Online Poker Pro

Play Lucky Hog online poker with your head, not your heart

Poker is all over the television dial. Poker professionals are being built up and marketed as new media celebrities and icons, parlaying their card playing daring-do and unique personalities into marketable commodities. From bravado and braggadocio to quite and calm: the personalities run the gamut.
Increasingly, online poker players are adopting similar personas and are only too willing to crow about their accomplishments and cajones in online chats and over poker-related bulletin boards.
In some instances, players will personally bait and cajole others in forums to play them online. In some forums, this activity is discouraged, branded as being “abusive,” and offending entries are removed. However, in numerous instances, players take up the challenge and meet the agitator at an online poker table like Lucky Hog.com.
Should you take up an online challenge, be sure to keep you emotions in check. A challenge from a faceless foe should be approached with the utmost caution and the understanding that the person spouting off in the online forum is not necessarily the ultra-aggressive, stud player at the table. Personas are like hats: they can be quickly and easily switched.
In the heat of battle – and as the pot balloons – forget about the insults, taunts and aspersions cast at your mother. Keep your head about you and remember: in the long run, it will serve you better to turn tail and concede a hand than to let your ego get in the way.
On sixth street, if you get nothing, breath deep and forget the acrimony and agitation: you will be able to live it down if you fold. As well, you will remain in the game and at the table a lot longer if you let your head and not your heart - and bruised ego - guide you.
If you do take up an Lucky Hog.com online poker challenge, modesty will take you much further than arrogance. While you may be enraged on the inside, present a veneer of calm and humility. Fold when beaten and exit a game you feel has turned against you. What you may consider to be surrender, others will consider prudent, unemotional risk assessment and decision making. And in the long run, these qualities and abilities will serve you much better than drawing a line-in-the-sand from which you will not retreat.

Success at Lucky Hog online poker requires guile, savvy

Bluffing is to poker what tackling is to football.
This holds true in both Lucky Hog online poker and face-to-face poker. Other players note tendencies and tactics and proceed accordingly. Chances are, if you keep ‘em guessing you’ll keep on winning.
No better is this illustrated than in a recent game account shared by by player and writer Phil Hellmuth on cardplayer.com.
Enjoy:
No guts, no glory If you spend enough time in life on one activity - like golf, for example - you're bound to occasionally witness something amazing, like a hole-in-one. I've played a lot of poker in my life, and here's one of those moments, one of the more incredible and more entertaining hands in which I've ever been involved.
First, it didn't occur on television or at some other star-studded event, but at one of my favorite home games, the Wisconsin Homeboys Holiday Poker Game, recently. The blinds were $5-$5, the buy-in was $1,000, and the rebuys were at least $500 a pop. The game got under way at Jon Ferraro's house in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, at noon, and by midnight there was more than $70,000 on the table.
After 14 hours of play, I had carved out a reputation for playing extemely tight. I made a lot of early folds, but many times during play, I called a bet or a raise with A-K or better, only to have another player raise or reraise. And when the action came back to me, I made a huge reraise myself. I watched Paul Clements lay down A-Q immediately in one of those spots, whereupon I showed my A-K. Let's sum it up this way: I was playing solid poker, sometimes trapping with big hands.
Now, are you ready for this? Here's how that amazing hand came down. Ferraro had the $40 "Mississippi Straddle" on the button, meaning that Craig "Spa Man" Hueffner, who was in the small blind, had to act first, which he did by calling the $40 with J-9 offsuit.
I called with 6-3 offsuit, Jon Green called, and Clements made it $210 to go with A-K. Eric Behling then called $210 with his own A-K - and Spa Man called. Then, I announced, "I raise the size of the pot," which meant that I called $160 and raised it $880 more. Clements pondered awhile, and when I said, "I have nothing," he folded, probably because he had heard me saying that all day long when in fact I was holding big timber.
Then, Behling folded his A-K, too! So, I turned to my last remaining opponent and said, "Those guys just folded big hands. C'mon Spa Man, just $880 more to play with the champ!" Spa Man called the $880, and when the flop came down A-K-9 - pairing his 9 - he bet out $400. (The folded players must have died a quiet death, seeing how the board came down!) I thought to myself, I've been playing patiently here all night, and it's time to put my hard-earned reputation to work. So, I again said, "I raise the pot." I called the $400 bet and made it $3,340 more to go.
Spa-Man: Js, 9d Phil: 6c, 3s Board: Ad, Kh, 9s, 2h
At that point, Spa Man did something rarely seen in any game: He flipped his holecards faceup! I knew that his hand was not dead yet, not in this game, and after a full minute passed, I feared that he was actually going to call me down. I was afraid of that for three reasons: First, I had already seen him make some tough calls; second, I knew that he wasn't afraid to put his chips into the pot; and finally, he just looked like he didn't believe me. Sensing that I was sunk, I wondered, how can I get out of this jam? My cards won't help, so I have to rely on something else.
So, I decided to match Spa Man's craziness with a little of my own. Confidently, I made a ridiculous offer: "Spa Man, if you call the $3,340, I'll put in $1,000 of it for you." I waited another 45 seconds, and then said, "That offer is valid for another five seconds - five, four, three, two …"
Spa Man quickly said, "I call. Here's $2,340. Please add your $1,000." So, I contributed one of my own $1,000 chips to my opponent's bet against me!
By now, other observers from around the room had gathered around us, amid much excitement, and than they saw that the turn card was the 2h. I knew that I had to man up and follow through with my bluff, so I bet $3,000, and to my enormous relief, Spa Man folded. I was psyched, and pushed my cards facedown toward the dealer.
But, everyone shouted, "Show the hand, show the hand!" In a normal Las Vegas poker game, the cards already would have hit the muck, but the dealer (Wayne "Tilly" Tyler) kept the cards separated as the chorus grew louder. Finally, I thought to myself, why not? So, I flipped up my cards and the railbirds were stunned to see my 6-3 offsuit! And then everyone applauded!
What was amazing about this hand? Two players were dealt A-K, and both folded before the flop! The flop, amazingly enough, was A-K-9. Spa Man flipped a "live hand" faceup for all to see, and then called a big bet. And, most incredibly, under the guise of projecting confidence, I contributed a $1,000 chip to his bet against me! (I'm not sure how I thought of this move; I guess that it just popped into my head.) Thus, the worst hand finished first while the best hands finished last!
Sometimes a guy doesn't get a hole-in-one because he has the best swing, but because he has the guts to go for it in the first place. And in poker, as in life, oftentimes a big pot is won not by the guy with the best cards, but by the guy who plays with the most confidence.

Lucky Hog online poker visits the Graveyard!

Lucky Hog online poker has released a new poker software version and a slew of new online poker tables. Due to popular demand, you can now find a range of new tournaments and cash game options.
There are more ways to win in Bounty tournaments, a different way to play with Shootout tournaments, and also a massive Bad Beat Jackpot, which gives ring game players the chance to win thousands of dollars!
Here's a quick rundown of the new features:
Bad Beat Jackpot - on specially labeled ring games, 50c from each pot with over four players will contribute to a Bad Beat Jackpot
Bounty Tournaments - these have an additional Bounty buy-in amount, which players can win by eliminating other players. Players can now profit by both eliminating other players, and also finishing in the money with the standard tournament structure.
Shootout Tournaments - this involves several rounds of single table tournaments, where top players from each table move to the next round, progressing until one final table is formed.
Deal it Twice - In certain ring games, the option to deal both turn and river cards twice will be available in two player, all-in circumstances.
This is a brand new feature for the online poker industry.
As well, adding to the excitement at Luck Hog.com, they have added a Bounty promotion to kick of the action in April! Luck Hog online poker has introduced the Bounty Graveyard, where you can check your "kills" and "deaths" in your Player Admin! The top players of each day will share in a prize pool of $150, and the top ten players of the week will share in $1,000!
The Bounty Graveyard will be running until April 15th, so all players have plenty of time to win bonus cash while becoming accustomed with playing our new tables and tournaments!

Online Texas Hold’em Poker: what’s your flavour?

Before sidling up to an online Texas Hold’em Poker table, understand the type of game you are joining. There are three flavours of online Texas Hold'em poker: Limit, No Limit, and Pot Limit.
Lucky Hog Limit Texas Hold'em poker is the most popular form of non-tournament poker. Stakes of the Limit Texas Hold'em poker table are typically $1/$2, $5/$10, $15/$30 or $10/$20, the obvious rule being the first amount is half the second amount. The smaller amount represents the size of Bets and Raises that can be made for the first two betting rounds of the game. The second, larger amount is the size of betting for the turn and the river- the next two rounds. The amount of Stakes determines the size of the blinds. The Big Blind is equal to the smaller amount in the Stakes and the Small Blinds is half of the Big Blind. For example, in a $10/$20 stakes the Big Blind is $10 and the Small Blind is $5.
Players are limited to three raises, meaning there can be only one Bet and three Raises during the three betting rounds. This Three Raise Maximum is unique to Limit Hold'em poker. Once the third Raise is made, the betting is capped and no more raises can be made for that round.
If you choose to go All-in, it means you are putting all your remaining chips to the pot but can no longer Call or Raise. But not to worry, you still have a claim in the amount currently in the pot. However, the next betting and raises that your opponents make will be put to a Side Pot where you will have no more claim.
The second variety is No Limit Hold'em Poker. The title explains it all: in No-Limit Hold'em poker, you can make as many Bets or Raises as you want. There are no limits to the number of raises allowed. This form of Hold'em poker is most popular in Tournament games.
Pot Limit Hold'em Poker Pot Limit Hold'em poker is very similar to No Limit. The only difference is that in Pot Limit, you can never bet more than the current size of the pot.
If you are just starting out, go with Limit Hold'em. While No Limit and Pot Limit seem have easier rules, the strategies are much more complex and difficult.
Visit Lucky Hog for more on online poker rules.

Establish your online Texas Holdem Poker persona

To raise or not to raise: that is how you develop your online persona and character at Lucky Hog.
Aggressive, conservative, wily or foolish: your persona is usually defined by your raise and fold strategy.
In online Texas Holdem Poker games, there are many opportunities to raise before the flop. However, your persona – and in many instances success –depends on what you do after you discover your hand does not connect with the community cards in any way.
There many types of online Texas Holdem Poker personas.
For some, the strategy is to be on tilt: lay wildly or recklessly, playing too many hands, trying wild bluffs, raising with bad hands, etc.
Others Lucky Hog online poker players fold at the slightest sense of trouble.
For many players, the strategy is to hold the line: consistent, unwavering aggression. Their goal being, keep opponents guessing and worried: are you bluffing or are you holding a nut straight.
There is a risk in all strategies and personas. In the latter case, a Lucky Hog player who does a lot of hyper-aggressive raising, betting, and bluffing can be labeled a maniac and avoided by other Texas Holdem Poker players. In gaming lingo, a maniac is not a good player, but is simply doing a lot of gambling.
However, strategic mixing of your persona - such as occasionally acting like a maniac and other times being overly cautious – can confuse opponents and can make you quite a dangerous player.
Variety is the spice of life. And, in online in Texas Holdem Poker games at Lucky Hog, it can be the difference between winning and losing.

Amazing Lucky Hog Poker Video: Five Pocket Pairs off The Flop

You gotta watch this video.
This is a remarkable video - and a remarkable read by Denis O’Mahoney.

Let’s crunch in the numbers – and the odds. If you are dealt a pair of aces in the flop, you have a 31 percent chance of winning a 10-seater hand of Texas hold’em. Dealt a pair of Kings – AKA Cowboys - you have a 26.02 per cent chance of winning a hand of 10-seater Texas hold’em. Two pocket Queens will give you a 22.03 per cent chance of winning while a pocket pair of Jacks in a 10-seater game will see you sitting with a 19.09 per cent chance of winning the Texas hold’em hand.
Great odds, but when five pocket pairs are dealt – WOW!

LuckyHog.com caught in DGS mess, standing behind its Players.

We at LuckyHog.com entered the online poker world in March 2007 with good intentions with a foundation built on player integrity and fair play. Unfortunately, due to circumstances out of our control our reputation as an online poker company has been tarnished due to the actions of dishonest and poorly managed networks.
Everyone in the online poker industry is aware of the circumstances around networks such as Future Bet and DGS. Look no further than the former licensees to see that both networks left their client licensees – and players - in precarious situations.
Some companies have folded, re-opened or have opened new companies under different names, trying to carry on business-as-usual, promoting their new brands to unsuspecting players. Many clients, we know, are unwittingly signing up with the same operators who have simply rebranded.
We at LuckyHog.com are standing behind our brand and our clients. We recognize that this is a situation that has hurt them, due to no fault of there own.
To set the record straight; Future Bet and DGS were responsible for taking player deposits, collecting rake, not paying/processing player withdrawals and not paying out the licensee there monies owed. Not only were licencees, such as Luckyhog.com, not paid out, but the networks took the players’ money as well. Luckyhog.com, and others, were left holding the bag and with a bad reputation. Most licensees have closed their doors or tried to hide from former clients under new brand names.
WE, LuckyHog.com’s owners and management, vow not to slam the door in our clients’ faces. Instead, we have made it clear that we will go into our own pockets to pay out the money that our clients are owed.
Towards this end:
On January 16, 2008, LuckyHog.com launched on the MERGE GAMING NETWORK, the same network as Carbon Poker. We trust that this is a safe and secure platform for our valued players to be on. With thousands of player’s online everyday and countless tournaments, ring games and styles of poker, we are sure that our old and new players will be more than satisfied.
In the interest of fair comment and to dispel rumours and allegations about LuckyHog.com:
• LuckyHog.com does not and will not have anything to do with Strip Poker.
• LuckyHog.com does not currently operate a sports betting entity on its own or on its site and has no plans to do so in the near future
• LuckyHog.com does not currently operate casino games and has no plans to do so in the near future
LuckyHog.com is a POKER ONLY site.
Currently all players who sign up to www.luckyhog.com will get a $3.00 sign up bonus. (Some restrictions apply) We have had countless people from the old LuckyHog.com system sign up new accounts and be credited there full balance from the old system. The accounts we cannot transfer is any promotional money or monies won on free rolls from the Future Bet network. When that network shut us out we were unable to obtain reliable information on promotional money balances.
All affiliates have been or will be paid out upon sign-up to the new system. Again: all a player or affiliate needs to do is contact us at info@luckyhog.com with their old/new information as well as outstanding balances. Once we confirm the balance, the money will be placed in the new accounts within 24-48 hours. Also, we have increased our deposit bonuses to all of our valued players to 200% up to $1,000.
In an industry where online poker companies seem to go down as fast as they are set up – often making off with player balances and rake money - it should be refreshing to know that there is an online company that will continue to treat its customers with the fair play and integrity they deserve.
LuckyHog.com will continue to do whatever it takes to be the world most trusted and secure online poker system.

Thank you
Management
www.luckyhog.com
info@luckyhog.com

LuckyHog.com February Online Poker Promotion - Heart Attack

[Poker Room Name]Heart Attack

During February LuckyHog.com will be hosting a phenomenal promotion. There will be  daily free roll online poker tournaments where entry is gained through daily comp points earnings. Every qualifying player then receives a coupon entry to the daily Heart Breaker Tournament. The prize pool will be $500 per weekday and $1000 (per tournament) on Saturday and Sunday. On Valentines day we will make the prize pool $5,000. Players must achieve at least 4,000 comp points to gain eligibility for this tournament.

During the promotion the prize pool will be split down the middle. 50% of the pool will be paid according to the set up of a normal tournament structure. The remainder of the pool will be based on receiving hearts as hole cards, the top 5 players with the most consecutive hole cards as hearts win a percentage of the prize pool. Any heart in the hole counts.

Entry to the promotion require players to earn 700 comp points per day (between midnight and midnight poker time) in order to get the coupon for the daily tournament. The current average comp point earnings per day varies between 420 and 500.

The tournaments will run daily during the week and twice on a Saturday and Sunday – Coupons can be stored and used for any event. We will attempt to stagger the times of the tourneys to get a fair representation of the user groups. (see tournament schedule below)

During the tournament there will be Heart Attack leader board in which the top 25 players will all receive a Heart Accolade for the promotion.

We will provide:-

• A “Freeroll counter” in the player admin so the players know how many points they need to get the coupon
• A “heart Monitor” that will count the number of hearts received during play. This will update in the tournament results section live as the tournament is running.
• A Heart Race leader board will be produced that will so the cumulative number of hearts gained by each player during the month. The top 10% will receive a unique Heart Accolade that will never be repeated.
• Custom Heart shaped tables
• Custom card backs
• Flash graphics
• Player notification through the LuckyHog.com within an hour before the start time how many points shy of the coupon they are getting to allow entry.

Download february_schedule_chart.pdf

FEBRUARY SCHEDULE

Changes at LuckyHog.com

We at LuckyHog.com have had a run of bad luck with two online poker networks. First FutureBet Gaming Systems in 2007, now Dynamic Gaming Systems.
LuckyHog.com is not alone.
Numerous other online poker sites were dragged down by these operators (see: http://www.pokerroomreview.com/article+who+is+futurebet.aspx). But unlike some other operators who simply disappeared, LuckyHog.com’s operators have worked to make things right.
When LuckyHog.com moved to Dynamic Gaming Systems, we paid out the players that had made cash deposits and had balances. LuckyHog.com management went into their own pockets and paid tens of thousands of dollars to honour all cash deposits. In addition, LuckyHog.com then added $5.00 real money to all affiliate and cash player accounts.
Unfortunately, LuckyHog.com management was unable to obtain accurate or reliable information on players who had outstanding promotional money/freeroll balances.
Most other operators simply disappeared. LuckyHog.com remains, under the same name, under the same management. We did not and will not abandon our clients in these trying times. We will continue to support our clients and are grateful for their ongoing trust and encouragement as we moved over to another safer, more secure network.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact LuckyHog.com at info@luckyhog.com.

Thanks,
Management

LuckyHog.com

Play Omaha online poker without fear

Omaha online poker has a reputation for being a complex and difficult to learn online casino card game. Don’t believe the hype. In reality, playing Omaha at Lucky Hog is straightforward, and is even much simpler than its closest cousin, Texas Holdem.
Omaha is similar to Texas Holdem in using a three-card flop on the community board, a fourth community board card, and then a fifth community board card. Each player is dealt four pocket cards (instead of two) at the start. In order to make a hand, a player must use precisely two pocket cards with three community board cards. The betting is the same as in Texas Holdem.
At the showdown, five card hands are created by using exactly two cards from a player's hand, and exactly three cards from the community board cards. All four of a player's cards must be shown to qualify for winning a pot. Regardless of what is on the board, without exception players must use three cards from the community board cards and two from their hand. Even if, for example, there are five spades on the community board, you must have two spades in your hand to have a flush.
If you only show two cards and discard the other two, your hand is dead and you forfeit claim to the pot.
Omaha rules are based on Texas Holdem with these main differences:

1. Players are dealt four pocket cards.
2. Player MUST use two pocket cards and three community board cards to make the best possible poker hand.
3. There can be a maximum of 10 players.

Each player is dealt four cards face down (the pocket cards). Then the first betting round begins.
Rounds are the same as in Texas Holdem:

1. Preflop - Two cards are dealt to every player face down, starting with the small blind.
2. The Flop - the dealer lays out the first three community board cards in the center of the table.
3. The Turn - A fourth card is dealt face up in the middle of the table.
4. The River - A fifth and final card is dealt face up in the middle of the table.

The player with the best 5-card hand wins.
Most Omaha hands come down to simply calculating your chances of winning all or part of a pot.
Omaha is usually a simple game: play hands before the flop that can easily make the strongest possible hand in a given situation, and play hands after the flop where you are getting correct odds on making the best hand.