Poker 5-Card Stud Variants

By Brian on Monday, March 23, 2009

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Filed Under: Poker Rules, Poker Variations

If you don’t know much about five-card stud poker, it is an easy poker version to learn, you just need to grasp some of the subtle poker rules of each of the poker 5-card stud variants.  As in the other types of poker games, in a five-card stud poker game, all players bet.  Each player is dealt two cards, one card is face up and the other is face down.  Usually, the person with the lowest exposed card has to place a small bet.

The third card is dealt face up and then a round of betting starts – the player with the best-exposed hand starts with the first bet.  The fourth card is then dealt, again it is face up.  Subsequently, the fifth and final card is dealt with its face down, again followed up by a round of betting.  However, some people play with the fifth card dealt face up to each player, so each player is left with only one card in the hole.

Soko

Soko is a poker game, which is played exactly like a 5-card stud game, except a 4 flush and a 4 straight are treated as hands.  For instance, a hand such as 1234Q is not queen high, but will be considered a 4 straight.  In soko, a 4 straight and a 4 flush are stronger than a pair but not a two pair.

Therefore, the new rank of hands will be:

  • Straight flush
  • Four of a kind
  • Full house
  • Flush
  • Straight
  • Three of a kind
  • Two pair
  • Four flush
  • Four Straight
  • Pair
  • High card

Satan

Satan is recognized as one of the poker 5-card stud variants with these extra features: pot-limit betting, high-low split the pot, last card being dealt up, and bet and show.

Best Flush

This online poker game is usually played as a type of a 5-card stud.  The hand hierarchy is with a Straight Flush on the top, 5-Card Flush second, followed up by 4-Card Flush, 3-Card Flush and 2-Card Flush.  The ties are broken first by the rank of the cards in the flush,  and thereafter by the rank of the cards in the hand.

Studded Guts High or Low

This game consists of a maximum of 6 players.  All of them ante, as in all poker games, except the dummy. Each player gets dealt 5 cards in succession, two cards face up, and three face down, including the dummy as well.  This is followed with a round of betting; after each face up card and the last down card – you must beat the dummy and/or any other player to win.

Watch that house edge…

By Brian on Friday, March 20, 2009

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Filed Under: Online Poker, Other Gambling

Online Poker is pretty much available to anyone who wants to play poker on his or her laptop or desktop computer and who has an internet connection.  The number of people partaking in online gambling has increased dramatically over recent years, as the popularity of both casino and poker games are becoming more widespread from day to day.  Playing casino games at online casinos has become a very popular form of online gambling, but it is still the online poker tables where a large number of people seem to be heading.

The difference between playing casino games and poker is that it is possible to win money over the long run whilst playing poker.  For those who like to play casino games, you should realize, over time, that you are doomed to lose because of the fact that the odds are always in the favor of the house.

Therefore the online casinos will make money despite the fact that some players will win every now and then, because in the long run players are losing more money than they are winning.  Gamblers never admit to this though!

Online Poker Cheats

By Brian on Thursday, March 19, 2009

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Filed Under: General, Online Poker

Poker is played for money and  the amount of money is how we keep score.  But correct play is not judged by who wins the most money.  Correct play is a matter of positive expectation on our actions – and our actions include many more things than merely betting…

I don’t like to think in terms of “the best players” because it is hard to define “the best player”.  For me, the best players, are the ones who play correctly, follow the poker rules and poker etiquette.  The best players are the ones who consistently play the best poker.

Watch Out Poker Cheats!
Most casino poker cheats work in teams.  The slang for the collusion of two players is sharing a  “kit.”  The most common form of “kitting” is touching your thumb to one of your four fingers,  each representing a different action;  bet,  call, fold,  and raise.  Cheaters employ all sorts of other signs to relay information to their partners using body language,  verbal clues,  chip placement,  and diversionary tactics.  Obviously,  you have to be a skilled player to be able to sit in these games to begin with and hold your own until the right opportunity comes along – to cheat and win the big pot.

In order to prevent cheating at your poker table,  you really have to pay attention to the signs.  Although cheating occurs a very small percentage of the time, there will be people who will do anything to gain an extra edge against the field.  Play smart and keep your eyes open and you should be fine.

Cheating happens whilst playing poker online and you have to be aware that some people may be colluding with each other – keep a look out for dubious poker moves and online poker cheats!

Playing the maniac…

By Brian on Monday, March 16, 2009

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Filed Under: General

I had a real maniac poker player online yesterday.  This guy was all over the place, totally unpredictable!

Just when I thought, ahh this guy is an idiot, I’m going to take some money off him… then he would pull off some outstanding poker hand and win – very irritating!  I much prefer playing with players that know the game and are predictable.

Talk about mixing it up, one moment this guy played so aggresively it was a joke, then he would suddenly go all quiet and passive for a while – probably a schizophrenic!  How do the maniacs find the best online casinos?

What poker strategy do you use against a maniac?  I just played my normal poker game in the end and didn’t over react to him.  It paid off in the end because his play ended up being too loose and aggressive.  He lost most of his stack and then suddenly logged out – left us to our more normal poker game.

Does anyone know how you should handle this situation?

Fridays……

By Brian on Friday, March 13, 2009

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Filed Under: General

TGIF… friday.. friday.. trying my best to just get through the day.  Come on weekend, you are not coming fast enough…

Don’t tell anyone, but the real problem may be due to a little bit of overzealous card manipulation last night…

You discover a free poker site, with great deposit bonuses and the next thing is that you are hooked and end up playing to the wee early hours of the morning… when the little tweety birds suddenly start reminding you that the sun is coming up and its time to get ready to face another day in the office, listening to the boss ranting about sales and cutting costs…

Just got to get through it… grin and bear it… dig deep!

Like Thomas the train engine…”I think I can…. I know I can…. I think I can….”

I had better sign off and keep quiet, I think I’m losing it, people are starting to look at me funny…

Ah its Friday the 13th… I can blame it on that…

Where are you from?

By Brian on Friday, March 13, 2009

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Filed Under: Online Bingo

I was online last night, grinding away… trying to see if I could out-smart these guys.  I had logged onto a poker room, where I know I can usually get a game, where I feel confident enough… where my poker skills are good enough to beat the other poker players.

The funny thing is that you just dont know where the other players are from.  And when you are playing poker online they can be from anywhere!

Have you ever traveled?  Usually the first question you get asked is..”where are you from?”  and.. then people start a conversation, or maybe they just ignore you if they dont know anything about where you are from… or just dont like you…

So this guys says to me last night, “Bingo spiel?”.  And I am like..”What??”.. “Que?…”

Look I dont know anything about bingo mate… they call out numbers and you cross them off… and then you shout, “Bingo!!!” when you have them all…

Anyway turned out his name was Dieter and he was from Germany, not a bad guy, took some chips off him…

Learn how to play craps

By Brian on Thursday, March 12, 2009

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Filed Under: Other Gambling

You often see casino craps being played in movies and in casinos, but not everyone knows how to play the game.  Or should I rather say… not everyone knows how to win at craps!

I have played a few times with friends, but mostly just for fun and I don’t really follow a specific strategy.  I can’t say I’ve made fortunes playing casino craps, but we’ve had a lot of fun!

You can learn how to play casino craps the right way by going to this website and following the guide, which is straight forward and easy to understand.  There is a lot of information online, but can you really trust it?  You have to be sure that the advice that you are getting is going to help your craps game, ensure that you beat the house and win.

Keeping up with the Durrrr Challenge

By Brian on Wednesday, March 4, 2009

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Filed Under: General, Online Poker

Hey all you railbirds, have you been keeping up with the Durrrr Challenge?

Patrik Antonius has been the first person to take up Tom “Durrrr” Dwan’s $1Million dollar poker challenge.  A couple of days ago they managed to squeeze in another 226 hands towards the massive total of 50,000 hands.  Both of them are far apart in different parts of the world, so I suppose the logistics of trying to co-ordinate their poker playing is proving difficult.

So far its pretty even – but its still early days as only 4,178 hands have been played in total so far.  Dwan’s winnings are higher than Antonius’s, he is up $140,380.

Although it seems that Antonius got the better of Dwan in this latest 35 minute spat, there was not much in it really.  Durrr has won more pots, but Antonius has got the bigger pots.  The biggest pot in their latest game amounted to $115,000, which Antonius won with a flush of clubs…

The flop was 7s, 5c & 2c.  Both thought they were in with a chance so they bet heavily.  The king of spades was the turn card, Antonius had $21,600 on the table by now… the river was 4c… three clubs on the board… Antonius was confident, Dwan wanted to make sure…

So Antonius turned over and was true to his word… he had a jack of diamonds, 10c, 8c and 8h to produce a flush and take the big pot!

Railbirds keep checking for the next game at Full Tilt, they’ve played six sessions so far… not sure when they will log on again and play…

Do you have a Poker Face?

By Brian on Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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Filed Under: General, Online Poker, Poker Variations

That’s enough about online casino games.. lets get back to poker… time to go back to some basics…

When you hear the word ‘Poker’, there are actually many different variations of poker games, each with their own set of unique poker rules.  There are certain playing strategies which can be applied to each type of poker game; in order to improve the chances of winning.  Anyone can use these special techniques… of course, without exceeding the poker rules!

The ‘pot’ represents the amount of cash which players place during a game or a single hand, depending on the variant of poker… not something else ok!!!

The difference between certain poker variations consists of the way the cards are dealt, on the way one can form a hand, and how many bets are allowed during a game.  There are three different types of poker; each of them having their own peculiarity: Stud, Draw and Community Poker.

1. Stud poker:

With this variation of poker, some cards are dealt face up, whilst others are face down, the number of cards dealt varies.  If you are playing seven card stud poker – three face down cards and four face up cards are dealt.

After each dealt card, the players place their bets.  The most common stud poker used to be played with three cards dealt to each player, but now the most popular stud-variant of poker seems to be seven card stud.

2. Draw poker:

With this type of poker, players are dealt cards before a betting round takes place.  They form their own hand by drawing or replacing cards for the upcoming rounds.  All cards are face down.  The most common draw card variant is five card draw.

3. Community poker:

This type of poker is when each player gets face down cards and besides these, there are certain common cards, also known as ’shared cards’ or community cards; these are dealt face up in the middle of the table. Players need to make the best possible hand using their own and common cards together.  The one who has the best card combination is the winner.  The most well known and favorite community card game is Texas Hold’em.

The above mentioned categories of poker are the most well known around the world.  Many professional poker players have their favorite type of poker and have their own playing techniques.  In order to play in the most appropriate way, you need to possess a specific knowledge and you have to know how to handle your cards.  There are particular strategies which can be used for improving your game; but you are also required to have some skills, so that you can develop a ‘feel’  for the game of poker and play with your heart… hmmm

It is extremely important for a poker player to have a ‘Poker Face’ which means that you know how to disguise yourself; you have to know how to ‘act’ during your game, so that your opponents cannot figure out what kind of hand you have.

Your ‘Poker Face’ depends on you, on how good an actor you are, on your poker experience and what sort of ‘poker character’ you are.

It is important to pay attention to your opponents’ facial expressions and reactions while playing, because they can give away many signs.  But also take into consideration that these people may act differently just to mislead you.

The best way to learn about poker faces and body language is by playing poker and practicing as much as you can.  Poker is a game where you are put up into different situations every time you play, forcing you to use a lot of different poker skills.

You cannot play poker unless you know the specific poker rules, and you must know how to handle your cards.  There is also a huge element of luck, because the cards that are dealt, play a great role in your success.  At first, the cards play a vital role and will influence your decisions, but it is all up to you and how you take advantage of and play with the cards.

You will notice that every single player has a certain method of playing or strategy which is quite difficult to figure out, especially for a beginner.  You should practice as much as possible in order to come up with different ideas and playing methods, to form your own strategy.

After some time, you will also figure out which is the best way to act during your game, so that your behavior can mislead your opponents’ ideas and make them ‘judge’ your hand in the wrong way.  You will develop your ‘Poker Face’, as you play more and more.

When playing online poker, the situation is totally different.  This does not mean that playing poker in an online poker room is not fun and exciting.  It’s just that online gamblers have different tastes and preferences, which is why they prefer online poker.

On one hand, many people think that it is much more exciting to play in a land based casino or to take part in poker tournaments and sit around the table with your opponents.  Other gamblers consider that online poker is more advantageous.  In an online poker room, one can play anytime you want to, 24/7.

Another reason why some prefer playing online poker is that they do not have the same ’stage fright’ that they would have when playing around a table in a land based casino.  Of course, this is because they don’t have to look into their opponents’ eyes or they don’t need to be anxious that the other players can figure out what kind of cards they have.  In such circumstances, they don’t have to show their ‘Poker Face’.

When you play in an online poker room, you cannot be seen by anyone and you shouldn’t feel nervous, because your opponents cannot observe your reactions.  It’s your choice: you can take part in certain poker tournaments in land based casinos, or you can also sign up for tournaments in online poker rooms.  You just need to know the poker rules and you have to make sure that you are prepared to play for real cash.

Remember that you should never begin playing careless, without thinking about the consequences.  What’s more: you should not start playing for cash before you feel that you have the right knowledge and poker experience.  Do your best to achieve a certain level at which you can calmly bet for real cash and know that you can trust your poker skills.

Choose an online casino or online poker room which is secure and honest.  Most importantly – have some fun at your favorite poker game!

Mixed fortunes

By Brian on Monday, March 2, 2009

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Filed Under: Other Gambling

Had mixed success with my betting attempt on the weekend.  Problem was that the 0-0 result for the Carling Cup final threw out my spread bet – really thought that Manchester United would at least be able put in two goals.  Won some pocket money on Chelsea which made me a little happier.

Overall I had more success at the online casinos on the weekend, I have been working on developing a winning casino strategy.  Maybe I just got lucky who knows… but it seemed to work for me.

But what really put a smile on my face was that the wife is a lot happier with me, which gives me a bit of breathing space… I plucked up the courage to ask her if she would like to be wined and dined and taken out… she loves the idea… what woman wouldn’t?

So now I just need to make a booking and spoil the old girl… should be fun!