Desperate Mac User Looking for Mac Compatible Poker Room...

The world of online gaming has been cruel to Macintosh computer users. This is because there is only a meager selection of online poker rooms and casinos featuring no-download option compatible for Mac computers. Indeed, finding an Internet card room available to Mac holders is not an easy task. Most online gaming destinations require poker lovers interested in their games to download their software in order to play. This is highly unfortunate to people using Macs.

So, I've decided that this is going to be my 'challenge of the day.' I've made up my mind to find 5 top online poker rooms with a no-download software option no matter how much time it will take. If a Mac user happens to read these lines, this is for you buddy!

Well, the search was not easy at all. After all, with Mac compatible poker websites being so few, it took me quite awhile until I was able to find the most profitable and reliable ones. Here go my 'top 5 Mac compatible poker rooms':

Pacific Poker- This is a high-quality online poker room. Generous promotions. Good selection of games. Highly attractive graphical design. The competition is relatively easy. What more can a player ask more? And, they certainly offer their gambling action to Mac users as well.

Hollywood Poker- Hollywood poker is a fast growing poker room. Competition can be found at most hours of day virtually at any table. The support service is excellent, fast and savvy. Mac compatible.

PokerRoom.com- Yet another cool online card room. Games available are Texas Hold 'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7-Card Stud, 7-Card Stud Hi-Lo and 5-Card Draw. Provides a great gambling experience. Reliable when it comes to payouts.

Party Poker- Generally speaking, Party Poker offers its patrons very generous bonuses and rich promotions, including a Bad Beat Jackpot. Account holders are also offered the option to play casino games and even place wagers on sports. The general environment is safe and secure. Mac users are more than welcome.

Fult Tilt Poker- I couldn't help myself with this one. Full Tilt Poker is a great poker room and was among the most profitable ones before the U.S. government enacted the UIGEA last October. While numerous other poker rooms abandoned the U.S. market, Full Tilt Poker decided to stay. So, it means that it still offers gambling entertainment to U.S.-based players, but the legality of play over there is unclear. But, if you don't care about the legal issue, Full Tilt Poker does offer no-download play for Mac holders.

Good Luck you Mac folks!.

News: Poker dealer murdered...

I'm positively shocked. Or, should I say negatively? Well, in any case, I just read a news article that definitely shocked me. It was about this middle-aged poker dealer who was tortured to death. The victim's body was found by an employee of a cheap Las Vegas hotel where he lived. Police said he was brutally tortured before dying. I guess that any detailed depictions are unnecessary.

An, what is worse, police have no clue regarding who did it or why they did it. Apparently, the dealer just moved to Vegas from Ohio so he could not have made any enemies so rapidly. On the other hand someone indeed had the motive to slay him. The authorities suggested that, perhaps, he was murdered by his former illegal gambling business buddies. Yep, the victim was not a saint either.

At first, police suspected that his estranged wife was involved, but soon such assumptions were dropped. The woman had a solid alibi. And, after being questioned, detectives assigned to case concluded that she didn't want him dead. So, now they are trying to figure out who murdered the man in such a cruel manner...I hope they nail the attacker and make him spend a lot of time behind bars. 'Cuz pretty much nothing justifies murder!

'Cuz It's Worth It!

'Why play poker over the Internet?' That's a question many informative poker portals are more than willing to answer. While some mention the great selection of games typically offered by online poker rooms, others seek to attract players describing the incredible gambling adventures players would be experiencing. Personally, however, I play for the perks. My motto when it comes to online card room promotions is 'the more the better'!

So what should you expect when checking out a poker room in terms of bonuses and promotions. According to OnlinePokeReport.com, the following list should more or less answer this important question:

Welcome bonuses

These refer to a perk a poker room is willing to give you if you open an account there. The Welcome bonus is usually very generous and is designed to attract as many players as possible. Remember, anything under 100% match is not worth your time. And another thing, check out what are the conditions for bonus withdrawal because these are sometimes very tricky.

Reload bonuses

These refer to a perk expected to make you to return to a poker room where you have already registered in the past. In other terms, where you are already an existing client. The poker room wants you to keep playing there instead of opening a new account somewhere else. So, they offer you some additional cash just to get you started. Reload bonuses are not as frequent as one would like them to be, so a poker room that has them is a great one!

Freeroll tournaments

Freerolls are great. No, really! Freerolls are tournaments where you are not required to invest any money in order to participate. However, the prospect of winning some actual cash is more than real. All you need to do is express is sign up and there you have it: real tournament play at it's finest! The quality of the freeroll is judged by how much money the poker room is putting up per player. If you see a freeroll, dive in. Just be sure that there are no strings attached.

Satellites to prestigious live events

Satellites are online poker tournaments with seats to major live events, such as the World Series of Poker championship, as first place prizes. Satellites are perfect for players who can't afford to pony up the buy-in for the major event directly. These are typically quite expensive, you know. Once again, just be sure what a poker room requires you to do in order to gain entrance to the satellite tournament.

Bad Beat jackpots

You can't win them all, right? Sometimes, you happen to hold a great hand and you can almost smell the victory, but it's snitched away at they very last moment. Some poker rooms understand your sorrow and offer a Bad Beat bonus. This is a prize awarded to a player who gets beaten despite holding a spectacular hand.

These are the promotions you look for when evaluating a poker room. Once again, 'the more the merrier'!

Poker Debt Leads to Incredible Cruelty...

Apparently, it is true. Poker may indeed lead people to incredible cruelty. Just this morning I read a news article saying that some two guys from Colorado were very desperate to collect a certain poker debt. Apparently, the third guy, the one who owned them money, refused to pay. So, in order to force him to settle his debt they decided to torture him in the most vicious way.

Their creative drive knew no limit. They built a wooden box and placed rattlesnakes in it. Their plan was to make the debtor put his legs in the box without the option of pulling them out. It would have been a slow and very painful death. And for what? For the money!

Fortunately, they never had the chance to carry out their scheme. The would-be victim called police and the plotters were apprehended and placed under custody. They now both face grave charges, and if proved to be guilty, would certainly spend some time behind bars.

Personally, I think that it's outrageous. I believe that poker is about honing ones' skills and having great entertainment at the tables. It should have nothing to do with any physical violence, much less murder conspiracies. Otherwise, why bother?

Poker Quiz for You Folks

O.k., so it may appear rather childish, but I admit that I simply love taking quizzes. And, I really don't care what the subject is. History, literature, sciences, whatever. Poker quizzes, nevertheless, are my favorite. The minute I lay my eyes on a poker quiz I feel an unstoppable urge to test my knowledge. After all, I consider my self highly knowledgeable when it comes to the world of poker. My friends usually tease me calling me 'poker brains.' This, unfortunately, says nothing of my gaming skills...

Needless, to say that the poker quiz presented below is aimed at poker beginners. However, if any of my readers are already poker professionals, I'm positive, that you would have a lot of fun ass well. The questions are taken from different areas of poker, from tournament play skills to general poker trivia. I hope you have fun with it:

1. Who of the following top poker pros holds the most World Series of Poker bracelets?

A. Johny Chan

B. Phil Hellmuth

C. Carlos Mortensen

This is a tough question because all of the above are highly experienced poker pros who have taken their share of cash at the WSOP...

2. In what Hollywood movie Mel Gibson portrays a poker player?

A. The Bounty (1984)

B. What Women Want (2000)

C. Maverick (1994)

Mel Gibson has certainly played in a great variety of films. However, there is only one great movie where he portrayed a player desperate to collect enough money to participate in a high-stakes poker tournament.

3. Which of the following descriptions describes the best a 'maniac'?

A. A player who bets and raises without taking into account his hand value.

B. A novice player with marginal gaming skills.

C. A rude player who is used to insulting his opponents.

You will come across different types of opponents at the poker tables. It is important for your future success to identify them and adjust your gaming strategies accordingly.

4. What popular poker game is different than the rest?

A. Texas Hold 'em

B. Deuces Wild

C. 7-Card Stud

Every poker game has its own rules and winning strategies. However most of them also share the same elements, such as the ranking system. What I'm asking is what poker game has the least in common with the others?

5. Which of the following female poker pros started playing poker when she was only four years old?

A. Kathy Liebert

B. Jennifer Harman

C. Barbara Enright

Women poker players have long since demonstrated that they can rule the poker world with the same success as their male counterparts. The women listed above are considered highly talented poker players as fierce opponents at the tables.

Answers: 1. B., 2. C., 3. A., 4.B., 5. C.

Btw: all the info can be found at OnlinePokeReport.com.

What Makes an Amateur Poker Player a Pro?

Boy, that's a question I've been asking myself for a long while now. But really, what makes an average poker player a poker professional? What separates amateur players from real pros? Some would say that professional players are the ones who consider poker their career and make their living from playing poker. These guys eat, drink and sleep poker. However, it is only one way to look at the issue. Many prominent poker players, like 2005 WSOP champion Joe Hachem, who are definitely considered pros, are in no hurry to abandon their non-poker jobs.

Looking from a completely different angle on the issue, perhaps a poker pro is a person who makes huge profits by playing poker. However, this is also inaccurate. Take, for instance, Jamie Gold. Prior to his record-breaking win of $12 million at the 2006 World Series of Poker, the guy barely new how the game is played. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but despite nabbing such an attractive jackpot at the WSOP, Gold is largely not considered to be a poker professional.

In my opinion, the separating factor is the pros' attention to details. Simply put, most poker amateurs lack the ability to pay close attention to details which at first may seem unimportant. While the pros are constantly engaged in filing information on each and every of their opponents and on the gambling action that takes place at their tables, poker amateurs focus on on issues of no immediate value, such as how to nab the next WSOP bracelet. Additionally, amateurs are easily distracted by the sounds they happen to hear around them. Pros, however are completely fixed on the game.

A lot has already been said on the importance of tells. Players who know how to read whatever their opponents project have an incredible competitive advantage over others. Thus, while poker pros invest extra time in reading their opponents' behavior, amateurs are mostly preoccupied with their own hands. Once, when staying with my family in Vegas, I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Annie Duke in action. Frankly, I do not remember which casino it was at (because that they I visited many of them on the Strip), but what I do remember is how amazing she was. Her eyes were concentrated on the cards. She was examining the body and faces of her poker foes. No wonder she's considered one of the best tell spotting players in the industry!

So, what do we actually learn from this? Well, the way I see it, it takes time to become a pro. And, it's all about paying attention, folks!

Trust No One!

The Internet is virtually swamped with advice on how to play Texas Hold 'em. Everybody is very eager eager to teach others how to play the game so to be able to win. By just googling the phrase 'Texas Hold 'em rules/ strategy' you receive a couple of hundreds of poker-related websites featuring game play rules. This is all just fine. However, what bothers me the most is the fact that most of these recommendations are completely senseless.

What I mean to say is that, most of these guiding tips have absolutely nothing in common with reality. Basically, the vast majority of them lack logic altogether. It is very likely that they have been written by amateurs with high self confidence, but with almost no poker experience. This becomes a major problem for poker beginners who seek genuine, usable advice.

In my opinion, the best thing to do in order to avoid using the no good information on how to play poker, is visit major poker blogs (just like this one) or forums and ask experienced players for advice. Asking regarding reputed informative poker portals that provide reliable information is the best solution to this problem.

Anyway, much like always, I recommend OnlinePokeReport.com!

Confessions of a Greedy Poker Player...

Yep. This is actually true. It's time to come out...When it came to poker bonuses I was once a greedy fellow. I was always on a search for a generous bonus or an attractive promotional offer. I used to think online poker rooms where created for people just like me. The greedy ones. Those who refuse to settle for a poker room that doesn't run frequent freeroll tournaments or is giving away prizes for its existing players (as opposed to lavishing incredible perks on newcomers).

To my defense on the greediness part, I shall state that I was only greedy because I could. What I mean to say is that much like many other poker lovers who play the game over the Internet, I was spoiled with the vast range of online poker destinations competing one against the other for a player's attention. With so many great online poker rooms offering the ultimate poker experience, I could afford to get picky.

When I first started playing online poker, I was modest. I was looking for a nice poker room to settle in, become a regular and enjoy the adventure of playing the game in cyberspace. But, as time went by, my appetite for free perks grew bigger and bigger. I started looking for poker rooms with other free attractions, and the more I found the more I wanted more. I came across poker websites providing players with incredible First Deposit bonuses of as much as $600 and satellites promising to send players to exclusive live event like the World Series of Poker.

Other incredible offers included guaranteed tournaments with jackpots worth thousands of dollars, unbelievably profitable Refer-a-Friend bonuses (by the way, I referred so many of my friends that, at a certain point, I could no longer keep track of whom I referred where) and other irresistible promotions. The entire thing got out of hand so badly that I realized that things were becoming ugly. So, I stopped.

No, not that I stopped playing poker altogether. I'm too big a fan to do just that. I still play online poker. But, I no longer chase the ultimate bonus, rather, now I go for other important qualities. The list of these qualities typically includes honesty, integrity and zero tolerance for collusion. Now, I only play at poker websites that have truly earned my trust. Actually, this is the best advice I would have given to a beginning poker player, if asked, of course.

Btw, you can find a list of great online poker rooms at OnlinePokeReport.com. Enjoy!

Poker Hypnotherapy to Do the Trick?

From the beginning of time, poker players have been searching for an efficient way to overcome poker's four toughest challenges: lack of confidence, lack of patience, loss of concentration and going on tilt. These four elements have prevented even the most brilliant poker aficionados from cashing in big time. If you comb some of today's most popular poker forums and blogs, like I did for the past couple of weeks, you will see what I'm talking about.

Players repeatedly complain that they lose the games they play because they either lose their self-confidence after a string of unsuccessful games, lose their patience when they should do just the opposite, go on tilt when they feel that victory might be close or suddenly become impatient for whatever reason. In my opinion, players who can put these aside and just focus on the game are sure winners.

I just recently found this website saying that poker involves mental aspects. And, the way I see it, the four challenges I mentioned above are indeed all mental. People with vast experience in poker realize the mind & body connection and how it influences game outcome. They understand that developing useful poker strategy and having good luck are only part of the equation when it comes to winning.

Well, the most interesting thing about this website is, that they suggest that it's possible to gain the coveted mental edge over opponents through Poker Hypnotherapy. At first, was quite skeptical but they insisted that the Hypnotherapy treatment really made a huge difference. They claim that hypnosis helps enhance the performance of professional sportsmen and that it works the same for poker players.

When asked what poker hypnosis is, the website operators say that it's a state of relaxation highly similar to being asleep and with the emphasis on poker. Also, they say that your subconscious works to keep you happy. When you hear positive suggestions, your subconscious will accept them and instruct your body to perform the physical functions accordingly. Consequently, it's possible to actually retrain your mind to react with different behaviors while playing poker. Although it takes a lot of practice, it can really be achieved.

After reading the above material, I was quite intrigued. I wondered how safe it was to actually undergo such a treatment and whether or not the results were truly worth the effort. I guess I'll never know the answer because I'm quite satisfied with my armature poker play as it is. I usually beat all my friends anyway...

Hmmm, Razz Anyone?

I never played Razz poker before. Never even knew that it's actually very similar to the way you play 7-Card Stud. I was greatly surprised to find out that these two poker variations are pretty much the same. Well, they do have their differences still...

For instance, in Razz, the lowest hand, A-2-3-4-5, takes the jackpot. Also, Aces are low, and straights and flushes have no impact on the low value of a hand. It was kind of weird for me at first, but then it turned out to be really ok.

I gathered my poker buddies at my house yesterday and said 'Guys, tonight we're playing Razz.' At first, they protested saying that we always play Hold 'em and there is no way we're betraying our years-long tradition. But, eventually, after much yelling, they came around and we played Razz.

The only part that I really hated was losing. This is because I usually win in Hold 'em. It's probably because I am a beginner with Razz. I wonder if the other guys had prior experience with the game playing it over the Internet. Maybe I should practice online too. Frankly, I hope that I'll have better luck next time...

Btw, there is a pretty clear explanation on how to play Razz at OnlinePokeReport.com.

PokerOcean.com an Ocean of Wealth

A longtime friend of mine, who by chance happens to love poker as much as I do, recently mentioned to me that he had found this fantastic Internet card room, PokerOcean.com. Being curious by nature, I immediately typed the the name of this card room in my web browser. The poker room opened instantly and I was captivated by the attractive graphical design. Then, I wanted to know more. I guess there is no limit to my curiosity...

The first thing I check out when evaluating a poker room is what gaming software it uses. This is of paramount importance because it saves me lots of unexpected crashes. Overall, I like software that is user-friendly and generally reliable. In PokerOcean's case, I was greatly satisfied. This online poker room operates on software provided by Playtech, which is a leading company in its field. Their products are of high quality and totally trustworthy.

The second thing that I'm most anxious to find out is the selection of bonuses they have to offer. Let's face it, most of us search for the most profitable poker rooms on a daily basis. The welcome bonus is the most critical of all. If it's not as attractive as I expect it to be then I move on. Luckily, the first deposit bonus at PokerOcean.com is more than just ok. It's actually great! It's a 50% match up to a total of $200. Potentially, that's a lot of money. There are other excellent bonuses as well, such as a $75 refer-a-friend bonus and a 100% monthly reload bonus.

The third thing that, in my opinion, is a must is the range of games the poker room features. If a certain website has nothing to offer but Texas Hold 'em variations, I would never open an account there. But, this is not the case with PokerOcean.com. There you will find all limit variations of the following games: Texas Hold 'em (don't get me wrong this is actually my favorite game, I just like diversity), Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7-Card Stud and 5-Card Stud. Most of the games are quite loose.

The list of other perks I found at this poker website includes a selection of safe and secure depositing and withdrawing methods and 24/7 support services available through either live chat, or telephone or e-mail.

The bottom line is that PokerOcean.com is a great place to play poker and make new poker buddies!