Players Top Rated Sites (August 2008)

I recently polled some of our top players at LTDPoker.com which was there favourite poker room at the moment.

Most the the players have been playing online poker on a regular basis for between 2-6 years.

The reason for their preference was diverse but two reason came through the strongest.

Firstly the range of tournaments and events available to players. It will be no surprise there fore that the top rated sites where ones with the big sponsored tournaments.

Secondly the software and general feel of the site was important. In such a competitive online industry websites should be aware that the key to retaining the experienced and regular players is focussing on the "user experience".

LTDpoker.com personally plays on the sites we feature and give up to date reviews of the available tournaments as well as the player experience. Check out our top rated rooms for an overview.

Players Top Rated:

Full Tilt (22%)
Pokerstars (20%)
Red Kings (20%)
Betfair (11%)
Mansion (6%)
Party Poker (6%)
VC Poker (3%)
Celeb Poker (3%)
Titan (3%)
Paradise (3%)
T6 (3%)

We have also been getting get reviews and player feedback from new players registering with Gala Poker.

This poll is part of our Poker player profile month. Featured on the site will be bio profiles of some of our leader board players. If you want to take part and have some great Poker stories, Poker tips or want to review some of our room register at www. LTDPOker.com.

See ya soon!

2008 World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair

2008 World Series of Poker Europe Presented by Betfair.com Announces Tournament Schedule
ESPN to televise ; ESPN360 to provide live coverage.
Four Bracelet Events Set for September 19th to October 2nd in London
The second annual World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) presented by Betfair.com has confirmed its tournament schedule for 2008. The tournament will feature four bracelet events, and will start with a new £1,500 No-Limit tournament (3days). The event schedule can be seen in full below:-
• September 19th , 2008 - Event 1 - £1,500 – No-Limit Hold’em Day 1A (3-day event/2 opening days)
• September 22nd , 2008 - Event 2 - £2,500 – H.O.R.S.E. (3-day event)
• September 24th , 2008 - Event 3 - £5,000 – Pot Limit Omaha (3-day event)
• September 27th , 2008 - Event 4 - £10,000 – World Championship No-Limit Hold’em (5-day Event/2 opening days)
All of the above tournaments are sanctioned gold bracelet events, although there will be five more non-bracelet events scheduled during the tournament. All of the bracelet events will be held in the heart of London whilst satellites and non-stop cash games will be available at all the LCI casinos.
"London Clubs offers five unique casino experiences in the heart of London including The Rendezvous, The Casino at the Empire (in world famous Leicester Square), The Sportsman, Fifty and the Golden Nugget, “said Michael Silberling, COO, London Clubs International. ““We look forward to hosting the second annual WSOP Europe.”
For the first time, and subject to the execution of a definitive agreement, ESPN, the exclusive World Series of Poker broadcaster, has committed to airing eight original hours of the World Series of Poker Europe in the United States as well as distribute the tournament globally. ESPN360, ESPN’s signature broadband sports network portal will provide live coverage in the US, Europe, Mexico and Brazil. Harrah’s Entertainment will distribute the programming in non-ESPN markets, which in 2007 totalled over 100 million households including U.K. host broadcaster Sky Sports
“We have enhanced the schedule to build on our initial success and provide a richer experience for players,” said World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. “If this year’s World Series of Poker event in Las Vegas is any indication, the level of tournament play is increasing worldwide and we expect the second annual WSOPE to be hotly contested.”
David Yu, CEO, Betfair.com commented. “We are extremely excited to be working alongside Harrah’s and the World Series of Poker brand for a second year. Betfair Poker is now the only place players can qualify online for the tournament – this exclusivity shows how confident we are that WSOPE 2008 will be even bigger and better than before.”
Satellite tournaments have become increasingly popular in a world where the most prestigious poker tournaments have entry fees out of the reach of the recreational players.
Rather than awarding money as prizes, satellites give away entries to more expensive tournaments meaning players with limited bankrolls have the chance to play against their favourite professionals for huge sums of money.
The most famous satellite winner of recent times was Chris Moneymaker, who won a $40 satellite for the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event and went on to outlast 838 other players to win $2,500,000!
Betfair recognise that people are eager to emulate Moneymaker's success and have created a number of satellite tournaments for the 2008 WSOPE Main Event. LTDPoker.com rate Betfair as one of their Top online Poker sites, “players consistently feed back great reviews, that why we are delighted to offer players fantastic free bankrolls when opening an account at Betfair Poker. Now is a great time with the buzz of the WSOPE” – Andy Hindmarsh CEO LTDPoker.com.

For the latest online poker news, updates from Betfair WSOPE and reviews of the top rated poker rooms Ltd Poker is the leading guide to Online Poker. Check us out at www.ltdpoker.com we offer the Best Online Poker Reviews

Annette Obrestad International Media Superstar (WSOPE)

Since Annette Obrestad won the WSOPE event in 2007 she has been in demand by media the world over. At 19 years old she became the Guinness Book of Records holder as the youngest winner of a WSOP bracelet as well as becoming the youngest winner of a Main Event last year, while her £1m prize money saw her overtake Annie Duke for the record for a single-event payout to a female player. The win catapulted Annette into poker stardom and having made plenty of money from the game with over $2.5m in the bank, she reveals that it is the lure of more of that famous poker wrist-candy that is fuelling her passion in the sport.
Poker is truly a global game with over 100 countries represented at this year's WSOP (the Olympics has just over 80!!) The list is too long to mention but she has featured on the front page of the largest selling newspaper in Vegas, done TV interviews for Fox & Bluff and interviews for Swedish, Norwegian, UK, French and Danish titles to mention a few. She continues to make news on and off the tables
Speaking of her WSOPE win to the Casino City Times, Obrestad said: "It was an amazing experience. But now I want to win it again. I want more. Once you already have enough money where winning more won't really change your life, you play more for the bracelet," she added. "I want to let people know who I am. I want to establish a name for myself. That's why I play now."
Proud sponsors Betfair Poker were truly delighted when she walked away with the first prize and over 1million pounds. Many will be looking forward to watching Annette's defence of her title when the 2008 WSOPE begins on September 19.
This year Betfair Poker is setting aside $1.5 MILLION to send a team to WSOP Europe in September 2008 which of course includes Annette. Make sure you are part of the excitement! There is a whole host of ways to qualify for this must attend poker event in September. As well as having daily free rolls on the site there are also countless satellites to suit both small and large players. By registering through www.LTDPoker.com you can register an account at Betfair with a free no deposit bonus.
For the latest poker player news, updates from Betfair WSOPE and reviews of the top rated poker rooms Ltd Poker is the leading guide to Online Poker. Check us out at www.ltdpoker.com we offer the Best Online Poker Reviews

The PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP)

The PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) is the biggest online poker tournament series with a guaranteed prize pool of $30,000,000!

Now in its seventh year, the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker is a collection of tournaments that brings players from around the world together to compete for WCOOP bracelets and of course, millions in cash prizes.

The Series will start on September 5th and go on for 17 days, finishing off with the Main Event on September 21st. There are 33 different events in total, covering a wide range of poker games, including:

$10,300 High-Roller No-Limit Hold'em, Eight-Game Mixed tourney, Four-Max No-Limit Hold'em, Mixed Hold'em, PLO with one rebuy, one add-on, $25,500 High-Roller Heads-up No-Limit Hold'em, Six-Max Mixed Hold'em, No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw and Six-Max No-Limit Hold'em w/ rebuys.

Each event has a huge guarantee prize pool, with many reaching more than $2,000,000!
Anyone with a PokerStars account in good standing can enter. You can buy in directly, win a satellite or even get in the game free...through Frequent Player Point freerolls. In fact, to give all of our loyal players a chance to get in the game, we're putting up $1.5 million of our own money toward free entries to our frequent players. Perhaps the best way is to sign up through LTDPoker.com where you will receive exclusive promotions including free bankrolls to deposit to top rated poker sites including Pokerstars. Don’t forget to check the site for regular updates as the WCOOP tournament progresses.
Below you see a schedule of all WCOOP 2008 events. For players who would like to take part in these events, but might not have the bankroll to cover the buy-ins, there will be plenty of satellite tournaments on offer, starting from July 1st.

Friday, September 5th, 14:30, $215 NL Hold'em (6-Max), $1 million Guaranteed

Friday, September 5th, 16:30, $215 PL 5-Card Draw, $100,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, September 6th, 14:30, $215 Limit Hold'em, $300,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, September 6th, 16:30, $215 2-7 Triple Draw, $100,000 Guaranteed

Sunday, September 7th, 14:30, $10,300 High-Roller NL Hold'em, $2 million Guaranteed

Sunday, September 7th, 16:30, $530 NL Hold'em, $3 million Guaranteed (2-Day Event)

Monday, September 8th, 14:30, $215 PL Omaha (6-Max) $300,000 Guaranteed

Monday, September 8th, 16:30, $320 8-Game Mixed Event, $200,000 Guaranteed

Tuesday, September 9th, 14:30, $215 NL Hold'em (4-Max), $400,000 Guaranteed

Tuesday, September 9th, 16:30, $215 Razz, $100,000 Guaranteed

Wednesday, September 10th, 14:30, $320 PL Omaha Hi/Lo, $300,000 Guaranteed

Wednesday, September 10th, 16:30, $320 Mixed Hold'em (6-Max), $300,000 Guaranteed

Thursday, September 11th, 14:30, $215 NL Hold'em w/ Rebuys, $1 million dollars Guaranteed

Thursday, September 11th, 16:30, $320 7-Card Stud, $100,000 Guaranteed

Friday, September 12th, 14:30, $320 No Limit Hold'em (Heads-Up), $500,000 Guaranteed

Friday, September 12th, 16:30, $215 PL Omaha (1 Rebuy, 1 Add-on), $300,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, September 13th, 14:30, $530 PL Hold'em (6-Max), $400,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, September 13th, 16:30, $215 HORSE, $300,000 Guaranteed

Sunday, September 14th, 14:30, $25,500 High-Roller HU No Limit Hold'em, $1.6 million dollars Guaranteed

Sunday, September 14th, 16:30, $1,050 NL Hold'em, $3 million Guaranteed (2-Day Event)

Monday, September 15th, 14:30, $530 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo, $200,000 Guaranteed

Monday, September 15th, 16:30, $530 Mixed Omaha Hi/Lo (6-Max), $200,000 Guaranteed

Tuesday, September 16th, 14:30, $530 NL Hold'em (1 Rebuy, 1 Add-on), $500,000 Guaranteed

Tuesday, September 16th, 16:30, $530 NL 2-7 Single Draw, $200,000 Guaranteed

Wednesday, September 17th, 14:30, $320 PL Omaha w/ Rebuys, $500,000 Guaranteed

Wednesday, September 17th, 16:30, $320 NL Hold'em (6-Max), $500,000 Guaranteed

Thursday, September 18th, 14:30, $530 NL Hold'em Triple Shootout, $300,000 Guaranteed

Thursday, September 18th, 16:30, $530 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, $400,000 Guaranteed

Friday, September 19th, 14:30, $530 NLHE w/ Rebuys (6-Max), $400,000 Guaranteed

Friday, September 19th, 16:30, $1,050 PL Omaha, $500,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, September 20th, 14:30, $1,050 Limit Hold'em (6-Max), $500,000 Guaranteed

Saturday, September 20th, 16:30, $10,300 HORSE, $500,000 Guaranteed

Sunday, September 21st, 16:30, $5,200 NL Hold'em Main Event, $10 million Guaranteed

For the latest online poker news, updates from Pokerstars WCOOP and reviews of the top rated poker rooms Ltd Poker is the leading guide to Online Poker. Check us out at www.ltdpoker.com we offer the Best Online Poker Reviews

Top Poker Movies

I was conducting some market research the other day for LTDPoker.com and as an opening question I asked what the group thought was the ultimate poker movie. As you can probably imagine a lively debate followed where a top spot could not ultimately be decided on.

There's probably more poker in the movies than any other game or sport, from the western bar, to high stakes tables in casinos film makers use the game to spar two characters without any actual fighting. Good acting and clever angles are a lot cheaper than a special stunts effects scene and creates more tension and insight into the character.

The unquestionable increase in popularity for the game can be traced to the resounding images we have of some of the best poker scenes on screen. Here is a list of the ones which resonate in our memories.
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) Essentially this is not a film about Poker but the direction by Guy Ritchie ensures the poker scene generates all the glamour of its underground reputation and brings it bang up to date. Whilst not the most realistic of actual game play its influence in the style of subsequent marketing of poker is clear.
Rounders (1998). Starring Matt Damon, Ed Norton and John the movie is not Oscar winning but it has plenty of table action, some ludicrous poker scenes, and an absurd lead character. Best quote: ‘Mr. Son of a bitch, let's play some cards!'
Run (1990). Starring Patrick Dempsey, run has got a great pace with great twists and original scenes. The film depicts an illegal card game in New Jersey prior to legalization of the game.
Maverick(1994) Wise Cracking gambler played by Mel Gibson tries on James Garner's worn in leather boots as the greatest card sharp of them all in this slick comedy set in the old American West. More Wild Wild West than the OK Corral but entertaining and light hearted.
A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966). If you swallow the fact that a player can walk across the street carrying her cards in the middle of a hand, you should enjoy this movie with Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward and a roster of fine character actors. The action centers around a poker game climaxing with "a big hand for the little lady."

The Croupier (1999) This British film starring Clive Owen in his breakthrough role focuses on the ‘House’ more than the gambler. The movie is particularly atmospheric and contemporary. Owen's performance as the alienated croupier portrays a thrilling profile of the life of a dealer and shows how real casinos operate.
Casino Royal ( 2006) The most recent of the list, starring Daniel Craig in the Bafta winning portrayal of the high end of Poker. The poker game scenes are expertly shot and filled with humorous asides and some violent escapades during breaks in the table action. Unfortunately features card combinations highly unlikely to grace the table of a player in their lifetime.

The Cincinnati Kid (1965). An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game the finale scene let it down. However definitely an all time classic for poker fans the world. Best quote: "That's what it's all about, doing the wrong thing at the right time"
The Sting (1973). Staring Paul Newman and Robert Shaw The Sting features a poker game on board a train where Newman out hustles Shaw ‘All it takes is a little confidence' this film was a big hit in 1973 winning 7 academy awards.
California Split (1974). George Segal & Elliot Gould play Gardena poker players in search of a rush in the casinos and the backroom poker rooms. This is a rare attempt for a movie to show the day to day life of card-playing, sports-betting, sleep-till-noon gamblers.
The growing number of online gaming sites such as LTDPoker.com has reinvented the perception of a game that has been around for over 200 years from an after-hours past time into big business and an international phenomenon. The smaller stakes available online and the provision of free bankroll anyone can enter a game win big money pots at major tournaments; it's like the lottery, but with better odds

Poker Tips: How to Spot a Bluff

I am please to announce the upcoming launch of LTD’s Poker School. This site is aimed at poker players at all levels to increase their confidence and performance at the poker tableeither in live events or online.

Today’s poker tips highlight “How to Spot a Bluff” is in association with our July promotion with Gala Poker.

Firstly you must learn the most common poker tells:

(Poker Tell: A characteristic behavioral pattern).

Number 1-5 are subconscious traits often the player will not be aware of the signs they are displaying.

1. The Eyes: Probably one of the easiest to decipher. Often a player will spend a longer period of time looking at their hole cards when they have a good hand. When the player is in a late position and is stealing glances at the players before him left to bet, it is likely that he is watching them to see if he should bluff/raise to steal the blinds. When a player glances at their chip stack after the Flop, this generally means they connected. It is an unconscious reaction that says they’re calculating a battle plan

2. Anxious Behavior: Signs of anxiety may include faster breathing, a slightly higher pitched tone of voice or a faster rate of speech, dry throat, dilation of the pupils and odd muscle flexing.

3. Facial Expressions: Generally, a nervous reaction or ‘tic’ (rubbing the chin, scratching nose, fingers through hair, etc.) is a sure sign of a weak hand. Observe players carefully to shed light on their future hands.

4. Quivering Hands: Trembling hands or fingers can be a sure-tell sign that they are holding a great hand.

5. Body Language: Some players will demonstrate changes in body language depending on their attitude and hand. Slouching would relate to a weak hand, while sitting up straight would mean they have a good hand. Leaning forward is often an over compensation for bluffing portraying a more intimidating, confrontational attitude, essentially daring someone to call their bluff.

Seasoned poker players will be aware of their tells and may employ reverse psychology as part of their strategy. Other tells include:


· Hole-Card Double Take: When the Flop comes down, revealing a potential Flush draw, many players will check their hole cards again to see if they have the suit. This usually means the player’s cards are not suited, but he doesn’t remember exactly what suits they were.

· Chip Stacking: If a player keeps his chips neatly stack and organized at all times, they may be playing a tight/aggressive poker strategy. In the same token, a sloppy chip stack can relate to a loose poker strategy.

· Repetitive Betting: This behavioral pattern takes time to observe accurately, players may maintain a repetitive betting pattern for particular situations.

Watch for these patterns and make a mental note, as they can be extremely profitable in the long term. Another option is to build up your experience on an online format and monitor your own tells ensuring you can keep them under control in live games.

For a comprehensive review of the top rated sites visit www.ltdpoker.com and receive up to $250 bank roll bonus.

For further information about the LTD Poker school or more information on Poker tips contact the support team at LTDpoker.com

Good Luck

Dreaming of sitting next to poker royalty in Vegas next year?

One of the best ways to join this hugely popular Poker community is to play an onlinepoker format. With minimal risk and games all levels anyone can play at any time.

There are many websites on the internet that are offering free play for online poker.

You can play these poker games with people all over the globe, you can meet new friends or poker buddies and you will have a whole community of people you can play free online poker with before you know it! Another great advantage of playing free online poker is that you get to hone your skills before diving into the paid poker.

You can learn from others who are also playing for fun and get tips of people who consider them to be professionals. You will be able to practice while you enjoy socializing with others who love to play free online poker as well.

Online poker is big business and many people fee little bombarded by offers and advertising, sites such as Live the dream poker provide updated reviews of the top rated poker rooms and the opportunity to try them out without committing any of your own cash.
LtdPoker is the leading guide to Online Poker. Check us out at LtdPoker we offer the Best Online Poker Reviews