Frequently Asked Questions

You should not:

• Swear or use obscene or vulgar language at the table
• Slow the game down repeatedly
• Splash the pot
• String bet (This is a game tactic)
• Make comments about an ongoing hand
• Declare your hand incorrectly (this is a game tactic)
• Physically assault another player
• Criticise another player
• Play when it is not your turn
• Check out a player that is all-in
• Make comments and reveal your discarded cards during a hand
• Ask another player or a spectator for help with your hand

These types mostly apply to a Texas Holdem game

The best position to be in is that of the dealer – you act last and get to see what the other players are doing

Start small – when you first begin playing online Poker, it is best to start at the play money or low limit tables. The general rule of thumb is that the better the players, the higher the stakes – to play a high stakes game, you need to be confident, comfortable with the limits and have the necessary bank roll to back you up

Overplay – many Poker novices play too many hands. This is a common mistake that means that the player does not wait for the good cards. Most Poker players only play about 25% of their starting hands

Watch and learn – Study your opponents in order to learn to play better. When you have been playing for a few hands, start to pay attention to what your opponents are doing

Mix it up – in order to become a formidable Poker player, you will need to know when to play tight and when to play loose. You will need to be able to mix up your playing style

Learn to Bluff – Bluffing is powerful but a bad bluff can be disastrous. It is best used in situations where you know how your opponents play and if a player is tight and only plays good hands. Bluffing a great deal and being caught out is a sign to the other players that you are a wild player, easy to beat

Avoid alcohol – it can mess up your game

Concentrate – focus on the game. If you feel sick, depressed or anxious, stop playing. A word of warning about playing multiple tables online – don’t play more than 2 tables at the same time, do not watch television while playing or talk on the phone

Read a lot – get your hands on as many books and articles on Poker as you can. The more you know, the better you will play

Go over your mistakes – always think back on the game that you have played and how you could have played differently. Learning to recognise your mistakes is one of the keys to becoming an ace Poker player

Most online Poker sites allow you to watch a game, even if you are not participating. Watching other players is a good way to learn how to play the game

A Freeze-out is different from other tournaments in that you cannot re-buy or add-on – once you have been knocked out, you are out

An add-on is the additional number of chips bought by a player, regardless of how many chips a player has. A re-buy is the additional number of chips that a player buys when he or she runs out of chips

The higher pair will win. If the pairs are the same, the higher 5th or kicker card wins.

Video Poker machines, Let It Ride and Caribbean Stud are considered to be casino Poker games and they are similar to other casino games such as slot machines. Multi-player Poker is where people play against each other and not the House. This type of game requires more skill. 

The Poker Room software downloads are designed to work on most personal computers but there are some basic system requirements – these include a recent copy of the Windows or OS operating system, a modem with a minimum 28.8k connection speed and at least 10MB of disc space.

Ace-Ace: this is the cream of the crop, the very best starting hand that you can hope for

King-King: a strong hand and the second best starting hand

Queen-Queen: these two ladies may be beaten by Aces and Kings but you have the edge on Jacks and all of the lower cards

Ace-King: this is a strong drawing hand but you have to hope that the flop works in your favour and you snag yourself a pair of Aces. This is also a good hand to start making a nut flush

Jack-Jack: you have a 20% chance of winning with a pair of Jacks, ten handed. Be warned though if the flop shows a Queen, King or Ace

Ace-Queen: also a good drawing hand which gives you approximately a 20% chance of winning

King-Queen: a brilliant starting hand, especially if from the same suit. Just watch out for the Aces

Ace-Jack: Suited is better here but unsuited is also playable

King-Jack: This is a good hand to play in later position but it can be beaten by any of the hands listed above. It is better to fold under the big raises but you have a 19% statistical chance of winning when they are suited

Ace-Ten: Still a good hand – you could still make a straight but be cautious

2-7: off suit, this is the worst possible hand. These are the two lowest cards that cannot be used to make a straight and even if they are suited, it will give you a very low flush. This is known as the ‘hammer’ – fold it now!

2-8: same problem as above – fold them

3-8 or 3-7: the three means either of these hands beat the ones above and a straight is not even possible

2-6: you can hold for a miracle and get 3, 4 and 5 off the board but chances are someone will have higher flush. Stats show you will lose 90% of the time with this starting hand – not good at all

2-9 / 3-9 / 4-9: The nine card is the only good thing here. If you get another 9 to make a pair, you will still be whipped by anyone holding pocket 10’s, Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces. Be wary of this

2-10: a legendary hand which is renowned for scoring Doyle Bruson two WSOP bracelets and he only won because of the thousands of hours he spent at the table – don’t even try it

5-9: the ‘Dolly Parton’. It is always a good rule of thumb to remember that you are unlikely to win with a hand that has a funny name. A statistical loser

Face card-low card, unsuited: You may a few pots but you will more than likely find someone with a higher kicker and the winning hand

Ace-low card, unsuited: At a table of 4, this should not be played if there is a raise. This is an Ace-little and you will be smacked around by someone else who has a higher Ace.

“Man, I have a good hand” – a sign of a strong hand. This player is pretending that he is not too excited about his cards but he is.

Shaking hands – if a player’s hands shake when they are placing their bet, chances are they have a great hand

Rapid breathing – a sure fire giveaway of a good hand

Sighing and shrugging – probably an over-reaction and he is trying to hide a good hand

Glancing at the chips after looking at the Hole Cards – the player knows they have a strong hand and is checking to see how much they can bet

Staring down other players – a sign of a weak hand. He is trying too hard to represent his supposedly good hand

Holding your breath – often inexperienced players will hold their breathe when they are bluffing

Checking hole cards after a flop – if the flop presents a possibility of someone having the makings of a flush or a straight, notice who checks their cards

Taking a long time to call a bet – this player is checking out the pot odds and figuring out if it is worth betting

False tells – experienced Poker players may give off false tells

Stakes are the minimum amount required to play. Stakes can also be called antes, blinds or bets.

NL means No Limit. This table has no limit on the betting. In NL poker, a player can go 'all-in' (bet all their chips) at any time. No Limit is what is generally played on TV poker shows. PL means Pot Limit. The most a player can bet in PL is the amount in the pot. Fixed means the betting is fixed according to a certain betting schedule. In pot limit, there is a maximum to what a player can bet at all times.

All currency is converted to US$ when playing at a table. The exchange rate is calculated every hour throughout the day and the rate will be frozen while you have funds at a table to ensure you do not lose out in any way.

The ‘Quick Search’ function allows you to search a specific cash tables or tournament by giving you the option to change the parameters of the search. To access this function click on: ‘Choose Game’ and then ‘Quick Search’ while in the poker lobby. You will be able to search for a specific type of game, bet format, stake/buy –in and number of players at a table and the results will show only tables that match this criterion.

Beginner tables are available to new players who have signed up within the last 90 day period. There are a wide range of cash games and both STT and MTT on offer. There are also daily beginner freerolls. As a new player you can play up to 4 beginner freerolls in a 7 day period.

1. Click on the ‘Scheduled Tournament’ menu under ‘Choose Game’.
   
2. Select a tournament from the tournaments listings box.
   
3. Click the ‘Go to Tournament’ button. The Tournament Lobby is displayed.
   
   Note: You can also open the Tournament Lobby for the tournament you selected by double clicking the tournament in the tournaments listings box.
4. Click the ‘Register’ button. The Join MTT dialog box is displayed.
   
5. Click the ‘Buy-In’ button. The tournament buy-in amount and entrance fee are automatically deducted from your account. The ‘Registration Complete’ dialog box is played confirming your successful registration.

1. Click on the ‘Sit & Go Tournament’ menu under ‘Choose Game’.
2. Select a tournament from the tournaments listings box.
3. Click the ‘Go to Tournament’ button. The Tournament Lobby is displayed.
   
   Note: You can also open the Tournament Lobby for the tournament you selected by double clicking the tournament in the tournaments listings box.
4. Click the ‘Register’ button. The Join Sit & Go Tournament dialog box is displayed.
5. Click the ‘Buy-In’ button. The tournament buy-in amount and entrance fee are automatically deducted from your account. The ‘Registration Complete’ dialog box is played confirming your successful registration.

The buy-in is the cost to join the Sit & Go or MTT and goes toward the prize pool. The entrance fee is the house cut and is generally 10% of the buy-in.

Select ‘Play Money’ from the ‘Choose Game’ menu in the lobby and a selection of free play games will be available for you to play. If you run out of free chips simply click on ‘My Account’ and select the ‘Reset Play Money’ button and your account will be credited with a further 1000 chips for use on the free play tables.

1. In the Lobby select ‘My Account’
2. Select either ‘Cash Table History’ or ‘Tournament History’
3. Select the required data range, table name (leave blank to show all) and the last number of sessions (leave blank to show all)
4. The different Tables/Tournaments will now be displayed. Click the applicable Table/Tournament to display the hands.

We currently have 4 Jackpot Sit & Go’s on offer with various buy-ins and prize amounts. By winning a pre-defined number of tournaments consecutively you will also claim the Jackpot for that tournament. The Fort Knox, Rio, Maui and Dirty Dozen tournament all carry a Progressive Jackpot which will increase by a set amount each week until the Jackpot is won.

These are high speed cash tables aimed at players that prefer a fast paced game. When playing at these tables you will have a maximum of 10 seconds to make your decisions in each round of betting. The tables are pre-defined with the word ‘Turbo’ or ‘Speed’ to differentiate them from regular cash tables. We offer all forms of Texas Holdem and various buy-in levels are available.

You can change or hide your avatar by clicking 'Options' > 'Game Option'. On the upper right corner you have the option to choose between 10 different avatars. To disable or hide your avatar, uncheck ‘Show Avatars’. Note that you cannot change your avatar while logged in on one of our tables.

Your poker account balance will be shown in the bottom left hand corner of the poker lobby and will be shown in your chosen currency.