Poker Sharks' Slim Pickings, 3D Poker Environment, and Las Vegas Poker Tips
Your daily dose of poker news, tips, and advice
POKER SHARK ATTACK! It looks like the UK’s new extended opening hours for pubs and clubs has blunted the teeth of the poker sharks. Most of the large sites used to see a large upsurge in online poker traffic around 11pm when hoards of boozed gamblers would log on for a game of Texas Hold’em. Sober sharks loved that time of night to take to the web waters and begin devouring hung-over beginners. The tipsy traffic is now spread out much thinner through the whole night reducing the chance of shoals of lager-soaked fish all gathering for the old midnight slaughter.
3-D DYNAMICS The move to a 3-D environment on gaming sites announced previously in this column seems to be gaining momentum. Over-blown terms like “immersive interfaces” are beginning to litter the poker debate as geeks seek to give even more realism to our online fun. The ability to hover your mouse over an opposing player’s stack and see exactly how much he or she has left is obviously cool but the edge is taken off by the fact they’ll be able to see you doing it and return the compliment. Having now seen several of the working systems I have to say they are stunning. Low stake players will be in dark, grim basement environments with loads of atmosphere and high rollers will find themselves in poker rooms that even the Bellagio would term palatial. I can readily imagine this whole thing really appealing to the video game generations who have a high graphic expectation for all their entertainment.
VEGAS POKER ROOM Okay. It’s your summer holiday and you’re in Vegas to see how your recently learned online skills match up in a live poker room. You may be pleasantly surprised but here are a few things you need to keep in mind. Never offer a “string” bet in a professional poker room.
A STRING BET A “string” bet is when you say, “I’ll call your $10 and raise you another $10!” You see it in the movies and on TV all the time but it’s not allowed in a casino. If you first say the word “call” in front of a professional Vegas dealer you can’t then say “raise”. They won’t allow it. You’ll be lumbered with your “call”.
DOLLAR TO THE DEALER Also remember never to lean forward and scoop up the chips if you win the pot. Wait for the dealer to push your winnings to you. Always toss the dealer a dollar or so when you do win a worthwhile pot. It’s expected and is built into their remuneration system. Above all don’t be intimidated by you surroundings whether it be Harrah´s or the Bellagio. It’s still just poker.
ALL THE ACES poker column: Wednesday, March 29, 2006: Poker Shark Slim Pickings, 3-D Poker Environment, and Las Vegas Poker Tips
