Great Single Player Card Games

Great Single Player Card Games
Card games are a great way to pass the time with a group of friends, but they can also be great fun just by yourself.
First of all I will address what makes single player card games so enjoyable. Single player card games have been around for hundreds of years and are a core part of western society. People enjoy them for a number of reasons, the more basic games, such as Klondike and clock solitaire are simple and accessible for most people, this is what makes them so fun, all you need is yourself, a little time and a deck of cards.
Some people enjoy the challenge placed by the more complex card games, some find playing single player card games relaxing on a cool summers day. The choices are endless and this is what makes them such a good hobby - once you've learnt a couple of single player card games they can amuse you for hundreds of hours, simply because each game is always different, no game of solitaire is the same, and with the number of varieties that are out there, single player card games are one of the best hobbies around.
Card games have evolved over the years, today when most people think of solitaire games today, many people would immediately think of the digital versions for computers, and this is a natural occurrence and overall a good thing for single player card games, as times change they need to stay current, however, there are still millions of people who play the "old-fashion way" with a standard deck of cards.
When can I play single player card games? Some single player card games are short (10-15 minutes) while others can range from 30-45 minutes. Once you've learnt a number of both complex and simple games, you can choose which to play depending on your time frame.
For example if your on holiday and you've got a few minutes before your going to the beach, a quick game of Klondike can be the perfect time killer. Whereas if your on the boat on your way to your holiday, a nice long game of La Belle Lucie may be more suited.
Now I will attach a brief guide of how to play Beehive Solitaire, which a fun, interesting variant of solitaire:
Shuffle the pack. Then, holding the cards face down, count off 10 cards and put them in a pile face up on the table, with only the top card showing. This is the beehive.
Deal off the next 6 cards, placing them in 2 horizontal rows of 3 cards each. This is the flower garden into which you try to get the bees, or cards in the beehive, as well as all the other cards. Hold the remainder of the pack in your hand, face down.
The object is to combine all the 52 cards in sets of 4 of a kind, such as 4 Threes, 4 Jacks, and so on, by grouping them in sets of 4 in the flower garden, and removing each set when it is completed.
Play: With the cards laid out as described, begin to send bees to the garden. If the top card of the beehive is the same in value as any car in the garden, place it on that card. Then the next card in the hive being uncovered may be used if it has the same value as any card in the garden.
No card is ever place on the beehive, since the object is to use up all its cards as quickly as possible. Cards are placed only on the 6 garden cards.
If 2 cards in the garden have the same value, place one on top of the other, and fill the vacant space with the top card of the beehive. When all the cards of the same value, among the cards on the table, have been combined, deal off 3 cards from the pack in your hand, placing them in a pile face up, with only the top card (the third card from the top of the pack) showing.
This will begin a working pile. If the top card has the same value as any card in the garden, place it on the garden card, and use the card it uncovers in the working pile if it, too, has the same value as any in the garden. When you complete a set of 4 cards of the same value in the garden, such as 4 threes, remove it, put it to one side, and fill the vacant space with the top card of the beehive.
When there are no more cards in the beehive, fill a vacant space with the top card of the working pile. Go through the pack 3 cards at a time, placing them face up on the working pile and using as many as you can on cards in the garden, building sets of 4. Then turn over the working pile and go through it again, 3 cards at a time.
To win the game: If you combine all the cards in sets of 4, you win. Then turn over the working pile and go through it again, 3 cards at a time. However, if you have gone through the working pile without being able to use a single card, you lose the game.
Overall single player card games are one of the best hobbies still around today, they stimulate your brain, are excellent for practising your problem solving skills and have been shown to increase your IQ, so give them a try!

Mighty Beanz Toys That Are Rare and Collectible

Mighty Beanz Toys That Are Rare and Collectible
The Mighty Benz collection of toys has been extremely popular with kids over the last several years since they were introduced. If you do not know what they are then they can best be described as small capsule shaped toys that do crazy flips and stunts as you roll them along the ground. They are about one inch long, and they have a small marble inside of them that makes then act wobbly and eccentric as they move along a hard smooth surface. What is really cool about these beans is that they have action figure type characters on them usually in the form of animals, superheros, or TV characters. Moose Enterprises of Australia makes this unusual toy, and they have released them in sets of twenty, with five character beans per set, and children really enjoy collecting them all. Young kids between five and ten seem to enjoy trading them with their friends to get missing beans to complete their particular set. One really cool aspect to this toy is that the company has decided to release collector edition sets and character for children to gather up.
These special edition Mighty Beanz have started to become a rare and collectible type of toy. This adds tremendous collection value and appeal to these toys that kids really enjoy. This year there were several special edition beanz released on to the market. You can find them sold with a guaranteed collector case, or sold as part of a separate unit like the flip track. These special edition beanz include the Crash Test Dummy Bean, the Computer bean, the Skeleton Bean, and the Genie Bean. The company has also rereleased one of their original collector toys that is quite popular called the Mighty Moose Bean. With this bean the company released 1000 in each country where they were sold, and in a unique color combination for each country. For example, in the Canada the bean is read, and in Australia it has a gold bottom.
Mighty Moose released many limited edition beanz in one thousand for each edition, and they do not have the typical serial numbering on them. These include the Albino Bean, the Space Invader Bean, the Ghost Bean, and the Nose Picker Bean, to name just a few. Some of these collector beans are quite hard to find as they were released in very small numbers, usually less than five hundred, and they include the Secret Agent Bean, the Gadgets Bean, the Double Agent Bean, and the Scarecrow Bean. The small numbers of production have made these rare editions quite popular, and prices on the after market are several times the original retail price. eBay is a popular outlet for finding the rare and collectible Mighty Beanz.
One special edition bean that is quite popular was the Christmas Mighty Beanz. These were sold in very small quantities as only two hundred and fifty were released. These rare beanz were never sent to retail outlets, but only sent out by the company to some of their business partners. Never the less, the eager collector can find these if they look hard enough. The Christmas set includes special characters like the Santa Claus Bean, the Christmas Tree Bean, the Elf Bean, the Rudolf Bean, and the Christmas Pudding Bean. It is widely expected that Moose Enterprises will continue releasing rare and collectible Mighty Beans as the years go along.

Online Poker Strategy - How to Crush an Opponent Who Calls Too Many 3 Bets

Online Poker Strategy - How to Crush an Opponent Who Calls Too Many 3 Bets
Online poker has gone 3 bet mad lately, and what I am finding is a lot of loose players will start to call a lot of your 3bets when they are in position. So how do you play against these type of players when they will not fold to a continuation bet on the flop.
Firstly, you need some form of poker tracking software with a heads up display which will inform you of their stats in 3 bet pots. This is probably not as important if you are playing less than 4 tables as you should be able to spot their tendencies through simple observations and note taking. However once you go over 4 tables I definitely recommend using Holdem Manager to help you spot the habitually 3 bet callers. It's also good to track your own 3 bet stats as you may be 3 betting a bit too frequently and therefore giving your opponent ample reason to start playing back at you either through flat calling or 4 betting light.
So if you have notes or stats on your opponent that he is calling 3 bets light and rarely folding to any aggression on the following streets, this simple means you must tighten your 3 betting range to value hands only. Check out his 4 bet stats. If his 4 bet stats are 2% or lower we can safely say that when he only calls he is doing so with hands like AQ, AJ, maybe ATss and 22-JJ, 87ss+. He will 4 bet QQ+, AK the majority of times which accounts for the 2% 4 bet range.
Therefore if we can narrow his calling range to this we can start to 3 bet value hands from KJ+,JJ+ up as when he calls we will nearly always be ahead of his range. If he is calling with pocket pairs, we will at least have 2 overcards when we 3 bet Broadway cards and when we do hit top pair we can safely get it all in as we are more than likely going to have our opponent dominated.
Also keep an eye out for bet sizing tells. One of my regulars has a pretty bad bet sizing tell. He only raises preflop to 2 big blinds with small pocket pairs and suited connectors and raises 3.5 big blinds with big Broadway cards when he plays from the Cut off or the Button. He folds to all 3bets when I 3 bet his bigger pre - flop raise but he 4 bet shoves AKss, KK+. He always calls when I 3 bet his smaller preflop raise and will min - reraise when he connects with the flop, and when he connects he connects hard as its either a set, a flopped straight or an open ended straight & flush draw. This is a great tell to have on an opponent and I urge all of you to keep track of weird bet sizing as people get into a habit and you can take advantage of it.
However getting back to the original issue, of a player who will also not fold to post flop aggression. You have to determine your perceived strength caused by the flop texture before you decide your plan for post flop when you actually miss the flop. If the flop comes dry with one high card, then you must at least double barrel. There is no point just continuation bet the flop then check fold the turn as that is how he wants you to play and he will exploit this until the cows come home. If the flop is low and wet then sometimes it is in your best interest to just check the flop and hope for a cheap showdown and fold to his steal. By doing this every once in a while, it will also add a lot more weight to your continuation bets in later encounters.
The main piece of advice to take from this article is to plan your hand before you play it based on your opponents tendencies. The more you do this the more natural it will become and before you know it you will be swiftly moving up the stakes in the online poker world.

Make a Living Playing Online Poker - Get The Right Mindset

Make a Living Playing Online Poker - Get The Right Mindset
The first question you must ask yourself if you want to make a living playing poker is if you have the right mindset for playing the game full-time? The fact of the matter is that the majority of people don't have the right attitude and personality to make a living playing poker full-time, although with coaching you can greatly improve your skill and winnings. It is imperative that you posses willpower over your emotions and self-discipline.
If you are looking to emulate the poker celebrities you see on TV with their flashy appearance and nonchalant attitude then making a living playing poker is probably not a smart career move for you. True, those celebrities had to start somewhere but do you really think they started out with the same attitude they posses now? No, they started out right where you are currently and they represent only a tiny percentage of the poker players out there playing the game for a living.
If you take a look at people who have built up profitable and lasting income treating poker as a business you will notice they all posses the skill of effective money management. You won't find them flashing their fat wallets or bragging about how much they're making playing poker online. After all if you announce that you are in possession of a lot of money you might as well paint a bulls-eye on your forehead because that will make you a prime poker target - and not in a good way!
Willpower over your actions and emotions at the table and self-discipline with your bankroll are the most important factors if you want to make a living playing poker online. Balancing your lifestyle is important for success, even if you are making good money at the online poker games does not mean you should go squander your winnings by gambling on sports or other casino games. Don't start living a lifestyle you are not experienced enough to maintain just because you had a hot winning streak.
Playing poker online full-time means you need to treat poker as a business That means learning to manage your bankroll both at the table and your personal accounts - always keep savings to mitigate the risks of a dry spell. Educate yourself with the resources available on the market (other people have done this so learn from what they have to say!) And finally diversify, there are more ways to make money with poker than just playing the game, for example become an affiliate for a few of your favorite poker sites.
You don't have to be the best poker player out there to be successful, all you need is the right mindset and self-discipline, and then you stand a better chance of being successful than most of the players out there!

Take This Poker Tournament Quiz

Take This Poker Tournament Quiz
Poker Quiz: Early Rounds of Tournaments
Early Rounds: A simple concept of low risk for high return
Let's say you have $5,000 in starting chips.
Questions:
1. Blinds $25-$50. You are in early position with 8-9 offsuit. What should you do?
2. Blinds $25-$50. You limp in an early position with 8-9 offsuit. Two payers limp. But the BB raises. There is $225 in the pot, and the big blind raises to $300. What should you do?
3. Blinds $25-$50. You limp in an early position with 8-9 offsuit. Two payers limp. But the BB raises. There is $225 in the pot, and the big blind raises to $100. What should you do?
4. Blinds $25-$50. You limp in a late position with 8-9 offsuit after two players limp. The BB raises to $200. The two limpers call. What should you do?
5. Blinds $25-$50. A player upfront raises to $150. Everyone folds to you in the big blind. You have pocket 2's. What should you do?
6. Blinds $25-$50. A player upfront raises to $150. The small blind re-raises to $600. You have pocket 2's in the big blind. What should you do?
7. Blinds $25-$50. You raise in late position to $150 as the first player in the pot with pocket 2's. The big blind calls. What are you thinking?
Answers:
1. You are going to see the flop for only $50.
2. Fold. It is too expensive to call the raise, especially with players behind you.
3. You have to call since it is only going to cost you another $50.
4. There is $675 in the pot, and it will cost you $150 more to call. Call and take the risk; although it would have been easier to make this call if your cards were suited.
5. You don't fold. You call. You want your opponent to have pocket Aces, so if you hit the 2 you will win a big pot.
6. Fold! It's too much money and the original bettor may raise again.
7. I tried to steal with my small pair and it didn't work. I don't want to lose more chips in this hand. What range of hands does the big blind have? How much is in the pot? How much does the big blind have in chips? What will I do with a good flop--I hit my set? What about a bad flop--most likely there will be three overcards?
Key Strategy In Early Rounds
Your strategy is to look to play a marginal hand rather than fold a hand early in the event. Consider risking 20% of your stack for small risk, big reward plays. Here, you will use $1,000 to take these small risks.

Poker Strategy Books

Poker Strategy Books
Introduction
In your frenzy to become a winning poker player, you will often sit your self at a table and lose most of, if not all of your deposit within ten minutes. With the advent of online poker rooms, it is easy for the novice player to be taken for a harsh reality check by the sharks at the table. You will leave the table disheartened and wonder why you have lost all of your money so easily.
This is where reading a good poker strategy book can help you. Players need to learn the basics of poker before they can even contemplate making it in the world of online poker playing. There are so many poker strategy books out that it can be challenging to know which ones will improve your game the most.
High quality poker strategy books and training can cost you around $300, or you could pay hundreds of dollars for a poker lesson from a professional poker player.
The problem with a great deal of poker strategy books out there is that they are written by world class players who, although they clearly have a fantastic grasp of poker strategy, often struggle to bridge the gap between the target audience (recreational and semi professional players) and the world elite which they occupy.
Even if you've read all the poker strategy books you could get your hands on, your knowledge is still strictly theoretical, but this is still a major advantage over the players who have made their first mistake like I mentioned above.
Which is the novice sitting at the table not really knowing anything about how to play good poker and losing all their money. Poker is all about gaining an edge, poker strategy books will give you that edge.
Reading
When your hand goes sour and you find yourself riding that streak of bad luck, reading through a good poker book could be just what you need to get on the road to rediscovering fundamentals or pointing out probable vulnerabilities in your game. This includes concepts such as hand selection, position, proper image projection, and reading hands.
Online
During the last decade, the game's growth has been fuelled in part by the easy availability of online playing sites where participants can play cash games and tournaments 24 hours a day, every day. Online Poker is a game that has evolved over time. The majority of real money players LOSE more than they win at online poker. If you are one of those people, then reading poker books is your best weapon at tackling the deficit you have in the fine intricacies of poker. Reading books about poker strategy is a must if you wish to be successful in the online world.
Poker
Poker is a game of many skills and to become an expert poker player you need to master them all. Poker combines mathematical, tactical and psychological elements and is therefore a very versatile game with many different aspects. Poker strategy for Texas Hold 'Em can be complicated and intricate, so the best thing you can do is learn what are some of the most common mistakes made by novices to the game.
Poker books can improve your poker skills faster than any other form of poker education. Books can bump you up the learning curve faster than playing 200,000 hands.
Poker rewards two things above all else, and that is patience and aggression. Poker, then, is a game of luck only in the short term, and over the long term a complex game of strategy and skill.
Winning
Once upon a time, the only way to learn how to play winning poker was to lose your money to more seasoned players until you (hopefully) figured out how they were beating you so badly. If you are serious about winning, and most of us are, then a good book on poker strategy is a prized possession. After all, a winning poker player must possess a substantial amount of talent, heart, instinct, and awareness too. Poker books are one of the best tools for helping you develop a winning Texas Hold'em strategy.
Conclusion
Rather than focusing on the massive pots and short term gains, to win consistently at online poker you need the depth of knowledge that a book can provide, things like on how the pro's handle the bad beats and maintain discipline and not go on tilt. Successful poker players are consistent the reason for this, is that they play with a poker strategy. Treat online poker playing as a business you need the know how to drive the business forward.
There are many reference's to many styles of poker books out there, where some of the most successful pro's out there give there tips on how to beat the game. Giving advanced calculations and systems for consistently winning which are explained in such a simple manner, it's easy to place the theory into practice.
Start to apply the strategies in these books, and you will notice a considerable increase on your return. You will have the confidence to pull the trigger knowing that they are bluffing. Or laying down a strong hand knowing you are beat. It's this fine line and decision making that will help you onto the road of success in online poker. We hope that our site helped you locate the winning poker strategy that suits your play.

Poker Strategy and Psychology - You're Near The Money, Now What Do You Do?

Poker Strategy and Psychology - You're Near The Money, Now What Do You Do?
This article is maybe more relevant to a Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) with several hundred players, as opposed to a Single Table Tournament (STT) with a handful of entrants.
It's the fact that I've seen many poker players do really well in the early and middle stages of a tournament, only for their game to go to pieces at a crucial stage. Either when they get near the prize money cutoff (called the bubble), or shortly after actually making it into the money.
I have done it myself many times, but I'm getting better!
Let's say I enter an MTT with 600 players. The top 60 finishers get the prize money. I'm playing well, going along nicely and playing some good poker. 80 players left. I start nervously and repeatedly checking my position to see how close I am to the money, and I'm willing other players to go out. I'm not playing any hands, folding starting hands with good potential. I'm not defending my blinds and I'm playing way too tight. I'm nervous and scared to go out so close to the prize money. And it's not just me, most of the other players are behaving the same way too!
Meanwhile, the bolder players are taking full advantage of this weakness in their competitors. They are betting and raising, attacking the blinds and bullying the smaller stacks who are nervously hoping to scrape into the money. Who has the better strategy here?
Now let's say I manage to survive and I'm now in the money. 60 players left and I'm in 49th position. Without doing anything, in a couple of minutes I notice I'm 40th out of 50! What's happening here is the opposite of what was going on just before the prize money 'bubble' situation. Players that are so relieved to have made it into the money are now being far too loose and just having a punt with their cards. The result is that the playing field quickly and significantly reduces in the minutes after the prize money bubble is reached.
I've found that a great strategy is to basically go against your normal human emotion of fear when near the bubble, and try to play normally or even a bit more aggressively to take advantage of the passive nervous players who are playing too tight.
After the bubble resist the natural temptation to give in to the relief of surviving into the prize money. Play tight for a few minutes and look for opportunities to use strong starting hands against opponents who are obviously just happy to have made the money.
Hope this helps and good luck at the tables!
Mark