INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Look at your cards to see what you're holding. Check for a pair, 2 consecutive numbers, cards that are from the same house, or face cards, which may be good cards. Then, decide if it's worth placing a bet to see what the community cards will be. You should almost always raise when your hand is a pair, face cards, or aces. An ace and a king or an ace and a queen are strong hands as well. If you have these hands, bet before the flop to raise the value of the pot. If the card you need doesn't turn up, you can either bluff or fold. Sometimes, with good bluffing skills and some luck, a bad hand can win the whole game. On the first round, bidding starts to the left of the big blind. In later rounds, the bidding starts to the left of the dealer. From there, the bidding goes clockwise. If you're playing a game with an ante instead of a blind, always start betting with the player to the left of the dealer. This means you want to stay in the game but don't want to raise the bet. When you call, match the bet of the person before you by adding your chips or money to the pot. Your turn is now over. If the flop comes and you're holding a hand that doesn't play, check and fold. You don't want to keep betting money at a hand that won't win. If the flop comes and you have a strong hand, bet at it. This will force weaker hands out and raise the value of your pot. When the bet comes to you, tell the other players you want to raise. Then, say how much you are betting and place your money or chips into the pot. This ends your turn. Say, "I raise the bet to $30." You can't raise the bet above the maximum for your game. This means quitting the round of poker. To fold, place your cards face down on the table and say, "I fold." Then, add your cards to the discard pile. Don't show your cards when you fold during a game, as this can spoil which cards are out of play. That may give certain players an upper hand. The key to being successful at poker is knowing when to fold your hand and accept a smaller loss or when to hold onto it and risk a larger loss for a chance to win the pot. Look at your cards and decide if you want to play this hand. If you'd like to try for better cards, discard the cards you don't want. Then, draw replacement cards from the draw pile at the center of the table. You can discard as many cards as you'd like. You may not be allowed to draw new cards when playing Texas Hold'em, so check the rules for your game before you start playing. When you are learning, you should never gamble more than you would consider acceptable to lose. During the game, don't add to your bankroll or dive back in after losing everything you planned to gamble. Wait until you're comfortable losing that amount again before you play another game. The general rule of thumb is you should be able to easily afford to lose 200 bets at the highest limit. So if the limit is $5 bets, then your bankroll should be $1000, and stop there. Track your wins and losses if you start getting more serious about poker. This will help you figure out whether you are winning or losing in the long run. Remember that you must keep records and pay taxes on your gambling income to avoid legal trouble. Playing your opponents is arguably even more important than playing your cards in poker. This is a more advanced aspect of the game, but it's always good to be aware of players' tellsespecially your own. Watch for betting patterns such as betting early, very often (probably with weak hands), or late in a hand (as intimidation). Physical tells can also give you an estimation of your opponent's strength of hand and help you keep your own strategy secret by avoiding such patterns. Some classic tells include shallow breathing, sighing, nostrils flaring, flushing red, eyes watering, blinking, swallowing excessively, or an increasing pulse seen in the neck or temple. A hand over the mouth is usually to conceal a smile, while shaking hands usually reveal nerves. If a player glances at his or her chips when the flop comes, they probably have a strong hand. If a mediocre player tries to impress you by staring you down, they are likely bluffing. This will help you determine players' betting patterns and read them more easily. You can tell if players are more conservative by noticing those folding earlyevidently only staying in a hand when their cards are good. Very conservative players won't lose as much money, but they're easily spotted by more experienced players. Because they tend to avoid high betting, they can often be bluffed into folding. Aggressive players are risk takers that often bet high early in a hand before seeing how the other players are acting on their cards.

SUMMARY: Guesstimate the risks on your starting hand. Start the bidding with the player to the left of the big blind or dealer. Call the bet if you want to stay in but don't have great cards. Raise the bet if you have a good hand. Fold if the current bet is too high or you have a bad hand. Decide if you want to draw any cards (if the game allows it). Play only with money you're willing to lose. Learn to read basic tells. Identify conservative players from aggressive players.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: To ensure that you're purchasing pure tung oil, look for the words "100% tung oil" printed somewhere on the container's packaging. You can find tung oil at a local paint store or hardware store. 1 quart (0.95L) of tung oil or Waterlox will cover about 15 feet (4.6m) of butcher block. If you'd rather apply a longer-lasting product than tung oil, you can seal the butcher block using a more substantial chemical sealant, like Waterlox. Both products are food-safe. Dip a clean, dry cotton cloth or rag into the container of tung oil or Waterlox. Then use the cloth to rub the sealant across the surface of the stained butcher block. Work in long, straight strokes that parallel the direction of the boards in the butcher block. Give the sealant a full 12 hours to dry. Sealing the butcher block is a time-consuming process. It will need several layers of tung oil or Waterlox. Use the same method for each layer: saturate a clean rag with sealant and then rub it along the surface of the butcher block. Use a clean cloth to remove any excess sealant. Ensure that each layer has at least 12 hours to dry before applying the subsequent layer. Avoid using the counter for 7 full days so the oil has enough time to fully soak into the wood. Once the week has passed, you can use your stained butcher block counters. You can still use your butcher block countertops before a full week passes. However, they'll be oily and may stain your dishes or clothes. Tung oil wears off eventually, at which time it needs to be replaced. Every 4 monthsor as soon as the surface of the butcher block begins to look fadedapply a layer of tung oil to the wood. The additional coats of oil won't take a full week to dry. To be on the safe side, though, give each layer 3-4 days before using the countertops.

SUMMARY:
Purchase 100% tung oil from a local paint store. Apply a layer of tung oil to seal the stained butcher block. Apply 4 additional layers of tung oil to the butcher block. Give the tung oil a full week to dry. Put on a new layer of tung oil every 4 months.