Poker Secrets at www.PKRSECRETS.com

Since catching the Texas Holdem Poker bug about a year ago I have hopelessly become a Poker addict. Not just any poker but Texas Holdem in particular. I've tried a few different online websites for playing Poker (Full Tilt, Partypoker, Titan and even Facebook) and then I came across www.PKR.com

What can I say about PKR apart from it is simply the best online poker experience.

You can play for money or play on the play tables for free.

the program itself is free, runs fantastically on your PC (unfortunately there is no MAC or Linux version - at time of writing) and feels like an expensive Computer game apart from you are playing real players with all the psycology, poker tricks, bluffs, arguments and fun of playing the real thing.

It's free and you dont have to spend a penny to get on a table... playing for pretend dollars a whole bunch of my friends are online on PKR at anytime. It's great. Try it out.

I recently won my first real tournament... and just over $3000!!!! Real Dollars! wow.

I'm addicted  B)

Just in case you've lived in a cave for last ten years and dont know what this thing called Texas Holdem Poker is then here is a quick overview:

To be a good Texas Hold 'Em Poker player, you need to understand the concepts behind the game, read (or at last guesstimate) your opponents strengths/weaknesses and know when to play and when to discard your hand. It's a beautiful game needing intelligence, power, bluffing and sometimes just a gut feeling.

Two Things to Always Remember

1. The two cards you hold are the only cards that set you apart from the other players and give you the chance to win.

2. All of the face-up cards are community cards, shared by you and every other player. It's vital that you focus on what those cards could mean to someone else at least as much as you focus on what they mean to you. In particular, keep your eyes open for your opponents' straight and flush possibilities.

Evaluating Your Cards

The first decision you make in a hand of Texas Hold 'Em Poker happens when you have seen your cards, before the flop (when the other community cards are shared), you need to decide whether to play or not.

When you look at your cards, be careful not to reveal anything with your reaction -- facial or otherwise: twitching, tapping or jumping up and down on your chair whooping  ;)   Sny small expressions, no matter how quietly you do it, can tell an opponent all he needs to know to have an advantage over you. A good Poker face is emotionless.

How do you know if your cards are good?

It depends in part on how many players are in the game, but a general rule is that you should seriously consider folding before the flop if you have two non-pair cards, both less than 10. A more conservative player might fold if just one of the cards is less than 10; a more aggressive player might stay in with, for example, an 8 and 9 of the same suit (because those cards give you decent possibilities for a straight or a flush).

If the big blind (a forced bet designed to ensure that every hand has a pot) is low enough, it may be worthwhile to pay in so that you can see the flop even if you don't have particularly strong cards in your hand. But don't abuse this exception to the rule -- it can get you into trouble more quickly than you imagine.

A lot of Texas Hold 'Em strategy is based on the cards in your hand. You must be willing to suffer through a series of poor hands (e.g. 5-8, 2-6, 4-9) without getting impatient. The good hands will come, eventually, and you'll be in better position to take advantage of them if you don't waste your chips trying to get something out of nothing.

The Flop

After seeing the flop, don't be afraid to cut your losses. A common mistake made by novices is to decide, "I'm already in this hand, so I might as well play it out." Wrong.

With seven players at a table, two pair or better will generally be the winning hand. If you don't have the high pair after the flop (e.g. if the flop is K-9-5, the high pair would be two Ks), and you're not in good position for a straight or a flush, you should probably get out of the hand.

However, remember that as the number of players goes down, so does the potential of a strong hand -- so if you're at a table with just two other players, it could pay off to be more aggressive.

If you're first to bet after the flop, don't be afraid to check. This can work to your advantage in two ways. First, if your hand is on the weak side, you might be able to see one more card without having to put more into the pot. Second, if your hand is strong, you could convince an opponent or two that it's weaker than it really is.

The Turn and River

Also known as 4th and 5th street, the TURN and RIVER cards give you another couple of chances to either get out of the pot before you lose even more money -- or increase your winnings.

At this point, it's likely there will only be one or two other players still in the pot with you. The best advice here is to be cautious. After fourth street, don't stay in the pot hoping for a straight or flush, unless you can do so on a check (that is, without putting more chips into the pot). Although there will be times when you would have drawn the straight or flush, they will be outweighed by the times you wouldn't.

The bottom line is this: Don't allow yourself to get sucked in too far with a weak hand. I've been there, done that and usually end up crying  

Having said that I also follow the rule of when you do have a monster hand try to milk as many chips out of your opponents as possible. It's good clean fun. Give it a try.

Good luck, and have fun!