Thu, 03/03/2011 – 18:42 – PokerPages Staff

PokerStars.tv is the world’s premier provider of poker-related action and entertainment.  As we enter, March 2011 there is a full range of poker programming listed on the PokerStars.tv schedule as well as on their poker channels.

A regular offering on the PokerStars.tv schedule is the Online Poker Show, which viewers can watch at 18:00 ET each Monday.  This show, with commentary from Nick Wealthall, James Hartigan, and Dave Tuckman has highlights from the PokerStars Sunday Million.

On Tuesday at 05:30 ET, there is LAPT Season 3.  The show gives viewers the chance to see all the highlights drama from the series and is fronted by David Tuckman.  There are also other LAPT programs available on PokerStars.tv’s own dedicated LAPT channel.

The Inside Deal airs at 05:30 ET on Wednesdays and is a regular poker news show produced by ESPN.  The show is hosted by Laura Lane and Bernard Lee.

The Thursday scheduled offering at 05:30 ET is EPT 7 with commentary by James Hartigan.  The show airs highlights from the London leg of the series.  In addition, there is more European Poker Tour action available on the EPT channel.

The Friday PokerStars.tv schedule offers a treat for poker fans in Australia as well as viewers from all around the world.  The Poker Star starts at 05:30 ET each week giving Australian poker players the chance to become the next big name in poker.  The show is hosted by Joe Hachem and new episodes and tournaments are aired each week.

As well as the scheduled programs, PokerStars.tv offers a wide range of channels, each showing recordings around the clock.  Viewers can also personalize their viewing thru the My Channel tab, allowing them to watch the best poker programming on the planet at their leisure.

Wed, 03/02/2011 – 23:15 – PokerPages Staff

Foremost in gaining poker success, the beginner poker player must have a solid foundation; the novice must have a comprehensive understanding of the poker rules and poker betting.  Beyond this groundwork, there are a multitude of tools and strategies that the beginner poker player should have in their arsenal.  While some poker players are not convinced that poker tools or programs improve game play, many online players are successfully using such software to beat their opponents. 

A Poker HUD (Heads Up Display), is a program that displays a poker statistics overlay on the online poker table.  Most good Poker HUDs have both a poker calculator and a tracker.  The poker calculator is a program that provides poker mathematics, such as odds, probabilities, outs, etc.  A poker tracker analyzes your game play and your opponent’s play, such as profitability and table style, betting and playing style.

Before employing such devices, do your research.  Make certain that the program is allowed on the poker site you are playing.  Also, make sure the program safe to install.

Poker bots are computer programs that play the game for you.  It is an automated program that is designed to replace the human player.  For most poker sites, the use of a poker bot constitutes cheating and is strictly forbidden.

Some poker programs can compromise your security.  Use only software from reputable companies. 

The use of legal poker software can greatly improve your play.  They are useful for decision making and trend analysis.  They should, however, be used as a supplement to good poker play based on the rules and the best strategies. 

If you are playing on PokerStars, check out Third Party Tools and Services FAQ.

To learn more, check out PokerSchoolOnline, the best source on the internet for poker related learning.  Then put those skills to work by playing for free at PokerStars.net.  Also, check out the PokerPages sections Poker Information and Poker Articles for more poker tips and strategies.