Many of us want to improve our game and we look for ways to do this. One of the ways I have been looking to improve my game is the Training Sites and Poker e-book Trainers. Most of the ones I have discovered are genuinely offering their services with trained and professional coaches and mentors. But there are some wolves-in-sheep-clothing who offer you enticements like the following: "DOMINATE YOUR OPPONENTS" etc etc. Next thing, they offer to let you downlaod their e-book for FREE, just provide them with your e-mail and verify your account and that will be all there is to it. And what do you think you will get? Pages and Pages and Pages of Banner Affiliate Advertising with a few paragraphs of advice and strategies that even your grandmother knew before there was internet poker. Well, it's free, isn't it? Yes it is- but it is not what I asked for!

Sincerely Yours,  Duped Again

The micro level MTT at Poker Stars is full of interesting "characters". I have given them some labels of my own. Let me introduce the "Optomist" - this is a player who will always make large bets pre-flop with mediocre cards like AT and KQ and will continue to bet out even if the Flop did not connect at all. Then there is the "Opportunist"- this is a player who will go all in pre-flop with any low pair, middle pair or better, in other words, someone who will seize the opportunity of holding at least a pair before pre-flop. My favorite is the "Dipper"- this is the player who will make small bets at the Flop when everyone has checked, and then calls if anyone calls his bet. At the micro level, these players rarely change their style of play and can be counted on for a substantial amount of their chips if you apply the right course of action against them - a subject for another time.

 I strongly recommend AGAINST joining Spade Club; 1) you will spend hours and hours for very little return. 2) You will not have any hand histories 3)You will not have any stats 3) And if you have any money in your account- you will have a very, very difficult time cashing out. They will send you in circles filling out details and confirmation of your "life"; then when you have enough of that, they will tell you that you have to fill out some form that they newer send you. ( A form supposedly to prove that you are who you are etc.) They accept Pay pal as the vehicle to pay them but will not use the same vehicle to pay out. Here is a copy of the Affadavit they ask you to sign to cash out(Why don't they ask you to sign it when you Cash in -what do you think?)
AFFIDAVIT OF ELIGIBILITY
Congratulations on winning at SpadeClub! To complete your claim for your prize, we need you to send us the following information. SpadeClub keeps these forms confidential, and will not use them for any purpose other than to verify your eligibility:
1.
A completed and signed Affidavit of Eligibility (this document).
2.
A clear and legible copy of a current and valid government-issued identification (e.g., driver’s license or passport) that shows: your date of birth and current address.
Please mail these documents to the following address:
SpadeClub ATTN: PRIZE ELIGIBILITY 6940 O’Bannon Drive Las Vegas, NV 89117
Verification of Eligibility
I, _________________ (print Name), submit this affidavit to SpadeClub with the understanding that it will be relied upon in order to determine whether I am eligible to receive the prize(s) awarded to me on SpadeClub.
To verify my eligibility, I hereby represent that:
1.
I am the registered Account user for, and played the tournament under the Screen Name ________________ (insert Screen Name).
2.
I was age 18 or older as of the date that I joined SpadeClub.
3.
I played the tournament in the State or locale indicated in my identification.
4.
I have read and agreed to the SpadeClub Terms of Service, and agree to be bound by them.
Tax Statement
I understand that I am solely responsible for any local, state, or federal taxes on the value of the prize(s) that I accept.
Authorization for Future Verification
I authorize SpadeClub to maintain a copy of my identification and social security number for the purpose of allowing SpadeClub to use such documents to verify my eligibility for any future prizes that I may win. If any of my personal information changes (address, email, etc…), the I will immediately make such changes to my Account on SpadeClub. I understand that if I win $600 or more in a calendar year, then I may be required to provide an IRS form W-9 in addition to this affidavit.
Signature.
________________________________ _____________ Signature Date

I wish there was someone I could have turned to when I was a Novice poker enthusiast. someone who would have given me guidance and advice so that I could avoid those costly mistakes that I inevitably made. So here it is, my advice to the next generation of poker novices; 1) Do not make any financial commitments at this point, no cash accounts at poker sites, no major monthly commitments to any training sites - this you can do when you learned some basic skills. 2) Invest a very small amount in Phil Gordons' Little Green Book 3) Watch and observe for free videos on YouTube and other free video sources 4) Invest a small amount in an inexpensive simulator programme to give you some practice and experience 5) Open up free play accounts on poker sites(avoid any real cash for now), play freerolls and the like. 6) Obtain for free a poker hand history replayer to study the situations that occur in your games 7) Once you have an inkling of what type of game you like, SNG,MTT, etc, obtain an inexpensive software to suit the game of your choice -from it you will learn more advanced concepts(built in to most of these software programmes). Give yourself at least 3 months of learning, watching, practicing and experimenting - then you will be ready to take the next step and risk a little of your cash.

There is now a new page devoted to guiding the novice poker player on my site http://www.pokertrainingtournaments.com/internet-poker-novice-guide.php Briefly, the page goes through the steps that could be taken by a novice who wants to learn to play poker. The novice that follows the steps will avoid costly mistakes at this critical early stage of his/her career in poker. There are videos to watch and learn from, books selected for this phase of poker learning, and some interesting poker sites and software that will help the novice to develop and practice.

Today I saw some training videos; most of them showed and used "helpers''- software which showed what the players opponents have done in the past; their win%,the number of hands taken to the river, betting patterns and the like. You know what I mean, you've seen these yourselfe in many a poker video on YouTube and elsewhere. Personally, any software that helps me to analyse my own game and to develop for me my own judgement on a particular and singular situation is the software that does good and is a real helper. The type of software which builds a reliance on statistics and not on observation and judgement, in my opinion, leads nowhere for the poker player.

Todays world of high tech is absolutely GREAT; who would have thought that anyone can have their own video channel; and now everyone can on YouTube. So, when I discovered this, I went ahead and created my very own channel; ON POKER of course; I collect a ton of videos that have been posted on YouTube , videos that help me improve my poker skills. Its become a practical hobby of mine. I also noticed that I am getting many viewers as well. And the training is free and from many decent poker players and enthusiast. Love the Internet!

This video shows how much fun the makers seem to have with lampooning PokerStars

Poker Players come from many backgrounds; the world of music, art, banking,finance,sports,education,medicine....in short, from every imaginable background there is. You only have to watch the WSOP Tournament Televised programmes, and many times you will hear of a new comer from one or another background. "O.K we know all this" (you are saying to yourself....Get to the point!)
Well the point is this; I believe that the style of play of a poker player is influenced by this background more than by any other factor. Now, I said, I believe- no one to my knowledge has done any serious research on this, so I am just 'imagining' this. I have come across bits and pieces of information which does point to my above views. Take the new course in Harvard University as a case in point; they have introduced Poker into the curriculum and quite a few management seminars for business people have also introduced poker for training. Take the many books that deal with the subject of investement and poker. Take the books that deal with "tells" and how to identify players by their language -'I see what you mean', 'I feel that is the right move", 'I knew that is bad move' and so on and on.
For myself, I have chosen to build on my personal background in both the world of art and the world of business investment. Being aware of my background, I can choose my style of play, my tactics, and my strategy. It is my fundamental starting point and the foundation on which to learn to improve my skills in poker. By knowing this, I can save myself a lot of time. I can look for mentors who have similar backgrounds to my own and learn from them how to improve my game.

Check out this Link if you like Poker, and Music, and a good Laugh