Genius Poker

Comedian DeGeneres Initiates Cameron Diaz to Poker

Charlie's Angels star Cameron Diaz has become a poker addict. She confessed that ever since she had been taught the game by comedienne Ellen DeGeneres, she had got hooked on to it. She is at casinos and tournaments regularly. Cameron says she distinctly remembers how she was invited by DeGeneres one night to play Texas Hold'Em. When she admitted that she did not know how to play it. DeGeneres quipped by saying 'None of us do, come on over.'  She recalls playing poker till 4 o'clock that morning. She also took over everybody's money that first time. Breakingnews.iol.ie reports:

Diaz also scored impressively at a recent tournament since learning the ropes of the game, explaining: "I took second (place), but I did actually win because I never bought back into the tournament. The guy who beat me bought back in like five times."

Read More: DeGeneres gets Diaz hooked on poker

Get Help From John Carlisle, a National Certified Counselor (NCC)

John Carlisle is an avid poker player, a gambling columnist and a lecturer by profession. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and has been practicing in the state of Pennsylvania, also his home. He has a masters degree in Counseling, from West Virginia. Besides, he is minor in Sociology  from Lock Haven University. You can fix up an interview with him or put your questions to "The Poker Counselor" at carlisle14@hotmail.com. According to him, if one is so certain that he is going to lose once the chip stack drops low, then one might as well donate it all to the others. Being a Psychology scholar he opines that a negative or a defeatist attitude will never give anyone a chance of coming back into the game. A player is virtually out if he or she has given in to the psychological pressure. Pokernews.com reports:

On the other hand, if you can get to a mental 'place' where you believe in yourself and hold onto some hope, then play your best game and enjoy the fight. You must have heard the old poker adage stating that you only need "a chip and a chair."

Read More: The Poker Counselor's Corner (24)

Strategy - Odds of Catching Your Hand to the Odds the Pot is Giving

Success in a game of poker depends upon whether you are at any time able to calculate the odds that you have, of catching the hand as against the odds the pot is giving you. In poker, you can find out the probability of making specific hand By calculating the Hand odds. If you can figure out how many outs you have, you will be able to find the possibility of finding out the number of times you will hit your hand by the river. If you get A9 of Hearts in a Texas Hold'em and then the flop comes up to show two hearts. You will have a 36% chance approximately, of hitting another heart by the river. This can be figured out by finding out the number of outs you have. The number of cards that remain in the deck, are called outs. These are the cards that are not visible to you and that can help to make your hand. Mcot.org.com reports:

If we are using the hand above as an example and you hold A-9 of Hearts and catch two hearts on the flop, then you have 9 more hearts in the deck that can help you complete your flush. 2 hearts in your hand + 2 Hearts on the table minus 13 hearts in total = 9 outs.

Read More: Poker Odds - Pot Odds And Hand Odds Explained

Salexo Software's 'No Limit Texas Hold'em Poker' - The Ideal Game For Learning the Basics

No Limit Texas Hold 'Em Poker by Salexo Software, is the perfect game. It can be played both by the experienced player as well as by the beginner, who wants to learn the basics. With Salexo's Texas Software, a players can learn basic game play at his or her own pace. Players can also take their own time if they want to analyze each hand. In short, they get the opportunity to wreck havoc, and remain hassle free. Each player faces seven other players on each hand and works his way up to the local bar level. The ultimate goal is to move up through a series of tournaments to the all time big play in a Las Vegas casino. Programmed with Artificial Intelligence gives each player a specific play style. Just as in real life, some players may love to bluff while others can be slick and smart. Bellaonline.com reports:

Salexo's version is perfect to have on your own computer when you don't have an internet connection. Practice when you want, as much as you want, and don't worry about the time.

Read More: No Limit Texas Hold'em Poker - Learn Quick, Play Hard

The Strategy In a Game of Poker is Akin to The Strategy Applied in the Military or in Politics

Poker is very similar to politics. Both involve an aggressive attitude to go ahead and grab the opportunity. David Mamet says that all one needs is but three words, in order to play poker. These three words are call, raise and fold. When a player Folds, it means he is indicating to the other, to keep the money as he is out of hand. Call indicates that the player will match the opponent's bet. Raise is what leads one to win the game. In gambling the basic axiom is that one must not call unless one can raise. Matching the opponent's bet yields results only if it makes the opponent wonder what the caller's motive was. This will happen only if the caller has been aggressive in his earlier dealings to make the opponent question and analyze if the call is merely a ruse de guerre. Latimes.com reports:

If you are branded as passive, the table will roll right over you - your opponents will steal antes without fear. Why? Because the addicted caller has never exhibited what ,in the wider world, is known as courage.

Read More: Poker Party

Now Read About the Finer Nuances of Poker, in a Weekly Column of the Chicago Tribune

If you are wanting to polish your skills at poker, look no further. Chicago Tribune begins a new weekly Showtime column. This column has been aptly titled: "Poker: Play like a Pro". It will be written by Chicago Tribune sports writer and old time poker enthusiast, Steve Rosenbloom. Through his column, Rosenbloom will be sharing his knowledge about the game. He will also be talking about the top ranking players of poker. So read about all the action on poker in this weekly column. Before long,  you may just begin playing like a pro yourself! Sun-sentinel.com reports:

Looking to beef up your poker game? Today we debut our weekly Showtime column "Poker: Play Like a Pro." While the popular Texas Hold'em will be primarily featured, Rosenbloom touches on other variations, from five-card draw to razz.

Read More: Introducing our poker columnist

"Poker Tells" You How to Win

They say " Actions speak louder than words ". I don't know what other's take on this might be, but Poker players & fans will nod their heads with fury. A "tell" which is nothing but a physical action of an opponent at the table, reveals a lot of his secrets. Their habits & body movements could be observed to lead you to an insight about their methodologies. The better you are in discerning their playing patterns, the higher are your chances to eat up the pot. It's a whole new art out there and you would certainly value a few giveaways the Poker players might mistakenly indulge in, or you could be aware, if one of those smart ones, threw red- herrings. Gear up to do some people watching next time you sit at the table, armed with these ground-breaking insights, found at about.com. About.com reports :

Everyone has their own unique tics and tells, and it is great to watch individuals and pick up on their unique tells. Luckily, there are also a few involuntary and common tells that you can watch for, even the first time you sit down with some one.

Read More : Read Your Opponents And Improve Your Game

All Play And A little Work - Makes You Rich!

Poker can fetch you millions. But the catch here, my dear, is that you need to know how to play the game, to master the art, slowly & gainfully. It needn't be as intimidating as most might assume it to be. Well, like everything else, it starts with getting the fundamentals right. Knowing the game by theory atleast, can get you somewhere close to the table. A resourceful article at about.com, is an excellent primer for the beginners, eager to learn the game. It tries to enumerate the game in four distinct steps. Explained in a very conversational tone, I am sure it is a good read even for those who are mildly curious about Poker. This should be able to plunge the adventurous types directly into the frenzied, and highly popular game of Poker. About.com says :

If you are new to Poker, hearing "big blind" ming bring to mind a large guy who can't see, and "call" is something you do with a phone. This easy guide will help you get upto speed and into the action

Read More : Learn The Rules and Terms Of Betting In Poker

Poker Tracker & the Poker Tracker Guide

John Vorhaus often says that if you're not tracking your play, then you're not a serious poker player. This shouldn't be discouraging, since all you have to do to become a serious poker player is start keeping records. Poker Tracker is the preferred tool for this online by most poker players. It's a software program that tracks your play and the play of the other people at your table. (You have to feed the software your hand histories.) Having used the free version for quite a while, I can vouce for what a great program it is.

Another fan of Poker Tracker is fellow poker blogger, Iggy, who writes Guinness and Poker. Iggy and a colleague of his have written a 65 page guide to how to get the most out of your PokerTracker software, and this guide is called (appropriately enough) the Poker Tracker Guide. It's available for only $20. I'm going to give a very brief review of it here, and just say that it's excellent. If you're a beginning online poker player, this guide and the software combined will take your game to the next level.

In fact, it's probably going to take my game to the next level, and I've been playing poker online for almost two years now.