There are a number of reasons why you might want to try a new variation of poker. Perhaps you play recreationally and are starting to get bored with your regular Hold Em tournaments. Or maybe you play semi-professionally, but all of the regular players at your limits are starting to get to know your playing patterns.

Whatever the reason, there are a few things to keep in mind when venturing out into the wilderness of poker:

Make Sure you know the Rules

- It seems obvious. It is obvious. But better than learning the game through trial and error, pick up a book and learn the basic rules ahead of time so you don't lose some money trying to figure it out.

Know the Reason Why You're Playing a new Game

- Whether you are playing for fun or trying to turn a steady profit; it is important to recognize ahead of time what your goals are and what steps you need to take to obtain them.

If you're a first timer playing Razz after only playing Fixed Limit Hold Em, perhaps expecting an immediate profit would be unwise.

Budget Your Bankroll Accordingly

- Different styles of poker require different bankroll management techniques. One particular game may require you to have $2000 in your bank, while a different variation of the same stakes will require $4000 for healthy management.

- As well, if you're venturing into strange waters, don't expect that since you are a regular 1/2 NLHE player that you should immediately translate into a regular 1/2 PLO player. These are completely different games.

Work your way up the stakes ladder through a proper win rate analysis. Once you are winning consistently at a level, then move up stakes, not when you can afford it.

Keep an Open Mind

- Be willing to try all kinds of different games. Every game has it's pros and cons. Some games may appear easier to beat than others, sometimes that may even be true. Perhaps you are better equiped to play stud hi/lo than you are to play 5 card draw. Take into consideration that perhaps you just ran well during an omaha session and that it does not accurately reflect how easy the game is.

- Remember where ever you go, there will always be someone who has been playing that game for years, looking to take advantage of the newbie who is out of his depth. Be careful where you swim.

Sorry for my delay. I have been away in Myrtle Beach for a week long Baseball tournament with my boys.

Upon my arrival I have seen that none other than our WPC winner Jack Hinchey has won his first 888 Challenge Series tournament taking down the Friday 15k event on July 10th.

As well he has offered up a great tournament to all members actively participating in forum games to win a chance to play in all 7 events.

Good on ya Jack!

One major problem that I have been advising regular players on for years, is letting their stacks get too short in Tournament Play.

The question is often asked "I got really deep in the tournament when I went card dead, I finally got a mediocre hand, after I called his preflop raise, should I have folded on the flop?"

The answer is usually, "you should have gone all in BEFORE the flop."

The 10-12 Big Blind Rule (or 10-15 depending on your own preference) is nothing new. Once you reach the point in your tournament where you have less than x amount of big blinds, your only move is shove all in, or fold.

But it is amazing how many regular players who have been playing online tournaments for years, would rather play for survival and let themselves fall well below this threshold.

The beauty of sticking to this rule is twofold:

1) You will always make sure you have enough chips to play poker. Your stack will be sizeable enough to threaten other players into folding, and you will have enough chips to perform advanced strategical plays.

2) The decision-making process is made for you! Theres nothing to think about. If this hand is playable, then you are all-in. If it is not, you fold. Easy!

Sure there will be times where you shove your hand and run into a bigger one, or lose a coin flip, or a 60/40 race. However these instances are offset by all the times you would have just limped into the money, and are now making final tables instead.

Many 888 players, including some regular forumites, L67C, Loopy, and Bokinjo (who was also present with us at the Irish Open), will be in attendance at the 2009 World Series of Poker!

This will be the second year in a row for L67C at the WSOP as well as his 3rd live event in 09. Also, Loopy will be riding a great wave of momentum into the series as he has been tearing up every big tournament 888 has to offer. Bokinjo of course is the steady example of success as he always seems to be in the winner's circle.

Join me in wishing good luck to these, as well as all the other 888 qualifiers in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event!

This past saturday was the first "last saturday of the month" since the new reward program has been in place.

Why is this important? Well if you haven't been looking around the tournament lobby lately than it is very likely that you missed out on some fantastic value offered to the players!

Silver, Gold, Platinum and VIP members were all treated to private Freerolls with very attractive guaranteed prize pools.

Silver has the standard weekly $1000 guaranteed tournament to look forward too.

Gold members have a $4000 guaranteed
Platinum a $7000 guaranteed
and VIP members have a $10 000 guaranteed tournament to play for!

This means that just by playing on 888 for the month, these players had an opportunity to win up to a possible $7000 for free!

The July rewards tournaments are already up in the lobby.

Don't miss out on another opportunity to win some free cash!

If you haven't already joined the 888 forums, you are still missing out on a ton of opportunities to play private games, win great prizes, and have the chance to be one of the first players to use all new software updates on 888.

Right now on the forums you can easily download (no need to remove the previous version from your computer) the newest update for Pacific Poker and try out some of the new features!

The two most obvious changes are:

- Changes made to the action buttons.
- Changes made to the multi tabling functions.

Tables will now wait until you have completed the action on your current table before an alternate table pops up (unless time is running short).

(The My Rewards pages are not active yet in the Beta testing software, so if you need to check your rewards page, you'll need to do so via the website).

As most of you already know, analyzing your own game is the most important tool you have for success. Going over difficult hands, and even easy hands from time to time to see if you are maximising your profits and minimizing your losses is a practice all successful poker players take part in.

The most important tool in doing this are your Hand Histories. Your Hand histories or HH's allows you to compile all the hands you played in a given session or tournament into folders or softwares to analyze them and study your play as well as your opponent's play.

Up until recently it was difficult for players to obtain their text Hand histories, and the replay hand history was the only option readily available to players. Otherwise players had to email support or get the hands via purchasing software.

Now players have the option to save hand histories directly to their computer and access them instantly!

Attached is a screenshot of the Pacific Poker lobby and where you need to go to access your hand history options.

Once you have selected to save the hands to your hard drive, you'll be ready to go for all your HH needs!

Remember, anytime you have questions about a hand was played, feel free to post the hand history on the 888 forum in the strategy section to get all kinds of feedback from fellow players looking to improve their game also!

Congratulations to our fellow Canadian, Bonkman5, who has won his seat to the Vegas Charity Challenge, a prize worth $10 000. Bonkman5 will travel to Vegas to compete against a number of celebrities and a grand prize worth up to $250 000!

Bonkman5 accomplished this feat by winning the VIP qualifier on 888 Sunday, besting some of 888's toughest competitors, including multiple Live Event qualifier Bokinjo.

In the other tournament, another Canadian, RoSSPiEr, fell just short of also winning the same $10 000 package. RoSSPiEr worked his way through 155 opponents and came up just shy losing Heads up to Pittbullix from Germany.

All in all, a good showing for Canada, and best of luck to Bonkman5 in Vegas!