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    James BinnsProfitable Poker

    Canonbury Publishing 2007

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    Contents

    Welcome To Profitable Poker

    Easy Start Guide

    How To Play Tutorial

    Poker Terms Made Simple

    Playing Online

    All About Tournaments

    Binns Super Strategies

    My Best Poker Sites

    Conclusions . And More About My Big Win !

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    Welcome To Profitable Poker

    Hello, my name is James Binns.

    Probably just like you, Id never even thought about playing poker seriously until just ayear or so ago. Id always thought of it as a game played by small-time gangsters insmoke-filled rooms . betting thousands of dodgy dollars at a time. Id never thought itwas something that I could play from home, actually become pretty good at . and justas importantly make real money from too.

    How wrong I was!

    A year or so ago a childhood fascination with poker (prompted by a ratherunconventional babysitter) led me to get interested in poker again. I quickly found thatnow it had moved onto the Internet it had become a respectable, well organised, easy-to-

    play game enjoyed by millions of ordinary people worldwide.

    Within a few weeks I had become a regular player. And I found I really enjoyed it too .probably because I wasnt held back by any experiences of old-style poker. I learned as Iearned, developed my own simple techniques and quickly became a reasonably goodplayer.

    Can you imagine my surprise and delight when, after a few weeks, I beat hundredsof other players to win top prize in an online poker tournament? Not only that, butwithout ever leaving home or risking more than a few pounds, I pocketed the top

    prize of approximately 10,000! Yes, ten thousand pounds!

    Ill tell you exactly how I did it later. But first, I am going to explain to you how to playpoker too . even if you currently know nothing about the game. I am going to revealmy own playing methods . powerful winning methods that are relativelystraightforward. And I am going to show you how to do the same or even better playingTexas Holdem poker online for yourself.

    So Whats So Good About Online Poker ?

    I know you might still be a little bit sceptical. So before I go any further I want to tell youwhy I think its well worth your time sitting down now and reading this manual rightthrough to the very last page ..

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    The basic rules and procedures are really very easy to pick up. Half an hour or sois all you need to grasp the basics.

    Its perfect for beginners. You dont need to have ever played poker online beforeto get started.

    Its perfect for non-card game fans and non-gamblers alike. You dont need tolike card games like bridge or blackjack, or like gambling on horses or dogs toplay poker online.

    It is safe and secure. When you play online you can control your play and yourstakes to avoid running up any big losses.

    It doesnt matter whether youre old or young, male or female, a top executive ora housewife/husband. Its all totally private and discreet too.

    You can play whenever you like . daytime, night time, in the office . even inbed.

    Poker offers fantastic leverage. You can play with very low, nothing-to-losestakes. But you can still win serious money. (Ive proved it myself remember.)

    You can even make a good part or even full time profit from playing regularly if you want to.

    And lastly dont forget its a lot of fun! What other ways are there to have fun,enjoy yourself and turn a profit too?

    So read on now and within a few short hours Ill have you playing poker for profit justlike me.

    How I Got Started

    Actually, I learnt the basics of poker when I was eight! My cousin Daniel, who used tobabysit my brothers and sisters, taught us how to play 7 Card Stud poker for pennies. I

    wouldnt recommend you to do the same of course, although it does show how simple thegame is.

    Then I forgot all about it for a few years. It wasnt until I was 19 I heard about a type of poker called Texas Holdem . My older brother used to watch it on TV and would alwayssay how exciting it was. He soon taught all the family how to play . we even playedour own tournaments at home, just for the fun and enjoyment of it.

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    A little later, when I was searching the Internet, I discovered online poker. At first Ithought it was only for fun or pin-money. I was amazed to discover that not only couldyou play real poker with real people online but that you could win money . seriousmoney. Quickly, I set up my own online poker account, learned the rules and startedplaying with some loose change. Within two and a half hours of discovering online poker

    I was playing it too!Unfortunately my first few weeks didnt go very well. I ended up losing more than Icould really afford, due to making lots of silly mistakes that many newcomers make. ButI didnt give up. Deep down I knew that, by gaining more experience and developing myskills, there was money to be made in online poker.

    From 1 . To 10,000 !

    After a few months I had cleared my losses, had a complete rethink about my approach topoker and developed my own special strategy. This time, I started off by depositing just100 into my online account and playing in low-risk 1+20p games. (The + part is thepercentage the website takes for organising the tournament). I also moved away fromcash games and into tournaments or tourneys as theyre known.

    I won the very first six player tournament or sixpack I entered! It cost me 5.50 to enterand first place was 22.50, making me a nice 17 profit! Best of all, it gave me a greatsense of satisfaction, knowing that I could win a tournament against real players who hadbeen playing for years. I continued to play these low limit single table tourneys for acouple of months, moving up to 10+1 sixpacks and also multi-table tournaments. Iquickly became a much better player, and had some good if modest cash wins.

    But I still wanted a big win. So I kept at it. Practising and playing regularly. Learningfrom my experiences and developing my skills.

    Then it happened, on the first Sunday in May last year. After a very tense series of games I won a tournament with two pairs aces and sixes ten high.

    And not only that . I pocketed the top prize . $18,500 to be exact !

    As I said, later on I will tell you all about my big win. But in the rest of this manual I amgoing to explain to you how to do the same or better. I am going to show you how to playTexas Holdem poker online. How to play it sensibly and professionally. And mostimportant of all how to play it to win. Even if, like me, youve never played pokerseriously in your life before.

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    So lets get started : Read on now, and find out how easy, enjoyable and rewarding I think Texas Holdem poker can be .

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    Easy Start Guide

    So What Is Poker ?

    Poker is a very basic card game which combines skill and luck. There are manyvariations including Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo and mypersonal favourite of course Texas Holdem .

    Each type of poker varies slightly but they all follow the same simple idea .

    Players contribute toward a central pot which contains money or chips representingmoney. Players are dealt cards (a hand ), some or all of which are hidden. Bets are madeon the values or strength of the cards in your hand in several rounds of betting. After thebetting rounds are over the player with the strongest hand or the last player left standing

    after the others have given up (or folded ) wins!

    Like many card games, the aim of poker is to win all the money. As well as the elementof luck poker tests your knowledge, skills and strategic abilities. Whether played inhomes, casinos or on online gaming sites these basic rules and principles are the same.

    No matter which type of poker youre playing its first vital that you understand the deck and that you know the rank of hands . So, first, try to memorise the following .

    The Deck

    Texas Holdem poker uses an ordinary 52 deck of cards comprises four suits aces,clubs, diamonds and hearts each divided into 13 ranks A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K.

    In poker the ace is the highest card and the 2 (or deuce) is the lowest. However, the acecan be used as a low card to form a straight 5-4-3-2-A.

    The Rank Of Hands

    The rank of hands is the same in every type of poker. A poker hand consists of five cards.

    The player with the highest ranking hand is the winner. Simple!

    There are different names for many of the key poker hands, such as :

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    Pair One pair is two cards of the same rank.

    Two Pair A two pair is two cards of one rank and another two cards of another rank.

    Three Of A Kind/ Three cards of the same rank.Set

    Four Of A Kind Four cards of equal rank.

    Full House/ A full house, or full boat, contains a set (three) of cards of one rank Boat and a pair of another rank.

    Flush/ Five cards of sequential rank. (Every possible straight will containStraight Flush/ either a 5 or a 10.)Straight

    Royal Flush A royal flush is an ace high straight flush (A-K-Q-J-10) of thesame suit. It is the best possible hand in poker.

    How Texas Holdem Poker Works

    Texas Holdem (or just Holdem) is the easiest type of poker to learn. To get started yousimply need to remember the following :

    The Table

    Texas Holdem is played round a (real or virtual) table.

    On the table there is a round white disk in front of one of the players. This disk is knownas the dealer button . The dealer position is important because it dictates who must postthe blinds (more about this shortly) and act first on each betting round. The dealer buttonrotates to the next player on the left with each hand.

    The Dealing

    Players are dealt two cards, known as hole cards or pocket cards , that only they can seeand use. Then, as the game progresses five cards known as community cards are dealt thateveryone can see and use. Players can make their five card hand from both, one, or noneof their hole cards combined with the community cards.

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    The Rounds

    The game is divided into four rounds of betting, and the betting moves clockwise roundthe table. It starts from the position next to the dealer button.

    The Blinds

    Before each game of Holdem poker starts the two players to the left of the dealer postblinds , which is short for blind bets. They are called this because they are made beforethe players have seen any cards. The blinds ensure that there is some money in the pot toplay for at the outset.

    The player to the left of the dealer button must post the small blind (sometimes known asSB) which is somewhere between one half and two thirds the minimum bet. The player tothe left of the small blind is the big blind (or BB) and must post an amount equal to the

    minimum bet.

    The Pre-Flop

    The game starts properly with a stage known as the pre-flop .

    Each player is dealt two cards from the deck, face down and the first betting round takesplace. The first player to act is the player sitting to the left of the big blind. This player,who is known as under the gun studies their hand and then proceeds as follows. Theycan :

    Call : Match the amount bet in the big blind,

    Raise : Increase the amount bet, or

    Fold : Surrender their cards and their stake in the game.

    Some poker games are known as limit games and others as no limit games. In limitgames each bet or raise is equal to the minimum bet specified at the start of the game. Forexample, in a $1-$2 Limit Texas Holdem game one player could bet $1 and anotherplayer could raise to $2.

    In this first betting round, if the pot is not raised, the big blind can raise or has the optionto check or stay in the game without adding anything to the pot, since they have alreadyposted the minimum bet.

    When the betting comes back to the player who made the big blind (the first full bet) thatplayer can also check. If an opponent has raised, the big blind has three options theymust fold, call, or re-raise.

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    There are then three more stages to the game :

    The Flop

    This betting round is known as the flop . Three community cards will be dealt face up inthe middle of the table. (Remember, every player can use them to make their best pokerhand.)

    Another round of betting follows. Again, players may bet, check, call, raise, or fold inturn. Once again, the bets are equal to the minimum bet for the game which would be$1 in the example above.

    The Turn

    A fourth community card, known as the turn card , is dealt face up on the table.

    The third round of betting follows. The bets on this round are equal to the maximum bet.For example, in a $1-$2 Limit Texas Holdem game, one player could bet $2 and anotherplayer could raise to $4.

    The River

    The fifth and final community card, known as the river card , is dealt followed by thefinal round of betting.

    Again the bets on this round are equal to the maximum bet. The winner is the player whocan make the best five card poker hand using their two hole cards and five communitycards. (Remember players can use one, both, or none of their hole cards to make the besthand.)

    The Showdown

    If there is more than one player left in the game there is a showdown where the playersreveal their cards and the highest hand wins according to the rank of hands.

    If two players share an identical hand the pot is split. If two players use the fivecommunity cards in the middle of the table they would split the pot regardless of whattheir two hole cards were.

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    Playing the game really is as simple as that. Of course, the more you play the more youwill be able to master all the details and use strategy. But you can start practising or betting now I will show you exactly how very shortly.

    Bet, Check, Call, Raise Or Fold ?

    In total there are five main actions that a can player can make when playing poker : Bet,check, call, raise or fold.

    Each round continues until all players have called or folded to the original bet or raise. InTexas Holdem there is generally a limit to either three or four raises per round among allthe players. When the maximum number of raises is reached the poker betting is said tobe capped.

    Here is what each action actually means : Bet : The bettor is the first person to commit money to the pot on any given bettinground.

    Check : Checking is not betting anything. If no one has bet you have the option of checking when it is your turn. If all players check on the same poker betting round youstill have a chance to win. If someone bets after you check you must either call, raise, orfold.

    Call : Calling is matching whatever someone has bet or raised. For example, if someonebet $1 you can then call $1. If someone raises to $2 you will have to pay $1 to call theirraise.

    Raise : To raise, you must match whatever has been bet so far on the given betting roundand then raise an additional amount.

    In limit Texas Holdem, the amount of the raise would be whatever the poker bettingamount is that round. Re-raising is simply the act of raising an opponent who has alreadyraised.

    Fold : Folding is giving up on the hand as you do not want to match a bet or raise. Youthrow away your cards and have no chance of winning the current hand.

    Youll notice that, so far, I havent mentioned money (or stakes) very much. I did this tokept things simple. But of course money is one of the best reasons for playing! At this

    point, dont worry that you might need to bet your monthly wages to play Texas Holdem(or lose your house like you see in the films)! Holdem has carefully set down bettingrules and rules on buy-ins and table stakes to keep everything manageable.

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    Betting Rules

    The betting rules vary slightly depending on the type of game. Heres how :

    Limit Poker

    In a game of limit poker the amount you are allowed to bet is, as the name suggests,limited. This limit is in the name of the poker game ($1/2, $20/40, etc.). So, for example,if youre playing in a $1/2 limit game, the minimum sizes of the bets would be :

    Pre-flop : $1 On the flop : $1

    On the turn : $2 On the river : $2

    Note that you cant make a smaller bet than the big blind and all raises must be done inincrements of the betting amounts.

    For example, in a $1/2 limit game, limited to four times the first bet that was made, theraises will be as follows :

    Pre-flop : $1, $2, $3 up to $4 On the flop : $1, $2, $3 up to $4 On the turn : $2, $4, $6 up to $8 On the river : $2, $4, $6 up to $8

    No Limit Poker

    In these games there is no limit to the maximum bet that you can make in any bettinground but there is a minimum bet that is equivalent to the big blind. The minimum raiseamount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round.

    For example, if the first player to act bets $10 then the second player must raise a

    minimum of $10 (total bet of $20). There is no maximum raise you can raise as muchas you like. But, if you wish to call a bet but dont have the chips to cover it, youll beall-in. Then you can only win the portion of the pot covered by your chips.

    Pot Limit Poker

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    Pot limit is similar to no limit poker with a few key differences. Players can bet anyamount from the size of the blind to the size of the pot. The pot includes the sum of allbets and raises made during that round.

    For example: The pot contains $100. On a subsequent round, one player bets $20, and

    two following players each call this $20 bet. The fourth player could call the $20 bet andthen raise by a maximum of $180. This raise matches the $100 in the pot, the first $20bet, the two additional $20 calls and the players own $20 call, which together add up to a$180 raise.

    Buy-Ins And Table Stakes

    The buy-in is the amount you need to join in a game. Most games have a minimum buy-in and many have a maximum.

    In limit games the minimum is equal to 10 times the big blind. There is no maximum. Forexample, in a $5/10 limit game the big blind value is $5 so the minimum buy-in isequivalent to 10x5, or $50.

    In pot and no limit games the maximum amount corresponds to the name of the game.For example, in a $100 no limit game the maximum buy-in would be $100. Theminimum amount is 20% of the maximum. For example, in a $100 no limit game theminimum buy-in would be $20.

    Most gaming sites have various rules on table stakes. For example : No chips may beadded to a players stack during a hand. Players can only add to their stack betweenhands. While some tournaments offer rebuys and add-ons, these may only be done after ahand is over and before the next hand starts. Players may, however, add chips or rebuyand add-on during the play of a hand if they are not involved in that hand.

    Players cannot remove any chips from the table during play until they leave the game.This rule applies regardless of how many chips a player has brought to the table. Thetable stakes rules are designed to protect the game. Otherwise, if a player is allowed toput a few chips away every time they are ahead, the number of chips available for playwill be reduced and the game will suffer.

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    How To Play Tutorial

    In the last section, I ran through the basic poker rules and procedures. Now Im going toshow you how an actual game runs with an easy-to-follow tutorial.

    The process Im following here applies to the Party Poker gaming website. Different siteswill work in slightly different ways but the principles are the same. Party Poker is one of my favourite sites Ill explain why a little later on.

    At this stage dont worry if you dont fully understand some of the terms, or would likemore explanation. Later youll find a handy Poker Terms Made Simple section whichexplains everything in detail, and which you can refer to whenever you need it.

    Here goes with the tutorial .

    Go to your chosen online poker site more about finding and registering with these later and youll arrive at the home page. Here youll find news and information about thesite. Many sites offer various kinds of gaming and various games of poker. So click onPoker, Play Now or similar and then Texas Holdem, if theres a choice.

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    Now youll enter the lobby . Here youll see a complete list of all the poker games and tournaments available. This could range from just a handful to dozens depending on thesite in question.

    In the list youll find the name of the individual game (some quite silly names are oftenused) plus the stakes, how many players the game accommodates in total and how manyare already seated, ie. waiting to play. You might also find details of how long youllhave to wait to play, how many hands an hour are being played and the average pot forthat name.

    To start, double click on your chosen game. For example, say you want to play $2/$4

    Limit Texas Holdem youll click on $2/$4 Limit Texas. Simple!

    Now your screen will refresh and youll see a mock up of a poker gaming table. Try notto be put off by the dcor or the other players appearances. Its totally irrelevant!

    Against each player you will see an information box that shows their name and theamount of money they have at the table. In the game were using in this tutorial there are10 seats and Seat 1 is available. So click on Seat 1 to sit down and join the game.

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    Next you need to buy in : For each game there is a minimum amount that you can buy infor. For a $2/$4 game, for example, this would be $20. Say you decide to buy in for $100.

    You type in $100 and click. (Note that you only have a short time to proceed here, so itsas well to decide how much youre going to buy in for first.)

    Now the attention turns to the two players seated to the left of the dealer button. Thesetwo players will place the blind bets to get the game started. In this case Player 7 or thesmall blind is $1 and Player 8 or the big blind is $2.

    One important point : A player who joins a game already in progress may decide to waitfor the big blind position or post the equivalent to the big blind as soon as the next handstarts. Press the appropriate button to indicate this.

    The cards are now dealt. Each player gets two hole cards that only they can see.

    Lets say, for example, that you get an A and a K. (This is a very good hand by the way!)

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    As a result of this hand each player decides what to do next, ie. whether and what to bet.(I went through the options that are available to you earlier.)

    In this game, Player 9 folds or throws away their hand. Player 10 calls $2.

    Youre next! Since you have a good hand you decide to go ahead and raise the bet. Youraise the $2 bet by another $2 to $4. Since you had already posted the $2 you put in anadditional $4.

    Note : During the first two rounds of betting in limit games bets must increase by thelower limit $2 in this case. So you click Raise $2.

    Now all the players decide what to do .

    In this game, Players 2 to 6 fold maybe because you raised!

    Player 7 (the small blind) calls $3 more to stay in the hand.

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    Player 8 (the big blind) calls by adding $2 . as does player 10.

    By this stage, most of the other players have folded, leaving only three players in thehand.

    Now the game moves on. The first three community cards are dealt. Remember that allthe players can use these cards to make up their hand.

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    Heres the flop : The second round of betting begins. You notice that you have a pair of kings which is a very good hand.

    Player 7 checks, which means he stays in the game. But he does not bet. As does Player8.

    Player 10 bets $2. You cant see it, but he obviously feels good about his hand!

    Remember that you have a strong hand the highest pair. So you go ahead and raise $4.

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    Player 7 and Player 8 both fold. Player 10 calls your raise.

    Now the next community card is dealt. This is known as the turn card. In this case its an8.

    Next, the third round of betting begins. This one has an upper limit in the case of thisgame $4.

    Player 10 bets $4. Since you have a strong hand you can raise again. So you click Raise8.

    Player 10 decides to call your raise.

    Now its time to go to the river. This means that the final community card is dealt. In thiscase its a King.

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    This time player 10 checks. So you can go ahead and bet $4 - click Bet $4.

    Player 10 calls. You show your hand three of a kind Kings. Player 10 shows his cards Q, 9.

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    Congratulations .. youve won this game!

    Is it all starting to come together now? I hope so. But dont worry if it isnt and you need a little more time to pick things up. Just go back to the beginning of the Easy Start Guide and read it a couple more times.

    And if youve picked up the basics quickly and want to know more its all coming shortly.Very soon Im going to let you in on some of my own personal winning strategies!

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    Poker Terms Made Simple

    One of the things that makes playing poker seem difficult is the language that is used. Butonce you know what the terms mean it becomes much simpler. In this section, Ill explain

    exactly what they all mean.

    Over time, try and memorise as many of these as you can. But dont worry if it takes youa while to learn them you can still begin playing anyway.

    A

    Add-On The last opportunity to buy additional chips in a tournament when

    re-buys are finished.

    Aces Full A full house with three aces and any pair.

    Ace High A five card hand that contains one ace, with no straight or flush ora hand with no pair in it.

    Aces Up A hand that contains two pairs, one of which is a pair of aces.

    Act An intentional tell intended to give false information about a hand.

    Action Checking/betting/raising. A game in which players are playing alot of pots is considered an action game.

    Active Player Any player who is still in the hand.

    Aggressive Adjective to describe a player who raises and re-raises and rarelycalls.

    Ajax The name of an ace and Jack in the pocket, suited or otherwise.

    All In When you have committed all your chips into the pot.

    AmericanAirlines Two aces.

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    Angle An action that isnt against the rules, but still incorporates unfairtactics.

    Angle Shooting Using unfair tactics.

    Ante Money placed in the pot before the hand is started.B

    Bad Beat When you are a strong favourite to win the hand butend up losing.

    Backdoor Making a hand other than the one intended. Example: Having J-10of clubs with a flop of A of clubs, 5 of clubs, 6 of spades. Theturn and river are K & Q of hearts. You made a straight instead of the intended (and more likely) flush.

    Backraise A re-raise from a player who originally called.

    Bankroll The amount of money you have.

    Belly Buster A draw and/or catch to an inside straight.

    Bet To place chips into the pot.

    Bet Odds The odds you get as a result of evaluating the number of callers toa raise.

    Bet the Pot Betting the amount of your pot.

    Bicycle A straight : A-2-3-4-5.

    Big Blind A compulsory bet which is always double the size of the SmallBlind forced upon the player second left from the dealer beforehe/she has received their cards, also known as pocket cards.

    Big Slick A hand that contains an A-K.

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    Blank A useless card.

    Blinds The bet(s) that must be made by the two players sitting directly tothe dealers left which will start the action on the first round of betting. The blinds are posted before any cards are dealt. (A

    blind bet is one that is made without looking at your cards.)Blind Raise When a player raises without looking at his hand.

    Bluff To make other players think that you have a better hand thanyou do by betting or raising.

    Boardcards The cards that are dealt face-up in a poker game for all players tosee. In Holdem five cards are dealt face-up in the centre of thetable.

    Boat A full house.Bottom Pair When a player uses the lowest card on the flop to make a pair with

    one of his own cards.

    Broadway An ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10).

    Bring It In To start the betting on the first round.

    Broomcorns Uncle A player who antes himself broke.

    Bullets A pair of aces.

    Bump To raise.

    Button Also known as the dealer button, it is a small round disk that ismoved from player to player in a clockwise direction followingeach hand, to theoretically indicate the dealer of each hand.

    Buy In The minimum amount of money required to sit down at the tableand play.

    C

    Call When you match a players bet that has gone before you.

    Call Cold To call both a bet and raise(s).

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    Calling Station A passive and loose player who doesnt raise much but callstoo often.

    Cap To take the last of the maximum amount of raises allowed perround of betting.

    Cardroom The room or space in a casino where poker is played.

    Case Chips A players last chips.

    Cash Out To leave a game and exchange your chips for money.

    Check If a player checks it means there is no bet or raise placed. You canonly check before the flop if you are in the big blind.

    Check Raise When a player first checks and then raises in a betting round.

    Chop To return the blinds to the players who posted them and move onto the next hand if no other players call. It also means to split thepot.

    D

    Dead Mans Hand Two pair Aces and Eights. (According to poker legend the handWild Bill Hickock was holding when Jack McCall shot him in theback!)

    Dealer The dealer handles the cards, gives out the pots, andmonitors the game.

    Dealer Button A button shaped object with the letter D or the word dealeretched onto it that is placed next to the person who is dealing andmoves one seat to the left after each hand. Mainly known as TheButton.

    Dealers Position Being the last to act in a betting round. On the button.

    Dominated Hands Hands that are OK but tend to lose against similar non-straight/flush hands. Example : A2 is dominated because againstother hands with an ace, it loses or draws without improvement.

    Dominating Hands Hand that are not only good but which have lots of room for improvement.

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    Door Card This is the first exposed card, or up card, in a players hand inStud games.

    Down Card Hole cards, or cards that are dealt face down.

    Doyle Brunson A Holdem hand consisting of a 10-2. (Brunson won the WorldChampionship of Poker two years in a row with these cards.)

    Drawing Playing a hand to improve.

    Drawing Dead A drawing hand that will lose even if it improves.

    Drawing Hand A hand that needs improvement to win. Usually to a straight orflush.

    Drop Fold.

    Ducks A pair of Twos.

    Deuces A pair of Twos.

    E

    Early Position Position on a round of betting, where the player must act beforemost of the other players at the table. (Its considered the twopositions located to the left of the Blinds.)

    F

    Fifth Street Also known as the river card. In flop games, this represents thefifth community card on the table and the final round of betting.

    Fish A poor player

    Flat Call Calling a bet without raising.

    Flop (The) The first three community cards that are turned over together whenthe first round of betting is over.

    Flop Games Poker games like Holdem (and Omaha) that are played usingcommunity cards that are dealt face up in the centre of the table.

    Flush Any five cards of the same suit.

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    Flush Draw When a player has four cards in his hand, all of the same suit and ishoping to draw a fifth to make a flush.

    Fold When a player throws his hand away and is no longer involved inthe hand.

    Forced Bet A compulsory bet that starts the action on the first round of a pokerhand.

    Four of a Kind Four cards of the same number or face value (quads).

    Fourth Street In flop games, it is the fourth community card dealt, also known asthe turn, and represents the third round of betting.

    Free Card The card you get as result of semi-bluffing from late or lastposition so that all the players check to you.

    Freeze Out A tournament where you can not re-buy or add-on if you looseyour chips.

    Full House Any three cards of the same number or face value, plus any othertwo cards of the same number or face value.

    G

    Grinding Playing in a style with minimal risk and modest gains over a longperiod of time.

    Gut Shot To draw to and/or hit an inside straight.

    H

    Hand A players best five cards.

    Heads Up A situation where only two players are involved with the game.

    Hearts One of the four suits in cards..

    High Card To decide the first dealer in the flop tournaments each user is dealta single card and the player with the highest card (based on thecard and the suit order of spades, hearts, diamonds andclubs) becomes the theoretical dealer.

    High Limit A game where the amounts wagered are high.

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    Hi/Lo Split pot games.

    Hole Cards The two cards each player is dealt face down which belong only tothem.

    House The casino or cardroom that is hosting the poker game.I

    Implied Odds The odds you calculate, considering the assumed result of bettingfor the remainder of the hand.

    Inside Straight Four cards that require another between the top and the bottomcard to complete a straight. Players who obtain this card make anInside Straight.

    JJackpot/ A prize fund given to a player who meets a set of predeterminedJackpot Poker requirements. For example, some casinos will give a jackpot to

    someone who gets four-of-a-kind or higher and loses.

    Jacks Or Better A form of poker in which a player needs to have at least a pair of jacks to open the betting.

    K

    Keep Them Honest To call at the end of a hand to prevent someone from bluffing.

    Key Card A card that gives you a big draw or makes your hand.

    Key Hand In a session or tournament, the one hand that ends up being aturning point for the player, either for better or worse.

    Kicker The highest unpaired side card in a players hand.

    Kick It Raise.

    Kill Pot A method to stimulate action. It is a forced bet by someone whohas just won a pot(s).

    Knock Check.

    Kojak A hand that contains a K-J.

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    L

    Ladies Two Queens.

    Late Position Position on a round of betting where the player must act after mostof the other players have acted (usually considered to be the twopositions next to the right of the button).

    Lay Down YourHand Folding.

    Lead The first player to bet into a pot.

    Limit Poker A game, as in Texas Holdem, that has fixed minimum andmaximum betting intervals, along with a prescribed number of raises.

    Limper The first player who calls a bet.

    Limp In To enter the pot by calling rather than raising. The most commonunderstanding of limping in, is when the first person to speak onlycalls the Big Blind.

    Live Blind An instance where the player puts in a dark bet and is allowed toraise, even if no other player raises. Its also known as an option.

    Live Hand A hand that could still win the pot.

    Live One An inexperienced player who plays a lot of hands.

    Long Shot Making a hand despite having few outs and/or poor odds.

    Look When a player calls the final bet before the showdown.

    Loose A loose player plays a lot hands.

    Low Limit A game where the amounts wagered are small.

    M

    Main Pot The centre pot. Any other bets are placed in a side pot(s) and arecontested among the remaining players. This occurs when aplayer goes all-in.

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    Make To make the deck is to shuffle the deck.

    Maniac A very aggressive player who plays a lot of hands.

    Maverick The name of a Queen and Jack in the pocket. Suited or otherwise.

    Meet To meet is to call.

    Middle Pair In flop games, when a player makes a pair with one of his/herdown cards and the middle card on the flop.

    Middle Position Somewhere between the early and late positions on a round of betting (the fifth, sixth and seventh seats to the left of the button).

    Muck (The) Where a players cards go once he/she has folded.

    Minimum Buy In The least amount of money with which you can start a game.Monster A very big hand. In a tournament, a player who begins to

    accumulate chips after having a small stack is considered to be amonster.

    N

    No Limit A game where players can bet as much as they like (as long as theyhave it in front of them) on any round of betting.

    Nuts The best possible hand at any point of the game. A hand thatcannot be beaten.

    O

    Odds The probability of making a hand against the probability of notmaking a hand.

    Offsuit Cards of a different suit.

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    On The Button Being the last player to act in a betting round. Dealers position.

    Open To make the first bet.

    Open Ended Straight Four consecutive cards where one additional (consecutive) card

    is needed at either end to make a straight.Open Card A card that is dealt face up.

    Open Pair A pair that has been dealt face-up.

    Option An option is a live blind made before the cards are dealt. If no oneraises, the option player may raise the pot.

    Out Button A disc placed in front of a player who wishes to sit out a hand(s),but stay in the game.

    Outs The number of cards left in the pack that can win you the hand if they are turned over as one of the community cards.

    Overpair A pocket pair higher than any of the cards on the board.

    P

    Paints Face or picture cards (Jack, Queen and King).

    Pair Two cards of the same face or number value.

    Pass To fold.

    Pay Off To call on the final round of betting when you may or may notthink you have the best hand.

    Picture Cards Face cards (Jack, Queen and King). Also known as Paints.

    Play Back To raise or re-raise another players bet.

    Playing the Board In flop games, when your best five card hand is all five of thecommunity cards.

    Pocket The down cards or hole cards.

    Pocket Cards The two cards dealt to you at the beginning of a Holdem hand thatno one else can see.

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    Pocket Rockets A pair of aces in the pocket or hole.

    Position Where a player is seated in relation to the dealer, thereforeestablishing that players place in the betting order.

    Post If you miss the blind, then you must post add as many chips aswere in the blind itself.

    Pot The money or chips in the centre of a table that players try to win.

    Pot Limit This is a game where the maximum bet can equal the pot.

    Pot Odds The ratio of the amount of money in the pot to the amount it willcost you to call the current bet.

    Prop A person hired by the cardroom to work as a player.

    Put Down To fold a hand.

    Q

    Quads Four of a kind.

    Qualifier In Hi/Lo games, it is a requirement the low hand must meet to winthe pot.

    R

    Rainbow Flop When the three cards on the flop are all different suits.

    Raise When a player puts in at least twice the amount of a bet that hasbeen placed in that round of betting.

    Rake Chips taken from the pot by the cardroom for compensation forhosting the game.

    Rank The value of each card and hand.

    Rap When a player knocks on the table indicating that he/she haschecked.

    Ratholing The illegal action of taking money off the table and putting itsomewhere else.

    Reading Analysis of a player based on how they play, mannerisms, andtells.

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    Rebuy The amount of money a player pays to add a fixed number of chipsto his/her stack in a tournament.

    Re-Raise When a player raises someone who has already raised.

    Ring Game A live game that is not a tournament.River (The) The fifth and final community card that is turned over when the

    third round of betting is over, also known as Fifth Street.

    Rock A passive, tight player.

    Round of Betting This is when players have the opportunity to bet, check or raise.Each round of betting ends when the last bet or raise has beencalled.

    Royal Flush This is an ace high straight (A-K-Q-J-10) of the same suit. It is thebest possible hand in poker.

    Run The act of playing with more money than is typical or reasonable.

    Runner, Runner A hand made using both the last two cards dealt

    Rush A winning streak.

    S

    Sandbagging Holding back and calling despite the fact that you have a very goodhand, usually to disguise strength, provoke bluffs, and to check-raise.

    Satellite A mini-tournament to gain an entry into a larger tournament.

    Scoop To win the entire pot.

    Seating List A waiting list. A player can put his or her name on this list if thereare no seats at the table at which they wish to play.

    Second Pair In flop games, when you pair the second highest card on the board.

    See To call.

    Semi-bluff Betting with a mediocre or drawing hand.

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    Set Having a pocket pair that matches one of the cards on the board.

    7 Card Stud Another well-known poker game in which players get three downcards and four up cards. You play the best five of those sevencards.

    Shills Shills are players paid to start and maintain poker games.

    Short Buying Buying chips after your initial purchase. Usually the minimumfor a short buy-in is less than the initial buy-in.

    Short-handed A short-handed game has few players.

    Showdown When there are two or more players left in the pot after all bettingrounds are over and bets have been called the players reveal theircards and the best hand wins.

    Side Pot A separate pot which is contested by remaining active playerswhen one or more players are all-in.

    Slow Play To play a strong hand weakly so more players will stay in the pot

    Small Blind A compulsory bet forced upon the player to the immediate left of the dealer before he/she has received their cards.

    Soft Seat A seat or game that is favourable because of the lack of skill at thetable.

    Solid A fairly tight player (and reasonably good).

    Speed Limit A pair of fives.

    Split Tie.

    Stack A pile of chips.

    Stay When a player remains in the game by calling rather than raising.

    Steal Raise A raise by someone in late position in an attempt to reduce thenumber of players and/or steal the pot.

    Steamrolling Re-raising to make a player(s) call two bets instead of one.

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    Steel Wheel A five high straight (A-2-3-4-5) of the same suit.

    Straddle A straddle is a Blind bet which is usually double the size of the BigBlind (and one that a player may raise when the action gets tothem).

    Straight Five consecutive cards of any suit.

    Straight Flush Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

    Structure The limits put on the blinds/ante, bets, and raises in any particulargame.

    Stud Games Types of poker where players get both down cards and up cards.

    Stuck A player who is losing in a game.

    Suit A characteristic of a playing card. The card being either of clubs,diamonds, hearts, or spades.

    Suited Connectors Sequential hole cards of the same suit

    T

    Tell An action that gives others clues about the cards you are holding.

    Texas Holdem The most popular form of poker!

    Thirty Miles Three tens.

    Three of a Kind Three cards of the same number or face value (trips).

    Tight Either a player who doesnt play many pots, or a game that doesnthave much action.

    Tilt Paying poorly and recklessly due to frustration from having lost.

    TOC Tournament of Champions.

    Top Pair In flop games, when the player pairs one of his down cards withthe highest card on board.

    Top Two Pair When your pocket cards match the highest two cards on theboard.

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    Treys A pair of threes.

    Trips Three of a kind.

    Turn (The) The fourth community card that is turned over when the second

    round of betting is over, Also known as Fourth Street.Two Pair A hand consisting of two different pairs.

    U

    Underpair A pocket pair of lower value than the lowest card on the board.

    Under the Gun The playing position to the immediate let of the Big Blind.

    Up Card A card that is dealt face-up.

    W

    Walking Sticks A pair of sevens.

    Wild Card A card that can be played as any value.

    Worst Hand A losing hand.

    WSOP World Series of Poker a major poker tournament.

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    Playing Online

    In this part of the manual Im going to look at finding, choosing and using Internetgaming sites the websites where you can play Texas Holdem poker, as well as lots of

    other games if you wish.

    What You Need To Know About Internet Gaming

    The first Internet gaming sites opened up in 1995 . when most people hadnt evenheard of the Internet and very few could connect to it. Gaming is now one of the biggestmoneyspinners on the web. Its estimated that some Internet casinos and gaming sitesmake over 1 million per week!

    Firstly, a quick warning : Internet gaming sites operate from many different countries.Lots of them are completely unregulated by law. So you have to choose carefully andensure you play only with reputable gaming sites who run their games properly and willalways pay out. The risk of playing with a dishonest site is that the games might berigged, winnings take months to be paid out or are never paid at all.

    Look for sites that are licensed in well-known countries and which have set-down fair-dealing policies. Look in the small print of the site for information on this. Are theamounts the site takes out of the game (their rake) fair and competitive? Look at howdifferent sites compare here. Look at the shuffle : Does the site use reputable numbergenerator software to ensure cards are dealt in as random a way as possible?

    Finding And Choosing Gaming Sites

    There are plenty of Internet poker sites to choose from, and more are being added all thetime. Youll see lots advertised, and you can also find some with a simple web search.

    Sites vary in the way they work (although the basic rules of Texas Holdem are exactlythe same). Different players have different favourite sites. So a good idea is to try a fewand then focus on the one you feel more comfortable with.

    There is, of course, nothing to stop you playing on several poker sites at the same time as long as you keep track of your success rates and incomings/outgoings for each. Somesites have a customer-led deposit limit and self-exclusion tools, so you can control whatyou lay out.

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    Later in the manual youll find a run-down of my favourite online poker sites.

    Setting Up And Getting Started

    With most online gaming sites you need to download the gaming software , open anaccount and deposit some stake money in it before you can play.

    Downloading The Gaming Software

    Most sites have minimum system requirements, but an average PC should easily exceedthem. These are typically Windows 98/NT/ME/2000 or XP; a Pentium system with atleast 64MB of RAM; a sound card for audio; a screen resolution of at least 800x600pixels with minimum of 256 colours and Internet Explorer

    To download just follow the instructions on the site. Heres a typical installation :

    1. Go to your chosen site.

    2. Click download, then .

    3. Wait for the software to install.

    http://www.partypoker.com/Downloads/2699255/PartyPokerSetup.exehttp://www.partypoker.com/Downloads/2699255/PartyPokerSetup.exe
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    4. Once installation is complete, the software should open automatically and ask you tolog in.

    You can then start to play right away!

    Opening An Account And Depositing Money

    Most Internet poker sites play in US dollars, but some offer other currencies like UKpounds and euros too. I think it is easier to play in pounds if you can, so the game feelsmore real. Most sites allow you to open an account in one currency but play in another but make sure the exchange rate is reasonable.

    Most sites offer various deposit options including credit cards and debit cards, personal

    cheques, bank drafts, money orders, wire transfer, Western Union or online paymentservices such as PayPal and others. Once money is deposited you simply play from youraccount, with losses deducted and winnings added. You can then withdraw your winningsfrom your account in the same way they were credited.

    Practising And Playing For Free

    Generally, online poker plays in exactly the same as real life. But before you play forreal, all good casinos and gaming sites should allow you to play practice versions forfree, to develop your skills. With practice versions you dont stake actual money but of course you dont win or lose it either!

    When you register with a particular poker site look for the trial version or play moneyversion. Check very carefully as they often look almost identical to the real money pokerrooms!

    Trial and practice versions work exactly the same way as for real versions. However, youneed to be aware that with some sites the odds of winning may be changed so that theyare slightly better for trial versions. So dont get too excited if you win a lot with the playmoney games. When you start real you might find it slightly harder to win and that youneed to work on your strategy more.

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    All About Tournaments

    Now heres where things get a little more interesting. In this section I will explain aboutthe different types of poker tournaments you can get involved in.

    Why are tournaments so interesting? Well tournaments or tourneys as theyre known rather than single table cash games can be a very good way to maximise your profitsfrom poker. With tournaments, especially multi-table ones, you generally receive a muchbetter return on your money and a much bigger first place prize. Theyre also very, veryexciting! Whether youre playing for a few thousand or a few hundred thousand, theresnothing quite like the feeling when you outplay everyone else on the table and walk awaywith the cash!

    I got involved in tournaments after about a month of first starting to play online. I startedoff by depositing 100 into my online account and played single table tournaments.

    These ranged from a 1+20p all the way up to 500+30 (remember the + part is thepercentage the site takes for organising the tournament). I played the 5+50p single tabletournaments where you can choose between a ten player tournament and a six playertournament, also known as a sixpack.

    I also tend to prefer sites that host guaranteed tourneys . This means they guarantee aminimum prize pot even if there are not enough entrants to make that amount. Forinstance, one site I use does a daily 10,000 guaranteed tourney which has a 25+2 buyin. So for the prize pool to reach 10,000 there would need to be 400 entrants. But if there are less than 400 the prize pool will still be 10,000 because it is guaranteed.

    In simple terms a poker tournament is a poker game in which each player starts with anequal amount of chips. All of the players in the tournament continue to play until oneplayer has amassed all of the chips. Each tournament has a buy-in as well as a fee. Thebuy-in is put into the prize pool. The fee is kept by the casino or gaming room. The sizeof the prize pool depends on the number of people playing in the tournament and will bepaid out in its entirety to the winners.

    There are two main types of tournaments, scheduled and sit and go :

    Scheduled Tournaments

    These tournaments have a fixed starting time announced in advance. If you want to playin these you must sign up before registration closes. The time will be announced in thesites lobby.

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    Sit And Go Tournaments

    These tournaments are available at all times. They start as soon as the necessary numberof players are seated at the table.

    Sit and go tournaments are offered in a variety of games with buy-ins typically starting aslow as $5. Players will be blinded/anted off if they are not present. All seats are assignedat random.

    Now a little more about multi-table tournaments and shootouts :

    Multi-Table Tournaments

    Multi-table tournaments are probably the most popular tournaments in the world today.They challenge your poker skills and give you the chance to win big prizes with small

    wagers.Each multi-table tournament usually has a buy-in as well as an entry fee which can be upto $50. The buy-in is added to the prize pool, while the entry fee is kept by the gamingroom. The prize pool is the product of the buy-in and the number of players in atournament.

    These tournaments feature many players with several tables starting off simultaneously.As players are eliminated from the tournament, tables are combined, reducing thenumber until there is only one table left.

    Shootout Tournaments

    Shootout tournaments are offered by many gaming rooms and are an exciting variation tothe standard multi-table tournament format. Generally they have more payouts, shortertournaments and are more fun . but also more tense! A shootout tournament can beone, two, three or four rounds depending on the number of players that enter.

    Each different gaming room has their own rules about how tournaments progress, theblind structure and the payout structure so do check these out before you play.

    Typically in rounds 1, 2 and 3 tables will not be collapsed and players only play againstthe other players at their table. Players advance if they are one of the three remainingplayers at their table. Players that advance are paid a portion of the prize pool for thatround. Players will advance with the chips that they have won.

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    In round 4 the round is played out in a standard multi-table tournament format. Payouts inround 4 follow a standard multi-table payoff schedule based on the number of playersthat enter the round and the remaining prize pool

    Heres an example of how a Shootout tournament works:Number of Entrants : 110

    Round 1 :

    This round will begin with 11 tables, 10 players per table. The round will finish whenthere are three players left at each table. There will be 11 first place finishers, 11 secondplace finishers and 11 third place finishers all of whom will be paid and will advance toRound 2.

    Round 2 :This round begins with four tables, which will consist of three tables with eight playersper table and one table with nine players. The round will finish when there are threeplayers left at each table. There will be four first place finishers, four second placefinishers and four third place finishers all of which will get paid and advance to Round3.

    Round 3 :

    This round begins with two tables, six players per table. The round will finish when thereare three players left at each table. There will be two first place finishers, two secondplace finishers and two third place finishers all of which will get paid and advance toRound 4.

    Round 4 :

    This round begins with one table seating six players. The round and tournament willfinish when only one player with chips remains. Round 4 payouts are based on a standardmulti-table format (if less than 10 players begin Round 4 then the payouts will be 50% tofirst, 30% to second place and 20% to third place). In this example the first, second andthird place finishers from Round 4 will be paid.

    To start a tournament each player is dealt a card. The player with the highest card startsthe game as the dealer. Each players goal is to amass as many chips as possible. Playerswho lose all of their chips are out of the tournament. As the tournament continues, moreand more players are eliminated until only one remains . the grand winner!

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    Games proceed in a tournament exactly the same as in a regular game. However, youneed to adopt a slightly different strategy to win in a multi-table tourney. You need toplay a lot tighter, be a lot more patient and you need to keep your concentration forlonger periods of time. It took me a while to discover and adapt to this different methodof play but with time and a bit of money I became a more competent multi-table player.

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    Know Your Enemy

    Every poker website that Ive played on has a facility where you can make notes onplayers. It is a good idea to take advantage of this facility as it can prove very beneficial.

    For instance, if a player is loose and erratic you should make notes of how they play sowhen you play them in the future you can adjust your play for that specific player andearn off them. Or, on the other hand, if they are a good tight player makes notes you willknow not to get involved with them unless you have a monster . a very big hand.

    Play Only When The Rake Is Sensible

    The rake, remember, is what the gaming site charges for running the game. In my opinionthe correct rake to be charged for a sit and go tourney is considered to be 10% of the buy

    in fee. In the case of a 5 sit and go this would be 0.50.However, some sites charge you 1 for a 5 sit and go and I think this is extortionate. Iknow it doesnt seem like a lot but consider this : You are just starting out at online pokerand have made a deposit of 100. So you decide to play quite a lot of 5 sit and gotourneys with a rake fee of 1 over the course of say one month. After you have played ahundred of these tourneys with the extra 0.50 that seemed insignificant it would add upto 50! Thats enough nine more sit & go tourneys! The 0.50 add up over a period of time so make sure that you choose a site that has the correct rake of 10% for a 5 sitand go.

    Managing Your Bankroll

    I believe that the best strategy for beginner is always to play low stake sit and gotournaments. Id say that a 5+.50 sit and go is ideal. And in my opinion your bankrollshould be large enough to fund at least fifteen sit and go tourneys. So, if you wereplaying the 5+.50 tourneys then that would be at least 82.50 and 100 would beperfect.

    The reason I believe you need a big enough bankroll to fund at least fifteen sit and gotourneys is because it doesnt matter how good a player is. They will go on a loosingstreak. Everyone does it is inevitable in poker. So if you want to start out the right way toearn money at poker, make sure you have a big enough bankroll to absorb the losses.

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    Handling Flush Draws

    If you have two suited cards pre flop, say ace-six of hearts, and the flop comes K (hearts),9 (hearts), 2 (spades) you are 35% to hit your flush with two cards to come. In these

    cases, many, many players call an all in without hesitation. But, do you really want tocommit all your chips when you have a 65% chance of loosing? I dont think so!

    A lot of players dont realise the true percentages of hitting a flush draw are that muchagainst. However you shouldnt fold a flush draw whenever you get one. I know I saidits wrong to commit all your chips, but its not wrong to chase the flush to an extent. Itsfine to call small bets and medium size bets and, sometimes, if your getting the right potodds even big bets.

    If you have a pair to go along with your flush draw it changes things however. Say, forinstance, you have ace-six of hearts and the flop comes 6(spades), 2(hearts), ten(hearts)

    youre still 35% certain to hit your flush. But you can also make two pair or trips toincrease the value of your hand if needs be, depending on what your opponent has.

    Handling Straight Draws

    If you hit an inside straight draw on the flop I would not go chasing it. The odds of youmaking your straight are 16.5% with two cards to come and 9% with one card to come.If the other players check then, obviously, try and hit your straight by getting a free card.But calling big bets or medium bets is a bad move as the odds are not at all in yourfavour. If you hit an open ended straight draw on the flop you are 31.5% to make yourstraight with two cards to come and 17.5% with one card to come.

    Like a flush draw (but even more so) you shouldnt commit all your chips on an openended draw as, again, the percentages are against you. You can call small bets andmedium sized bets and, again, if youre getting the right pot odds even big bets.However, I believe its wrong in some cases to call any bets if you are chasing an openended draw. For example, if your hole cards are 10 of clubs, J of spades and the flopcomes : Q-9-2, all of hearts, I think it would be foolish to chase the straight. This isbecause the King of hearts and the 8 of hearts are no good to you, as there would be fourhearts on the board and any player in the hand could easily have a heart. But even if youhit a King or an 8 (that isnt a heart) on the turn, a heart could come on the river then yourstraight would be worthless.

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    Handling Open Ended Or Gutshot Straight And Flush Draws

    This is a situation when, for example, your hole cards are Queen of spades, ten of spadesand the flop comes : Jack of spades, 9 of spades and 2 of hearts. The likelihood of you

    hitting your straight or your flush are 54% and in most cases you would be the favouriteto win the hand. I would almost always re-raise if someone bets and even call an all-in inmost situations. As this time the odds are in your favour, and in poker its never wrong toput your money in the pot when youre the favourite to win the hand.

    How To Play Big Hands Pre-Flop

    In Texas Holdem the hole cards that are normally regarded as the really big hands arepocket aces, pocket Kings, ace King and maybe pocket Queens. A lot of players are

    tempted to slow play pocket aces and Kings by not raising before the flop. This isbecause players wait all game for aces or Kings and when they get them theyunderstandably want to get paid out. But I dont advise this play.

    I raise 99% of the time with aces or Kings, usually three or four times the size of the bigblind. The main reason being that you are a big favourite to win a pot with A-A or K-Kagainst one person, maybe two, but not 3, 4, 5 or 6 players. If you dont raise pre flopyoure letting players see the flop cheaply. They will have all sorts of hands and yourpocket aces or Kings could get easily cracked. So, for example, why let a measly Six-Five see the flop cheaply and let them hit a straight or two pair then loose all your chips

    just because you wanted to get paid out.

    If you have pocket Kings and you raise and the flop produces an ace I would be verycautious! Im not saying you should fold every time an ace comes up. Because youropponents could easily call your raise with Queen-King or a smaller pocket pair thanKings. Just be careful! Maybe put in a smallish bet if youre first to act and see how theplayer/players react. If they just call they could still have an ace, so continue to playcautiously if they re-raise or come out betting big. I know its hard as pocket Kings are arare commodity, but Id have to say chuck them in the muck! I would play pocketQueens pretty much the same way if an ace or a King comes up on the flop.

    I raise with ace-King 99% of the time. I would usually bet triple or quadruple the size of the big blind. I would almost always bet if I hit an ace or a King on the flop, especially if there is a straight or a flush draw on the flop as one pair is not strong enough to slowplay.

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    Some players get too attached to ace-King and, if they miss and hit nothing on the flop,they find it hard to lay down and quite often call medium and even big bets. I dontunderstand this mentality. I know ace-King is a very nice hand pre flop, but if you donthit anything on the flop all you have is ace King high. So its not a good idea to call bigbets. Because even if you do hit an ace or King it might not be enough, and could only

    end up in getting you into serious trouble!

    Slow Playing Hands

    A lot of players slow play when they hit trips and this is OK sometimes. But on certainflops and in certain situations you should bet at the pot. Say, for example, you havepocket Nines and the flop is 10- 9-J I would definitely not slow play here, because aQueen, King, 8, or a 7 would ruin your hand. So I would make a large bet on the flop andmake any player fishing for a straight pay big for it.

    I know that if a player did hit their straight the board could pair up and it would give youa full house but prevention is always better than cure! The odds are against youespecially with one card to come, so make sure you flush out the fishes before youbecome the one fishing!

    I would also come out betting if there was a flush draw on the flop. Maybe not such alarge bet, but still big enough to make players fishing pay for it. If there were three heartson the flop Id bet very big and be very aggressive as its possible but quite unlikely thatsomeone has flopped a flush. And if someone is betting or calling your bets theyre mostlikely on a draw. So make them bet big and make them pay or fold.

    If they have been fortunate enough to flop a flush you could still make a full house if theboard pairs. But, again, although you have a reasonably good chance of making a housewith two cards to come the odds are against. It is, however, relatively safe to slow playon certain flops. Say, for example, you have pocket eights and the flop is 2, King, 8 (arainbow). It would be quite safe to slow play as there is no straight or flush draw.

    Using Outs Percentages

    I thoroughly recommend you make every possible use of the chart below! It will showyou the percentage chance of you hitting your hand based on how many outs (thenumber of cards left in the pack that can win you the hand if they are turned over as oneof the community cards) there are.

    You can use this information to help you make an accurate decision when playing basedon the likelihood that an out card will help you making the winning hand. For examplesof how to use it, see after the chart.

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    Outs On the flop for the turnOn the turn

    for the river

    On the flop for the turn and river combined

    1 Out 2.13% 2.17% 4.26%

    2 Outs 4.26% 4.35% 8.42%3 Outs 6.38% 6.52% 12.49%4 Outs 8.51% 8.70% 16.47%5 Outs 10.64% 10.87% 20.35%6 Outs 12.77% 13.04% 24.14%7 Outs 14.89% 15.22% 27.84%8 Outs 17.02% 17.39% 31.45%9 Outs 19.15% 19.57% 34.97%10 Outs 21.28% 21.74% 38.39%11 Outs 23.40% 23.91% 41.72%12 Outs 25.53% 26.09% 44.96%13 Outs 27.66% 28.26% 48.10%14 Outs 29.79% 30.43% 51.16%15 Outs 31.91% 32.61% 54.12%16 Outs 34.04% 34.78% 56.98%17 Outs 36.17% 36.96% 59.76%18 Outs 38.30% 39.13% 62.44%19 Outs 40.43% 41.30% 65.03%20 Outs 42.55% 43.48% 67.53%21 Outs 44.68% 45.65% 69.94%22 Outs 46.81% 47.83% 72.25%

    How To Use The Chart :

    This chart shows the percentages of making a hand on the turn, on the river and bothcombined. Here are some examples :

    Example of four out scenario : Say you have 7, 8 off suit in the pocket and the flop is7, 8, 9. You suspect your opponent has a straight. Then you need to hit one of the twosevens or one of the two eights left in the pack to win the hand with a full house.

    Therefore you have four outs. If you refer to the chart you will see that you have a 16.5% chance of hitting one of the four outs with two cards to come. The same would apply if you needed to hit a gut-shot straight, as that would also give you four outs

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    More Handy Tips

    Pay Attention

    Watch whos playing in an aggressive or loose way and whos playing tight. Try to playthe loose players and avoid the tight players unless youve got a strong hand.

    Watch The Chips

    Always be aware of everyones chip count. Know who has more chips than you and playmore carefully against them a mistake could knock you out. Its usually better to playpots with players who have fewer chips than you.

    Be A Bettor, Not A Caller

    Being aggressive is usually the best policy in Texas Holdem.

    No Match, No Contest

    If your cards dont match any of the community cards throw your hand away whensomeone else bets.

    Ace In The Hand Dont play every time you have an ace in your hand. However, play an ace if itsaccompanied by a card of the same suit or by a 10 or higher.

    Hands To Stay With Before The Flop

    Play with pairs (7-7, 9-9), two face cards (K-Q, Q-J), or hands that can make both astraight and a flush (8-9, 6-7 of the same suit). Be patient and fold other hands, unlessyoure in the blind.

    Good Hand? Bet Strong

    In no-limit Texas Holdem players can bet all of their chips at any time, so betaggressively when you have a good hand.

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    Watch And Wait

    Play fewer hands when youre one of the first players to act, because youll be out of position and vulnerable to raises from the remaining players.

    Call Their Bluff

    If someone raises in a late position (near/on the button), re-raise them with a goodamount if you are on the blind. Chances are, they dont have a big hand and are justtrying to steal your blinds. (This style of play, known as going over the top, is probablythe strongest play you can make in no-limit Texas Holdem.)

    Be Patient

    Act promptly, but not rashly. When youre making an important decision pause to think about how the betting has gone and what your opponent might have. Take your time.

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    My Best Sites

    These sites are my own personal favourite poker gaming sites . You might find you likethem and do well with them, or you might not. Either way I think it is worth taking a took

    for yourself :

    Party Poker

    Website Address : www.partypoker.com

    This is an American based poker site, and is the giant of online poker the largest pokersite in the world. It has anything from 75,000 players upwards playing online at the sametime. So you never have to wait long for a game, whether its a cash game or a single

    table tourney. More than $4million in tournament prize pool money is up for grabs hereevery day! It has very good multi-table tournaments usually ranging from free-rolls .all the way to a $640 buy in $1million guaranteed prize pool tourney. This is myfavourite site for multi-table tournaments.

    A lot of their tournaments are re-buys and add-ons. This means that, usually for the firsthour, if a player looses all their chips they can pay the original buy-in fee and will receivethe same number of chips they started with. After the hour there will be a break andregardless of your stack you can again pay the buy-in fee and add the amount you startwith to your stack. Some tournaments are freeze outs where you cannot buy-in or add-onand get no second chances.

    Party Poker has satellite tournaments (a satellite is a mini-tournament to gain an entryinto a larger tournament) for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) competition and variousother live tournaments such as the famous annual Poker Million televised event. This iswhere some of the best online poker players in the world battle it out for their share of what is usually about a $5 million prize pool with a first place of $1 million!

    The software is user friendly. It is also very easy to cash out (the easiest way to withdrawyour money is to get it wired into your account). In fact, all in all this a very good site.

    Poker Stars

    Website Address : www.pokerstars.com

    This is an another American based poker site. It has over 5 million members and at peak times it has about 70,000 players online. It has a whole range of multi-table tournaments

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    ranging from free-rolls to $1 million guaranteed tournaments. It is also very good forsatellite tourneys and qualifies more players to the World Series of Poker and similarcompetitions like the World Poker Tour and the European Poker Tour than any other site.

    Another feature that makes this site stand out from others is that the winners of the last

    three WSOPs play on this site along with other top pros and you can play against them.You gain points for how many tourneys you win in relation to how many you enter aswell as other factors. The winners of the leader board each week play one of the proplayers on the site. It also has cash games that range from $0.01/$0.02 to $100/$200 andsit and go tourneys that range from $1+20 buy-in to $5,000+$100.

    This is an excellent site for satellites and multi-table tourneys. The software is userfriendly and the graphics are good, which makes it a nice environment to play onlinepoker in. However, there are a couple of snags : When you cash out you must either ask for a cheque, which can take three weeks to receive from the USA and clear. If youwithdraw by credit card it must be a minimum withdrawal of $100, and it seems to take

    longer for your money to arrive than other sites.

    Paradise Poker

    Website Address : www.paradisepoker.com

    This is also an American based poker site and it has been established since 1999. Thiswas very, very early for an online poker site . it was definitely one of if not the firstonline poker rooms. It has 7,000 players playing online during peak times and you neverhave to wait long for a game. It has cash games which range from $0.01/$0.02 to $10/$20for no limit and $0.02/$0.04 to $40/$80 for limit games. Or, if you are looking for asingle table tourney they range from $5+$1 to $500+$30. It has the usual different typesof poker that most sites have including Texas Holdem plus 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo and 5 Card Draw.

    Like most sites they have WSOP satellites although the amount of packages Paradiseoffers are more than most of the other sites. This sites best feature is the multi-tabletourneys. One of their best daily tourneys is the $40,000 guaranteed re-buy and add-onand they hold many more daily guaranteed tourneys, as well as many more non-guaranteed ones. They also regularly hold $100k and $150k guaranteed re-buy and add-on tournaments.

    I think that their best multi-table is the $1,000,000 free-roll yes free-roll! It is by farand away the worlds biggest free-roll tournament. The only way to gain entry is bywining your seat in a free multi-table satellite. You are allowed one free entry in the free-roll satellite. If you dont qualify first time round you can enter again, but only by using

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    million points which are gained by depositing cash and playing online. The payoutstructure to this is as follows :

    500 th-101 st : $50100 th-51st : $100

    50th

    -12th

    : $50011 th : $1,00010th-2nd : $10,0001st : $1,000,000

    One of the drawbacks about this site is the out draws that occur and the amount of actionhands the site deals. Dont get me wrong, this is poker and quite often the best handdoesnt win. Quite often there are a few big hands dealt at the same time. But, for me, theregularity of how much this occurs is unusual. Also, the standard of poker is high and theopposition is tough. (Paradise is notorious for the quality of players and tightness of games.) One last snag theres no live or telephone support.

    Pacific Poker

    Website Address : www.888.com

    This is up there with the largest poker sites on the net and is owned by Casino On Net,the worlds largest online casino. So the site is in good hands, and it should be a big forcein online poker for years to come. The different types of poker you can play are TexasHoldem, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo.

    Their cash game tables range from $0.05/$0.10 to $30/$60. They also have many multi-table tourneys going on at the same time. Their best daily ones are the $10,000 and$30,000 guaranteed. Like most sites they have satellites to the WSOP and you canqualify from as little as $2.20.

    This is a good and very well known site with a good reputation. One of the little annoyingthings about this site is that when you go all in and there are cards still to come it dealsthe remaining cards. But it does not automatically turn over the cards of the people in thehand. So you have no idea of what you are up against or if youre winning until its allover. A trivial point maybe, but I dont think it should happen and wouldnt happen in alive game. However, it is also quick and easy to cash out exactly the way it should be.

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    Full Tilt Poker.Com

    Website Address : www.fulltiltpoker.com

    The main attraction of this site is that some of the biggest names in poker play on this site names like Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson and many more. And, like PokerStars, you can play against them. But unlike Poker Stars the good thing is you that youdont have win a league to play against them. You just have to join a waiting list (but youwill have to be patient).

    Their cash games range from $0.25/$0.50 to $200/$400 for limit games and $25/$50 forno limit games. They run good satellites for the WSOP and reasonably good multitourneys. They also have one of the widest range of poker games out of all the pokersites. You can play Texas Holdem, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Low, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card StudHi-Low and Razz.

    This is a good site for satellites to the WSOP. For a relatively new site the multi-tabletournaments are good, and the fact that you can take on some of the worlds best playersmakes it very appealing. The bad points are that you must deposit a minimum of $50 andthe only method of payment is a credit card. Also the withdrawal options are quitelimited.

    Titan Poker

    Website Address : www.titanpoker.com

    This is one of the newest online poker sites. It has a fast growing member base due to itsexcellent free-rolls and its visually appealing 3D software. The different types of pokeryou can play are Texas Holdem, Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo with limit, pot limit and nolimit tables. They range from $0.02/$0.04 to $30/$60. New depositors are automaticallyentered into a $1,000 welcome free roll tournament. They also hold a monthly $25,000guaranteed tourney as well as lots of other non-guaranteed tourneys. They also hostWSOP satellites.

    Another interesting unique featured promotion is Fort Knox $100,000 Jackpot sit and go.With this you must enter and win six consecutive $50+7 Fort Knox-jackpot sit and gotournaments to win $100,000. Dont get me wrong, its far from easy to win sixconsecutive sit and go tourneys. But if you become a good player its not beyond therealms of possibility. Cash outs are also quick and easy.

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    This is a new up and coming site with good user friendly and modern software and hasinteresting featured promotions. It also has a feature that most sites dont have : You canfind players who arent very good who you could earn off! It is a very well organisedpoker site and it could become one of the largest in the near future. Bad points are thatthere are not enough multi-tables with big prize pools.

    Betfair.Com

    Betfair is a UK based poker site and has been around for about two years. At peak timeshas 7,000 to 8,000 players playing. The different types of poker you can play are TexasHoldem, 7 Card Stud, Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo. The table stakes range from0.15/0.25 to 25/50 for no limit and 0.25/0.50 to a massive 150/300 for limit.

    Their sit and go tourneys range from 1+20 to 500+30 and are six or ten seaters. You

    can also choose to play in euros, US Dollars or UK Pounds which is a good feature, asits always easier to use your own currency. (I dont know of any other sites that give youthis option.)

    All their multi-table tourneys are freeze outs and their best daily multi-table tournamentsare the 4,000 guaranteed, the 10,000 guaranteed and a 15,000 guaranteed. They alsohave a big weekly 50,000 guaranteed tourney with a first place of at least 12,750.Again like most good poker sites they host regular satellites to the WSOP and you canqualify from as little as $1.20. They also have satellites to other land based tournamentssuch as World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour events.

    This is the I site I have become comfortable using because its very user friendly and hasreasonably quick moving table play. There are lots of help options, a 24/7 helpdesk andgood cashing out options.

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    Conclusions . And More About My Big Win !

    At the beginning of this manual, I promised you Id tell you exactly how I won mybiggest prize so far. Well, heres exactly how I did it!

    Its a long story . but stay with me to the end. As well as learning about my own bigwin youll pick up lots of tips and hints you can use in your own games .

    One day, just after Id started to get the hang of Holdem, my brother told me that therewas a big multi-table tourney coming up. It was $25+$2 to enter and the maximumnumber of entrants was 2,000. The website also added $50,000 on top of the total prizepool so there was a potential prize pool of $100,000! (In the end there were 1650entrants so the total prize pool was $91,250.) The breakdown how the prize pool isdivided paid down to 120 th place which paid $95 all the way through to first place .which was a very handsome looking $18,500!

    The tournament started at 1700 hrs, with a five minute break every hour and a 15 minutebreak every four hours. There were 165 tables of 10 players. Everyone started with 1,500chips. The blinds started at 10 and 15 and they went up every 12 minutes.

    For the first 30 minutes I didnt have any decent hands! Then I picked ace, Queen. Theblinds at this time were 25 and 50. I raised 200 on top of the blinds from under the gun(first position) and two people called. The flop came A-7-9 rainbow. The big blind orBB was first to act. He checked, so I bet 600. The player to my left folded and the bigblind who originally checked called the 600. The turn was a 5 again. The BB checked Iwas very suspicious of his play so I thought for as long a time as I could and checked as

    well.

    The river was a 2. The BB then bet 200. It was a small bet in relation into the pot and Ihad to call, considering how much I had invested. (And to my disgust the BB turned over86 off suit. He had made a 9 high straight.)

    I was left with just shy of 500 chips and understandably I didnt think it was my going tobe my day. The very next hand I picked up ace, King. In the BB a player in middleposition raised and made it 300 more. Everyone folded to the small blind on my left. Hecalled and raised all in for another 100 odd chips, and they both called.

    I was praying for a good flop and I wasnt disappointed as it came over A-K-4! The twoother players checked and the turn was a 9 and again both players checked. The river was

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    a 9. At first I thought one of them might have had trip 9s, but they both quickly checked.One had pocket 10s and was obviously scared of the ace. The other player showedpocket 8s so I was back in the game, as I took down a 1500 pot with two pairs aces andKings nine high!

    I went 15 minutes or so without really playing a hand. Then I picked up pocket Queenson the button. Everyone folded round to the player on my left. They raised the blinds 400more which were 50 and 100 at the time. I waited for a short while and then re-raised allin the two blinds, folded, and the original raiser called instantly and turned over 99. Thepot size was 3,100. The flop was A-7-10, the turn 3, the river A. So doubled up and wasnow feeling a lot better about my tournament hopes!

    Nothing major happened for the next hour or so (!) but I built my stack up to roughly5,000 up by wining little and often and stealing the blinds when I could. Then two handsthat really put me on my way too going far in this tournament came one after the other.I picked up ace King in mid position. The player in first position who was sitting on a

    stack of about 16,000 raised the pot, the blinds at that time were 200 and 400 and theymade it 800 more. Everyone folded round to me. I thought for a while then decided topush all in. Everyone folded round to the original raiser who called me in a heart beatwith pocket Queens.

    So it was my ace King against Queens : I had a 48% chance of winning pre flop and tomy delight the first card over was a King followed by a 3 and a Jack.! The turn was a 3and the river was a 10. So with two pairs Kings and threes ace high I took down an11,000 pot.

    The very next hand I picked up ace King again. A player in early position raised it 800more. It was folded round to me and with my lucky ace King I re-raised another 1,000 ontop of the 800. It was folded round to the big blind which was the player whose Queens Ihad just cracked (beaten). They immediately went all in the original raiser folded and itwas left up to me and, believe me, it was a tough decision.

    To go all in after a raise and then a re-raise must mean they had a very strong hand, and if I lost Id have been out of the tournament and I wasnt pot committed. But the fact thatI had just taken a big pot this player, I thought, might be on tilt . and the only hands Ididnt really want too see were Kings or aces. So, rightly or wrongly I called and theyturned over pocket Kings. This time I only had a 30% chance of wining as I only had oneover card.

    With my fingers crossed and my heart pumping the flop came over Jack 7 9 so no helpfor me. Then the turn was a 4, and with one card to come I was ready to walk as mychances of catching an ace were just 7%. So it was all down to


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