Playing in a poker tournament online can be a great way to have fun, meet other poker enthusiasts, make money, and even a great way to win a seat to play in a larger international poker tournament event like the WPT or the WSOP. There are many different types of poker tournaments available online that poker players can enter. Players have the option to choose a poker tournament online based on the tournament’s stakes level, the poker game played, the betting format, and/or on the tournament format.

Choosing a poker tournament online to join based on its stakes level is a good way to find a poker tournament that will meet the player’s skill level. Low stakes poker tournaments generally attract novice poker players, medium stakes poker tournaments generally attract moderately skilled poker players, and high stakes poker tournaments generally attract highly skilled poker players. The only exception to this generality is that freerolls, poker tournaments that are free to enter, can attract players from all of the poker skill categories.

Another way to select a poker tournament online is to base the choice on the game that is played in the tournament. The most popular poker game that is played in poker tournaments online is Texas Hold’em. Other poker games that are played in online poker tournaments include: Omaha Hi, Omaha Hi/Lo, Stud Poker, Pai Gow Poker, and Caribbean Poker.

In addition to selecting a poker tournament online based on its stakes level and game type, players also can select poker tournaments based on format of the poker tournament. Betting structure is the first tournament format issue that poker players need to take into consideration when searching for a poker tournament to enter. Poker tournaments can have any of the following betting structures: no limit, pot limit, or limit. The pace and structure of a poker tournament can also vary from tournament to tournament. For example a tournament can have a Sit ‘n Go format, a single elimination format, a double elimination format, or even a Turbo format. Players should take all of these things into consideration before deciding on the poker tournament to enter.

By: Doyle Brunson

As the world of poker players continues to gain members everyday, more and more players are looking for easy ways to win the game. For cheaters, many feel that rather than take the time to hone their skills, they would prefer to master the skill of cheating.

Some players have learned how to mark cards as a way to help them win the game. Depending on the skill level of the cheater, marked cards can be obvious, or unnoticeable.

Sometimes the dealer will use his own deck of cards, or will get one prior to game play. Many cheaters have learned how to mark their cards during game play. To avoid having the marked cards noticed by other players, the cheater will usually make his marks so that they do not go all the way thru the card, because it would let light be seen through the card, thereby showing the mark.

Cheaters card markings are usually just small changes to the back of the cards. They may be scratches, change in design of the card, or possibly a bend in one corner of the card.

Marking the cards gives cheaters an advantage to their game play. They will most always mark all the high cards, or any other they card they think is crucial to the game.

Some cheaters prefer to mark their cards by using what is called shading. They will use a very fine ink to change part of the design on the back of the card. It requires the cheater to be very precise with his markings, but if he does a good job, no one but him will ever notice the marking.

Another technique many cheaters use is called daubing. Daubing uses a special form of ink and a small dauber. The cheat daubs the ink onto the back of the card, and the ink is invisible to the naked eye. Special sunglasses are required to see the markings. The kit to do this with can be purchased at magic or novelty stores.

Corner crimping is a method that many cheaters will use to mark their cards with. The cheater will see a card that he wants to mark and will then move that card away from the other cards and use his thumb or pointer finger to bend the corner of the card ever so slightly. He will be able to spot the marking during the game, and remember the card. Some cheaters when dealing can shuffle a number of cards to the bottom of the deck, and crimp the corners on all of them at one time.

Still other cheaters prefer to use thumbnail marking on their cards. The cheat will see a card he wants to mark, and then drive the end of his nail into the back of that particular card. Players who aren’t trained to look for these marks will not notice them, while the player will be able to spot them for the duration of the game.

By: John Finney

While online poker can be a fun and sometimes profitable pass-time building a poker bankroll requires a more disciplined approach. The natural variance in poker means that a run of bad cards can come at any time. Winning players make sure that they are able to withstand such runs in order that their poker bankroll’s grow over time. This article looks at 5 ways to ensure that your online poker bankroll will grow.

1) Never Play Above Your Level

Bad cards and bad beats happen to even the best players in the world at times. If you have too much of your poker bankroll at the table at any one time then a few beats could potentially wipe out your cash. In order to counter this disciplined players ensure that only a small percentage of their bankroll is at risk in any one game. Useful numbers to remember are 20 buy-ins for No-Limit Holdem games, or 30 buy-ins for SNGs or multi-table tournaments.

2) Spend Time On Table and Site Selection

Time spent selecting the ‘fishiest’ tables to play on will reward players with steady poker bankroll building. Instead of just sitting at the first available table check the statistics available in most poker room lobbies. The key factors to look for are number of players seeing each flop and the average size of the pot. Waiting just 10 minutes to play can result in playing against the very worst opponents! In a similar way it can pay to check out several poker rooms. Not all sites are equal in terms of skill level of opponents so make sure you shop around.

3) Take Advantage of Online Bonuses.

Many sites offer big incentive bonuses to sign up with them. Discipline players look beyond the ‘headline rate’ to find how easy the bonuses clear. Regular reload bonuses and extra incentives such as VIP clubs or freerolls can also be factored in. Again playing at more than one site will allow those building a poker bankroll to switch quickly as new bonus offers become available.

4) Beware of Tilt!

Tilt describes any situation where a player starts to play less than optimally. The classic form of tilt is anger following a ‘bad beat’ which then leads to reckless gambling. More subtle forms include becoming resigned and passive at the table following a bad run of cards. Tilt is the arch-enemy of disciplined players building a poker bankroll. The best solution is to be aware of this factor – and never move up levels to gain back lost money.

5) Study and Study Again

Poker Bankroll Building involves more than just grinding out the same games day-by-day. As your bankroll grows you will need to move up levels – and thus face stronger opponents. Study of the game can take many forms including participating in poker forums, reading poker strategy articles and even paying for one of the many online training sites available today. One thing is true here – if you do not work on your game that bankroll will stop growing some day soon!

By: Mark R. Holland