Poker and Asia
Across the world
we see an explosion of the game of poker.
Australian Joe Hachem’s big 2005 WSOP win inevitably triggered increased interest in the game Down Under
and lifted the attention of people in the Asia Pacific towards poker. Those in the poker industry in established countries see the vast opportunity for bringing poker competitions to Asia.
Already Asia has
in the 6 months prior to the writing of this article
seen at least 3 new tournaments sprouting around the Asian continent. The most famous of these was the Asian Poker Tour held in Singapore.
The APT is a prelude to Singapore’s 2 new integrated resorts
of which casinos formed the highlight component. The integrated resorts are major commercial and residential property developments introduced by the Singapore Government’s as its latest initiative to drive the Singapore economy and to grow Singapore into a major tourist destination for the region.
But Singapore is not the only destination in Asia with a draw for the poker player’s dollar. Macau has
less than a decade after the liberalisation of its casino restrictions
recently surpassed the dominant Las Vegas as the highest revenue generating gambling destination in the world. Perhaps there are benefits to introducing casinos and poker to the Asian region still enjoying rapid economic growth and populated by some two thirds of the world’s population.
Singapore and Macau in the Asia Pacific are sure to provide many more opportunities to play poker in this region.
All the signs are that poker can be bigger here than it could ever be in Europe and North America. Indeed
with the recent passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the US
several major companies have adopted the policy of completely restricting US citizens from playing in the US. The result is that these companies are actively promoting their poker games to Europe
Australia
and soon
you will find
Asia as well. There are no borders in the internet and any individual sitting in Manchester
Melbourne or Macau can play poker online.
Asia will have its challenges in the development of this industry. Many countries are of conservative values or are still staunch in religions or beliefs and hence that may look poorly upon poker. Of course
the starting perception of poker is as part of gambling and betting and gaming.
However
these are no different from issues once faced by poker players in other continents. Indeed
the perception of poker worldwide is changing. There is argument that poker should be seen more as a sport due to the dominance of skill over the element of chance involved in poker. An increasing number of people do not turn professional to play roulette or other casino games – they turn professional to play poker because there are opportunities to influence the course of game with skill.
In any event
as we see from the many tournaments and casinos sprouting around Asia
those that do not get into the industry (with the right regulations and balance) lose out.
Poker is coming to Asia
and Asia welcomes poker.
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Relative Hand Strength with Jon Aguiar
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Poker Rules Guide
Poker in all its variants has a number of rules that remain constant. These can be either written poker rules considered laws of the game or unwritten poker rules – generally accepted game etiquette. If you learn the basics, you will first and foremost enjoy your poker experience more, but secondly you will have a better chance of becoming successful. These are just some of the basic poker rules you will need in order to play poker but for more localised poker rules you can visit our individual Poker Games:
The Cards
All of the recognized poker variants play with a single deck of cards. Its important that these cards are free of folds or distinguishable marks. A “marked card” is useless in poker as it gives players an unfair advantage (obviously not relevant to online poker). When dealing the cards, either individual players or a separate dealer, these will always be delivered in a clockwise motion
Poker Hands
Across the poker games, you will invariably hold your own cards considered your Poker Hand. The aim of the game is to make yours the best hand around the table. Essentially there are two ways of achieving this. The first is to actually have the best hand, determined by set hand hierarchy. This poker rule states that the highest ranked hand will win the pot. The second way is to make people think you have the best hand. bluffing your way to pot victory can be dangerous but to be a success, this is vital.
The poker rules of Check, Bet & Fold
What do you do when its your turn? The poker rules of Check, Bet & Fold
If you’re first to go or nobody has bet before you then there are two options:
1.Check, meaning you don’t bet any more chips and pass to the next person.
2.Bet, you will put some chips in the middle and set the standard for the following players.
If you are not the first, you have three options:-
1.Fold, you don’t want to match the previous players bet and hand over your cards.
2. Call/Check If somebody has bet then you can call which simply means matching the chips put in. Or you Check if no bets have been met previously.
3.Raise You match any previous bets and and then increase it with more chips.
Poker Rules Concerning Buy-In
Most poker rooms will have a buy-in. This is generally set at a minimum ten times the value of the maximum bet. For example, if the maximum bet is $10, then you need to buy in with at least $100. You may then buy more chips in any quantity you wish throughout the game.
When it comes to online casinos it is much easier to regulate the buy-in. However, in land-based games and private games players need to watch out for other players who do not put the correct amount of chips in when placing a bet. This is not easy to monitor when a player just throws chips into the middle of the table.
Poker Rules Concerning Dead Cards
This does not happen often, but sometimes a player will do something which will cause their cards to become “dead”. In essence, this means that you are out of the hand. You just have to concentrate all the time and you will be fine.
This generally occurs when a player plays out of turn. This can refer to folding, betting, or raising out of turn. Playing out of turn means that you are making your intentions known before the right time and this can mess with the dynamics of the game.
When it comes to certain versions of poker rules where you have some cards face up and some face down, exposing your face up cards or turning your face up cards to face down will also render your hand dead.
It could also happen that a misdeal is called if the dealer deals the cards in the incorrect order or if the wrong amount of cards is dealt. Sometimes the dealer will deal the cards too quickly and this can lead to a card landing face up. The same applies to when a player folds. If your cards are exposed then this could end up benefiting another player at the table.
If a player at the table sees another player’s cards, then it is considered good sport to share this with the rest of the table. This will equal out the advantage.
The Showdown
This is the final play of the game where players have to show their hands. In poker rules if you think you have a winning hand then you have to show all your cards face up. You are also not permitted to lie about what you have in order to make another player fold. This is not a set rule, but it is considered very bad protocol and in some cases a player can be banned from taking further part in the game.
The more you play, the easier the rules will become. Although there are many poker rules, most rules are consistent and you will also find that many of these rules are based on basic common sense and good etiquette. If you wish to read up on the more intricate poker rules or rules that pertain more to the poker that you play then you can find many interesting articles online.
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