So long and thanks for all the fish
After six years of being the dealer of all things poker here at About.com, the time has come for me to stand up from the table and call it a night. I've highly enjoyed sharing tales from the table, giving advice, and helping more people learn the greatest game there is and sitting down to play.
I hope to see you at a poker table soon. And on that note, here are some resources to get you there:
Best of luck to you all!
Worst Texas Hold'em Hands
You may know that pocket Aces are the best starting hand in Texas Hold'em but do you know the 10 worst Texas Hold'em hands?
If you want to avoid being pegged as the fish at the table, read up on not only the best and worst Hold'em hands, but also on starting hand selection in Hold'em and how it varies with your position at the table.
Related Resources:
Poker Trivia
Think you know a lot about poker? Test your smarts with these poker trivia questions (click on each for the answer):
Poker Betting 101
Learn the rules for different kinds of poker betting structures including limit, pot limit, and no-limit poker with our article on poker betting basics.
Once you have the basics down, you can move on to master poker pot odds, a key skill for any winning player.
Question: Who gets the extra in a split pot?
A reader asked me an excellent question: In poker hands where the pot is chopped or split between two players and there's an extra chip, who gets it?
Answer:
In high-low poker games, the odd chip always goes to the winner of the high hand.
In tied hands in Texas Hold'em or other poker games, the extra chip usually goes to the first player to the left of the dealer.
Alternately, in home games, players often decide that an extra chip goes into the pot for the next hand to sweeten the action.
Poker table games
I still remember losing my $50 my first time gambling in a casino on Caribbean Stud Poker in Tahoe, Nevada when I had just turned 21. So of course I hate that game. On the other side, one of the first times I played Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker table game I hit a big bonus hand and walked away with $500. Naturally, I love this game now.
Do you play poker table games like Pai Gow, Let it Ride and four-card poker? What's your favorite?
Get started playing poker in casinos
I remember the very first time I played poker in a casino like it was yesterday -- it was at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City and the massive room with countless tables seemed overwhelming. Luckily, the card room staff there was super friendly and guided me through the process of sitting down at a table for the first time. And since then, I've never looked back. I tried to remember all the helpful advice and put together a guide on how to play poker in a casino. I hope it helps you step up to the tables, too! Let me know if there's anything I left out, too.
Related: Casino Poker 101
Texas Hold'em Basics
The game played at the WSOP Main event is Texas Hold'em. It's the most popular form of poker and the one you've got to learn if you're planning to play at a casino. Here are some resources to help you learn the basics -- and to understand that what poker players mean when they say they have "Cowboys" or "Bullets."
New Poker Pro League gets TV deal
Meet your 2011 WSOP November Nine!
The final table for this year's World Series of Poker Main Event is set. Now we must wait until the beginning of November to find out which of these nine men will take the title and the $8.7 million in prize money. It's a very exciting group that includes Ben Lamb (pictured) , who already won a bracelet this year, and a 21-year-old who could be the youngest champ ever. Read about the 2011 WSOP November Nine here.