Pot-limit tables with max buy-ins more likely bring in the worst of players and when played appropriately against weal opponents prone to going all-in a notion can also be remarkably profitable.

While the average skill level of poker players is increasing, same with the number of casual players getting into the game. Keep in mind that everyone else is out to accomplish the same and not everyone can leave as a winner, even if you play better than an average and can turn a profit. Play sharp and never underrate your opponents.

Most common tells have one thing in common; they show a break in the rhythm of play such as:

A player’s quickness to respond.
Players who immediately act much faster than normal generally have a worse than usual hand if they fold or better than normal hands if a quick bet or raise is made. You should bet in a consistent rhythm continue your betting speed constant.

A player’s slowness to act.
An inexperienced or bad player takes a long time to make a poor play. Generally a poor hand is indicated by a long pause before a check, while a string hand is indicated by a long pause before a bet.

Automatic play/Advanced actions
The speed with switch the action is completed signifies an automatic play. A strong hand is implied if a player has chosen the ‘raise any’ button before their turn on a hand. If there is no chance of improving their hand, the player will instantly fold and will select ‘check/fold’ before their turn.

Other tells that on-line players send out include:

• Repetitive betting patterns. Be careful of patterns like always folding after a re-raise or always checking when you have a nut hand. Vary the amount of your bets too; don’t tell a good hand by always betting the same amount every time you have one.
• Folding a lot of hands. Players who fold too frequently are probably have a good hand when they do make a bet than players who play loose and play almost every hand.
• A change in the way a player uses the poker site message system. A decline in the number of messages sent may imply the existence of a strong hand that needs the awareness of that player, or they may be trash talking wishing other players will be intimated into folding when they don’t have the goods.

Be sure to change your game to avoid sending out your own online ‘tells.’ Keep you play unstable, don’t always raise the same amount, keep the time taken to act as consistent as possible and don’t be frightened to bluff sometimes to keep them on their toes.

Don’t Curse Or Swear.

This is an important concept to have. Swearing may be commonplace when playing poker with friends or family who are used to your antics, but online you are playing with a vast community of different players. You never know when you will be against someone who will be offended by your language.

Make Sure You Know How To Play First.

This is common etiquette in both online and normal player. There is almost no point in playing poker when you don’t know how to play. There are plenty of places to learn how to play the game, including free tutorials. Just take some time to respect the integrity of the game and learn the basic rules.

Most online poker software also comes with free features that allow players to use play money instead of real money. Rather than initially using your own hard-earned cash in a game you may not understand, take the time to learn the game in the free mode. It may not be exactly like real cash games, but it is a good start.

Don’t Talk About A Hand In Progress.

The chat feature might seem like a good way to vent about a folded hand, but don’t reveal the cards in your hand before the hand is over. You never know when your revelation may affect the way players bet and raise in a hand. Don’t sabotage other players out of your ignorance of what comments like this can do to a game.

Keep Up A Good Pace.

Usually this problem is taken care of for you by the software you use. Online sites allow you a certain amount of time to bet and raise. Just keep in mind, however, there is no reason to take longer then needed. It is very annoying to other players when one player is intentionally slowing down the play at the table.

By not going as fast as possible, you are not only ruining the experience for yourself but for others as well. Keep a good pace and no one will have any problems. Remember playing online is supposed to be fun for everyone!

Straight Flush
In this case, the straight flush with the highest valued cards will win the pot. For example if the community cards were the three, four, five, and six of hearts and you have the two of hearts, your hand would lose if an opponent had the seven of hearts.

Four of a Kind
This is another obvious rule but the player with the higher four of a kind will win the hand. A set of four Kings will beat a set of four threes. In the rare case that two players both have the same four of a kind, you would have to be playing with multiple decks pretty much, the player with the highest fifth card would win the hand. For example Four Kings and One Ace would beat Four Kings and a Queen. If both players hold the same hand, the pot is split.

Full House
The full house tie breaker is a little more complicated then the ones listed above. Since a full house consists of a three of a kind AND another pair, it may be confusing as to which one to use. If two players have two DIFFERENT full houses, then the higher three of a kind will win the hand. For example the full house 9,9,9,6,6 will beat 8,8,8,A,A. If two players have the same three of a kind, then the pair is used as the tiebreaker. The player with the higher pair would win the hand. So in the example above, if the second player had had three nines instead of eights he would have won the hand. If both the three of a kind and the pair are equal, then the pot is split into two.

Flush
Flush tiebreakers are a little more complicated as well. In the event that two players have a flush, the player with the highest card in his hand will win the hand. If two players have the same highest cards, then the next highest will be used. And so on. If all five cards are exactly the same, suits don’t matter as long as both players have five of the same suit, then the pot is split in half like almost every other hand.

Straight
Like almost every other poker hand, if two players both have straights the tiebreaker is simple. The player with the highest card in his sequence takes the pot. If both players hold the same straight, the pot is split in half.

Three of a Kind
Three of a kind tiebreakers are much the same as four of a kind ones. The hand with the highest three of a kind will win the pot. So three Aces will beat any other lower three of a kind. If the two players hold the same three of a kind, the next tiebreaker is the highest kicker. If both of the highest kickers are the same as well, then the second kicker is used. As usual, if the two players have the same hands, the pot is split.

Two Pair
In the event that two players have two pairs, the player with the highest pair wins the hand. An example of this would be two Kings and two Jacks will beat two Queens and two Tens. If both of the players share one pair, the other pairs value is used to determine the winner. If two players have the same exact two pair, then the fifth card, the kicker, is used to determine a winner. If the players have all five cards the same in value, then the pot is split in half.

One Pair
Much like any other tiebreaker between pairs, one pair winners are the ones with the highest pair. A pair of Aces will win against a pair of Tens. If two players hold the same pair, the next tie breaker is the highest kicker in their hand. If the first kickers are the same, then the tiebreaker moves on to the second, and then the third. As always, if the hands are the same after all five cards, the pot is split and the hand is a tie.

High Card
This is pretty much the same as any other hand in poker. The highest card wins the hand. If I have a Ace, Ten, Six, Four, Three then I will beat a King, Queen, Jack, Nine, Eight. If the first card is the same, then the second highest card is used. If the second highest is the same then the third highest is used. And so on. If all cards are the same in value, then the pot is split in half as normally done.

Something you may have noticed is that suits don’t matter at all in any of these tiebreakers. It doesn’t matter if you have more spades then an opponent. When choosing a dealer, suits may be used as a tiebreaker in case two of the same high card appear. Otherwise they are virtually useless in determining who wins in a tie!

Not falling into the trap of tilt takes an understanding of why a player goes into tilt in the first place.

A few common reasons player revert to tilt are:

1. Poor or dumb play by others at the table. Ever met someone who plays all the wrong hands and bets at the wrong times? Seeing someone do this a few times can cause some players to explode and fall into tilt.
2. A huge bet is lost on a bad beat…meaning you should have won the hand but didn’t do to bad luck on the turn or river.
3. A bluff causes you to lose to a worse hand.
4. After winning almost every hand you suddenly find yourself looking for hands to win and play.
5. You think you are better than you are at poker and are losing money because of it.
6. Although you have been getting good hold cards dealt to you, the right cards just aren’t flopping for you.
7. After folding an average hand you find out that you would have had an unbeatable hand after the flop or turn.
8. Haste causes you to fold a winning hand because you thought you had a worse hand and misread the situation.

Even if one of the eight things listed above happens to you, tilt isn’t going to help you recover losses. In most cases it will probably have the opposite effect, and help you to lose more money.

Some methods to avoid tilt:

1. Stop looking for the miracle river card. Fold average hands when you feel you are beat and avoid big losses early.
2. If at any point you feel yourself getting mad, take a time out and stop playing for a little while. Once you feel OK, start again.
3. Play against opponent’s who fit your skill level and comfort level. This will allow you to play more loose and avoid tilt.
4. Music can also help you to break this streak. Listen to some relaxing music or anything that will help you calm down. Keep changing up your tunes to keep the mood good enough to keep playing.
5. Just play the best you can and hope you do well. You are bound to lose some days, just accept it!

If you realize you are on tilt, you have to know you should stop the effects of tilt right away. Tilting is probably the number one cause for good players to lose their money. Keep your emotions separate from the game of poker, and play without tilt!

Because tournaments allow players to play a lot without risking as much money, new players often are attracted to the style of play. Without worrying about their cash, they can play poker against the better players at a casino and have a good time. This allows newer players to concentrate more on the actual game of poker and less on the losses they may or may not incur in one hand.

Another advantage to the tournament style of play is for people who like to know they won at the game. In cash games you can play a game for the entire night and walk away with the same amount you had before you began. Not in tournament games. In most cases you will either go home with much more than you came in with, or lose it all and get eliminated while playing.

Most players consider the bets tournament game to be the type that allows players to bet in a no-limit style. In this game players can put all their chips in on one hand that they best feel can win them more chips. There is still a minimum bet that each player must make, but as you see there is no ceiling on high a bet can be. This allows players to play the game of poker with more strategy, planning bets just right to get players to call or fold on particular hands.

No-limit Hold ‘Em is a game offered in cash games form, but for newer players it is best played first in a tournament game. As mentioned before, you can lose an entry fee by losing a tournament. You can lose much, much more playing a cash game and losing. When and if you do lose all the chips given to you in a tournament, the game is over for the night for you and you will have to leave the table. You can’t buy back in, in most cases, like in a cash game. Overall, tournament games are a good choice for players who want to be aggressive and play poker their way without worrying about big losses on one night.

Free Rolls
A very popular event that occurs for many online players is a freeroll tournament. These tournaments are set up similar to real games, but do not cost money to enter.

Much like normal multi-table games, freeroll tournaments get a huge following. Different online venues will have different ways to enter these tournaments. Most poker venues use freerolls to attract and keep players at their site. Many do not require a player to deposit cash or play for a certain while, they are available instantly for free!

As mentioned above, some poker rooms offer freerolls to players who stay with the same site or venue for a while. The invitations to this sort of event is usually based on how long a player has been playing at the same venue.

Even other venues may use freerolls solely as a method to get newer gamers. In this situation, a poker room would only allow new players to play in free tournaments.

As mentioned before, some poker sites are nice enough to let players who deposit nothing play for free and win money to play with. These are getting rarer by the day though, so if you see one jump on board!

If you are worried about the cost of online poker, freerolls are a great way to start up your online career for no cash. As always, make sure you know the specific rules of the game before playing. Rules vary from venue to venue and should always be read.

There are many differences between online and real poker play. The same basic rules are there but a few of the differences are listed below.

Poker Faces Are Not Required.
For players used to playing against other humans in real life, this is one of the biggest differences between the two styles of play. When playing online, you cannot look at another player’s face and watch his tells and mannerisms. Since much of the skill to older players comes from reading the opponent’s hands, this may reduce the appeal of playing online to those used to playing in real life.

Online play allows poker players to relax their emotions a lot. Instead of having to constantly hide their emotions and feelings towards the hands they are dealt, players can express joy and disgust to different flops or cards dealt at their discretion. Go ahead and clap your hands if you hit a full house on the flop!

Another difference that we can tell right away is the ease of checking how good hands dealt really are. In real life players have to be familiar with the hands before entering a game, but online you can quickly look up hand rankings, probabilities of winning the pot, and more.

The Pace Is Different.
This point is obvious to anyone who has ever played an online game. Instead of taking a minute or two to shuffle the cards and deal the hands, online games instantly deal hands within a second. In addition folding takes a lot less times as well, as players are just a click of the button away from mucking their hands.

No Tipping The Dealer.
In the casino it is common etiquette to tip the dealer at a table you frequent. Online you don’t have to worry about this additional cost anymore.

Lower Rakes.
A rake is a cut of the winnings from each pot that online and real casinos take to cover their own costs in each hand. The difference between online and real casinos comes in the amount of rake they take from each pot. Real casinos generally have higher costs then online ones do so they generally charge a little more. This is an added benefit for the players who choose to take their poker games online.

Online poker also better benefits players who would rather play the game for lower stakes. While regular casinos may also have variation, they will not allow you to play penny stakes like online poker sites will.

Table Selection
Online poker rooms are really convenient in this manner as well. At any online poker site you will be able to find tens of rooms in the limits you wish to play in. If a table is not going well for you or the players playing are not playing to your style, feel free to get up at a whim and change tables as much as you need to. In real life there will be much less choice in which table to play in, and moving from one to another is no easy task to begin with. This feature is another benefit for players who choose to go online.

Yet another advantage online poker players have is the fact that they are able to play more than one table at once. This is impossible in real life, as you cannot physically play two poker games at once. Some online poker sites will allow you to play in as many as four different poker rooms at the same time! This increases the possibilities for good players to make more money in their ventures.

An Elephant’s Memory
If you are the type of player who would love to go back to any game you have played ever and look at every hand you were dealt, online poker is for you. All online sites keep a running record of every hand you ever play at their venue and store them in a location where you can view the results of each hand at any time. This will help players who prefer to analyze their past play to change their future play to better win hands. This sort of information is impossible to keep track of in real life.

Even more beneficial to online poker players is the added features software can offer. Some software will analyze and determine how to better a play based on all the past hands you enter into it. This is extremely helpful to any sort of player.

Another online memory feature is keeping track of opponent’s play. Want to remember that the guy you played yesterday was extremely aggressive? No problem, just take a quick note and the information will be stored forever in the software. When you see familiar players over and over, you will be able to better tailor your game to beat them.

To sum up, poker software has features that allow you to store any and all poker information you might need in a game.

Tournaments
Tournaments are one of the best poker events in the world. There is nothing better then rejoicing over making it to the next day over a well-earned buffet in one of the great venues found near the casino of your choice.

Those fortunate enough to make it all the way to the last table will find themselves in the spotlight of the general public. Every play you make will be watched and you will be treated like a real pro. And even if you don’t get first, every other place at the last table will probably pay out a good amount based on what the buy-in was.

Much like real tournaments, online games offer large tournaments with many players. These games have buy-in and registration fees that are listed hours before the event starts. Most sites also have sit and go tournaments which usually are smaller and start almost at the same time ou buy a seat to the event.

Online poker tournaments are very popular, just like the real game. They are played by players from all around the world and beyond. The prizes usually reflect the same sort of cash amount that you would make in a casino. If you are a fan of a great atmosphere and such though, go to a casino for your tournament fix.

Bonuses and Comps
The best part about playing online is the fact that you get free money to play with when you take your service to a new venue. Casinos do not offer bonuses for playing poker in their tables and neither does any other sort of poker game.

Some online sites offer both initial deposit bonuses and bonuses on new deposits.

Another reward online sites give is more chips for playing a certain number of hands. These are known as comp. systems and are usually supported by the software that tracks your progress. Real casinos may offer a dinner or a show to their best players, but nothing in the consistency that online poker venues provide.

The easiest and most popular method of depositing money into a bank is using a credit card. Unfortunately many issuing banks are beginning to block gaming charges due to the fear of legal problems. Therefore, many gaming sites offer a variety of ways to deposit money, listed as follows.

Credit Cards
Although it may be harder for United States citizens to use this method these days, Mastercards and Visas are still widely accepted at most gaming sites. Be aware that your bank may apply a transaction fee to the usage of a credit card for this purpose, even if it is recorded as a purchase and not a transaction.

NETELLER
NetTeller is a service that is similar to the widely known Paypal. Unlike Paypal, NetTeller can be used to deposit and withdraw money from online poker companies. Simply deposit money into your NetTeller account with a credit card or bank account and send it to your gaming fund!

FirePay
Much like NetTeller, Firepay allows you to deposit money into an account without revealing credit card information. Simply create an account, deposit funds, and transfer money into the online gaming site of your choice. You can start playing almost immediately.

PrePaid ATM
These are basically like debit cards mixed with a gift card. They have a set amount accorded to them and will work like credit cards in deposits

Western Union
Western Union allows you to send money to online poker sites. They, however, have high transaction fees. Sometimes these losses will be given back to you via bonuses.

Direct Bank Transfer (Automatic Clearing House, or ACH)
The name pretty much says it all. The money is transferred directly from your personal bank account to an online casino. They will ask for your personal account details to accomplish this. But be careful…

Wire Transfer
This is a lot like a direct bank transfer but is safer and slower. Instead of entering information into an online form, you will fax the banking information to the online poker site of your choice. They will then ask your bank for the money and the bank will depend on your authorization. You can see how this method can take a few days to accomplish.

Check or Money Order
This is the slowest method of them all. The check or money order has to be mailed and received by the poker site of your choice. Use only if other methods don’t appeal to you.