Poker Links

Have you ever learned any business tips from games?

For example, winning at poker isn't about winning one hand, it's about coming out as a winner at the end of the game. And that's just like entrepreneurship.

A nice article by Matthew Toren explains the similarities between Entrepreneurship and Poker, and how bluffing, folding and betting in a poker game can teach you some lessons about entrepreneurship. Summing them up in 5 lessons:

Always play the long game.

You’re always playing the long game.

The talkers get knocked out quick.

Sometimes the odds beat you.

Have a support system.

An interesting article by the Financial Post magazine comparing startups to a game of poker.

The writer of the article focuses on the similarities between starting a new business and playing a poker game, as well as the skills that a person should have in order to win and be successful at both.

Draw poker is a variant of poker game in which every player gets a complete face-down hand.

Players place bids, and then draw other cards trying to replace the cards they have with new ones in chance of getting a better hand.

The standard game of draw poker 5-card draw is the most famous variation.

As per the Global Poker Index (GPI) rankings, Daniel Shak (Team: IveyPoker) has gained the top position of the POY 2013 rankings, moving up 5 ranks.

Second and third position went to Micah Raskin and Michael Watson respectively.

Interesting facts about the playing cards used in poker and other classic card games.

Did you know that the designer of the first deck of playing cards, who lived in France during the 15th century, used real historical figures to represent the Kings, as follows:

King of Hearts represents Charlemagne.

King of Diamonds represents Julius Caesar

King of Clubs represents Alexander the Great

King of Spades represents King David of the Bible.

Also, the suits of the cards represent different cultures that had major influences on the world before and during the 15th century, as follows:

Spades represents the Middle East.

Clubs represents Greece.

Diamonds represents the Roman Empire.

Hearts represents the Holy Roman Empire.

More information about the history of the Playing Cards at: http://www.wopc.co.uk/history/earlyrefs.html

A commonly asked question by poker players, beginners and pros, is: What is the best way to get very good at poker?

William Franceschine, former high-stakes poker professional, has provided some tips and steps to get better at poker. These include:

Read advanced poker books.

Play for money on online poker sites.

Play for small stakes for real money.

Play poker more frequently.. practice makes perfect.

High Stakes Poker is a very popular poker game on many gaming sites online.

It is played by up to 4 players. The object of High Stakes Poker is to have the highest ranking hand at the end of two betting rounds. The player with the highest hand wins all of the tokens that have been placed in the pot.

There are several differences between No-limit Hold'em and Limit Hold'em poker in many areas such as:

Betting rules that are unique to each game.

Sizes of bets and raises, and subsequently the pot.

Speculative calls and plays.

Psychological pressure on other players.

An advanced poker strategies book by Gus Hansen aka "The Great Dane" or "The Madman" for his crazy, fearless, aggressive style.

The book provides a number of secrets that shows the right way to play poker, including:

Analysis of more than 300 hands that he played in international tournaments.

Radical winning methods that have helped the author to win consistently.

Bluffs, precise calculations, educated guesses, and ways to read the opponents hands.

How to call large bets with seemingly unplayable hands.

and much more...

Pusoy, a Chinese variation of the classic Poker game, with generally simple rules.

Luck is a main element in winning at this game, hence a beginner player with a good hand has a fair chance of winning against a pro.

Matt Damon, starred in the Rounders as a young reformed gambler, who must return to playing big stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks.

In this video, Matt performed horribly in a live international tournament. Worth watching...

Another great poker book by the professional poker player David Sklansky. It targets the advanced poker players, equipping them with additional tips and techniques.

A well disciplined book that includes sections on "loose games" and "short-handed games", in addition to other information which provide the proper experience for a player to become a significant winner.

Other ideas discussed include play on the first two cards, semi-bluffing, the free card, inducing bluffs, staying with a draw, playing when a pair flops, playing trash hands, desperation bets, playing in wild games, reading hands, psychology and more.

A nice movie released in 1998 about a young reformed gambler who must return to playing big stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks.

Starring Matt Damon, Edward Norton and John Malkovich. Directed by John Dahl.

More info about this movie at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128442/