If you’ve been playing poker for some time, you will have your share of bad beat stories to tell. That’s because poker is a game of probabilities (some critics would call it a game of luck but that’s because they don’t know better). Even if you’re ahead of your opponent with a pair of aces on a A93 rainbow flop, there’s always the possibility he catches running 5′s for 4 of a kind. This element of chance is the basis of all variance in poker. Variance combined with your skill set at the tables is what makes your stack fluctuate from hand to hand, and your bankroll fluctuate on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. If you’re a poker novice, your bankroll will most likely decrease because you still have a lot to learn, but even poker pros
have bad runs.

Besides learning all the poker rules, proper bankroll management is your best weapon against variance and the risk of ruin. It goes without saying that you’re much more likely to lose a 100$ bankroll playing NL100$ tables compared to NL5$ tables. With proper bankroll management you will always have enough buyins in your bankroll to outlast bad spells. As a rule of thumb, you will need between 20 to 50 buyins on the level you’re playing to make sure you won’t go broke in the long run.

Before you make your first deposit, make sure you realize the consequences of your bankroll management choice. If you’re looking for quick thrills and the chance of building a bankroll with lightning speed go ahead and put your entire bankroll at stake on one table. Just be aware that you have a low chance of success. If on the other hand you’re looking to sustain your bankroll for a long time then stick to the 20 to 50 buyin rule of thumb. However, following this plan means that you will be grinding it out on small buyin tables for a long time in order to increase your bankroll enough to move up to the next level.

As for me, my grinding days are over. Some years ago I followed a strict bankroll management scheme for about a year and made enough money to pay for a road trip in Asia with my best friends. The trip was the best I’ve ever been on, but I realized that grinding isn’t my cup tea. Nowadays I deposit on average $100 a month into various poker sites and just have fun playing tournaments. If I cash big, I pull out the money and if I go broke I don’t worry too much about it.

If you don’t have money of your own to deposit, or belong to the group of unfortunate poker players in the US who are not allowed to deposit into poker sites, freerolls are a great way to start up a poker bankroll.

Credit Cards
Credit cards always seem to be the most popular way to deposit money onto online gaming accounts, especially at 888bingo. They work quickly and effectively. All you have to do is type in a few numbers and the money will show up in your account. It doesn’t get any easier than this. If you have a credit card, you should probably use it as your first choice to deposit money at 888 bingo.

But, in some jurisdictions, credit card transactions to online gaming websites will be blocked by the issuing bank. Especially in countries with tough anti gaming legislation, this could turn out to be a real issue! So, in those cases, you should still use a credit card, but you will have to use a “middle man” of sorts…an ewallet.

Ewallets
An ewallet is a sort of online bank account. You deposit money in your ewallet from a credit card, from a bank account, or from another source, and then you can spend online using you ewallet. Many places accept these sorts of services, especially online gaming sites, and 888bingo is no different.

By using one of these ewallets, your credit card company will not be able to find out the ending destination of your money, and they will not be able to block the transactions. This is how a lot of online poker players have been getting around the legislation on online poker there. It works just as good for online bingo play too!

If you are looking for the best way to deposit money in your 888bingo account, stick to credit cards. If your credit card transactions get blocked by your local bank, use an ewallet to get around that issue! Happy bingo!

That is why it is tough to hear that Eddie passed away last week, after a long battle with cancer. It is someone we will never forget. And to remember Eddie, we wanted to share some stories of his escapades.

I woke up this morning at 4:30 AM and was still half asleep and thought I would play a little Black Jack with that $51.00 I had won last night on AP. I was still in a daze and hit the wager button for $50.00 on one hand by mistake and lost it all! Oh well, Easy come, easy go!

Here’s an example of Karma for you! I didn’t scream, bitch or holler when I lost my connection and that $18.00 at PokerStars and I sat at another 5 card draw cash table about 30 minutes later and I won $31.00 more dollars in about 4 hands. LOL.

I went to the slot parlor to play again yesterday. Five minutes after I got there I won $850.00 on a machine. Then I hit one another one for $480.00. I went on to play yet another and lost a bit and then played the one on the side of it and cashed it out for $200.00. I played video Black Jack with 5 other players, minimum bet was 5.00 but I was wagering $20.00 to $100.00 per hand and cashed out with $300.00…I was playing a fruit matching and jackpot symbol slot I love, That’s the same as the first machine where I won the $850. I lost $40.00 and had 5 minutes left until it was time to leave , so I decided to put $20.00 more in and was betting .50 cents a line for 5 lines for a total bet of $5.00 per spin and I hit all the JACKPOT symbols in a row for a win of $3200.00! I then went home with a very fat wallet. Good thing I didn’t listen to you and quit playing this weekend.

He truly was an awesome, unique and incredibly handsome man with lots of great stories. We shall always remember you, Eddie!

In a prepared statement, Mr Hiter discussed the episode with member of the media.

“There was a utopia in the life of internet poker. There was a world where I could go on a heater and within 24 hours have that money at my disposal. A run of good cards could mean that Candy at “All Nude” could help pay for Med school with all the poker winnings. I made it rain on her.

NOW…well now, if you get your money within a month, it is a miracle at Carbon. Truly Carbon is a direct cause of my blue-balls. I know how the poor feel waiting for their monthly food stamps as I always spent my money on the morally loose women of Chicago (helping one single mom at a time)…but now I feel like I am starving waiting for my next stripper fix because Carbon is making promises they can’t hold.

It all starts with a promise of 2-3 weeks. It’s like Christmas is near when I make those withdraws but Carbon is the Grinch and promising gifts that never get there. I have waited up to 8 weeks to receive my money now. There is no instant gratification with Carbon anymore and they refuse to ever give any answer explaining the reality of where my money is.

Truthfully, I think someone at Carbon has a Midget fetish and blew all the money at Midgets Pornucopia and now the site is just a pyramid scheme. The one good thing is that I am in talks with Carbon as we speak of making Hooker transfers a reality.”

Carbon Poker’s only response to Mr. Hiter has been through twitter. “I don’t have anything to do with processing, but I’ve heard of some industry-wide delays. GL with the hooker transfers,” commented an anonymous Carbon Poker employee.

Only time will tell when Mr. Hiter receives his check in the mail.

But during this time, we plan on assembling a Poker Board of Review to work with Carbon Poker on determining arrival times for checks and increasing customer guidance. We can only hope that Carbon Poker will work with this board and better the poker industry as a whole.

You can learn some of the latest and greatest poker chip tricks. They have fantastic videos to walk you through each step of the process. Once you pick up the basics, you can watch the more difficult shuffles and really show off at your next poker game. Each poker trick builds upon the previous shuffle so you can become a master in very little time.

There are plenty of poker tricks to learn. The following are just an example of some of the videos offered.

• Twirl Flick Chip Trick
• Top Spin Chip Trick
• Phil Ivey Stepup Poker Trick
• Mexican Jumping Chip Trick
• Lookout Poker Trick
• Lift Twirl Poker Trick
• Drifter Chip Trick
• Bounce Back Poker Tip
• Around The Clock
• “Pick” Poker Trick

Remember, poker shuffling might not help your game skills at the table, but it will definitely help your image. And as everyone knows, your image is a key factor in any poker game. You will be identified as the “cool” person! Then you can impersonate your favorite poker professional that mindlessly shuffles their poker chips as they sit at the table and contemplate their move. Be cool, shuffle poker chips!

When a hand of poker is played, a percentage of the total pot is taken by the online pokerroom that operates the game. That commission is known as “rake” and it’s the way that the pokerroom makes its money. If you play a hand, it means that some of your money will go to the poker operator in the form of rake. Now, if you play a lot of hands, you will contribute plenty of dollars towards that rake.

Now here’s where things get interesting. Some great souls, like those at Rakebrain.com, will make sure that you get a piece of your rake money back. Hence the term “Rakeback”. Could it be any simpler? Rakeback makes sure that you get your rake….back.

Imagine this scenario. You go to the supermarket a couple of times a month and you spend quite some dollars while there. Now imagine if that supermarket would offer to give you some of your money back at the end of the month. Would you say no? Would anyone say no?

Do you say no when the government gives you a tax return? Do you turn down a discount while shopping for that brand new plasma tv? No. You would not. You would take that money and run out of the store while giggling like a child.

You would gladly take your money because getting money back is great, in whichever way, shape or form that it may be. So why is it then that a lot of online poker players do not have rakeback accounts? If you’re playing at Full Tilt Poker for example, you could get 27% Full Tilt Rakeback. Ultimate Bet players can get 30% Ultimate bet Rakeback. I could keep going on but I think that you get where I’m going with this.

If you’re a high roller and you’re making a sweet living from playing online poker, I could understand that you don’t need rakeback. You probably swim around in cash already and getting 30% of your contributed rake means nothing to you. But for those “regular joes” out there (like me) who are just starting or who can’t live off of poker yet, it would be very dumb to not get some of your money back.

More money means playing more hands. More hands means more chances for you to win. More winnings mean you guessed it…even more money. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that picture. Your money is right there. All you have to do is sign up for a rakeback account and make sure that at least you get some of it back at the end of each month. Don’t you deserve it?

If you answered Yes to any (or even all) of these questions, then now is the time to spice up your gambling approach. And you might be asking, “how do I go about doing that?” And I will answer, “ever try an online casino?” Your local online establishment will have numerous games like blackjack, war, craps, mini-baccarat, roulette, and slots. Its time to play against the house instead of the players. “But aren’t the odds worse?,” you ask. “Of course,” I state, “but the payouts are much greater!”

Are you still intrigued? Does the online casino tickle your fancy? Well, take another step.

We at PokerPlasm, Inc. recommend several casino sites to provide you with hours of entertainment. Many sites have downloadable programs or even live casinos, the choice is yours to make. Remember, these are 50-50 odds…the best odds you will see before placing down your chips or going five wide on the one arm bandits.

Play a few practice hands or spins, then make a small deposit if you like. See if black 33 hits on the roulette table which would payout 35 to 1. What about hitting blackjack! Ahhh, that is always excited! And those three cherries on the slots? Big payouts and good times await your future in so many games.

Lastly, always play within your budget. These are games to entertain you. If you deposit all your unemployment paychecks and have to resort to ramen noodles and spray cheese for sustenance, you have far greater issues.

Through their generosity and diligence, both gentleman have teamed up with PreventCancer.org to sponsor an online poker tournament and contribute funds in defeating cancer. This deadly disease has touched so many people around the world, directly and indirectly, like the owner of Just Play Poker. Poker players can make a difference! Several poker professionals have already registered for the event and many others will continue to over the next few days.

Asked to comment on the upcoming event, Paul Ellis stated that “his goal is to receive 500 participants and to raise $2,500 for the Bad Beat on Cancer. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we exceed that number, and I hope and pray that we do.”

Here are the Bad Beat on Cancer Tournament Details! Register early and pass on the information to anyone who plays online poker. Remember, 50% of the register’s fee will go directly to PreventCancer.org, $5 for every person!

Place: Full Tilt Poker
Date: November 15th, 2009
Time: 6:15PM EST
Cost: $10 ($5 entry plus $5 donation to BBoC)
Tourney ID#: 113220604
Tourney PW: TPTFORBBOC

About Bad Beat on Cancer
During the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP), poker professionals Phil Gordon and Rafe Furst started a drive to help fund cancer prevention research and education – by playing poker.

They asked their friends to pledge just one percent of their winnings at the WSOP Championship Event to the Prevent Cancer Foundation as a tax-deductible donation, resulting in enough money to fund a research grant for an entire year.

Since its inception six years ago, Bad Beat on Cancer (BBoC) has raise over $2 million for cancer prevention research and has grown to include other major poker tournaments, leagues, and home games. The initiative has inspired amateurs and pros alike to pledge one percent of their winnings for life, including stars Phil Hellmuth, Jr., Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Paul Wasicka, and Dennis Phillips, to name just a few. Plus many others!

Then the Internet came along, and with it brought the poker forum — a place where hundreds or thousands (and even hundreds of thousands in some cases) of poker enthusiasts gathered to discuss the game. Suddenly there was a system in place that allowed poker players of all levels improve their game by reading the thoughts of many more experienced players, discussing their own play and comparing it to the play of others. This online poker discussion is arguably the most important factor in the rapid increase in skill of the poker playing population over the last decade. More important even than the information available in the hundreds of poker books on the market today.

Unfortunately the format that existing online poker forums take is lacking in many desirable features and is not conducive to creating high quality content.

Voting
A major problem on typical forums is the existence of high numbers of low quality posts. There ofter will exist a question which has a number of great responses, a number of good responses and a number of less than useless responses. Today’s forums display the answers to an question in chronological order, so the first reply always gets seen first by all future readers regardless of its quality. A voting system would allow users to vote up good answers and vote down bad answers. Future viewers of the question will then be able to instantly see what is likely to be the best response and won’t need to read every reply and mentally strip away the unhelpful answers.

Reputation
Reputation is that little thing in life that people can use to judge a person without having to spend a lot of effort getting that person and discerning their good traits form bad. This is incredibly useful. Can you imagine having to place the same trust in a common criminal as in your president or believing that all your opponents at the poker table are of equal standards until you have seen for yourself how they play? It is safer to believe that the rock, whom you are told plays one hand every two hours, actually has a hand when he 3 bets you and that notorious drunk bluffer does not actually have AA every hand.

Today’s online poker forums make a pedestrian effort to give a reputation to their members. They do this by recording the post count of every member and displaying it by their name. Ever wonder why there are so many meaningless, single word responses? That little number beside the posters name is the reason, and as a reputation score it is woefully deficient. A more advanced and balanced system would allow users to accurately adjust their trust in the posts of another member, a member who they are otherwise unfamiliar with. Suddenly you would, with a high degree of confidence, choose to heed or discount the advise of others – safe in the knowledge that their reputation is accurate and based on the community’s overall affinity for that member and their advise.

Tags
Our structure is the only structure…and you will abide by it.

Today’s forums have a preset structure comprising of a number of sub-forums loosely based on the topics that the creators think that the members will post about. No-Limit –> Holdem –> Medium Stakes would be common sub-category where people are expected to talk about medium stakes no-limit Holdem and nothing else. Online Poker –> Software would be another popular sub-category for discussing online poker software.

This is all well and good if you want to talk about exactly that, but the system quickly breaks when people want to talk about anything that spans two topics or does not slot neatly into a preexisting category. If you want to discuss how best to use Poker Tracker for your online Holdem play at various levels, do you ask it in the software forum, do you ask it in the medium stakes Holdem forum? You are forced to choose one and accept that it is mislabeled and will not be seen by many people who are interested in real topic of your question.

A wholly more suitable categorization system would allow tagging of questions where you are free to choose a number of tags that are relevant to your question. Never again would you be forced to compromise where your question located and never again would otherwise prospective viewers of your question be unable to find it.

Set in stone
Have you ever come across information on the Internet only to find that it is grievously out of date? Perhaps you found a link to a great sounding poker app, downloaded and installed it and, only after hours of struggling to get it working, you discover that the author abandoned the application back in 2003.

Perhaps you have happened upon a post on a forum that has a simple typo, a broken link maybe, causing every reader to think twice before realizing the intended meaning of the author?

This type of thing happens all the time on today’s forums and is such a frequent occurrence because once a post it is created it can only ever be edited my the original author, and frequently cannot even be edited by the author after a short grace period has passed.

All these problems can be reasonably solved by taking a page out of Wikipedia’s book and allowing trusted members of the community (remember that reputation thing I was ranting about earlier?) to update any post. The latest up to date information would always be available to view to the casual reader, and the full change history of the question or answer would be available for the inquisitive reader.

Outflopped
Don’t you just hate people who are quick to point out every little thing that is wrong with something but are deafeningly quiet when asked for a solution? I would hate to be that person so, I present to you Outflopped, a poker forum that solves all the aforementioned shortcomings plus has a number of neat features such as…actually, I won’t spoil all the surprises for you. I invite you to come and check out www.outflopped.com to see for yourself. I am confident that you will find the forum refreshingly easy to use — you don’t even need to sign up to post a question.

The chief executive of PokerPlasm, Trevor Holewinski, was twitter-abducted early on Tuesday. A police official told the Associated Press that an eyewitness saw Holewinski being taken outside his mansion shortly after midnight. He was thrown into the back of his own car, which was then driven off by the assailant and his current whereabouts are unknown, the police official said.

Authorities have called in renowned private investigator, Carmen San Diego, to determine who is behind the vile scheme.

Shortly on her arrival, a ransom note was delivered. Clues were discovered that could provide the precise location of Mr. Holewinski.

On twitter, use the #freepokerplasm hash tag to spread the word.

More information will be provided as it becomes available.