How much to bet?

After the flop, 3-h, 7-h, 10-h, you find that the A-h you are holding would need one more heart, in the turn or the river, to give you the nut flush. Your opponent raises the value of pot. Everyone else folds. Do you bet, do you call, or do you fold?

Here's the read, chances are, your opponent has already made the flush -- at least, that's what he is saying the way he raised pot. So you are behind. Let's assume that for the moment. Hitting another heart on the turn is a more or less 25% probability. Your opponent is asking you to pay 33% of the possible win for the chance to see that 25% turn card. That there is still the river card even if you miss the turn is immaterial at the moment, because your opponent can still raise and ask you to pay even more for the chance to see the river card.

So do you call with those numbers? That's your decision. But the odds are against you. You are betting 75 to get 50.

A-K suited strength

You drew A-K suited, it's a beautiful sight to see. But just how strong is it? Well, not really. Against any pocket pair, A-K suited is slightly behind on an almost 50-50 toss-coin. Against 2-2, an A-K suited still needs to hit an ace or a king, and this true from 2-2 to Q-Q. Against A-A and K-K, then A-K is dominated. But chances are, if you are pushing all-in with A-K suited, you are playing with 50-50 odds against a pocket pair, good enough for a newbie, but definitely not how real poker ought to be played.

Check-raise

Check-raising is the most basic poker strategy a noob needs to learn. The idea is pretty simple, really. I just don't understand why there are those who think they know poker and yet simply does not understand what check-raising is all about.

Zynga poker chips are not real

First thing you have to remember when playing Zynga poker is that the chips aren't real (lol). And this affects the game play much. Real money players' strategy still works -- mostly. But the main difference is that there are more players willing to invest on the draw (that is to bet on a card yet to be dealt because they are waiting to complete a flush for example). But that said, Zynga poker is still poker.

Zynga poker for noobs

So, you know that a straight beats three-of-a-kind (trips). Well, good for you. You know the rules of the game. But can you play poker? I mean, really play poker?