If the name sounds familiar, it certainly should. Cool Hand Poker is modeled after Cool Hand Luke, one of the most iconic characters in American cinema. He was a man that was known for being a loose cannon, but he was also a man that most definitely knew how to have fun. It is in that spirit that Cool Hand Poker operates and for this reason many of the prizes that they offer in tournaments are a bit unorthodox.
A good example of this is “Let Us Entertain You,” a tournament that is part of the November 2009 promotional offerings from the Cool Hand Poker website.
The tournament finale for this promotion takes place on November 25th and is currently in place for a start time of 1900 GMT. You can buy into the tournament for $5 + $0.50 and during the first hour of play you have as many $1 rebuys as you would like to make. With levels increasing every five minutes however, those rebuys will not be worth a whole lot before too long, forcing you to buy more of them each time you decide you’d like to enter the fray again.
The winner of the tournament will end up with a voucher for $500. This voucher is good for any entertainment event that they would like to attend. You can go see the band of your choice or attend any other live event that falls into the price range of the voucher that you can win.
The best part of this is that throughout the rest of November, satellite tournaments will be available two times a day up until the finale begins. You can get into a satellite for $0.50 and you can purchase rebuys during satellite events as well.
Due to the unorthodox nature of the top prize being offered in this tournament, there are many at Cool Hand Poker that feel that this particular promotion will put them on the map. They are a minor website right now, but if promotions like this become really popular, that could certainly change in a hurry.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Let Us Entertain You at Cool Hand Poker
Posted by PokerMan at Friday, November 06, 2009 0 comments
Thursday, November 5, 2009
PKR Sets Sights on MTTs
PKR.com has been a pioneering poker site right from the first day of it being brought into existence. In fact, the whole idea of the PKR operation is one that could be argued as being revolutionary. Originally modeled entirely on the idea of the three-dimensional graphical user interface that it still boasts, PKR has always been turning heads.
However, one part of their online operation that has been lagging is their multi-table tournament reach. There are simply too many other tournaments elsewhere that have better buy-in to prize ratios as well as a larger draw. However, PKR is attempting to break further into the online MTT market through the revamping of their MTT schedule.
The revamping does a lot, but there are a few highlights that are worth deeper mention. The chief highlight of the MTT revamp is the expansion of the PKR Masters. This event, easily the highest profile multi-table tournament at PKR, used to be a monthly event. Under the new rescheduling however, it can now take place every second Saturday meaning that during some months it could actually happen three times in the same month.
The $100,000 guaranteed prize pool for the PKR Masters is the largest guaranteed prize pool on the site, but is also large enough that PKR cannot afford to run it every week. In order to keep players interested however, off weeks will now have a High Roller MTT that comes with a guaranteed prize pool of $30,000.
In addition to these major changes to the MTT schedule at PKR Poker, they have also added some new Omaha tournaments to the fold. Omaha action is something that PKR is not really known for, but they have definitely pointed out the excellent of their Omaha selections by making more of them available.
Finally, one last change that PKR has made to their MTT operations is the introduction of more satellite tournaments. More satellite tournaments with lower buy-ins mean that more players can get in on the action regardless of the money they have available. Through such populist measures in combination with expansion of the elite tournaments on the website, PKR hopes to draw more tournament players to the website.
Posted by PokerMan at Thursday, November 05, 2009 0 comments
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Strategy for Online Cash Games
While playing online poker the cash game tips enhance the live poker play and online cash as well.
There are two kinds of poker players. One kind of poker player’s play within limits and the other type does not. One of the theories of Poker clearly states that every time a poker player adopts a different style in his game his chances of losing are higher than if he plays in his unique style most of the times. Excessive experimentation results in loss of concentration on the game and the strategy adopted by the opponents.
This is one of the oldest strategies of Poker and helps in demarcating between good and bad players. The strategy lies in reading the opponents and his cards. This will help him in making fewer mistakes.
The beginners should avoid playing at multiple tables. Ensure that you are conducive to the environment. It is advised that players should indulge in a few games which would help them earn bonuses before starting the game on a particular table. When players are playing with bonuses they have a complacent feeling that they are playing to use the bonus on the poker table. This thought should be eliminated from their minds. Playing efficiently and methodical thinking patterns should be adopted while playing as these strategies would help in earning cash. The bonus can be soon over if the players indulge on multi-tables.
Calculations help tremendously while playing poker. Players should appropriately choose the tables which have large average pots. You should remember that most bonuses are washed away even if the players are not engrossed with the pot. The subscription of Poker and Lobby edge can be your saving grace as their computerized database would help you with choosing the right table.
Playing at multi-tables can be very advantageous as it drives the feeling of boredom which occurs when you play at a single table. It also helps in cleansing bonuses in an adequate manner. Playing at various tables has its own advantages and disadvantages.
One of the most important cash game strategy tip is to memorize all the hand rankings before playing the game.
Posted by PokerMan at Tuesday, October 27, 2009 2 comments
Monday, October 26, 2009
Poker for Beginners
Are you new to the game of Poker? Don’t worry. This article will help you with all the answers to your questions. Before playing the game you should be aware of all the basic rules of Poker.
There are various kinds of Poker like seven card stud, Omaha and Texas hold’em Poker and so on. You should be well versed with poker terminology or you would feel like a fish out of water. This would help you to succeed in the game as well. The word action refers to a move made by a player in the game. The term all-in refers to betting all the chips a player has. The term bad beat indicates that a particular hand was beaten by another player. Betting refers to putting money in the pot and flop is the initial three community cards which are to be dealt. The highest unpaired card is called a kicker and raise refers to increasing the bets in the pot.
Once you are acquainted with the glossary of poker you should move ahead and learn the various strategies used in poker. You should be educated about all the variations that the game has to offer so that you can win against all odds.
Poker is one of the most popular games and players play in loose and reckless way or they stick to a conservative method of playing. Some players adopt the technique of playing in a vigilant and aggressive manner. Sit and go’s are profitable and are a great way to experiment new styles and techniques of playing poker. You should initially start with a single table and then graduate to multi-tables.
Poker players should have a keen eye and should be able to analyze and judge opponents in a crisp manner. Beginners can learn and experiment myriad strategies by playing poker online. Invest reasonable time to learn the tricks and methods of the game before playing with professionals where large stakes are involved. Methodical thinking and systematic observation of the opponents helps in shaping the game in a concrete way. Familiarize yourself with the different aspects of the game before you realize that you have lost a big amount of money on the poker table.
Posted by PokerMan at Monday, October 26, 2009 2 comments
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Texas Holdem Party is great for a Beer Party
Beer parties are all about having fun. A group of guys and gals get together and loose themselves to the entertainment which flows with the mood. And a great ingredient to be added to this confluence of at-home fun is Texas Hold-em poker. With chances to win and chances to loose, with nail biting moments and moments of victory roars poker is a spicy ingredient, great for any beer party.
The game can be given a lighter mood by making only light bets of pennies or maybe even beers. This may just avoid your friends from drooping into drunken sadness. Light bets give players a chance to enjoy, free from the worries of losing everything in their pockets. Just make every player put on colored paper caps and have them play with the smallest form of cash they can find in their pockets. Guys and gals can team up for cheering to make the affair more exciting.
What are beer parties just about guys and gals? No, they are also about the mood and the setting. It’s always to make the parties feel more jolly and with prizes to be won and decorations matching the poker mood. Maybe you could get some décor items to give your venue, the casino look or maybe the Texas look. Have hand lights, glow stick, caps, hats and other party stuff laid out. There is a lot of party material available at stores to make your party a big hit.
Music is definitely a great idea. Why an idea? Music is indeed a necessity. Western, country style music can create a great atmosphere for the party. And what’s a party without food. Have poker themed food. Stuff like Mexican fingers, sausage fingers, potato skins, Chile dips can make great theme foods. Clubbed with home made ice cream, pecan pralines, cheesecakes and varieties of beer poker parties can be fun.
Much about the setting, now let’s talk about the poker. You can give out chips to every player of a pre decided amount. Let them play with those chips and amass their winnings. At the end of the game, the winning players can exchange these chips for prizes. These prizes can be themed like Texan hats, badges, card packs, cups etc. As the people in the party are more and tend to be in couples, more fun is added by having teams playing against each other. You can divide the players into groups by calling out names or picking chits from a glass bowl. These teams can then compete for the winnings. Having the scores kept and the excitement maintained through the party all the things going together can make up for a party that moves around the game for hours.
Posted by PokerMan at Sunday, October 25, 2009 0 comments
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Understanding Texas Holdem Poker
Despite of all the interest that Texas hold-em poker creates on the table, it’s very easy to learn. And perhaps that’s the reason of its lofty popularity. The game starts with the dealer giving 2 faces down cards to each player on the table. After that, the community are cards are dealt faced up, which are 5 in number. The motive of the game is to make the best hand by using the 7 cards, 2 with the player and 5 on the table.
Rounds of betting come at all stages of the game, players can call or rise whenever they feel like it. Now let’s look at the stages of the game step by step. The first round starts with dealing of 2 faces down cards to the players. These are also called pocket cards. Then 3 community cards are dealt on the table. Using the five cards that the players have, they try to make their hands stronger. At this point, players can bet.
The next round comes with the dealing of the forth community card called the turn card. Betting can be made at this point too. The next round comes with the dealing of the 5th and final community card, popularly known as the river card. At this point, players can either bet, check, raise or fold.
Players are categorized according to their position in relation to the dealer. Players sitting immediately left of the dealer are called small blind and the players sitting at positions farthest from the dealer are called big blind. New players, looking to make an entry into the game, may call the big blind to stay in the game, other wise they have to fold.
The player who ends up making the best hand is the winner. The winner gets the prize which is which is a sum of the money bet on the table and is called the pot. The pot may also be split into two in case of a tie.
Texas hold-em poker is further categorised into variants according to the types of betting involved. The first variety is the limit hold em. In this, the amount that a player can bet or raise will be limited to a pre-decided amount. The bets are raised over the course of the game in specified increments, for instance 4 dollar increments. Betting is more expensive in the later parts, namely turn and river, of the game.
Next is the spread limit poker. In this variant the bets are limited, but the raising of bets can be increased within a certain range, which is referred to as the spread. Next and the most popular variant of poker is the pot limit hold-em. In this variant, the size of the bet that a player can make is limited by the size of the pot. Another form of the Texas hold em is the no limit. Here, there are no limits to the bets made and to also to the raise. As there are no limits, most players don’t feel comfortable with this version and so, it is not very popular.
Well, this is all about the basics of poker. There are numerous skills, strategies and practices to learn in this game but I think that this article may have given you an introduction for understanding Texas Hold-em poker.
Posted by PokerMan at Saturday, October 24, 2009 2 comments
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Bodog Poker Open IV Dates Set
The dates for the fourth edition of Bodog Poker Open have been announced. It begins on November 1 and will be running though November 8.
The current edition of Bodog Poker Open has some differences from its previous versions. For one, there will be a two week-long series going on parallel to each other, a higher stakes and a lower stakes version respectively of the same 7 online poker tournaments. The intention of such a scheduling is to give equal opportunities to players of any budget to compete and win, if they have it in them.
The Contender Series, which is the lower stakes version, has buy-ins starting at $5, while the higher stakes version, called Championship series, has buy-ins from between $50 and $470. The winners of the Contender Series will be awarded a seat in the Bodog Poker Open IV Championship Event happening on November 8. The other finalists of Contender Series will be offered a place in the BPO IV Contender Series Championship event, which also is set to start on November 8.
Regarding prize money, Bodog had added $60,000 to the total prize pool of the Championship series, which is otherwise determined by the number of sign ups, and how much they pay for the buy-ins. For the final Championship Series Event prize pool, another $25,000 will be thrown into the pot. The lowest prize pool of Championship Series events is $2500. The Contender Championship in the Contender Series, and the opening event, both have additional prize money, put in the pot.
Posted by PokerMan at Thursday, October 22, 2009 0 comments
Monday, October 19, 2009
Playing Loose In Online Poker
Playing loose in Holdem isn’t easy. But if you do it right, you can make lots of money from it. Loose players can often control the game, tilt the table, and have every player follow them. The pots will also be much bigger since the players pay they respect to the hand you make.
There are various ways to play loose in online poker. The initial step should be loosening up your game and incorporate these tricks gradually. In time, you will figure out which of the tips work best for you.
Your Hand is Irrelevant if Nobody Makes a Call
Most hands do not usually reach the showdown. Usually, an online poker player would know his stand during the River. A showdown – therefore – isn’t necessary to find out how your hand was. If your rival does not hold strong hands and you haven’t made a combination, you can simply represent a much better hand by wagering like you would in a strong card combination.
Be Familiar with Your Opponents
It often takes a lot more effort to play loose than to play tight. You need to keep an eye on all of your rivals so you would know who is capable of calling you down or playing back at you. You will also know who is waiting to mark a great flop if you keep a close watch on other online poker players.
Expand the Pot
Instead of calling, try to raise and bet more often in Holdem. When your opponents get scared to play against you without a quality hand, you can easily put them on hand. You have to force your opponents to make hasty decisions so you can acquire information about the cards they’re holding.
Semi-Bluffing and Drawing
A great way to open up your hand compilation would be through suited connecters. If you are on a draw, you know the cards you need to hit to come up with the best hand. If you do not have the chance, simply lay down your cards.
Through semi-bluffing, you can get your rivals to lay down much better hands. Just be sure that you’re doing the bluff correctly to convince the online poker player.
Realizing a Beat
You are going to hit up more marginal hands if you open up your hand selection.
The Bankroll
An average bankroll has to be kept for aggressive plays. You will definitely need extra padding to save you since the swings are much larger. You also have to protect yourself emotionally and financially. A great way to implement this would be organizing a bankroll that’s made solely for playing online poker.
Although discipline takes much time to develop, you will surely benefit from this in the end. Holdem requires every player to have full control over their finances. If you fail to do so, this can result to various consequences.
Playing Loose is Sometimes Wrong
Loose is not always the right decision to make when playing online poker. You have to mix up your style depending on the players and the table you are in. If you get stuck at one approach, you can easily become exploitable to other Holdem players.
Posted by PokerMan at Monday, October 19, 2009 0 comments
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Are Women Taking Over the World of Poker?
Poker was once considered a game for men, but this is no longer the case. Even though men continue to dominate this game, women are definitely making quick inroads onto professional levels. It may be true that women have never won in main no-limit events of Texas Hold’em; however, Annie Duke was able to beat her brother and several other legends of poker to win two million dollars at the Tournament of Champions in World Series Poker in 2005.
Considered as one of the best professional women players in poker tournaments, Jennifer Harman from Las Vegas is an animalistic and widely-feared high-stakes competitor. As a matter of fact, Daniel Negreanu, one of the top players, has once stated that Jennifer Harman was considered as one of the best players in the world by her peers. “She is deadly,” Daniel said. “A real pit bull within the body of a Chihuahua.”
For the very first time within the 35 years that the Poker World Series has been around, some women have become recognized as completely equal competitors with top male players. Jennifer Tilly, the actress who was nominated for an Academy Award for her “Bullets over Broadway” performance – the comedy by Woody Allen, surprised everybody with her cool determination and skills in playing high-stakes. Jennifer recently won the event of Ladies No-limit Hold’em event, bagging the prize money worth $158,625. There is also Cathy Liebert, who is an expert at completely confusing her opponents with quizzical expressions. Cathy also happens to be the very first woman to win a million dollars in competitions of poker tournaments. People also need to look out for a woman named Cyndy Violette. She oftentimes wins some good money, like when she came in second among more than a thousand players within a $2,000 showdown of No-limit Hold’em, winning her $295,970.
The main event of the Poker World Series in 2005 required a buy-in of $10,000 and had 2,576 entrees in total; 130 of these were female. Within this tournament, the person that ranked as number 21 in the entire field was female, as well: Suzanne Carpenter.
One great example of the speed that women are now taking to high-stakes poker tournaments is unprecedented. 600 women took part at the event of Ladies No-limit Texas Hold’em event in 2006, where Jennifer Tilly won. This is almost thrice as many women compared to the amount that played within the exact same tournament two years before that.
Women are entering high-stakes poker tournaments in amounts that are quickly increasing, showing tenacity and skills that have thrown several veteran male poker players, a lot of which believed that female players are easy to intimidate and disrupt with their strategies. At the same time, a lot of women played far too aggressively against men as their defense mechanism. Men and women are still learning how to respect each other as equals, while a lot of male high profile players start to appreciate and even publicly praise the playing skills that top women competitors have exhibited so far.
Posted by PokerMan at Wednesday, October 14, 2009 2 comments
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
All about the Popular Absolute Poker Website
Absolute Poker happens to be a well-known and medium-sized website of poker that is highly generous when it comes to available poker rooms on the World Wide Web today.
Playing online poker has significantly increased in popularity within the last couple of years. People that are only starting to join the bandwagon right now may find the process of locating poker rooms on the internet a little bit confusing. This is why reviews of poker rooms and other websites prove to be very handy and useful.
A lot of online reviews of poker rooms agree that Absolute Poker is top-notch when it comes to ease of competition, overall satisfaction, cashouts, software and customer service. The best of these would be cashouts, which is arguably a highly essential part in playing poker on the internet.
One reason why Absolute Poker is referred to as a highly generous poker website would be due to its impressive deposit bonus of 100% that can go up to a stunning $750. It also lets people buy-in for two hundred big blinds within no-limit games, in place of the usual one hundred big blinds.
Sadly, the website of Absolute Poker, though quite generous, does not come with top quality software. Although games are quick, the lobby and game graphics aren’t that great. On the upside, however, there are many designs that you can choose from, making the website easy to personalize.
Absolute Poker also happens to have a very fast rate of cashout within the business. In general, you can get cashouts in just 72 hours, if not 24.
Plus, if you want to find information at Absolute Poker, everything you could possibly need can be found on their website. This would include the hands per hour, regular pot size and flop percentage.
If you want some challenging poker games, Absolute Poker can offer you these,most of all in their middle-stake and high-stake games. You can even play various other games, such as Omaha, Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7-Stud Hi-Lo and 7-Stud.
If you simply want some fun on the internet, Absolute Poker would also be a good website for you to tryout, most of all to try out cash-ins on initial deposit bonuses. Playing poker online happens to be a good way to get better skills at playing poker, to learn more about poker, and spend quality time on your personal computer. Playing on the internet can also be turned into a social occasion because you can invite friends to play, have fun and chat with you online at the same time.
Posted by PokerMan at Tuesday, October 13, 2009 4 comments





