In less than 24 hours – 1.00pm UK time tomorrow to be precise – we have Andy live on WUBT Betting Radio who is a Poker Playing Perpetual Traveler. He ditched a conventional career in his late 20’s to become a traveling online poker player. He is currently living in Buenos Aires, Argentina after sampling South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada.
Check out his Poker blog

PT lifestyle

We’ll find out how he likes his PT lifestyle along with some great poker tips to help you profit playing poker online. A PT is someone who doesn’t stay in the same place for more than 6-12 months. You can read more in Bill’s classic book W.G. Hill classic ‘PT – The Perpetual Tourist’.

I had the pleasure of meeting “Bill” many years ago.

Poker

We’ll be checking out what Andy’s view is on the most important skill in Holdem. Is it discipline in the range of hands you play, or the ability to read the other player? Or how you can trust your read and let a hand go, or trust the read and make a difficult call?

Is it better to play aggressive early in a tourney where the blinds go up quickly — or should your style of play stay consistent no matter how quickly the blinds go up?

And why do so many highly-intelligent people with advanced degrees decide to play poker?

It promises to be a great show and my first live interview with a poker professional.  And we’ll be covering Andy’s latest rakeback deals which helps to boost his bottom line.

Poker RakeBack

When you play poker online you pay a fee to the poker room for each hand you play. Many players pay several thousand dollars in rake each month. The good news is that you now can get up to 60% of your rake back. So it’s simple really, only play in poker rooms that pay rakeback.

With an account in place, your rakeback money will be paid automatically to your poker account once a month.

I’m a break even player. I play small stakes. I’ve played over 200,000 online hands of poker over the last 12 months. I’ve had a little help too – but more of that at another time.
.
I show a profit over all my poker accounts of just over $2000. My rakeback has paid me $8000. Now that makes it worthwhile – just!

I use Rakebrain to manage my rakeback from the poker sites I use.

Too good to miss. I hope so! Catch us live at 1.00pm UK time tomorrow. See you then.

This show will be available after 4th Feb 2009 in the WUBT Radio Archive
Why not suggest a new guest for us? Visit Who do you want to hear.
If you have any Poker questions for Andy post them in this post.

Titan Poker, the largest online poker room on the iPoker Network, is set to stage a $2,500,000 Guaranteed Prize tournament on March 8, 2009. TitanPoker.com players have already begun competing in Sit ‘N Go and Multi-Table Satellite tournaments to qualify for a seat in this monumental event.

Qualifying satellites to the $2,500,000 Guaranteed started recently at Titan Poker. These qualifiers start from as low as $1.20 to enter, so players can potentially win a share of $2,500,000 for an investment of just one dollar. Players that wish to skip the satellites can also buy-in directly to the Main Event and compete for the chance to win an opulent lifestyle in just one day of exhilarating game play.

The upcoming $2,500,000 Guaranteed tournament is just the latest in a series of record-breaking tournaments. Titan Poker previously staged a hugely successful $2,500,000 Guaranteed Prize tournament in September, 2008, and a $2,000,000 Guaranteed Prize tournament in March 2008.

A total of $4,717,900 was awarded to winning poker players during the 14 events of Titan Poker’s European Championship of Online Poker (ECOOP III) in November and December, 2008.

In addition to staging tournaments with huge guaranteed prize pools, Titan Poker also regularly awards its players with seats at the world’s most well-known poker tournaments, such as the Aussie Millions, the Irish Open, the Asian Poker Tour and World Series of Poker.

Visit Titan Poker

Visit Betfair Poker

Betfair Poker software

The Betfair Poker software is privately developed and offers great functionality, good playability and stability. The latest software update added the option to play up to 15 tables simultaneously, with great mini-view functionality further enhancing the multi-tabling experience.
The functionality is very good overall, with good player notes, statistics functions and a solid overall feel. The addition of a “player buddy” program, where players can analyze hand histories and replay hands, only adds to the already excellent software.

The games at Betfair Poker

The games at Betfair Poker are mainly fast and loose at low- to medium-stakes Limit and No-Limit Texas Hold’em. There are plenty of lower buy-in tournaments and freerolls with great value. Betfair Poker also offers the unique “Threedom Pass tournament,” where players can win free buy-ins to live tournaments of their choice for three years straight – something unprecedented in the industry.

The traffic volume overall is in the middle segment of the industry. Real-money player statistics as of October 2008 show 1,200 ring-game players at peak hours, and 4,000 tournament players at peak hours.

In general, Betfair Poker offers loose games and first-rate software that plays well and is updated frequently to ensure safety and stability, with little downtime as a result. The competition at Betfair Poker ranges from loose at the micro and low limits to relatively loose at higher stakes. In general, the competition is loose and passive, making the site a great place to play for skilled poker players.

The rake at Betfair Poker is at par with the industry average at 5% with a $3 maximum rake at any game. There is a “no flop, no drop” policy that lets players collect pots won pre-flop without a rake.

Rake Rebate

A rake rebate is applied for the lowest Limit games: In Limit games with a maximum of 10¢ blinds, a maximum of 10¢ is raked; in Limit games with a maximum of 20¢ blinds, a maximum of 20¢ is raked; and for Limit games with a maximum of $2 blinds, a maximum of $1 is raked. For all other limits the 5% rake is capped at $3.

The Zero Lounge

The “Zero Lounge” features a handful of games with ZERO house edge. That’s right, these aptly named “Zero Games” have no house edge; the return to players on all zero games is 100% (correct to at least 1 decimal place based on optimal player strategy, of course). Players can choose from Zero Roulette, Zero Baccarat, Zero Jacks or Better, and Zero Blackjack. If you can’t find the game you’re looking for in the Zero Lounge, don’t worry, you’re sure to find a regular version back in the Main Lounge.

In terms of software, no download is required here as games are easily played in pop-up browser windows so all you really need to get started is a Betfair account which you may already have if you’ve used any of their other services(if you’re looking to practice and play for free first, you don’t even need the account!). The software itself isn’t too shabby and is powered by Chartwell Technology which is based out of Australia.

Sign-Up Bonus

There is a wide selection of Sign Up offers available and you can select which suits you by  opting in to the bonus on sign up.
Visit Betfair Poker

Poker Bots

Another week has flown by since the last poker review. At the Weekend we’ll have a look again at a different side of the poker industry – the bot. Unlike betting exchanges no poker site allows them. But I can guarantee at many sites you’ll be playing against them! How does the saying go, if you can’t beat ‘em…? Well, I’ll give you a few ideas on your options in the Poker Review at the weekend. Stay safe, play hard and win. TTFN.

WassOnline offers you the possibility to learn the skills you require without having to spend a penny. They offer a great range of tutorials and player guides, from poker to blackjack to roulette to slots, to baccarat, keno and craps, and more!

Their tutorials don’t just skim the surface either. They go in depth and give tips, tricks and technical advice.

Nobody can learn a game just by theory alone. That’s why WassOnline give you access to each of their online games for FREE. All you need to do is register for FREE membership so you can join a game and start betting money when you feel that you have the skills and know-how to win.

VISIT WASS ONLINE AND JOIN THE POKER SOCIAL NETWORK TODAY

WassOnline also deal with sports betting, and review the top online casinos and tournaments available. They rate and detail the different online casinos, revealing the software they use, and reveal their welcome bonuses and payout percentages. They also bring you exclusive offers from some of these very online casinos.

As if great tutorials and practice at an unbeatable price (free) wasn’t enough, Wass offers more. They’ve got a great community forum, where you can participate in discussions about the finer details of your game of choice. They also offer a live chat-room, so you can chat in real-time with other interested gamblers. But what distinguishes them in our opinion is that they are really trying to turn the community into a social network. As a member, you can start your own blog, detailing your winnings and insights, upload photos, and videos and so on. As a member you also get exclusive access to big jackpot tournaments.

All-in-all we here at JuiceStorm.com are impressed with what WassOnline.com are doing. It’s more than a great resource, it brings social networking to the table, giving you the chance to build friendships with others online who share your interests.

We’ve joined, our username is Juicestorm.

Join the Community at WassOnline.com Free

What truly separates Party Poker from many of the other online poker sites out there is its poker tournaments. The Party Poker million dollar TV Tournaments attract players from all round the world, largely due to a huge jackpot estimated to be around $10million. Players can win one of the 700 invites to the tournament through playing at the poker room. By playing through a number of $25 buy-in tournaments they can book their ticket to the opportunity of a lifetime.

All the major games you would expect from a site this size including Texas Hold’em, Omaha High and Omaha High/Low, 7Card Stud, Stud 8 or Better. Buy-in’s to their poker games usually range from $5 ($1 entry fee) up to $50 ($5 entry fee). Tournament pots are normally split 50% to winner, 30% for 2nd place and 20% for 3rd place.

Even if you’re not playing in one of the big tournament events, you rarely have to wait long for single or multi-table games to fill up. At time of writing there were 5,000 ring game players and 15,000 tournament players. Tournament games are regular, with several held every hour, with a mixture of freeroll, buy-in’s and invite-only formats.

The welcome bonus for players joining Party Poker is 100% matched up to £250. Monthly promotions to all players on the site are usually offered via emails and come with terms and conditions so make sure you read before accepting. Party Poker also has weekly freeroll giveaways that are dished out randomly to players on the site.

You can earn Party points whilst playing at Party Poker, which can be cashed in at any time. The more you play, the more you earn, giving you something back for your time at the tables.

All varieties of money deposits are acceptable at Party Poker including all major credit/debit cards, NETeller and Western Union. Withdrawals are usually swift and can be debited back to your credit card instantly (Party Poker terms and conditions apply). It may not be so straight forward if you have won using a bonus offered by the site, once again read the terms of the offer before accepting it.

Party Poker have are Thawte certified, to ensure payments are managed in a very secure and professional way. The also have a GamCare certificate to prove that they are a responsible gaming site, unlike some others.

A 24/7 customer support service is offered by Party Poker and comes in the form of live chat, email or free phone. We emailed the site at various times of the day and got responses within 1 hour, which is pretty quick compared to some other sites. We liked the live chat facility offered by Party Poker, which sort of works like instant messenger. Allowing you to ask a string of questions in quick succession. The customer support phone number is not free unless your from North America, so be aware of this. That’s it for our weekly poker focus. More next week.

These sponsored pros can be found playing at all limits in all variations across Full Tilt, and are also available for real-time chat at the tables. Anyone good enough to win Full Tilt Poker satellites for entry to the biggest live poker tournaments will also be able to play the pros live.

Full Tilt Poker

At Full Tilt Poker there is action to be found at any poker game and at any limit. You’ll very often find me at the limit hold’em heads up tables. The site was the first poker room in the business to offer ultra high-stakes games, attracting some of the absolute best players in the world. The high-stakes player can often find monster action filled with the best in the world, playing for pots of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The games offered at Full Tilt Poker include Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven-Card Stud, Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo, Five-Card Draw, Razz and various mixed games. The games vary between No-Limit, Pot-Limit and Fixed-Limit. Full-table games, shorthanded and heads-up tables are all available.

Full Tilt Poker is also one of few sites offering mixed games such as H.O.R.S.E., H.A. and H.O.S.E. in both cash games and tournaments, making the game variation some of the most extensive and impressive online.

Poker Room

The poker room’s software is unique, boasts some very innovative functions, is very stable and features excellent graphics; indeed, it is one of the best in the industry. The functions are easy to use and the points shop is also excellent, offering players all sorts of cool merchandise that can be acquired with their Full Tilt Poker points. The graphics are innovative, with cartoon-style avatars, and the software offers different table types with optional backgrounds.

Overall, the traffic volume is in the very top segment of the industry. Real-money player statistics as of October 2008 show 10,500 ring-game players at peak hours, and 70,000 tournament players at peak hours.

Support response time and quality are both very good at Full Tilt Poker, and e-mails are often answered almost immediately. Some support lag has been known to occur at times, however, due to the high influx of players or during a large software update.

Full Tilt Poker is backed and owned by some of the biggest names in the business and has no reported issues. You can use eCheck, Visa, MasterCard, Neteller, Moneybookers, InstaDebit, ClickandBuy, cash transfer and Click2Pay and withdraw by Visa, Click2Pay, Moneybookers, InstaDebit, ClickandBuy and cheque.

That’s it on the poker front for another week. Good luck to you as always. See you at the tables soon.

Play Online Poker

I’m a break even player. I play small stakes. I’ve played over 200,000 online hands of poker over the last 12 months. I’ve had a little help too – but more of that at another time. I show a profit over all my poker accounts of just over $2000. My rakeback has paid me $8000. Now that makes it worthwhile – just! I use Rakebrain to manage my rakeback from the poker sites I use.

The Independent rooms I play at include Betfair Poker for a rakeback of 30 – 37%, Full Tilt Poker for 27%, PKR for 30% and Ultimate Bet for 30%. Betfair do not accept US players but the others do. Then at Absolute Poker I get 30% rakeback and the Cake Poker network also.

On the Cryptologic network I play at BetSafe, Inter Poker and Sun Poker. All 30% rakeback. In the IPN/Boss network all for 30% rakeback I play at Poker Heaven, CelebPoker, Fortune Poker and Paradise Poker. None of these take US players. Then finally at Carbon Poker who do take US players for 30% rakeback.

The great news is your rakeback can be managed for all these rooms in one place at Rakebrain. Matt Kellerman signed up with Rakebrain in April 2006 and ever since then the rakeback has been rolling into his account each month like clockwork. And Tobias Skogsberg also got rakeback money for the first time through Rakebrain last month and he feels really bad about all the time he spent playing online poker without getting rakeback.

And it gets better. You can get a sign up bonus of up to $1500! But this is very important. If you already have the poker room’s client on your computer, uninstall the old software. To get rakeback, the software must be downloaded through RakeBrain.com, which is why previous installations have to be removed.

This is part of a series of articles I have written on Poker. The topics that will be covered over the rest of this year will include poker bots – not welcomed at any poker site, allegedly – poker calculators and the storage of poker statistics so you can easily pull up the details on every player even if you’ve never played them before. Stay tuned, stay safe and good luck to you all, as always.