Poker players the world over are beaming from ear-to-ear as news of the World Series of Poker 2011 (WSOP) takes root. The contest is already up and running and players are scrambling to position themselves for the big poker pots awaiting them in these events.

A Contest Rich with History and Steeped in Money

The WSOP began almost 41 years ago and it has quickly become the most anticipated and respected name in global poker tournaments. It is effectively the poker gold standard and anyone who wants to be taken seriously competes in this competition. To date it has dished out a whopping $180 million in cash payouts and tens of thousands of players have played in the contests.

This year’s contest marks the 42^nd annual World Series of Poker (WSOP). There are some 58 individual tourneys comprising the overall selection of games available. It’s good to know that a wide range of punting options is available, ranging from $500 to $50k per live event.  The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino houses 380 poker tables in some 100,000 sq. feet of entertainment mega-gaming. If it were a musical fest it would be the called the ‘Woodstock of Poker’ and if you’re on song here, you can walk away a multimillionaire.

The Structure of the WSOP in 2011

Players have the privilege of enjoying 24-hour cash games, loads of satellites, mega satellites and single table tourneys. These NL Hold’em tourneys are pretty affordable for big league contests. They are priced at $135 and up. The winner of the WSOP 2011 will walk away with some $9 million.

The WSOP 2011 sports some 58 Events in Total – this is how the contest is shaping up to date

• June 3^rd Event #7 is the Pot-Limit Hold’em Championship  with a $10,000 buy-in
• June 6^th Event #11is the  Omaha HL Split-8 or Better Championship with a $10,000 buy-in
• June 9^th Event #16 is the 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship with a $10,000 buy-in
• June 12^th Event #21is the Seven Card Stud Championship with a $10,000 buy-in
• June 15^th Event #27is the Limit Hold’em Championship with a $10,000 buy-in
• June 18^th Event #33 is the Seven Card Stud HL, Split-8 or Better Championship with a $10,000 buy-in
• June 21^st Event #37 is the H.O.R.S.E. Championship with a $10,000 buy-in
• June 24^th Event #42is the Pot-Limit Omaha Championship  with a $10,000 buy-in
• June 27^th Event #46 is the NL Hold’em / Six Handed Championship with a $10,000 buy-in
• July 2^nd Event #55is The Poker Player’s Championship with a $50,000 buy-in
• July 7^th Event #58 is the Main Event No-Limit Hold’em Championship with a $10,000 buy-in

Registering for any of the above events is easily done at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino. Simply arrive and pick your preferred event. It’s necessary to sign up a few hours prior to the event and the buy-in must be made via cash or live casino chips only. A government ID card is required, as is a Caesars Entertainment Total Rewards Card. Don’t fret – these cards are readily available at the TR counter near the registration desk.

Fans of Texas Hold’em will literally go wild for this news: Calculators and Simulations exist and they can effectively boost your winning chances in online games. The way these mechanisms work is simple: they are preprogramed with myriad outcomes and/or possibilities. What they do is they calculate your winning chances – or the chances that you can compose straights, full houses, flushes, trips, pairs and so forth, based on the pocket cards in your hand and the flop on the table. These mathematically-based tools are effective means of statistically assessing how you’re going to do in any particular poker hand. Of course the requirement is that you know how many decks of cards are being used in a standard game and you should be as accurate as possible when entering card details.

How Do Calculators Work in Poker?

A simple illustration is the best way to show how effective these virtual machines are at calculating odds. Players can simply click on a card in the deck to deal it. After the card has been selected, it should be returned to the deck. This can all be seen right here. As stated online, the odds are then established by calculating from a minimum number of in-play cards. Numbers of cards are required in order to generate accurate readings.  For the purposes of illustration we selected the following 2 pairs of hands: 9d and 5d; 9c and 7c. Remember that in order to win in poker you can make contiguous combinations or you can opt for other options.

Players should take note that the greater the numerical difference between 2 pocket cards the less likely one is of forming those straights. And with flushes you require the same suit. This is perfectly illustrated in the above example. The win rate for the 9c and 7c combo is 49.88% whereas the win rate for the other hand is barely 25.7%. These numbers are based on 2 players in a hand. If you increase the number of players, the absolute percentages decline but relatively the player with the best hand will always have the edge over the opposition.  We increased the number of players to 5 and we selected a player to have pocket rockets (2 Aces). That player stood a 55% chance of winning and his/her closest rival stood a 15.15% chance of winning.

Remember though that these calculators don’t take into effect the fear factor the bluff and the psychological edge that certain players have over one another.

How do Simulations Work?

These games and programs make use of extensive professional expertise to bring about the most comprehensive playing solutions for players. One could even call them the best playing advice out there. But a caveat is in order: the advice is only as good as the source. They do provide odds-supported information, loads of training programs, decision-making information and myriad pot odds and assessments of your opponents’ actions. These simulators can be very costly and they’re not always as accurate as they ought to be. But they’re a worthwhile teaching and learning mechanism for enhanced poker gaming.

Most poker rooms from upon the use of poker bots, poker calculators and simulated software. These tools are a great way to learn the game though.

Depending on what cards you’re holding, there’s always going to be a nickname for your hand. Let’s start off with arguably the worst 2 pocket cards in the game – a 2 -7 combination. Think of it: there’s precious little you can do with these low value cards. If you hit a 3,4,5,6, and 8 on the flop, Turn and River, you may be in the hunt for some action. But generally this is unlikely and the hand value is lowly ranked. It’s known in poker circles as ‘The Hammer.’

Other Nicknames that Poker Players Hear all the Time

The Doyle Brunson is a world-famous poker hand. But the reality of the hand is an absolute shocker. It consists of a 2-10 pocket card draw. Typically there is virtually nothing that’s going to get you to win on this hand – perhaps if the flop is a pair of 10s or J,Q,K and A. The truth of the matter is that Brunson captured 2 WSOP bracelets with this hand – not too bad.

The Dolly Parton is the 9-5 combination and it’s equally shoddy, but nonetheless it’s been crowned.

A – A: Known as the Pocket Rockets; American Airlines or Bullets. It’s a killer poker hand.
K – K: Pretty awesome starting hand and it’s known as King Kong or Cowboys.
Q – Q: The Ladies, the Whores, or even Siegfried & Roy – because these royals know how to rumble.
J – J: These form a formidable pair, known as Fishhooks.
A – 8: Dead Man’s hand
K – Q Suited: Known as the Marriage.
K – Q Off-Suit: Known as the Mixed Marriage
K – J: For obvious reasons, this is known as Kojak.
K – 9: Known as the Dog or Fido.

K – 3: This is the King Crab.
Q – J: A wild hand known as Maverick

T – T: The 10, 10 pair is otherwise known as the Dimes.
9 – 9: When we’re talking the 9s then we’re talking about the German Virgin.
8 – 8: Look at the numbers 8, 8 and you know why they’re known as Doggie Balls.
7 – 7: Fancy a stroll along the 7,7 – Sunset Strip?
6 – 6: Nowhere better than Route 66 to get a midway mark.
5 – 5: This is low-limit territory known as the Speed Limit.

There are numerous other poker hands and card combinations. Each one of them has a distinct flavour and history. And of course they come with their own peculiar nicknames. This is a game with a rich and varied past and a more than promising future.

Poker is a game of skill and strategy. Sure there’s Lady Luck thrown in for good measure, but luck washes over players like the changing tides. So in essence, poker gaming acumen boils down to knowledge and ability over the long haul. This is a skill-based game that relies on sharp senses, quick actions and in-depth analysis.

If you are able to stay the course, then nifty profits are yours to make.  There are several elements that aggravate poor poker performance. Included are the following:

• Impaired judgment including erratic behaviour, inability to stay the course and imbibing in excessive alcohol or other substances.
• Lack of knowledge owing to insufficient experience in the real-money poker realm.
• Poker greenhorn instinct which drives players to play 80% of the hands they are dealt, even if they are shockers.
• Inability to manage a poker bankroll effectively as a result of poor financial sense or desperate gambling behaviour.

Limited Alcohol Consumption

In today’s post we are going to focus exclusively on the 1^st component: consumption of alcohol and/or foods that may seriously undermine optimum poker performance. As in any activity where mental acuteness is required, alcohol and other stimulants should be used with considerable care.

It’s entirely personal when deciding precisely how much alcohol can be consumed before logical decision-making is impaired. But each and every poker player will have an idea as to how much can be consumed. Usually it’s safe to say that 2 pints of beer will be the limit for low tolerance drinkers while 4 or 5 may be the satiation point for higher tolerance players. With spirits (whiskey, brandy, vodka, tequila and gin, etcetera) the limits are not measured in pints, but in measured doses. And naturally these are considerably lower. The point is that poker players should perhaps slow down their alcohol consumption when going into higher stakes poker contests or even during a series of prolonged low-stakes poker games. Mental agility is paramount to winning more online and real life poker games. This particularly holds true for all forms of medication, narcotics, stimulants (Red Bull & Vodka; coffee & espresso) and other smoked substances.

Playing well in poker is a direct derivative of being well nourished, mentally balanced and sufficiently hydrated. It’s always best to drink loads of OJ, water, juice or sodas over alcohol. And keep that belly well nourished – it’ll keep your mind off the fatty foods and squarely on the games at hand.

Artificial Intelligence is a terrific thing. And when it comes to Playstation 3, there is nothing better than High Stakes Poker. Of all the games that online casino gaming companies punt out, it’s the game of Texas Hold’em that takes the cake with this PS3 game. While there is little difference in the way these High Stakes poker games play out, there is usually a range of solid calls as well as typical poker stunts such as bluffing and the like. The game itself is filled with loads of entertaining poker action. The plus points of HSP include the following:

• The AI is actually quite extraordinary
• The online poker gaming mode is A-grade
• There are 5 varieties of poker games to enjoy

Gaming fundis have raised the issue that when you attempt to return after the top of the Artificial Intelligence bluff bet, it’s tough to actually remove yourself from a hand in progress. If your avatar or animated poker gaming buddy is low on chips, it can be hard extricating yourself from the game. Let’s say for instance that it’s mathematically correct to call an extra $2,000 (going all in) after you’ve committed $5,000 to a poker pot worth more than $12,000. But it’s feeble to place your tournament life on a low value hand simply because you can’t get out of it. This is essentially an issue that crops up repeatedly as part of the bluffing blunder story.

The good news is that the offline modes are lots of fun too. All of them tie into the player’s bankroll and all of them are variants of Texas Hold’em. But for players wanting to enjoy online poker action on their PS3 consoles there’s a lot on offer. It must be noted that there are no multi-table tourneys, but it is possible for 6 players to enjoy the exciting 5 games on offer. It’s nice to know that your bankroll is maintained throughout your gaming. Another plus point is that leader boards and voice chat are available online, but camera support is absent.

All about High Stakes Poker on PS3

For quality online poker gaming on a PS3, High Stakes Poker is the real deal. For under 10 bucks a pop, it’s an affordable alternative to many competing brands. The sensational 3D graphics make for exciting gaming and the characters are certainly above average. The animation and sound effects are quite extraordinary and there are of course multiplayer online gaming modes to enjoy with up to 6 players permitted. It’s truly High Stakes Poker on the Vegas Strip – enjoy it!