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Poker Strategy

Finding the best poker strategy for you is crucial if you want to optimize your poker game.
Good poker players know that every hand is a winner – it’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but how you play them. This post breaks down some of the most basic and best poker strategy.

If you’re completely new to poker, you may want to learn the basics rules of poker, before diving into poker strategy. Lucky for you, we’ve made a simple video telling you everything you need to know in just 4 minutes.

What is Poker Strategy

Poker strategy is one of those things that really surprises players who just started playing poker. Most people outside of poker think it’s a game of luck. You’re either dealt a great hand or a terrible hand. And the player who’s dealt the best hand always wins.

Luckily, poker is much more complex than that. After all, it’s no coincidence that the same handful of players always end up at the final table.

The different aspects of poker strategy

There are of course a bunch of different aspects to a good poker strategy.
In this blog post, I break down some of the most effective aspects of poker strategy.
I plan to dive deep into poker strategy over the coming weeks, with new videos and additional paragraphs and topics for this post.
Let me know if you have any topic in particular you’d like me to talk about.

Together, we’ll create the complete guide to the best poker strategy.
Now, poker of course isn’t just one game, but rather a whole genre of card games. The most widespread version of poker is called Texas Hold’em, and that’s the genre we’ll talk about throughout this blogpost.

How to bluff in poker

A pair of aces or a royal flush doesn’t come around too often in Texas Hold’em. Most hands you’re dealt are just ok or straight up bad. This means you can’t just fold every bad hand, and go all in when you hit a monster hand.

This is simply too easy to read, and your opponent will catch on to this poker strategy.
This is why we ‘bluff’.

Bluffing is when you ‘lie’ and pretend to have a great hand, in an effort to have your opponents fold their otherwise better hand. Bluffing is a great tool in your poker strategy, since it allows you to win some pots even with weak hands and also keeps your opponents guessing.

Poker betting strategy

Betting is obviously a core aspect of poker – and probably what most people think of, when they think poker. Shoving that pile of chips into the pot. But poker betting is actually a science and one of the absolute most important aspects of poker strategy.

Betting is usually divided into two different kinds of bets. A blocking bet and a value bet.

Blocking bets are a mind game.
Sometimes, you’re dealt a hand that could turn into something, with the right community cards. So you may want to see a flop or a turn. In this case, you want the price of further participation to stay low – so you can’t have other players betting heavily. So we place what’s called a blocking bet. A small bet, designed to tell other players that you may have something – keeping them from placing huge bets of their own. Allowing you to see more cards without too much investment.
If done right, a blocking bet can actually control the action of other players and keep the game right where you want it.

Value Bets are essentially the opposite of bluffing in poker, since this time you actually want the other players to call or, even better, raise. Let’s say you’re dealt a great hand, like pocket aces or that you hit a flush from the flop.
In this case, you’re on track to win the hand.

So, naturally, you want to build the pot and raise your imminent prize. But you can’t just go all in at this stage, since this would most likely scare off opponents and have them fold – leaving you with just the blinds and some change in the pot. Not a great win.
In this case we place a value bet – a small bet, nudging opponents to either call, or even better, raise. This means they are still in the game, betting chips, and driving up the pot for you, thinking it’s all their idea and that they are in charge. Quite genius.

Table position in poker

You may not know it, but the way you’re all seated around the poker table has a big impact on the game. More specifically, in what order you get to act your turn in a round.

Every round of poker of course has a dealer, a small blind and a big blind. As we all know, the small and big blind are required to place a bet upfront – so the first player to act freely is the player sitting after the big blind. This is usually thought of as the worst position to be in, since you haven’t seen anything from your opponents. You have to just act from your cards alone.

The later your position, the better. Since you get to see more players act before you – giving you an idea of what they may have.
The best position to be in is the dealer, also known as ‘the button’. In this position you get to act third last in the first round, and last for every round after that.

In general, the later your position the wider range of starting hands you should play.
We’ve made a video and a seperate blogpost that goes into greater detail about what starting hands we would recommend you to play in what position.

Position in poker may not sound like a big deal, but skilled players know what an important aspect of poker strategy it really is.

Poker limp

Limping in poker is often referred to as the most common beginner mistake.
Poker is about confidence, and in most cases it’s advised to either bet or fold. When someone tries to just check or call, this is seen as a weak attempt of limping one’s way into seeing more community cards. It’s especially obvious when someone bet preflop but then decide to just check post flop.

If skilled players catch you doing this, they will turn up the heat and put some pressure on you with big bets.
If you have good cards, raise.
If you have bad cards, fold.
Don’t limp.

Private table poker app

The best way to get good at poker is really just to play a lot. We’ve created the free EasyPoker app that works like a physical poker set – and we believe it’s the best poker app for friends.

Whether you’re sitting together or playing apart from separate locations, EasyPoker gives you that feeling of a good old physical poker night. The app handles everything for you, so all you have to do is just play your cards and focus on your poker strategy.

It really is the easiest way to play poker with friends, plus it’s free. Give it a try.

More poker strategy

We’re constantly adding new and exciting content to our library, and if you have something particular you’d like us to dive into, let me know in the comments.
Here are a couple of other blog posts you may find interesting.

5 Tips to Win Poker

If you’re new to the game but want to win poker, this is the place for you.
I’ve been playing poker for some time now, and I’ve noticed how 5 tips changed my game dramatically – and took me from poker beginner to poker pro.

They aren’t complicated, in fact you probably practice some of them without even thinking about it – but being conscious about it will instantly improve your poker skills.

I’ve made a short video that quickly explains the 5 tips to win poker, but this page continues underneath the video with a more in depth explanation, a lot more detail and more of my videos to further explain each tip.

How to win poker

Easy tips to win poker

There’s no right or wrong way to play poker. There’s not one method that will guarantee success. But there are ways and means for you to maximize your chance of winning.
There are good habits, and bad habits. Situations to avoid and situations to seek.

And there are those who have the knowledge to exploit them. These five poker tips will make a huge and instant change to your game, and show you how to win poker.
Let’s get into it.

1. Know your starting hands

One of the most common beginner mistakes in poker is to see too many flops.
New players are curious to see what the flop will make of their hand, and so they end up throwing chips after a hand that was never going anywhere. This may not sound like too big a deal, but if you constantly waste your chips hoping for a magic flop, you’ll quickly see your stack go down. Advanced players know what starting hands to throw away so as to not waste chips, allowing them to trust their math and go big when needed.

Great players immediately access their starting hand after being dealt their two cards, and they know what to look for. What gives a hand potential, and what cards should just be thrown away?

There’s a science behind this.
I’ve made an in depth video about starting hands, in case you want to get into more detail and see some examples of what starting hands to play and what to throw away.

If not, I’ll outline the basics underneath.

Basically, paired starting hands are best. Like two kings.
After that, we look for ‘high card value’. Cards of high value, like an ace or a queen, have good potential for high pairs from the board.
We then look for ‘suitedness’, meaning cards of the same suit – like hearts.
This is because a suited starting hand has potential for a flush from the community cards.
Lastly, we look for ‘connectedness’, meaning cards that are close to each other in rank.
Cards that are close to each other, like a 9 and a 10, have potential for a straight. Cards when a larger gap has less potential, and cards that are 5 ranks apart are terrible.

What starting hands to act on very much depends on your position. Another main pillar of poker strategy. So let’s have a look at tip number 2 in how to win poker.

2. Beware of position

Position is one of those things that no new player thinks about, but when told about it you go “Oh”. But it’s actually pretty simple. ‘Position in poker’ refers to the way players are seated at the table – more specifically, in what order they get to act.

As you probably know, every round of poker has a dealer, a small blind and a big blind. Since the small- and big blind are forced to bet an amount, the first player to act freely is the player sitting after the big blind. This is the worst position to be in, since you have to act your turn without having seen anything from your opponents.
You have no intel to go from. Just your own cards.
The later your position, the better. Since you get to see other players act first.

The dealer is considered the best position, since you get to act third last for the first round and last in every round after that. Like the role of dealer, small blind and big blind, your position of course changes clockwise after every round.

Position and starting hand strategy is very much related, and the later your position, the wider range of starting hands we should play.
For more on position, and an in depth view at what hands to play in what positions, see this video or our blog post on the subject.

3. Know how to bluff

Bluffing is easily the most recognizable and famous tool in the toolbox of poker strategy. Made famous by TV and movies. And it is a great tool, although the frequency of which players bluff in movies is very much exaggerated.

The perfect hand doesn’t come around too often in Texas Hold’em. This means you can’t just fold every bad hand and go all in on every good hand. That’s too easy to read.

Bluffing is a great way to win some chips even with terrible cards and keep your opponents guessing. Whether you’re doing a semi bluff or a pure bluff, you should always keep your opponent in mind.
And it’s one of the secrets of how to win poker.

Limit your bluffing to when you’re up against one or two players. It’s easier to bluff a few players than a whole table.
Likewise, you should focus your bluff to times when your opponents seem hesitant or are low on chips. Weak players probably won’t not have the guts to call you out.

Lastly, it’s important to consider your opponents playing style. It’s a lot safer to bluff against a player with a tight playing style than against a loose cannon, who might randomly call your bluff.

And of course, most important of all, if you’re bluffing, the last thing you want is to go into a showdown with your weak hand. Finish the job before that, and force your opponents to fold.

For more info and example of how to bluff in poker, check this video or our designated blog post on the subject. Now you know how to win with a bad hand – but what do we do when a great hand comes along? Let’s look at betting.

4. Know how to bet

Knowing how to make the most of a great hand is absolutely crucial if you want to win poker. If you’re dealt a great hand, like two aces, you can’t have everyone fold before the flop and leave you with just the blinds. You need to make the most of your hand. This takes a good betting strategy.

Betting in poker is usually divided into two different categories; a blocking bet and a value bet.

A blocking bet is designed to control the pot. By placing a small bet, you get inside your opponent’s head and stop them from making a larger bet. Since just the fact that you made a bet makes them more cautious and less aggressive. They’ll most likely call.

That way you get to set the price for further participation – allowing you to see another round without too much investment. Quite genius.

Now, let’s say you’re dealt a great starting hand – like a pair of aces.
This is the best starting hand in poker and you’d be pretty likely to win.
When you have a great hand, it’s important to make the most of it – you want a massive pot to win.

But, if you try to build a pot by instantly raising by a lot, other players might be scared off and fold their cards – leaving you with just the blinds and some change. Not quite the massive win you were hoping for.

This is when we place what’s called a value bet.
A value bet is designed to build the pot, but to do it in such a manner that opponents won’t be scared off. You place small bets, big enough to drive up the pot but just small enough to not scare off opponents.

A value bet is essentially the opposite of bluffing, since this time you actually want other players to call or even raise your bet. You want them to think that building the pot is their idea, and that they’re in charge. Essentially doing your dirty work and digging their own grave. It’s actually quite evil – but oh so effective to win poker.

5. Don’t limp

Limping is perhaps the most common beginner mistake in poker. And easy for more advanced players to spot and pounce on.

Limping basically means to ‘hesitate’ or show a lack of faith in your cards when it’s your turn. This is typically when a player tries to just check or call instead of making a decision.

If you want to win poker, you have to play with conviction. Therefore, it’s best to either raise or fold – checking and calling usually isn’t a good idea.
If you have good cards; raise.
If you have bad cards; fold.
It’s that easy.

Limping is very obvious when players try to check after the flop or, even worse, after the turn. Especially if they start aggressive and bet pre flop but then suddenly show a limp the next round. It could be that they have great cards and are trying to play it slow – but most likely, they just didn’t hit anything on the board and try to limp their way into seeing if the next community card will make something of their hand.
Don’t limp – play with conviction.

Best poker app for friends

If you and your friends are new to poker and just want to have some fun, you should consider downloading our free EasyPoker app. It doesn’t ask for a credit card, has no gambling and you only play against friends. The best app for poker nights with friends.

The app takes care of everything, so all you guys have to do is just play your cards.
Perfect, whether you guys are physically sitting together or playing online from separate locations.
And it’s free, so you have nothing to lose.

More tips to win poker

Knowing just a little poker strategy goes a long way and you’ll be amazed how even just small tips will make a huge and instant difference to your game – making you stand out from the crowd. As mentioned in these tips, knowing how to bet and how to bluff is really the most important part of poker strategy. It’s the salt and pepper of poker.

Lucky for you, we’ve made complete beginner’s guides to both.

Have a look 👇👀

Poker Betting

Want to understand poker betting?
You’ve come to the right place.

We all know that poker is about betting and, hopefully, winning poker chips.
But what is the best strategy for betting in poker, and how do you make the most of a good hand?

It’s important to know how to bet in poker, and if it’s done right, your poker betting strategy can actually control the choices other players make.
Let’s take a look.

If you’d rather watch a video than read a blogpost, here’s a video I made about how to bet in poker.
This blog will continue beneath the video, and go into further detail of how you can make the most of your poker betting.

Poker betting

What is poker betting?

Starting off small here. More advanced players might wanna skip this paragraph.

‘Poker’ is not just one game, but rather a whole genre of games. The most popular version of poker is called ‘Texas Hold’em’, made popular by film and TV.

In Texas Hold’em, all players are dealt two cards for them to see but keep a secret.
You then bet on whether your cards are the best. This is called poker betting.

Betting is the main aspect of playing poker and most people probably think of chips being pushed into the middle of a table when thinking of poker. It’s easily the most recognizable aspect of the game.

It’s also crucial to master if you want to win, so taking the time to understand poker betting and finding the best poker betting strategy will help you a lot.

Let’s get into it.

Reasons to bet in poker

Betting your chips is how you win new chips. You gotta risk it to get the biscuit.
If you try to just cruise through a game of poker without really betting, you’ll just be bleeding chips from the blinds and eventually run out.

But, you know what they say, sometimes the best defense is a great offense.
The same is true in poker, and as we’re about to see, betting can even be used to control other players and have them play less aggressively.

There are generally two reasons to bet in poker; to control the pot with a blocking bet or to build the pot with a value bet.

Blocking bet

You can actually guide the choices of your opponent and control the pot by betting.
Sometimes, you’re dealt a hand that might not be great but could turn into something with the right community cards. This means you may want to see a flop or a turn before making the final decision.
But, if you just check or call here, players sitting after you, who feel pretty good about their own cards, might place a large bet. Making it expensive for you to see a flop or turn.
This is when we place what’s called a blocking bet.

This is a small bet, often around a quarter of the pot, designed to have a physiological effect on your opponents. Although small, this bet shows initiative and will most likely make your opponents think twice before making too large of a bet up front. Allowing you to see more cards without too big an investment.

Value bet

Alright, but what do you do, when an actual amazing hand comes along? Like when you’re dealt a pair of aces. This is the strongest starting hand in Texas Hold’em and will most likely win the round. So how do you play a great hand like that?

You of course want to make the most of the hand and try to get a lot of chips in the pot for you to win. But you can’t just go all in right away – that will scare off your opponents causing them to fold and leaving you just the blinds to win. A great hand wasted.

This is when we use what’s called a value bet. It’s called that, because it aims to increase the value of the pot – without scaring your opponents. Let’s dive into it.

The opposite of betting in poker

Value betting is a form of poker betting that’s essentially the opposite of bluffing in poker, since this time you actually want the other players to call – or better yet, raise. Bluffing in poker is designed to scare off opponents with a bold and aggressive play, forcing them to fold their otherwise superior hand. But when poker betting, we not only want them to follow along, but ideally have them think it was all their idea and that they are very much on top of the situation.
It’s quite cold, when you think about it. But very effective.

How to value bet

You of course want your value bet to be big enough to grow the pot, but not too big for others to follow. The ideal value for a value bet actually varies, and depends on three things. The strength of your hand, the board and your opponent’s playing style.

The strength of your hand

If the flop gives you a monster hand like a full house or a flush, you’re probably well on your way to win the round. In this case, your goal should be to get as many players to continue as possible. Take your time, and don’t be afraid to ‘slow play’.
If, on the other hand, you get a hand that’s good but not great, like top pairs from the flop you may want to be a little more aggressive with your betting. Although your hand is probably strongest at the moment, future community cards could turn the ties and give your opponents an even stronger hand.

The board

The 5 community cards, commonly referred to as ‘the board’ can flip a round on its head, turning an otherwise great hand into nothing. So you need to always be aware of your hand.
Let’s say you’re dealt a queen of spades and a queen of diamonds, and the flop comes 2, Q, 6 – all hearts.

You now have a really strong starting hand, that became three of a kind on the flop. But, since the community cards are all hearts, the risk of an opponent developing a flush is high – and that would render your three queens useless.

You need to watch out for boards that have cards of the same suit, connectedness or high value, since these could give your opponents strong hands. These kinds of boards are commonly referred to as ‘wet boards’, and in this case you’ll want to play aggressively, getting your opponents to fold and securing you the pot before others make a great hand.

But, if the board is ‘dry’, meaning low value cards of different suits and no real connectedness, your pair of queens is still looking strong – and you can take your time.

Opponent’s playing style

The last thing to consider when poker betting a great hand is your opponent’s playing style. If you’re playing against what we call a ‘tight player’, someone who doesn’t like to bet or bluff, you’ll probably be best off playing it slow. So you don’t scare them away.

But, if you’re playing against a more loose/aggressive player, who likes to raise, bluff and see many flops, you may want to be more aggressive, in an effort to challenge them and have them pile chips to the pot.

Digital poker set

Now that you know the basic strategy of poker betting, you should try our free EasyPoker app. It’s a digital version of the physical poker set you know and love – but this poker set is always with you and fits right into your pocket.

We don’t facilitate gambling, and you only play against your friends – so it’s really the perfect poker app for friends to practice their poker skills.

It’s meant for physical poker nights, but with features like our built in voice chat, it works great for digital poker nights as well.

You should try it – it’s free.

More poker betting & bluffing

Now that you know how to use poker betting to either control or build the pot, your game will instantly improve. But you can also use betting to bluff in poker, allowing you to win hands even with weak cards. Bluffing in poker is perhaps the biggest difference between good and great players, and we’ve got the blogs and videos to teach you both how to bluff in poker – and how to spot when someone is bluffing.

Let’s have a look 👇👀

Poker Rules

Understanding poker rules is of course crucial if you’re trying to get a game going.
Poker is easy to learn yet hard to master – but there’s no reason to over complicate things when explaining poker rules.

This blog will tell you everything you need to know and I’ve even created a 4 minute video, so you don’t have to read unless you want to dive deeper. The video is a part of a 6 video series teaching you poker strategy, but you only need to see the first one to understand poker rules.

Let’s get started.

Poker Rules

Texas Hold’em Poker Rules

Now ‘poker’ is actually not just one game, but a whole genre of card games.
But Texas Hold’em is by far the most popular one, and probably the one that brought you here after watching Casino Royale’ playing Red Dead Redemption or binging Kakegurui.
All great reasons, by the way.

Texas Hold’em Poker is usually played by 2-12 players who all sit down at a table.

You then choose who’s going to be the ‘dealer’ for the first round. This role usually just passed clockwise after every round.
But how do you decide who gets to be the first dealer?

Who is the first dealer in a game of poker?

This is usually decided by ‘dealing to the first ace’. So, one of you picks up the deck of cards, and starts dealing a card to each player, for everyone to see. The first person to be dealt an ace will have the honor of being the first dealer of the game. This is not a part of the official poker rules, but it’s how most home games do it.

Being the dealer of a round is usually considered a positive thing, since this means you get to act last – after watching all other players act their turn. More on this in our blog about playing poker in position.

Basic Poker Rules

After shuffling the deck, the dealer serves all players two cards, heads down.
You see your own cards, but keep them a secret.
The very essence of poker is that you then bet on whether your hand is the best, or not.
The order in which players have to act moves clockwise around the table.

Have a bad feeling about your hand? Fold.
Feel good about your cards? Bet. How much is up to you.

Players who fold their hand, give up their cards and sit the rest of the round out.
If someone makes a bet, they automatically up the cost of further participation in the round. Meaning all following players need to match that bet to stay in a round.

Once every player has made the choice to bet or fold, the chips are gathered in what we call the pot.
The aggregated prize for winning the round.

To ensure every hand in poker always has something to play for, we have the two roles of small and big blind.

Small and Big Blind

What does small and big blind mean? Don’t worry, although this is often the part of poker rules that confuses beginners the most, it’s actually pretty simple.

The person sitting after the dealer is small blind and the person after that is the round’s big blind. Just as the role of dealer, small and big blinds change clockwise after every round. The small and big blind are required to bet a predetermined, often small amount. Like 10 and 20. Big blind is always double the small blind.

Blinds are there to make sure every round of poker matters, and that there is always something to be won.

Other than that, it works as a gentle ‘push’ for players who haven’t got the nerve to bet.

What are community cards?

Alright, so we now know that the essence of poker rules is to be dealt two cards and then bet on whether your cards are the best at the table.
But, as you might imagine, this becomes pretty boring and predictable. Like, if you’re dealt a pair of aces, you’d be sure to win.

This is why, in a full round of poker, another 5 cards are drawn from the deck and placed on the table, face up, for everyone to see. These are called community cards, and they are the part of the game that makes poker unpredictable.

At the end of a poker round, your final ‘poker hand’ will consist of the best 5 card combination of the two cards in your hand and the 5 cards on the table.

The cards in your hand are for you to use only, but every player in the round can mix their cards with the community cards – and yes, multiple players can of course use them at the same time. In some rare cases, your final poker hand of the round doesn’t even include the two cards you’re holding in your hand, if the community cards have a straight for instance.

But, to keep the possibility of twists and turns, not all community cards are drawn and placed at the same time. It goes flop, turn and river.

What is the flop?

After all players have made their initial choice of betting or folding, the chips are gathered in the pot and this is when 3 of the 5 community cards are drawn and placed on the table.
These first 3 community cards are called ‘the flop’.

After the flop, another round takes place, where players again get to either bet, fold or check. Checking means you’d like to proceed without betting and is only possible if no one before you has betted in this round. If any remaining player makes a bet, all players have to either match that or give up their cards.
So if I check, but the guy after me makes a bet, I then have to make a choice to follow or fold before the round can continue.

The small and big blinds are not forced to bet any amount after the flop – that is only for the first round of a hand.

What is the turn?

When all remaining players have made their choices, assuming 2 or more players are still in the round, another community card is drawn from the deck and placed by the other 3.
This one is called ‘the turn’.

Exactly same procedure as after the flop was turned.
Remaining players get to check, bet or fold, before a fifth and final community card is drawn.

What is the river?

The river is the fifth and final community card, and all players now know what 5 cards make up their final hand. A last round of checking, betting and/or folding follows.
After that, we get to see who wins, when all remaining players have to show their cards in what we call ‘the showdown’.

Showdown in poker

When the last actions have been made in a round of poker, players lay down their 2 cards and show the rest of the players what they’ve got.
You can really do it in whatever order you wish, but according to the official poker rules, the showdown follows the same order as the round has.

The player with the best 5 card combination of the 2 cards in their hand and the 5 cards on the table, wins the round and collects all the chips in the pot. If two or more players have the exact same hand, they split the pot evenly.

In this case we win because we have a pair of aces + a king, a jack and a ten.

What are the different poker hands?

There are 10 different kinds of ‘poker hands’ to have.
Here is a video explaining what beats what – also described in this blogpost.

A digital poker set

If you and your friends are new to poker, and just want to play and learn – I recommend using our free EasyPoker app.
It’s designed to take care of your poker night, so you don’t need chips, cards or even a table.
The app takes care of everything.

It’s free, simle to understand, has no gambling and you only play with friends you know.

Perfect for poker with friends.

More Poker Rules & content

So, now you know your poker rules and are ready to play some poker with friends.

Ready for ‘all in’, ‘pocket aces’ and ‘flipping the nuts’. But what does all of this even mean?
Prepare for your next poker night by reading up on some poker lingo.

Or if you’d like, you can brush up on how to tell if someone is bluffing. Should come in handy.

How to Bluff

Want to learn how to bluff in poker?
You’ve come to the right place.

Alright, so you’ve been playing poker for a while now and feel like you’re beginning to understand the game. Aces are good, a flush beats a straight – and the player who’s dealt the best cards always wins – right?
Thankfully, no.

Because poker is a game played in the mind as much as on the table – and great players know how to get a quick win from terrible cards, by tricking their opponents into folding an otherwise great hand.

It’s time we talk ‘bluffing’ – and, oh boy, is it going to make a difference.

If you prefer watching over reading, we’ve made an entire video explaining how to bluff in poker. This blog post continues beneath the video.

Why Bluff?

Alright, so, the perfect hand doesn’t come around too often when playing Texas Hold’em.
This means you can’t just go all in when you’re dealt a monster hand, and fold every time you get a bad hand. This would be too easy for your opponents to read.

This is why the best poker players switch up their play, and sometimes try to trick their opponents into misreading them.

This effort of misleading is what we call bluffing and, if done right, it will keep your opponent guessing, never getting an actual read on your game.
Allowing you to win pots with a terrible hand. So it’s important to know how to bluff.

Now, bluffing is usually divided into two different kinds of bluffs, called a ‘pure bluff’ and a ‘semi bluff’.

What is a pure bluff?

A pure bluff is when you’re dealt a terrible hand but choose to play it very aggressively in an effort to convince the other players that you have a great hand. To scare them into folding their otherwise superior hand.

Like if you’re dealt a hand of 7 2 off suit. This is the worst hand in Texas Hold’em poker, and would normally always lose. But, let’s say you’re big blind and therefore already somewhat invested in the round. Raising here might get everyone else to fold, and so not only would you not use your big blind, but also steal a nice little pot.

A pure bluff is of course extremely risky, and is therefore often referred to as a ‘stone cold bluff’. But, getting a quick win with a terrible hand can help you a lot – and will keep your opponents guessing.

What is a semi bluff?

Less risky, is the semi bluff.
This is when you’re dealt cards that aren’t good, but could turn into something if the community cards hit just right. A hand like 7 8 suited. This of course isn’t a strong hand, but it is suited connectors, so you have a decent chance of hitting either a straight or a flush in combination with the community cards.

A semi bluff is when you have cards that aren’t great, but could turn into something.
Like 8 9 suited. This isn’t a strong hand, but since they are suited connectors, you have a decent chance of hitting a flush or a straight from the community cards.

A semi bluff is of course a lot less risky than a pure bluff, and for that reason, it’s usually performed a bit less aggressively.

When to bluff

Now, when you bluff should of course vary. Never be easy to read.
But, 3 factors should help you pick the optimal time to bluff.

1) Number of opponents
The more players in the hand, the more people have to buy your bluff.
It is always going to be easier to convince one or two players, than a whole table.
You’ll want to limit your bluffing to when you’re up against one or two players.

2) Strength of opponents
Players who are low on chips or who try just calling instead of raising, might not have the courage to call your bluff. But the chip leader probably will.
Consider your opponent’s situation, and make sure you don’t challenge a hard ball.

3) Your opponent’s playing style
All players are different, and you should always consider your opponent when choosing a strategy in poker. Players who call and fold a lot are referred to as ‘tight players’, and other players who bluff and raise a lot in are often called loose or aggressive.
It might be more prudent to bluff against a player with a tight playing style, than a loose cannon who might suddenly call your bluff.

When you bluff

So, you’ve found the perfect hand to bluff – now, how do you actually convince your opponent? He or she is probably looking for tells to spot your bluff, and you’ll want to use every trick in the book to hide it.

Luckily, we have some rules of thumb that will help you do that.Namely ‘representing a hand’ and the ‘continuation bet’. Let’s have a look.

Representing a hand

You need to always be aware of the game’s development.
Keep the community cards in mind, and act accordingly. If you’re bluffing hitting a pair of aces on the flop, and the turn shows another ace, you need to double down on your first bet – since you’re now bluffing having 3 aces. When fully committing to a bluff, forget your actual hand and act like you have the hand you’re trying to convince them.

Otherwise, good players will easily spot your bluff and lure you into a trap.

C-bet (continuation bet)

In for a penny, in for a pound.
If you’ve made a bet pre-flop you need to keep betting after the flop, whether the community cards have given you anything or not. The last thing you want is for someone to follow an initial bet and then just ride it out from there to the showdown.
You have to be more aggressive, and keep betting.
A C-bet shows confidence and initiative. Without it, your opponent will easily be able to spot that your initial bet was just a bluff.

🚨 Most important rule of how to bluff 🚨

Remember, if you’re bluffing, you need to make all opponents fold.
The last thing you want is to end up in an awkward showdown with your terrible hand and a bunch of chips invested. Finish the job before that, and get your opponent to tap out.

Practice how to bluff

So there you go. Now you know when and how to bluff. If done correctly, this will make a huge difference to your game, by allowing you to win pots even when dealt terrible cards.

To practice your skills, I recommend downloading our free EasyPoker app.
It’s a digital version of a physical poker set – perfect for poker with friends!

Discover: Voice Chat

Human interaction is ever so important. This has become even more clear after the international pandemic closed down for almost all social activities. For EasyPoker this ment we needed to “pivot” to host online poker nights instead of live poker games.

Spoiler: we added Voice Chat to EasyPoker. Check out how to add Voice Chat to your next digital poker game in the video.

Pivot to online focus

In order to make the switch successful we needed to make some critical changes to the app infrastructure and interface. And big changes can give big issues. Especially when users really liked our current interface because of its ease of use and simplicity.

Voice over video

We love video. It’s a great medium and I personally love YouTube (check out our channel). So we were obviously thinking about adding video chat to our platform. This would take a lot of time to programme, a lot of effort to update the UI – and be really expensive to host.

And as you might know, EasyPoker is bootstrapped – meaning we finance everything out of our own pocket. So before making the switch we really needed to make sure it was the right move. We did this by playing around on HouseParty and similar apps – and we learned a very important thing.

People hate video chat…

…Well hate might be a strong word but hear me out. Video chat was cool the first couple of times, but after some time we always ended up just leaving the phone on to record the ceiling or the top of the heads.

Not the cool “immersive” experience we were aiming for… People just seem to have had enough of zoom meetings and video chats.

Why Choose Voice Chat?

Voice chat really seems to be the big winner. We don’t need to rebuild the whole interface and get cribbled by its limitations for something that currently seems like a cool “gimmick” (and I might be wrong).

By adding voice chat our players can interact, without compromising the poker experience on the platform. EasyPoker delivers a clean live mixed audio, that will allow you to easily connect with friends through poker.

Check out the app for Android and iPhone. Or use the download buttons below.

Virtual Christmas Games

The Christmas holiday is just around the corner. Friends and family will gather and need virtual Christmas games to keep the spirit going. We have picked our favourite games to play during Christmas. Here are our top five of virtual christmas games to play at home.

Virtual Christmas Games ideas

There are certain benefits to virtual games. They are easy to access, always with you and also germ-free. Virtual games can give us new ways to play old and beloved games. We have chosen five games that do just that. Virtual Christmas games that focus on being together with friends and family – without the restrains of a physical game. The virtual games are meant to be played at the same location, but most of them, can also function as online games. It is plan A and B – all in one package.

5. Virtual christmas quiz

A good way to have fun is by making a christmas quiz. It can be about whatever you want. You can either do it by making the questions yourself or by making all your friends/ or family answer a couple of questions. For example: What is your favorite/ least favorite christmas song; How do you celebrate christmas; When did you last believe in santa.

The goal of making a quiz is to make it relevant and fun for everybody. It does not have to be long, but long enough to make it a social activity.

You can use kahoot to make a free quiz (The first 25 questions are free). It is super fun and easy to make. Everyone can join in on their phone. You can either play it at the christmas dinner or online. You can share your screen if everybody is far from each other. This way everyone can see the results and have a jolly good time – even apart.

Tip: You can even upload pictures. This is a cool way to make the quiz more personal for the player. Message your friends and family in advance, so you have time to make a great quiz.

4. Virtual charades

You can play charades in many forms, you can even do it virtual. Make a virtual chat room, so that everyone can see each other. Take turns to make the charades. You can each make up some different words/ characters that the other players have to guess. If you want to spice it up, then you do it via. Snapchat and use snapchat- filters while maintaining your charade.

You can also play draw and guess

The main point of this game, is to draw the word/ character instead. Facebook, as well as other services, have the opportunity to draw a virtual picture, so if you are not in the same room, you can still maintain the fun activity of playing draw and guess.

If you mix both virtual charades with draw and guess, you have an evening full of fun and surprises. When it comes to virtual christmas games, charades is a match made in heaven.

3. Virtual poker

Poker is a great game at gatherings with friends and family. You can easily talk while playing and feel connected with the other players. It is not always about winning, but more the feeling of playing a game with your friends. You can play virtual poker by getting the EasyPoker app. It is free and you can play it at the christmas party, but also on the way there. It facilitates poker, so you can focus on calling someones bluff.

If you want to, you can use christmas candy/ or gifted presents as ‘chips’ and play a poker tournament with a christmas theme. You could also have a present ready for the winner of the tournament. Easypoker is made for players by players, so you can easily make it your ‘own’ by introducing your own elements into the game.

If you dress as Santa or santas helper, it might even help your bluffing. Nevertheless, poker is a great way to maintain social and active while on a digital device.

2. Virtual Sing Along

Okay song birds. Your time is up. Virtual Sing Along is a great way to perform “Last Christmas” by Wham, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey or the depressingly funny “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues. You can do it virtually by someone choosing an instrumental version of a track. It is free, fun and will bring out the christmas spirit in everyone – no talent needed.

You can play it at the party or share a screen and Sing Along from home.

1. The play with presents (requires gifted presents)

The ‘play with presents’ is a fun and thrilling game that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is the FIFA equivalent of christmas games that will ignite any christmas dinner.

The main purpose of the game is to steal as many presents as possible, before the clock runs out.

Before you begin, you will need the following:

1. An app that facilitates a virtual dice (or two depending on how many are playing).

2. 1-2 gifted presents per player. The presents do not have to be expensive. Sometimes cheap presents are more fun.

This is how you play:
The game consists of two rounds. In the first round every gifted present is placed in the middle of the table. All players are seated around the table. To get a present you need to ‘roll’ six with the dice. You can grab whatever present you want as long as it is not already taken. The dice rotates clockwise until all presents are gone. Consider introducing more ‘dices’ if you are more than 4 players. When all presents are gone, you move on to the second and final round.

In the second round a game master starts by starting a clock. They are the only ones to know for how long the round takes(estimate a time frame between 5 – 15 minutes max.). In this round you are able to steal from the other players. To steal a present for yourself, you still have to roll six. BUT if you roll one, you have to steal a present and give it to someone else. When the time runs out, you get to keep your presents. If you got any. Let the game begin and have fun with it.

Want to share your favourite ACTIVITY?

Please tell us if you have any virtual christmas games. We would be more than happy to add them to our list. The more the merrier. Write in the comments below and help keep us updated on the best virtual games to play at home.

Until then, take a game of virtual poker. It’s free, it’s fun and you can get it here.

Merry Christmas.

WANT MORE POKER CONTENT?

We’re constantly adding new blogs about all things poker. You can find them all on our blog.

If you have a suggestion for a story you would like to read, or something to add to this one, let us know in the comments below. Thank you.

Top Danish Poker Players

There is a lovely country. It is called Denmark. It is small, but it has had an historical impact of size and matter. Once the danes ruled the seas as vikings and in the year of 92, they won the European Championship in football. The danes have also proved themselves in something else. Poker. In this article we celebrate some of the four most influential danish players and the achievements.

Peter Nicolas Eastgate

Fortune favors the bold – and young. Peter was only 22 years old when he won the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion. It made him the youngest poker player to have ever won the World Series. He beat Pro Phil Hellmuth’s 19 year old record. Phil won at the age of 24.
Peter learned to play the game with his friends and had only played professional 2 years, prior to his major win. He took home an astounding amount of $9.152.415. Peter held the record one year until 21 year old Joe Cada won the very next year.

Peter used his winning as any other 22 year old would. On having a good old jolly time with his girlfriend in Las Vegas. He admits that he did not do much to promote the game following his major win. Nevertheless. His win made history and threw Phil of the mantle. A new and young generation had arrived and it started with Peter.

Jan Vang Sørensen

As a former professional football player, this guy craves to win. Jan spent his early career as a footballer in the best football league in Denmark. A knee injury ended his career. He transferred his competitive ability to poker and stands tall as the dane with most won bracelets.

Jan won The World Series of Poker with PL Omaha in 2002 and 7 Card Stud in 2005. He began playing poker in the mid 70’s, so he has a long standing history with different iterations of the game. His favourite is 7 Cards. Jan is a fighter and a true testament to hard work, ability and dedication.

When reaching the final table, Jan never relied on mathematics. He always went with playing what he could see. The stakes, the cards, the players. He had at an interview in 2007 played roughly 50 final tables. Needless to say. He knows what he is talking about. His best live earnings is at an $800,972.He seems not to have been active in poker since 2013 when he attended The No Limit Hold’em – Main Event in Copenhagen and finished 12th.

Mads Mikkelsen “Le Chiffre”

There are benefits of playing the part of the most despicable poker player in the world. Renowned danish actor took on the role of “Le Chiffre” opposite Daniel Craig’s depiction of “James Bond”. Mads Mikkelsen contributed to unfold the intensity of high stakes poker on the big screen. Sure, he might have had to break some balls (literally) getting there. There is no denying that the movie “Casino Royale” succeeded in using poker as the primary drive of the story. Each hand made it all more hard to watch.

Casino-royale_mads-mikkelsen_danish-poker-player

The movie was released in 2006 and made $606,1 million in box office earnings. Sadly, 2006 was also when the poker boom was near its end. If it had to finish on a high note, Casino Royale and Le Chiffre did it justice. Just not enough to keep the boom booming.

Mads Mikkelsen was because of the storyline coached in playing the game. He took home his newfound knowledge and used it to win money from his friends. They were not so happy. He was.

A fun fact. Mads Mikkelsen appeared in a danish mockumentary called “Pokerface”(Danish: Pokerfjæs) playing ‘himself’ in a tour de force of five friends’ failure of trying to make it big with poker in the U.S.

If you are interested and want to read about other great poker movies, please check out our blog about: Poker movies you need to watch.

Gus Hansen “The Great Dane”

He is known as “The Great Dane”, but feared as “The Madman”. Gus is furious at the poker table. His way of playing is aggressive and sometimes bonkers. Nevertheless, Gus’ fearless personality has made him a force to be reckoned with. In the slipstream of televised poker tournaments and the poker boom, Gus became a great character and ambassador for the intensity of the game. Suddenly poker players became celebrities.

Whether Gus Hansen was cherished, loved, hated or feared, he was most of all respected. His influence was widespread. In Denmark he was a national hero and equal to Denmark’s celebrities. On the international scene of poker Gus was a superstar. Everybody knew him. A great ambassador for the mainstream perception of poker and further development of the popular game.

Just like Ikaros, Gus Hansen flew too high and got burned. His aggressive style of poker came with certain downsides. Gus has ended up losing more than he could afford. Millions of dollars in loosings have temporarily ended his once winning spree. At least he has a bracelet to show for it. In 2010 he won his first and only WSOP by winning the High-Roller No-Limit Hold’em Heads up Championship at WSOP Europe in london. He ended up bringing home $451,880.

Even if he is not as he once was, he is still remembered as dane who has had the most influence in promoting poker in Denmark. A true gambler and aficionado of our beloved game of poker.

If you want to know more about Gus Hansen, then check out our Poker Player Story about Gus Hansen here.

WANT TO KICKSTART YOUR POKER CAREER?

Test your skills against your friends in a free game of private digital poker? The EasyPoker app provides both chips, cards and an unlimited amount of games – for free. It’s a digital version of a physical poker set that takes care of everything. And so all you have to do is just play your cards. Get the poker app for Android and iPhone.

WANT MORE POKER CONTENT?

We’re constantly adding new blogs about all things poker. You can find them all on our blog.

If you have a suggestion for a story you would like to read, or something to add to this one, let us know in the comments below. Thank you.

Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk – How the Poker Feud Started

It’s no secret that there has been a public feud between the two professional poker players Doug Polk and Daniel Negreanu. Lately the Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk poker feud has reached a high point, as the two players finally agreed to play heads up – something the entire poker community is going crazy over.

25.000 hands, both live and online, will determine the ultimate winner of one of the biggest feuds in poker history. But how did it all start? Settle in and let me explain it.

Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk – The Beginning

The year is 2014 and Daniel Negreanu a.k.a. KidPoker has cemented his place as one of the biggest stars in the history of poker. With his charismatic person and dominance at the live poker tables, Daniel Negreanu can pretty much walk on water at this point.
In August of that year, Negreanu took part in the “One Drop” event and finished second. Not a bad result, but Negreanu is criticized for a key play. No stranger to online criticism, Kid Poker pretty much ignored the comments.

But one guy, cash game pro Daniel Merrilees, went on twitter and wrote “OK fair enough – I applaud your confidence. Do you think you could jump right in now and play a starts 25/50 6max game and win?”

In his usual style of likeable cockiness, Negreanu answered ‘@danielmerrilees haven’t played in ages so would say NO. However I believe it would take two weeks of work and I would be a winner.” And so it began.

A lot of people jumped on this – including Doug Polk, perhaps the biggest star of online cash games at the time, who wrote “I respect what you have done in your career, but it’s naive to think that you can log onto PokerStarts and beat $25/$50.”

This led to a long twitter fight between the two poker giants, and the seed for feud was planted.

More Rake is Better

Negreanu’s over the top confidence and character has often landed him in discussions, but Doug Polk’s massive following on social media made this feud a perfect storm. The two went back and forth at numerous occasions after the twitter incident, but the next big episode happened in early 2016.

For a long time, Negreanu has been sponsored by PokerStarts as the poster child of their brand – always promising to represent player interests. But when the massive poker site got in trouble for rolling back benefits from some of its most loyal players, Negreanu surprised everyone by siding with PokerStars. He went on twitter and argued that the new setup of higher rake would be an overall benefit to the game since it kept pros away.

And he had a point. The world of online poker had certainly become very top-heavy and something needed to be done about it. But even though PokerStars had acted within their legal rights, the entire thing let to a massive shitstorm and Negreanu was caught in the middle, siding against the poker community. And even though he never actually said it, Negreanu’s views were condensed by the poker community to the catchy slogan of ‘More Rake is Better’.

Who is Doug Polk?

Doug Polk was born December 16, 1988 (31 years old). Polk mostly play under the alias WCGRider and specializes in Heads-up No Limit Hold’em.

Doug Polk officially retired from professional poker in September 2018 but kept running his popular YouTube channel with a poker focus.

Tap to read Doug Polk’s full poker story

Two years later, at the time of a big poker tournament in Las Vegas, the long lasting feud between Negreanu and Polk took another turn, when Doug Pol bought a huge billboard outside the event that stated ‘MoreRakeIsBetter.com’. An obvious attack on Negreanu, which caught the attention of the poker community.
Polk also showed up to numerous tournaments wearing t-shirts that said ‘More Rake is Better’ – something that clearly provoked Negreanu and didn’t help their relationship.

Head to head – Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk

No doubt 2020 is a crazy year – and this is also true for Daniek Negreanu. During a live stream, an online troll attacked Negreanu and made some very rude comments about his wife. Negreanu was quick and harsh in this answer, and his stream was swiftly suspended by Twitch. While one certainly understands Negreanu’s reaction, this was probably not a smart move by a guy representing numerous sponsors and the game as a whole.

Amidst all this controversy, Doug Polk saw his opportunity to once again poke the bear.
As he’d done many times before, he went on Twitter and challenged Negreanu to a heads-up. But this time, Kid Poker surprised everyone by accepting.
And so finally, the long lasting feud between two absolute giants of poker seem to be coming to a climax.

The Setup for the Heads-up Poker Game

Negreanu and Polk have agreed to play a total of 25.000 hands – with an option to quit after 12.500 hands. Stakes are $200 and $400. First 200 hands are played live, in-person. All remaining hands are played online on two tables at the same time.

All hands are streamed live either from the PokerGO studio in Las Vegas or on the GGPoker YouTube channel.

Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk live game

The first heads up game was played live in Las Vegas in the PokerGo studio. Here Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk were face to face against each other. Doug Polk is registered for $9,4 million in total live earnings – placing him as the 101st highest earning player at official live games.

Doug Polk is known as the ultimate heads-up wizard in online poker games – so how will he perform against Daniel Negreanu who is notoriously known for his live games? See how it all went down in the video below.

SPOILER WARNING: The result of round 1 was a pretty significant win for Daniel Negreanu. He came out on top with +$116,500 after the forst 200 hands.

Who is Daniel Negreanu?

Negreanu is one of the most well known and successful poker players in modern time. The Canadian was born July 26, 1974 (46 years old) and is known as KidPoker. Daniel is most known for his live games performance where he has won six World Series of Poker Bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles.

Tap to read Daniel Negreanu’s poker story.

Best Friends?

After the first live heads-up event in Las Vegas most viewers and experts were shocked – and not about the tension. The big time feud just all seemed to disappear as the players were face to face. It actually seemed like they really enjoyed each other’s company like two best friends having a good time around the poker table.

via GIPHY

Some viewers have called this an embarrassment as they had expected an aggressive feud – just as we have seen online. But as Daniel Negreanu said about Doug Polk: “He (Polk) has been very tough online like, I’m gonna kill this guy and calling me names – but when you see him in person he is much softer. That’s very typical for most online trolls“. It really seems like it played out exactly as Negreanu had predicted.

Online heads-up – Who will bring home the gold?

The majority of the heads-up game will be played online. Here Doug Polk has the advantage over Daniel, as this is his speciality. First online game was played on 6th of November 2020. Here Negreanu started out great but ended with short stack as Doug Polk made a strong come-back and played well all through the game. See how it all went down following all rounds.

Round 2

SPOILER WARNING
Round 2 was pretty rough on Daniel Negreanu. Luckely for him he did have a big win from round 1. Watch the whole game below.

Hands played: 424
Overall hands: 624
Result: Polk +$218,292

Overall: Doug Polk +$101,792

Round 3

SPOILER WARNING
Round 3 played out well for the online heads-up expert Doug Polk. He continued to win and gain an even bigger lead.

Hands played: 382
Overall hands: 1006
Result: Doug +$166,239

Overall: Doug Polk +$268,031

Round 4

SPOILER WARNING
Negreanu had his first online win after an intense game with some big hands.

Hands played: 366
Overall hands: 1372
Result: Daniel Negreanu +$87,166

Overall: Doug Polk +$180,865

Round 5

SPOILER WARNING
Another big win for Daniel Negreanu. Daniel now takes the overall lead.

Hands played: 365
Overall hands: 1737
Result: Daniel Negreanu +$206,994

Overall: Negreanu +$25,916

Round 6

SPOILER WARNING
Doug Polk fired back and got back his overall lead again.

Hands played: 637
Overall hands: 2374
Result: Polk +$93,542

Overall: Doug Polk +$67,625

Round 7

SPOILER WARNING
Negreanu is back in the lead with biggest win of the feud yet.

Hands played: 591
Overall hands: 2965
Result: Daniel Negreanu +$222,832

Overall: Daniel Negreanu +$155,206

Round 8

SPOILER WARNING
Another session that ends up with Mr. Negreanu in the lead. A lot of big pots in this game.

Hands played: 457
Overall hands: 3422
Result: Daniel Negreanu +$24,156

Overall: Daniel Negreanu +$179,363

Round 9

SPOILER WARNING
Doug Polk gets back in the lead. But just barely by less than one 40k buy-in.

Hands played: 377
Overall hands: 3799
Result: Doug Polk +$205,521

Overall: Doug Polk +$26,158

Round 10

SPOILER WARNING
The longest Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk settion yet with over 4 hours of poker logged.

Hands played: 852
Overall hands: 4651
Result: Doug Polk +$117,624

Overall: Doug Polk +$143,996

Round 11

SPOILER WARNING
Pre-Thanksgiving session that again goes in the favor of Doug Polk.

Hands played: 386
Overall hands: 5067
Result: Doug Polk +$120,023

Overall: Doug Polk +$264,019

Round 12

SPOILER WARNING
This was a big round for Doug Polk that more than double his lead. The game had a lot of bad beats for Negreanu.

Hands played: 684
Overall hands: 5751
Result: Doug Polk +$332,178

Overall: Doug Polk +$596,197

Round 13

SPOILER WARNING
Daniel Negreanu is fighting back and ends up in plus for the day. Still a long way to go for the come back.

Hands played: 476
Overall hands: 6227
Result: Negreanu +$17,780

Overall: Doug Polk +$578,417

Round 14

SPOILER WARNING
Biggest pot yet. 180.000 dollars ending in a flush vs. Flush. Negreanu took it home.

Hands played: 600
Overall hands: 6800
Result: Daniel Negreanu +$10,000

Overall: Doug Polk +$568,417

Round 15

SPOILER WARNING
Negreanu takes another step closer to Polk by winning with a single buy in.

Hands played: 450
Overall hands: 7250
Result: Daniel Negreanu +$40,000

Overall: Doug Polk +$518,417

Final Results

Check back here to see the final results and who will be the final winner of the Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk feud.

Have a Poker Feud of your own?

Looking to settle a poker feud of your own?
Check out EasyPoker – the easiest way to play poker with friends (and foes).

Settle your feud using the most beautiful and user-friendly poker app ever created.

Want more poker player stories?

The world of poker has many legends with interesting stories. We’ve gathered some of the best, and are constantly adding more. You should check them out.

Like the story of poker’s biggest playboy, the nutorious Dan Bilzerian.
This modern day Hugh Hefner claims to have won more than 50M dollars playing poker – although critics doubt this story. And now he and his company Ignite risk bankruptcy.

Or maybe the story of ‘the Great Dane’, Gus Hansen, who built a fortune playing poker but ended up losing more than 20M dollars. Read the crazy story here.

Online Poker Fundraiser with EasyPoker

Looking to host an online poker fundraiser?

The current Coronavirus (COVID-19) forces the nonprofit fundraising world to think in new and digital approaches. Social distance is the new norm, and so we all need to adjust and adapt. The EasyPoker app is here to help you. Like a physical poker set, EasyPoker facilitates the game, but with no gambling and exchange of real life money or virtual currencies. You’ll have to manage that outside of the app.
This means that EasyPoker won’t take a cut of any prize money, a so-called ‘rake’ – making it ideal for nonprofit fundraising.

Setting up everything is easy, just follow these simple steps:

1) Download the free EasyPoker app

EasyPoker is free to download and play for both iPhone and Android. Players each use their own phone to play, and so everyone participating in the game will need to have the app downloaded.
Get the app here

2) Sign In

In order to play, you’ll have to create an account and sign in.
Don’t worry though, it’s fast and simple – just sign in using your preferred method. We have this to be able to display player names and show their progress.

3) Create game

Now it’s time to create your game. This is done by tapping the big button that says ‘Create Game’.
You are then taken to a ‘game lobby’, the place all players meet before you launch the game.
If you want, you can edit things like stack, poker style and reaction timer by hitting ‘table settings’ in the bottom of the screen.
Each game of EasyPoker has a unique four digit game code, shown in the bottom of your screen. Share this with everyone you want to have a seat and the table of your game (you can just tab the number and you will get all your most used options for sharing). EasyPoker facilitates games of up to 12 players per table.
If you like, you can tap on each player’s avatar to set an order for your game. This is especially useful if you’re sitting around a table.

Here is a quick video guide of how to get a game going in EasyPoker.

4) Find Game

After signing in to the app, players join your table by hitting ‘Find Game’ and entering your game’s four digit game code. This takes them directly to the game lobby.

5) Play Poker

When you’re ready, launch the game with a single tap on your screen.
The EasyPoker app takes care of everything, and all you need to do is play the cards you’re dealt. Since everything is digital, the app also removes the risk that comes with having players exchange physical cards and chips between them. Ideal for social distancing.

6) Live Stream with Zoom

EasyPoker is a digital substitute for a physical poker set, and as such, it’s ideal for live poker, with players sitting face to face. If you want, you can live stream your online poker fundraiser using a service like Zoom.

In case players aren’t in the same physical room, you can of course have them jump in the Zoom room separately.

Online Poker Fundraiser with EasyPoker

Poker is a great tool for fundraising, and COVID-19 shouldn’t stop your important work. Let the EasyPoker app facilitate your game – allowing you to focus on what you do best; creating a fantastic event and raising money for change.

And in case you need a brush up, check out this simple guide on How to Play Poker.

What is Poker Strategy

The different aspects of poker strategy

How to bluff in poker

Poker betting strategy

Table position in poker

Poker limp

Private table poker app

More poker strategy

How to win poker

Easy tips to win poker

1. Know your starting hands

2. Beware of position

3. Know how to bluff

4. Know how to bet

5. Don’t limp

Best poker app for friends

More tips to win poker

Poker betting

What is poker betting?

Reasons to bet in poker

Blocking bet

Value bet

The opposite of betting in poker

How to value bet

The strength of your hand

The board

Opponent’s playing style

Digital poker set

More poker betting & bluffing

Poker Rules

Texas Hold’em Poker Rules

Who is the first dealer in a game of poker?

Basic Poker Rules

Small and Big Blind

What are community cards?

What is the flop?

What is the turn?

What is the river?

Showdown in poker

What are the different poker hands?

A digital poker set

More Poker Rules & content

Why Bluff?

What is a pure bluff?

What is a semi bluff?

When to bluff

When you bluff

Representing a hand

C-bet (continuation bet)

🚨 Most important rule of how to bluff 🚨

Practice how to bluff

More tutorials

Pivot to online focus

Voice over video

People hate video chat…

Why Choose Voice Chat?

Virtual Christmas Games ideas

5. Virtual christmas quiz

4. Virtual charades

You can also play draw and guess

3. Virtual poker

2. Virtual Sing Along

1. The play with presents (requires gifted presents)

Want to share your favourite ACTIVITY?

WANT MORE POKER CONTENT?

Peter Nicolas Eastgate

Jan Vang Sørensen

Mads Mikkelsen “Le Chiffre”

Gus Hansen “The Great Dane”

WANT TO KICKSTART YOUR POKER CAREER?

WANT MORE POKER CONTENT?

Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk – The Beginning

More Rake is Better

Head to head – Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk

The Setup for the Heads-up Poker Game

Daniel Negreanu vs Doug Polk live game

Best Friends?

Online heads-up – Who will bring home the gold?

Round 2

Round 3