Did you see that programme last night on BBC2 about the new poker phenomen on the internet ??
An average housewife made 8*s her starting wedge ( in controlled conditions - so no cheating ) in only about 2 weeks !!
Maybe we are in the wrong business ?
I should have taped it.
There's a pack of dog-eared cards here somewhere

That was an interesting programme. I have played a lot of online poker. Made a lot last year playing single table and multi table tournaments, but I haven't cracked the cash tables, and have giving back most of my winnings trying to work out a winning strategy. Perhaps I should just stick to the tournaments but I like the cash games, where you a playing for money instead of chips. Will have to observe the lady on the programme last night, to see if she plays cash or tournaments. If she can make that much money from $100, it is worth giving it a serious go.

Just like trading, only a small % of poker players make money, so it is not that easy to be a winner.

They did mention something about tournaments. The man they were following won the first table, but lost at the next one. I don't know much about it, but he seemed to have lost all his stake money.
They gave Party Gaming.com quite a few plugs. I had a look at the website. Poker seems to have changed since my mispent youth. Now it's 2 hole cards and 3 or 4 in the middle face up.
Do you know of a good book on it ?
Is it a good time to jump in before all the mugs get cleaned out ?

I have flicked through a few books but they don't seem to cover playing online. The online game is often loose and not like playing in real life. This forum has lots of information and is probably better than any book:-

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/ubbthreads.php?Cat=0

I think there will always be plenty of mugs, as people seem to like gambling. Just look at the number of people still pushing money in to slot machines, when they know there is no chance of winning in the long term.

Here is a riddle for all of you to consider:~

If there is a great number of people still pushing money into slot machines, when they " know " there is no chance of winning in the long term, surely they are doing this because they " know " it must be the right thing to do, surely ?

Otherwise why would they persist in doing it, if they " know " there is no chance of winning in the long term ?

They do it for the thrill of winning what seems to them like a large amount of money every now and then. They can forget the small amounts they lose all the time. I used to watch this happen in my local pub, now I observe it at the poker tables

BB
Thanks for the website. Just had a look for books. A couple were there that sound promising
Texas Hold'em by Phil Helmuth
Internet Texas Hold'em by Matthew Hilger
Will have to be in the top 20% to be profitable apparently

The Phil Helmuth book might be good for the basics but he doesn't give much away about the strageies he uses.

If you have Sky TV, the best way to learn is to watch poker night live at 10pm every night on channel 226. They show all the cards the players are playing and go through the thought process you need to win. They have a website with a good forum, www.pokernightlive.co.uk/

Hi guys this is a fantastic book about professional gambling which was recommended to me by a former trading contact for trading. The section on money management is particularly useful, and it's interesting to note how many former and present traders are mentioned.
Six Secrets of Successful Bettors
Try here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193...lance&n=283155
Cheers
Q