Norsk Tipping Texas Holdem
By Trent Bottin
Also Norsk Tipping Texas Holdem ensure that you have checked the terms and conditions of a given bonus well in advance. Provided you meet a casino’s requirements regarding a particular bonus, you could benefit from extra Norsk Tipping Texas Holdem casino cash, free spins as well as an opportunity to win even bigger prizes.
Should I Tip, and if so How Much?
- Norway casinos and gambling guide has information like: A Norway casino list, poker tournaments, slots info, pari-mutuel (greyhounds & horses), Texas Hold'em, and more. Find casino contact information and view photos of every casino in Norway.
- Fundamentally, the purpose of Norsk Tipping is to ensure that that Norwegian people are able to access immersive online games with responsible limits. However, because of the monopoly that the 72-year-old company has within Norway’s iGaming sector, increasing numbers of digital platforms operate from outside of the country.
- When it comes to online gambling, only two state-owned companies, Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto, are allowed to offer online casino games to Norwegians and poker is not on the menu. Fun fact, both companies operate under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture and Church affairs (what?).
- New players Only. £10 min deposit. £5 max bet using bonus. 40 x wagering applies. Bonus Norsk Tipping Texas Holdem valid for 14 days. 20 Spins on Starburst games will Norsk Tipping Texas Holdem be credited instantly + then 20 per day for 9 days.
Norsk Tipping Texas Holdem Rules
I am not a professional poker player nor do I play for leisure; I am somewhere in the middle. As my passion for cards grew, so did the amount of money that I was putting at risk and, while I am able to responsibly maintain my bankroll in the discretionary column of the domestic balance sheet, I am very conscientious of its health. This was not always the case. A friend and I were exchanging thoughts on career poker players a while back and he posed a simple question - how profitable was my play? I had read extensively from the literary canon dedicated to the subject, spent hours applying various strategies and refining my game but I was unable to quantify the most basic business metric. At that moment, it occurred to me that my favorite pastime just became more complicated.
Identify All of the Costs of Playing Poker
How many well intentioned entrepreneurs had their great ideas go unrealized because they neither understood nor could apply the required practices to manage a successful company? Read any book on playing poker and you will notice the author's focus is on explaining a wide range of issues players need to consider in order to increase their odds and maximize the profits of any particular outcome. Now read ten more books and ask yourself how much attention has been dedicated to minimizing career expenses. I am not talking about probabilistic risk minimization; I am talking about non-poker theory related cost reduction. Consider this: you drive 30 miles to play in your favorite game, when you sit down you are 60 round-trip miles in gas and one hour in time behind (whatever that translates to in monetary terms) and you have not even posted your first blind. The cold hard reality is that if you want to play for other than simple leisure, you need to make and keep more money than you lose; you need to identify ALL costs associated with your game and then come up with a strategy to reduce or eliminate them all together. Failure to do so will be the difference between playing in the black (with other people's money) and consistently having to recharge your bankroll's batteries.
Realizing profits is tough; it requires hard work and the shrewdness of a successful business person. After the conversation mentioned above, I began to meticulously track all financial aspects related to my poker play and it was not long before I had collected enough data points to begin drawing conclusions. Unexpectedly, I noticed that one of my biggest re-occurring expenses (the worst kind) was the amount of money I was giving back to the house in the form of tips to the dealers. Turning to the internet to see what others were saying on the topic, it became apparent that this is an issue that people approach with strong and emotional opinions but very little in the body of discussion outlined any fiscal logic (WARNING: an opinion coupled with emotions rarely translates to a rational thought).
Is Dealer Tipping a Gratuity?
What is a gratuity? A gratuity is an award given without obligation for services rendered. But explain what service the dealer performs beyond what they are being paid for and how it influences an outcome to your advantage. All of the tables I play at have auto-shufflers and the dealer is just presenting the cards in accordance with some commonly adopted set of rules based on that game. Does a tip garner special treatment from the dealer beyond pleasant conversation? Does your tipping behavior influence an opponent's play in subsequent hands? Does the dealer reciprocate if you run into a series of deuce-seven hands, if they do not finish off your draws in accordance with the statistical probabilities or if they dealt you AA and then the board gives your opponent's lesser hand the advantage? No. If my line of reasoning was incorrect there would be just as much attention given to dealer management as there is to position play, betting strategies, player manipulation, pot management, etc. So, why would any player attempting to make a profit accept an expense for which there is no reasonable expectation for a return on their investment? NOT a sound business practice.
This concept is hard to put into practical application because of the amount of interaction and time we spend with the dealers. I once engaged in a conversation with a successful, local, small business owner and presented my position to him. Surely a man who made more than $600,000 a year would accept my logic. I asked him how he would handle an expense in his company that he was not obligated to pay and served no purpose (i.e. did not contribute in some manner to his bottom line). He quickly stated that he could not nor would tolerate such an expense in his (or any) business profession. When I posed the same question in the context of tipping the dealer, he saw my point but still defended the act by stating that dealers only make minimum wage and rely on tips to earn the balance of their living. The primary case for tipping given by proponents of the act is based on the notion that there is an obligation to the dealer(s) based not on the role they play with respect to the outcome of any particular hand but rather on how poorly they are paid. Are people obligated to tip the gas station attendant as well? You will note that I suggested above that each gratuity given is going to the house because I realized that casinos are the true beneficiary of players’ generosity. After removing all of the rhetoric, a casino is a business run by smart people that understand that gratuities are a mechanism that can be used to defer THEIR expense (i.e. the dealer's salary) to YOU the customer.
There's No Realistic Way to Get Around Tipping the Dealer.
I am not advocating NOT tipping, quite the contrary…by other people. What would happen if every player stopped tipping? The dealers that could would seek employment elsewhere. This would force casinos to pay higher wages which they would offset by increasing the rake becoming an unavoidable expense. For example, it is a commonly accepted notion that the winner of a hand pays the house. If a casino with a $4 rake was forced to increase it to $5 ($4 to the house, $1 to the dealer), each hand I won would represent an additional $1 of unrealized profits and it would be an expense which I had no ability to manipulate. Fortunately, the odds of ever experiencing a tip-free casino are less than beating a King-high straight flush. Ideally, you would like to not incur the expense at all but this is not realistic; the tension between you and the dealer(s) will simply prevent your ability to relax and enjoy the game. The optimal solution is to adopt some guidelines whereby you are able to defer the majority of the implied expense to the other players and keep the explicit portion below some acceptable threshold.
Tipping Strategy: Share Your Successes with the Dealer
One strategy I have adopted is to share my success with the dealer in terms of how much I am able to extract from my opponent(s) and inversely to how much I had to work. For example, if I am dealt a monster hand, and then flopped the nuts, I probably won't be able to get much action and thus will pull a small pot. Even a small tip here represents too great of a percentage of my profit. I am less likely to tip if I am forced to make a series of tough decisions. On the other hand, if I make a position play with a marginal hand that pans out (and usually yields a higher return than obviously strong hands) or I find myself walking through a multi-player hand (which translates to a lower risk/return ratio) I am more inclined to reward the dealer. This works well when I am 'running good' and tips are coming from free-flowing gains but when I am struggling, the cumulative total can easily exceed gains.
When Struggling Consider Tipping on the Dealer Change
In such cases I use a different strategy where I tip at the end of each dealer’s session at the table. I note the size of my stack when the dealers change out and, if I am up at the next switch; I give the out-going dealer an appropriate tip. Finally, there is one scenario that I always tip the dealer. As much as I would like to think I always play a solid game, there are times when I put my opponent on the wrong hand or I make a bad play and I see that I am a dog after the cards are turned up. If I find myself in this position and the board turns in my favor - I give props to the dealer. I do not consider this rule inconsistent with my general beliefs. While the dealer did not personally influence the outcome, neither did I...I just got lucky.
Using Other's Tipping Style to Learn About Their Poker Play Style
One aspect of tipping that readers may not think to consider is the ability to identify weaker players. Just as you would note a player that consistently demonstrates poor position play and bad starting hand selection as a favorable target, I also monitor my opponent's tipping habits. I assume most serious players recognize gratuities as a drain on profits and minimize their exposure, approaching this facet in a systematic and disciplined manner. High tip/profit ratios indicate euphoria that is tempered by experience. Frequently tipping small pots indicates poor discipline (stack management) which frequently translates to the individual's play. Not tipping a good hand suggests a poor understanding of the accepted conventions (i.e. a beginner) or a player that is stuck and potentially on playing on tilt.
A complete guide to poker in Norway: Legal and tax issues, the biggest tournaments, and the most famous Norwegian poker players.
Once a game of drifters and tricksters and only played in smoke-filled casinos and dodgy back rooms of bars, modern poker is a game transformed. It's one of the world's most popular card games to play and watch.
Ever since Chris Moneymaker came out of nowhere to win the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2003, things have been different. He won the Las Vegas event after qualifying online. Suddenly, everyone was playing online, honing their skills in private before stepping into the intimidating world of live poker.
Many people think poker is illegal in Norway, but that's not the whole story. Norway's tight gambling laws have been relaxed slightly in recent years, allowing poker games to take place under certain circumstances.
Let's take a look at the situation in Norway today. Is the game illegal and if not, under what circumstances can it be played? Who are the most famous Norwegian players and do they pay income tax on their winnings?
These are the questions I'm hoping to answer in this guide. So whether you're a poker pro or you don't know your big blinds from your bluff, pull up a chair and get ready to play. We're about to go all in…
What is poker?
Rather than one specific game, poker is actually a family of closely-related multi-player card games that combine gambling, strategy, and skill. While recreational playing involves a fair amount of chance, professional players use probability, game theory and psychology to reduce the impact of chance over the long-term.
All variants of the game involve betting as a critical part of the gameplay. The winner of each hand is determined by a combination of the players' cards and a set of shared cards.
Texas Hold ‘Em is the most popular variant by a distance. It's the one you'll most likely see on the TV when you stumble upon a late-night broadcast. Within Texas Hold ‘Em there are further variants to do with gambling limits and procedure. Other popular variants include Omaha, five-card draw, and five- and seven-card stud.
There are two different methods to play poker: cash games and tournaments. In cash games, players exchange cash for chips and play for however long they wish.
In tournaments, players pay a set entry fee and all receive the same amount of starting chips. Play continues until one player holds all the chips and is declared the tournament winner. Depending on the size of the tournament, there will be prizes for the top finishers, not just the overall winner.
Is poker legal in Norway?
Gambling is heavily restricted in Norway and organized poker games were illegal for many years. However, the law was partially softened in 2014. Since then, home poker games are permitted as long as they do not have an “organised or professional feel.”
The regulations on gambling also mean there are still no casinos on Norwegian soil. So this means there is little in the way of organised poker or big tournaments in Norway, with one exception. Since 2014, there has been a Norwegian championships held in Norway every year. Up until that point (and in fact, since then) a championship had been held for Norwegian players in Ireland.
“It’s been a long time coming, and I’m incredibly excited to finally play a major poker tournament on home soil,” said Johnny Lodden at the time. Lodden is one of the most successful Norwegian players. More on him and the tournaments later!
Is poker popular in Norway?
This is actually much more difficult question that it may first appear. I would say the popularity of the game is less than in many similar countries. That's simply because the game was essentially banned for so long that many people were put off ever trying it out.
However, because of its questionable legal status, there's also no way of knowing how many people played recreationally at home. And of course, just because tournaments weren't legal doesn't mean they didn't take place behind closed doors!
As the law means that all online poker providers are based outside Norway, it's impossible to know how many Norwegians play online.
Online poker in Norway
While live poker is restricted in Norway, the popularity of online card rooms means the game is easy to play online, right? Well, not so much.
These card rooms are all based elsewhere, typically in jurisdictions like Gibraltar or Cyprus that offer tax advantages. This means the Norwegian government can't ban their operation in Norway. However, they have taken steps to make it as difficult as possible for Norwegians to play online!
Any bank or financial institution registered in Norway is not allowed to transmit money to gambling providers outside the country. If you try to use a Norwegian debit card to make a deposit on any online card room, the transaction will be declined.
As with most things, there are ways around this ruling. Many regular Norwegian poker players use online payment wallets or even cryptocurrency to bypass the restriction.
Of course, these rules don't stop Norwegians signing up with an online card room to play for free. Every platform offers a free play option, so it's a great way to learn the game without needing to set foot in a casino. Just be aware that a player's psychology changes greatly when real money is at stake!
Norwegian poker tournaments
Despite starting out as an underground event, the Norwegian Poker Championships has gone from strength to strength. For years the event was held in Dublin due to Norwegian law, but since 2015 an Oslo event has been added to the annual calendar.
However, the Dublin-based event continues to attract the best players from Norway, with higher prizes on offer. Typically, more than 75 events are held over the week-long festival with plenty of variants to choose from.
The two annual tournaments are growing in popularity with a few thousand Norwegians competing for a range of prizes at each event. Some of the action is even broadcast on TV.
How are poker winnings taxed in Norway?
Taxation of poker income is a thorny issue in Norway. To call it a grey area would be an understatement. Recent attempts by the Tax Administration to provide clarity have just muddied the waters even more! It's no surprise that many top Norwegian players have relocated to the UK or even the USA for tax purposes.
Much of the debate has centred around whether poker is a game of chance. If so, it must be classified as a hobby. If not, it can be classified as a business if it is the main source of income of a player.
The problem with classifying it as a hobby is that tournament winnings are liable to tax but no deductions are allowable. This could very easy lead to a situation where a player who wins $20,000 in a tournament actually breaks even over the course of their playing year, but is then liable for tax on that $20,000.
This situation is constantly evolving. I'd advise anyone concerned about their tax liabilities from playing the game to join the Norwegian Poker Association, where professional advice is available.
Famous Norwegian poker players
Despite the legal stance of the game in their country, Norwegians have been active in live tournaments and online for many years. While there's no Norwegian equivalent of Daniel Negreanu or Chris Moneymaker, several players have made a name for themselves within the game.
Best players in 2019
Preben Stokkan. “No-one should be surprised” that Stokkan tops the list of Norwegian poker players for 2019 so far. That's according to Poker.no, which says he's considered the country's top tournament player. Stokkan enjoyed a very deep run in this year's World Series of Poker main event, cementing his place at the top.
Trygve Leite. Second on the list of best 2019 players is Las Vegas based Trgyve Leite, another tournament specialist.
Other famous players
The Norwegian Poker Association has created a hall of fame, which currently has eleven names on it.
The best known outside of Norway are Johnny Lodden and Jan Olav Sjåvik. Part of the old school of the game, Sjåvik made his first WSOP final tables 13 years ago, and has recorded 7 international titles. Lodden is the best-known Norwegian to break through from the online game and has recorded an impressive collection of European titles.
The future of poker in Norway
Who knows! One thing is for sure, the tax situation must be sorted out. I can't imagine the game will be fully legalised in Norway anytime soon. But there could be an argument for Norsk Tipping to provide an online platform on which Norwegians can play poker without the hassle of e-wallets and complicated international transfers.
Norsk Tipping Texas Holdem Odds
Tipping currently offers a national lottery, sportsbook, and even online scratchcards, so opening up a poker room wouldn't be a far-fetched idea. All their games impose limits on the amount that can be gambled, so there is some built-in protection against addiction, something that international poker rooms don't offer.