If you play poker regularly, and you understand the game exactly as it is, you probably know that there are misconceptions among people with no direct experience. You’ve probably heard many of these erroneous viewpoints. If you are like me, you spend a fair amount of time explaining to uninformed people precisely what poker is and what it is not. For the benefit of all, this article will clear up some of the more common misconceptions.

Conversely, if you never play poker, and your entire experience of the game is what you read in print and see in movies, you probably have many wrong ideas. That is to be expected. Please, allow me to enlighten you on a few points.

1. Poker is not casual. Many people think of poker as a mellow social pastime, where friends sit around drinking, laughing and whooping it up. In fact, there is nothing friendly about poker. You can be cordial with others at your table (and you should be), but the game itself is vicious. Played properly, it is a form of warfare. It is an aggressive battle for domination. I think of poker as “violence, without the violence.”

2. A poker face is not the main requirement to play. I cannot tell you how often I hear this misconception. Nearly every time I mention poker to someone whose only exposure to the game is the media, I hear some lame comment like, “Oh, you must have a good poker face.” No, a poker face, a steely-eyed gaze, is not the essence of skillful play. True, you do not want to be sending tells to your opponents, but the so-called poker face is widely misunderstood. The ability to create a poker face does not make you a poker player. Consider this: When you play poker on the Internet, everyone has a poker face.

3. Winning at poker is not easy. Blame television for this one. You generally see only the winners on television. Those who win get the most exposure and are most often featured. The final table in a tournament, for example, is comprised solely of players who are winners. Very little attention is paid to those who lose, say nothing of the vast majority who bust out of tournaments without fanfare. Playing well takes a huge amount of study, discipline and practice. Succeeding in the world of poker is far from automatic.

4. Women can play. The idea that poker is exclusively a man’s game is another falsehood. Years ago, many well-known poker authors wrote that women do not have the killer instinct necessary to play well. Time has proven that theory wrong. Nowadays, women compete at every level, and plenty of skilled women win in cash games and tournaments. The idea that poker is a man’s game is laughable these days, and I wouldn’t have included it among common misconceptions were it not for the fact that many still believe it.

5. Poker is not a game of mathematics. In blackjack, for example, you always have one best move at any moment. Your task is to determine what that move is. If you have 13 and the dealer is showing an ace, then you should hit. That is always true, no matter who is seated at the table or what they are doing. Poker is different. In poker, you must take other players into account, and the mathematically preferable move may not be wise. Top caliber players often debate what is the best move in a particular situation. Poker cannot be reduced to mathematics because there are too many human factors.

6. Poker is a not game of luck. This is perhaps the most common misconception, and it is dead wrong. Luck averages out. Over time, all players receive the same percentage of good hands and bad hands. The difference is what players do with those hands. A good player will maximize the amount won with good hands and minimize the amount lost with bad hands. The key element that separates winners from losers, over time, is not the cards dealt, but the decisions made. Stu Unger, three-time World Series of Poker champion, put it this way: “In cards, the luck always balances out. The good players are going to win. Any player that thinks card playing is a game of luck, I’ll show you a fool. That’s what the losers always say. The winners don’t worry about the short term; we play for the long term.”

7. Cheating is not rampant. The prevalence of cheating is another incorrect impression held by many. In private backroom games, cheating does happen occasionally. But in modern casino cardrooms and high-profile tournaments, where most of today’s professionals play, cheating is virtually nonexistent. (Online poker, however, is a different story. It is possible to cheat when playing on the Internet, due to the nature of the technology. If you’d like to explore a particular way to cheat when playing online, click here: Poker Cheat.) Although cheating is technically possible in some situations, and it does happen, it is not nearly the factor that many people suppose. If you are hesitant to play poker out of fear of being cheated, you are overreacting.

8. Poker is not an addiction. No matter what the media would have you believe, the vast majority of poker enthusiasts play because they enjoy the game, not because they are hooked in some way. Sure, a tiny percentage of players do struggle with addiction, but they are people with an addictive personality, whether or not they play poker. We should not blame poker for someone’s compulsive behavior any more than we should blame sex for someone being a rapist.

9. Poker is not sleazy. There is nothing even remotely “underbelly” about the beautiful game of poker. A great many good and decent folks play for a wide variety of reasons, such as fun, challenge and personal betterment. Poker highlights the best of human interaction and calls into play the most honorable of human qualities, such as courage, sound reasoning and self-control. Poker is a wonderful way to build character.

10. Poker is not illegal. Most people with a functioning brain do not actually believe this, but the forces of misguided morality want you to think that the game of poker is against the law. It is not. Poker is not associated with crime in any way. Nor is it controlled by the mob. Not is it dangerous. You do not need to be on the lookout for gangsters. Or gunplay. No, you do not need to carry a sidearm and shoot your way out of the casino to protect your loot. You’ve been watching too many movies.

These are a few common misconceptions held by many in the public. If you encounter people with these ideas, please set them straight. But be understanding; it’s not their fault that they hold these incorrect viewpoints, which are passed off as fact everywhere in today’s media. It rests with us, intelligent members of the poker-playing community, to spread the truth regarding the magnificent game of poker.

By: Timmor L. White

Are you a poker addict or maybe just a beginner? If you are serious with poker then you will need lots of poker chips. Poker chips have transcended the poker game itself into a different game altogether. Poker chips are used nowadays in poker chip tricks. These, my friend, are not cheap tricks, mind you! Poker chip tricks have been developed through long rigorous hours of playing poker. Poker addicts have developed a method killing waiting time. Also, poker chip tricks are used to intimidate other poker players. You might have seen a player randomly rotate his stack of poker chips using a single hand. Some poker fanatics also employ magic coin tricks using poker chips. Not only is watching this very fun to look at but it is also a very serious discipline. Learning these poker chip tricks needs hours to master. A serious poker player is different from a serious poker chip tricks master. Often, the poker fanatics are also the trick players, but poker chip tricks have surpassed the mere poker game. There are even poker chip trick tournaments in the US!

Poker chips can vary from one to another. Moreover, poker chips come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The weight of poker chips is also standardized, and there are heavier pieces and lighter chips. There are two basic poker chip weights – the 11.5 grams and the 13 grams. However, there are many variations of these, depending on the maker of your poker chips. There are also 10 gram chips. The most popular types of poker chips are made of clay and plastic. Some chips are made of mahogany and oak, and there are even graphite chips that are still rare in the market today. Most of the chips available for your poker needs are actually bought in sets that range from 200 to 600 pieces, depending on how many players will be playing them. Traditionally, a player will need 100 pieces. So a 2 player game will need 200 to 300 poker chips. A 400 chip set can be used by up to 4 poker players.

There are many poker companies that provide poker chip sets. Some even offer customized poker chips. Have you ever seen a Mc Donald’s logo in a poker chip? Or a picture of someone else’s face printed in another? These are just some of the possibilities in a custom poker chip set. They are often used for advertising products, while some of them are specifically designed by poker fanatics. Some poker chips are numbered while some others have flags or emblems imprinted on them.

Poker chips, apart from the game have become a lucrative business and a lucrative fanaticism. There are also rare poker pieces that are collector¡¯s items! Because it is both a hobby and an addiction, there are also slick poker chip set cases. These are often made of aluminum, while some more expensive ones are made up of graphite. Other popular poker chip cases are also made up of carbon fiber, wood, vinyl and leather.

Another interesting thing to note about poker chips is that they sound differently. Expert poker players and/or poker chip tricks masters have their own preferences of chips. The best chips are those that have a sharp, crisp sound when they fall. These types of chips are the most common chips that are found in casinos worldwide.

Poker tricks and poker chips will stay with us for an indefinite period of time. Poker is a very exciting and interesting game that had been with us for many, many years and will be with us for a very long time. It is played from the time of kings and queens, and until now, a royal flush is the best way to have all the poker chips at your side!

By: Nicholas Tan

Party poker is one of the most popular poker games over the internet. What is party poker? If you are aware of MMORPGs, (more popularly known as Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), then party poker is just like that. It is a Massive Multiplayer Online Poker Gaming. You can say that it is a kind of Mecca for poker players that don¡¯t have the time to go to casinos. Party poker is played by up to thousands of online poker gamers. It can also be compared to chatting, where you have the chance of joining chatting rooms, but in this case, you are supposed to join poker rooms.

I recommend party poker online, although there are some differences between playing party poker online and face-to-face poker. The difference relies on the bluffing. Because you can¡¯t see your opponents, you will not have the tell tale signs of their bluffs or can you have a reading of their card. Party poker online only gives us the very basic and fundamental laws of the game. Thus, a newbie can have a better chance of winning against a pro in an online game than in real life.

Party poker employs the basic poker rules, although some rooms have modified poker rules. It is good to first learn the basic poker rules and game play before engaging in serious betting online. However, if you are truly interested, there are party poker gaming rooms that are void of betting. These are strictly and purely gaming only. Party poker can also be compared to online casinos. The payments however are not chips, but are in cash. The payments, also known as bets are placed with the use of credit cards. Most of the party poker sites that are available recognize the standard credit cards.

What does party poker offer to a gamer? Hours and hours of fun! Whether you are a beginner in the game, or a serious poker player, party poker will be your poker gaming oasis. Maybe you want to learn about the intricate yet enjoyable game of poker but have no one to play it with. Don¡¯t worry, because party poker is actually a community in itself. It is a place where you can learn with other beginners. Party poker sites link hundreds, and even thousands of players. The abilities of these players also range from a complete beginner knowing nothing about poker, to advanced and pro players. However, one needs to be wary of your betting, because you might lose serious money in party pokers. The benefits really far outweigh the risks that are involved. Party poker can also reward you a lot of dollars, and might make your wallet fat.

So how does a person eager to play massive online poker do it? All party poker sites require poker gamers to download a poker gaming software. These gaming softwares differ from one party poker site to another. A poker gaming software is limited to that particular party poker site. So if you plan on playing on different sites, you will end up downloading numerous party poker softwares. Most party poker sites will require you to fill up a registration form. All the best party poker sites on the web are on members only basis. This membership will also require a membership fee. In the registration form, you will be asked your credit card number. This is how you will be deducted your losing bets. Your winning pot is transferred to your bank account directly.

Party poker sites earn millions of dollars a year because of thousands of patrons. Because party poker sites can operate online, you have the possibility of playing with poker enthusiasts from around the globe. Place your bets folks!

By: Nicholas Tan