2-7 Single Draw Bankroll Requirements

2-7 single draw poker is a great game that a lot of players aren’t paying enough attention to, but it is a great game that can offer a lot of easy money if you learn to play at a reasonable standard. If you are new to poker and want to stay away from games like no limit hold’em and Omaha because they are overrun with regular grinders and can be hard to win at. Learning a lowball poker game, such as nl 2-7 poker can be a great alternative. This guide will show you the 2-7 single draw bankroll requirements needed to start playing online and avoid going broke.

When you play online poker and want to continue playing you need to exercise proper bankroll management. If a carpenter doesn’t’t have a hammer and nails they cannot earn money because they don’t have their tools. If a poker player has no money to play with they are in the same situation as the carpenter. You want to avoid busting so that you never lose your roll. Be smart about your bankroll and never jeopardize it.

Good 2-7 Single Draw Bankroll Management

The bankroll required for a game really depends on the limit that you will play. Most players will start out playing $.25/$.50 no limit 2-7 single draw. To play this you want to have between $250 and $500.

If you are playing at the best 2-7 single draw online poker room in the world, PokerStars, then you should deposit $600 because you will also receive a 100% on up to $600 first time PokerStars deposit bonus. $600 isn’t much money especially when you are earning a free $600 for depositing it. This money can quickly help to build your bankroll up for the next limit.

You want to have $250 to $500 to start playing $.25/$.50 2-7 single draw. This is again to ensure that you never bust your bankroll. You have 5-10 full buy ins at this limit. You will normally be playing with a stack of around $30-$40 because most players aren’t buying in with full because they are fish. When you see a fishy player that is playing with more than this amount you should buy in for the full amount at the table. This allows you to take all of your opponents chips if you get all with the best hand.

Moving Through The Limits

You will move up and down in limits. Variance happens and you will lose a few buy ins in a row from time to time and might have to move down. Don’t be discouraged about this. It happens to everyone. You will also be moving up a lot. If you are playing at PokerStars you will also be able to move up in limits much more quickly because you will have a free $600 coming to you to help support your bankroll. Make sure that you are only moving up when you have 5 to 10 full buy ins for the next limit. If you see that players at the higher limit are buying in for full then you should move back down and build up some more so that you can afford to buy in full as well.

Click this link to boost your bankroll with a $600 injection from PokerStars!

Online tells – A face only a mother could love

Take a look at most online poker rooms such as Full Tilt Poker or bwin and you’ll see hundreds of tables full of animated faces. Dogs, Cats, Sharks, Gnomes, and regular ole guys and girls. All seated at a virtual poker table bluffing, calling, and folding their way along (hopefully) to victory. At sites such as Full Tilt Poker, you can even choose different facial expressions ranging from shock to anger. All of these things however, will help you not one bit when it comes to “reading” your opponent. Compared to a live game where you can see your opponent sweat, twitch, or nervously tap the table, the online poker experience can be an isolated one.

So how does one make accurate reads when playing poker with their Mac online? The answer can be very complex, actually.

Without question, the most popular way to spot tells and make accurate reads of players online is via the use of tools such as Co Pilot for Macs or the “file this as standard equipment for PC users” application called Poker Tracker. Both of these applications import hand histories of your opponents and breaks down their play to a very granular level. Want to check out a report on how often your opponent three bets when he’s on the button and get’s raised by the Big Blind? No problem. How about the number of times he’s cashed in $10.00 SNG’s? Too easy. Simply put, if you want to gain some insight into any holes or strong points of a particular players game, these programs fit the bill.

We’ll continue on with more tips and tricks on how to leverage technology as well as good ole instinct to help improve your own poker game. In the meantime, fire up that Macbook and play some poker!

2010 WSOP Schedule Released

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 17, 2009) – The 41st annual World Series of Poker® (WSOP®) — a set of poker tournaments open to anyone 21 years of age or older — returns Thursday, May 27, 2010 when live action and satellites begin.  The annual poker extravaganza, which dates back to 1970, is televised exclusively on ESPN from the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and consists of a comprehensive slate of the game’s most popular variations running from May 27-July 17, 2010.

A total of 57 coveted gold bracelets will be up for grabs in 2010 – equal to last year’s total.  July 4th is the tournaments sole “off day”, and will be dedicated to satellites for all those seeking another entry option into poker’s biggest event.

On Friday, May 28, the first open bracelet event will be the $50,000 buy-in Player’s Championship – the most expensive buy-in event to ever open up the World Series of Poker.  Playing for the bracelet and the prestigious Chip Reese Memorial Trophy, the event will follow an eight-game format made popular by the late poker legend, and those participating in the mythical “Big Game” around Las Vegas card rooms.  Over the first four days, Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha and 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball will be played, with the Final Table being No-Limit Hold’em, as was the case when Reese won the inaugural $50K buy-in event in 2006.  ESPN will provide television coverage of this event under the new format.

The opening weekend (May 29-30), features a $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament, which last year established a non-Main Event record of 6,012 entrants.  The four-day event includes two starting flights, one each on Saturday and Sunday at 12 noon.

Another first at the WSOP this year, the first 5 weekends of the series will feature $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournaments with two starting flights.  May 29-30, June 5-6, June 12-13, June 19-20 and June 26-27 will offer No-Limit Hold’em players from the weekend warrior to the most advanced player the opportunity to compete in some of the largest fields of the year for huge prize pools and a gold bracelet.  A sixth event on July 1-2, will also offer the same event at the same buy-in level, just days before the Main Event commences.

The 41st annual WSOP will conclude, as is customary now, with the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship (aka the Main Event) which begins play Monday, July 5 and should reach its final table (nine players) on Saturday, July 17, at which time play will be halted for the third consecutive year.  The famed tournament’s culmination will be held with the “November Nine” from November 6-9, before a live audience with special primetime coverage from ESPN.

“Whatever your game and whatever your bankroll, the 2010 WSOP schedule offers something for everyone,” said WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, who will oversee the event for the fifth consecutive year.  “We are planning for the largest WSOP ever and look forward to welcoming all players to the Rio in Las Vegas next summer.”

The entire convention center of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino will be exclusively dedicated to the 2010 World Series of Poker for the first time, with tournament tables in the 58,000 square foot Pavilion and the 38,000 square foot Amazon Room.  The final number of tables in play is subject to regulatory approval, given just prior to the tournament commencing.

Player comfort is also being addressed by new rules regulating the daily amount of play.  Excluding the Main Event, gold bracelet tournaments will begin at 12 noon and 5 PM Pacific Time each day, with a maximum of 10-one hour levels being played for the noon starts, while the 5 PM events playing a maximum of 8 one-hour levels.   Day 1 play is expected to conclude at 12:45 AM for noon starts and 2:45 AM for the 5 PM starts.  For those advancing past the first day, re-starts for noon bracelet events will be at 2:30 PM, and 5 PM tournaments will restart at 3 PM, with a maximum of 10 levels being played each day until a champion is crowned.  The Main Event features two-hour levels and play begins at 12 noon each day.

Registration for all bracelet events will remain open until the start of the third level (approximately 2 hours, 20 minutes after start time) – or until all available seats have sold. Pre-registration for the 2010 WSOP is now available on-site at the Main Cage of the Rio in Las Vegas and online through www.wsop.com.   This is the earliest registration has ever opened, as players now have more than five months to register for the first event, and more than six months to register for the Main Event.

Players are encouraged to register in advance to avoid being shutout of their favorite events.  Any foreign entrants who wire transfer monies will receive the exchange rate into U.S. dollars at the time of the wire transfer, thus locking in their exchange rate in advance.

New policies and procedures regarding Main Event registration will be detailed in the future, but entrants can expect to be assigned starting days after a certain date.  The only way to guarantee your starting day will be to pre-register prior to the determined cut-off date.

All Harrah’s properties in Las Vegas offer special reduced room rates for entrants of WSOP bracelet events.  Rates start as low as $69 for players staying at the host property, the Rio.  Imperial Palace offers rates as low as $30, and Bally’s, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Paris and Caesars Palace provide WSOP player rates as low as $45-$100 a night.  Click here for the special WSOP player hotel rates.

The 2010 WSOP marks the 41st running of the game’s most prestigious annual tournament.   In 2009, the WSOP generated the most entries ever (60,875) from 115 different countries that competed for more than $174 million while awarding 57 championship gold bracelets, globally recognized as the game’s top prize.

To view the entire schedule, visit WSOP.com/schedule where you can download event structures, pre-registration forms or save the schedule to your calendar and even link it to your Facebook, Twitter or other social network sites.  Media can add a WSOP schedule widget to their websites, by going to WSOP.com/poker-widgets/.    Among the highlights of the 2010 schedule:

• 57 gold bracelet events over 51 days.

• Expanded footprint – The giant Pavilion Ballroom (58,000 sq. feet) will be in use this year for poker in the Rio Convention Center.  The Pavilion is the largest ballroom at the Rio, and along with the famed Amazon Room (38,000 sq. feet), will make-up the playing rooms for this year’s WSOP.  The entire convention space will be used.

• Expanded capacity – Along with expanded footprint, comes more poker tables.  A record 295 tables were utilized last year, and this year’s configuration is still being plotted, but expected to offer about 20 percent more tables.

• No Food Tent – The outdoor food tent will now become an indoor food court experience.  The Miranda Ballroom, last year used as a room for play, will be converted into a food court with a variety of popular food items for players and spectators.

• Sensational Structures & Starting Chips – Drafting off last year’s success, all gold bracelet events in 2010 will feature triple the buy-in in starting chips and deep structures, providing plenty of play.

• $25K 6-Handed No-Limit – A new event this year will be a $25,000 buy-in 6-handed No-Limit Hold’em 4-day event.  Event #52 begins on Wednesday, June 30 at 12 noon.

• $50K Players Championship – The Chip Reese Trophy is up for grabs at the $50,000 buy-in eight-game mixed event, dubbed the Players Championship, which is being morphed from the $50K H.O.R.S.E. tournament run the past four years.  This new eight-game format will serve as the true test of the game’s greatest all-around player and receive star treatment, with ESPN cameras covering the five-day event for television.  Event #2 starts on Friday, May 28 at 5:00 PM.

• Still Plenty of H.O.R.S.E. – A new $10,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. Championship tournament will be offered, to go along with $1,500 and $3,000 buy-ins to the popular game.

• The 4th annual Ante Up For Africa Celebrity-Charity Tournament – $5,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em celebrity and charity tournament on Saturday, July 3, (two days before the Main Event begins) featuring the opportunity for anyone age 21 or older to enter and be seated at the same table as A-list celebrities and top poker pros.

• The Ladies Only No-Limit Hold’em Championship – On Friday, June 11, featuring a $1,000 buy-in and helping to raise awareness for the Nevada Cancer Institute, the official community relations partner of the World Series of Poker.

• The Seniors Only No-Limit Hold’em Championship – On Friday, June 18 , featuring a $1,000 buy-in for all poker enthusiasts 50 years of age or older.

• June $550 No-Limit Hold’em Tournaments – Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 1:00 PM throughout June, the Rio will host new $550 No-Limit Hold’em tournaments for those looking for a Hold’em fix.  These are one-day structured tournaments, and not bracelet events.

In addition, a complete array of satellites, from single-table to mega, will be offered beginning from May 27-July 8. Nightly No-Limit Hold’em tournaments will be offered from May 27-July 4 at 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM.

All winners will be required to provide a valid picture ID. Tax forms will be completed for those with winnings in excess of $5,000 net of event buy-in. Players without a Tax Identification Number and foreign players from non-tax treaty countries are subject to up to 30 percentage tax withholding. WSOP reserves the right to cancel, change or modify the tournament or any tournament event, in part or in whole, without notice.

ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970.  In 2009, the event attracted 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $174 million in prize money.  The WSOP in December, 2008 was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties.  In addition, the WSOP has experienced groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker EuropeSM. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.WSOP.com.

PokerStars for Mac Reviewed

The Quick Pitch on PokerStars

The largest online poker site and one of the first to offer a true Mac only download poker client. Game selection is fantastic and an online tournament kicks off literally every second. The VIP program rewards players at all levels with prizes ranging from free tournament entries or a hat to big cash payouts and exotic sports cars. With a server farm the size of a small island, the games are smooth and reliable with rock solid security to ensure your information (and cash) are kept safe.

Software: 9 out of 10

As we mentioned above, Mac owners will quickly feel the love when visiting PokerStars.com because there’s a real .dmg download option. The approximately 14MB file is a quick install and once executed, is a fairly intuitive process to complete. After entering some basic information (you need not enter any sensitive information until you’re ready to play for real money), the lobby window will appear and you may begin to search for your favorite game.

Game play is very fluid with minimal lag if you’re on a decent connection. Aesthetically the designers were very mindful of the Mac “look” and as a result, the PokerStars client looks right at home next to your other Mac applications.

Security: 9 out of 10

Some of the highest stakes poker games in the world are actually played online at PokerStars. There are many of the leading players in the world that frequent here and literally keep millions of dollars in their player accounts. The software is audited on regular basis by two different companies (BMM International and Cigital) to ensure 100% compliance and safety for the players. There’s also a dedicated team of fraud specialists who employ state of the art technology to catch cheaters and defend against hack attempts.

Popularity: 10 out of 10

With the largest player base of any other online poker site, the 10 out of 10 rating here is a no-brainer. If you’ve ever so much as turned on an ESPN broadcast of the WSOP, you’ve seen a PokerStars sponsored Pro or one of the commercials. Their current stable of sponsored players runs the gamut from Joe Hachem and Greg Raymer (both  World Champions) to sports legends such as Boris Becker and Mats Sundin. They also sponsor a few bus-loads of players in each years Word Series of Poker via a range of qualifying tournaments (some are free to enter!).

Competition: 7 out of 10

The large fishbowl (pun intended) of players here naturally tends to attract many new players. As a result, you will find a wide range of talent sitting at the virtual felt. At the micro stakes and lower limit games you should be able to quickly identify the weaker players versus the more serious, established players. Leveraging technology such as Co Pilot for Macs is a big help here as it will speed up this process.

Promotions: 7 out of 10*

Why did we put an * on the rating here? The primary reason is that most people expect a big deposit bonus when signing up for an online poker site. The fact is that many competitors such as Full Tilt Poker do indeed offer much larger incentives to deposit first at their site. However, even with their more modest deposit incentives PokerStars more than makes up for the lack of initial deposit matching. How? With their PokerStars VIP program. If you’re looking to hit and run, you will definitely want to look elsewhere. If you’re looking to play poker for the long term, you’ll welcome the VIP program as the rewards value increases in proportion to the amount of time you spend playing on the site. To simplify – play for a few minutes a day and you’ll get free tournament entries and a t-shirt. Play for a few hours a day on a regular basis and you’ll land cash back in your account, plasma screen televisions, and perhaps even bigger prizes. For more information on this program, download the PokerStars Mac Client now and check out the VIP Store.

Support – 9 out of 10

Taking a page from other world class customer oriented companies, the staff at PokerStars is at your disposal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may contact them via email or fax and can expect an answer to your questions within a 1-3 hour time frame for most inquiries.

Overall – 8 out of 10

Many Mac owners may actually rate them a 10 out of 10 but we feel there’s always room for improvement. The team over at PokerStars feel the same way. They’re constantly looking to make improvements to the Mac download client and ensure a great experience for their players. Security is always on the top of their minds as is making your time spent playing enjoyable. The ownership behind PokerStars plans on taking their tremendous momentum as the largest poker site on the planet and continuing to grow. To summarize, you really can’t go wrong by playing here.

Full Tilt Poker Client for Mac Reviewed

The Quick Pitch on Full Tilt Poker

Full Tilt Poker or as the cool kids would say, FTP is one of the largest online poker sites boasting up to 100K online players during peak hours.

Playing poker on a Mac – A Mac lovers conundrum

If you’re a Mac owner and happen to be a poker player, chances are you’ll decide one day (likely today) that you’d like to download an online poker room client to your beloved machine. The chances are even higher that you’re going to be disappointed to find that many of the largest online poker sites DO NOT have a dedicated Mac Poker Client. They may offer a flash version or if you’re lucky, offer a “beta” version of their legacy (PC) client. This can be a very frustrating exercise and for many Mac owners, a major annoyance.

Fortunately, there are a handful of poker sites that understand the Mac owners universe and now offer dedicated poker clients that are 100% Mac Compatible. The two top sites that offer a real Mac poker client are PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. The folks over at FTP were the first to build a dedicated Mac poker application and honestly, have done a great job of it. They hired some of the top talent in the Mac-centric development world to take a look at their existing PC client and build a rock-solid application that is sure to please even the most demanding Mac owner.

Not to be outdone, the team at PokerStars quickly followed suit. While they are currently the largest site in terms of number of players, their Mac specific poker client is still a little lagging in the features department when compared to the Full Tilt version. Regardless, it’s worth trying out both of them in play money mode to decide which is best for you.

In all, there are (at the time of this writing) approximately a half-dozen online poker rooms that offer a Mac compatible poker client. Not all of them are install clients (yet) but if the Mac community continues to demand quality products such as those offered by Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, perhaps they’ll soon follow suit.