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You’re hearing it here first poker fanatics, the Bodog Poker Open is gearing up to rip it up again. The week-long poker tournament series will give players a chance to take down the whole tournament as BPO Champion for as little as $1.

Bodog has just recently announced details for the 4^th installment of the Bodog Poker Open tournament. BPO IV kicks off Nov.1^st – 8^th, 2009.

What is different from the previous 3 BPO’s you might ask? Well let us tell you!

With BPO IV, Bodog is offering two parallel, week-long series:

Contender Series – The Bodog Contender Series consists of lower-stakes buyin games

Championship Series – The Bodog Championship Series will be comprised of a higher-stakes buyin games, with $60,000 in added prize money and guaranteed media exposure for the champion. Jump at your chance to finally make something of yourself!

Everyone in the Poker world is excited about this, including Bodog Pro, David Williams.

“With the Bodog Poker Open IV, Bodog is giving online poker players of all levels a chance to strike it rich and gain major exposure as the next Bodog Poker Open Champion.”

 Now this is the part you need to listen up and pay attention!

The BPO IV Championship Series kicks off Sunday, Nov. 1 at 4pm EST with the 1^st of 7 events. The poker series comes to an end on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 4pm EST with the main Championship Event, featuring $25,000 in added prize money. The last man/woman/donkey standing will not only walk away with the top cash prize and the title of Bodog Poker Open IV Champion, but will also be prominently featured in an international poker publication and on Bodog.

The Bodog Poker Open IV Contender Series runs during the same time period and features all the action of the Championship Series but with smaller buy-ins. The winner of each Contender Series tournament receives a seat to the Bodog Poker Open IV Championship Event (T$500), while the remaining eight final table players get a seat to the Contender Series Championship Event (T$50) on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 5pm EST. Bodog.com is adding $2,500 in cash to the prize pool of the Contender Series Championship Event.

I hope that wasn’t too long of a read for you folks, but it was informative. Bodog Poker tournaments usually have a lot of overlay and not many participants so they are great value if you have the 3 hours to spare.

Good luck at the felts to all of you and let us know how you do! Also, if you are looking for more online casinos, check out their new Blackjack skin!

Hello loyal followers. We had a few people contact us about our latest Teen Patti post so we thought we would follow up with some of the different types of variations of the poker game Teen Patti. Before we dive in, let us remind our loyal visitors that we are not talking about the Teen Patti movie starting Amitabh Bachan and Sir Ben Kingsley, although I have heard excellent reviews about Teen Patti. Therefore, if you are an avid Bollywood Movie fan looking for information about the Teen Patti movie……keep reading!

There are a few different variations of the online poker game Teen Patti also referred to as Teen Pathi. Some players will have Teen Patti games with a higher limit on the amount by which the bet can be increased – so a blind player can bet more than twice the current stake and a seeing player is allowed to bet more than four times the current stake.  

Some Teen Patti players set a limit on how many times a player can bet blind, these are hard ass players. For example, the rule would be that you can bet blind on your first three turns, but on your fourth turn you would need to look at your cards and bet as a seeing player from that point forward. Does that make sense?

Another variation of Teen Patti, which is my favorite version of Teen Patti or Teen Pathi, is Minimum Bet Teen Patti. In this variation of Teen Patti, players play that the amount to be paid for a show is twice the minimum bet. For example, the player would bet twice the current stake for a blind player, or they would bet four times the current stake of a seeing player.

If you would like to hone your poker skills before jumping to the felt at Bodog Canada, take a few spins below with Video Poker. No download or signup required, just play!

Hello again friends. We are going to try something different this post and teach you all a thing or two about a thing or two called Teen Patti.

We received a few e-mails from some of our South Asian Indian visitors asking us to explain what Teen Pathi, sometimes also known as Teen Patti, is. Teen Pathi or Teen Patti refers to a Three Card Poker game. “Teen” means three, and “Pathi” or “Patti” means cards.

You may recognize Teen Pathi as a variation of the poker game Flush, which is also a 3 card poker game. Teen Pathi is a very popular gambling poker game amongst the South Asian Indian community and is played frequently around Diwali time. This year Diwali falls on Saturday, October 17^th 2009 so if you are looking to play check out the Bodog Poker room.

To play Teen Pathi or Teen Patti all you need is a standard 52 card deck. The playing cards rank in the typical order from Ace (high) down to 2 (low). You need at least 4 players to play Teen Patti, with a maximum of 7 players.

Once you have gotten your friends to agree to play Teen Pathi, they must agree on the value of the minimum stake which we will now refer to as 1 Unit. All the players place the minimum stake in the pot. The dealer deals out three playing cards in sequence evenly amongst all the players. The players then bet on who has the best three card hand. Each player has the option to look at their three card hand before betting in one of two methods.

Playing Seen – Refers to players betting after looking at their three cards

Playing Blind – Refers to players betting without looking at their three cards.

So far so good right? Now allow me to go over hand rankings for Teen Pathi.

Teen Pathi Hand Rankings:

1. Trio – Three cards of the same rank. Three aces are the best trio and three twos are the lowest.
2. Straight Run – Three consecutive cards of the same suit. Ace can be used in the run A-2-3, which is the highest straight run. Second highest straight run is A-K-Q, K-Q-J and so on all the way down to 4-3-2, which is the lowest. Just like regular Texas Holdem Poker, 2-A-K is not a valid run.
3. Normal run – Three consecutive cards, not all of the same suit. A-2-3 is the best normal run, then A-K-Q, K-Q-J and so on down to 4-3-2. Again, 2-A-K is not a valid straight.
4. Color / Flush – Any three cards of the same suit. When comparing two colors, compare the highest card; if these are equal compare the second; if these are equal too, compare the lowest. Thus the highest color/flush is A-K-J and the lowest is 5-3-2.
5. Pair – Two cards of the same rank. Between two such hands, compare the pair first, then the odd card if these are equal. The highest pair hand is therefore A-A-K and the lowest is 2-2-3.
6. High card – Three cards that do not belong to any of the above types. Compare the highest card first, then the second highest, then the lowest. The best hand of this type is A-K-J of mixed suits, and the worst is 5-3-2.

Now that you have familiarized yourself with hand rankings for Teen Pathi, let’s review the online betting process.

Online Betting Process

The betting process starts with the player to the left of the dealer, and continues with players taking turns in a clockwise order around the table. This will continue for as many circuits there are needed to complete a round. Each player in turn can either put an additional bet into the pot to stay in, or pay nothing further and fold. When folding you permanently drop out of the betting and sacrifice any money you have already put into the pot during that deal. Folding is for wimps.

The amount that you have to put in at your turn in order to stay in the game depends on the current stake, and whether or not you are playing blind or playing seen. At this point in the game, playing seen players will have to bet twice as much as players playing blind to stay in. At the start of the betting round the current stake is one unit Ex) The amount that each player put in the pot as their ante.

• If you playing blind you must put in at least the current stake and not more than twice the current stake. The current stake for the next player is then the amount that you put in.
• If you are playing seen you must bet at least twice as much as the current stake and not more than four times the current stake. The current stake for the next player becomes half the amount that you bet.

If you are a blind player, you may choose to look at your cards when your turn comes to bet. You then become a seen player and from that point on you must bet at least twice the current stake or you can always fold like a wimp.

The online betting continues in this way until one of the following happens:

1. All the players except one have folded. In this situation the last surviving player wins all the money in the pot, regardless of the cards the player has.
2. All the players except two have folded and one of these players at their turn pays for a show, or calls. In that case the cards of both players are exposed and they dare to compare.

Teen Pathi rules for a show or call are as follows:

• A show cannot occur until all but two players have dropped out.
• If you are a blind player, the cost of a show is the current stake, paid into the pot, regardless of whether the other player is blind or seen. You do not look at your own cards until after you have paid for the show.
• If you are a seen player and the other player is blind, you are not allowed to demand a show. The seen player can only continue betting or drop out.
• If both players are seen, either player in turn may pay twice the current stake for a show.
• In a show, both players’ cards are exposed, and the player whose hand is higher ranking wins the pot. If the hands are equal, the player who did not pay for the show wins the pot.

If all the players are seen, then at your turn, immediately after betting the minimum amount (twice the current stake), you can ask the player who bet immediately before you for a compromise. That player can accept or refuse the compromise.

• If the compromise is accepted, the two players involved privately compare their cards, and the player with the lower ranking cards must immediately fold. If they are equal, the player who asked for the compromise must fold.
• If the compromise is refused, the betting continues as usual with the player after the one who asked for the compromise.

Example) You have 4 players A, B , C & D playing in the game. They all put 1 unit on the table and Player D deals. Player A decides to play blind and puts one more unit. Player B sees his cards and folds like a wimp. Player C plays blind and bets one unit. Player D looks at his cards and puts in 2 units (the minimum amount); the current stake remains at one unit. Player A raises the stake by putting in 2 units. Player C looks at his cards and folds. Player D puts in 4 units which is the minimum amount for a seen player since Player A has raised the current stake to 2. Player A then decides to look at his cards, and having done so he puts in 4 units and asks for a show/call. Player D then shows his cards and the winner takes it all. Make senses?

Note that the betting process in this game is quite different from typical Texas Holdem Poker betting because there is no concept of equalizing the bets, and a showdown is not possible with more than two players.

Now that you are well versed in the world of Teen Pathi or Teen Patti, feel free to go down to your local Kwik-E-Mart and challenge Apu to a game!

Hello again friends. We are going to try something different this post and teach you all a thing or two about a thing or two called Teen Pathi.

We received a few e-mails from some of our South Asian Indian visitors asking us to explain what Teen Pathi, sometimes also known as Teen Patti, is. Teen Pathi or Teen Patti refers to a Three Card Poker game. “Teen” means three, and “Pathi” or “Patti” means cards.

You may recognize Teen Pathi as a variation of the poker game Flush, which is also a 3 card poker game. Teen Pathi is a very popular gambling poker game amongst the South Asian Indian community and is played frequently around Diwali time. This year Diwali falls on Saturday, October 17^th 2009 so if you are looking to play check out the Bodog Poker room.

To play Teen Pathi or Teen Patti all you need is a standard 52 card deck. The playing cards rank in the typical order from Ace (high) down to 2 (low). You need at least 4 players to play Teen Patti, with a maximum of 7 players.

Once you have gotten your friends to agree to play Teen Pathi, they must agree on the value of the minimum stake which we will now refer to as 1 Unit. All the players place the minimum stake in the pot. The dealer deals out three playing cards in sequence evenly amongst all the players. The players then bet on who has the best three card hand. Each player has the option to look at their three card hand before betting in one of two methods.

Playing Seen – Refers to players betting after looking at their three cards

Playing Blind – Refers to players betting without looking at their three cards.

So far so good right? Now allow me to go over hand rankings for Teen Pathi.

Teen Pathi Hand Rankings:

1. Trio – Three cards of the same rank. Three aces are the best trio and three twos are the lowest.
2. Straight Run – Three consecutive cards of the same suit. Ace can be used in the run A-2-3, which is the highest straight run. Second highest straight run is A-K-Q, K-Q-J and so on all the way down to 4-3-2, which is the lowest. Just like regular Texas Holdem Poker, 2-A-K is not a valid run.
3. Normal run – Three consecutive cards, not all of the same suit. A-2-3 is the best normal run, then A-K-Q, K-Q-J and so on down to 4-3-2. Again, 2-A-K is not a valid straight.
4. Color / Flush – Any three cards of the same suit. When comparing two colors, compare the highest card; if these are equal compare the second; if these are equal too, compare the lowest. Thus the highest color/flush is A-K-J and the lowest is 5-3-2.
5. Pair – Two cards of the same rank. Between two such hands, compare the pair first, then the odd card if these are equal. The highest pair hand is therefore A-A-K and the lowest is 2-2-3.
6. High card – Three cards that do not belong to any of the above types. Compare the highest card first, then the second highest, then the lowest. The best hand of this type is A-K-J of mixed suits, and the worst is 5-3-2.

Now that you have familiarized yourself with hand rankings for Teen Pathi, let’s review the online betting process.

Online Betting Process

The betting process starts with the player to the left of the dealer, and continues with players taking turns in a clockwise order around the table. This will continue for as many circuits there are needed to complete a round. Each player in turn can either put an additional bet into the pot to stay in, or pay nothing further and fold. When folding you permanently drop out of the betting and sacrifice any money you have already put into the pot during that deal. Folding is for wimps.

The amount that you have to put in at your turn in order to stay in the game depends on the current stake, and whether or not you are playing blind or playing seen. At this point in the game, playing seen players will have to bet twice as much as players playing blind to stay in. At the start of the betting round the current stake is one unit Ex) The amount that each player put in the pot as their ante.

• If you playing blind you must put in at least the current stake and not more than twice the current stake. The current stake for the next player is then the amount that you put in.
• If you are playing seen you must bet at least twice as much as the current stake and not more than four times the current stake. The current stake for the next player becomes half the amount that you bet.

If you are a blind player, you may choose to look at your cards when your turn comes to bet. You then become a seen player and from that point on you must bet at least twice the current stake or you can always fold like a wimp.

The online betting continues in this way until one of the following happens:

1. All the players except one have folded. In this situation the last surviving player wins all the money in the pot, regardless of the cards the player has.
2. All the players except two have folded and one of these players at their turn pays for a show, or calls. In that case the cards of both players are exposed and they dare to compare.

Teen Pathi rules for a show or call are as follows:

• A show cannot occur until all but two players have dropped out.
• If you are a blind player, the cost of a show is the current stake, paid into the pot, regardless of whether the other player is blind or seen. You do not look at your own cards until after you have paid for the show.
• If you are a seen player and the other player is blind, you are not allowed to demand a show. The seen player can only continue betting or drop out.
• If both players are seen, either player in turn may pay twice the current stake for a show.
• In a show, both players’ cards are exposed, and the player whose hand is higher ranking wins the pot. If the hands are equal, the player who did not pay for the show wins the pot.

If all the players are seen, then at your turn, immediately after betting the minimum amount (twice the current stake), you can ask the player who bet immediately before you for a compromise. That player can accept or refuse the compromise.

• If the compromise is accepted, the two players involved privately compare their cards, and the player with the lower ranking cards must immediately fold. If they are equal, the player who asked for the compromise must fold.
• If the compromise is refused, the betting continues as usual with the player after the one who asked for the compromise.

Example) You have 4 players A, B , C & D playing in the game. They all put 1 unit on the table and Player D deals. Player A decides to play blind and puts one more unit. Player B sees his cards and folds like a wimp. Player C plays blind and bets one unit. Player D looks at his cards and puts in 2 units (the minimum amount); the current stake remains at one unit. Player A raises the stake by putting in 2 units. Player C looks at his cards and folds. Player D puts in 4 units which is the minimum amount for a seen player since Player A has raised the current stake to 2. Player A then decides to look at his cards, and having done so he puts in 4 units and asks for a show/call. Player D then shows his cards and the winner takes it all. Make senses?

Note that the betting process in this game is quite different from typical Texas Holdem Poker betting because there is no concept of equalizing the bets, and a showdown is not possible with more than two players.

Now that you are well versed in the world of Teen Pathi or Teen Patti, feel free to go down to your local Kwik-E-Mart and challenge Apu to a game!