Winning Online Poker - The Truth

Online poker was forever thrust into the limelight when amateur Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 World Series of Poker main event, beating 838 other players to scoop the $2.5 million first prize. After entering for only $40 through winning a series of smaller Satellite tournaments for his seat at the main event, he cleared the path for poker players all around the world to chase the dream and life-changing winnings that a win in the biggest live poker tournament in the world can bring. Sponsorships with major poker websites, celebrity and cold hard cash lured many players to chase the Texas hold em dream.

The poker phenomenon instantly kicked into gear after the 2003 World Series of Poker. Late Night Poker showcased British talent, while the World Poker Tour emerged as the 'seasonal' version of the World Series, offering legitimate tournaments with a high cash buy-in to entice players into chasing that elusive big win. Opportunities for playing poker at every level suddenly became accessible to everyone.

As a natural continuation, professional players started to cash in on peoples thirst for knowledge of poker and created many strategy books teaching players the skills for them to 'make a living' online. Many people are now quitting their jobs to become a full-time online poker player. The BBC in the UK, have profiled more than one person who does just that, including young university students and even some single parents.

Both the good and bad thing about online poker is that there are so many players. Entering a tournament with twenty entrants is tricky enough, how about one of the $100 + $9 entries which are run daily in various poker rooms that have in excess of 1,500 entries? Even the best players struggle to continually cash in these events, but of course there is big money to the winners which keeps everyone coming back for more. The next tournament just may be the one that changes your life.

The big question is, can a new player make a living online? The answer is yes, but certain factors must be taken into account. Firstly there is the strategy part of the game which links to the players overall emotional make-up. Professionals talk about making good decisions. When the rent money is being staked does the player always make these good decisions? Will you call the all-in if you are on a marginal hand but have what you think is a good read?

There is the factor that a professional poker player does not contribute a great deal to society whilst they earn their living. Some people get terribly effected by this. There is also the social aspect, anyone who thrives on conversation may get pretty lonely playing in front of a computer all day at home. Winning poker means folding a lot of hands, are you patient enough to keep folding, day after day? To win you simply have to have this patience. The standard of online poker also improves everyday. You will notice good play everyday in your poker contests. It has never been more important to practise and study the basics, and advanced strategy. You always need to be working out pot odds, chip stacks, implied odds and looking for tells, because you can bet that your opponent is doing just that to you.

There is a large collection of poker DVDs, tutorial websites claiming to make you into a winning player. The truth is that there is are a lot of new players who gamble, especially in the lower stakes games that really do not know what they are doing. I use Poker Academy for practising, but nothing beats the real thing, as long as you always learn from every hand and be your own worst critic. The new player must be honest with themselves. Anyone can say they are good at poker, and most people do believe they are world series of poker bracelet contenders when few would realistically have what it takes to win one. Just because you know how to play means nothing. Learn to read people for live play and play the person as well as the cards. When playing online look for the long-term correct decisions to send you in the right direction. Think about the game, and learn each type of flop and be able to analyse and categorise each position you find yourself in. Eating, sleeping and breathing poker will not hurt either!

In summary, be realistic in your goals. Don't try and make a million from cash games unless you are playing within your bankroll. As with anything else, paying your dues and taking your time to prove you are a winning player before really going for the gold is very important. I wish you luck. Finally, blog about your efforts, this helps you to keep good records and entertain whilst doing it. Read other poker players blogs too, they are often very helpful in opening your eyes to something that you may not have considered.

If you enjoyed this poker article you will definitely enjoy visiting Mals Poker Website.

http://www.itsawinner.co.uk is the online home of Mal Clarke, and one of the best online poker blogs on the Internet with poker room reviews, hand analysis and links to the best poker videos.

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The Truth Behind the Argument 'Is Online Poker Rigged?'

Ever since the advent of online poker there has been arguments on both sides claiming that online poker is rigged. While one side maintains that there is no truth to the rigged poker sites debate, the opposition claims that way too many anomalies occur for the sites to not be rigged.

For a further understanding of the debate, this article will take a behind the scenes look at the software that controls many of the major online poker sites. Examining deeper into what motivates the debate and an attempt to explain what is really happening.

The Software

Online poker differs to a great extent from live poker simply because the deal of the cards online is controlled by a software program that can be changed, manipulated and altered by the programmers. In a live game the cards are shuffled by a human and then dealt out without any possible interference from any outside force. (Barring cheaters, mechanics or persons setting the deck) The cards in a live game are 'predetermined' once the shuffle and cut is completed.

In internet poker, the shuffle is controlled by a Random Number Generator (RNG) program, which uses a sophisticated set of protocols to simulate a random shuffle and cut. The RNG, by all accounts, is supposed to ensure that the cards are not predictable, that players can not manipulate them and that it will simulate a true-life experience.

In addition to the RNG, internet poker sites also include controls that prevent cheating, collusion and formulate a variety of potential action hands to encourage players to get involved in the game. Some of these controls (or poker algorithms) are designed to specifically create an exciting atmosphere for players by producing draw heavy boards.

Action Inducing Hands

These action-inducing hands create the majority of constant bad beats and subsequent claims that online poker is rigged. When a player is the victim of what otherwise would seem to be a highly improbable bad beat, they will undoubtedly believe that online poker is rigged.

The fact that poker sites choose to add in any controls, algorithms or other software outside of the scope of the actual game would indicate that there is a potential that online poker is rigged. Changing or altering true life facts and statistics lend credibility to the fact that the software creates an unfair advantage to less inferior hands for the sole purpose of encouraging action among players.

The Reasoning Behind Rigging

Some claim that the poker sites would not risk their profits to rig the game and therefore would be foolish to do so. However, as witnessed in the well-publicized cheating scandals involving several online poker sites, it is evident that the operators of the online poker sites are not so quick to solve or even admit when there is a problem.

The primary purpose of any poker sites is to turn a profit. The bottom line is the rake they charge in the cash games and tournaments. Therefore, because profits are easily a motivating factor, there is plausible reason to believe that a site might rig a game for their own benefit. Especially since a regulatory body is nonexistent and therefore the poker sites do not have to answer to any higher authority.

The Difficulty of Rigging an Online Game

From the perspective of a programmer, it is quite easy to rig online poker. Primarily because the cards and the deal as well as the shuffle, and the outcome is all determined by a computer program that can easily be controlled by any number of additional programs or codes set up by the operators of the poker site.

For example, it would be simple to pre-program the deal to give a high pocket pair to seat 7 every 25th hand, simply by adding in a few lines of code. Furthermore, the programs can easily be manipulated to deal winning hands to any particular player just as well as to deal losing hands to any specific seat or player.

All of this is easy to accomplish, since the deal of the cards are controlled by a computer program and not truly randomized as is the case in a live game or poker. The truth of the matter is that by adding in additional software and making their game less true to life, online poker is rigged.

One advantage that players may have in the online poker world is the potential to spot these anomalies and patterns that occur. If you are aware of a potential situation wherein the online poker is rigged, and you are familiar with how to recognize it, you can take back the advantage by not falling into the trap set by the poker site.

Paul Westin is a professional poker player on several poker sites and a former software engineer for a gaming company. His latest research reveals the inner workings of the online-poker sites and how the software programs used on the poker sites affect the outcomes of your play.

Discover how to recognize the patterns and algorithms in online poker. Use that knowledge to beat the rigged poker sites and win cash for your poker account. Read the Online Poker Code and put a stop to losing in online poker!