Knowing the Market

Shifting into Reverse

February 3rd, 2010

poker players use pot odds to determine when and how much they should bet. Pot odds are calculations that measure the mathematical probability of a casino online hand completing to a win compared with the implied profit expressed as a percent multiple of the bet. Put simply, if you have 8 outs to a straight draw, your odds are 5-1. If the pot is paying more than 5x the bet to call to see another card, then your pot odds are favorable. A pot paying less than 5x the bet amounts to poor pot odds and over the long term you lose by making these calls. Sometimes though, pot odds that are favorable on the flop or turn can take a step back and diminish. This is known as reverse pot odds. For example, you have 8 outs to a straight on the flop, and with two bettors in front of you, the pot is now building toward favorable calling pot odds. The turn however brings a second card to a suit, making it possible for another poker online player to hit a flush, and everyone checks. Your pot odds have been reduced because now two of your outs - the two numeric cards of the suited cards on board - are no longer available to you. Your favorable pot odds on the flop have slipped into reverse, so checking the turn to get a free card is the prudent decision to make. You only have six outs with 7-1 probability of making a winning hand. But the pot is only paying just under 6x a bet to call on the river. The pot odds that were good on the flop no longer hold.

Social Masks, Does it Apply?

December 2nd, 2009

In society we wear different masks for different occasions. Not literal masks, no these masks are the kind we put on called our personas. We act differently in front of our boss, than we do in front of our girlfriend or wife, or in front of a total stranger. So this leads me to ask the question, does your social demeanor spill over onto the felt? I think the answer can be yes and no. A white haired gentleman you may assume to be a passive rock or calling station, but in reality he may be one of the best no limit online poker players you’ve ever faced (Doyle Brunson comes to mind). Or maybe you have a meek and quiet type that you would expect to pay like a rock and super tight online poker , but he starts to bully the table, playing super aggressive and taking down pots and stealing blinds as if it’s going out of style. These anecdotes are a simple way of saying don’t judge a book by its cover. The grandma that you think might be a pushover, may walk away at the end of the day with all your chips. Regardless, it’s inevitable that with new opponents that we can see we make an immediate judgment of how they’ll play online poker. But this can be a fatal mistake. Instead of looking at the title of the book and tossing it into the memory bank, why not take a second to read the book for a while, and see if that player fits the cover of his or her book. It’s a much more profitable strategy, as you never know how a newcomer is going to play. So be wary of making that first impression of a new player based solely on looks. Play a few hands first and get a feel for them, then make that judgment.

RC Helicopters

November 20th, 2009

RC Helicopters are one of the most popular gifts for kids, teens, and even adults. You’re sure to be able to find one that fits perfectly with what you or your kids are looking for.

If you’ve been thinking about enlightening your child’s mind and play time with RC helicopters, you’ll have a wide array of choices to choose from this holiday season. Whether it’s a Christmas gift, birthday gift, or just a gift of love, RC helicopters are a wonderful way for kids to release some creative energy through simulation. Good to play with inside or out, you can get a some quiet time while they enjoy their new helicopter, but you may just find that you want to join in the fun just as much as they do!

One of the coolest RC helicopters out there right now is the Micro Mosquito 3. It’s a very small toy that anyone can fly thanks to how stable they have made it out to be and can be flown in small spaces. So that means if the weather is bad, it can easily give just as many hours of fun in the bedroom or play room. The Micro Mosquito 3 has glowing green eyes that enable you to fly it in the dark, too! When you run out the batter, which you’re sure to do because you won’t want to put it down, you can have it fully charged and ready to go again in just 30 minutes.

College Kids and the Cool Factor

July 29th, 2009

It is a well known fact that everyone wants to play poker these day. The giant media monster has captured poker en ligne in its jaws and thrown it whole heartedly on an unsuspecting American audience. Desperate for the chance to fit into what society feels is cool, more and more people are turning to the card table for their social affirmation. One of the largest growing sectors of the poker playing population is in fact those young kids most susceptible to peer pressure: college students. With college hosting online poker nights and on cause internet severely challenge by the strain of all the online poker players, a new poker society is emerging. It is younger, hipper, and ore technologically savvy than its predecessors. More than all of the undeniable benefits of a youthful infusion, college students have made poker cool. It’s a bit of circular logic that college students were able to make poker cool after they themselves were drawn to the game after receiving the media message that it was cool. Perhaps the media message would not have succeeded so well without the army of college coeds willing to put down their books and pick up the cards. They have given poker the cool factor that it so desperately needed to be considered part of mainstream America’s entertainment options.

UIGEA, Barney Frank, State-to-State

June 18th, 2009

Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank is trying to introduce a poker bill that would overturn the UIGEA. Is standpoint is basically that the U.S. government should not be able to interfere with what Americans do with their money. By disallowing direct communication between players and certain financial institutions, The U.S. government is attacking civil liberties. Not only is this an issue for Americans, however, but the European Union is also weighing in on the decision. It has been said that the U.S. is in conflict of WTO commitments through the IGEA. Online poker and online casino is an international market, and how the U.S. decides to regulate it will affect the entire world.

In the meantime, some states have been tossing around ideas that could help them operate online gaming within the confines of the UIGEA (assuming it does not get repealed). California regulators seem to be the first to accept the notion of building state-run and state-confined online gaming sites. As it stands, the state of California has one of the biggest gaming markets in the nation, perhaps only 2nd to Nevada. If they could incorporate an online site to their brick-and-mortar casinos, their residents would not have to worry about the trouble with existing sites and the difficulties of transferring money to an from them. They would be gambling in an arena akin to the lottery as far as the state is concerned, but in a skill game.

But there are obvious differences between online and live poker. In a casino, you can only play one table at a time. You can only play the games they are spreading. If you want to play 5/10 Limit Stud and they don’t have a game running, you have to choose something else. Online, these games are more abundant. So abundant, in fact, those players have found a way to become profitable by multi-tabling several games at once. In lieu of the UIGEA, introducing online poker within state borders might appeal to the volume players who can’t get what they are looking for in a live casino. Also, online poker has been a good breeding ground for new players. They can play for nickels or hundreds of dollars. There is no game too small or too big. There is no one to intimidate you or laugh at you when you don’t know the rules. For brick and mortar casinos, online gaming is a sort of a preparatory school. Some will never leave, but many will move up to the “real” thing. If online poker gets regulated state by state does this mean that poker players might move away from states that do not offer an intrastate system, or will the casinos in their state have more success and rise to accommodate all of the internet players? How does this affect states that do not have casinos or are too small to legitimately set up and run an online system? Is this really the answer to the UIGEA?

Poker Addict Reveals the Intimate Details of His Struggle

December 11th, 2008

We like good news around here, but every once in a while a tragic story catches my eye and I feel compelled to share it with the pokern community. Nick Rupcich’s story is one of those stories.

Nick is a Canada native who’s been around gambling for most of his life. “When I was a teenager, instead of going to parties, I went to the race track,” he recalled. This is the same guy who sold illegally made fire crackers to money to bet with when he was in ninth grade. The same guy who snuck across the border into Detroit, MI, USA to buy drugs to sell for more money to bet with. He says now, “I’m not proud of it, but it’s where the gambling let me.” Nick enrolled in college but soon dropped out. He was too busy gambling in the cafeteria, though he’d always tell his mother that he was just exhausted from studying too much.

And it didn’t stop there. Nick married young, and on his wedding day recalls feeling “overwhelmed,” He says, “I thought that this money [the wedding gifts] was the money that would make me a successful poker player.”

Again, Nick lost it all at the race track.

The stories of tragedy are many. He won trip to Vegas, only to lose it all. But he found out he had a propensity for sports betting. He hooked up with some local bookies, won a little, lost a lot more, and the downward spiral continued.

When he was 26 he tried to take his own life. 10 years later, the habit still hadn’t changed. There were nights when Nick’s own children would tell him they didn’t like him anymore. It’s not too hard to believe when one keeps on gambling even though there are no groceries in the house. But it finally turned around for Nick. In 1994, Nick and his second wife got him enrolled in a Gamblers Anonymous program at his local hospital.

At 56 years of age now, Nick looks back at his problem, but responds to it with utmost sincerity.

“It’s not a habit, it’s a disease,” he says. And it’s treatable.

Again, I usually don’t like these kinds of stories, but my own morals say this stuff should be out there. For most of us, gambling and poker is just a hobby, a fun past time, or a career. But for the Nicks of the world, if this hits home, please, please do yourself a favor and get the help you need.

Marvelous Porches to be won at windeprijsvraag online

August 28th, 2008

Translated it means: Leef je in Sint-Oedenrode of Winterswijk en wil jij een prijs winnen’ Met Win de Prijsvraag winnen is nog nooit zo eenvoudig geweest. Veel prijzen winnen met een abonnement op windeprijsvraag‘ Minstens 134 prijzen per dag. Van Maarssen tot Bergambacht, met Win de prijsvraag.nl winnen gaat hier altijd. Een man van 34 heeft deze maand nog een Porche in de wacht gesleept.

Really anyone can win realy terrific prizes every 3 weeks. 5 months ago a European webcompany took of a online sweepstakes. You can win terrific BMWs every 14 days. Before home computers were popular a common method of entry was a mailed one. Absolutely fantastic TVs to win at sweepstakes websites. There are also other online services, which automatically enter members into sweepstakes. Sweepstakes promotions are prohibited from requiring a purchase to enter. Sweepstakes are frequently used by fast-food restaurants to boost business. 11 hours ago a Dutch dutch online company has started with a dutch online sweepstakes. The reason why contests are treated differently is that the winners are not chosen by chance but by an element of skill. Entering sweepstakes by mail is declining in popularity. Sweepstakes are generally easier and quicker to enter than contests. Its great or fantastic to win 172 dollars. That should be super or really great to win 6419 dollar. 9 hours ago a Europe based online company started a dutch online contests. Sweepstakes are also legally different from contests in the United States. Many state lotteries also run a second chance sweepstakes in conjunction with the retail sale of state lottery scratch cards. In an effort to increase consumer demand for scratch cards and to help control the litter small problems associated with the disposal of non-winning lottery tickets. Really great Ipods to be won at contest websites. Many more sweepers are choosing to enter online sweepstakes. Anyone can win great plasmas every 3 weeks. Although some sweepstakes ask for a proof of purchase or UPC code, the sponsors must provide an alternate method of entry if they do so. 6 months ago a Belgium company begun with a sweepstakes websites. Absolutely fantastic Hummers to win at dutch online contests. Consumer promotions advertised as contests, however, can require an entry fee or proof of purchase. 4 days ago a Dutch dutch company has started with a dutch online sweepstakes. It will be marvelous or realy terrific to win 5899 euro. Members sign up once and are entered to various sweepstakes each month.

Loneliness

July 10th, 2008

Certain websites on the internet have been known to tell sugar glider owners like yourself that your glider will die if it does not have another sugar glider companion. This question has been looked into cautiously, and I think we have an answer. Although, in rare cases, people owning just one glider have had mishaps with death, the truth is; we really do not know what causes this. It could be loneliness, or it could be some other reason unknown. Lucky for you, there are things you can watch for to make sure your sugar glider stays healthy and happy.

Sugar gliders are very sociable pets and love attention. Being the lone sugar glider in the house can be lonely, and they will become dependant on your attention. However, as an adult, life changes always arrive unexpectedly, and you may not always be there to attend to your sugar glider hand and foot. When lacking the natural love and attention your glider may get depressed, and signs to look for are inactivity and lack of eating. If you notice these signs, you will want to call attention to them because your sugar glider is depressed. In all cases, the only good glider is a happy glider. If this situation arrives and you have other responsibilities to take care of, it just might be time for another family member to step up. As long as someone takes the sugar glider out to play, they will be satisfied with the attention.

Of course, the safest way to make sure your little pocket pet never becomes lonely is to get him a friend. Sugar gliders are small and are inexpensive to take care of. Having more than one will take the pressure off you and your family to be there at all times, and your sugar glider will always have someone to keep him happy.