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If you’re unfamiliar with the rules of Texas Hold’em, the game is (like many of the best games) simpler to learn than you might think! Check out the great quick video from PokerNews for a rules refresh.
Once you’ve gotten a taste of the excitement that comes with playing Sweep It Poker on Gala Games, you may want to head out to play a real table game, live and in person (Yep, they still happen).
When you play poker at a table, it’s absolutely the same game, but without the comfortable confines of the gaming interface, it becomes easier to get nervous. Nervous is one of the last things you want to be when playing a game of IRL poker, up there with out of chips. 😉
IRL Poker Tips
Note: The tips discussed below are not financial advice, but general guidance designed to enhance your poker experience.
With the ease and convenience of enjoying quick games online, in-person games may be harder to come by in 2024. Still, there’s something truly special about playing poker in person, sitting at a table. Maybe it’s the sound the chips make when you pick up a stack and let them slide through your fingers, gently clinking together as they fall back to the felt. Maybe it’s the way the cards slide across the table, the comfy chairs or the company of good friends. Whatever your reason for enjoying this classic game, we highly recommend it whenever you get a chance.
When you join a live poker game, you’ll always want to be prepared for the situation. Making an etiquette slip or a faux pas can be very embarrassing, and depending on the type of game you’re involved in, it could cost you dearly. Let’s not forget that almost all live poker games involve money.
Tip 1: Crime Doesn’t Pay
This one may seem obvious, but I’d be lying if I told you there weren’t plenty of opportunities to get involved in shady poker games. You’ll want to avoid those games, not only because of the laws you’ll be breaking by participating in unlicensed gambling, but also because tricksters and hustlers can often be found in those circles, watching and waiting for newbies and their tale-tell signs.
Because poker is a game of skill with elements of chance, truly skilled players thrive on a level playing field. This means that a professional poker player can make the most money in a 100% legitimate game. When a game involves any activity that is… legally questionable, you’re more likely to find players with looser ethics than true professionals. Many of those players might be playing a different game with entirely different rules, whose object is simply to take as much money from unsuspecting players as possible.
Know the Laws – Before setting out to play poker for real money, make sure you’re aware of the gambling and gaming laws where you live. In the United States and most other localities, the safe bet is to play in a licensed casino. There you’ll enjoy the oversight of extensive security personnel and standards of elegance that will elevate the entire experience. Of course, you’ll always pay the house in subtle ways, such as tournament entry fees or per-hand rakes on the pot.
Specific laws in the United States vary state by state, mostly involving the severity of punishment and classification of crimes related to illegal gambling. I won’t get too deep into the specifics of gambling laws, but understanding the ones that apply to you is always a good idea when preparing for a poker experience.
If you ever find yourself in a game with questionable legality, don’t make a scene. Just get out of it without drawing unnecessary attention to yourself and hold out for something recognized by the authorities as a legal activity. Trust me, it’s more fun (and less risky) that way.
When you approach the poker room and see a $1/$2 No Limit Hold ‘Em cash game with a couple seats open, take a few minutes to survey the game before you grab a seat. Chances are you’ll notice a few things:
A few players will have chip stacks much larger than the $200 max buy-in. This means that either they’ve been sitting there and playing for a while, that they’ve been winning a lot, or both.
Short stacks go all in. If you’re short-stacked in a $1/$2 cash game, you’ve only got one hand worth of chips in front of you. You’ll be expected to play tight, then make an all-in run at your first good hand.
Rebuys are common. You’ll probably notice that in total, there are more chips on the table than the $200 max buy-in per player that is initially allowed. This signifies that rebuys are frequent.
If you’re setting out to play a No Limit Hold’em game at the $1/$2 level (typically the lowest casino stakes you’ll find), then I’d recommend being prepared to rebuy two or three times at the max buy-in. That means you’ve walked in with $600-$800 to play with, even though you only start with $200 in chips. Your opponents won’t know how deep your pockets go and you should definitely keep that to yourself. If and when you bust out on a bad break, you’ll always need to make the important decision of whether to continue playing with a rebuy or stand up, admit defeat and walk away.
Let’s take a look at an example of preflop action to explore why it’s so important to max buy-in when you join a cash table.
Example
Hole Cards – K♣K♦
Position – Button (last to act)
Total players – 8
First, two players immediately following the big blind limp in for $2. The next two players fold and the 5th player to act raises to $10. Then the action is on you and you want to re-raise in an effort to see fewer post-flop players with your awesome hand.
The pot is now $17 and the action is on you. With a pre-flop raise to $10, you’ll need to reraise to at least double that, and to stop there would make you appear weak. So you decide to reraise to $40.
The small blind and big blind both fold to your reraise, but you get a call from the player to the left of the big blind, who previously tried to limp in from early position. The first raiser also calls, and you’re one of three players heading to the flop with $137 in the pot and only $160 still in front of you from your max buy-in of $200.
If you see a decent flop and wager that you still have the winning hand with your Kings, you can probably count on committing most (if not all) of your remaining chips to this hand. If they check around to you on the first round of betting, you’ll need to throw down at least half the pot to knock them off their draws.
If there are no straight or flush draws to threaten your hand, then you could consider checking to slow play, but that will only draw out early position overbets from your opponents after the turn card. At any rate, with three more rounds of betting, you can pretty much assume that more of your chips are going into that pot, unless you’re ready to fold.
They call it “No Limit” for good reason. It’s often about posturing and making bold moves when you know you have the hand clenched at that moment, knowing any card could change the outcome. When you win a pot post-flop, you want to make sure it’s a big one. But you’ve got to throw a lot of chips into the middle of the table to win a big pot. That’s why you should always be prepared to buy in at max and rebuy a few times. If that puts you off, then consider tournament play, where you’ll find fixed single buy-ins, often at a lower cost and risk.
You may have seen movies or TV shows that glorify the naive beginner at the poker table, telling stories about clueless players getting somehow lucky. Let me assure you that this idea is fictional. If you play that part at a real poker table for real money, you’ll get taken for a ride.
Know the Hands. If you forget the hierarchy of poker hands, no amount of luck can save you. To take this even further, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with all the drawing hands. This means you should learn to recognize hands that have not yet been made. In many cases, a good draw is a stronger position than an already made hand or a pocket pair.
Hands that can be drawn to are typically higher tier hands with very long odds of hitting on the flop alone, usually hands that involve all five cards in play. For example, if you have 2 pair on the flop, you’re in a pretty good position to draw up to a Full House, which is usually enough to give you the nuts. If you’re holding the Ace of Diamonds and 3 Diamonds hit the flop, you’ve got a great shot at hitting the nut flush, the highest possible Flush in a hand. That will pay off big if you’re in it against a player who has a lower Flush than you. Straight draws can easily be foiled by a completed Flush.
Know the Odds. There’s no need to become a human calculator working out multitudinous probabilities on the fly while you play, but you’ll want to think logically at every moment about the likelihood that your hand is the best hand. Some hole card combinations (such as suited J/10) are especially effective against multiple players, but if you have a pocket pair, you’re in better odds if you do whatever you can to minimize the number of players in the hand post flop. The game is always simplest when it’s you and a single other player. The more players, the more variables and draws, and the more that can go wrong.
Know the Etiquette. Your mental state at the poker table is incredibly important. If you get flustered, your opponents will pick up on it and take you down. Conventions such as standard gestures and vocalizations are important to keeping a solid facade when you’re involved in a hand, no matter what is going on inside.
Leave your cards on the table. Don’t pick them up and hold them like you would in a game of Uno. And be careful how often you look at them. Two cards are pretty easy to memorize, even on a hand-by-hand basis. Checking your cards too often can reveal valuable information about what you’re holding and how you plan to act.
Talk Less. The actions of poker betting are able to tell the whole story. Knock the felt for a check, or toss your cards face down toward the center to fold. Never ask if the action is on you. You’ll be able to tell by where the dealer is looking.
Even when betting and calling bets, you should primarily do this with your chips rather than your words. A bet, call or raise is simply signified by sliding forward the appropriate number of chips.
Take Breaks. When necessary, get up from the table for a few minutes to stretch or get some fresh air. A fresh hand will be waiting for you when you return and the dealer knows how to deal you out for a few hands.
Hopefully you’ve found some of today’s poker tips helpful, whether or not you plan to play live poker anytime soon.
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The tavern is packed, the table is set. The cards are shuffled and two legends of the tables stare each other down… the action is about to begin!
The tables of Tolkheim are open… will you take your seat and achieve greatness?
Play Legends Reborn Today
Legends Reborn: Age of Chance is free to play through the Gala platform right now! If you haven’t hopped on and slung some cards yet, what are you waiting for?
Legends Reborn is in early access. It’s a web3 collectible card game that anyone can jump in and play! Don’t have a deck!? No problem! A rotating supply of free cards are available so that you can learn the ropes and refine strategies before you start your collection.
Speaking of starting your collection, Legends Reborn offers numerous ways to pick up new cards for your decks. You can unlock cards by grinding your way up through the Battle Pass, craft your own cards, grab new random packs using Dragon Stones, or purchase cards off secondary markets like OpenSea or NFT Harbor.
You can even pick up free cards every day in the game!
Crafting allows you to dismantle your unused cards to create new ones for your decks!
PvE and PvP Matches
While you’ll need to show your stuff in PvP to rack up $TOLK rewards from the leaderboard, you can hop in and start testing your skills at the table right away!
The word is still just starting to get out on Legends Reborn’s early access period. That means less competition to climb the ladder, but it doesn’t mean that you’ll have to wait forever just to learn the game. Multiple difficulties of AI opponents are available in practice mode to let you perfect your deck.
Don’t underestimate those hard mode bots… 🤦
Try out new decks. Experiment with different strategies and find out what works best for you.
Become a Legend
Legends Reborn is easy to jump into. The basic mechanics are easy to pick up, even for people without a ton of collectible card game experience under their belts.
Tooltips and some helpful tips you can access guide you through the first part, but you’ll start picking up on the deeper strategies by the end of your first match. Before too long, you’ll be tinkering with your deck to get combos that are perfect for your playstyle.
And there’s a lot of room to find your own play style. With such a new game and so many diverse strategic options, who knows who could discover something amazing and become the next Legend of Tolkheim!
You lock eyes with your nemesis from across the boisterous tavern and all sound seems to stop as you begin to make your way to the table. He wears a cocky grin, clearly assuming his deck is prepared to best you, but your heightened sense of sight perceives a single bead of sweat falling down your opponent’s grimy cheek– Instantly you know that deep down he is unsure of what will ensue. Good. Keep him guessing. This fool has mocked you for the last time and today you’ll show him what it means to face a true champion. This is Chance, and it’s your turn.
Web3 Trading Cards
While building an unstoppable NFT Creature collection is not a requirement to find victory in the next generation trading card game, Legends Reborn, it certainly can’t hurt your chances.
GalaChain powered ownership brings a new strategic dimension into the classic TCG genre, and Legends Reborn’s uniquely compelling deckbuilding focus makes it a standout PvP adventure in the web3 world.
As recently announced in the Legends Reborn Economy Litepaper, your $TOLK rewards will quickly become the key that unlocks your continued growth in the game. In the very near future, NFT Creatures will only be available for $TOLK, which can only be received as a gameplay reward for the most worthy and skilled deck builders!
One Last Chance
Knowing it’s about to become tougher to get your hands on powerful NFT Creatures, the team at Clash Craft Studios has benevolently decreed a final “Last Chance” Creature Pack sale.
This sale will run only for a limited time, and only while supplies last, so do not hesitate.
Each Creature Pack contains a single NFT Creature, ranging from Common to Ancient. Creatures within Premium Packs are guaranteed Rare or better.
Today we’re unveiling a deck-empowering addition to our beloved web3 Trading Card Game (TCG), Legends Reborn: the eagerly anticipated Crafting System. This feature is poised to transform your deck-building experience, allowing for unprecedented levels of strategy, potentially giving you an edge in the competitive Tolkheim battle of Chance!
Unleashing Creativity and Strategy
The Crafting System introduces a dynamic new approach to obtaining the cards you’ve been coveting. By dismantling cards within your existing collection you can harness the resources needed to finally craft the cards your deck desperately needs. This innovative system not only enhances your strategic depth but also opens up new avenues for customization and personalization of your gameplay experience.
Prepare to dive into a world where every card holds the potential to unlock new strategies and compositions. With the Crafting System, the power to shape your destiny is right at your fingertips.
A New Era of Gameplay Awaits
The Crafting System is now live, heralding a new chapter in the Legends Reborn saga. Get ready to explore endless possibilities and elevate your gameplay to new heights. The freedom to tailor your deck is now greater than ever, empowering you to outsmart and outplay your opponents in ways you never imagined.
Empowered by the Gala Ecosystem
In line with our commitment to community empowerment, this update also builds on the foundations laid by our recent Economy Litepaper. The introduction of seasonal rewards in $TOLK, the official reward token of Legends Reborn, underscores our dedication to creating a vibrant and rewarding ecosystem for our players. As you embark on this new journey, remember that your achievements in the mystical land of Tolkheim are not just a testament to your skill but a part of our shared quest to redefine gaming through the power of GalaChain. And we’re just getting started.
Join Us on This Exciting Adventure
As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of web3 gaming, we invite you to join us in this exciting new era for Legends Reborn. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer eager to explore the depths of strategic card gaming, the Crafting System promises a fresh and engaging experience that rewards creativity, strategy and skill.
Stay tuned for more updates, and let’s craft legends together!
Legends Reborn is a one of a kind CCG that combines elements of a Team RPG battler, card game mechanics and a unique card draw system. Players create decks (each consisting of 5 Creatures and 30 Action Cards) then pit them against other players in competitive card battles.
In addition to its unique combination of gameplay mechanics, Legends Reborn is a far more immersive experience than a typical collectible card game. Players are represented by 3D Hero characters sitting at tables in detailed arenas, and battles are carried out by fully animated 3D creatures instead of just animated cards.
Our focus with the play-and-earn (P&E) reward economy is to make it as simple as possible for players to understand the game and potential rewards. Legends Reborn is free to play, meaning that players don’t need an NFT to start playing the game. Additionally, great care has gone into a game balancing model that ensures a compelling PvP experience right from the start, whether or not a player chooses to own NFTs. Skills should rise to the top, incentivizing top card players to elevate their experience and empower themselves through additional web3 benefits.
In the ever-evolving world of blockchain and gaming, it’s vital to keep our tokenomics flexible, ensuring the ecosystem remains balanced and thriving. As such, adjustments to the tokenomics model may be on the cards, guided by the game’s health and the community’s prosperity. This isn’t about making changes for the sake of change but about fine-tuning the system to benefit the whole community, enhancing the gaming experience, and ensuring fairness for all. It’s a commitment to the game’s future and the vibrant community that supports it. After all, the health of the ecosystem and the satisfaction of its members are what truly drive us forward.
$TOLK
The native reward token of Legends Reborn is called $TOLK. This currency will help players build their collection of creatures to ensure they have all the tools needed to build decks to meet their strategic needs.
$TOLK will have a max supply of 10,000,000.
$TOLK Faucets
Generation
The amount of $TOLK generated is determined by two economy metrics: Dragon Stone purchases and game engagement, each of which is described below in greater detail.
Tying token emission to these factors will foster a long term sustainable economy for Legends Reborn. Once the total $TOLK emission has been calculated, 99% will be allocated to the reward pool and 1% will go to the operators of active Gala Founder’s Nodes.
These are the metrics that will impact the reward pool for a season:
Purchased Dragon Stones Used in Game
The total value of Purchased Dragon Stone from the store used in game in a week will contribute a weight of approximately 57% of the total $TOLK generated for the reward pool.
Game Engagement
Total number of matches played in competitive PvP as well as the average session time will contribute a weight of approximately 43% of the total $TOLK generated for the reward pool.
Staggered Seasonal Distribution
In the interest of simplifying players’ ability to understand the rewards they can win, Legends Reborn will use a staggered seasonal distribution.
With this model, the reward pool is generated not for the current season, but the next one. This means metrics for the current season are used to arrive at a total reward pool for the upcoming season. Once this total number is available, it will be displayed in the game throughout the season so players clearly know what’s at stake.
For example, the generation metrics for season 4 would dictate the distribution pool for season 5. Similarly the metrics from season 5 impact the pool for season 6.
Currently, each season is set to a duration of 7 Days. Many gameplay systems (such as Limited Time Creature and Arena(PvP) Leaderboards) will build off this cadence, providing synergy between economy and gameplay.
$TOLK Sinks
$TOLK is reserved as the primary currency for purchasing the most desirable asset of Legends Reborn; the full 3D NFT creatures at six different rarities. The dev team plans to deliver exciting gacha-style offerings and various seasonal promotions surrounding NFT creatures following launch of the game.
Arena Points(AP)
The distribution of $TOLK rewards to players will be regulated by the Arena Points (AP) system. The system comprises a set of scoring rules, a leaderboard structure and a clear reward proposition for players.
Scoring Rules
AP are only scored by winning a competitive PvP match within an owned Venue. Using NFT creatures can provide bonus AP, with additional AP bonuses based on the rarity of your creatures. Venue owners will also receive AP for every match that is hosted on their Venue.
In an effort to simplify the AP tabulation; we will have an easy to access in-game panel that will display the exact AP a player would get based on the actions stipulated. Total AP would just be the addition of the AP scores across these actions.
Leaderboards
As players engage with the core PvP system; all accumulated AP are tallied in an overall leaderboard. At the season’s end, the reward pool (predetermined by the previous season) is distributed to the top performers in the leaderboard.
The leaderboard resets at the end of each 7-day season, when the new season begins immediately.
The Future
This is only phase 1 of the economy plan for Legends Reborn. Additional features and ideas will be added to the game’s economy with future updates. Some examples may include innovations around NFT minting, card crafting, rental systems and enhancements to Venue ownerships, which are all in the works.
With your support, the sustainable power of GalaChain under the surface, and a rapidly growing Gala community, Legends Reborn is a thriving title in the Gala Games ecosystem. The team will continue closely monitoring the results of this sustainable economic model, adapting and tweaking as needed in future updates.
Thank you for your ongoing support and see you at the tables!
All information presented in this Litepaper is subject to change, and any significant changes will be added and noted at the bottom of this document with the date of the change.
