Online Poker - Lyve Games

A movie buff must have watched hundreds of movies. It might be thriller, horror, romantic or comedy. People love watching movies and what would be an exception to Poker Players is that the best poker movies to choose from. We are absolutely certain everyone has their own favorites, but here we would be listing down top five poker movies that every Poker fan must watch.

1. Rounders

Directed by John Dahl, the movie is a 1998 American Drama film involving high stakes poker. The film is about two friends going around cities to play high-stakes poker to pay their huge debt. Though the movie had mixed reviews during the opening weeks, the movie fared well after the Poker boom in the 2000s.

2. Maverick

The 1994 American comedy film by Richard Donner, and produced by Warner Bros. Maverick is an adaptation of the TV series of the 1950s with the same name. The baseline of the plot goes as the blend of 3 people, collecting money to enter high-stakes poker games, a card player, a con artist, and a lawman. The win won smiles with its light-hearted comedy and gripping plot. The film was appreciated both commercially and critically. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design.

3. The Cincinnati Kid

The film starring Steve McQueen as the ‘Kid’, is a young poker player of the Depression era, seeking to establish his reputation at that period. Directed by Norman Jewson and written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Terry Southern, the American Drama film revolves around New Orleans. The struggle of player leads him to Lancey “The Man” Howard, an older player widely considered to be the best, culminating in a climactic final poker hand between the two. The film got mixed reviews from the credit but holds the reputation of one of the most watched poker movie for fans.

4. Honeymoon in Vegas

Known as a Rom-com, Honeymoon in Vegas is a film written and directed by Andrew Bergman. The film starring Nicolas Cage, James Caan, and Sarah Jessica Parker. The plot is funny as, on her deathbed, a mother makes her son promise never to get married, and that creates trouble for him and his girlfriend. They finally decide to tie the knot in Vegas, but a wealthy gambler bluffs the man and he loses sixty-five thousand dollars in a poker game He promises to clear the debt for a weekend with his fiancée. Suddenly the man gets insanely jealous, of his fiancée and her rich companion, but finds barriers in his path as the gambler tries to delay his interference.

5. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels

The film is a 1998 British-American crime comedy film written and directed by Guy Ritchie. The story involves a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag. To pay off his debts, he and his friends decide to rob a small-time gang who happen to be operating out of the flat next door. The film gained a huge commercial success and international acclamation.

With the mercurial rise of online poker, lots of cardroom players have shifted, if not permanently, from brick and mortar poker rooms to online rooms. Physical poker rooms have definitely more exciting because of its realistic feel. If you have tried one platform and not the other, or in a dilemma which venue to begin with, here are some major differences between online and in-person poker rooms.

The foremost advantage of online poker rooms is the versatility they offer. There are lots of real money poker career online much cheaper and accessible than in a real cardroom. It is possible to find lower Texas Holdem Games Online where you can hone your skills. Whereas lower stakes would never produce enough poker for brick and mortar cardrooms.

Online play is more convenient and less overhead than brick and mortar poker rooms. For a real cardroom, you must incur the travel cost, sometimes even out-of-town with expenditures required for airline, taxis, dining and overnight stay. At the tables, waitresses, dealers, and others expect a tip. All these expenses are extra in addition to the rake the casino takes for conducting the game. These expenses on your part constitute overhead before a profit is realized.

Psychologically, real cardrooms are difficult in terms of selection of games. The thumb rule of playing poker is to choose the right game based on your skill and bankroll. You need to choose the right betting limits with enough novice players to be profitable. You can find it easy on online platforms but at real cardrooms, it is difficult to find an ideal seat at a good game. 

A good thing about online playing is that a player cannot violate conduct rules during play. It means you cannot play string bets, see other players cards, and show your cards to others. The poker software rigidly implemented all the rules of the game and conduct the game according to the game parameters. You can see the active players, how much money players have and how money is in the pot. 

In the privacy of your home, you can take study many important things like calculating poker odds, study poker charts, and make notes as you play. 

Playing poker in a real card room is a social thing. The atmosphere in the physical poker room with people chatting, observing, laughing makes it an enjoyable affair. Also, you can observe the physical mannerism and gesture of players and understand the possible tells. It is very difficult to observe tells in online poker, in that way brick and mortar poker is advantageous.

In live games, people are more eager to play more hands. It is because live poker is much slower and takes time to complete one game, so players are eager to play more hands. In the tournaments, you will observe players are often play big raises, especially in the initial stages of the tournaments. 

Variance in brick and mortar game is brutal because of the slower pace of the game. Players who enter the pot want to extract maximum value, so the variance is higher than online poker. 

Essentially both are same but there are certain aspects that create the difference between live and online poker. The transition is not so easy from online to live and vice versa, but things are simplified when you understand the difference and adapt to your setting.

The fun part of Online Poker is when you play Holdem, you need to take precise decisions but with incomplete information. Poker is a game of variable but if we compare it with far dense, complex and infinite variable game such as such chess, you find it easier because you have the information. The fact is, chess is far more difficult than Poker because you have to think many levels deep to understand the implication of every move. The paradox of chess is, the more you go deep into the levels, and the more complicated the decisions become.

In Poker you also have to go deep in layers but with great uncertainty. In chess, your opponent's board is in front of you and there is only one opponent. Apparently, it makes thing easier. Moreover, there is no random element like Poker where players bluff or overbet to throw small stakeholders out of the table. In chess, the whole board in front of you and theoretically you make a perfect decision at each decision point. The only thing you don't know what your opponent is thinking.

Is Poker like chess? To a large extent yes. Suppose you are playing chess and you could only see only half of your opponents move. The difficult game of chess turns out to be far more complicated than ever before. Now imagine you are playing chess with all the complexity of decision-making with incomplete information. This is the most fundamental part of Poker when you have to take decisions under the condition of incomplete information.

Reduce uncertainty to take a more informed decision

There are principally two ways to make your decision easier. The first thing is to fold and opt out of the decision-making process. The fold is also an important part of the game because you need to understand when you are unable to take an informed decision and avoid any gamble. The second thing is to put all your chips and opt out from the decision making the process. All-in is a blunt instrument and without a strong conviction, its a dangerous instrument.

Our primary focus is to minimize our uncertainty to make our decision easier. Also, remember the best way to learn Poker, where multiple players are involved, is to take your decision in relation to your opponents.

Surprisingly, if you want to win games in Online Poker, forget about money making.  Money is not the goal of the game. It sounds strange but you can only make money if you play with a playing intention, and not to making money. You can earn lots of money if your goal-setting and decision-making, both are absolutely in sync with each other. If you set your goal to make money, you will lose eventually because you focus primarily on outcomes. Nevertheless, if you set your goal to make better decisions, it doesn't matter whether you lose a bad beat or you win a big pot, all that matters is the quality of your decisions. If you are not a gambler and take Poker as a long-term venture, your decision-making ability will make you an excellent player.

Decision-making factors in Poker

Power of position

When you are playing under the gun, your goal to reduce uncertainty is very slim. The problem with opening early is a total uncertainty and you are acting with the least amount of information of anyone at the table. This biggest decision-making disadvantage, therefore the power of position is undeniable.

Poker is a game of price negotiation, and when you go first, you surrender advantage. When you play from the button, you get the most information and make a more informed decision. If you play late, you can evaluate other players how they move their chips, the size of their bets and understand where you stand before you have to think about your own hand.

Raise or not to raise

A simple rule is, when you have a good hand, raise it. If you don't raise then what happens? Let's say you have KQ suited in late position and you limp into the pot. The small blind checks and big blindfolds. So, what you have learned about the small blind's hand. Basically nothing. Generally, in professional Poker playing, players don't check with strong hands like a pair of aces, or jacks or any premium hand. So, if you limp into a pot, you learn close to nothing about your opponent's hand because you don't force him to make a decision. That is not a good decision-making skill because if you don't know how to use your chips as information-extraction tools, your decision to limp will be a waste. Remember, not every time you will get premium hands, so use it wisely.

Decision making for professionals and amateurs

Some professionals vary their playing style in exactly the opposite way. At least its more mathematically correct because when you raise big with premium hands, you put the mathematical pressure where it belongs. According to a game-theory, if you have premium hands like pocket aces or pocket kings, it is better to open for five times the big blind.

It happened in the summers of 1992, in the event of World Series of Poker, comeback kid Stu Ungar faced off against the then World Champion Mansour Matloubi in a series of $50,000 buy-in no-limit holdem heads freezeout events. On the final hand of the game, defending champion bluffed Ungar all-in for $32,000 on the river with a board of 3-3-7-K-Q. Ungar had 10-9, but he pondered for a few seconds and told Matloubi that he thought Matloubi had 4-5 or 5-6, and he was going to call that bet. Ultimately he won the pot and busted Matloubi, who in fact held exactly what Ungar predicted.

Stuart Ungar for many was the greatest poker player in the history of the game. Ungar left a legacy that has always loomed large at the World Series of Poker. However, the lifestyle and habits of this genius quickly defamed him both financially and socially. Most of the Ungar's winning at the poker tables were wasted on sports betting, horses and cocaine. Stu Ungar is probably the greatest example in poker how uncontrolled life, ill-habits, and indiscipline lifestyle quickly dissolved the glory and money vanished into thin air.

Online Poker is a serious game, especially when there are high stakes involved. All great players exhibit a common psychological trait that is mental toughness. No matter how good a player is if he is not tough mentally, it is impossible to face problems, obstacles, failure, tilt and various negatives that are common in long-term poker playing. It is one of the hallmarks of a great player is to deal with the ups and downs of the game and maintain habits that make him successful. 

Psychological Habits of Successful Poker Players

Mental toughness is not something one is always born with. It is something that can be cultivated, diligently practiced and gradually increased.

Self-motivation is the key

A successful player playing texas holdem online loves the game and enjoys the work. Stoicism comes easily when the work is lovable. In an adverse situation, self-motivation is the most important factor, and this habit is the hallmark of every successful poker player.

Control emotions

Successful players are emotionally controlled. There are times in poker when anger, frustration, and fear shroud the mind, but it is important to control emotions and for that one needs to maintain a sound lifestyle includes engaging in other hobbies, spend time with loved ones, free mind from poker.

Review Sessions & Working on Problem Areas

All successful players before starting a new poker session, spend time reviewing on the previous session. It is important to understand what good and bad plays one made. It is a good habit to dedicate one session every week to focus on the weakest areas and practice making them better. If one is going through a bad patch or tilt, it is better to play at lower stakes than usual during this period of time.

Be Focussed & Study Your Opponents

No-limit Texas Holdem Online is the Cadillac of poker. The key to the game is playing the man, not the cards. To be successful in the game, one needs to be very focused and able to let go that is not important. Before playing on a table, increase the level of familiarity and understand players. The most accurate information you can gather from showdown hands.

Online poker rooms are plenty, but for beginner, it is important to understand which rooms are best for them. Texas Holdem is a game of chance and a game of mental strategy as well. So, it is important to understand certain basic strategies for beginners who want to try their luck in poker rooms.

Selecting the right game
Online rooms give you the opportunity to look at the games, so take your time to read the table before you consider to play. Also, don’t play big buy in or blinds because as a beginner you don’t know the subtleties of the game, and more likely duped by seasoned players. Also, it is important to take into account of your own skills and level of understanding of the game. It is therefore important first study the game and finds an easier table where players are not aggressive.

Practice hard
If you play poker online, the best way to learn poker is to practice as much you can. Before playing real chips, it is required to play as much freeroll. Most of the online poker websites have freeroll where you can play. However, in freeroll players are not serious about betting and raising, so you won’t really understand the game properly. It is better to download a poker app where multiplayer options are there.
When you realize you have acquired self-discipline, ability to manage your emotions, critical thinking faculty, and ability to recognize the weakness of your opponents, it’s time to play for real chips.
It is not that you have to play for years before you can obtain the skill to be a professional. World Series of Poker winner Jerry Yang defeated many professionals with only two years of experience. It is significant to observe players.

Betting Tips
Every player has a personal mannerism, a certain pattern that he or she plays. If you understand you playing style of your opponent, you can win half of the battle. Nevertheless, poker is not a perfect science; it is a game of chance, so expect certain surprises.

Bluffing
The most exciting part of Texas Hold’em or as a matter of fact, all poker games is bluffing. Either you face cold bluffers or semi-bluffers who have moderate hands. Tight players often fold when any bluff plays on the table, and seasoned players take this opportunity to win pots. Bluffing is an important part of your psychology strategy but always prepare yourself for losing.

Play within a limited bankroll
As a novice player, you need to understand your limitations and play within a limited bankroll. A large bankroll is not an excuse for sloppy or loose playing. In many cases, players who start winning feel that they can afford to lose, and this is where they make the mistake. Also with a huge bankroll, you will be targeted by seasoned players.

Fold
Don’t be afraid to fold your hand. A new player always tends to play every hand and become an easy target for the seasoned professional.  If you have a poor hand, don’t wait for the river, fold it after pre-flop.

Be humble after winning
Poker is more psychological battle than a simple game. Don’t be aggressive after winning a big pot because within minutes you would lose that pot plus your bankroll very easily. Don’t show-off, be humble and if you lose, don’t afraid, be a graceful loser.

Online poker has transformed the dynamics of conventional poker game. Virtually players can play at any place without the need of brick and mortar poker rooms. Now, players can play as many games at the same time, only limited by their reaction time and ability to deal with loss as well as win in each table.

Multi-tabling is a revolutionary concept in poker where the opinion is divided. Some players feel it's wastage of time because their rationale is while playing multiple tables it is extremely difficult to focus on each decision. Some professional players take it to an extreme by playing more than 20 tables at once. Most online poker rooms have features that facilitate multi-tabling and there are methods that maximize your profits.

Methods of Multi-tabling

Two principle methods are tiling and stacking.

Tiling

Tiling is the most common method when players tile table windows so that they can arrange the tables adjacent to each other without overlapping. How many tables can fit onto your screen without overlapping depends on the size of the monitor and reaction time of a player. Some professional play on multiple monitors, but for amateurs a single monitor is sufficient.

Stacking

Stacking is the method generally used by players who play a very high number of poker tables simultaneously. Each table window is placed directly on top of the other windows so that they are positioned in the same general area of the monitor. Players who play at sit-n-goes are likely to use this method because the decisions in the games are more standardized and automatic.

Advantages:

• Unless the monitor is very large, a player can play on more tables simultaneously with an option to increase the size of the tables. 
• The active tables will pop up in the same position each time so players don't need to move the mouse cursor across the screen for each decision.
  
  

Multi-tabling poker strategies and tips

Table selection is important

The primary thing to consider to learn to play texas holdem is the number of tables and which tables should be given more importance. If improving the game is a primary motive, which is less likely for players who play in multi-table, then one table is always going to be optimal. Playing multi-tabling creates sort of auto-pilot mode. It means less or no focus on individual tables, and tend to make more mistakes on average. 

When multi-tabling, players generally can't give their absolute best but because they are playing so many more hands, the probability of good hands is more and eventually more money in the long run. Selection of tables is therefore very important because if the table is too tight or tables occupied with a couple of loose aggressive players, it is better to choose other tables.

Multi-tabling is a slow process

Nobody runs before a walk!  Multi-tabling is not for beginners because it requires mastery over one table. Making decisions for multi-tables and that's also high stake tables overwhelm beginners. It is not at all recommended for new players for risk their money on multi-tables.

ABC poker for multi-tabling

For beginners playing poker across multiple tables will naturally result in far more situational difficulties than on a single table. Hence, players have to use a strategy that minimizes difficult decision making. ABC poker is the best thing to minimize any kind of big loss. It means players play a very basic style of poker without risking and follow the basic practice.

Tough spot recognition

Playing on multiple table demands quick decision, it simply means priority is the most important thing. In multi-tabling, deep thinking rarely comes, so often simple decisions need to prioritize before tough ones. First need to recognize the tough spot, look at the situation carefully and take the decision based on the experience.