‘Tis the season to be jolly, tra la la la la la la la la! The Christmas holidays are the time for giving, but you don’t want to be giving your partypoker opponents gifts in the shape of your hard-earned bankroll! My gift to you this holiday season is in the form of this article that should help you save some money at the poker tables and possibly help you have a profitable poker Christmas.
Christmas Poker Tips
Avoid All Alcohol
I like a drink of wine as much as the next man, but never when I am going to play poker. Even a single glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage can have an effect on a poker player’s mentality and ability to think clearly, even if that player is used to drinking on a regular basis.
Avoid Playing Poker After A Large Meal
One of the pleasures that Christmas allows is to fall asleep in front of the TV with a belly full of tasty goodness – the so-called Food Coma.
Try to avoid playing poker after a large meal because your body diverts blood to aid digestion and this can (and usually does) leads to lower concentration and energy levels, both of which are vital to playing profitable poker.
Keep Things Simple
Christmas sees a lot of inexperienced poker players take to the tables, plus plenty of those who have avoided the first two tips of this article! By keeping things simple at the table and playing a tight-aggressive game, you should be able to capitalise on the mistakes these players will inevitably make without putting yourself in many tricky spots.
Be Aware Of The Time
Be sure to check out the time and cross match it with the different time zones around the world. If you’re in the UK then you should be aware of the different time zones that our European cousins are on, plus those from Canada. By doing this, you can plan to play a session of poker with a higher chance of your opponents about to descend into a food coma!
Also, take a look at some of the times of Christmas films being shown in your country. Often, you will find people playing poker while these are on the television, which can lead to them playing with distraction of children wanting more chocolate or their better half needing a refill to their drink!
Complete the 12 Days of Xmas Mission
From December 25 through to January 5, 2015, you can take part in up to 12 special missions and win a reward of up to $200.
Each daily mission has a single objective:
- Day 1: One pair dealt: Get dealt a pocket pair
- Day 2: Two hands-a-streaking: Win 2 consecutive hands
- Day 3: Three Sit & Gos paying: Finish in the money in 3 separate Sit & Gos
- Day 4: Four flops to go a-seeing: See 4 flops on mobile play
- Day 5: Five opponents-a-busting: Eliminate 5 opponents from tournaments
- Day 6: Six seats filled: Play 50 hands on 6-max tables
- Day 7: Seven cards a-turning: Play 10 hands of seven card stud
- Day 8: Snow Men a-dealing: Get dealt a pocket pair of 8s
- Day 9: Nine final tableists: Reach the final table in a tournament (min 20 participants)
- Day 10: Ten bounties-a-eating: Kick out 10 players in any bounty MTT
- Day 11: Eleven Casual gamers-a-gaming: Play 11 hands of Casual Cash Games
- Day 12: Twelve big-blinds fast-pocketing: Win a 12 big blind pot on fastforward
Each of the completed mission awards you $1, but if you manage to complete multiple missions the rewards are even more substantial.
| Missions Complete | Reward/Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | $25 |
| 4-6 | $50 |
| 7-9 | $100 |
| 10-12 | $200 |
For full details, terms and conditions, of the excellent 12 Days of Xmas Mission check out the dedicated landing page.
What tips do you have for playing poker at Christmas? We’d love you to share them with us.
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