$2,000 Bankroll Booster Final(s) - Freeroll(s) - Hand Historie(s) - Betfair Poker

As a prelude to my upcoming 'staking' opportunities I will be posting up my finishing position and hand histories for the weekly $2,000 Bankroll Booster - Freeroll Final Event(s) at Betfair poker.

This event is only open to the Top 9 players from the Daily Bankroll Booster freerolls and new players who signed up during the specific week. Only the Top 150 places are paid.

This will hopefully demonstrate my continuing ability to both qualify and finish 'in-the-money' in sizable tournaments, with a view to securing future 'staking' in larger MTT buy-in events. ChipMeUp User: SharkyBB .

Future 'sponsored' buy-in event(s), hand histories and finishing positions will also be posted here.

You can email me at sharkybetfair@googlemail.com for a .zip of my hand histories; which you can view with Poker Buddy or load into your own HUD.

N.B. Of course I will only be able to participate in the freeroll events which I qualify for and am able to participate in. This will initially be as many as possible to achieve some solid stats.

$2,000 - Bankroll Booster - Freeroll(s) - Main Event(s)
Betfair Poker

2nd December 2009
Finished 129th out of 1535. $5 Win


9th December 2009
...

UK Sharks Poker Forum

I'm now a member of the excellent UK Sharks Poker Forum :)

If your a UK based poker player then come and join us !

Please use my referral ID when you sign-up.
http://forum.uksharks.com/index.php?referredby=987

Thanks.

Top ten tips on winning at online poker

Poker pro, Ben "MilkyBarKid" Grundy gives his top ten tips on helping you to improve your online game.

Tip 1 - Pay attention

It can be very easy to get distracted whilst playing poker on the Internet, but this plays into your opponents' hands. Remember, to win you need to identify your opponents' strategy, and it's crucial that you analyse all the hands on the table, even the ones you are not involved in. Look at which players get involved in a lot of hands and which are the tight players. You don't want to put all your chips in the middle against a player who very rarely gets involved in a hand, as for this player still to be betting it's likely they're holding a premium hand such as AA, KK, QQ and AK.

Any edge you can get over your opposition can be the difference between winning and losing a big tournament. So stop talking on the telephone, reading emails or watching TV and try to make sure that the area where you are playing is distraction-free.

Tip 2 - Don't play too many starting hands

This will always be one of the most fundamental strategies of any successful online player. Yet very few players demonstrate the knowledge and/or patience to play good starting hands.

Playing fewer hands will always give you an advantage over your opponents in the long run. Everyone has seen poker on TV and seen professionals throwing their chips in the middle, bluffing, and going all in with relatively weak hands. What you don't see, however, are the hours of hard work and concentration that these players put in to make the final table.

Consider this: if your opponents play 50% of their hands, and you only play 25% of yours, you will have an advantage in the majority of the hands that you play. When you hit pairs your kicker is likely to be higher, your straight will beat lower straights etc. Therefore, by playing fewer hands you will put yourself in a better position to win the hand.

But, you may ask, what is a good hand to play with? Glad you asked. Here is a handy little application that tells you just this.

Hold'em or Fold'em

Blinds: Before the cards are dealt, the player immediately to the left of the dealer button posts a 'small blind'. The player to his/her left must post a 'big blind' - this is to guarantee that there will be money in every pot. The small blind and big blind amounts are displayed in the top bar. These will be increased at timed increments during an MTT so you can't just hang around and wait for big cards or as they say in poker "the blinds will swallow you up"!

Tip 3 - Patience, patience, patience

One thing that is clear in big poker tournaments online is that a number of players think that it is crucial to increase their chip stack as soon as possible. What you need to remember is that a big poker tournament is a marathon, not a sprint. With hundreds of players in a tournament you are not going to be able to win it in an hour, but act rashly and you may lose it. So, if you only play a few hands in the first two hours and you manage to double your chip stack then you have made excellent progress. The other players on the table may think you are boring, but if they get overexcited with an average hand and get knocked out early, they'll gladly swap position with you.

Tip 4 - Make notes on players

With so many players in an online tournament you're not going to be able to remember how your opponents play unless you make notes on them. Any small advantage you can gain in a tournament can be the difference between staying in and getting knocked out. Take a look at the following scenario. You have just been moved to a new table with two players whose poker nicknames are TeddyB and Moneyman. You look and see that you made the following notes about these players from playing with them previously.

TeddyB - Extremely careful player. Only ever raises with a high pair. Moneyman - Likes to gamble and bluffs a lot.

These kinds of notes are crucial in a tournament. If TeddyB raises, you can assume the player has a strong hand. Whereas if Moneyman raises, there is a good chance that it is a bluff.

With hundreds of players in a tournament, your notes will give you an edge over opponents you have encountered before.

Tip 5 - Keep learning

Good players are always learning. They read books, poker articles, and magazines, and constantly watch other players to help them improve their game. Poker requires skill, intellect and dedication, and it's no coincidence that many of the best poker players in the world are degree-educated and often run successful companies. You can search for articles and poker books online that can help you significantly improve your game.

Tip 6 - Realise when you're beat

Sometimes you have to let go of a good hand. It's not easy, but some of the best play in poker is realising when your opponent has a superior hand. Say, for example, you raise with QQ before the flop, you get three callers and the flop comes down A87. It is highly likely that one of the three callers has an A. Sure, you can make a bet, but if you get re-raised it's almost certain your hand will be beaten so you just have to chuck it away.

Tip 7 - Remember the difficulty of bluffing online

It's much easier to click a button on a computer screen to call a big bet than it is to reach for your chips in a card room and put in most of them. Bluffs are also more likely. An opponent may be embarrassed to make a bad call in a card room whereas, online, it is faceless, so they're not as scared of looking stupid. So, you should be selective on the hand you try and bluff.

Tip 8 - Only play if you are in the right mood

This cannot be stressed enough. If you are feeling tired, unhappy or have a headache there is no way you are going to be able to play your best game. To win in the long run at poker you must always play to the top of your abilities. So if your mood isn't right, quite simply wait till another day or take a rest and play later.

Tip 9 - Calling bets to hit cards that won't help you

One of the most common mistakes in poker is assuming that if you hit your cards you will win. Consider this situation. If you hold AQ and there is a flop of 9T4, you could decide that the odds justify you calling to hit a Q or an A on the next card, which is about 7/1 to improve your hand. The problem with this method of thinking is that your opponent may already have you beat, even if you do hit a Q or an A. You are in major trouble if your opponent has any of the following hands TT, 99, 44, T9, A9, AT, KT, A4, TQ, AK, JK. And these are all fairly typical hands that your opponent will play with. Although many think that 7/1 to improve your hand are good odds, the odds on you actually winning the hand are far worse, especially if you are up against a few opponents who are betting.

Tip 10 - Have fun

One of the most common mistakes in poker is assuming that if you hit your cards you will win. Consider this situation. If you hold AQ and there is a flop of 9T4, you could decide that the odds justify you calling to hit a Q or an A on the next card, which is about 7/1 to improve your hand. The problem with this method of thinking is that your opponent may already have you beat, even if you do hit a Q or an A. You are in major trouble if your opponent has any of the following hands TT, 99, 44, T9, A9, AT, KT, A4, TQ, AK, JK. And these are all fairly typical hands that your opponent will play with. Although many think that 7/1 to improve your hand are good odds, the odds on you actually winning the hand are far worse, especially if you are up against a few opponents who are betting.

How to play - Texas Hold'em

Introduction

Whether you're a novice poker player or a hardened card shark, Texas Hold'em is a truly thrilling form of poker. This fast-flowing 7-card game is easy to understand, yet provides a whole world of excitement for beginner and expert alike! Made famous around the world as being the game of choice for many top pros, and played at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Texas Hold 'em has rapidly become the most played form of poker the world over. Every game has an aim and, with Texas Hold'Em, you have to make the best 5-card hand possible with the cards at your disposal. Familiarise yourself with the hand rankings. These comprise of two 'pocket' cards that each player is dealt as well as the five community cards which everyone can use.

Dealer Button

In front of a selected player is a disc called the Dealer button. This disc displays which order the cards are to be dealt (moving clockwise) and rotates around the table moving one player to the left after each hand. Before the first cards are dealt, the player immediately to the left of the dealer button must post a 'small blind'. The player to his/her left must post a 'big blind'.

Blinds

The 'small blind' player must post an amount equal to half the minimum bet, e.g. $0.50 for a $1/$2 game. Likewise, the 'big blind' player must equal the minimum bet, e.g. $1 for a $1 game. Blinds are placed in the pot to trigger the betting and give all players an incentive to enter the hand. It also means that the winner of the hand will always collect a pot rather than nothing at all!

Pocket Cards

Now it's time to deal some cards! To begin with, you'll receive two pocket cards - also called "hole cards" - which are dealt face down on the table (which only you will be able to see).

1st round of betting

Once everyone playing has received their pocket cards, the first round of betting can begin! This begins with the player to the left of the big blind and moves round the table in a clockwise direction. Naturally, you bet according to how well you think your hand will fare against your opponents. You have three choices in the 1st round:

Fold - decide that your cards aren't good enough to win the hand.

Call - match the big blind stake and stay in the betting.

Raise - up the stakes, meaning your opponents will have to match your amount or fold.

If you have staked the big blind you can "check", i.e. you remain in the hand for free. But if another player bets, you will have to match his stake to stay in. Please note, the stakes can only be raised three times during each round of betting. This (and the next) round of betting is set at the lower level of table stakes. For example, in a $1/$2 game, all raises are increments of $1.

Here comes the flop!

It's time for the flop and the game is about to get interesting! Three cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These are communal cards, i.e. every player can use them to try and make the best hand possible.

2nd round of betting

Now it's time to get back to some betting! With 5 of your 7 cards now in view, you will now have a much better idea of what your best hand is likely to be. In this and the following rounds of betting, the first player to act is directly to the left of the dealer button. Again the options are to Call, Fold or Raise. Alternatively, if no-one has yet contributed to the pot, you can "check". You remain in the hand for free, but if another player bets, you will have to match his stake to stay in. Again initial bets are in increments of the lower table stakes.

Here comes the Turn Card

We've had the excitement of the flop – so what now? A fourth communal card is dealt face up in the middle of the table which is called the 'Turn' card. Again, this can be used by every player to make their hand as good as possible.

3rd round of betting

The only difference between this round of betting and the previous two is that this (and the next) round of betting is set at the higher level of table stakes. For example, in a $1/$2 game, all raises are increments of $2 instead of the previous $1.

Here comes the River Card

Now it's time for the last card of the round, the all-important River card! This is the fifth communal card and, like the Flop cards & Turn card, is dealt face up in the middle of the table.

You now have seven cards from which to choose:

2 Pocket Cards (closed)
3 Flop Cards (open)
1 Turn Card (open)
1 River Card (open)

You must now select the best possible five-card hand from the above.

Showdown! - 4th round betting

This is your last chance to bet. Now that you can see all 5 community cards, you will be able to work out what the best possible hand could be. How will your hand hold up? The betting follows the same pattern and stakes as the 3rd round. After the betting has ended, we now have a final pot.

Ladies and Gentlemen - we have a winner!

The player with the best five cards is the winner of the round and subsequently takes the pot. If there are multiple winners with the same hand, the pot is split between these players.

Deal 'em up again!

Ready for some more cards? After the pot has been handed to the winner(s), the dealer button moves left one player and a new hand begins.

Poker Hand Rankings

Royal Flush
Straight Flush
Four of a kind
Full House
Flush
Straight
Three of a Kind
Two Pair
One Pair
High Card

The single most important thing you need to know in poker is which hand beats which! Below is the full list of possible poker hands in descending order along with the odds of this being your best hand.

A poker hand always consists of five cards. In Texas Hold'em, if you are still in the pot by the time that the "river" card is drawn, you must use five cards (from the seven available to you) to make your best hand. i.e. highest up the pecking order below.

Royal Flush:

An Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten in the same suit.
If two or more players have a Royal Flush, the pot will be equally split between them.

Straight Flush:

Five cards of the same suit in sequence.
If two or more players have a Straight Flush: Highest value card at the top of the sequence wins the pot. If two or more players have the same straight flush then the pot is shared.

Four of a Kind:

Four cards of the same value, plus a side card.
In the event when there is more than one player with a Four of a Kind; the player with the highest Four of a Kind wins the pot. In Hold'em games, where players have the same four of a kind, the highest fifth side card "kicker" wins.

Full House:

A combination of Three of a Kind and a Pair.
Three of a kind decides the strength of the hand. In "flop" games when players have the same three cards, higher pair wins the pot.

Flush:

Five suited cards.
When two or more players have a Flush, the player holding the highest value card wins. If necessary, the second-highest, third-highest, etc. can be used to find the winner.

Straight:

Any five cards in sequence.
The player holding the highest-ranking card at the top of the sequence wins in case of a tie.

Three of a Kind:

Three cards of the same value and two side cards.

Two Pair:

Two separate pairs plus a side card.
If two players have the same highest pair, the value of the second pair determines who wins the pot. If two players have the same Two Pairs, the player holding the highest fifth card "kicker" wins the pot.

One Pair:

Two cards of the same rank and three side cards.
If two players have the same pair, the next highest card wins, and if necessary, the second-highest and third-highest side card determines who wins the pot.

High Card:

The player with the highest card wins the pot.

Get 30-40% Rakeback - Betfair Poker

When you play poker online you pay the house 'Rake'. You can get a percentage of this Rake back ! Smart players get Rakeback and save money.

You can sign-up to get Rackback at Betfair poker and other sites through the link below. You must download the poker client from the Rakeback site.

If you are a UK Resident you could also use the special promotional code '7YTPVRU6R' when creating a new account at Betfair poker.

Once you've wagered a total of 1,000 Betfair points, Betfair will credit your account with $50.

Refer and Earn 'Terms and Conditions' Apply. UK residents 18+ and new accounts only.

If you are outside the United Kingdom you must use the standard Betfair code 'BET636'. You are only able to receive the Rakeback offer and the current Betfair promotions.

Zero Lounge - Blackjack - Optimal Strategy - Betfair

I also enjoy the occasional game of Blackjack - when the house odds are good ;)

Betfair casino has a "Zero Lounge" games suite whose games all boast a full one hundred percent return. This is a unique and welcome online gambling concept.

The table below shows an optimal strategy for Betfair Zero Lounge Blackjack. The rules for this unique game are 8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, peek for blackjack, double on 8-11, aces may not be split, 2:1 bonus for a 5-card 21, and 2:1 bonus for a suited blackjack.

House Edge

The more usual rules – 8 deck, dealer stands on Soft 17, double on 8-11 and double down after Split - give a house edge of 0.527%. Not being able to split aces is bad for the player, costing a further 0.176%, giving a grand total of 0.703%.

Player's Edge

Suited blackjack adds 0.564% and the five-card 21 adds 0.2%, giving an overall return of around 100.061%, marginally in excess of the 100% claimed !

The 5-card 21 bonus influences play on some 4 card hands.
Here are the suggested 4 card exceptions:

Hard 12 vs 4,5 and 6 - Hit.
Hard 13 vs 2,3 and 4 - Hit.
Hard 14 vs 2 - Hit.
Hard 17 vs Ace - Hit.
Soft 18 (Ace,7) vs 2,3,4,5 and 8 - Hit.

It should be relatively simple to clear the £50 bonus using this optimal strategy. This is the only 'correct' way to play, excluding luck.

However, you should allow a £200 deposit to compensate for variance and also apply good bankroll management.

I would suggest playing 3 hands at once with a £2 stake (£6 total bet) to clear the bonus faster.
If your bankroll should drop bellow £150 then reduce your stake to £1 (£3 total bet)
If your bankroll should drop bellow £100 then reduce your hands to 2 (£2 total bet)
If your bankroll should drop bellow £50 then reduce your hands to 1 (£1 total bet)

This is only an example of good bankroll management and you can of course re-raise the stake when your bankroll increases again.

Enjoy and Good Luck at the table ;)

Sign Up Bonus - Betfair Poker

Hello friends.

If you are a UK resident, without an existing Betfair account, then you can get a free $50 bonus credited to your Betfair account ! Just use this banner link:

Please make sure that the correct promotional code is entered on sign-up as below.

Once you've wagered a total of 1,000 Betfair points, Betfair will credit your account with $50 !

Refer and Earn 'Terms and Conditions' Apply. UK residents 18+ and new accounts only.

Welcome

I'm a UK based online poker player, trying to turn 'Professional' in 2010.

I've been studying and playing poker almost everyday for the past two years, at various sites. I frequently finish 'In The Money' in Free Roll Tournament's and also enjoy playing in Sit 'n' Go's and Limit cash games. I have built a sizeable bankroll using good bankroll management.

As a new venture for 2010 you can find me at the tables of the excellent, independent poker network 'Betfair' as player 'Sharky BB'.

This blog is to document my progress, tournaments, strategies, interesting hands etc. as well as to provide a point of contact for myself and perhaps facilitate sponsorship through staking sites such as ChipMeUp User:SharkyBB Thus, enabling others to invest in a share of any winnings, whilst minimising risk.

My previous tournament results and hand histories will soon be added to this blog and more detailed results will be available to prospective sponsors on request. You can view my hand histories using Poker Buddy until I get some charts and graphs posted up.

You can now contact me regarding sponsorship, staking offers and my hand histories.

Email: sharkybetfair@googlemail.com

Thank you.

Sharky BB @ Betfair Poker Site.

See you at the tables :)