Online Casino Security

The most important thing to keep in tact is your online security and when you’re choosing to play at an online casino you need to make sure you’re choosing the right online casino. Most online casinos are safe to use and you’ll have no problems at all playing in them, but there are some casinos that you need to avoid because they’re known to scam players.

Online casinos use encryption in order to maximize your security when you’re transmitting details online such as your personal information. If the casino you’re playing in doesn’t have encryption then you need to make sure that you find a new online casino right away because the one you’re playing with isn’t secure enough.

Another problem that a lot of people wonder about is whether or not online casinos are scams or a safe place to gamble. That’s a simple question to answer and anyone who uses some simple logic should be able to come up with the correct answer. Online casinos have no need to scam players because they make money either way so they would never ruin there reputation in order to scam a player for a couple hundred bucks.

All online blackjack casinos use random number generators for every roll, spin or hand that is played in the casino which means everything is random. You can’t even count cards because a full deck is used every hand in blackjack and the cards are randomly dealt out to players. There is no say on the casino as to what cards are being dealt and the random number generator is often controlled by a third party.

One of the other great benefits of playing online is that you can keep track of all of your transactions including deposits, withdrawals, bonuses and anything else. Everything will be tracked and you’ll be able to see everything with a couple clicks of your mouse. This will allow you to see how much you’ve spent and how much you’ve cashed out in order to determine whether or not you’re down or up. This will help you decide whether or not you need to start putting limits on how much you’ve been spending.

Online casino gambling sites are one of the most secure industries online and this is because without customers playing games they don’t make money which means they’ll do everything they can in order to make sure we’re secure while playing. I have never had a problem with any online casino, but there are some shady ones out there. It’s wise to just stick to the big online casinos that already have a good reputation in the industry as this way you won’t need to worry about being scammed.

Online casinos are also constantly audited by third party companies that follow strict SEC rules to ensure that the security, safety and fairness of the website are all in check. If anything seems out of the ordinary then the audit will discover this and the online casino will be punished and need to fix any problems. This rarely happens which is a good thing, but it’s good to know there are companies out there auditing the casinos to ensure they keep up with the proper security and safety.

Tips for Increasing Limits in Poker

As a poker player you’re generally going to always start out at the low limit tables on UB.net until you feel confident enough to move up to higher limit tables. The low limit table you start on will be different then the next person and will depend on the size of your bankroll. If you have a $50 bankroll then you should play the $.05/$.10 game whereas if you have a $500 bankroll you could get away with playing the $.25/$.50 – $.50/$1 depending on the degree of risk you want to take. When you gain experience playing a certain level it’s natural to want to move up limits so you can increase the potential profits. Below are some tips that will help you determine when you should increase limits in poker.

* Before you can increase limits you need to be posting profits at the level you’re currently playing at. There is no reason to increase limits if you aren’t posting profits over a long period of time. Some players try and increase limits when they’re down money so they can recoup their losses quicker, but often it turns out that they lose even more money and in most cases cripples their bankroll. You should have data on your play when you play online poker so it shouldn’t be hard to determine if you’re profitable.

* You need to take small strides when moving up limits. It’s a smart idea to try and ease into a higher limit game then you’re use too. A good way to do this is by playing a small session everyday for a week or two at the limits you want to eventually play at. If you’re playing good poker and you’re competing with the other competition at the tables then you can start playing more of your sessions at the higher limit until eventually moving completely to the higher limit game.

* If you’re having trouble playing at the higher limits at the internet poker sites and you’re profits are taking a hit rather then going up you should move back down limits. There is no harm in moving back down limits for a couple weeks if you’re doing better at the lower limit games. You need to play where you’re making the most money and if you aren’t then it’s foolish.

* You need to make sure you have enough in your online poker bankroll in order to play higher limit games. If you’ve been spending all of your profits at the lower limit tables then you might not be able to afford playing at the higher limit games just in case it doesn’t go your way. There is no point going broke moving up limits when things are going good at the current limits you’re playing.

The above tips should be considered for both cash game players and tournament players. You can’t just move up limits and expect the same results right off the bat. The competition is tougher at the higher limits and you also need to worry about how you’re playing. Some players will become more passive when they move up limits and it stops them from winning big hands that they normally would be involved in at the lower limit tables.

Poker Stars VIP Program FAQ

With most online poker rooms going the rakeback route these days for their players, Poker Stars continues to offer their players a VIP Program. The VIP program is very similar to rakeback and can even be more beneficial then rakeback if used correctly. We’re going to walk you through a bunch of reasons why the Poker Stars VIP program can compare to rakeback programs from any of the major poker rooms.

Generally you’ll earn about 30% in rakeback from playing with one of the major poker rooms. With Poker Stars you’ll simply earn FPP’s which can then be used towards numerous rewards and bonuses. In order to earn the most from your FPP’s you need to make sure that you purchase bonuses with your points and nothing else. You also need to wait until you’re at least a Platinum member in the VIP program. If you’re anything less then a Platinum member you won’t receive enough bang for your FPP’s on the bonuses offered by Poker Stars.

While you’re trying to work your way up to the Platinum VIP level you should make sure that you’re keeping all of your frequent player points in your account. You can buy lots of different gadgets, clothing and even tournament tickets with your points, but if you spend them on these items you won’t be able to buy the bonuses as quickly. If you initially look at the Poker Stars VIP program you’ll notice that the amount of FPP’s you earn are kind of limited and won’t add up that quickly. One thing you need to understand though is that Poker Stars increases the amount of FPP’s you earn based on your VIP level.

If you’re a Platinum VIP level on PokerStars.net then you’ll earn 2.5X the regular amount of FPP’s for every tournament or raked hand that you play. The highest VIP level is Supernova Elite and you earn 5x the regular FPP’s at this level, but it’s not easy to reach this VIP level. In order to reach the Supernova Elite level you’re going to need to play full-time poker for about 10-12 months. Through some recent studies that have been completed it has been shown that Poker Stars VIP Program can offer tournament players over 40% rakeback at the Supernova Elite level through the bonuses that can be purchased.

There is no doubt that out of the major poker rooms Poker Stars currently offers the best program to earn money back. The rakeback programs seem like they would offer more potential, but if you’re playing enough poker then you’ll definitely earn more at Poker Stars. The only way to earn more at one of the other major poker rooms is if you were to negotiate a private deal with the poker room. Finding a poker room that offers you a private deal isn’t going to be easy unless you’re a full-time player.

Not only will you earn more money with the PokerStar VIP program, but you’ll also be able to play in the number one poker room on the internet. Poker Stars has more tournaments, cash games and players then any of the other major online poker rooms.

Pooling in Fixed Limit Cash Games

Pooling is a phenomenon that often occurs at low stakes fulltilt poker games, but it occurs the most often in low stakes fixed limit games. Many good players have experienced this and probably became very frustrated by it.

A player picks up Aces under the gun at a $2-$4 Limit Hold Em game and raises out of the UTG position. Instead of the field narrowing, something strange happens. The player to his left snap calls. The player two to his left also calls. Then the player three to his left calls as well. Not only does the three players directly to his left call, the whole table calls! They cannot all possibly have a good enough hand, could they?

While some players may have a decent hand, most probably have very bad hands. This is the phenomenon of pooling.

After the raise, there is $7 in the pot, giving the player under the gun +1 almost 2-1 on a call. Therefore, he calls. After that call, there is $11 in the pot, so the next player has almost 3-1 odds to a call and calls. With every call, the odds get better and better for the next player to make a call. Thus, nobody folds.

Now come back to the player with Aces. What is he supposed to do on the flop? Even if the flop comes 10-8-5, can his hand still even be good? And if it is, everyone is still probably going to call. How does one defend against pooling?

How to Play Against Poolers

Playing against poolers on FullTiltPoker.net can be very frustrating. The good player will always be entering with what is most likely the best hand, but usually it is not going to hold up until the end. Players are going to call him down with, often hitting a weird 2-pair or an unlikely straight.

The way to combat this is slow down with playing the high cards and high pairs and go back to playing hands with more implied odds. Implied odds disappear in Limit Hold Em when a player is playing against one other person in a pot, but if the whole table is calling, implied odds reappear. Players must then start to raise with suited connectors and small pairs. After the whole table calls, the player will then be able to either:

A) Fold when he totally misses the flop or,

B) Value bet the table every street and win a huge pot when the player flops a set or better.
Aces and Kings do not play well against 9 players, so slow down with them and even be willing to fold quickly post flop when the Ace or Kings do not improve when in a hand where pooling has occurred. If a player holds Aces under the gun and the table is inclined to pool, the UTG player may be better off limping with the intentions of three-betting or capping when action comes back around.

Types of Online Poker Tournaments

There are many different types of online poker tournaments to play. The bigger poker rooms like Full Tilt Poker tend to have a better tournament selection simply because they have the traffic to support the events. Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker both have very large tournament selections that will please any poker player. Below we’re going to take a brief look at the different online poker tournaments you can play.

* A sit and go tournament is a regular tournament that can be played in a single table or multi-table format. The common sizes for sit and go tournaments include 6 players, 9 players, 18 players, 45 players, 90 players and 180 players. This is the most common type of tournament played in online poker rooms today and you’ll find them starting every single minute in some poker rooms.

* A rebuy tournament is the same as a regular tournament except you’re allowed to rebuy into the tournament if you run out of chips. Typically you can rebuy into the tournament for the first hour and then in most cases there is an add-on period after the first hour where anyone can buy a certain amount of chips.

* A freeroll tournament is a poker tournament that is completely free to play in. Often poker rooms will offer freeroll tournaments for their players with added prize pools. If you’re trying to build a poker bankroll then the best way to do so is by playing in freeroll tournaments with prize pools.

* A satellite tournament is any tournament where the prize pool is a ticket to another tournament. Most poker rooms have tournaments in the $100+ range with massive prize pools and some people can’t afford to play in them. One way to be able to afford a ticket is by playing in a satellite tournament for $5-$10 and winning a ticket to the $100 event.

* A double-up tournament is a newer tournament format that is typically played with 10 players. The 10 players compete on one table until there are only five players left. The five players left in the event double-up their buy-in and the tournament is over. If you don’t mind winning money slowly then this tournament format could work great for your style.

* A heads-up poker tournament is a tournament where you and one other player compete against each other with the winner getting the prize pool. These tournaments are quick to play, but very difficult to multi-table since you’re always being dealt hands in heads-up tournaments. If you like playing heads-up poker then this is the way to go, but if you’re looking to make money there are better options in my opinion.

* A guaranteed prize pool tournament is a tournament where the poker room guarantees a certain sized prize pool. Often the bigger poker rooms offer these types of tournaments since most of the time the prize pool goes beyond the guaranteed amount. In this type of tournament if the prize pool doesn’t go over the guaranteed amount then the poker room will add the difference. For instance, if the guaranteed prize pool is $200K and the prize pool only reaches $150K then the poker room will add $50K of their own money to the prize pool.

Bankroll and Expectation in Limit

A NL player generally buys into a $1-$2 No Limit Hold Em table in Atlantic City with $200 on the table. What would that player consider a good win after playing for 2 hours? The player would probably answer in the $50-$100 range. Winning a quarter to a half of the buy in playing No Limit Hold Em is definitely a very solid day. Doubling the buy in is also possible and happens all the time. That would be a great day!

Now think if that same player were to switch tables and sit at a $1-$2 Limit Hold Em table. Instead of $200, he sits with $80. Now, what would that player be happy earning after playing for 2 hours? The player is definitely no going to give an answer like $50-$100; it is going to be closer to $20.

Monetary expectation is quite different between No Limit Hold Em and Limit Hold Em. Limit Hold Em is all about grinding out an hourly profit, while No Limit Hold Em is measured in gross profit. Limit Hold Em players gauge their profit based on big bets per hour. If a player is playing at a $1-$2FL game, one big bet is $2. In fixed limit, a good player generally averages anywhere between two to five big bets per hour in profit throughout his career.

Bankroll

Although it may seem like since a everest poker player’s stack is never in danger, a FL player will not experience as big of a swing in variance as a player playing No Limit Hold Em. While this is true, players should not be fooled. The variance swings in Limit Hold Em can be huge. Players can experience 100-200 big bets swings. For this reason, fixed limit players need to keep a large enough bankroll to absorb the swings.

While a full time No Limit Hold Em player playing $1-$2 will need approximately $4000-$4500 dollars to play comfortably, Limit Hold players playing $1-$2 Limit will need about $800. Having 400 big bets is a conservative guideline to have when playing Limit. This will ensure that a player will not bust while experience a downswing.

No Limit Holdem on titan poker, as we can see, is measured in percentage of bankroll. Since a player will sit down with $200, he will be sitting with about 5% of his bankroll. Players must know what to expect when playing Limit and cannot compare the results to No Limit Hold Em results. Both games are very different when it comes to money and bankrolls.