Tags: black, blackjack, chart, dealer, hit, jack, stand, strategy, table

If you aren’t scared of letting your card details be registered online, credit cards is by far the most convenient and cheapest way of handling your payments. The same 128-bit cipher code is used among the most gaming companies. The same cipher is also used with companies like Neteller and Moneybookers, so it would be reasonable to say that this is a safe and well respected way of handling sensitive data. In addition to this the CV2 code will never be stored locally since that’s not allowed according to VISA and Mastercard rules. This code have to be stated everytime you make a purchase online. You can find your CV2 code on the back of your credit card along with some other numbers. Our “code” is the last three digits.

Be aware of that different bookmakers got their own rules for fees, minimum deposits and payment handling times. However the rules below is how most of them operate.

All serious companies today will give you the opportunity to use credit cards for depositing money into your account. Some actors would ask you to provide all your card details every time you make a deposit, but more common is that they store your card number, expiry date and name the first time you use it.

When the card has been registered you’ll need to insert the amount you’d like to deposit, your CV2 code and confirm by entering your account password. If there’s no issues with your bank or details so the deposit can’t be done at all, you got your money within a second.

Nowadays many gaming companies offer free and unlimited deposits via credit card, but some of them still claim a fee when depositing. The worst kind scenario would be a fee of 3% of the sum you’d like to deposit.

When it’s time to make a withdrawal from your account this is handled differently depending on if you used VISA or Mastercard depositing. With a VISA you just have to confirm the amount and your password, to send the money back to the bank account the card is connected to. Because of a new Mastercard policy from 2007, this is not possible when it comes to using Mastercard. In this case you need to send your money back to your account via an international bank transfer.

To make an international wire transfer you will need to know some bank details for your account. After that first withdrawal these are normally stored within your betting account so you don’t have to enter them for future withdrawals. The details you need are the bank name, the banks address, your IBAN number and SWIFT code. An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is a combination of letters and numbers in groups of 4 symbols and is an extension of your normal bank account number. A SWIFT code is also known as a BIC, which is a specific code for your bank. Normally this code is a 8 letter word. You can find these details from your banks website, on your account statement or simply by contacting your bank.

A withdrawal with a VISA can take up to 5 days while a wire transfer can take up to double the amount of time. Normally you’ll get your money within 2-3 days though.

When it comes to VISA cards all serious actors will let you make how many withdrawals you’d like without charging you. For an international wire transfer the rules are somewhat different however. A transfer like this will cost the company some money because of the banks fee. Because of this some companies will charge a small fee for each withdrawal, but more commonly is that you’ll get 1-2 free withdrawals each month before any fees are taken. If you plan on making many smaller withdrawals you might want to consider checking your bookmakers rules before proceeding.

Tags: bank, credit card, cv2, cv2 code, deposit, expiry date, international, mastercard, transfer, visa, wire transfer, withdrawal

If you have lost one or several large pots in a row playing poker, it can be very difficult to keep it cool and continue make smart moves in every hand. What sometimes makes it even harder is when you know that you had the best hand to start with and that you played the hand perfectly, but still lost to a lucky player. If you get affected by this and start playing hands in a way you normally wouldn’t, you are “on tilt”.

It’s without a doubt a tough challenge to never get tilted, but it’s a very good condition to maximize your winnings. Money saved (not lost) is just as much worth as money earned (won). This is why we have to learn how to look at our poker play in a long term. To win 10 days in a row doesn’t mean much if you tilt the 11th day and thanks to this lose everything you’ve won.

“The real things to know is that folks will stand to lose more than they will to win. That’s the most important percentage there is. I mean, if they lose, they’re willin’ to lose everything. If they win, they’re usually satisfied to win enough to pay for dinner and a show. The best gamblers know that.” -Puggy Pearson

The first thing you need to do is actually acknowledgning the tilt and admit to yourself that you are in fact tilting. Denial is a normal reaction against stress and could be the defense mechanism you use to help you deal with the situation. It’s very hard to realise this and do something about it by the computer but try. Acknowledge and admit that you are on tilt!

You are in need of calming down and the best thing you could do is to leave the tables you’re playing at and do something else for a while. The tables will still be there when you get back. Take your dog for a walk, water the plants, take a shower or cook a dinner. Do something else than playing poker for a short while and within short time your negative thoughts will be long gone, which makes you ready to play again.

Make a decision at any given time – as a suggestion before the session starts – how much you are allowed to lose before it’s time to quit. It can be very hard to stop even though you set a limit for yourself when the tilt’s just around the corner, but if you can manage this you most definetely saved yourself some money. Examples for how much you might be willing to lose in a session is three buyins at a specific level or maybe after five sit&go without ending up in the money. Make sure you have set the rules for when to quit, if you start to lose money.

Sometimes you can get extra annoyed on any specific player since they outdrew you in a big pot or maybe are behaving themselves badly in the chat window. If that’s the case you should change table or take a break immediately, since he or she got you exactly where they want to. To stick around just to avenge yourself is something that very rarely works out the way it’s supposed to. Instead try to focus on the cards dealt and how you can play your hand in the best way, no matter which players are in the pot.

If you feel that you are tilting but still doesn’t want to stop playing, play lower limits. It’s much easier to accept a $5 loss than $100. It might also be that you’ve already lost enough money on the higher levels, so you no longer kan justify to continue playing there considering your bankroll size.

Poker is about playing good, but also have some elements of luck involved. Sometimes when you lose you’re just unlucky and couldn’t have played the hand better, while other times you might lose a pot because of sloppy play. Take a break and analyse your game, for example through hand histories that you can save with a program like Poker Office.

If you feel like you need to get rid of some aggressions so do something about it, depending on what suits you. Play a game where you can unleash your fury on zombies, yell so high that your neighbour consider calling the cops or play some loud music on your stereo. If you feel like punching something a sand bag would be optimal to spare furniture, equipment and family members. For some people this is all that’s needed to re-focus.

If you find a tip that works for you to avoid the tilt so make use of it time and time again. To avoid the tilt, or at least control it, can be the difference that makes you from a losing to a winning player. Both you and your bankroll will appreciate if you find any way at all to minimize your tilts.

Tags: avoid, office, poker, tilt, tips