Texas Holdem Poker has a colourful history. Billions of hands have been played and many a jovial situation has occurred at the poker table. Most of the hands in poker have acquired a nickname or two over the years, some are colourful and ugly, otherwise are humourous and witty.

The biggest hand before the flop in Holdem Poker is two Aces and subsequently this hand generates the most excitement and colourful names. Common names for two Aces are Pocket Rockets and Bullets (for obvious reasons due to their shape). They are named after several famous entities with initials starting with the letter “A” including Alan Alda, Albert Anastasia, and American Airlines. They are also known as numerous sharp objects such as the Rocky Mountains, Sticks, Teepees and Two Pips. More comical and obscure references include Squirrel (the nuts) and Batteries (Double A). Names for a single Ace include Bull, Bullet, Death Card (spades), Mastercard, One Spot, Puppy Foot (clubs), Seed, Sharp Top, Spike and Tax Card (spades).

Two kings are the second best hand preflop in holdem and are commonly known as Cowboys. Variations on this include Butchers of Baghdad (so named in reference to Saddam Hussein on the infamous Iraqi most wanted playing cards). Combinations of alliterations of KK include Krispy Kreme and King Kong (and by extension Gorillas, Gorillas in the Mist). They are referred to as Ace Magnets because an Ace always comes on the flop. A single King is also known as K-Boy, Monarch, Sergeant, Alexander (clubs), Charlemagne or Charles (hearts), David (spades), Julius Caesar or One eyed king (diamonds).

Queens are often beaten by Aces and Kings, and as a result get crude names. Polite terms include Ladies, Love Ladies, Calamity Jane (likely extensive of Cowboys for KK) and Snowshoes (owing to the original shape of snowshoes). Less pleasant nicknames include Four T*ts, Jail-house Rock and Siegfried and Roy

Middle and small pairs such as Jacks through to Twos all have a nickname or two. Jacks are called either Hooks or Fish-hooks. Less known names include Rent boys, Kid Dyne-o-mite (TV show reference), Brothers, Jay Birds, John Juanda (Poker Player) and Colostomy Bag (as Jack is slang for toilet in some countries). Two Tens are commonly referred to as Two Dimes, TNT and Binary (In Binary 1010 is the equivalent of 10). Nines are known as Barbara Feldon (named after the actress from Get Smart- Agent 99), German Virgins (Nein, Nein), Phil Helmuth (Won WSOP in 1989), Popeye, Pot hooks and Wayne Gretzky. Two eights are Snowmen, Little Oldsmobile, Racetracks, Snowmen, Two Fat Ladies, Lacey, Pretzels, and Wurlitzer. A pair of Sevens are axes, mullets, hockey sticks or walking sticks. A pair of sixes is known as Boots, Cherries, or Kicks (On Route 66). Two Fives are known as Presto, Snakes or Speed Limit. Two Fours are Canadian Presto, Dark Force, Darth Vader, Magnum and Sail boats. Threes are known as either crabs (shaped like the number 3) or treys and a pair of Twos is Deuces, Ducks, or Quack Quack (reference to shaped like a duck).

Other non pairing hands of notable fame include the infamous Ace and King combination known as Big Slick. Names include backronyms such as Korean Airlines and King Arthur as well as normally acronyms such as Anna Kournikova (also named because it looks good but seldom wins). Another common reference is Kalashnikov (who designed the AK47). An Ace and a Queen is known as Big Chick or Mrs Slick. Other non pairing notable hands include Jack-Four (Flat Tire – what’s a Jack for?), J6 (Rail Road – phonetics of Jacks n Sixes, Jacks n Sixes, Jacks n Sixes – Woo Woo). Ten-Deuce is known as the Doyle Brunson after he successful made two full houses and won two World Series of Poker bracelets.

Obviously the list of starting hand nicknames is more extensive than this. In addition there are alot of names too crude to be discussed here. If you are interested in other poker starting hand nicknames I recommend searching Wikipedia for an extensive list of common names with interesting references.

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Poker tells are one of the most important aspects of poker and they help to separate poker from other games of luck. When playing poker, it is crucial to observe your opponents in order to pick up on any clues they make inadvertently give away. Poker tells can include any piece of information gathered including voluntary and involuntary movements, verbal cues and behavioural patterns. The best part about tells is that every single poker player has them, and if you observe enough hands closely enough, you will eventually find them. Be careful though, some players try to give off reverse tells to trap you.

The Eyes Reading a player starts with their eyes. Watch how they view the world and you will gain insight into their thoughts. An opponent who glances at their chips immediately after seeing the flop is thinking about betting and likely has a monster. Some players will stare at their hole cards longer than normal when they have a big hand. When the flop comes down and the player stares at the flop as if staring straight through it, they have often missed.

Hole Cards When someone rechecks their hole cards on a flop that is all of one suit, they normally do not have a flush. If a player squeezes out the second hole card after seeing the first one, it often means at least one ace. An opponent who looks at their hole cards and then looks uninterested has a monster hand.

Patterns of Betting The classic saying in poker is that weak means strong and strong means weak. Looking aggressive and forcefully shipping chips into the middle is usually weak. The opposite is also true, quietly putting chips into the pot is often strength. If an opponent looks at his hand and then bets instantly, it is seldom a bluff.

Stacking Chips A player that is tight and conservative will often have a neat stack whereas a maniac will have sloppy chip stacks. Betting with large chips can often be a bluff whereas using small denominations is a value bet. Any player that is still stacking chips and decides to play the hand has a reasonable hand.

Speaking at the table If an opponent is having a conversation during a poker hand and his talk is all of the place, as if his mind is on something else, it usually means he is not too confident in his hand. This correlates to a weak poker hand. Conversely, if a player is talking smoothly while in a hand, it means he is not overly concerned about the hand he is playing. This is because he feels comfortable and usually means a big hand.

Every player gives off tells, try to remain patient and always watch the table even when you aren’t in a hand.

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Question by Al D: Why can’t I get into ” holdem poker” after waiting for “applet” to load?
I do get to the page where I’m able to select a lounge to enter and after making a selection, all I get is a white screen and a message telling me to wait 3 mins. for applet or click another button if that faILS TO WORK.

Best answer:

Answer by gary f
try uninstalling java and download it again

What do you think? Answer below!

ABC Texas Holdem Poker Strategy Doesn’t Work

ABC Texas Holdem Poker Strategy is essentially strategy completely based on the real odds of winning with the cards that you get. In this strategy having a pair of aces, A-A, is the best possible hand you can be dealt. Having an offsuit 7-2 is the worst possible hand you can start with. A ranking of hands exists based on the probability of those two cards winning the game.

Why I Wouldn’t Rely On An ABC Texas Holdem Poker Strategy

Although I do agree with the overall idea of the ABC system and also agree that higher cards, like A-A and K-K give you a better chance of winning in some respects, I would never rely on an ABC Texas Holdem Poker Strategy. The reason is simple: an ABC Texas Holdem Poker Strategy doesn’t provide the flexibility required to incorporate all of the other factors of the game into your decision. I’m talking about very important factors that should affect you decision like:

- Your play style
- Opponents play style
- Your reputation at the table
- Opponents facial expressions
- Opponents body language
- Your stack size
- Stack sizes of every player
- Blind and/or ante limits
- Time left until the blinds raise (in tournaments)
- Your feeling of the game
- Your ‘read’ at any given time

I could go on and on. Frankly, poker is a lot more intricate then just mere card odds. If you could just play the odds and that was that there wouldn’t be any real essence to the game. Lets take an extreme example: the bluff. A bluff has got to be one of the most widely known, lucrative poker moves around. A bluff is essentially playing completely shot cards. An ABC Texas Holdem Poker Strategy would decree you fold the cards because they are ‘bad’ but you could be missing out on a great opportunity to steal some money.

It’s Not All Doom And Gloom

I understand the that ABC Texas Holdem does have its place. Its a great way for new players to learn which cards are better then others. Its a great way for those players to know when to play and when to fold so they don’t lose a bunch of money. There are many benefits of playing an ABC Texas Holdem Poker Strategy so if you are seriously struggling with your poker game then you may consider looking at it to get on the right track to start off with.

Think About It

Would a computer win against a professional Texas Holdem Poker player? If you configured a program to play poker based on a ABC Texas Holdem Poker Strategy would it be able to beat a table of real-life poker players? Poker is a lot more that just odds of cards and luck. Poker is a game of skill. Do you see the World Poker Tour champions winning with an ABC Texas Holdem Poker Strategy? I don’t think so.

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Omaha is an interesting game and, as many attest, is quite profitable, but there is comparatively little material you could find to learn safely from, and Hold’em is in fact a good place to start for anyone. At the present time Hold’em ranks as the most popular game in casinos and online and has received much attention in media and literature (online and in book form).

Okay, now that Hold’em is the game of choice, which form of Hold’em suits you best personally? Do you gag on risk or thrive on it?

It is a very peculiar thrill, and those who cannot stand, having calculated your best chances, to make that step into the air, like Indiana Jones towards the end of The Last Crusade (he did not so much summon the faith the walk on air, but merely calculated that his father’s diary implies an invisible bridge), had better keep away from the poker table (watching others play might be the compromise to settle for). Nor is poker the right activity for people who cannot control themselves and play kamikaze-style. For those who feel they do not sufficiently understand themselves, there are tests which determine inclination towards risk. The more risky you are the more sense it makes to play no-limit cash and tournament poker.

Next in your self-awareness exercise program is to determine if you are a mathematician or a behavioral psychologist. You calculators are meant for limit games. If you are able to discern the cards that your opponents have in their hands by reading various bodily signals, you are the one that should be in no-limit and multi table tournament (MTT) games.

No-limit and MTT games are both very good poker forms for you to develop your game if you are willing to put in the time to learn them well. Due to the rarity of the high-level limit games, you won’t find as much chance to develop your skills as you would in no-limit and MTT. The best place for future world poker champions to grow their game is in tournament play.

The least potential for players desirous to grow in the game is limit poker because of their rarity compared to no-limit and tournament games. The best games for would-be poker champs are tournament games.

Limit poker is becoming rarer in casinos and clubs and is more accessible online. Tournament poker is the only form of the game officially considered a sport, so that it may be important to pay attention to tournaments in public establishments.

Those considering poker as a profitable career should focus on those games with a high percentage of weak players. Hold’em poker involves the fewest of the weaker players due to the widely available literature devoted to the game. No-limit and tournament poker should be your target, as long as you have made the decision to educate yourself on it and continue to do so. The beginning player should play limit poker in games with limits below 1$/2$. If in a SnG game, the novice should stay below $20+$2 and in a no-limit game, below $100. If you want to play in games below these levels, just a basic knowledge of the rules of poker is probably sufficient. More intense study is required of higher limits and even the most apt student of the game is incurring risk.

These considerations are a good preliminary to your first games, but the answers to the questions will become clearer as you accumulate experience.

The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Victory Poker Rakeback as well as Rakeback at True Poker.

One wonderful thing about poker is that there is always something new and exciting surrounding it. New to the world of poker is Omaha hold’em, a variation of Texas hold’em where four cards are dealt instead of two.

A surprising number of possibilities spring up with the extra two cards. They offer two more options to play your hand but also add to you decision making process. You must decide which two to keep in your hand based on the community cards dealt to the table. In Texas hold’em, the same circumstances prevail but you don’t have to decide which of the cards in your hand to keep, you play them all. Omaha offers that extra challenge of which cards to choose for play.

The result is that you get to play more hands and have more opportunity to win. What many people don’t realize is that poker isn’t only about the cards. If that was the case, then you’d probably have more fun playing bridge, but because of the betting involved it adds a new dimension to the game and forces you to keep your wits about you.

The rules and play of Omaha are the same as for other hold’em games. Each player is dealt four cards to use in the round. At this point, if your cards are such that you wish to continue the play, an initial bet is placed. This bet is called the big blind. You determine from your hand whether to call, raise or fold.

With round one of betting completed the first group of community cards is dealt to the table, the flop. Once again a round of betting ensues and you must decide from the cards in your hand whether to raise, call or fold. Once betting is over, the next community card, the turn, is dealt to the table and another round of betting takes place.

Once the last card is dealt (the river), the final round of betting begins and here is the card that will make you either a winner or a loser. Either way, you are ready to start all over again to either win back a loss or add to a win. The rounds of betting allow you to judge the strengths of your opponents’ hands and with experience and developing your skill at perception and insight, you will know when to bet and how much.

Poker in whatever form offers the challenge of playing against people like yourself and not just cards. People are unpredictable poker players until your knowledge of their playing style makes them far less so. Once you get the modus operandi of their play, you can determine what they will do next.

With experience and the effort required to sharpen your people-reading skills, you will overcome your opponents every time – well, that and a little luck.

The author is a full time online poker player and makes the majority of his income from his online play and rakeback at Poker Heaven. To sign up for a Rakeback account of your own visit Rakeback Solution.

Those serious, arrogant poker professionals gathered around the table in big shades and hooded sweatshirts are out for blood. They are not attracting amiable amateurs, they are attracting expert players who are the only ones who are not intimidated by their demeanor. This may be good for TV’s World of Poker, but certainly not for the good players who want to pick up a few bucks.

The average amateur is looking to join in a poker game for some fun and is not really concerned whether he wins or loses. He’s looking for a way to spend some time with people, a chance to get away from the office routine, or to play with real people instead of online. He’s going to zero in on a table where everyone seems friendly, relaxed and having a good time. He is not looking for skilled poker players, just those who enjoy the game and each other’s company.

For a player intending to earn a regular income, it is important to be able to cater to these basic desires of the average amateur. Each amateur will not loose much, but if you entice a constant stream of them you will constantly gain. Moreover, an amateur is likely to stay longer at a table, dare more, bet higher, and loose more with a good will if they are having a good time.

The intimidating table full of folks that don’t talk to each other, don’t look at each other and have created a somber atmosphere will keep the amateur far, far away.

The amateur is seeking the opposite of the above. He wants good conversation, friendly company, and a table where the players compliment each other on good play. This table engenders a feeling of warm fuzziness and trust for the amateur and will suck him right in. They will return to this table again and happily lose money to you. Remember they are seeking entertainment not an income.

Keep your weaker opponents in a good mood and you will keep up their good hopes, believing that luck may still take their side. Good time and occasional “luck” may turn them into regular players and into regular income and attract still more amateurs. But a show of cold indifference will only make them disgusted with themselves or the table or both.

Top professionals carefully invent their poker persona. Their key to success lies not only in superior technique but often in the ability to create, through persona and ability to manipulate the game cleverly, situations which project a positive experience for their unsuspecting prey. They make sure that those who are about to loose salute them.

The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Rakeback at Ultimate Bet and competes in the monthly Races and Rolls Freerolls.

Once upon a time, a Soviet satirist of renown wrote a book satirizing a con man who set out to make some quick rubles. He was able to convince a small town chess club that he was a traveling chess professional wanting to organize a tournament. This went over big in the township and our man charged entry fees to those gathered about in eager anticipation to let the games begin. He structured the tournament with “twelve identical matches” and began the play knowing very little to absolutely nothing about the game of chess, this being only his second attempt at it. He managed to move the pieces around in a somewhat normal and convincing manner, greatly impressing the gathering who were awestruck by such a “professional” in their midst, reading glory into every play. Alas, the maestro lost all twelve games, but maintained his good humor. By the end, enough time had elapsed for him to run off with the fees he collected at the onset of the games. So, while he didn’t know squat about chess, he came out a winner.

The Twelve Chairs is the title of the satiric novel. It has been translated into English to become both a book and film adaptation on DVD readily available at Amazon.com. A Mel Brooks comedy was the subject of the film and unless you are fanatical about Mel Brooks, stay clear of this one. Mark Zaharov, a brilliant director, not as well known as his compatriot Tarkovsky, adapted it into a Russian mini-series in 1976.

The point is that the definition of a good player, in poker or otherwise, depends on what that player’s purpose is. As far the fictional con artist was concerned, he was an effective player since his strategy precisely achieved his goals – quick money. It is a subtler point, however, that he was a good player also because he knew he couldn’t play solid chess for more than the first five or so moves and because he prepared an escape route.

There are numerous poker players out there who do not recognize their lack of ability. Poker players are blessed with an overactive ego, possibly due to the riskiness of the game giving the players a certain bravura. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for the good player, they didn’t get the concept that poker is a complicated, demanding game which requires education and hands-on experience to succeed at all. For those who are clear on the concept, the game can be most profitable.

Then there are those who play by rote, repeating a learned set of rules and strategies with no cognitive activity to gum up the works. No point in improving because they win more than half of the time and are therefore good players – they have met their goal.

For those players to whom poker is an art, the above types are not true poker players, not really bad, just not real. They are in the clubs but are not the stars. The good player is looking for growth and more and more insight to improve his already good game. He or she understands that the game is a complicated mix of skill, theater, and perception. They know their weaknesses and work hard on improving their good points while lessening their bad ones.

The author is a full time online poker player and makes the majority of his income from his online play and rakeback at PKR Poker. To sign up for a Rakeback account of your own visit Rakeback Solution.