The basis of this free poker article is to talk through the strategy of paying with the big pairs: Ace / Ace, King / King, Queen / Queen, and Jack / Jack

If you're lucky enough to have the best cards, a pair of Aces, its paramount you try and find a large raise or re -raise if a player raised before you. With a pair of Aces you must not call a raise as potentially you're loosing the chance to get more money into the pot and probably more significantly allowing opponents with poorer cards get better cards on the flop.

Your goal is to force others to fold or to think you are bluffing with one big card or two big cards and call your big raise. It is important when playing with AA not to slow play with small raise so you won't allow your opponents to improve on the flop and maybe on future streets and also you will thin out number of opponents.

After the flop you should do big raise not giving anyone chance to call for any straights, flushes or drawing hands for small amount of chips. However, there is always possibility that one of your opponents has made a better flop and so you should be aware of the fact that you may no longer hold the best hand. But in spite of this, you will normally still be ahead and so you should continue to build the pot unless you are quite sure that you are no longer ahead.

Raising before the "flop" with cards such as King / King, Queen / Queen or Jack / Jack is a good idea. Imagine if a player has an Ace with a lower card, the odds are on your side that you will face better cards than this before "the flop". By raising will lower the amount of players who want to see "the flop"- you want to cap the amount of players who your playing against with either of these card duo's as the opposition can effortless end up with better cards by receiving an Ace on the "flop".

There are 2 scenarios which the "flop" creates- you will either turn overcards or you won't. When there's no overcards on the flop you should carry on raising. The 2nd scenario when overcards are on the table is a lot harder to play. I recommend to raise a three or four times a large blind and then consider your options after the opposing player responds to the raise. If they call be careful and bide your time as you don't have the highest chance of taking the money in any more scenarios. If the pot keeps getting larger you must be ready to let the hand go.

Although it's not an exact science playing with big pairs if you go for right raises before flops you have a better chance of taking the money. One thing to think about though is the possibility that the opposing players could have better cards than you; especially if they're playing strongly, gambling and raising too.

I look forward to seeing you at the free poker tables soon!

In this article, I would like to try and give some insight into the age old battle of is poker a game of skill or luck. I have personally been a money and free poker online player for some 7 years. I have made some nice cash at times but I have also busted several bankrolls.

In my opinion a skilled player is one who can recognize betting patterns, understand flop odds, and percentages, and have a solid concept of strategy and theory. I have noticed however, not matter how well skilled one may be, you must account for variance, and sometimes aggressive, even poor play from others.

I believe in conclusion it is best to assume that poker is a combination of both skill and luck.

The assumption would be based on this conclusion that you have to be both pre flop aggressive, as well as post flop smart. Many times one might find themselves in a position where they made the proper call, yet they find themselves behind due in part to an opponents luck hitting a one or two outer.

This is something that wont be easy to get out of. This is more common in online poker as opposed to playing in a casino, due to the fact that more hands are dealt when playing poker online. Online poker is played at a quicker pace and making choices must me made at speed.

A lot of players calculate that they take more bad beats when playing internet poker rather than in a casino. This could be down to the fact that more hands can be played when playing online as it goes so much faster than if you are sitting at a table with players in the flesh, but this can also be because a player feels they are being pushed too hard online.

When playing online players can play more irrational and play hands that they normally wouldn't play to try to get back money that they have lost.

An experienced player will more than likely notice the tendencies of opposing players, and exploit these factors to their gain. To the loosing player the loss seems coincidental and becomes another defeat in their mindset based on luck. The truth of the matter is this is not the case, and the loss is due to the flaws in their technique due to lack of experience.

I believe poker is made up of two primary skills both considered on par to each other: knowledge and fortune. To become a successful poker player one must understand how to engage both of these techniques before taking a seat at a money table. The key to building these fundamental attributes is experience, and the best way to build experience without loosing a pocketful of money in the process is by playing free poker online games.

If are a free poker online player, you may have asked yourself if it is possible to be behind if you are holding the best hand.

To answer your question. Yes, it is possible to feel the need to fold the best hand occasionally.

Depending on the situation, whether pre or post flop, you may find yourself in a position where you need to fold your great hand.

Some of these situations might be like if you hold a pocket pair and your opponent has two over cards, for example, you might have jacks or queens and your opponent might have ace queen or ace king.

Now depending on situation and chip stacks odds are these hands that would be playing a big pot? If it is early in a tournament or close to a bubble and you have a good stack but your opponent has you covered or equalled then this might be a time to fold the better hand. No reason to risk your tournament life on a race when it isn't recommended or needed.

Another situation that might occur could be in a post flop situation. Say you hold ace hearts and ace of clubs. Your opponent holds seven of diamonds and eight of diamonds. Flop comes out five, six, and two with two diamonds.

Now you make a small feeler bet but your opponent re raises you big. Although your aces are the best hand mathematically you are an underdog and might want to fold them depending on situation and chip counts.

Players who are prepared to fold a decent hand can have much more success, especially in tournament situations. You will often see players regretting not folding, but at the same time, you must also need to be prepared to call if you think necessary.

Successful poker is not about big wins and losses but how many times you put your money in good. Practice by playing free poker online to get your base skills honed and then go for it!.

It is a common misconception that by playing your hand slower you will win more games. Sometimes this may be true, but in many cases it isn't, especially when you have a big hand. I see slow playing happen so much more often than necessary when I am playing both live and free poker tournaments online but I think that playing a more simple tactic works better.

It is definitely dangerous to slow play big hands for many the reasons-not the least of which is getting outdrawn by your opponents. However, there is another even more important reason why slow playing is a bad idea. Slow playing is oftentimes less profitable than playing your hand fast.

Better Betting

If you want to build a big pot with a big hand like a set, you need to be betting. You need to raise pre-flop, bet on the flop, bet on the turn, and fire your last bullet on the river. In other words, you want to gradually get all-in.

You may think you'll scare away opponents with continuous betting, but this won't be the case if they hold a reasonably strong hand. Big pots happen when a big hand runs into an even bigger hand. If your opponent folds before you get all your chips in the middle, it simply wasn't meant to be.

You need to be realistic about betting and avoid scaring away your fellow players by betting too big. For example, no player is going to call you if you bet $300 in a £30 pot. You will not get called if you raise $500 with an opening bet of $20. Its important to keep your bets and raises realistic to avoid frightening away your opponents.

A good idea is to give this approach a go when playing free online poker and free poker tournaments. This way you can gain experience in this type of play without losing real money.

You want to convince your opponent that he or she may possess a strong enough hand to stay in the game. You want your opponent to make mistakes.

You want your opponent to be pot committed. You can't do that with an oversized bet. You're basically declaring that you own the best hand.

There is also a downside to not betting and just checking. Obviously, you can get outdrawn on. That's a common concern.

However, checking also fails to build up the pot. You may eventually get your opponent to bet at you, but you he or she may just check behind-and thus, you'll be losing some profit from winning one less bet.

Exceptions to the rule

With most things in life, there is always an exception to the rule and there are times that slower playing is going to be advantageous to you. For example, if you flop a royal flush, straight flush, full hand or any other very strong hand, you are pretty certain that you are not going to be beat, so give your fellow players as much opportunity as you can to get their next best hand.

When playing against aggressive or loose players then its worth playing slow, as they are likely to bet as players check. Make the most of their aggressive play.

Yet, in most cases, you do want to bet out or raise. You want to build big pots slowly by betting every chance that you get. Remember, its well worth practicing these tips by playing free poker tournaments sites, such as NoPayPOKER.com where you wont lose any of your own money but can still win real cash. That way when you get into a higher stakes cash situation you'll play it right and hopefully scoop it up!

By reading this article you will gain an essential understanding of the basics on how to play Texas Holdem, whether you're playing pay or free poker. Like all variants of poker, individuals compete for combined money or chips (known as the pot). The rotation of the game is always to the dealers left. At the start of the game each gambler receives 2cards, placed with the suit down so the gambler can not see their hand. This is your first chance to have a flutter and during this first period each participant gets the chance to continue or walk away.

The following play involves an additional 3 community cards being dealt out by the dealer in the middle of the table face up- also known as the "flop". These cards are an essential part of the players "hand" and will be used alongside the original 2 cards in hand. After the flop the next round of betting takes place, although there is now an opportunity to "pass" due to the pot previously commencing.

Then two more cards are dealt face up in the center, one at a time, with a betting interval after each card.

In the games in which I play, we always burn (discard) the top cards at the start of every turn–you burn one and turn one. This is a precaution, and the main reason for it is that burning or discarding that top card eliminates cheating about ninety percent of the time (marked cards won't work for a cheater when the top card is burned).

Not that for one moment I'm suggesting that this element exists in all games; it does on the other hand remain a custom (throwing away the top card) in which most expert and novices become a custom too.

Depending on the game your involved in will determine if there is a cap to the money which be won. However Holdem is an appealing game due to the amount of opportunities you will be presented with to have something to draw at.

If you are new to Hold'em then have a go at playing free poker online where its totally free and you wont lose any of your own cash.

There are many types of players you will find in real world, paid and free online poker. I will write about the main ones, how to recognise them and adjust your poker game to play against them.

Rocks - players who play very few pots and like to fold.
This type of poker player is one who tend to only play strong hands. They will avoid playing any weak hands and will fold these. If they stay in the hand and don't fold then its best that you fold as they very likely have a better hand than yourself. However they are very good opponents to steal the blinds from

TAGs - tight before the flop and aggressive after the flop.
This is considered by many the most profitable style of play. I agree and these kind of players are best avoided but you wont find many of them on free online poker or low stakes games because it takes quite a lot of discipline and practice.

Maniacs - crazy players who play very aggressively.
This type of player is one who tends to bet and raise a lot and wont check. They are difficult players to play against, but if they are after you and you have a strong hand.

Calling Stations playing poker
A style of play that is usually not profitable.
It has been proven by pros that it's better to bet and raise then check and fold.
Against these players you should not try to bluff them because they will often call with poor hands. However you should bet when you have a good hand because they will call with trash hands pretty often. If they bet then you should very often fold because they rarely bet so they must have something strong.

So, now you know the main types of playing styles, its time to use them in poker and free online poker. Look carefully at your opponents and match them up to each style of play and then use these tips to your advantage to help you win.

I started playing poker years ago and have penned my fair share of articles about poker over those years. But, one thing I have learned is that it doesn't matter how many free poker articles I read, they wont make me a poker winner… its getting on the tables and making the hints and tips you get a reality. Most players will read the articles and then shy away when it comes to the tables because they don't want to look like a fool by making a wrong move.

By keeping a constant eye on the tables and playing poker regularly is the best way of staying ahead of your opponents. Making poker moves away from your comfort zone, such as bluffing and blind stealing is something I would recommend you continue over time to prove to yourself that they do pay off. Trying these moves a few times a week just won't cut it, you'll lose 2 or 3 times and just give up on that major part of poker all together.

Many poker players say that if you cant see the donk at the table, then you are it. Similarly, if every other player at the table looks like a donk, then it may well be that you don't actually know how to play poker. Some may be offended by that, but by winning is what determines who the best players are not what hand they had pre flop.

Don't put to much emphasis on what you lost with or how you lost a single hand. It is what happens in the long run that means the most. Keep at it, play the free poker games as much as you can then try to move up to money games, if it doesn't work out don't despair. Go back to a free poker site game and do it again… and again.

We often talk of strategies, against whom people we have to play, which tournament we have to play … but the most important thing is where we have to play poker games and tournaments and do we play paid or free online poker.

If you want to play real life opponents in the flesh, then my preference is to play people I know rather than hitting a casino. Casino's get a large chunk of the pot which leaves less for the players, plus, I know that people I am playing against wont cheat.

Internet online poker is another option, and my option of choice. There is an infinite number of players and many choices of poker room.

I will divide rooms between free and paid, not including those that play purely for fun and are 100% non profit. We want to win some money after all!

Here are some things to check to make sure the room is good:

The payment: the vast majority of these rooms have quality certificates and security certificates. Be sure your choice does. Read the small print too to understand what is involved with deposit and how and what is involved in withdrawing money.

Are the games played enough for you to win? In real money games the room must run a rake and take a small part of the pot. Tournaments take a commission and there is a minimum number of participants to do them profitable. Does the room have enough members playing at once in the games and tourneys you want tom play to make it worthwhile? You should be able to see this easily by keeping an eye on their poker games software where numbers of players are shown.

Most sites will offer an attractive sign up bonus. Obviously this is paid with money from other players and there will be many conditions for the use and withdrawal of money . Make sure you read and fully understand this. Some rooms are better than others. Do not forget that the bank always wins but some do it more nastily than others!.

I've found that Titan Poker is one of the best paid rooms for European players. They also have an extra deal with NoPayPOKER.com for a handy free money start up. Literally you can join free and get $25 US real to play with; no strings apart from you have to play with it there. Go join NoPayPOKER.com to find this offer.

If poker is a whole new world to you, then I would advise that you start by playing on free online poker sites, such as NoPayPOKER, where they get their money from advertising and not from players. Only go for sites which are 100% free and do not ask for any initial payment up front.

The only problem in these rooms is an acceptable limit of withdraw the money, which is entirely logical for the costs of proceeding that involves a payment. That's the price you pay I guess.

Having spent time on over 30 online poker sites, I fully believe that NoPayPOKER.com is the free online poker tournaments site to play at, and Titan Poker if you want to play cash games.

The term "donk" is often heard on poker tables and free poker tables around the world. The technical definition of a donk is "a bad player who makes blatantly bad poker plays and a weak player". Donk is a shortened term for donkey. Traditionally, donk is a term that has a negative connotation to describe sub par playing techniques. However, in some poker circles some people wear the title of donk proudly. Does the term donk describe a player with a different style of play that is becoming more acceptable in poker?

Now that we have defined the traditional negative paradigm of donk, let's explore a new emerging view of being a donk.

The term donk is often used on poker tables when someone with inferior cards wins a big pot. If someone calls a big preflop raise with small connectors or suited cards to catch a flush or a straight, is this poor play? Or, can this simply been seen as an opportunist? Although statisticians confirm that playing superior cards in poker will yield greater profits, the donk often confirms that playing inferior cards can result in surprising profits.

The creed of donks is that every hand should be viewed as an opportunistic adventure. Donks often call large preflop raises with low cards hoping the board will result in low cards to produce a winning hand. After all, why should paint cards get all the respect? Donks consider themselves entrepreneurs in the world of poker by employing every hole card dealt to them with equal opportunity to be put into play. Basically, donks are hopeless optimists believing that every hand will result in a win and the more hands played the greater the odds of winning.

So what differentiates a donk player from a winning donk player, since donks will play every hand fast and loose? Good donks know how to evaluate and assess whether the flop will provide an opportunity to win. If the flop is favourable and offers a glimmer of hope, a chase will ensue. If the flop doesn't provide any hope, a wise donk will fold. A wise donk isn't simply a poor player, but someone who finds opportunity in playing a wide variety of cards.

Whatever type of player you are playing against, its worth checking out free poker sites to see if you can improve your game and find a way to beat them.

It doesn't matter how you like to play your poker, whether it is online free poker or in a casino, there are lots of different ways you can play. Some players are conservative players and some play aggressively and then you have others who like to play a little of each.

This first paragraph is for all the aggressive players out there who probably play on tilt 90% of the time. This is a good way to get chips fast but also a great way to lose chips fast. The more you are aggressive the more risk you have of losing a lot of your chip stacks. It's good and bad, be careful you don't go broke.

Conservative is another way of playing. It's a good style, you usually take down the pots that you are in and you usually make it far in small tournaments. If you are playing in a cash game this is a really good way of playing, you only go in on something good like a pair or something like that but hardly ever bluff.

Now to be a complete poker player the best way to play is a little bit of both. If you play this way then no one knows what you have and no one can ever be for sure what you have. Playing like this will ensure that other players cannot read your game play, giving you the advantage. Hopefully you will be playing against players who like to just stick to one way of playing their poker.

If you are new to poker then the first thing you will need to learn is how to play. My best advice would be to hit some low stakes or even free poker tables so you avoid risking lots of money.

On the same note, if you have only ever played one style of poker, then its worth experimenting by playing the other style to see how well you do.

I look forward to seeing you at the poker tables soon!