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Poker is perhaps the most popular card game in the whole world today. Some play it in the casino; others prefer playing it online while others love staging poker games at their homes. Poker indeed has become the central reason why enthusiasts would group together one Saturday night, deem it as Boys Night and play poker until the wee hours of morning. Without a doubt, poker reigns supreme on these kinds of night!

The Poker Party:

First off, when you are planning to stage a poker game in your home, you have to have a decent poker set. A deck of cards and some quality poker chips should set you off nicely. A decent deck of cards mean that you have to possess those that still have a nice, new feel to them like the plastic-coated ones and not those which are already frayed on the sides from constant usage. Try to steer clear from using potato chips and peanuts as chips too! Although using them might be more casual and fun, it is preferable that you have quality poker chips that distinguish your poker game from the usual run-in-the-mill types. I recommend that you purchase 13.5g poker chips. Although a bit heavier than the rest, these poker chips are durable and strong and can cope with constant handling. They also have a nice casino-chip-like thud to them when slashed together in the pot. Your guests would surely be impressed by your exciting chips! A nice poker table is also fun to have. Poker tables, especially those felt-lined ones add a certain casino-like and add to the excitement of any poker game at home.

When organizing a poker game, you should also consider the food you will be serving your guests. You can opt to serve dinner but remember to serve it well before the game. This way, your guests can enjoy the meal and the game one at a time. It is usually best if you prepare finger foods during the game than those that require forks and knives to eat. As much as possible, try to serve food that is less greasy and can be picked up by one hand only instead of two. This way, your guests can eat even when they’re playing and eating will definitely not delay the game. This eliminates the need of the players to set down their cards first when they eat, too and less grease on their hands mean less grease on your cards, right? Try to vary the food as much as possible.

For the beverages, it is always preferable to serve beer, right? But make sure that you have a decent selection of non alcoholic drinks as well. Some players prefer to remain sober when playing poker to eliminate chances of losing. Too much drinking can also delay the game since this usually leads to a considerable time in the bathroom. But then whether we admit it or not, playing poker is infinitely more fun when alcoholic beverages are around, so don’t be afraid to stack up on those, especially if you are among close friends you know very well.

Planning is the key to a good poker game at home. You really have to plan well ahead of time to make sure that your game will go off without a hitch.

Beverages: you should make sure you have a good selection of non alcoholic drinks as well as plenty of beer for your game. Drinking too much can also make your game less enjoyable for you and the other players, no one like to have to constantly be waiting for someone who is going to the bathroom all the time or getting up to grab another cold beer.

Another disadvantage to drinking too much is that your judgment becomes impaired and to win at poker you need to have your head focused. Poker is just as much about reading your players and noticing the smallest change in a person’s attitude during the game and if you drink too much you may start to miss things.

Game Related Items: A poker table is not needed to play poker and other then making you feel like you are in a poker tournament in a casino or give you a breakdown of what goes where, it does not really serve a needed function at a poker game. So if you do not have one and can not afford it do not let that stop you from throwing a game.

When it comes to the cards you play with most players just prefer a standard plastic coated playing card to anything else, and I recommend having more then 1 deck just in case a card gets bend, torn or someone gets food or grease on them.

If you are going to be playing with the same players all the time you may want to chip in together and purchase a nice set of chips, the professional weight clay chips. They are not needed for the game but I just prefer the way they feel in my hand when I am playing.

Players: If you are starting up a new game I recommend picking people who are all close t the same level of skills, no one wants to be the fish every week, and it is also so fun when one of your friends wins every week, unless it is you.

If you follow the advice in this article you will not only find you will start playing better but you and your friends will have a better time playing poker.

Poker has reached its zenith as the most popular card game of all times and is believed to be around since the 1500′s. It has its origins from ancient Persia, was then called “œas nas” and was thought to be brought by Persian sailors to America via New Orleans to the French Settlers in 1803. Highly-esteemed forms of literature like Jonathan H. Green’s “An Exposure of the Arts and Miseries of Gambling” in 1843 and Joe Cowell’s “Thirty Years Passed Among the Players in England and America” in 1844 shows that poker has been around for ages.

When United States dispatched the American Expeditionary force to Great Britain during World War I, poker instantaneously gained popularity among the British and was even hailed as United States National Card Game during those times. Indeed, poker grew to so much status that casinos offering it now abound the whole world and a tournament dedicated entirely to the game called the World Series of Poker is now shown in ESPN. Poker’s fame did not stop there, however. Nowadays, with the advent of the internet, various online poker websites can be found in the web.

The Evolution of Poker:

Poker has gone through a series of evolution since its creation. From the simple “œas-nas” of the Persians wherein a special 25-card deck with 5 suits are used, it now has evolved to include the full 52 cards with 4 suits of an English deck. It is played by two or more players and each would place a bet that his hand is better than those of his opponents. The other players can either fold and drop out of the game or can equal or raise the bet depending on their hands. Betting and bluffing was added into the game during the 1700′s. The cards are manipulated to form certain combinations like the straight flush or the royal flush, the four of a kind, the full house, the flush, the straight, the three of a kind, two pairs and one pair to win the game. The winner of the game is the one who holds the best hand or the last to fold from the game. The winner also gets the pot or the combination of all the bets given during the game.

Poker has also developed into several variations, some of which are the draw poker, stud poker and the community poker such as the Texas Hold ‘Em.

Why is Poker So Popular?

Poker is a skill-based game which requires intense focus on your hand, an impressive ability to bluff and a skillful reading of the opponents. Concentration and focusing on your cards require that you have enough knowledge on the workings of poker. This condition develops a man’s ability to think and be on guard at all times. The ability to bluff requires that a man should develop the strength of becoming impassive and manipulative in a positive way. Becoming a skillful reader of your opponents require you to be a good judge of character and have the ability to comprehend the nuances of the other players. All of these abilities even when applied outside the game make a man appreciate his environment more and make him matured in dealing with challenges more. This is perhaps the reason why poker has become so popular. But then, who can forget the pot? The pot is another reason why poker has indeed risen to become the most-loved card game of all time.

One of the most popular card games on the planet, poker is a game where players are dealt a number of cards (the actual number depends on the game) which are either fully or partially hidden from the others, with the player who has the best combination of cards winning the game.

Depending on the rules, one or more players are required to ante up or place an initial bet in a central pot, after which the cards are dealt to the players and the game begins.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that luck is all it takes to win a poker game. In fact, poker is a game of strategy where a cool head and a clear mind can turn a weak combination into a winning one. Here are some tips for playing a winning hand:

Study your opponents.
Develop a method of playing or a strategy which will help you understand your opponents methods. Use this to identify who plays fair or who is the more calculating player. Knowing your opponents makes it easier to plan your own moves and keep you from losing the game.

Keep A Poker Face.
A poker face means that you never show a clue as to what cards you hold in your hand. Keep your opponents guessing; make every effort to keep them cautious. If you have a weak hand, try to project a show of strength keep them wondering about what you have in your hands.

Bluffing is a tactic – Use it wisely.
Keep in mind that bluffing will not work if you keep projecting your intentions. At the same time, never bluff consistently or regularly expert players will, sooner or later, recognize a pattern in your playing and use this knowledge against you.

How Strong Are Your Cards?
Remember that the best combination of cards wins. If the hand you’re dealt with is less than a pair, fold at the earliest possible time. Dont wait in the hope that you will be dealt with ‘better cards’ because chances are that this will not happen.

Learn from the song.
You’ve got to know when to hold on when to fold? One of the most difficult aspects of the game is knowing when to keep playing, or when to quit while you’re ahead. As you play the game, you learn how to feel the game you know how much or how little to bet, you get a sense of when it is best to stay in the game or pull out.

One rule of thumb: never assume that later cards will improve your situation, especially if you have nothing to play with. Folding one hand is not a disgrace do so as often as you feel it is necessary.

Exercise Control, Especially When Betting.
Very few people actually win fortunes when playing poker, so bet with your head, not with your guts. Keep within your limits and don’t lose your shirt.

Don’t Drink and Play.
Alcohol can lower your inhibitions and make you lose control. You may become more daring and brash, betting more on not-so-good card combinations, and missing opportunities to turn weak hands into winning ones. Avoid drinking especially if it is a high-stakes game.

And finally: learn the game. Spend time to develop your own style, as well as how to put together a strategy for playing the game. Practice makes perfect and the more you play, the more experience you gain, all of which will help you in developing your own secrets to winning at poker.

Have you watched the movie Casino Royale, the prequel to James Bond’s 007 career? You can only watch in stupefied amazement as the players throw away millions of dollars in one poker game.

Don’t lose heart. You may not be able to coolly lose a million (really, who aside from the world’s wealthiest individuals can?) but you can certainly play as coolly as the Casino Royale characters. All you need is the proper poker training and you’ll be tossing your dollar bets with a great deal of devil-may-care attitude in no time at all. Formal poker training will not only teach you poker how-tos but help you acquire poker discipline as well. Here are some ways by which you can acquire the professional poker veneer.

Experience is the best teacher

This may sound clich’d but experience has indeed always been the best teacher. Learn the game by playing with other players at a live casino poker table. Begin playing with novices like you and you’ll learn so much without losing much.

If you want to learn quicker and money is not an issue, try the higher-stakes tables. This will give you the privilege of socializing with the so-called poker experts and help you imbibe expert techniques.

Playing to learn poker gives you training unlike any other. Learning from the players who know the game is the best strategy of acquiring the right poker-playing skills.

Learn them for free

In Las Vegas, casinos offer free training during off peak seasons and times, say in the morning. Avail of the promotional offers. Don’t be shy to ask favors from casino operators; after all, you are a future customer. Professional opinions and training come free with these lessons.

Poker camps for the big guys

Yes, camps are not just for boy scouts. There exist some poker camps for serious poker novices. However, the price may be more than you can actually afford. Like the boy scout camps, poker camps are whole pre-packaged programs that contains poker seminars, poker tournaments and poker workshops. Such camps would allow you to meet some of the best poker pros in the world.

Get some private lessons

Hire a professional poker player to teach you the game. This would not only give you an exciting poker experience, but a professional poker player can give you pointers on pro-level poker etiquette and winning poker strategies. Where do we find these experts? Simply ask your local casino and they’d certainly be able to refer one or two.

Private poker home games

You can also learn from the simple home games that you and your buddies arrange. You can buy some beer, some pizza, and get the game going. However, such a friendly and low-stakes game can lead to misconceptions. Some poker playing strategies applicable at home games are not quite applicable in casino games.

Follow these steps and you you’re on your way to beating the best in the field. Poker is a very challenging game that can give you immeasurable thrills. Furthermore, if you are truly good at it, you can even earn a living off it. So what are you waiting for? Get some poker training now!

Poker enthusiasts abound us. They can be found almost anywhere, inside our homes, in the office, in the casinos and other gambling institutes and even in cyberspace! And all have one good reason why. Simply put, poker is definitely addictive. From the strategizing to the bluffing, poker creates a whole new world of excitement and fun for all its followers. Ask anyone you know, they will answer you the same thing: poker is here to stay, like it or not.

Poker can be played anywhere, be it at home, in the office, in a casino or online. There simply is no limit to where poker can be played provided that the players have the time to do it. Every poker enthusiast knows this tidbit: there are two most essential things you need when playing poker, the deck of cards and some poker chips. This is very much a fact. The deck of cards is for the poker, the poker chips are for the bets. The deck of cards is not a problem though. One can easily put it in the pocket and carry it around anytime anywhere. What about the poker chips? The chips can pose a bit of a problem. They simply cannot be carried around as easily as a deck of cards can.

The Solution to Poker Chip Problems:

There is a solution to this. You can use substitutes! Anything can be used as poker chips, provided that you have a numerous collection of them and they are relatively small enough to fit the table. From food items to office supplies, you can use almost anything to substitute for poker chips.

Let’s say you are at home and you do not have any poker chips. Your friends are coming over with one thought in mind: to play a poker game. You can use certain food items like peanuts, chocolate pieces, uncooked pasta and even berries as poker chips. Having a variety of food items can help you assign different values to them, too. Just remember to print out the values on a piece of paper for quick reference of the assigned values. And do not eat the pieces! You might very well become bankrupt if you keep on shoving your poker chips in your mouth!

Do your kids have other board games at home like the Millionaire’s Game or the Monopoly? You can opt to use the play money provided by the board game. Assigning values to them will be way easier, too. Just remember to put them back to their boxes after the poker game so that your kids will not harp you on it later! You can also use bottle caps as poker chips. Try to color them according to their assigned values first. Bottle caps make a great substitute for poker chips since they are of the same shape as the real ones. Just remember to clean up after the game so that you get no complaints from the wife.

Are you in the office? Try using rubber bands, paper clips, post-it papers and push pins as poker chips! Just remember to put them back once you’re finished to avoid conflicts with your boss, and of course to avoid getting caught.

Poker enthusiasts, take heed! With all these substitutes, you can now play poker anytime and anywhere to your hearts content!