Isn’t She Beautiful!

Most poker players eventually end up with a nick name, whether they like it or not. I was blessed by a nick name falling straight from the poker gods. Ace Queen was a hand I fell in love with (isn’t she beautiful was regularly heard while I was playing my poker game.) Players would be dumbfounded: “again Cindy survives!”.Word started to spread around poker tournaments and the poker world here and QUEEN-BEE was born.

As many fellow poker players know, poem writing my poker experiences is special to me. Here is one of my favorites for you to enjoy. My hand, and QUEEN-BEE once again packing her sting! Resulting in not only saving my seat on final table, but removing a player from the poker game.

Many hours minutes later,
Final table nothings greater,
Looking down see the chance,
Whisper silently shall we dance,
Knowing she would set me free,
Winning final table is destiny,
Full of class and crisp with grace,
Most certainly Queen-Beez’ face,
Pushing her with all my might,
Finally facing shear delight,
We’ve hit the flop but don’t despair,
The turn has come we’ve hit two pair,

Not a sound to be heard,
I wonder!
Is a full house preferred?

Now all-in with confidence assured,
Queen-Beez’ destiny is my reward,
Shows the straight with a smile on his face,
Leaving Queen-Bee a huge chase,
The river flows full of emotion,
Time to reveal Queen-Bee devotion,
Heart beating eyes so bright,
Down she comes with shear delight,

Oh I love my Queen-Bee,
We always shine for you to see.

I do need to confess on rare occasions QUEEN-BEE is a naughty BEE losing me greatly. I still love her on these occasions as she is family.

ANALYSE THIS AND THAT! - “Do I have the Nutz?”

You have been playing poker for hours and have just heard those sweet words to your ears “FINAL TABLE”. This is now where you are in the money and the possibility of taking down the poker game.

By this point your game has been like a yo-yo, your chips floating from low to medium, emotions bad good and ugly. Heading to final table carrying your poker strategy and iron emotion branded face you realise your play now needs to be of experience and domination in all forms to take down this game.

Every position from now on eliminated in this texas hold em poker game is one step closer for you to more money and the ultimate championship prize of first place. The aim is to constantly know where your chip stack compares to your opponents, while not entering into pots that you do not need to be in, allowing opponents to knock each other out of the poker game.

Risking your tournament without the NUTZ is the fastest way to the rail from here on in. This is where all your poker strategy and experience kick in without allowing your emotions to play the game. Analysing this and that while having the NUTZ is a sure way to last man standing.

Enjoy your final tables and SHIP IT!

TODAY’S SPECIAL - “Blind Roast”

I am forever hearing and wondering myself why Big and Small blind end up being dealt often to the worst playing hands yet suck out and win quite regularly when a hand is not raised enough to get them out pre flop. Does not matter whether its internet poker or in a poker tournament you will find the Big and Small blind specials. So very frustrating to see for example Big Blind smashing limped aces hoping for a raise with 9,4 checking and flopping two pair. How nervous do you become when you do a small raise pre-flop, and loose when Big Blind calls you? How sick are you feeling when you are holding pockets ten’s and the flop is under your hand with Big Blind making a bet? Your poker strategy kicks in and you know for sure you have been smashed again by that Big Blind special. Small blind too can be a killer at times especially if there has been no raise. Big and Small blind do often roast players on big hands.

I’m sure many of you have been Blind Roasted as I have in your poker life, feel free to leave your comments here.

Roller Coasting Emotions - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of Poker

Poker is an emotionally charged game!

When disappointment enters the hand players become The Bad and The Ugly. Verbally slaying words start to emerge from their mouths due to the shock of losing. Players that become so confident in their hand even after analysing the opponent’s outs, are not prepared for loss. All of a sudden down comes that slim chance leaving the confident Texas hold em poker player shattered low stack even out of the game often.
A smart experienced poker player has learnt to shrug this off and play the new hand free of any emotion. While majority of players will carry the suck out emotion into a new hand during an internet poker game or live play, most often out of the game a short time later still carrying the emotion of the hand he should have won. The player who just sucked out will be verbally sweet (The Good) as he tightens up his play while getting over emotion and realisation he was nearly eliminated from the poker game.

Have you ever been The Good, The Bad or even The Ugly?

I would love to hear your comment!

The Diversity of poker brings The Good, The Bad and The Ugly out in players.

FUN WHILE LEARNING - Free Poker Experience

Freeroll poker is starting to pop up all over the world. No need to sit in front of the TV anymore trying to learn from the big players in the televised events. Head down to your local venue or download the online poker software and start learning this adrenaline pumped action sport. Free roll leagues offer social outlets and a place new players can learn together. Online poker offers not only free games to play while learning; many sites even have tutorials to follow improving your game in the comfort of your own home.

The gaming software is becoming easier to follow with sites upgrading regularly. Imagine sitting in the comfort of your own home having fun while learning also meeting other players from all over the world. There is one important thing to consider when registering online and that is your user name for once you have it, it becomes yours forever. Having the option to learn at a free venue and free online is giving the poker game the opportunity to continue on into the future. For without new players our fabulous sport would surely diminish.

Starting out in poker brings many questions. Please feel free to ask them here!

Let’s have fun while learning!

POKER UNSLEPT - “Team Challenge”

Jumping into normal work mode early this morning there was a difference. Starting over facebook a team poker challenge was being formed. As I worked the day through I continually checked on facebook to find this team challenge was becoming very exciting. Could I go all night playing internet poker? This was going to be a real challenge for me as for starters the last two nights I had had minimal sleep and working flat out.

Team Challenge was to start at 11pm and the last game to register was 5.30am which had over 20,000 players (this game alone could take over 12 hours). I continued working raidbet.net while attending to the kids and preparing for an all nighter filed with poker on the agenda.

In the very early hours of the morning after the muddiest coffee ever I found my poker strategy was being affected by poker unslept. Then out of the blue a hand! The dazed look on my face was transformed into a grin, while the coffee kicked and I was buzzing again, loving every minute that poker brings to my soul.

Challenges test our limits, strengths, survival skills, determination in adverse situations. Listening to our body when it needs rest, we are able to achieve anything we set our sights on. This challenge taught me one very important lesson! I’m getting too old for such challenges Justify Fullwithout preparation. This Bee needs her zzzzzzzzz.

.1. Have you ever been faced with this challenge?
.2. What was your preparation and survival kit?
.3. What would you do different next time?
.4. If this challenge became an option for you, would you have a go at it?

Predictability or Diversity - “Taking advantage of all fifty two”

Nothing frustrates me more than these kind of statements in a poker game: “can’t believe you called my raise with that” for one. How about this: “Oh My God you Donk, How can you call that?” Or better still “Thought I was playing poker, not bingo”. Though this may raise one’s temper a bit, and force one to respond, it actually tells me that these players are more comfortable with predictability.

Let’s clear one thing up before we proceed with our poker game. Imagine if your poker playing opponents were able to verbally expose their cards to you prior to calling your raise. You are sitting with AA pre-flop and BB says “I have A4, would you like me to call?” I’m sure you would reply exactly what I would “HELL, YEAH!” Great poker strategy knowing that you are so ahead, only needing to dodge out the possibilities of BB winning the hand (but they do).

So why on earth is it that when we do get called by these hands and they do suck out big time do we come back with these above statements - myself included (I am just as guilty of this at times). Is it because we prefer winning on predictable poker strategy, instead of the emotions of diversity? Yet while saying this it all changes when we decide to be the caller; then it’s all ok, because we love to win, so we see an opportunity to be diverse and go for it (taking the risk). So why do we allow it for ourselves and not for others. Human competitive nature and not liking to lose is the answer here I feel. I’d be interested to know what you think!

I’d like someone to also tell me where the poker rule book is, which says that you can only play, call or take any action for cards over ten; which says that if you play any cards under ten, you are a donk, crap player and so on? Let’s look at this from another angle. The angle I and several other players see. To me there are fifty two cards: all potential winners. Why not use every card to your advantage whenever possible to play poker. I will enter into any pot that I choose to be amongst with any two cards. Why? It’s simple! There is no such rule that you should only play high cards.

Imagine how boring poker would be if it was played just that way. No exciting play, no suck outs, NO adrenaline rushing chasers and so on. Players would play less, eventually no poker at all and it’s literally back to bingo, sadly leaving us with no online poker or live poker games to thrive on. If a player is willing to put the chips in on the two cards in his hand, think to yourself: go for it, as you now have action. Enjoy what the hand brings, be it good or bad. This is what returns us to the tables constantly. No one likes to be out of the game ever. How boring again if no one got out. Where is the challenge or fun in that?

So bring on all the players who are diverse in playing all 52 cards like me for it’s all of us that bring the excitement to the poker game. Using your learning and your brains on the felt will chip you up when used at the right time. The feeling of making the decision to enter into a pot for instance with an 8,9 suited connector and smashing your opponent’s AK, QJ to bits is sheer ecstasy. Sit back and rejoice in the fact that you chose to play, that you chose to back that hand at that point.

I too have been hit with “How could you play that after my raise” and I think well: “caller, caller, and caller! Mmm, nice pot while putting them on high cards”. “I will see the flop”. Gee I’m glad I did use my fun poker strategy (ship those chips to me!).

Feel free to comment on whether you prefer diversity in the game or predictable play. For me diversity all the way, even though it is driven by my emotions, this is why I play online poker and return for more.