Cardmates Gambling Portal – All About UK Poker & Casinos
Welcome to Cardmates – the friendliest gambling community in the UK!
Like-minded grinders gather on our portal. Here you can share your ups and downs and find a lot of
useful info.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup action continues with several exciting clashes on the schedule. Brazil face a tough test against Morocco, while Scotland take on Haiti as both sides look to start their campaigns strongly. Qatar meet Switzerland, and Australia battle Türkiye in another intriguing matchup.
Today's betting angles:
Brazil vs Morocco: Both Teams to Score
Scotland vs Haiti: Scotland to Win
Qatar vs Switzerland: Under 2.5 Goals
Australia vs Turkiye: Turkiye Draw No Bet
As always, manage your bankroll wisely and remember that value is more important than chasing big odds. Enjoy the World Cup and bet responsibly.
When you sit down to play poker several questions should be going through your mind during the game; "How much money am I willing to lose?" "Should I leave this table yet?" "What is the right bet to make in this situation?" There is more going on in mind of any decent poker player at any given moment than most people realize, especially when it comes to betting on poker games. Of all the questions you should be asking yourself during the game, one should be asked before any of them...
"Should I play this hand in this position?"
Let's take some time to discuss an important bit of strategy. Not how to play poker hands, but how to play poker positions. Poker is not just about the hands you play, but when you play them. In fact, some of the pros would argue that position is often even more important than the hand you hold when you play poker. One would be remiss to discuss poker strategies and not mention the importance of positional play.
Positional Play
Whether playing a full nine handed cash game, or getting down to the last three to four players when playing a tournament, where you are sitting in relationship to the blinds should be taken into consideration with every poker hand you play.
Sometimes referred to as the hot seat, the position directly to the left of the BB is most commonly known as early position, or being under the gun (UTG.) When you play poker from here, you are at a higher disadvantage than anybody at the table because you are the first to act. Everybody behind you can see how you are playing your hand before they have to make a decision on how to play theirs. As such, exceptional care should be taken when deciding to play a hand from this position. Many players will not even play poker hands as good as pocket kings from the hot seat. And two over-cards should definitely be folded when sitting under the gun. UTG+1 and UTG+2 are not much better and you should really only play poker hands like big slick or better from those two spots as well, if at all.
Care should also be taken when in middle position, but you should start to feel comfortable playing face cards from here.
The button, (the dealer chip) is the best spot on the table. When you play poker, play on the button as often as you can. From this position, you can see how everybody on the table is playing before you decide what to do. This can often lead to winning a hand even if the cards you're holding are worthless.
Remember, you don't have to have the winning hand when you play poker to win. You just have to make everybody else think you do.
Hello Y'all , I’m Ben Voutour and I’m officially joining the table. After years grinding poker, exploring casinos, and diving into sports betting, I’m excited to share the journey with you.
This world is about skill, psychology, discipline, and that rush when it all comes together. I'm here for practical poker strategy, smart betting tips, and real stories from the felt no fluff, just straight talk.
I’m here to learn with you, drop useful insights, and talk about the games we love. Cards are in the air. Let’s play.
Recently got into poker, playing mostly house games. I’m alright at those, but I play online micro stakes and get destroyed. To learn to play online micro stakes, is it better to read books such as the ones below, or is watching videos online going to be more helpful?
Some books I found :
- The Grinder's Manual
- Mastering Small Stakes – Jonathan Little
- Applications of No-Limit Hold'em
Congratulations to all participants of the second round of the Cardmates Weekly Grind!
Now it’s time for the most exciting part - announcing and rewarding our winners. The next scoring period will run from 11 to June 17. We wish you the best of luck andplenty of inspiration for creating new blogs.
Important: Prizes will be distributed via one of the following methods: CoinPoker transfer, ACR Poker transfer, PayPal, or Skrill.
From now on, please expect updated rules for writing blogs. All submissions will be checked for originality, as well as for the use of AI in blog content.
In the second round of the bloggers’ competition, we have already removed several users from the site due to multi-accounting and other violations of the community rules.

Check new updates on this link.
Join Us on Telegram! Yes, Telegram isn’t the most popular messenger among UK players. And that’s exactly why we decided to launch our channel there 😅
UK Gambling Portal
Stay ahead of the trends in the UK gambling industry with Cardmates. Here you can bump into the daily coverage of online poker and casino news, read expert reviews and crucial regulatory information. Learn to play different games, discover interesting strategies and get familiar with responsible play principles.
Oh, and never miss the latest promotions from top-rated poker rooms and casino sites. With every scroll or click, you’ll be hearing right from the source – years of experience under our belt accompany you here.
What You Can Find on Cardmates
We are a large and friendly community of casino and poker fans from around the globe. Therefore, on our website, there is plenty of information for everyone in one place. Cardmates is home to:
-
Reviews of Gambling Sites
Our team regularly adds and updates expert reviews of leading poker and casino platforms to play online. We provide comprehensive poker sites rating and a UKGC-licensed online casinos list so that you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Each platform is analysed and ranked based on adopted security measures, available games and bonuses, software quality, banking, payout speed, customer support, etc. Cardmates personally test every brand, its site and services.
-
Massive Education Database
On our website, one can independently complete all stages of learning poker from scratch (starting with basics like rules, combinations and odds and ending with tracking software). There is also a wealth of resources on professional poker strategies for various card games, such as Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Stud, Lawball, Mixed, etc.
We've also set you up with the ultimate casino guides to help you master the basics of gambling games. Learn how to play online slots , roulette, keno, craps, blackjack, baccarat and more. Our articles reveal specifics of each game, its winning odds and strategies, possible side bets and tips from Cardmates. All educational content is presented in a simple and straightforward way.
How We Rate and Review Gambling Sites
In short, our collective goal is to deliver expert and unbiased reviews that punters can rely on. For your ultimate experience, our team of professionals heedfully analyse each gambling site mentioned on Cardmates. We assign each brand that we review a rating out of five stars. The overall score is related to the following factors:
Software & Games
Our reviewers personally download gaming clients to understand their quality and convenience. Game diversity counts as well.
Security
Before we recommend any site, we check its licensing, as well as the level of user data and money protection.
Bonuses & Offers
While bonuses are always nice, our aces also make sure that the T&Cs around are adequate and fair.
Cashout Speed
All players want their prize money ASAP, so payout tempo is among the crucial points we always check. Across all types of gaming platforms.
Customer Care
We test how quickly customer support agents resolve issues and through what contact channels.
Player Reviews
Here we look at other players’ experiences with a certain site, either positive or negative.
We also apprise things like sign-up process, payment solutions, limits and mobile experience. Actually, the exact criteria differ between poker rooms and remote casinos. Therefore, we suggest you visit our How We Rate page for relevant details.
-
Who We Are and Why You Can Trust Us
Cardmates is an information portal about legal poker games that has expanded its competence to include remote casinos. Each team member is a passionate enthusiast and an expert in various aspects of online gambling. We’re a match made in heaven thousands of years ago to fulfil an important mission – become a global meeting place for everyone who loves gambling. And, if this is our karmic debt, then we work off it with sky-high pleasure. Seriously though, we’ve been in business since 2012. Our staff have spent thousands of hours at online tables and reels to gain experience, which allows us to create top-quality informative content. Thanks t o the professional approach to work, Cardmates built up a reputation as a reliable and trusted gamblin g portal, where there is no place for lies and deceit.
-
Responsible Gambling
Cardmates want to be sure you enjoy gambling as a form of entertainment and don’t wager with money you can’t afford to lose. Whatever of our suggested poker rooms or casinos you play at, you must do it responsibly and sensibly, at all times. Legit gambling sites from our list prepare multiple tools to help punters in this regard. For example, daily to monthly deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion schemes. If you notice any signs of compulsive gambling behaviour, feel free to seek out help and support. There are dedicated charities and agencies like Gamble Aware or GamCare – you can be moved to their websites directly from our footer. Plus, every country has certain regulations towards online gambling to help players control their habits. The United Kingdom, for instance, has the strictest watchdog – UKGC – which obliges all casinos and poker rooms to join the Gamstop list. This free service restricts the internet gambling activities of everyone who requests it. Visit our Responsible Gambling page to learn more.
FAQ
💡 What is Cardmates?
Cardmates is a premier destination for online gambling information. Our expert bees know the industry better than anyone else in this universe. You can find the latest news, hottest bonuses, educational articles and strategy tips on our website. Also, don’t forget to check out our ratings of the best poker and casino operators with licences and top security measures.
⚖️ Are online casinos and poker sites legal in the UK?
Totally! Every gambling operator that wants to serve UK players must be licensed by the local watchdog. That is, the Gambling Commission of Great Britain, which is known as the strictest regulator on this planet.
🔍 Why is it worth running a blog on Cardmates?
Blog section on Cardmates is a perfect place to share your gaming experience, as well as broaden it by learning from other community members. There, one can get a piece of advice or support from fellow players. Finally, it’s the main source of earning points and boosting Aura level for better rewards and extra benefits.
👀 Where to read the latest online gambling news?
There are many dedicated sites on the web. Just in case, Cardmates has been publishing online gambling news and more for over 10 years, every day. We exactly know what information will be interesting to remote gamblers, so navigate around our site. Maybe, we are your dream portal.
Ty kmiarka, it’s just that phase for me at the moment
Can’t wait for the flip though! 🥳Image
Massive congrats on bagging the second trophy, Noodz - definitely write up that hand breakdown, mate, because we’d all love to see exactly how you navigated the heads-up battle to take down those 70 smackers! 🏆💰🥳
You hit the nail on the head, mate - mastering 8-max positions like UTG and UTG+1 requires so much discipline, but getting to sit on the button and use pure positional leverage to take down a pot with total air is easily the most satisfying feeling in the game! 📐BTN👑
Best of luck in Coventry for that regional final, mate - bringing down a local pub league and turning a low buy-in into a dream ticket to Vegas is the absolute pinnacle of the poker grind! ✈️🇺🇸🎰
Talk about a "Qatarstrophe" 🤣
This is spot on, mate - treating poker like a marathon and focusing entirely on $EV$ rather than short-term variance is the ultimate cure for tilt! 🧠🏃♂️
Man, just thinking about a 115-hour marathon gives me a headache - I start making terrible punts after just a few hours online, so massive respect to anyone who can battle their own brain for five days straight! 🧠💤
You hit the nail on the head, mate - that instant check-back or snap-call usually tells a massive story, which is exactly why using a random countdown or a strict timing script is so essential when grinding online to keep our own ranges balanced! ⏱️🃏
Spot on prediction, mate - Morocco’s defensive discipline completely neutralized Brazil just like you said, and that 1-1 draw proved they aren't scared of anyone on the big stage! 🇲🇦⚽️
It's wild to look back at the old CRT monitor days compared to now - AI and GTO solvers have completely changed the game, and it makes you wonder what the next big technological shift for poker will be! 🤖🃏