March is always a crazy month for sport and Full Tilt Poker has recognized that by starting the month off with a bang. It’s called Sit and Go Madness and it will be taking place from 4 in the afternoon Eastern Time on March 5th to 4 in the afternoon Eastern Time on March 7th.

Those 48 hours will be divided into 24 even blocks, meaning that each block will be two hours long. During each two-hour segment, players can play in sit and go tournaments in order to attempt to get to the top seven places in one of four groups determined by the buy-in of the sit and go tournament.

$1-$2 tournaments are the first group and the top seven cashers over each two-hour period will get prizes of $20, $12.50, $7.50, $5, $2.50, $1.50 and $1 respectively. The second group is $5-$11 tournaments and the respective prizes are $100, $60, $40, $25, $12.50, $7.50 and $5. The third group is for $20-$33 tournaments with respective prizes of $200, $125, $75, $50, $25, $15 and $10. The fourth and final group is for $50-$110 tournaments with prizes of $500, $300, $200, $125, $60, $40, $25.

The aim of each two-hour period is for you to be in that top seven. You get there by winning and cashing in sit and go tournaments with the specified buy-in. At the same time, an overall leaderboard will also be there for players that feel like they can have a strong performance over the entire 48-hour period. Any player that finishes in the top 2 spots in a group over that period will get a seat at a March 13th $5000 freeroll tournament and all eight players will then duke it out for a free shot at $5000 in cash.

Finally, players that win at least two of the sit and go tournaments marked qualifying during the same 48-hour period will get a seat at the largest freeroll attached to this promotion. It will also take place on March 13th but will instead have a prize pool of $50,000 and an expected prize pool in the mid thousands of dollars range.

Poker Stars has accomplished many firsts throughout its illustrious existence as an online poker site, but the fact that they are steadily closing in on 40 billion poker hands is something that is very impressive indeed. They will be by far the first online poker site to reach that milestone and in celebration of it they will be passing on some of the rewards of a job well done to their real money online poker players.

It all starts with first millionth hand after the less impressive 36 billion hand limit is reached. At that point, Poker Stars will award a bonus to everyone participating in that hand equal to $40 multiplied by the total number of loyalty points earned at the table over the previous 40 hands. This will then continue to take place at every point up until the 40 billionth hand is dealt.

If you thought that bonus was impressive, you’ll definitely want to continue playing online poker at Poker Stars because you want a chance to be around when that 40 billionth hand gets dealt. The reason for this is that the bonus that you can get from it will be upgraded by quite a large amount. It is an entire order of magnitude larger because for every loyalty point in the previous 40 games, you’ll get $400 in bonus cash instead of just $40. No matter what has happened at the table at that time, you’ll be in for a very large bonus from Poker Stars.

The hand promotions are nice, but in typical Poker Stars format they are only part of a larger push to celebrate this momentous occasion. In addition to those deals, you can also get into a bunch of different sit and go tournaments that will only be around for the promotional period. You can also trade in 2500 loyalty points for a $40 cash back, something that you can only do once and only during the promotional period.

Finally, February 21st will see Poker Stars bring in the biggest guaranteed prize pool tournament in history, expected to have more than $4 million in guaranteed cash available.

The Titan Poker Titan Double promotion has been going on for a significant period of time now and things have not slowed down. If anything, people getting exposed to the tournament structure and seeing what it’s all about has just in the end created a lot more to love about the promotion and that in turn has attracted more people to the Titan Poker website.

The Titan Double promotion is a very simple promotion. At the start of the day, Titan Poker deposits $1000 into a progressive jackpot. Then, at 21:35 and 21:40 GMT, the two Titan Double tournaments start, both of which have a $5 + $1 buy-in. Half of the $1 registration fee gets added to the progressive jackpot on the part of each person.

As both of the tournaments go on and finish, there are three ways available for a person to win some or the entire progressive jackpot that has been created.

If a player manages to win both of the Titan Double tournaments, they will scoop the entire progressive jackpot and take it home with them. However, if the two tournaments are won by two different people, the jackpot becomes available to lesser feats.

The first of those is for a player that is able to place in the top 3 in both tournaments. There is a flat $200 prize for that particular achievement and it is awarded to each player that manages to get it done. Of course, at most $600 could be awarded per night this way as it is only possible for three players at most to finish in the top three positions in both tournaments.

However, once it is known that the tournaments have been won by two different players, 50% of the registration fee contribution to the jackpot will then be split amongst any players placing in the top ten in both tournaments. One player would get the full 50%, two players would each get 25% and so on.

If no player finishes in the top ten in both tournaments, no jackpot money is awarded and the two tournaments act as normal Titan Poker tournaments. Regardless of what the final outcomes are, everything is reset and the two tournaments will happen again the next day.

The Titan Poker Last Man Standing promotion has become very well covered in recent days as people are starting to really gain some steam in their bid to be the last man standing and win the coveted seat at the World Series of Poker 2010 Main Event. Players that have busted out of the concurrently running World Challenge are also starting to filter into the Last Man Standing promotion and that has resulted in more people starting to contest the events that are taking place as part of this promotion.

In a nutshell, the Last Man Standing promotion awards points to people that are playing at designated real money poker tables on the Titan Poker website. Points are then earned in a way similar to the loyalty program and then when a period of 28 days goes by, the leaders are given special prizes. Entry into the WSOP is not the only thing available from this promotion as players can win anything from cash prizes to entries into freeroll tournaments that contain impressive prize pools added on.

However, the prize that will be awarded to the eventual winners of the event will be the WSOP packages that of course include a seat at the tournament and additional cash included for purchasing airfare and accommodations in the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada.

That being said, there are strict rules to the Last Man Standing tournament if you want to continue into it for the following day. In order to remain around, you need to collect the number of poker points that Titan Poker states as being your daily quota. Only players meeting their quotas will be around on the next day. Therefore, the event really becomes a slot that forces you to continue through an iron man gauntlet of online poker if you want to reach the sweet prize at the end of the tunnel.

People will drop off quite quickly in each 28-day period however and by the end of it the last person still in the hunt will be the person that wins. If you don’t win in this period however, there’s still the next 28-day period for you to try.

Just about everyone with some amount of knowledge of online poker websites has heard of Hollywood Poker. This online poker website, endorsed by WPT announcer Vince Van Patten, is home to many of the richest poker-playing celebrities in the world. They are known more for their high rolling clientele more so than their outreach to the average player. However, with $14 million in guaranteed prize pools being given away each month, Hollywood Poker definitely does have at least something to offer each person that comes to play online poker at their website.

The lynchpin event that Hollywood Poker has is probably the guaraanteed prize pool tournament that they offer every Sunday at 1 PM in the Eastern Time Zone. This tournament, which requires either a direct buy-in of $190 + $10 or else a seat won through a series of satellite tournament qualifiers, is the largest regular guaranteed prize pool that Hollywood Poker has available. They call it their Champion Chip Tournament and it is certainly one that offers top prizes that’ll make you feel like a real champ if you manage to grab one of them.

The $250,000 guaranteed is a tournament that appeals to everyone and that everyone can access. Even if you can’t afford the direct buy-in, there are satellite tournaments for $23 + $2 that you can enter for a shot at winning your seat cheaply. Or, if you really want to save money and are feeling lucky, you can try your hand at the qualifier sit and go tournament with a $0.90 + $0.10 buy-in. You’ll have to get through a lot of steps to get to the guaranteed prize pool tournament, but $1 is still a pretty sweet deal.

Hollywood Poker also has many high roller events available as is to be expected given their reputation in this field. Their newest one is a $500 + $25 tournament with a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool held on Tuesday at 2:30 PM in the Eastern Time Zone. Hollywood Poker promises that the guaranteed prize pool for that will increase just as soon as they have an idea of what the stability of that tournament will be.

With all of the online poker rooms that are out there, it takes a lot for a poker room to stand out from the rest or impress me as an online poker players. After checking out the William Hill poker room I was VERY impressed of what they had to offer. William Hill is a well known brand in the UK, but are more so known for their casino client and sportsbook. I decided to check out their online poker room and was very surprised at all of the exciting promotions they had going on.

The first thing that surprised me about William Hill Poker was their $600 new player welcome bonus. What better way to start at an online poker room than free money? Although a lot of online poker rooms offer new players bonuses, many aren’t as big as the $600 bonus William Hill is offering and many don’t have the easy release conditions that William Hill’s bonus has. When you make your first deposit at William Hill you will receive the exact same amount that you deposited in free money (up to $600 max). Instead of having to wait a long time to clear your full free money bonus, William Hill is giving players $5 cash for every 350 WH Points they earn, which gives the players their free money quicker.

If the free bonus money wasn’t enough, they are giving every new depositor a chance at a $1000 prize pool for free. New players will play in a free tournament with other new depositors for a chance at $1000 in cash prizes. On top of the cash prizes winners will also get their choice between great prizes including a laptop, Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii, and more. This new depositor freeroll that William Hill is offering runs every Wednesday, and players are given 4 entries!

Other promotions running all the time at William Hill include the Refer-A-Friend bonus and the William Hill VIP Scheme. The refer a friend bonus gives members a cash bonus when they recruit their friends to sign up for an account. If you refer a friend who deposits more than $50 you will receive $50 in bonus dollars. Not only will you be rewarded, but your friend will also get $50 cash on top of their $600 new player welcome bonus we talked about earlier! The more you play at William Hill the more you will be rewarded through their VIP scheme. Players will move up the VIP rankings to earn special rewards and prizes such as cash back,freeroll entries, gifts from the loyalty shop, and even live sponsorship offers.

Besides all of the awesome promotions that William Hill offers players, they also have some great tournaments set up weekly that give players a chance at winning some big money. Every Sunday night William Hill holds a $250,000 guaranteed prize pool tournament that players can win a seat in for as little as $3.50. You will also find a weekly $50,000 guaranteed tournament that is held every Saturday, with a buy-in of $100+9. On top of the regular tournaments, William Hill runs promotions for players to win seats at live big tournaments such as the Irish Open and the World Series of Poker.

William Hill is definitely a top online poker room, use this William Hill Promotional Code , visit William Hill and get started with your account today. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed with the amount of promotions and VIP prizes they reward their players with!

The Irish Poker Open is always one of the most favorite live poker tournaments of the year because Irish poker players, win or lose, certainly know how to have a good time doing it. This year, the Irish Poker Open will take place over the first five days of April and that means that the tournament is less than four months away.

Titan Poker is always interested in the major live poker tournaments going on around Europe and the Irish Poker Open is no exception to that rule. That is why as part of the iPoker Network’s promotional offering for this tournament, Titan Poker is giving away prize packages to this tournament for people lucky and/or good enough to win them in online poker tournament gaming action.

Each prize package given away by Titan Poker is worth EUR 4800, an amount that roughly translates to just over $7000 in US dollars. That amount is good enough to cover the entry fee into the tournament, a 5-night stay at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, additional costs related to the tournament and up to EUR 800 left over to book a trip to and from the tournament and do some souvenir shopping while in the city.

There is also the prestige that comes with representing the iPoker Network at the tournament as the Irish Poker Open is ostensibly hosted by Paddy Power Poker. Although not as large as Titan Poker, the latter online poker site is a fellow member of the iPoker Network and the Irish Poker Open does have the distinction of being the longest running annual live poker tournament on the European continent.

Players interested in getting in on the gaming action at the Irish Poker Open can always register for satellite tournaments which are taking place right now at Titan Poker. Additionally, there are super satellite tournaments available that are much cheaper as well as crapshoot sit and go tournaments from 40 cents available for people that are interested in seeing if lady luck will guide them on their journey to secure one of the Titan Poker packages available for the Irish Poker Open 2010.

Although the rules are the same, playing Poker online requires vastly different strategies and tactics to win. Playing a live game of poker requires the ability to read other people’s expressions and choices; watch their eyes and reactions to learn when they have a good hand and when they are bluffing. When you play online you do not have any of these advantages, so you have to use a different strategy to win. Getting over the mentality you develop playing with people will be difficult but necessary to succeed at online poker.

It is easy to say that the computer cheats because it is the dealer and player. It is easy to think that it knows what your hand is and cheats to make sure you don’t profit off of the game. Neither of these, however, is true. Online poker is entirely controlled by a computer algorithm. As a computer, there will be some sort of a pattern built into each of the hands dealt. The use of an algorithm will mean that you will not be able to always tell what will happen next, but the careful observer will be able to determine a pattern that will increase the chances of knowing what the other players have and how they will react on a turn. Remember, when your opponents are raising the stakes, this is probably a pattern built into the program. The computer is not trying to outsmart or fool you; it is a cold calculated move that with the right amount of scrutiny might be something you can predict. All of the players’ moves are computer based. Being able to monitor the types of moves the other players make instead of trying to out think them is how a good online player is able to turn online poker into a profitable game.

In poker, the bankroll is the money you have available to gamble. Obviously, you have to monitor your losses and gains very carefully as you play to make sure that you do not go through the money too fast. Every player should develop a strategy for successfully building up their bankroll. Keeping a level head is one of the best things a player can do. Do not get over confident and start making ridiculously higher wagers and raises because you think you are on a roll and can double your money in a couple of hands. Another problem is panicking when you have lost several times in a row and start to make careless bets in the hope that you will make your money back in a few short hands. Both of these are easy ways to quickly lose your bankroll.

It is a good idea to start out slow and learn what strategy works best for you in different situations. At the beginning of the night, take it slow. You do not have to stay in every game, so if you are dealt a really bad hand, don’t be ashamed to fold. The next deal may be a sure win, but you won’t know if you blow all of your money on trying to bluff your way to a win.

Beginning poker players will have an easier time keeping their bankrolls if they spend more time being cautious and staying in more games with smaller wagers. Taking it slow at the beginning gives all players the opportunity to study the opponents to see how they react. The object of the game is to walk away with more than you started, which is more likely if you are protective of your bankroll and moderate the amount you put into each hand based on bluffing and chance.

There are several very important differences between playing poker live in a casino and playing poker online. The advice you get for the first will not help you when you play online because of these differences. Basically, in online poker you are playing against a computer with codes that base the players ‘moves on algorithms to win, not a live person who is using tact, misdirection, and bluffing to win. Because it is based on an algorithm, online poker is not truly random. Also with online poker being based on a computer strategy, it suffers from the same types of problems and hacking any other software can have. Several scandals have sullied the reputation for the online poker business. Staff, players, and even some of the poker sites had worked out systems to ensure frequent wins and the online system had no way to stop them.  This caused the online casinos to come up with more security and different dealing, shuffling, and delivery for the online poker software.

One of the results from the scandals was the development of anti-collusion and anti-cheating software. Anti-collusion software monitors the number of times each player has won to ensure that one player is not winning too often. The software combats this problem by setting up apparent cheaters with what should be a winning hand, but that hand will lose. After so many wins in a row, the software automatically evaluates a player as cheating and will deal to stop them. Of course this does not take into account good players and may be a bad set up for an innocent player. This has the distinct disadvantage of discouraging players from winning too many hands at a time. If players do not have any incentive to keep playing because they will be set up for being successful, the game loses its appeal and point. Player who enjoy playing online can watch for the different limits of the websites and play around the restrictions.