Las Vegas: Top 5 Poker Rooms in Las Vegas

If you want to experience live poker action at the gambling Mecca of the world, here is a guide to the top poker rooms in Las Vegas. You can read here updated info on each of the recommended Las Vegas poker rooms including their game variety, limits and tournaments.

1) Bellagio Casino and Hotel
If you want to experience Las Vegas poker action and hang out with pros, the Bellagio is the casino for you. It is one of the classiest poker rooms available in Las Vegas. It is so popular that you might find yourself spending over an hour at the waiting list and then find yourself stuck with a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs.

The games offered are Texas Holdem, Omaha and stud games, and you can also join one of the tournaments, but note that this involves playing No Limit Holdem. As for the table limits for the regular games, these are as follows:
a) Limit Holdem: 48, 816, 1530, 3060, 60120, 75150 pounds and up.
b) No Limit Holdem: 200 pounds buy ins with 25 pounds blinds.
c) Omaha: 612, 1530, 2040, 3060, 50100 pounds and up.
d) Stud Poker: 15, 48, 816, 3060, 75150 pounds and up.

2) Mirage Las Vegas
If you are tired of waiting for a table at Bellagio, the poker rooms at the Mirage can be an acceptable alternative. It resembles Bellagio’s with its luxurious atmosphere, variety of games and its huge popularity among pros as well as tourists.

The games offered are Texas Holdem and Omaha, Stud and as the Bellagio, playing in a tournament means getting involved with No Limit Texas Holdem. As for the limits of each table in a regular game, they are:
a) Limit Holdem: 36, 612, 1020, 2040, 4080 pounds.
b) No Limit Holdem: between 100 and 500 pounds buy ins with 25 pounds blinds.
c) Omaha: 510 pounds.
d) Stud Poker: 15, 510.

3) Excalibur Las Vegas
If you want to play in a less stressful environment, check out the poker room at the Excalibur casino. You can play spread limit Holdem with the lowest limits available on the Strip and enjoy beginners friendly rules such as limitation on three raises. The room has been renovated recently and the poker tables and seats are very comfortable.

At the Excalibur, you can play Texas Holdem or 7 Card Stud, and the limits are slightly lower:
a) Limit Holdem: 13, 26 pounds.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 pounds buy ins with 13 pounds blinds.
c) 7 Card Stud: 15 pounds and up.

4) Binions’ Horseshoe Hotel and Casino
If you want to play at the same room where the first WSOP took place, you must visit Binions’ poker room. Although the www.gambling-portal.comcasino has been renovated and went through many changes since the days of Nick the Greek, the ghosts of the past still haunt the place, but in a good way.

Here too you can play Texas Holdem, No Limit Holdem in their own tournament, Omaha and Stud games for the following limits:
a) Limit Holdem: 24, 48, 1020 pounds.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 pounds minimum buy ins with 12 pounds blinds.
c) Omaha: 48 pounds.
d) Stud Poker: 15.

5) Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
If you want to follow in the steps of the 2006 WSOP champions, check out the Rio poker room. You might be surprised from the size and the small variety of games, but the thought of sharing the same location with contemporary gaming legends adds a certain appeal to it.

Other than taking part in the tournament where you can participate in some No Limit Holdem, you can pick from Texas Holdem, 7 Card Stud, Omaha or a few other variations according to what players request. The limits are as follows:
a) Limit Holdem: 24, 36, 48 pounds.
b) No Limit Holdem: 100 pounds minimum buy ins with 25 pounds blinds.

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Know your Poker Opponents So You Can Take Advantage of

Know your Poker Opponents So You Can Take Advantage of Their Weaknesses

Poker is a game with many subtleties, and many of them have to do with psychology, having nothing to do with cards themselves. A few of our common English expressions come from poker contexts, and this is probably a result of all of the psychology involved in good poker player. The first two expressions that come to mind are passing the buck meaning the responsibility (in poker of being the dealer) and poker face to mean a face that could be lying. The poker face is one of the most interesting phenomena in psychology; most people dont give it a second thought, but those who do agree that its one of the more interesting aspects of human nature. Some humans lie much better than others do; it seems that some people can never master a true bluffing expression. The ability to bluff is the ability to lie, but its also the ability to show nothing. If youre watching your poker opponents closely enough you will be able to see clear patterns in their behaviour. If you cash in on these patterns that you recognize, it could be the difference between going home the biggest winner and going home the biggest bluffer.

The other people at the poker table are extremely important. Sure, theyre important because theyre putting money in the pot that you hope to later take home, but more importantly than that, they are your key to beating them. Odd, isnt it? It does seem odd that your opponents would be the key to beating your opponents, but that is absolutely the case. If you know your opponents, you will be able to beat them. Now, knowing your opponents does not simply mean that youve known them for years; in fact, knowing your opponents personally can be a negative influence on your poker game. Ideally, your poker opponents should be people that you dont know at the beginning of the night, but that you do know at the end of the night.

That doesnt mean that you should be engaging in conversations with them. Instead, you should be observing them. However, the best way to observe people without them feeling like you are is to engage in small talk with people around the table. If you look up from the table (presumably to direct your question to someone) you have plenty of time to scan the other players at the table. You dont want to be the nervous guy checking everyone out from the corners of his eyes; that just creeps people out. You do, however, want to be the guy who learns the motions and eye movements of the other people at the table before other people pick up on these cues.

What you have to do is register each persons behavior. Does one person always look up quickly if they have a good hand or a bad hand? Does someone shift their cards around if its a good thing theyre thinking or a bad thing? The idea here is that youve got to register behaviours and then file them away until you see what kind of hand they have. If you can come up with a pattern, youre golden. Youll be able to read these people at your table better than you can read yourself. In addition to calculating the odds of your hand being a winning hand, you should also be calculating what kind of people are sitting around you at the table. Only when you can perform the two simultaneously will you see your poker prowess really start to take off.

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How Working Out Helps Your Poker Game

50 Hands A Day:
Whenever I am getting ready for a poker tournament I try to play at least 50 hands, every single day in an online poker room and on the weekends I go to the casinos and play 100 hands a day and sometimes I play right thru the day and the night The more hands you play the better you will be when the day of the tournament arrives. Laying more hands will allow you to feel more confident when you get to the tournament and you will have a better feel for how difficult it is to make specific hands

Poker tournaments are not quick games. a poker tournament can take more then 12 and some games can go for 2 days, dont worry they give you a break to sleep. Just from spending so much time at a poker table can take its toll on your mind and body. Therefore it is important to take good care of your body for at least the last 2 or 3 weeks leading up to the tournament. This will help you keep your mind focused on the game. After all if you were going to be in a car race you would maintain your car right?

Fuel for the Body:
Many people like to fill up before a poker tournament because they do not want to get hungry during the game, but eating a big meal before hand can cause you to need to go to the bathroom during the game. This is bad because it will break your concentration. If you have to hold it in you are thinking about not making a mess and can start to make bad decisions. What you need to do is to start eating well balanced meals 2 weeks before the tournament. Proper meals on a regular schedule will regulate when you have to use the rest rooms and when you will want to eat. Before the game you will know how often you will get a break and when the start time is and can create a schedule around that time table.

Work Out:
Spending so much time sitting and using your brain can be drain on your energy levels. It is very important to work out regularly. Once your body starts to feel tired your brain has already stopped working at 100%. A regular workout will stop you from falling asleep and keep you in the tournament.

Regulate Your Sleep:
By making sure you get a full night sleep every night and wake up at the same time every day for several weeks your body will repair itself faster, and the schedule will help you get a better night sleep. In return this will help keep your mind working while playing in the tournament. The average human needs 8 hours of sleep. Some people can get less sleep and be fully rested and some need more sleep. Make sure to get the optimal sleep for you.

Brush up on the Fundamentals:
Before playing in a poker tournament especially if there are big stakes involved it is always good to go back and relearn to play. Many poker players like to read books on poker tips and tricks as well as different strategies, and before going to a tournament you should bone up on all these things again. It is also good to watch as many poker games as you can. This will help you study the players and break down their strategies. If you can break down the strategies of the other players you will have a big advantage over them.

Following these recommendations have helped give me an advantage during several poker tournaments and the more I play, the closer I get to winning the pot of gold.

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How to get your husband to cancel his weekly poker

How to get your husband to cancel his weekly poker game

Over the past few years it always bothered me that my husband would go play poker with his friends every Friday night. Whenever I complained that it would be nice to spend time with my husband on Friday, he just complains that this is the only time he gets to be with his friends.

I decided I had to come up with a way to make him choose me over his poker buddies so I tried many different things, at first I tried by asking him to stay home so we could have sex all night. That worked a few times but then he caught on to what I was doing.

I also tried finding different events that he may want to go to like action movies, car shows and other things of that nature but there were not always things to do, so that was another failed attempt.

But after 6 months of trying I had just about given up, finally at my wits end I decided that maybe I could get real good fast I could challenge him to a game and if I won he had to stop going to his game, and if he won I would pay for him to go to Vegas I spent every spare moment I had reading everything I could find online about Texas Holdem. Eventually I decided to go online and practice at some Video Poker.

Eventually I started playing for real cash Online, and once or twice while he was at his game I would drive to one of the local casinos and play for a few hours in their poker rooms.

Finally I felt I was good enough to make the challenge. So one night I told him that I wanted him to stop going to his Friday night games and to stay home with me, as I had expected it started a big argument. I waited until he made his speech about working hard and needing some guy time.

So I felt this was my time to strike, I asked him if he would at least allow me to come and watch the game, to which he replied that players only as the rule and that since I did not know how to play I could not go.

So I said if he could do it how hard can it be that really got him going, so he then asked me if I wanted to make the game a little interesting with a little bet. Now I had exactly what I wanted.

I said if he won I would pay for him to go to Las Vegas alone, he did not know I had made some good money playing poker recently, and if I won he would give up his seat in his regular Friday night game.

He looked at me suspiciously at first and I thought he was not going to risk it but he said ok. He ran to the closet and grabbed his chips we each started of with 100 in chips and agreed the first one out is the loser.

Well in the end it was me that lost, but he was so excited at how good I was that he did stop going to his Friday night game, now every Friday night we go and play together at the casino. We have been doing this for 2 years now and our relationship has never been this good.

Sometimes it really is better to try to get interested in his hobby.

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Caribbean Stud Poker: How to Play

Caribbean Stud Poker is gradually gaining in popularity as compared to its stud twin: Texas Holdem mainly because it is an easier game to learn and you can play it face to face and still enjoy.

Originating in the Caribbean and based loosely on five card stud poker rules, this game offers a fan alternative to traditional table games with an opportunity to place a side bet and hit a big jackpot too. Some of these jackpots are progressive and you can win millions of pounds if you break those machines or tables..

What is Caribbean Stud?
It is not a traditional poker game in the sense that you play against the other players and the best player wins the pot. Caribbean stud belongs to the family of games including Pai Gow poker, Let it Ride and Three Card poker for example, where your opponent is the dealer and your goal is to form a better poker hand than the dealers hand. However, basic knowledge of traditional poker hand ranking is required.

The Rules of Playing Caribbean Stud:
1) The game begins with the players placing an ante bet at the same amount as the table minimum on the ante circle on the table.
2) At the same time, you should decide whether to place an additional side bet for the progressive jackpot.
3) Then, the dealer deals each player five face down cards plus four face down cards and one up to himself.
4) After looking at your cards, you should decide whether to fold or to call. If you decide to call, you should place an additional bet double the amount of your former ante bet.
5) After all the players have made their decisions, the dealer shows his hand. In order to qualify in a Caribbean stud poker game, the dealer must have an ace and a king or better. If he does not qualify, you will be paid back your ante bet but the call bet is a push.
6) If the dealers hand qualifies, he compares hands against each of the players individually. If his hand is better than yours is, you lose both your ante and your call bets.
7) If your hand is better than the dealers hand, you would be paid even money for your ante while for your call you would be paid according to a paytable. The paytable can vary from one casino to another. Generally, US casinos pay out 50:1 on a straight flush; 20:1 on four of a kind; 7:1 on full house; 5:1 on a flush; 4:1 on a straight; 3:1 on three of a kind; 2:1 on two pairs and even money on one pair or less. In case your hand and the dealers hand are even, both ante and raise will push.

One of the reasons that Caribbean stud poker is so popular is the option of placing a one pound side bet and winning a large progressive jackpot prize. In order to qualify for the bonus payout you should have a flush or better. For a flush, you would be paid a 50 pounds bonus and in order to win the jackpot that usually resets from 10,000 pounds, you must have a royal flush. However, your chances to hit a royal flush are estimated as about 650,000 to 1, therefore I would recommend skipping it.

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4 Gambling Mistakes New Poker Players Make

Poker is a game of chance, but there is still a large amount of skill involved when playing. Many new poker players make gambling mistakes that cost them a lot of money and get them out of tournaments. Some novices play free poker online and never win because of terrible gambling techniques. However, by knowing four common gambling mistakes that are made by new players, you can greatly increase your chances of winning games and tournaments.

1. Going all-in too often or in obvious desperation. In many tournaments with play money, some players go all-in the first hand. It may work for a few times, but after a while, someone will call you. In that case, you better hope that you have actually good cards. All-in can be used to get players to fold, but it should really only be used if you have a solid hand and could possibly double your stack. People should bluff very infrequently with an all-in. Going all-in with a bad hand is what many people call bad poker. Sometimes you can get lucky, but the best players bet carefully.

2. Under betting. If you have a good starting hand, dont be afraid to raise pre-flop, or bet high after the flop. If you have a great hand, then slow playing can work very well. However, when you do start placing bets in a no-limit game, they should not be too small. One reason is that you wont end up winning as much money if you bet small. Another reason is that you are giving incentives for many other players to stay in the hand. Therefore, you are giving other players chances to hit a hand that is better than yours. The best players bet just the right amount to get it where only one or two players call. In that case, your odds for winning are a lot better.

3. Over betting. Some players get very excited when they have a good hand. They may go all-in, or lay down outrageous bets. Not only is it a waste of a good hand, but also people can start to read you. If you constantly over bet only when you have something, then people will always fold and you wont win money. However, if you dont have anything, then people will also know because you arent laying down monstrous bets.

4. Finally, it is important to know when to fold. The best poker players are constantly watching other players, and guessing who could have better hands than they have. If someone bets high, and you know you have the best possible hand (which occurs rarely), then you can call. However, you need to know the odds of the other person having a better hand. Additionally, many new poker players call large bets when they dont have anything, they just need a draw card. This is the worst type of gamble. Seldom will a person get that final card they need for a straight or a three-of-a-kind. Knowing the odds is key to playing good poker.

New poker players are often very easy targets for experienced players. Many new poker players make gambling mistakes that can be capitalized on. In order to avoid those mistakes, it is important to study the odds in poker, analyze what other players could have, and bet intelligently. If you do that, then you will have a fairly successful poker playing experience.

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