Last Friday was the inaugural Body Issue of “ESPN: The Magazine.“ The periodical profiles athletes and their “physiques” (you get the picture right?) But who did we not expect to see gracing the pages of this visual smorgasbord? Well… none other than the “Brat”, the “Prince”, the “Kid”, and Jennifer Harman! I’ll avoid all the obvious jokes and just say… I think it’s great!

Phil Hellmuth, Scotty Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu, and Jennifer Harman playing poker in the nude.

If you’re not familiar with G4’s newest show, “2 Months $2 Million” is a reality show following 4 young (but highly successful) online poker professionals who rent a mansion in Vegas and set up their PC’s in an effort to make (wait for it!) $2 million dollars in 2 months time. The show is more shenanigans than poker (albeit entertaining) BUT the guys do have some wisdom to share:

Meet the guys

Top Tips

*Click here for more on Bankroll Management, Poker Psychology, & Calculating Odds

Semi-Bluffing

*If you are inspired to try your own version of online poker prowess, then I highly recommend checking out some of our other articles as well as :

• Getting Set Up For Success In Online Poker
• Game Selection
• Increasing Your Hourly Rate With Rakeback

Good luck at the tables!

So how do I get started with online poker?”

This is a question my peers and I get asked with quite some frequency. That being said, I can’t think of a more valuable post to write for those who would ask this same question. I am going to answer this question, here– for you, the same way I wish someone had answered me years ago. So, without further ado…

Getting Started with Online Poker:

1. Pick a Game & Learn How to Play

Now this first rule may seem basic enough– but believe me, I have heard enough to know to include it in this essential list of “musts“. And NO, they do not offer 5 Card Draw online. I’m sorry. Yes, I realize that’s what your dad taught you how to play when you were a kid and you have this sentimental attachment, but unless you’re Brett Maverick and have the uncanny ability to channel the Ace of Spades (or whatever) when you need it most, then it’s best to move on my friend.

I think the default here is for people to jump into No Limit Texas Hold’em because it’s been the predominantaly televised variation of poker these last couple of years. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that– No Limit’s a great game. But, if you’re just starting out, it’s well worth it to try on a couple of the other games (Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha) and go with what best suits you. Limit Hold’em is a great game (that I recommend) for a lot of beginners because it’s without the psychological stress of the “all in” wager– and thus, perhaps a bit easier to maintain your bankroll playing. Perhaps, since I’m a limit player, I’m biased. Pick the game that suits you, and run with it. You want this to be fun afterall.Make sure you know the basic rules, hand rankings, betting stucture, etc. BEFORE hitting the tables. You don’t want an unnecessary (and costly) lesson in “on the job training”. A couple other important concepts to (at least) be aware of in real money poker are:

• The Significance of Position
• Bankroll Management
• Common Types of Opponents

2. Open a Rakeback-Earning Account at a Poker Site

I recently wrote an article discussing the concept of “Rakeback” and encourage you to take a peek if you are fuzzy about this. NEVER play a hand of real money online poker on a non-rakeback account. If you are already playing online poker and this is new to you, then you are losing money (maybe A LOT of money) and you need to see about signing up for rakeback. *I should mention that no poker site will allow multiple accounts (obviously) and will not allow you to sign up for rakeback with your current account if you’ve already opened one. To those people, I would say:

• Sign up for rakeback at another poker site
• Sign up “your spouse” (or whatever) for a rakeback account at the aforementioned site (no reason THEY shouldn’t get rakeback at your favorite site… *wink*)

What site should you play on? The easy answer: Whatever site you want to. But, you’ll probably want a site that:

• Offers rakeback (MOST sites offer rakeback, but some, such as PokerStars, do not)
• Has adequate traffic (Full Tilt Poker has the highest traffic, followed by AP & UB among U.S. players)
• Has game limits that are appropriate to your bankroll (UB & AP have limits as low as .02/.04)
• Is compatible with your Poker Tracking Software (Sites like Cake Poker is not supported by PT software)

I often will recommend that players have an account at a couple of poker sites (my 2 “Go To” sites are Full Tilt Poker & Absolute Poker). This affords you many more options and opportunities. Besides, it prevents you from getting so attached to any one software platform that you find it difficult to maneuver around and target the juiciest games available to you.

3. Set Yourself Up For Success: Use Poker Tracking Software!

In a previous article (Online Poker: Notes & Visual Aids for Optimum Game Selection), I wrote all about the importance & intricacies of note-taking, visual aids, and poker tracking software, but I feel this is worth stressing to beginning players especially: Get yourself PokerTracker or Holdem Manager. Poker is a game of edges. It’s really -EV to play without poker tracking software. I think PokerTracker’s site puts it well:

PokerTracker is the world’s first and largest poker tracking and analysis software to improve your poker game. It is the single most important tool that every online poker player must have to be successful. PokerTracker imports your hand histories that poker sites writes to your computer. It then parses the hands and stores statistics/information about the hands into a local database so that you can look at every possible angle of both you and your opponents poker game.”

Not to be outdone, one of Holdem Manager’s testimonials puts the nail in the coffin:

“Holdem Manager is a must have tool for the serious online player!”

So, pick one and download the free trial (zero percent chance you don’t love and buy after 30 days… )

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

There’s no substitute for experience. Get out there and start putting some serious hands in!

Now, the age old adage “Quality over quantity” absolutely holds true here. Make sure that whatever amount of time you’re able to commit to your regular poker sessions is focused quality time. You’re going to need all your faculties about you to excel at poker, so playing while watching television (and other such distracting activities) probably isn’t the best habit. You don’t want to accidentally fold pocket aces because you were concentrating on someone getting their torch snuffed on Survivor! If poker is something you’re serious about, then like anything, you can set aside a little bit of time each day for it.

5. Integrate Consistent Continuing Education!

Sound like a lot of professions out there? Well, like many things, poker is a craft– an ever changing and evolving art that one can spend their lives perfecting (and never perfect). Get the point?

You will do well in this game/sport/profession if you always seek to improve. Luckily, there are multiple ways to do this and no wrong way. Some tried and true suggestions might be:

• Read educational Poker Literature (*contact us for personal recommendations)
• Watch professional DVD Tutorials
• Get an online video coaching subscription (Cardrunners & Stoxpoker are the best)
• Hire (or Receive) 1-on-1 poker coaching or mentoring (*contact us for personal recommendations)
• Participate in a Poker Forum with other Players
• Subscribe to a poker magazine (many informative & entertaining articles)
• All of the above (a multifaceted approach never hurt anyone!)

Nomatter what though, just keep your head right and never give up. Spoiler Alert: There will be ups and downs. The difference will be, as you improve, there will be less and less downs (although they never disappear completely nomatter how good you get).

I hope this article was helpful & I look forward to playing with you at the tables! Good Luck friends

From the Wall Street Journal:

In an apparent crackdown on Internet gambling, federal authorities in New York have frozen or seized bank accounts worth $34 million belonging to 27,000 online poker players, according to representatives for the players and account holders.

In an operation that began last week, the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York froze or issued seizure orders for bank accounts in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Arizona held at Wells Fargo, Citibank, Goldwater Bank and Alliance Bank of Arizona.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office had no comment.

The accounts are managed by Allied Systems Inc., and Account Services, which handle cash for popular online poker sites, including Full Tilt Poker, Poker Stars, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. Though the money belongs to the poker players, it is held for them in accounts managed by the two service companies.

Account Services, which had an account worth $15 million frozen in its San Francisco bank, doesn’t accept deposits, but writes checks to players who are cashing out, said lawyer for the company, Jeff Ifrah. As a result, thousands of players receiving checks from the company won’t be able to cash them, he said.

So this is why many of us had checks that were “bouncing” this past week. I realize that the poker sites did contact us to let us know that the checks would not clear and that the money had been returned to our counts, but not before many of us had bounced thousands of dollars ($34 million total?!) worth of checks. A remarkably embarrassing situation at our banks… ugh…

Now, I’m a girl about these things… it’s always “armageddon”… but I would definitely ask that ANY/EVERY one who is a fan of poker stand up for our rights by contacting (this takes about 30 seconds of cut/paste/submit) President Obama! We must fight for our rights & to be heard.

*Information for Poker Players Alliance Members on Actions by the Southern District of New York As of June 9, 2009. Click HERE.

Apparently Exec. Director of the PPA, John Pappas, appeared on FoxNews at 12:40 pm ET today to discuss the freezing of online poker funds– I missed this interview (unfortunately) but will be posting a link as soon as one becomes available…

I received the following email this morning from Full Tilt Poker:

Due to increasing complaints of players occupying many tables alone, Full Tilt Poker will be introducing limitations on the number of heads-up cash games that a player can be sitting at while waiting for an opponent.

Effective immediately, a player is permitted to wait at only one table for each betting level and game type, and at most four tables in total.

For example, you may sit and wait for an opponent at $5-10 NL Hold’em, $5-10 PL Hold’em, $10-20 NL Hold’em, and $10-20 PL Hold’em, but you may not sit and wait at more than one table of any one type, and not more than four tables in total.

The limitations only apply to the practice of occupying many tables while waiting. If you are actively playing at a heads-up table, you may then begin waiting at another table of the same type. There is no restriction on the number of tables you may play (other than the normal limitations on active games).

This policy is intended to maintain the sportsmanlike conduct expected of all Full Tilt Poker players, as explained in the first point of the site terms:

http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/site-terms

We thank you for your cooperation on this necessary measure.

Heads-up cash game players are also reminded of the strict policy against using more than one account. The use of multiple accounts (to hide one’s identity, or circumvent restrictions) is considered to be cheating, and can result in severe penalties, including permanent loss of all playing privileges.

If you have more than one account, and wish to have them merged into a single account without penalty, please contact support@fulltiltpoker.com immediately.

Thank you,

Full Tilt Poker

I don’t know what I think about this, as a heads up player. I think it’s a good thing. I mean, it’s annoying when you’re waiting for an opponent and you’ve got another jackass at your level sitting alone at 5 HUHU tables– it does decrease your chance of getting action.

Any thoughts?

Okay… love it or hate it you KNOW it’s been stuck in your head at least once since you first heard it’s catchy refrain… lol

What’s super funny is thinking about how much this song is going to be played all over Vegas during the WSOP (8 days away!)

You just have to laugh…

Hey all! Just wanted to let ya’ll know that PokerFishRakeback’s new forum is up and live! Join us for poker tips, strategy, hand analysis and more! Post any questions you have as there are multiple online poker professionals and moderators on hand to help at all times.

Let’s build a great online poker community together!