Health Tips

Here’s a fun story for you while you stuff yourself with Thanksgiving leftovers today. We here at Change.org had a big win about a month ago against a diabolical campaign hidden beneath the misleading name of “Smart Choices”. This “nutrition labeling” initiative, backed by a conglomerate of the largest commercial food companies, claimed that Froot Loops and other unhealthy foods were Smart Choices. First we got the American Dietetic Association and Tufts University to back away from their endorsements of this tripe. Then, under pressure from the FDA, the Smart Choices program shut down. Hurray, you say? Well, they’re baaack.

Kellogg’s, one of the Smart Choices charter members, is at it again. In the advertisement below, Kellogg’s is once again claiming that Froot Loops and Apple Jacks are health food. But this time it’s aiming the message at a less-informed audience that is more motivated to believe it: kids themselves. There is of course the “this is important and your mom needs to know so she can feed you more yummy Froot Loops” message. This particular commercial takes corporate manipulation to new levels though.  

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Everybody has a ‘tell.’ Even the best of the best poker players have tells. Only, you need a shrewd brain and sharp eyes to spot the not so obvious tell. In real poker, you need to study your fellow players as much as you gauge the strength of your own hand. You’ll absolutely need to watch slight mannerisms and subtle reactions of your opponents, which will reveal to you the strengths of your opponent hands. Whistling, running a hand through the hair, fidgety behavior, eye contact or avoidance of it, perspiration, tapping of fingers, shaking legs, table talk, or even the complete absence of any of these signs could reveal the hand your opponents are holding. There are common tells that apply to everybody, but when you reach the higher levels of poker play, you’ll not find any common tells. However, even the top players have their own tells, and you’ll just have to raise your observation skills to spot the ‘tells’ that give away the hands of the top players.
Okay, now that’s good for real play, but can you spot a ‘tell’ while playing poker online? How can you spot a ‘tell’ when your opponents are probably sitting hundreds of miles away from you? To answer the first question—yes, you can spot tells in online poker play, too. The answer to the second question—the same way you can spot a ‘tell’ in real play; by observing. The only difference is that while in real play you’ll be studying your opponents’ physical reactions, in online games of poker; you’ll be studying the reactions of your opponents on your computer screen. If you don’t believe that spotting a ‘tell’ in online poker play isn’t possible, employ the following 3 methods in your next online poker game and find out for yourself.

Online Tell No1 : Timing

Note the time taken by your opponent to raise or call you. If your opponent intentionally waits and raises you after some time, it means that your opponent is holding a good hand and is merely trying to drag you into playing. If your opponent waits and calls, it means that he or she most probably has weak hands. So, look out for the pauses!

Online Poker Tell No2 : Chatting

Just as in real play, where you can tell a lot by studying the way your opponents talk, you can find out a lot about other players by the way they chat in the online poker room. As most poker websites have chat boxes, you can study the direction of the game by watching the chat of your fellow players. A general rule is most players who hold good hands will lure you into calling. Don’t fall for it. Decipher the undertones of confidence or nervousness in the chat. Watch the chat…is the second common mantra to spotting a ‘tell.’

Online Tell No3 : Action Buttons

Almost all online poker websites have action buttons. These action buttons help players to reveal their intentions on calling or raising much before the round gets to them. There are only two times that a player will use the action button; to raise if the player is holding a good hand or to call in case of a weak hand. Generally, players do not use the action button on a bluff. So act according to the way your opponents use the action button.

There are plenty more casino games and tells that you can spot, but the above three methods should put you on the right track. Concentration and good observation skills can only make you get better in your online poker skills, and as time goes by, your wisdom will increase with experience. Until such time you reach the top spot in online poker play, or even beyond that, just keep looking for the ‘tells.’

from: http://www.lianmeng315.com/poker-tipsmost-popular-online-poker-tells.html

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Have you ever been short stacked in a poker tournament when you’re right on the bubble? Before you answer that, let’s just make sure we’re on the same page. The bubble is what is referred to as right out of the money. For example, if the top three places pay and you’re in fourth with four players remaining, you’re on the bubble. It’s the last place you want to finish in a tournament yet someone always has to finish there.

When you learn poker, one of the first things you should figure out is how to play the bubble. The first poker game you’re going to play is often going to be a tournament, not a cash game. Anyone that jumps straight into a cash game is asking for trouble. With a tournament, your risk is often small with a large reward. You can also develop a poker strategy when you play in tournaments.

Let’s get back to playing the bubble. There are two ways to go about this, and it will depend on your goal. If you’re looking to just come in the money, as in 3rd place would make you happy, you can often fold your way in. At this point in the tournament, players will be folding and going all-in a lot. You can often wait for someone else to bust. Once you’re in the money, you can attack.

On the other hand, if you want to come in first place, you need to attack the large blinds. When you’re in this situation, you must remember that any two cards can win. This attitude will allow you to be more aggressive, which will most likely earn you more chips. You must keep in mind that the three other players are going to be cautious unless they have a monster. That being the case, the key is to play position. If they’re aggressive early, get out of the way. If they’re timid early and you’re in late position, attack. Not only will this approach most likely earn you more chips and put you in the running for first place, but it will improve your table image, which will be enormously beneficial for future games.

In conclusion, when you’re on the bubble and you want first, attack. All-in should be common. Keep in mind that other players will respect your moves because of your bubble position in the tournament.

from: http://www.lianmeng315.com/online-poker-tipsaggressive-bubble-play-in-poker.html