TITAN POKER

Poker is a world famous game that has been the subject of numerous films
books and motivation for poker clubs and games throughout the world. There is something irresistible and glamorous about this game
which combines luck
skill and a bit of acting as well. In any poker game a player will have to call on his or her “poker face” to hide the excitement of a sure-fire winning hand
or to bluff another player into folding
allowing the bluffer to win by default! While an unreadable face is one of the keys to a good game of poker
there is much more to learn.

Starting at the beginning
all varieties of poker
whether it is Texas holdem
Omaha
Omaha hi/lo
7 Card Stud
Five Card Stud
or Draw
involve a standard deck of 52 cards. In some poker games
for example Draw Poker
the Joker can be used as an ace
which can give a player’s hand a much-needed boost. When learning how to play poker
it is certainly advisable to become well acquainted with the values of the cards
and their potency when combined
with the best hand being the Royal Flush.

Today’s poker players have an incredible opportunity to learn all styles of the game from the comfort of home. There are innumerable online poker venues that offer all types of poker games and have even created innovative poker tournaments that give a new spin to keep even those who play poker frequently
something new to learn.

Similar to real life poker
internet poker follows official poker rules. Depending on the type of poker game
bets are made at the appropriate times
in some variations this is prior to the cards being dealt and is known as the “ante.” Additionally
poker gambling rules hold true online as well. Bets are placed
after which players have the opportunity to communicate whether they want to see or raise a bet
or fold in the event a hand just doesn’t seem to offer any promise in future rounds.

Many of the online poker sites create a format that makes you feel as though you are in the poker rooms of casinos. Using highly sophisticated computer graphics
animation and chat options to communicate with fellow players
the online version really does feel like actual casino poker.

For some
there is concern that playing online may be risky for personal financial security reasons. Many of these online poker sites do not require that you invest any money whatsoever. In fact
you can play free poker using downloads that are offered by the site
and never have to make a deposit. While it is enjoyable to play a free poker game to give you a taste of how to play the game
the real excitement will come when you give your skills a chance at winning you some earnings. Once you feel you can trust a site from your experience playing free online poker consider playing for wagers and enjoy the rewards of your efforts.

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Beta Test Over for PokerStars Mac Software


The world’s biggest online poker company now offers fully functional Mac platform Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_11092008_17.html

Now online poker is excitable and popular than always. Many people are now passionate of playing poker online. But how will you know that you are playing at the best site. For this the best tool is online poker reviews. People should try to find the best online poker reviews. This is because poker reviews are the best way to find out the best sites to play poker online. Any thing on poker
varied types of poker
preferred bonuses on poker
can be obtained on online gambling.

A number of online poker sites are available on net and several sites offer good reviews. Online poker portal encloses reviews about all of the different sites that offer online poker. The online sites that are reviewed by online poker portal are considered as safe and secure as they are honest and offer reliable payouts. Any player with different choices will find their choice of poker in online poker gambling. A player who wishes to play five-card stud poker or Texas Holden
the hottest game around
can have their choice while gambling online.

People after their routine office work opt for playing online poker in the evening as a means of relaxing and having fun. People have different intentions for playing poker online in their free time. The common reason for online poker gaming is that this gaming generates fun and excitement to players and also good returns through gaming sensibly.

Here are some of the reasons for the popularity and affection of players to online poker.

Play the game from your own premises.

There is now no tension of traffic or parking area selection when setting for gambling. Currently the arrival of computer helps the people to sit at home and gamble online poker. Poker enthusiasts today enjoy gambling without traveling to casinos as now poker is available online. Also there is no specific dress code like in land based gambling as online gaming can be accomplished within the comforts of home.

Win Real Cash

Online poker gaming like land based poker provides to win real cash. When going through the reviews
you can find the list of some of the winners and their description of their online casinos. They will exclaim their gaming experience in particular sites and their good offers that benefited them. If you are an expert or know the game then you can play for real money to enjoy the game. The money can be deposited into your online business account
for example
your Pay pal account. Hence you can gamble within the comforts of home and gain profits.

Variety of Games offered

Any type of poker game you love to play can be found at one of the many online poker sites on net. Online poker casinos provide games vary from standard poker to the various games. Besides poker
people also find Blackjack and other different casino games to have fun.

Socialize with other poker fans

All online poker sites offer chat opportunity so that you can meet other poker enthusiasts while playing poker. This is just more than playing poker online but communicating with people of similar tastes. People will experience a new world of fun and thrill while gaming poker online.

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Titan Poker announced the launch of ECOOP III


Titan Poker
the largest online poker room on the iPoker Network
has announced the launch of its third European Championship of Online Poker (ECOOP III) this November. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_12092008_21.html

$1 Million for Poker.org Domain Name


The domain name
poker.org
has recently been sold for $1 million – a record amount of money for the sale of a .org domain name. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_20022010_469.html

Poker Chip Sets – The Poker Chip and Challenge to Counterfeiters

Poker is a popular card game across the world with the excitement of gambling and potential for huge payoffs. Almost integral to the poker game are the poker chips
and indeed poker does not feel like poker without poker chip sets.

The chips are small discs of various colors representing different denominations
meant as substitutes for real money
which is instead stored in a more secure place. The use of money substitutes
or token money
can be traced back through the 13th to 17th centuries in Europe. Today poker chips are often made according to themes and formats that unite a particular set of chips. This is useful in avoiding counterfeiters
even for games at home or in private.

casino chips use many different anti-counterfeiting measures
with the most basic being chip coloration and embossed or molded patterning. Holographic inlays
distinctive colored markings on the edges and ultraviolet markings on the inlays further deter potential counterfeiters. Lastly
Radio Frequency Identification or RFID tags are used by some establishments. The latter method can be quite costly
but the establishments that use them feel the cost is justified. Given the difficulty in counterfeiting chips
poker chip frauds in casinos are rare.

If you plan to play in private though
you should be careful of frauds
especially if you are using mass-produced chips. Another reason for these security measures is to identify which casinos they came from. This is usually not a problem
since casinos usually honor only their own chips and it is more of a matter of branding. In Nevada however
casinos are permitted to honor chips from other casinos
and these identifiers make returning chips to the casinos they belong to easier.

Poker Chip Sets – Composition and Coloration

Authentic casino poker chips are made of clay
though not pure clay which is too soft. Special composite mixtures have been made
using trade-secret techniques
the confidential nature of which is yet another speed bump on the counterfeiter’s path. Sometimes
special edition poker chip sets may be bought from casinos
though generally poker chips stay in the casinos. Poker chips made for home use on the other hand may or may not be of the same quality as their casino counterparts.

For home use poker chips
ceramic and ABS plastic are the most common materials. When ceramic is used
special compositions allow them to approximate the feel of real clay while maintaining a lower price profile. Ceramic chips are also used in some casinos. ABS plastic chips on the other hand may be molded with a metal disk or slug inside
to give them some heft. For those in Europe
poker chips may come in mother of pearl
which gives them an incomparable sheen and luster. Coloration is standard for different denominations in one set
but may differ across sets. For example
in some places there are standard coloration schemes for chips
while in others there are none. Of note is the US State of Nevada
where casinos are given free rein on their chip designs and colors.

Poker Chip Sets – Sets and Themes

Since poker games often involve large amounts of money
a large number of chips are needed. Standard sets have 300 pieces
while others can have 500 pieces
and yet others reaching a stunning 1000 pieces. Some casinos sell poker chips similar to those used on the floor but with a few differences for identification purposes. This is great for those who want to emulate the feel of their favorite places of gambling at home games. Limited edition sets can be highly collectible
and there is a thriving community of poker chip collectors.

Many of the poker chips are traded via eBay
and the most special ones can go for thousands of US dollars
regardless of face value. Whole sets of these special poker ch
ips can cost even more than the individual pieces. What really ties the members of all poker chip sets together is the design of the chips. Poker chips in one set are often of identical sizes
of consistent coloration
and having similar inlays. Colors and inlays vary according to denomination
but the idea is that chips from one set are identifiably from the very same set.

The edges and rims may also be embossed with characteristic patterns and even have colored sections made via special multi stage molding techniques. The designs may be simple and straight forward
just simple chips with numbers. They could just as well be whimsical
like having humorous or otherwise interesting prints on the inlays. A set of poker chips will often be packaged in a poker chip case or some such container such as an acrylic poker chip carrier or humidor style wooden poker chip case
in the tradition followed in casinos worldwide. One would suppose that if you are going for the authentic feel
then there’s no point skimping on the little details.

Poker Chip Sets – Elements of Authenticity

Poker chips are essential to playing poker. One can “play” poker without them
but it will not feel like poker without the chips would it? It is the feel of these poker chips that gives a tactile sense of authenticity. The clink of these poker chips as they hit the table and trade hands adds to the ambiance. The nature of these poker chips ensures that no one can weasel out of the bet that they placed
so it ensures a fair game as far as bets are concerned. Speaking of amounts
the printed or inlaid values may vary depending on where you buy your poker chip sets.

It is even possible to find manufacturers that make poker chips that reflect your country’s currency and useful denominations
though generic chips are also available. With the popularity of televised poker and TV series set in casinos
the mystique of poker chip sets has increased
and many people feel that poker chips are the only way with which to play poker. If you are the kind of person who likes taking souvenirs
then chips from the casinos you have visited make fine reminders of good and bad times alike. Poker chips are definitely the elements of authenticity in poker games.

–

Beta Test Over for PokerStars Mac Software


The world’s biggest online poker company now offers fully functional Mac platform Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_11092008_17.html

Titan Poker announced the launch of ECOOP III


Titan Poker
the largest online poker room on the iPoker Network
has announced the launch of its third European Championship of Online Poker (ECOOP III) this November. Read the full story at http://www.classicasinos.com/PokerNews/ns_12092008_21.html

So
you have decided that you want to play poker Online
and your hunt for the perfect site has begun. But alas
there are literally hundreds of poker sites on the Internet. How do you discriminate between all of these available sites
to find that desired site ? There are several key criteria that you should be aware of
in your quest to find the poker site that is perfect for you. Understanding these criteria
and being able to use them as a basis for comparison
will significantly simplify your selection process:

Free Poker – If you are looking to play online poker for pure recreation
and not for money
ensure that the site you are interested in accommodates “free” players. Most online poker sites do cater to free players.

Software Download vs. Web-based – Most
if not all
online poker sites require you to download their poker client software onto your computer system to run. If you are adverse to downloading such software onto your system
then you might want to check to see if the poker site alternatively has a web-based poker interface
which allows you to play poker on the site from within your browser. Software installs run the potential risk of viruses and/or adware being loaded onto your system (although most of the reputable firms would never do that)
but software installs on your computer generally run a lot faster than web-based sessions. Software installations harness the power of your local PC’s CPU
whereas web-based interfaces rely on downloading any screen real estate updates over the Internet during play. This can be slow
particularly
if you are running over a slow internet connection (e.g.
a dialup line). Hence
if you are after speed
select local software installations; if you are concerned about your computer’s safety or cannot afford the disk space used by a software installation
select a web-based poker site.

Methods of Deposit/Withdrawal – If you are planning to play poker for money over the Internet
it is very important to consider the methods of deposit and withdrawal that a poker site supports. Many of these sites permit major credit cards to be used
which seem to be the universal deposit mechanism of choice. Others permit the use of bank transfer
ACH transfer
checks
and wire transfer from banks. Most poker sites also support some form of 3rd party eWallets
which provide an intermediary between banking institutions and the poker site itself. The main criteria to look at are: 1) What methods of deposit/withdrawal are supported by the poker site
and how many of these methods are supported by the locale that you live in ?; 2) Is it legal to fund/withdraw to/from a poker site
from the jurisdiction that you are playing in ?; 3) What are the fees associated with the 3rd party eWallet companies that you are able to use
and how reliable are they (this latter question can be researched on some of the poker message forum boards) ?

Locale Restrictions – Some poker sites restrict the playing for money (and even free play sometimes)
based on your locale
and the laws governing gambling in your locale. You should check with the laws of your local jurisdiction and check with the poker site
to see if there are any imposed restrictions on play
based on your locale.

Support – You should definitely look at the methods of support that a poker site offers. Poker sites generally provide one (or more) methods of support that include: telephone support
fax support
Email support
and live chat support. The more of these that a poker site offers
the better. For telephone support
check and see if the poker site offers toll-free support from your playing jurisdiction or not.

Game Variety – Depending on your level of poker playing expertise and your interest in variety
it is important to determine which game types the poker site supports. Almost all of the sites offer Texas Holdem
but depending on your leve
l of interest
you should check to see if they offer games like Five and Seven Card Stud
Omaha Poker (and all of its variations)
blackjack (not poker
but often included as a game option)
Stud (and its variations)
Draw poker
Tournament support
and limit and pot limit games. Tournaments in particular are very popular with online poker sites
and some site tournaments offer very large prize pools.

Bonuses – Most
but not all
of the poker sites offer some form of bonus to the player
when you initially sign up with the site. Each site’s bonus is somewhat different
but of the one’s that offer first time bonus
it is usually predicated on a minimum initial deposit. Many bonuses are also calculated based on the amount of money deposited and spent on the site. Additionally
many sites offer reload bonuses
which are bonuses that are offered to existing customers
beyond their initial deposit bonus
and as an incentive to keep you as a customer.

Graphics and Useability – This is a very important consideration. Every poker site has a different look and feel to it. If you are going to be playing poker for money
it is important that you feel comfortable with the screen graphics and your ability to navigate (via mouse or keyboard clicks) through the poker program. If you feel uncomfortable at all with the poker site
you should definitely not consider playing at it for money. You should always test a poker site out in “free” mode first
before actually considering it for real-money wagering.

Game Features – You should always consider the game features that are available with a given poker site. Game features such as hand history
multiple simultaneous playing windows
player notes
audible and visual indicators
player statistics
connection status indicator
player chat
turbo games
and screen options should always be considered.

Rake – Rake is the amount of the pot that the poker site takes (as part of its fee for doing business)
from each hand. You should always be aware of how much rake a poker site takes (compared to another site). Poker sites usually use a Weighted Contribution rake method or an Average Contribution method
when calculating rake. Obviously
the lower the rake
the more money you will take home on hand wins
but this criteria by itself should not dictate which poker site you use
since all of the above factors need to be taken into consideration as well. In summary
the aforementioned criteria should always be used
when deciding which Poker site is best for you. Depending on your preferences
some of these criteria should be given more weight than others. Happy Poker site hunting !!

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Poker Discipline: Knowing When to Stop

Poker Discipline: Knowing When to Stop Poker is very challenging
exciting and is thus addictive. Novices get drawn into its clutches and they find it hard to get out. They want to make poker their source of income. What could be more ideal than playing your fill of poker while earning money to pay the bills? [...]

Some of the main hubs of poker are also the most sexualized cities in the United States
name New Orleans and then later Las Vegas. These cities are absolutely oozing with sex
and although this paper is not trying to make a moralistic argument decrying these wild cities’ lifestyles
much of these images have stuck to the game of poker itself. Perhaps this phenomenon would not be so bad if it played out evenly between the two sexes
but all one sees is the portrayal of partially disrobed women advertising for poker sites. One only needs to log onto the internet and search for “Women and Poker” to have a dozen women in bikinis immediately pop up on the screen.

In fact
yours truly actually did run a search specifically for “Women and Poker”
and here are some of the surprising results. In no particular order we present 10 of the most tasteful poker sites on the web:

-Pokerium Online Poker Room and Casino: The front page of this website is a model of good taste and restraint. Many of the searches yielded interesting results
but this website was head and shoulders ahead. Upon opening the home page one finds an illustration of a scantily clad brown-haired vixen with a flower in her hair(no real women were harmed during the production of this design). The interesting part of this drawing is that she is placed inside of a huge Ace of Clubs. In the middle of the card
where the woman is located
lies a very large club
and the stem of said club just happens to terminate in the center of the woman’s crotch. Although there is a possibility that this not-so-subtle innuendo was unintentional
we would not bet on it.

-Next on our list is the deliciously tasteful advertisement on hollywoodpoker.com for their “Babes & Bounties” tournament. To begin with
the title itself should be enough to ruffle the feathers of most women poker players. Then
the image used on the page is of a woman in a bikini top with money in the background behind her. And finally
for those players who aren’t sold by the picture in the middle
the site claims that “12 of the sexiest poker hostesses in the game” will be present at the table. It’s a good thing too
because most serious poker players refuse to play in tournaments with any less than 8 sexy poker hostesses. Finally
jus tto make sure that one can notice all the different features on the side
there is a picture of a woman on the left-hand side of the screen dressed in her rather unsupportive underwear lying down in front of a laptop with poker chips lying around her body. She is happily wearing a pair of flattering white high heeled shoes so that she can model at any moment during her poker game. A truly classy website.

-PokerWorld.com
an up and coming online card room
is another tastefully crafted website
with nothing to offend save for their new “Topless Bonus”. The “Topless Bonus: The Shape of Things to Come” seems a stretch: with this promotion they will “top up” your account with a free 20% bonus. The stingy bonus does not only fall way short of the 200% bonuses floating around on various sites
it also offends the eye. They advertise it with a small silhouette of a woman
hardly exposing anything whatsoever. Why they chose to try and correlate a 20% with topless women is a mystery
but they surely went for it.

-Not to be outdone
Jungle Poker has its own female spokeswoman: none other than the lovely Cheynelle Fraser
a bartender/model who is now the official face of Jungle Poker. Why a poker site would need a sizzling hot model as a spokeswoman is a grand mystery. We suspect it is because the photos of Cheynelle – which include several excellent cleavage shots – surely have everything to do with poker and nothing with selling sexuality. Although the site may be using the good looks of beautiful Cheynelle to help promote their site
they are not just about T & A on th
eir site: on the front page of the site they have an advertisement for their heads up Sit & Go tournaments
featuring two headshots of a man and a woman
both fully dressed
challenging each other to a card game. Hurray for equality!

-Europeans are no exception when it comes to using alluring images of the female form to help them sell their products. In a recent article published on poker.gamble.co.uk
the author writes about the upcoming Great British Poker Tour
and the centerpiece image of this article is a nude woman relaxing in a bathtub full of poker chips. It’s a good thing that they posted this picture
because nothing says Great British Poker Tour better than a woman bathing nude in poker chips.

-The most morbid result found during the search came from best-poker-rakeback.net on their rakeback advertisement
which features a frightening illustration of zombie woman in a corset
fishnet stockings
heels
and a short skirt using a rake to gather up some playing cards that must have fallen off a tree. Although the idea of having somebody literally raking poker cards is cute
we’re not sure about the need for a sexy undead woman.

-Gambling blog Oddjack paid homage to the women of poker in an article titled “Top 10 Sexiest Women of Poker”. This enlightening four part series takes the readers through their list of what they view as the sexiest women in the poker world. Just to give a small taste of their depictions of these women
we will go over the first three women they talk about. Each woman has a picture with a caption beneath it. At number ten on their list is Courtney Friel
a television hostess for the world poker tour. The picture they have of her is in a lacy tank top: fair enough. She’s obviously OK with the picture considering she modeled for it. Underneath the picure is a caption that says “Stop teasing us Courtney
tear those laces off!”

The next featured profile is that of Evelyn Ng. Underneath her picture they put a quote that says
“Evelyn sure is one sweet ride…” Sadly
they did not even try to be creative with this comment
the only possible connotation for this remark is a sexual one. They also remarked in her profile that she won the WPT Ladies Night event and that
“Yup
she kicked ass. Asses that belong to Annie Duke and Kathy Liebert. Asses I don’t wanna see anytime soon. No matter how much they pay me to.” This hilarious joke about the physical assets of two of poker’s greatest female players was insulting to say the least.

At number 8 on their list is none other than Lily Elviro. This strong poker player who
besides being a strong poker player
is physically well endowed as well. The picture which they used for her was taken during a poker tournament she played in and shows her at the table holding a pair of cards. She is leaning forward a little showing a fair portion of her not so small breasts. Unable to resist
the comment beneath the photo says
“It’s hard for Lily to always carry a heavy set of puppies like that.” If it wasn’t for such brilliant writing most of us would completely miss out on such hard to miss features.

-Next on our list is an article written by Toby Bochan on her poker blog. This photo-article
featured on about.com
is titled “The hottest women of poker”
and it is essentially an amateur photo gallery of professional femal poker players. The women featured in this article are Evelyn Ng
Shannon Elizabeth
Clonie Gowen
Jennifer Tilly
Liz Lieu
Vanessa Rousso
Isabelle Mercier
Cyndy Violette
Jennifer Harman
Annie Duke
Kristy Gazes
Chantel McNutty
and Jennefer “Jennicide” Leigh. Perhaps the most disturbing part about this gallery is not that these women have their pictures posted
but that none of the pictures were studio pictures. They all seem like photos that were taken in a clandestine manner on a digital camera. Does this strike anybody as creepy?

-Coming l
ast on our list is none other than Full Tilt Poker
who recently issued a challenge between Paris Hilton and Clonie Gowen. Their hearts were definitely in the right place: they were to host a heads-up challenge between the two women and the winner would take the $100
000 prize and donate it to the charity of her choice. This sounds good
so why does this make our trash list? Well
if you go to the website
the page they created for this challenge has these two women stacked up next to each other. The title for their statistics is called their “Sexy Stats”
and just to make sure that the best poker player wins
they even added a “Who is sexier?” poll at the bottom of the page.

Thus concludes our trashy website list (NEED TO THINK OF A WAY TO PITCH THIS ARTICLE). Part IV will conclude “Women and Poker” by addressing what the future of women and poker may hold.

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Heads-up Tournament Play Tips
If you happen to play tournament poker
then you know that heads-up play is inevitable. There comes a moment when there are only two opponents left at the table and they must battle each other for the coveted top prize. Successful heads-up play requires both opponents to have some experience in poker
but more importnatly
experience in one-on-one action. read more

More No deposit poker bonuses

There haven’t been very many changes in the world of free bonuses lately. There is a new offer from PokerSource at RedKings poker room. You can find all the details of this and many other bonuses on the new site at No Deposit Poker Bonuses. This site has more than twenty of [...]

888 Poker $8 Free

This is a limited time offer of $8 free directly from 888 Poker. Of course it is for new players at 888 Poker only
and some countries are restricted from claiming the bonus. Simply got to 888 Poker and open an account to claim the free $8. You will get a special version of their poker software that [...]