Have you ever played against live poker players who are weak and fearful? Did you know such players make the game complicated than strong tight aggressive poker? Basically, the key area that you need to focus on while playing poker against weak players is to counter their big bets. This is because weak players complicate their game play and can hardly adjust to their big bets. These type of players fall into following two categories :

Making big bets is difficult for any professional poker player. However, most of the recreational players easily make quick big bets without taking into account game strategies. They treat poker as a game of chance instead of game of skill. So, they don’t think of best possible poker hand combinations before making a bet.

1.Calling Station
2.Stereotyped Folder

Calling Stations are like ‘piece of cake’, they are the most accessible targets in the game of poker as they have the tendency for calling bigger bets. This work as a benefit for you as you can counter their bets by over-betting because such players will by default call with any amount of money. In simple words, the thought process of ‘calling stations’ solely target on calling and not on amount of money to be bet. Moreover, such players seldom change their frequency of calling regardless of the size of bet. You can benefit yourself by making profits both by over-betting when holding a good hand, and by playing the odd small bluff if they seem weaker and are planning to fold the hand.

Stereotyped Folder is totally opposite to calling station and is more on a complex side. These players hate making bigger bets and are fearful of river bets because of which they lose many bigger pots to their aggressive opponents. The reasons why these players are more complex beings than calling stations are – firstly, when they are dealt with nuts, they never fold the nut hands. Secondly, such players make small calls when they reach a breaking point or get upset of being bluffed every now and then. All you need to do is follow big-betting patterns as these works as ‘treasure trove’ against stereotyped folders.

Thus, such weak opponents fall under the unexplored arena of poker. Players who fall in the above two categories are aware that they need to act to cover up their hands but they don’t know how to go about it. Most of the weal players give you their money by acting opposite to the true strength of their hands. When they are strong, they act weak and when they are weak, they act strong.

Poker live rooms in India are thriving and a passionate player is always attracted to try it out at least once. However, a live poker room is quite different from an online poker table. Be prepared to enter a room packed with players who are more than eager to walk you out of the game. The room will be filled with the sound of chips, clashing cards and occasional fights. You can feel the tension in the air.
In this world of poker, you have to remember what you have come for and stay calm and relaxed. Here are some smart tips to win in live poker rooms.

Chips are very important
One of the most important thing that you have to remember here is the importance of chips. You simply cannot afford to limp with poor hands or even run bluffs in live poker rooms. You have to save and only play where you have a good chance of winning. However, you also need to be careful about who’s stealing blinds at your table. Without understanding these concepts, you will not be able to play and win in a live poker room.

Watch Your Stack Size
Taking risk in poker is common, however it is about calculated risk. If you let yourself get blinded to just about nothing, then you’re sure to find yourself in a weak spot. Whenever, you take a risk, always keep a healthy sized stack. Here we go back to point one and emphasis once more on the importance of protecting your chips and play tight.

Know your goals clearly
One of the important things to always keep in mind is to know your goal clearly in the tournament. There are two broad ways in how the players play a poker game. There will be professional players who are there who play to win and then there are amateurs who play to make money. You need to understand this big difference between these two kinds of players and understand the temperament of your opponent.

Understand the rules inside out
Even though the rules of playing poker remain the same, you still need to understand the rules of the room. One of the rules that often confuse the beginners is the oversized chip rule. What it means is, if you throw one oversized chip, for example the bet being of Rs. 25 and you throw in one chip worth Rs. 100, it is always taken as a call unless you say the word ‘raise’. The simplest way to go about it is to say it loud and clear and state your intention.

Structure it right
Another important thing is to understand the blind structure of the tournament. If you have very aggressive players in front of you, it will push you to make strong moves towards the start of the game. Don’t leave anything to assumption and just ask for any information you want.
With more and more live poker destinations in India coming up, players are trying out poker rooms much more than before. If you visiting or living close to Goa or Bangalore, then you can experience live poker in Goa and Bangalore among others.
Just remember, confidence and patience are the keys to win this game. All the best!

1.Many poker players wear red colour while playing poker as it is predominantly recognized as the color of good luck. Moreover, wearing dirty clothes when playing poker chases away bad luck.

2.There can be impact on a player’s luck if he / she discards four of clubs or spits on his cards or deny his opponents for lay their feet on his chair.

3.If you sit crosses leg while playing poker, it may bring you bad luck.

4.If you have visited a casino, then you must have observed that many poker players throw candies on the floor in order to distract bad luck. Furthermore, you will also find poker players visiting the Poker casino in fancy dress or sometimes with dolls dressed up like casino dealers.

5.Did you know many casinos are constructed keeping in mind the superstitious beliefs followed by the poker players? In 1998, the most enduring landmark of Las Vegas – MGM Grand Hotel & Casino went for a makeover, and changed the entrance of the casino into a lion’s mouth. But later the hotel authorities had to change the entrance as players believed that entering through a lion’s mouth brings bad luck.

6.Here comes the most strange superstition related to ‘All-In’ bet wherein if a player runs an all-in against a draw, his draw will be a hit. This superstition not always work out, and at times players regret the loss rather than winning.

7.This superstition is based on the poker probability rules, and is the most misinterpreted one. If a poker player is dealt AA as hole cards or hits a pair and wins the game at the showdown, then he would be dealt it again in the next hand. The players who follow this superstition have lost a lot of games. Moreover, dealing of pair of pocket aces one after other is a rare phenomenon.

8.This one is related to the null winning power of pocket aces. Many poker players believe that when they played pocket aces, they have lost more money than winning in the long run. This superstition stands groundless, and if you have been failing to make money playing pocket aces in poker, then you should get your fundamentals right and study the poker game all over. And always remember pocket aces are the most profitable and the best ever hole cards in the game of poker.

9.It is an incident that happened in 1988 when Johnny Chan won the main event of the World Series of Poker. During the event, Johnny Chan used to smell an orange to combat the smoky odour found in casinos. Now he considers orange as his lucky charm; and whenever he plays poker his quintessential symbol of luck is always there with him.

10.This superstition is again related to lucky mascots of poker players. In 2003, Sam Farha came second in the World Series of Poker – Main Event. Being a non-smoker, he dangle an unlit cigarette from his lips during this entire event and it proved fortuitous for him.

Therefore, next time you play poker, follow the fundamentals of the game, have confidence in your years poker game play experience; and most importantly don’t just blindly follow the superstitions.

Started as a recreational game initially, poker is now played worldwide. Today, millions of people enjoy playing poker, both online as well as offline. When it comes to poker destinations, it is generally Vegas that comes to our mind first. However, there are many amazing destinations that poker-loving travelers should be dreaming about. Right from your dream poker destination Vegas to India’s poker hub Goa, we reveal top 5 places where you can play and compete against the best poker brains:

Las Vegas (United States)
A home to the World Series of Poker (WSOP), it is a dream poker destination located in the American state of Nevada. Popularly known as the Sin City, it is filled with dozens of world class casinos and card rooms, so there are numerous tournaments and cash games to satisfy your poker day or night. Beginners can hit the tables at the Binions Casino starting at $2 and $4, while if you are a professional player, you can visit the “Bobby’s Room” at The Bellagio, which is perhaps the best poker rooms in the world. Apart from poker, Las Vegas offers amazing opportunities for dining, sightseeing and shopping.

Monte Carlo (Monaco)
The original home to upmarket gaming, it is one of the most glamorous destinations on the earth. Whether you are interested in poker or just attractions, the place offers it all. A world class location for poker tournaments, it is not only home to the European Poker Tour (EPT) Grand Finale, but also a top tourist place with lots of fun activities to do. Enjoy F1 racing, relax at exotic beach, dine at the world class hotels, shop your favourite items or pursue sightseeing. Poker players can benefit from the best poker room offers running from time to time and enjoy their favourite game of poker here.

Macau (China)
Described as the next Vegas, Macau provides once-in-a lifetime poker vacation. There are plenty of casinos and card rooms to play poker tournaments and cash games. The best poker rooms here include the Venetian, Casino Babylon and Casino Macau Palace, which promise you the best poker action. Over the years, Macau has become a popular home to the Asian Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) that attracts thousands of world class poker players. Aside from poker, the place is well-known for its lip-smacking food, giant malls, bustling markets, spectacular temples and amazing restaurants. So whether you have planned playing poker or visiting historical places, it is going to be a good trip.

London (United Kingdom)
With its rich history, the English capital is seen as major tourist attraction with theatres, royal parks, museums, galleries, historic sights and amazing shopping places. Today, it has become one of the most popular poker cities. Every year in September, the WSOP lands in London and the European Poker Tour (EPT) also has a stop in the city. With many poker rooms offering the best poker offers, the city has become a gaming hub and attracts thousands of poker players from across the world. If cash games are your forte, you can visit The Empire Casino, which specializes in cash games. However, if you are looking for low-stake and high gain tournaments, you must visit The Grosvenor Casino in Victoria. Earlier overlooked as poker holiday destination, London is now a preferred gaming hub. The city offers high quality casino culture and friendly poker atmosphere, thus ensuring you a perfect trip.

Goa (India)
Earlier a Portuguese colony, Goa is home to the best poker rooms in India. There are several land-based casinos offering both cash games and tournaments. The Goan capital Panjim is a favourite poker destination for almost all poker players from India. The city is known for the floating casinos anchored on the Mandovi river. Though there are several casinos on the river, the most notable among them include the Deltin Royale- the biggest floating casino that hosts various poker tournaments. The poker room is home to India’s biggest poker series DPT (Deltin Poker Tournament). Aside from poker, Goa is well-known for its rich history and culture. Its exotic beaches, roaring nightlife and beautiful scenery make it a must-visit place for poker players from all over the country.

Looking forward to playing your first ever live tournament? Well, playing your first tourney may be a daunting experience, as you are surrounded by hundreds of poker players hoping to bust you early. However, keep in mind that most players in the room are like you, being the first timers or casuals. Although there are some serious players, that shouldn’t intimidate you as a player. You just need to prepare yourself well in advance to approach your first -ever live tourney with full confidence. Here are some beginner poker tips, which should set you on the right track in your first-ever poker game:

1.Know Rules of the Room
Every poker room may have different poker rules. Before you sit down for a tourney, it is important for your to familiarize yourself with the rules of a particular room to avoid mistakes. Understand all betting rules well in advance. If you you wish to put an over-sized chip in as a bet , always say ‘ raise’. If you don’t say ‘raise’ while putting an over-sized chip as bet, it will be considered a call from you.

2.Don’t Play Too Many Hands or Bluff Too Much
Some new players go on to play almost all hands. This leads them into a trap. Although it is true that some weak starting hands like suited connected may win, but you lose more than you win. Another misconception is that some beginners think that they need to bluff to win. While occasionally a bluff is good , it is better to play your cards carefully rather than trying to bluff your opponents too often.

3.Keep Patience & Play Tight Before Flop
Patience plays a key role in poker. Try not to act too quickly, always think before deciding to call, raise or fold your hand. It is a good idea to be as tight as you can pre-flop. It is better to fold if you have a weak hand. Don’t go for a raise or re-raise if you don’t have a strong hand like A-A, K-K, Q-Q and A-K.

4.Read Opponents & Cards on Table
As a beginner, always pay attention to the table to know who is playing aggressively( betting big and playing lots of hands), who is playing tight ( folding hands quickly and playing just strong hands). If any of your cards does not match any of the common cards, it is time to fold after someone bets to you.

5.Always Protect Your Chips
If you are playing for the first time and you look around the table and can’t guess who is the sucker, it is probably you. Once you know your hand is weak, it is time to conserve and play only best hands to protect chips. You should know as who is stealing blinds at your table. If the button is stealing your blinds, protect your blinds by folding, but do steal his or her blinds when you have a chance to steal.

6.Don’t Panic About Being a First Timer
Sure,you are surrounded by big players and you don’t know what to do and what your options are. In such a situation, don’t get stressed and play your straightforward game without imitating pros. Though a first timer, but If you have prepared well and know the game, you need not to worry about.

7.Avoid Alcoholic Beverages
Last but very important lesson for poker players playing their first live poker tournament is to avoid drinking. When you drink at the table, it not only impairs your thinking level, but also gives your opponents the impression that you are perhaps not playing well and it is forcing you to go for drinks.

Top 5 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Play Poker
Contrary to the myth that poker is a game of luck, it is a game of skill like chess. Poker is complete with element of strategy, odd calculation, management of resources, analysis of the competition and psychology. The game is said to hold a good value for entrepreneurs, because it shares lots of core skills, which are really useful to the entrepreneurship. Here is how poker skills can help your business:

Makes You A Better Decision Maker
True, poker is a great way to learn good decision-making skills in life. Since one wrong move on the table may cause you lose the money, you have to assess and analyze your risks before making a move on the table. Just as you need to predict the behavior of your customers, gain information and interact with them, the same way poker also requires you to gain information about your opponents and their hands. The information you gain helps you to make a decision whether or not you should raise, call, check or fold. Before making a move, you to always have to analyze if you are in a good or bad position at the table. So, poker helps to hone decision-making skills, which may help in business.

Learn to Seize Right Opportunities
As an entrepreneur, every opportunity is a chance for you to ride the wave. The game of poker teaches you to find out and seize opportunities. It is very simple, as soon as you have planned out your strategies, read your opponents, analyzed the odds and measured your stakes, it is time to take an action to set up your game. You are likely to lose in the short run, but with your well-thought plans, you are more likely to finish on the top in the long run and beat your competitors in the poker world. If you really want to learn when and how to seize opportunities, playing poker must be a great idea.

Teaches You to Read the Competition
When you are at the live poker table, you are carefully reading and analyzing the competition. You have to read other players (your competitors) around the table- the strengths and weaknesses of their hands and their habits and tendencies. If you are able to read another poker player and at the same time analyze your situation well, you are surely able to make a good decision and beat the competition. So playing poker is no different from businesses where you have to understand the competition. A good understanding of the competitors enables you to make correct moves, both in poker and businesses.

Teaches You Calculating Risks
Just like business, you are constantly analyzing the potential gain or loss and then deciding when to take or avoid risks. It requires quick math, assessment and sharp mind to calculate your risks at the table. Going all-in may be exciting situation, as it represents the huge loss or win. Smart players take risk only when the odds are heavily in their favour. Such players never go all-in when the big loss might hit them. When running a business, an entrepreneur may be in a situation where he or she needs to risk it all. My advice to you is to analyze your situation carefully and act smartly by reducing the possible risks. This strategy will not only help you in poker game but also in your business as well.

Learn Patience & Deal with Pressure
Poker tournaments run for several days and there is always lots of pressure of competing with the best poker players, surviving in the tournaments and finally emerging a winner. You require both patience and ability to deal with the pressure there. A poker tournament starts with large number players on Day 1. But after several days of the play, most players drop out and just one person emerges the winner. In the same way, many companies start up. The ones that become successful are run by entrepreneurs who are willing to work non-stop and deal with the ongoing pressure. Patience is the key in both business as well as poker. Lose your patience, and you lose your business or game.

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Get Ready for “Deltin Poker Tournament Presented by Adda52.com” – October Edition

This festive season get on your toes to live poker tournament action as Adda52.com has once again joined hands with Deltin Royale to host the “Deltin Poker Tournament Presented by Adda52.com”. With INR 1 Crore in guaranteed prize pool, this 6-day poker extravaganza will take place from 19th – 24th October, 2016 at Deltin Royale Casino, Goa. This outlandish tournament is set to feature five No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha Events in various formats like DeepStack and Bounty catering to the diverse needs of Indian poker players.

The tournament series will kick off on 19^th October with an online “5K Warm Up” Event on ww.adda52.com which will be followed by 10K Kickoff on 20^th October. The next in line are the bigger guarantee events – DPT 60K High Roller and Adda52 30K Main Event offering 40,00,000 and 35,00,000 in prize money. To maximize the fun and action on poker tables, this time players also have an opportunity to participate in 10K+5K Adda52 Pro Bounty and 15K 6-Max PLO Events. Get ready to experience the unlimited live poker action as this time players will get to along with an opportunity to walk away with something to show for their money.

Speaking about the addition, Anuj Gupta, Founder & Chairman, Adda52.com confirms, “We spoke to the poker community and there was a clear indication that players are looking to expand their tournament experience. Besides different formats and structures, players are keen to hone their skills and as pioneers in the industry, we at Adda52 are committed to providing the ideal poker experience.”

What’s more? Online satellites are already running on Adda52.com and will continue till 18th October. Players can play satellites for Adda52 Main Event at a buy-in of INR 1500 and for DPT 60K High Roller at a buy-in of INR 3750. The players who win DPT 60 K High Roller satellite will also be eligible for hotel accommodation (worth INR 10,000 on twin sharing) for 5 days / 4 nights. Furthermore, players can participate in DPT Mega Satellite for a buy-in of INR 5000 to win an entry ticket to Adda52 30K Main Event and DPT 60K High Roller along with 5 days/4 nights stay in Goa. Moreover, the players who win Super Satellites will get to play on all 6 days and will also be given accommodation for 6 days / 5 nights along with flight tickets (economy class worth INR 10,000). Go play satellites to be the part of the most successful live tournament action in the country.

While playing poker you should observe your opponents to gain as much information as you can. Whenever you have extra time and attention capacity, for example, when you are not in hand, you should concentrate and read other players on the table. Further, do not forget that other players on the table are also taking note of you, so you should also avoid giving off any of the information. Following are some tricks to read and hide poker tells when playing live poker in clubs or poker rooms:
Continue reading “Reading and Hiding Live Poker Tells”

With India poker rooms growing in number, the opportunities for the live poker tournament in India have multiplied over the years. The Indian card rooms are offering something for all types of poker players including experienced and amateur ones. While many people still enjoy both online and offline poker, most of them are getting hooked to live games. The biggest reasons why people prefer live poker is that when they sit down in a live card room, they can see their opponent’s reaction, read their cards and play accordingly. Here, we discuss the top 5 reasons why most people play live poker:

Big Prize Money- In live tournaments in India and elsewhere, there is always an opportunity to win huge amount of easy money. Higher buy-ins in live tourneys give higher prize money for players, which means if you could play and compete smartly, you can beat a strong field and take home a big prize money worth several lacs or even crores depending on how big the tournament is. So, live poker brings more cash than online tourneys having the same size of field as in a live tournament.

Easier Opponents- The best thing about live tournaments in India is that they attract all kinds of players including skilled, semi-skilled and of course novice players. Since the field is bigger in India poker rooms, players can find many inexperienced and beginners who can easily be defeated. To be precise, live poker events bring lots of easier opponents who you can beat easily and win huge money.

Poker Tells- A great aspect of India poker rooms hosting live tournaments in India is the fact that players are able to use poker tells to their advantage unlike online tourneys. Yeah, as a live player, you can see opponent’s facial expressions, watch them how they stake their chips, how they bet, their body language and almost everything like their anger, joy, frustration and tension during the play.

Easier to Focus & Win- During online poker games, there are so many distractions with multiple tables running at a time, may be your television going to another room or maybe kids crying badly. In live poker tournaments in India or elsewhere you are at one table and that is all you have to focus on. The bottom line is that, in a live poker, a player is able to concentrate better and increase the chances of his or her victory in the tournament, exploiting other opponents who are less focused in the game.

Travel & Food- The biggest advantage with live tournaments is that they allow poker players to travel to different destinations and taste a variety of dishes around the world. In fact, live tournaments in India and across the world keep running in various countries and hence players are able to travel to various cities and countries, which are huge perks. Even if you are a cash game grinder, you can still go to various card rooms of your choice and thus explore various attractions and foods of your choice.

Have you been a regular online poker player? Never been to the best poker rooms in India? Planning to visit a nearby club or casino to experience poker tournament in India? So, it is very important to get yourself familiar with the lingo used there. Live poker rooms usually have their own lingo which is not only used by poker players but also by the staff working there. Following are the common terms used in a poker room live:

1. Brush is the person who keep track of the players signed up for cash games and tournaments in a casino.
2. Cage is a place where one can buy poker chips or cash out your winnings.
3. Chip Runner is a poker room staff whose duty is to bring chips to your table. So, if anytime you run out of chips, just call for a chip runner to buy more chips.
4. Cocktail Waitress serves you with everything from food to drinks, and never ever forget to tip them.
5. Floor Staff are the supervisors whose responsibility is to keep the games running smoothly. And, in case you have any game related issues, they are the right person to contact.
6. Porter is different from cocktail waitress. The duty of cocktail waitresses is limited to serving food and drink, while porters run other errands for you like getting a newspaper from the souvenir shop. And, don’t forget to tip.
7. Prop Player is a player employed by the poker room to deal in the games going in order to keep up the action. These players play with their own money and are paid on hourly bases by the poker room.
8. Shill is a player similar to prop player. The only difference between the two is that the money they are playing with is the casinos money.
9. Cash / Tournament Desk is a desk where you can buy chips and sign up for the daily tournament.
10. Blind Missed is used for an empty seat with SB Missed or BB Missed buttons. Generally, the player of this seat is away from the table for an extended period.
11. Broken Table is the table whose players decide to quit the game. Furthermore, if you want to move to a new cash game table at the same limits, then tell the dealer of that specific table that you have come from a broken table to avoid posting again.
12. Chop is used in two scenarios. Firstly, if the two players are dealt the same hand in a poker game and secondly when the players split a prize pool.
13. Collection is the term used during interval or break wherein the cage goes around the floor, collect the rake box at each table, and replaces it with a new one.
14. Posting is used when you join a cash table. You can either wait for your turn to arrive or directly post the big blind to start playing immediately.
15. Rack is the chip holder. If you go for a rack of chips, you will get five stacks of 20 of a particular denomination.
16. Rake is the small portion of each pot, basically a fee, that is taken out for the casino.
17. Seat Open is used by the dealer for cash games to indicate that they can accept a new player. During tournaments, it lets the floor staff know that a player has busted.
18. Setup refers to the new decks of cards.
19. Stack refers to the chip stack held by the players. If you are out of chips and have to buy the chips while playing cash games, then do remember that a stack of chips is 20 of a particular denomination.