If you are really interested in online poker, then Party Poker is one of the most reputable online poker rooms. They have been providing poker games on the Web for more than a decade, indeed pretty much since the beginning of online poker in the late 90’s. Party Poker is one of the most trusted brand in online gaming, part of the Party Gaming group of companies, which is listed on the LSE (London Stock Exchange). Such a listing puts Party in its own league with just a handful of online gaming operators.

Indeed not any company can get and keep such a prestigious listing, but it comes with a lot of constraints. In order to grant its stamp of approval, the LSE (or any stock exchange for that matter) requires listed companies to provide audits and reporting, to follow compliance and regulations and to respect the law. Likewise shareholders expect the company to act fairly and to follow the law. This is why Party Poker left the US market in 2006, unlike Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker, as the management knew they they were not allowed to make a huge gamble against the US Department of Justice. Now five years later we know that they make the right choice. Full Tilt is bankrupt. Pokerstars still faces legal charges, will have to pay a huge fine and will probably not be allowed into the lucrative US market when it reopens.

Given that the online gaming legal landscape is still so uncertain and unclear, it is better to send your hard-earned money to the safest locations, and Party Poker is one of them. They had their troubles with the DOJ as well, but this is behind them and they are ready to come back to the USA when online poker gets legalized there, potentially boosting their already large traffic. They are now the second largest online poker room and they could regain their top spot if this occurs.

So traffic and reputation are arguably the two main factors to judge a poker room. Most players would probably agree that the third factor is promotions and bonuses. After all online poker is a very competitive game where it is easy to lose your money, so you want to get as many benefits and perks as possible. You will get a PartyPoker bonus of 100% of your first deposit up to $500 and this is more than enough to get started. If you have the money send the full $500 to maximize this opportunity. Even is this is more than you need, you can always withdraw some of that later as your dollars are perfectly safe in your party poker player account. The bonus itself converts by simply playing at the real money ring games or tournament tables.

Your style would bore most people, and it may bore you, but the boredom is probably not that great. You do not seriously expect to win much, and you like a slow pace and steady wins with infrequent, small losses. Besides, like many patient people, you probably do not bore easily.

How to improve your play? Your style does cost you lots of money. Your style is a minor asset. You can win with it, but you can’t win much. You have the more important half of the best style, tight-aggressive. Your patience and discipline will enable you to win a little in many games, but you will lose in the wrong ones.

Unless you want to continue to be bored, restricted to the smallest games, and forced to settle for tiny wins, you have to become more aggressive. Doing so will certainly cause your swings to be greater: You will win more on good days and lose more on bad days. But your long term net will be considerably higher, and you will get more excitement and respect from other players.

I apologize if I have offended you, but you were probably not surprised. You wouldn’t be reading this website if you were not dissatisfied with some aspects of poker. You want to win more, and you may be somewhat bored and unhappy about other players’ attitudes toward you.

You may have shrugged it off, but it bothered you. You wanted better results, more fun, and more respect, but you hoped to get them without really changing your style. Unlike the loose players, you do not have to change your style to win. You can continue in the same old, comfortable rut. But, if you want to get out of that rut, make more money, be less bored, and get more respect, you have to change your style and take some chances.

You already have the more important half of a good game. You just have to get more aggressive.

I am leaking like a sieve. I can’t explain it. I know better than to limp in early position with Axs, call a raise from a TAG in late position, bet the flop out of position with air against the TAG late position raiser, call the flop raise, then check and fold to his turn bet. I graduated from poker kindergarten – not long ago, but still.

Yet that happened way too many times today. Probably six times. So then I tried a re-raise on the flop. Capped. I didn’t smoke anything, drink anything, or any other sort of thing that you might find in some of the degenerate players’ minds. It is like I just forgot how to play. I went to a 7 Card Stud for some tranquil time. No good. Up 5 bucks at a 1/2 table, but the pace was so slow.

Ah I have been craving action. I have been playing like an idiot, no patience. Lets see, checking Poker Tracker for today. . . VP$IP 18.4, PFR 10, flop AG 2.43, turn 1.36, river 1.06. 863 hands. Went to SD 38%, Won$ at showdown 37%. VPIP of 18.4 is higher than I have been lately by about 2%. PFR is higher by about 2%. Aggression is down. Dammit, I am Mr. Action junkie that forgot how to fold post flop. Only folded to a river bet once. In 863 hands.

Oh, and I need to figure out that I cannot bluff calling stations. I used to know that. Somewhere along the way, I found my donkey suit and put it on today.

I could use a good ass kicking.

You may have heard this somewhere else, that pokerstars is number one. But is it true, and by what measure? Like all number ones, it depend on what measure you use, and as far as traffic is concerned, Stars is the uncontested number one, with a big lead over the number two, Full Tilt Poker.

And all other poker rooms are left in the dust, far behind. But nothing is static and the rankings can change fast in online gambling. So beyond the fact that pokerstars in number one for traffic, are they also number one by other measures?

Pokerstars is easily the largest and most popular online poker room on the globe.  If you are looking for a reason to sign up at pokerstars, this is already in itself a great reason. More traffic means more poker variations and tournament formats available, more ring game table and stakes with action  to choose from, more lucrative promotions dues to their bigger budget. More frequent and larger freerools, less waiting times at practically any poker activity you are interested in.

Some of the best pros in the world have chosen to sponsor Pokerstars, such as Daniel Negreanu and Vanessa Rousso. This is a sign of quality as these people are among the best poker players in the world, and they would not tarnish their reputation by joining a room they do not trust and enjoy playing at.

An added advantage of having all these poker pros  is that it improves the overall quality of the games, and this is certainly a feature that will help you improve your poker skills. As the large buy in tournaments and the highest stakes ring games are where these pros operate, the amateurs who confront them learn from them and this  knowledge somehow flows to the lower limit levels.

So if you do not have an account at stars, now is the time to get one.