Online poker is one of the most popular gambling activities around at present due in no part to the televising of events such as celebrity poker and poker championships. When playing poker online, you may not be aware that the ‘house’ takes a cut from each post – normally around 5%. This is known as the ‘rake’ and it could be costing you thousands each year if you are a successful player.

The upside is that you can reclaim part of this rake in what is known as a ‘rakeback’. As the name suggests, the house takes a cut (a rake) of 5% and then you claim a portion of that back again in a rakeback. How is this done?

Rakebacks are offered by referring sites. If you sign up to an online poker room through UKBettingCentral, they receive a commission for the referral. UKBettingCentral then return part of that commission to you in the form of a rakeback. For example, a typical rakeback offer may be 30%. If you have lost US$300 in rakes during the month, you will be entitled to a rakeback of US$90.

The average offer is 30%, although there are offers as high as 50% depending on which poker rooms you sign up to. As an added bonus, anyone you refer to the rakeback program earns you a commission for the lifetime of their enrollment. Not only are you getting a rakeback on your play, you are getting a small rakeback on their play as well.

Whether you win or lose, getting a little cash at the end of the month in the form of a rakeback has to be a bonus. What does it cost you to join? Nothing, it’s free. In a way, if you are playing online poker, by signing up for a rakeback program you are signing up to receive some free money – you can’t argue with that. Rakebacks help to swing the odds back in your favour.

If you like poker tournaments, like to watch and support certain players, or sit in amazement as tens of thousands of Euros change hands on the flip of a card, then the European Poker Tournament from Warsaw maybe worth your time.

Sportingbet are of course taking bets on the outcome of the final, you can back the outright winner, perhaps a French or Italian winner, or you can bet on the suit or colour of the ‘river’ card. Whatever takes your fancy, there are nine players left and by the end of play, there will only be one.

Dario Minieri (359,500) leads the way and is favourite at 4.00; hot on his heels is Sergey Shcherbatskiy (349,000) and Nico Behling (343,500) at 5.50 and Ludovic Lacay (296,500) at 6.00. Arnaud Mattern (238,000) is the only one left with a decent bankroll.

Michael Muheim (89,000) is in ninth place and could be the first eliminated. Having said that, I have seen players claw their way back from the bottom of the pack so be careful before dismissing anyone.

Poker tournaments are often thrilling to watch, we have seen them on TV through the World Poker Tour. Finals are finals, always thrilling and Sportingbet will be their for you to bet on all the action.

Are you a poker fan? How would like to receive a 100% matching bonus up to $600 for signing up and playing poker? I know I would and I do like the occasional hand of poker.

Centrebet is part of the largest European poker network and they have so many promotions going at present it is hard to know where to start.

The Irish Winter Festival – Hold on to your lucky charms and win a $4,500 package. Poker in Ireland, what more could you ask for?

Play in the Grosvenor UK Poker Tournament of YOUR Choice – that is an offer to good to miss. Play for a slice of millions on offer.

THE POKER CUP – AUSTRALIA Win an $8,000 Prize Package. Australia may be out in the middle of nowhere – they certainly know their poker. Win this package and take them on.

3 x $1,000 Exclusive New Player Freeroll Tournaments. Win your share in the freeroll tournaments – restricted to new player to give you a fairer chance.

Of course, don’t forget the 100% matching deposit for new players up to $600. For more casino action online, check us out at UK Betting Central.

One of the most popular slot games is video poker, whether it is online or in one of the casinos. When it comes to slots, video poker is probably one of the fairest with a reasonable house edge and the opportunity to affect the outcome.

Whilst there are many of different versions of video poker the basics are nearly always the same. You’re trying to get the best poker hand you can from an initial hand of 5 cards. As with normal poker, you get to change cards from zero to all to five cards, once. Payout are based on set payout tables.

Some video poker machines have high payouts, others what appears to be low. The difference is often on what is considered to be a ‘winning’ hand. In most casinos, a qualifying payout hand needs to contain a minimum of a pair of jacks – this is the format for most video poker machines – in fact they are often called ‘jacks or better’. Some casinos pay out on a pair of tens or better.

Strategy for video poker is no different to normal poker. You are trying to create the best hand possible that contains a pair of jacks or better.

In some casinos this may helped by using wild cards, either jokers (2) or two’s (4). These machine may labeled ‘jokers wild’ or ‘deuces wild’.

Video poker can be a lot of fun as you battle your wits against a machine. With a royal flush often paying as high as 800 credits, or perhaps even a progressive jackpot, the chances of coming out in front are better than if you were playing standard slots.

Check out Ladbrokes video poker where new players can receive up to £200 as matching first deposit bonuses. UK Betting Central can link you to Ladbrokes or any of a dozen other casinos.

Playing at Paddy Power I came across this interesting variation on poker – Wan Doy Pairs Poker. As the name suggests, you are looking to get pairs or better and at the same time get a better hand than the dealer.

The game is played with a single deck, each player receiving seven cards. Your cards are shown face up while the dealers hand is face down. Once you see your cards, you can decide to call or fold.

Three bets are made, The standard Ante, along with a Bonus and Jackpot bet. If you beat the dealer, you receive your payout on the Ante. If your hand matches a combination on the Bonus table, you win that bet. If either your hand or the dealers hand matches a combination on the Jackpot table, you win that bet.

It is possible to lose both the Ante and Bonus bets but still will with the Jackpot bet – the Jackpot bet is really a bet on whether or not any hand matches the Jackpot payout table. If any hand has a four of a kind plus a three of a kind, the jackpot payout is whopping 5000 to 1 = now those odds I can live with.

The Bonus bet will still pay that combination with a payout of 100 to 1. Other Jackpot payouts include:

three pairs – 12 to 1
four of a kind – 25 to 1
two x three of a kind – 100 to 1

Bonus bets for the same hands are:

three pairs – 5 to 1
four of a kind – 10 to 1
two x three of a kind – 50 to 1

Flushes and straights have no value. For two cards to have the same rank, they must have the same number (like two 8s) or the same picture (like two Queens).

Certainly a game with a difference. The action is fast with no distractions. UK Betting Central have all the info and links to Paddy Power and fast poker action.

Poker, one of the oldest card games and one that certainly has an entertaining history, particularly if you believe the old western movies. Poker certainly has come a long way since the wild west and these games now are hugely popular in online poker competitions.

Texas-Holdem is now probably the most popular of the trio due to its television broadcasts and the million dollar plus prizes on offer in the US. Thanks to this TV audience, Texas-Holdem has spread throughout Asia, Australasia and of course Europe. You can play an online game and have each seat occupied by someone from each of the continents – and they call football the world game.

Ladbrokes Poker has become one of Britain’s top online poker communities with players from throughout the UK and the rest of the world joining and competing. You can play for pennies or you can play for hundreds, there are games to suit every level of skill and of course, every budget.

If you are new to the games, most online poker sites like Ladbrokes include poker classes or schools where you can the games and some of the strategies. Some sites include free play using the sites play money – unfortunately you don’t get to keep your winnings.

Playing can be done either directly using flash players or you can download the software and play using that. The software download includes all the features you need including account management.

Signing up is a simple process of entering in your details, creating an account, downloading the software (or you can play use the online flash player), funding your account (most sites like Ladbrokes accept credit/debit cards and PayPal). Once your account has funds it is time to hit the poker tables.

Choose your game, Texas-Holdem, Omaha or Stud; select the type of game you want to play, cash, tournament, multi-table, sit’n'go or any of the other play options; then find a table with a vacant seat that matches your budget and away you go.

Playing online poker can be a lot of fun. If your not experienced the select the penny games and play for hours with just a small deposit.

UK Betting Central have all the links and information for online poker sites like Ladbrokes.

Poker, these days it is more likely to bring Hold’em to mind, but online Stud Poker is still popular and can be a lot of fun. You also have a great chance of winning – its you against the dealer.

One of the good (or bad depending on your skills) things about Stud Poker is that you don’t need to learn the game play of other players. You do need to be able to work out whether or not you have a winable hand.

The game play for online Stud Poker is fairly simple. You receive five cards and the dealer receives five cards (you can play up to five hands simultaneously). your cards are dealt face up and one of the dealers cards are dealt face up. There is no discard, you simply gamble on the cards in front of you.

Play starts with everyone placing their Ante bet – this is the minimum play bet. In many online casinos you can also place a progressive bet – progressive bets a special bets that pay higher odds (including jackpots in some casinos) compared to non progressive bets.

Once you have ‘Ante’d up’ the cards are dealt. You job is to compare your cards with the others around you and most importantly, with the dealers face up card. If you feel you have a winable hand, you can then increase your bet – Call – or throw your cards in – Fold. If you fold you lose your Ante.

Bets are paid dependent on the dealers cards. In most casinos the rules are simple. The game progresses if the dealer has a ‘qualifying hand’, that is, a hand with an ace and a king. If the dealer does not have a qualifying hand, you receive your Ante plus an amount equal to your Ante – odds of 1-1.

If the dealer does have a qualifying hand then the highest poker hand wins. Each casino has a payout table that shows the payouts available. Generally speaking you will win double your Ante plus your bet at odds of 1-1 for basic hands, 3-1 for three of kind, 4-1 for a straight – check the individual casino for their payout tables.

Progressive bets are paid according to a progressive bet table. It is often well worth having a progressive stake as you are paid on progressive bets even if the dealer doesn’t have a qualifying hand.

UK Bet Central has more information on Stud Poker and the casinos that include the game in their game options.

Poker is a little like fishing and Holdem is no different. Those that like a spot of fishing know what I am talking about. Bait your hook, throw the line in and wait, and wait, and wait. Eventually you get a little nibble – don’t move – not yet. Wait. The moment that fish swallows the bait – bang you hit him, let him run then haul him in.

Most games of poker are the same. With Holdem, you watch the players. You watch the cards. You wait for that playable hand and when you get it, you hope the others stay in. Perhaps you can encourage them.

The key to many forms of poker is to keep things as natural as possible – often called the bluff or poker face. If you sit at a table constantly throwing in hands then suddenly decide to play one, most of the opposition will back off figuring you have a good hand. Likewise, if you suddenly start betting larger sums, your opponents are going to wonder why.

When playing any of these table games you need to prepare yourself, and your opponents, for that good hand. You need to play the game. It will cost you. You may lose as many, or more, than you win. However, because you are playing, when that good hand comes along, you keep playing your natural game.

You have baited your hooks. You have cast out the line. You have had your nibbles. Now wait for them to swallow the hook. Bet your normal game until the final rounds. They have their money on the table along with yours. Now, if you have the cards, you can go in all in. Let them swallow that then reel them in.

At UK Betting Central, you can Holdem; you can foldem; you can back them in; and you can go all in; just be sure that everyone is primed for it – especially yourself.

These poker tips will help you play within your skill levels and at least give you a fighting chance in the tough world of poker.

• Pick the right game. Play at a level that you are comfortable with. If you are winning in $5/$10 game, don’t jump up to $10/$20 game until you are ready.
• Play within your bankroll limit. This follows on from the previous tip. If your bankroll only permits a $5/$10 game, don’t play at a $10/$20 table.
• Keep your eyes on the opposition. Watch the other players. Even if you fold, keep your eyes on the players and watch their mannerisms. See if you can pick up any tips as to when they are bluffing.
• Watch the cards. Watch and see what cards are out. Learn to quickly determine what your opponents may be holding.
• Don’t play every hand. You don’t have to play every hand. If you don’t have the cards then fold and save money.
• Don’t stay in because your money is in. Don’t stay in the game just because you have money in the pot. If it gets to hot and you don’t have the cards. Fold before you lose more.
• Don’t bluff until you learn the how and when. Bluffing is an art. If you bluff every hand then your not bluffing. Learn when a bluff is likely to result in a win.
• Don’t call for the sake of calling. At the end of a hand, don’t call unless you have the cards or you are confident your opponent is bluffing.

With these tips you will at least have a better chance of saving some of your money and staying in the game longer. The more you learn the finer points of poker such as bluffing and knowing when to stay in and when to fold, the more likely you are to win.

It’s probably the most popular card game of all time. Anyone who has ever watched a western movies will have seen the cowboys playing five card stud, or something similar. Poker is considered the top game for the serious bettor, at least in the eyes of the general public.

“Poker is a popular type of card game in which players bet on the value of the card combination (“hand”) in their possession, by placing a bet into a central pot. The winner is the one who holds the hand with the highest value according to an established hand rankings hierarchy, or otherwise the player who remains “in the hand” after all others have folded (the player who makes an un-called bet.).” Wikipedia.org

There are many variations of poker. The most popular poker game at the present time is undoubtedly Texas Hold’em – a variation on the standard game.

The history of the game is a rich and varied one. It probably goes back many centuries if you like to trace its absolute beginnings. But its more recent past is probably more easily traced:

“The history of poker is a matter of debate. The name of the game likely descended from the Irish Poca (Pron. Pokah) (‘Pocket’) or even the French poque, which descended from the German pochen (‘to brag as a bluff’ lit. ‘to knock’ [1] ). Yet it is not clear whether the origins of poker itself lie with the games bearing those names. It is commonly regarded as sharing ancestry with the Renaissance game of primero and the French brelan. The English game brag (earlier bragg) clearly descended from brelan and incorporated bluffing (though the concept was known in other games by that time). It is quite possible that all of these earlier games influenced the development of poker as it exists now.” Wikipedia.org

Today, there are poker tournaments that the Mississippi river boat gamblers would have killed for. But today anyone can join in if they want to. Take a look at UK Betting Central if you’d like to learn more about poker.