USA Internet Poker News

Carbon Poker Easter Promotion

April 1, 2010

Make a deposit at Carbon Poker and receive a 100% match re-deposit bonus up to $750. In addition to the bonus also receive a free entry into the Carbon Poker $50K guaranteed. To receive a free entry you must clear your bonus within 90 days of your deposit. Upon completion of your bonus you will be rewarded with a $109 coupon to enter the $50K guaranteed of your choice.

Use Carbon Poker bonus code BUNNY to be eligible for this bonus.

Absolute Poker Reload Bonus

Reload your poker account at Absolute Poker today and receive a 70% reload bonus up to $250. Use Absolute Poker reload bonus code ABSOLUTEREWARDS. This bonus is only valid today on your first transaction.

Read more on Absolute Poker and discover why they are one of our top poker sites for the best poker bonuses. Add a few extra hundred dollars to your bankroll monthly. Absolute Poker is also one of the few echeck poker sites.

Absolute Poker & UltimateBet Accepting Electronic Checks

If you are having trouble making a deposit with your credit card, we have good news. Absolute Poker and UltimateBet are once again accepting Electronic Checks. Electronic Checks are a great way to deposit to your poker account as they are almost always approved and they are free. Electronic Checks are safe and secure and give you the ability to deposit directly to your poker account from your checking account via ACH.

Only a few of the larger USA Poker Sites allow deposit by Electronic Checks. For a complete listing of sites that allow this deposit method see our eCheck Poker Sites page.

Carbon Poker Bad Beat Jackpot

Want to score some cash? Play at Carbon Poker and do just that. The Carbon Poker bad beat jackpot is over 500K so why not take a shot at some serious money. Experience the bad beat and take home over 200K. Carbon Poker has some great features and is giving a 100% match sign up bonus.

Absolute Poker Bad Beat Jackpot over 500K

The Absolute Poker Bad Beat Jackpot is now over $500K. At the time of this post the jackpot is currently over $543,000 and growing rapidly. If you play cash ring games why not take a shot a chance for a life changing event by hitting the Absolute Poker Bad Beat Jackpot. Read more about the Absolute Poker Jackpot at our bad beat jackpots page.

Absolute Poker is a great poker site that allows USA players. They offer more poker bonuses than any other online poker site, and offer great banking options including electronic checks. If you haven't tried Absolute Poker they are well worth the visit.

75% Re-load Bonus at UltimateBet

Deposit at UltimateBet today August 16th and receive a 75% re-load bonus up to $150. Use UltimateBet bonuscode JACKPOT75 to receive this bonus. UltimateBet is a highly recommended poker site with great banking options which include eChecks.

The Bad Beat Jackpot at UltimateBet is also approaching $400,000. Now is the time to get that bad beat and cash in on some serious dough. See all the US poker sites that offer bad beat jackpots.

UltimateBet $150 Re-Load Bonus

Deposit at UltimateBet today and receive an 85% re-load bonus up to $150. Use Ultimate Bet Bonus code ROYAL100 to receive your bonus. Regular bonus requirements must be met.

In addition to this great bonus, the Bad Beat Jackpot at Ultimate Bet is approaching $200,000. Now is a great time to receive that bad beat and cash in on some serious money. Read more about UltimateBet and other bad beat jackpots.

Playing Small Pocket Pairs

When playing small pocket pairs (22 - 77) I generally play them as if I have a strong hand. In the past I would limp in only to have multiple callers and without hitting a set would end up folding and conceding my blind.

As in any hand of poker you must evaluate the players already in the hand and try to determine what they are holding, as well as realizing your position.

Playing Small Pocket Pairs in Early Position:

If I am the first to act I always make the standard raise of 3.5 - 4 x's the big blind to put the pressure on the remaining players left to act. In this position I am in a win/win situation as I would like at least one caller, but always happy to take down the blinds especially in the later stages of tournaments as the blinds increase.

Because I am in early position and early to act, I again find myself in the drivers seat. If a tight player calls my raise and the flop blanks without any pictures, I fire at the pot with at least a half pot bet. With my opponent being tight I know that he probably didn't catch any piece of the pot, and has to lay his hand down only getting 2-1 pot odds. If he calls, and the turn is the highest card on the board I fire again with a half pot bet representing the highest card on the board, and generally take the pot then and there.

If a loose player calls my pre flop raise, I generally check in hopes he will hang himself. If I have any type of draw, or the flop pairs I re-raise and try to take the pot right there. If he checks and a big card hits on the turn I fire at the pot with at least a half pot bet.

Playing Small Pocket Pairs in Middle and Late Position:

I prefer playing these types of hands closer to the button as I get to see what type of player is giving action pre and post flop. If a tight player raises - Fold the Cards! Odds are he has a decent hand and acts before you, and if any type of good flop hits he will bet and you will have to fold. Generally I will fold all small pockets to a raiser pre-flop.

If one or more players limp, I will generally again make a standard raise and play the flop similar to being in early position. If the action gets to me and no-one has made a move I fire at the pot.

If a loose player raises pre-flop, I will generally re-raise with at least a 2.5's x pot bet and steal it right then and there.

YOU HIT THE SET!

No doubt you should have the best hand, but be careful of the straight and flush draw especially against the loose player. If I hit the set and first to act I always make a value bet to try to keep as many players to the turn as possible to build the pot before making my move. Give the loose player good pot odds (at least 3-1) on the turn, but take them away for the river.

If a tight player is in the hand, and a big flop hits, I will check in hopes he bets (and he will) and then check the turn as well hoping he even bettered his hand. Many times I will re-raise the turn but still offer at least 2-1 pot odds (half the pot) and he will have trouble laying down his hand. Best advice here is don' over bet the pot. Great poker players make great lay-downs, and while you want to get your chips in pot, if you have no callers you win nothing.

The above strategies are based on my table image of being a tight somewhat aggressive player. If I find that I have been playing to many hands, and getting to much action I will generally fold small pockets to build my tight image back up. You must also calculate your players chip stack to see if they will be pot committed, or already pot committed before trying to take down a pot without having the best hand.

July 18, 2009

Poker4Ever Freeroll Today 07/18/09

The Usa-Internet-Poker.com Poker4Ever freeroll starts in less than two hours! Register now by downloading the software at Poker4Ever and signing up. A deposit is not required to play in the freeroll.

To register, after you sign up from within the poker client click the "Private" tab from within the tournaments section. Find the tournament "Usa-Internet-Poker.com Freeroll", and register with the password "usa". The prize pool is $110 and the top 3 finishers are paid.

Visit Poker4Ever now.

10 Million Added in Aruba from UltimateBet

In celebration of their 10th anniversary, UltimateBet is adding an additional 10 Million Dollars to the prize pool at the Aruba Poker Classic. Win your way to Aruba through the UltimateBet Steps tournaments, and if you win the Main Event in Aruba UltimateBet will pay you an additional 10 Million Dollars. This is in addition to the prize money won from the tournament.

To qualify, play in the UltimateBet Step's tournaments for the Aruba Poker Classic. Start at Step 1 for 10 cents, and when you win Step 10 without having to re-buy back into the Step's tournament you are eligible for the 10 million if you win the Main Event. Read more about the Aruba Poker Classic step's tournaments at UltimateBet.

UltimateBet is also offering 85% match re-load bonus today up to $150. Use bonus code RAISE85 to take advantage of the bonus.

Playing Head's Up Tournaments

One of our favorite sit'n go tournaments are Turbo and Ultra Turbo Head's Up play. While this style of tournament is not for everyone, we like it because it's almost instant gratification and we have been pretty successful in playing them. As a result we would like to offer our strategy as it comes to this type of tournament.

Head's Up tournaments are offered at virtually every major Internet poker site. They generally can be found under the sit n' go tournaments section from within the poker client and range from a $1 buy in up to a $5000 buy in. We have had our most success in playing at lower stakes below $100, specifically avoiding the $50 buy in and anything below $20. The reason for this is we believe at below $20 there are a lot of newbies, and one thing about Head's up is if you experience more than two bad beats it can be tough to recover from it.

The style of play we recommend is solid aggressive. You can't expect to get cards on every hand, and neither will your opponent. For this reason you must play mediocre cards and represent you have the best hand. Never be afraid of playing connectors, suited cards and suited connectors.

Initially we play very conservative for generally the first level of blinds. We do this for two reasons: 1 we want to act like we will be a pushover so our opponent becomes over aggressive which we will take advantage of later, and 2 there is not a lot of money to made at the first blind level. Especially on the first hand or two we will never raise (yes even if we have big slick or AA) because as the saying goes first impressions are the most important.

In Head's Up play you must figure out what type of player you are playing against early on in the game. Is your opponent is a bully, a pushover or very tight? We always want the bully because we will sit back and wait for him to hang himself. Because we have acted very passive he will bet big regardless of his hand. We sit back like a coiled snake waiting to strike, and when we do it hurts! With this type of player we always want to see the flop with connectors or better, but will not chase if we don't hit as will cost to much money. Also, if we see the flop and hit, we almost always check as he will bet pretty big and we will come over the top and take the pot.

If the opponent is tight, as the blinds level go up we will raise pre flop more times than not, and if the flop blanks make a nice bet to see if he hit anything. If he calls chances are he did and we must make the decision, do we have a hand that we can win and/or can we make a big enough bet to have him fold if doesn't have top pair or an opened ended draw.

If the opponent is a pushover be careful when he bets first. We will call pre flop raises if we have any kind of a hand and wait to see what he does. If we have a good drawing hand and bet last, a pot bet is generally a good call. Worse case scenario he calls and you get a free card for the river as they will almost always check the turn. If the pushover checks after the flop, even without a hand a half pot bet is usually our play. These types of players seem to fold as they won't play a hand unless they are already holding something - and they will never be successful because in Head's Up play you won't have a hand more than you have a hand.

In head's Up play chips are everything! At most sites you start with 1500 chips and the goal is to never fall below the 900 level. If you find yourself below this level, and the blinds are increasing there is no shame in folding pre-flop until you get a hand to play. Also remember the 10x's rule, if your chip stack is less than 10x's the blind level, pick your hand and go all in.

If your on the better side of the chip count - get AGGRESSIVE! If your at a better than 2/1 ratio in chips make your opponent pay to see the cards. Don't give away chips, but at pre-flop this is a good time to steal blinds.

Last but not least - Take notes! Even at the larger sites you will see the same players time to time. If you have labeled a player correctly note that player so that before the first hand you know how to play your opponent.

Our favorite Internet Poker Sites for Head's Up play are FullTilt Poker, UltimateBet and Absolute Poker. All three sites offer head's up tournaments at standard, turbo and ultra turbo blind levels. We generally play at UltimateBet because we like the software and they offer pretty good re-deposit bonuses. Head's Up play will not make you a millionaire over night, but if you can find your groove and grind it out, an extra $100 bucks a day is not bad!

Poker4Ever Freeroll

Join us this Saturday July 18th at 1 PM EST for the USA-Internet-Poker.com $110 Poker4Ever Freeroll. Registration is now open and to play sign up at Poker4Ever and look for the "USA-Internet-Poker.com Freeroll" tournament under the Private tab in the tournaments sections of the poker client. The top three positions are paid and the prize pool is $110. Use the password "usa" to register.

Poker4Ever is a smaller site, but its loose. We have taken down some very nice pots playing cash ring games. If your new to online poker and enjoy tournaments, Poker4Ever is a great poker site to start at.

Sign up at Poker4Ever now and enjoy the tournament and good luck!

UltimateBet 100% Re-Load Bonus

UltimateBet is doing it again today! Deposit at UltimateBet today and receive an amazing 100% match re-load bonus up to $650. Use UltimateBet bonuscode CELEBRATE10 to take advantage of this bonus. UltimateBet is one of our top rated USA poker sites with great action at any level, superior banking options and some of the best tournaments available. Read more about UltimateBet.