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2008-11-10T20:54:00.001-08:00

Another Great Texas Hold Em Article

Value Betting and Protection Betting in No Limit Texas Holdem

There is a balance to betting that must be reached in order to receive maximum value for your hands. This balance is the struggle between Value and Protection Betting.

On the Value side, you want to extract the maximum amount of money from your opponent. And on the Protection side, you want to prevent losing the amount of money you have invested in a pot.

I have seen on many occasions inexperienced players over and under bet their hands accordingly. Following are two examples I personally played that illustrate improperly applied Value and Protection Betting.

The first hand example is from the 2005 WSOP.
I was in middle position and looked down at JJ. I raised three times the big blind and was called only by the big blind yielding a pot of 6.5 big bets. The call of the big blind could have simply been defensive, but an otherwise chatty opponent was suddenly quiet. I assumed a range of hands he could hold to be big paint, big slick or a middle pair.

The flop delivered K93 rainbow. My opponent bet the minimum bringing the pot to 7.5 big bets. At this point I was convinced he had a king and his Value bet would force me to call.

The turn card was another K. My opponent quickly checked raising the ire of suspicion. So I promptly checked behind him as I was willing to show this hand down for nothing.

The river delivered an 8. My opponent declared assertively that he was �all-in�. Now, I originally placed my opponent on a king. With two kings on the board, the likelihood of him holding a K was small. However, I was not willing to risk my entire tournament on a pair of Js when my gut instinct told me he had a K. I decided to try getting him to expose his cards by declaring that I was folding the winner and showing him my Jacks as they were mucked. He triumphantly flipped his hand over showing pocket kings for quad-kings.

How does this apply to value betting?
Proper use of value betting in light of what your opponent may be holding would have given this opponent more chips with his monster hand. Obviously I was willing to call the one bet on the flop. At minimum I would have called one bet on the turn and one on the river. He left at least two bets on the table by improper betting.

Where does the balance come into play? I believe my opponent had an opportunity to make more than the two bets he left on the table. The flop minimum bet was crazy. No cards should be folded when the pot is offering 7.5 to 1 odds. With my opponent flopping a set of Ks and an uncoordinated board, a flop bet of two or three bets would have been about the maximum an opponent could call with an underpair.

The turn check is not a bad play in trying to induce a bluff. But in order for this attempt at weakness to work, he would have had to represent strength on the flop. His flop bet did not do this. Now in the scenario where I called a flop bet of two or three big bets, at minimum I should be willing to risk two or three more bets as the pot would again be offering remarkable odds to stick around. Finally, the all-in bet on the river gave no consideration to my hand or chip stacks. What hand would possibly call the all-in? A full-house or set of kings only. This was a missed opportunity to extract more chips from an opponent. His hand was so strong that a small bet is the best he could have hoped to recover. In the alternate flop/turn scenario presented, a river bet of three to five bets would have likely been paid off.

The second hand reflects on Protection Betting.
This hand was played in Las Vegas in a cash game.

Four limpers to seat 7 who makes a minimum raise.

I was in seat 9 with 68 spades and cold called the two bets. The small blind, big blind and previous limpers all called as well yielding a pot of 16 big bets.

The flop delivered 3c5h7c.

All checked to seat 7 who minimum bet again and all players involved called bringing the pot to 24 big bets. The turn card was the Q of diamonds.

Again, all checked to seat 7 who bet two big bets. I called, along with the big blind bringing the pot to 30 big bets.

The river was the 9 of diamonds. Big blind checked and seat 7 went all-in. I called and the big blind folded. Seat 7 turned over red Aces and lost a huge pot to my rivered straight.

How does this apply to Protection Betting?
With hands that are vulnerable (such as one pair in the above example), it is absolutely important to protect the money that is invested in the pot BEFORE it is too late to do so.

Where is the balance? This guy had aces, and this is obviously a monster hand pre-flop, but the hand progressively gets worse on the flop, turn and river unless helped by the board. Aces are only one pair.

The minimum raise pre-flop was a huge mistake given all of the limpers. Aces in an 8-way pot are destined to be cracked. There was no Protection Bet pre-flop providing security for the aces. Mistake.

Instead of the minimum raise, a pre-flop raise of about 4 to 6 big bets would have thinned the field significantly putting the aces in far better position from the flop on. Now assuming the filed was thinned and it was three-way action after 4 to 6 bet pre-flop raise, a respectable continuation bet on the flop is required. You cannot lay proper odds for the flush or straight draws to continue with the hand without making a negative EV play. *a negative EV play is one that will lose money over the long haul.

In order to protect against the flush, your bet would need to lay insufficient odds for the opponent to continue. This means it has to be big enough to force them to fold or make an improper call based on the odds. Some opponents will call regardless of the bet, but you must make an attempt at betting that forces people out of the hand. A solid � to pot size bet would lay odds such that an opponent is making a mistake in calling.

The point is that seat 7 in the above scenario failed to bet in a manner that would push anyone out of the hand until it was too late. With a coordinated board such as the one in this example, aces are useless and serious consideration should be given to sending them to the muck.

You may be able to think of many examples yourself where you made too large of a bet on the river with the nuts that didn�t get a call; or you may remember not betting enough with a hand that was vulnerable.

There is a definite balance between Value Betting and Protection Betting that is often overlooked. Oftentimes players will find that they have all throttle but no gears to shift.

The art in Value Betting keeps customers paying off your premium hands by turning down the throttle to a point palatable to your opponents. Oftentimes players find themselves complaining about the suck-out artists who cracked their (fill in the big pair here).

The art in Protection Betting keeps these thieves from stealing the smaller pots from under you. For all players, the threshold required for both Value and Protection changes. While subtle in difference, strong focus on this balance can yield huge dividends to your bankroll.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/value-betting-and-protection-betting-in-no-limit-texas-holdem.htm

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The internet is full of fluff- these Texas Hold Em tips are the best of the best.

2008-11-08T19:36:00.001-08:00

We do not promote gambling of any type. This blog information is to be used when playing Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Todays Online Poker Article

Online Poker can be profitable, but be sure to choose the right table!

1. PLAYERS & POT SIZES...

As a general rule, 6-8 players with a fairly large average pot size.

With most online poker sites you can see the average pot size and how many players are seeing the flop. Large pots are better as this generally means more loose players, playing no limit I'm looking to win big hands when I've got the nuts, not to grind down opponents by blind stealing and small pot stealing. I avoid most really tight games, rocks are boring and unprofitable typically. No limit is about getting paid off when you hit your monster, not stealing blinds all day.

A good table for me is one that is loose, but that is also not overly aggressive. I'm looking for a lot of players limping or calling small raises pre-flop.

2. The average number of players seeing the flop...

If you can see the average # of players seeing the flop, this is a hugely vital stat to use. Lower limits you can easily find something around 35-40%, which is pretty darn loose. Find this stat and then get one with a higher than average pot.

Sites like Bodog and Sportsbook.com will show you how many players are seeing the flop on average. I look for games with high averages seeing the flop, anything over 40% is usually good and very easy to find online.

The majority of times this makes for a good table as a tight aggressive player will play between 20% and 35% of any given hands on average, and in my opinion 35% is loooooose.

3. Watch the Button go around the table at least once - and pay attention!

Now that you've found a table with numbers that look pretty good its time to actually take a quick overhead view of the table and see what happens. Open up the table but do not sit down, or if you want you can sit down but not take your cards yet. If you are playing at Poker Stars, here is a screen shot of the table.

Take an open seat and pay attention! Watch the button go all the way around the table and take an initial assement of the table. Here are the things to look for:

A. Players limping and then calling a late position raise with weak holdings (hands like KQo, KJo, KTo, and other dominated hands like QJ (this is a good sign)

B. Look around the table at the current stack sizes - normally avoid tables where more than 3 players have 3 to 4 times the maximum buy in amount. These players can easily push me out of pots or have me committed early. They also might be solid players. (bad sign)

C. Take notice of the cards people are showing down. Look for weak holdings outside of the blinds offsuit small one gappers, Ace rag unsuited, and the plethora of other bad cards people play with. (more junk the better)

D. Take notice of who raises and who calls raises - are premium hands raised huge or limped with and are other players calling raises with weak holdings (good)

E. Any Maniacs at the table? - is there a crazy bettor or people who seem to be out to hit miracle cards by calling big bets? (good depending on seat) If you can get position on them (acting afterwards) you can get paid off when you hit a monster against them. The only problem is that you almost have to hit your hand to beat this player so you need to also feel confident that they will also pay you off when you do.

F. Who are the two worst players at the table? (can't tell? BAD) Pick out two players that are playing weak and have made mistakes. See who is playing really loose, who is playing really tight.

G. Look for players making small raises (1-2x the BB) with premium hands or even slow playing. (good, probably inexperienced players)

4. YOU MUST HAVE A GOOD SEAT RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE TABLE...

A. This means sitting directly to the left of the Maniacs and the other Big Stacks so you always act after them. If you have a big hand you have the option to disguise it by letting them bet it for you. If you have a weak hand you can let it go fairly easily.

B. Give up position to short stacks/tight players - no problem letting the act after you if they are only going to play strong hands or not get involved often.

If you find the right combination of table factors and good relative seat then snag it! Since you've been watching the action already you can post as soon as you sit down if you want. This helps portray a loose image. If the big blind is 4 seats or less away from me I'll wait and post as soon as I sit down, although I sometimes post right away to make people think I'm loose.

5. IF THE TABLE TURNS COLD, GET UP AND MOVE...

Nothing is worse than staying at a bad table. Many times you'll find yourself sitting at a table with a bunch of tight and aggressive players. Unless you are wanting to work on your game, get up and move and go make money. Don't think that you've got something to prove.

6. TAKE NOTES...

I logged on to Party Poker yesterday to play a tourney with some friends and there were over 70,000 players playing right then. You'll probably never see a player again but if you find anyone who is horrible, take a note and especially when you find the good players, make a note. It could save you your stack later.

I recommend reading through Full Tilt Poker Download Guide for a step by step tutorial on setting a your online poker account. This is a great resource for new players.

Thanks and we'll see you at the tables!

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/no-limit-holdem-table-selection-tips.htm

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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This great article contains great Texas Hold Em tips as well as news items.

2008-11-06T04:19:00.001-08:00

This blog is for entertainment purposes only. It is meant to provide information relating to the game of Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Another Great Online Poker Article

Phil Hellmuth's rap and hip hop

By Adam Johnson

His head was buried in the sleeve of his black jacket, his left arm extending toward the middle of the table. Listening to music from his Ipod, he decided to have some connection to the outside world, however disconnected to his present world it may have been.

Yet there was Phil Hellmuth, the self-proclaimed best hold-em player in the world, struggling with his short stack in the $1500 Pot-Limit tournament at the World Series of Poker.

If someone who couldn�t spell poker walked up to the table, they probably would have guessed this downtrodden man wasn�t much in the poker world.

How deceiving their deductions would have been.

Suddenly he sprouted to life and sought out myself, one of many media members in the Amazon Room near his table, to be his much needed set of ears.

�You want to hear about some hands, I�ll tell you about some hands,� said Hellmuth, the then ten time bracelet winner with an eagerness that made me wonder if I asked him a question.

After hearing how his A-A couldn�t beat seat 10�s A-6 and how his late position pre-flop raise was defended by a guy out of the blind with 6-high, it was quite clear that he felt like Peter Weber in a prestigious bowling tournament with bumper lanes. His skills just didn�t seem to translate and his frustration was visible if not tangible to those present.

Such is the life of a gifted tournament poker player on most days, when failure can last for months and someone with little experience can win a major tournament.

Seated to Hellmuth�s left was another short-chipped professional and good friend of Hellmuth�s, Gavin Smith.

Known as one of the most gregarious players on the tournament circuit, Smith was up to his usual antics at the table, taking a completely different route than Hellmuth.

Upon a request from the aforementioned seat 10, the main subject of Hellmuth�s diatribes, Smith grabbed Hellmuth�s Ipod and read the display, �Bad Boys for Life, P Diddy,� he said.

A poll wasn�t conducted at the time, but P Diddy didn�t exactly seem to be in Hellmuth�s �range� from reading the table�s body language. Seat 10 and a few other players chuckled and Smith told them that Phil is actually a big fan of rap and hip hop music.

Wearing black designer shoes that likely cost as much as the tournament entry and a black and yellow Ultimate Bet Hockey jersey, nothing about Hellmuth�s style screams hip-hop.

Perhaps in a giving mood after sending Hellmuth into a momentary tailspin, seat 10 sent his Ipod to Smith, who hooked it up to Hellmuth�s while his head was buried.

Hellmuth continued on as if nothing happened, and listened to a Kanye West song seat 10 doctored up for him.

Completely amused by the situation, Smith asked for my phone and took a picture of Hellmuth listening to the man�s Ipod. Smith organized that I send the picture to the man so his friends and kids could see Hellmuth listening to his Ipod.

A conversation about rap ensued between the two, exchanging similar tastes in music. Much like Hellmuth, Smith�s gears were stuck in neutral as well.

�If I get up to 20,000 chips, I�ll be dangerous,� he said, with a stack that was probably a third of that number.

After sheriffing (not a real word) a player who bet K-J on the turn and went all-in on the river on a paired board with all baby cards, Smith check called on both streets after betting the flop, revealing the best hand with a measly two-pair.

The busted player seemed shocked as did others at the table, that Smith knew his hand was good. To those familiar with Smith�s ability, the result seemed pretty standard.

Hellmuth busted within the next hour and Smith held true to his prediction, finishing 2nd in a field of 781 players.

They provided a contrast of playing styles and personalities in a time when chips were hard to come by for both, but as always, they are never short on entertainment value no matter what.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=phil-hellmuth-rap-and-hip-hop.html

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Winning strategies to improve your Texas Hold Em game.

2008-11-04T19:02:00.001-08:00

We do not promote gambling of any type. This blog information is to be used when playing Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

This Online Poker Article Will Make You A Better Player

5 Tips To Use When Playing Heads Up Poker

Here are my 5 tips you can use to improve your 'Heads Up' poker play

1. You don�t have to play every hand. It�s ok to fold your small blind if you have a lousy hand. Most players heads up play every hand. IMO, this is a mistake. You can�t wait for the best of the best, but you don�t have to play 63o either.

Don�t worry about the chips you�re losing here. Folding the small bind makes the other player think you�re only playing good hands so you�ll be able to raise him off of his BB enough to make up for it.

2. Don�t limp from the small blind, at least not very often. For the most part, you should either fold it or raise it. Save your limping for the BB. You don�t have position, so you need to win most of these hands pre-flop. The BB will probably raise you anyway. You need to be the one leading the betting.

The exception is if you get a monster like KK or AA.

3. Slow play the monster hand. If you get a big pocket pair, let the other overly aggressive player do the betting for you. This is player dependant, but if you�re against a player like I was playing last night, who kept using the all-in bluff, why not let him lead the way.

4. Mix up your play, a lot. I like to play a few hands in a row where I raise every hand and follow that by several folded small blinds. Switch up your raises from the minimum raise to a big half your stack raise. Keep the other player confused.

A confused player tends to be a passive player.

5. Don�t forget what got you there! If you�re a tight aggressive player and that�s what got you to the final two, then keep being tight aggressive. Don�t suddenly become loose aggressive. You�ll be out of your element.

Obviously your play has to loosen up when you get to this point, but you don�t have to be an �any two cards� type. It�s still ok to fold middle or bottom pair to an all-in bet.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/5-tips-to-use-when-playing-heads-up-poker.htm

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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Tired of playing Texas Hold Em and not coming out a winner? Here are some techniques to make you better.

2008-11-02T15:12:00.001-08:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Todays Online Poker Article

Value Betting and Protection Betting in No Limit Texas Holdem

There is a balance to betting that must be reached in order to receive maximum value for your hands. This balance is the struggle between Value and Protection Betting.

On the Value side, you want to extract the maximum amount of money from your opponent. And on the Protection side, you want to prevent losing the amount of money you have invested in a pot.

I have seen on many occasions inexperienced players over and under bet their hands accordingly. Following are two examples I personally played that illustrate improperly applied Value and Protection Betting.

The first hand example is from the 2005 WSOP.
I was in middle position and looked down at JJ. I raised three times the big blind and was called only by the big blind yielding a pot of 6.5 big bets. The call of the big blind could have simply been defensive, but an otherwise chatty opponent was suddenly quiet. I assumed a range of hands he could hold to be big paint, big slick or a middle pair.

The flop delivered K93 rainbow. My opponent bet the minimum bringing the pot to 7.5 big bets. At this point I was convinced he had a king and his Value bet would force me to call.

The turn card was another K. My opponent quickly checked raising the ire of suspicion. So I promptly checked behind him as I was willing to show this hand down for nothing.

The river delivered an 8. My opponent declared assertively that he was �all-in�. Now, I originally placed my opponent on a king. With two kings on the board, the likelihood of him holding a K was small. However, I was not willing to risk my entire tournament on a pair of Js when my gut instinct told me he had a K. I decided to try getting him to expose his cards by declaring that I was folding the winner and showing him my Jacks as they were mucked. He triumphantly flipped his hand over showing pocket kings for quad-kings.

How does this apply to value betting?
Proper use of value betting in light of what your opponent may be holding would have given this opponent more chips with his monster hand. Obviously I was willing to call the one bet on the flop. At minimum I would have called one bet on the turn and one on the river. He left at least two bets on the table by improper betting.

Where does the balance come into play? I believe my opponent had an opportunity to make more than the two bets he left on the table. The flop minimum bet was crazy. No cards should be folded when the pot is offering 7.5 to 1 odds. With my opponent flopping a set of Ks and an uncoordinated board, a flop bet of two or three bets would have been about the maximum an opponent could call with an underpair.

The turn check is not a bad play in trying to induce a bluff. But in order for this attempt at weakness to work, he would have had to represent strength on the flop. His flop bet did not do this. Now in the scenario where I called a flop bet of two or three big bets, at minimum I should be willing to risk two or three more bets as the pot would again be offering remarkable odds to stick around. Finally, the all-in bet on the river gave no consideration to my hand or chip stacks. What hand would possibly call the all-in? A full-house or set of kings only. This was a missed opportunity to extract more chips from an opponent. His hand was so strong that a small bet is the best he could have hoped to recover. In the alternate flop/turn scenario presented, a river bet of three to five bets would have likely been paid off.

The second hand reflects on Protection Betting.
This hand was played in Las Vegas in a cash game.

Four limpers to seat 7 who makes a minimum raise.

I was in seat 9 with 68 spades and cold called the two bets. The small blind, big blind and previous limpers all called as well yielding a pot of 16 big bets.

The flop delivered 3c5h7c.

All checked to seat 7 who minimum bet again and all players involved called bringing the pot to 24 big bets. The turn card was the Q of diamonds.

Again, all checked to seat 7 who bet two big bets. I called, along with the big blind bringing the pot to 30 big bets.

The river was the 9 of diamonds. Big blind checked and seat 7 went all-in. I called and the big blind folded. Seat 7 turned over red Aces and lost a huge pot to my rivered straight.

How does this apply to Protection Betting?
With hands that are vulnerable (such as one pair in the above example), it is absolutely important to protect the money that is invested in the pot BEFORE it is too late to do so.

Where is the balance? This guy had aces, and this is obviously a monster hand pre-flop, but the hand progressively gets worse on the flop, turn and river unless helped by the board. Aces are only one pair.

The minimum raise pre-flop was a huge mistake given all of the limpers. Aces in an 8-way pot are destined to be cracked. There was no Protection Bet pre-flop providing security for the aces. Mistake.

Instead of the minimum raise, a pre-flop raise of about 4 to 6 big bets would have thinned the field significantly putting the aces in far better position from the flop on. Now assuming the filed was thinned and it was three-way action after 4 to 6 bet pre-flop raise, a respectable continuation bet on the flop is required. You cannot lay proper odds for the flush or straight draws to continue with the hand without making a negative EV play. *a negative EV play is one that will lose money over the long haul.

In order to protect against the flush, your bet would need to lay insufficient odds for the opponent to continue. This means it has to be big enough to force them to fold or make an improper call based on the odds. Some opponents will call regardless of the bet, but you must make an attempt at betting that forces people out of the hand. A solid � to pot size bet would lay odds such that an opponent is making a mistake in calling.

The point is that seat 7 in the above scenario failed to bet in a manner that would push anyone out of the hand until it was too late. With a coordinated board such as the one in this example, aces are useless and serious consideration should be given to sending them to the muck.

You may be able to think of many examples yourself where you made too large of a bet on the river with the nuts that didn�t get a call; or you may remember not betting enough with a hand that was vulnerable.

There is a definite balance between Value Betting and Protection Betting that is often overlooked. Oftentimes players will find that they have all throttle but no gears to shift.

The art in Value Betting keeps customers paying off your premium hands by turning down the throttle to a point palatable to your opponents. Oftentimes players find themselves complaining about the suck-out artists who cracked their (fill in the big pair here).

The art in Protection Betting keeps these thieves from stealing the smaller pots from under you. For all players, the threshold required for both Value and Protection changes. While subtle in difference, strong focus on this balance can yield huge dividends to your bankroll.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/value-betting-and-protection-betting-in-no-limit-texas-holdem.htm

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Do not be intimidated by playing Texas Hold Em. These strategies will make you a better player.

2008-09-09T08:35:00.001-07:00

This blog is for information and education only. It is meant to improve your Texas Hold Em game in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Great Texas Hold Em Article

When playing poker, keep your attention at the table

By Johnny Kampis

If you?re playing poker the patient and correct way, folding most of your hands, you?ll be left with a lot of downtime where you?re not involved in the action. That doesn?t mean you should just rest on your laurels, or turn your attention to the baseball game on the television.

To become a better poker player, you should pay attention at all times when at the table, learning your opponents? tendencies. Who is aggressive? Who is timid? Who raises with only strong cards? Who bluffs a lot? All of these questions can be answered if you just pay attention.

Over the years, I?ve developed a couple of mental exercises to help me focus on the action while playing Texas hold?em. These exercises can also increase your decision making and problem solving abilities at the poker table.

The first one is to guess what each of your opponents is holding based on how he plays the hand. Say the flop comes J-10-2 with two spades. There is a bet, a call and a raise. What sorts of hands could these players have? Perhaps the better has something like J-K for top pair and the caller has a straight or flush draw and the raiser has two pair or a set. The more you study your opponents, the better you will be able to guess their holdings, and that ability will only help you in the long run.

During a recent friendly game, one player bet out on a board of A-A-10-2 and Steve called. A third player raised, the initial bettor called and Steve re-raised. Before Steve turned his cards over on the river, I called out ?Ace-Ten,? and that?s precisely what he had. How was I able to guess this? Steve had a monster hand and didn?t want to chase out the other players on the turn so he just called the initial bet, but after there was a raise behind him he could go ahead and re-raise and get more money in the pot. If Steve held three aces, without a full house, he most likely would have raised on the turn initially to try and eliminate any flush and straight draws. You can only learn these kinds of tendencies by paying attention.

A second exercise I like to employ while playing hold?em is to think up a hand and visualize how I would play it. Let?s pretend the flop is 8-J-3. Now, I may have folded a 5-2 or some other junk hand, but I?m going to now pretend I have a 9-10 in my hand and the action is to me. Do I bet, check, raise or fold? Or I could pretend I have flopped a set of threes. Now what do I do? This exercise allows you to continually think about how you would play certain hands, which will only help you when you actually hold those cards.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=be-attentive.html

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Partouche Poker Tour Cannes Main Event, Day 4: Alain Roy Wins Main Event

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:03:00 -0700
After four long days of play and 479 eliminations, Alain Roy took home the top prize of $1,426,645 in the Partouche Poker Tour Cannes Main Event. Roy defeated runner-up Claudio Rinaldi in an extremely short heads-up match. At the final table...

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Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:59:00 -0700
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2008-09-07T02:01:00.001-07:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on online poker in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Todays Hold Em Article

Tournament Poker and Cash Game Poker: A Two-headed Monster - Part 2

by Gary Gates

�Should I fold and wait for a better spot to put all my chips at risk? With only 50 players left to the money, do I have enough chips to survive the blinds and antes? How long until the blinds go up? Which players at my table are susceptible to getting eaten up by the blinds? Which players can I steal blinds from?�

When we left part I, we began to consider the additional factors a tournament poker player must consider within his or her decision-making process. These �special� circumstances often call for special action. A player might make one play in a cash game that he would never even consider in a tournament, and vice versa.

The unique decision-making processes required of these two very different brands of poker are necessitated by the manner in which profit is earned in each type. Cash games reward players instantly, as every pot pushed your way comes in the form of legal tender that you can walk away with at any time. In other words, a player can sit down at a cash game, double up on the first hand, put his chips back in the rack and proceed to the cashier with his newfound wealth. Though I do not recommend this method, as it won�t earn you many friends at the table, no one is going to stop you. (Who needs friends at the poker table anyway, right?)

Tournaments, however, reward only the top few participants who are able to outlast the masses. Described by many as marathons that call for hours of intense boredom, speckled with a few moments of sheer terror, poker tournaments require a great amount of time and patience. In a tournament that pays the top ten players, 100th place pays exactly as much as eleventh: nothing. Therefore, major decisions within the game are heavily influenced by the size of players� chip stacks, the number of players remaining, and the size of your own stack relative to the blinds. Before you take tenth, you have to guarantee yourself eleventh, and that fact is what makes survival a tournament player�s number one priority.

Cash games, because of their static blinds and the option to buy more chips at any time, tend to suit more conservative poker players. The never-increasing blinds allow them to sit back and wait for big hands with which they hope to win massive pots. Tournament play forces aggression to some extent, as the blinds and antes are constantly on the rise. The track records of Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan are prime examples of the kind of success that can come from aggressive tournament play.

Which brand of poker should you play? First consider the style of poker that comes most naturally to you. Do you tend to play passive or aggressive? Are you the kind of player that can recognize the multitude of situations that will be presented to you throughout a poker tournament and adapt your play accordingly, or do you feel more comfortable playing the player rather than the cards and situation? Be sure to try your hand at both and know the differences between the two before you decide which is right for you.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=tournament-poker-cash-game-poker-part-2.html

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PokerStars Launches Full Version of Mac-Compatible Software

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:46:00 -0700
The software that brings the hugely popular online poker site PokerStars.net into the homes of over 15 million players worldwide will now have a Mac version that will run on the Apple operating platform. For over a year...

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Texas Hold Em can be tricky. This article will help remove some of the guesswork.

2008-09-05T06:35:00.001-07:00

This Texas Hold Em Article Will Make You A Better Player

Early Poker Memories

By Johnny Hughes

My only job from my mid-teens until I was twenty-six, was to play poker, gin, and bridge. There was a lot of gambling.

Here is a brief excerpt from my upcoming novel, Texas Poker Wisdom. In the late 1950s and the early 1960s, Maverick was a hit television series starring James Garner. He was a wise-cracking, comedic, and cowardly poker player who traveled all around the Old West. This TV series spawned a mini-boom in poker much like Rounders created a real boom in poker in the 1990s. Buddy and Matt realized it was like a weekly commercial for the poker games they ran. All the college crowd gave it a go at trying to be like Maverick, a devout anti-hero. Buddy and Matt often sang the theme song: Who is the tall dark stranger there? Maverick is his name. Riding the trail to who-knows-where. Luck is his companion. Gamblin' is his game.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a lot of action, but also a lot of poor people. As a freshman at Texas Tech, I played cards every day and many nights. There was a 25 cent limit poker game in the Student Union where they kept the bets in marks on a pad. You had to pay up before you went to class or suffer severe blows about the head and body.

I remember the day, as a freshman, I got hooked on poker like a little movie in my head. Being broke, I headed for Tech to find someone to gamble with. I won a five spot from a guy playing gin who knew I could not pay until I won something. Someone told me about a poker game a block off campus that had been going all night. When I got there, people had nickels and dimes and bills in front of them. I wasted no time in getting my five bucks up there.

My first hand, playing seven-stud, high-low split, I had the nut high with three players in the pot and all the cards out. My full house could not be beaten when a guy bets $100. I said I was potted but no, these tough talking guys said call or you are out. Everyone was writing checks. There was a bank draft and I filled it out and made the cinch call. I didn't have a bank account. That game went on day and night for five days. On that first night, I played all night and won $300, like $3000, now in cash. Many times someone would bet you $10 when there was a $10 cash bill in the pot. I'd call with a $20 check expecting to lose to get my cash change.

I went to Brown's Varsity Shop and bought me a whole new outfit, including a green and black striped corduroy coat that I called my gambler's coat. This became my custom, buying lots of clothes when I had money. I'd go up and down frequently.

Once when we were running a game, we had a big slice of our bankroll on the table for me to play heads up with a guy named Maurice. We both caught wired Aces and moved in before the flop. Maurice would not split it. Jerry and I begged. He caught the flush and headed for Dallas. We hopped a plane he next morning to follow him, only he did not show up at the poker game. What we did find was a triple-draw low ball game. The gamblers were holding out. The suckers were drawing out. Our money was running out. I ran into this slick on the street that told me he had a college degree in colorology. He had a sport coat that was perfect for my ruddy face. He ended up selling me so many clothes, I had spent my half of the bankroll.

Bill Smith, the main event champ of 1985, opened a big game in an apartment house where we were running a little poker game. After a while, Jerry and I were playing with them. I was only twenty but I dressed like the older gamblers with fedoras, baggy pleated slacks, tasteful wool sports coats. When the money started rolling in, we'd get our nails manicured, get facials, get a shine, and have our hair styled. We'd see the other gamblers downtown, and this was a way of showing off. Bill used a cigarette holder, so I got a longer one. For twenty years old, I probably looked silly.

I'd run a pot-cut poker game and play in the larger games. The small game was no-limit, twenty dollar buy-in. I cut the pot 25 cents on the first five and another 25 cents when the pot got to ten dollars. Unfortunately, if I built a bankroll in the big games, I'd let the little game go until I got broke again and had to put down my spread. When the money was good, I'd blow it on travel, fancy living, and needless clothes. I can remember running good for a couple of years straight and then busto. "Broke man stinks," they say.

We could always get staked. I'd live in a fancy apartment, then a $25 a month room, then repeat the cycle. When I was broke, I was welcome in gambling houses all over to eat the great food for free. The dice games would have food delivered and call all the players for special menu items. Only one item per day: catfish, chicken, steak, stew.

I went by a big seven-five low-ball game broke and another college student on a roll staked me. We played with $5 the cheapest chip and a $5 ante. After many hours and wretched tiredness, I was off $2000 winner, like $20,000 today. However, my stake horse did not want me to pull up. My problem was $25 overdue rent, and $10 for laundry. They would not allow me to pull a lousy $35 from my stack and my stake horse was fresh out of cash money. Finally, somebody loaned me the money and I ran the two blocks to pay laundry and rent. Then I came back and the older guys broke me and my stake horse. Seven-five, Kansas City low-ball is the cheater's game.

Once in Ruidoso, playing low-ball, I knew these road gamblers were going to try to cheat in this huge game. There were several big bookies and loan sharks present, so I knew there would be no cheating until after they went home. One fellow had bandages on his fingers, which could conceal tiny mirrors. On one big pot, I blinded it for $40, the size of the pot, which gives me last action. The slick smooth called with 7,6,4,3,2. I drew four and hit a seven-five. I over bet the pot, $200, and he raised his last $900. I won almost $4000 and hopped back on the blacktop. I am sure they would have cheated sooner or later.

From the early sixties on, for over forty years, there was a big Hold 'em game at a place called the Shop, here in West Texas It was perfect for me because I could play when I wanted to. There were loan sharks present, which meant no one would bug me about loaning. That also meant a steady supply of money. There were a few arrests in the early days, but the Shop ran a very long time with no robberies and no arrests. Many of the big Vegas players would come play a while, but they did not like it. Bill Smith, Bobby Hoff, Sailor Roberts, Amarillo Slim. It was a tough game because of a couple of rocks that would only win one or two pots a day, but they seemed to always win.

Nearly everyone was a professional gambler. It was a great hangout. Boosters a.k.a. thieves would come selling hot goods: clothes, boots, electric razors, steaks, large canned goods, watches. My favorites were these two old men who had a large variety of fruit for 15 cents a pound. They had a large scale on the back of their pickup.

Poker sure has gotten respectable. I sure miss it the way it was.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=My-Poker-Wisdom-Working-in-my-Youth.html

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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We cut through the fluff to bring you these hard-hitting online poker tips.

2008-09-03T05:47:00.001-07:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on online poker in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Todays Texas Hold Em Article

Tournament Poker and Cash Game Poker: A Two-headed Monster - Part 2

by Gary Gates

�Should I fold and wait for a better spot to put all my chips at risk? With only 50 players left to the money, do I have enough chips to survive the blinds and antes? How long until the blinds go up? Which players at my table are susceptible to getting eaten up by the blinds? Which players can I steal blinds from?�

When we left part I, we began to consider the additional factors a tournament poker player must consider within his or her decision-making process. These �special� circumstances often call for special action. A player might make one play in a cash game that he would never even consider in a tournament, and vice versa.

The unique decision-making processes required of these two very different brands of poker are necessitated by the manner in which profit is earned in each type. Cash games reward players instantly, as every pot pushed your way comes in the form of legal tender that you can walk away with at any time. In other words, a player can sit down at a cash game, double up on the first hand, put his chips back in the rack and proceed to the cashier with his newfound wealth. Though I do not recommend this method, as it won�t earn you many friends at the table, no one is going to stop you. (Who needs friends at the poker table anyway, right?)

Tournaments, however, reward only the top few participants who are able to outlast the masses. Described by many as marathons that call for hours of intense boredom, speckled with a few moments of sheer terror, poker tournaments require a great amount of time and patience. In a tournament that pays the top ten players, 100th place pays exactly as much as eleventh: nothing. Therefore, major decisions within the game are heavily influenced by the size of players� chip stacks, the number of players remaining, and the size of your own stack relative to the blinds. Before you take tenth, you have to guarantee yourself eleventh, and that fact is what makes survival a tournament player�s number one priority.

Cash games, because of their static blinds and the option to buy more chips at any time, tend to suit more conservative poker players. The never-increasing blinds allow them to sit back and wait for big hands with which they hope to win massive pots. Tournament play forces aggression to some extent, as the blinds and antes are constantly on the rise. The track records of Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan are prime examples of the kind of success that can come from aggressive tournament play.

Which brand of poker should you play? First consider the style of poker that comes most naturally to you. Do you tend to play passive or aggressive? Are you the kind of player that can recognize the multitude of situations that will be presented to you throughout a poker tournament and adapt your play accordingly, or do you feel more comfortable playing the player rather than the cards and situation? Be sure to try your hand at both and know the differences between the two before you decide which is right for you.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=tournament-poker-cash-game-poker-part-2.html

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Enough beating around the bush- time to start winning at online poker.

2008-09-01T23:35:00.001-07:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on online poker in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Featured Texas Hold Em Article

Quick Tips for Beginning Holdem Players

Tips for Playing Your Starting Poker Hands:
There are a lot of starting hand guides available, this isn't one of them. These tips are quick helpers to get the foundation of a solid poker game underneath you. These are the concepts behind starting hands and ideas you should be thinking about while playing no limit holdem.

1. Small Pocket Pairs.
Play small pocket pairs against many opponents and try and see the flop as cheaply as possible. You typically want to play small pocket pairs against many other opponents. Especially in a cash game or in the early stages of a tournament. Criteria for playing small pocket pairs is that you can get in cheaply, simply by calling the blinds (limping) and hoping to see a flop.

With small pockets you're looking to hit a 3rd of your kind on the flop. This is called "flopping a set." If you flop your set you are almost certain to have the best hand right then, unless it is just a really unlucky flop for you. If you flop a set, bet or raise and work to get as many chips in the pot as you can.

Small pockets pairs are hands like pocket two's up through pocket 8's or 9's. The reason you want to play this hand against many opponents is because when you hit your hand, you hope that someone else has hit a hand as well and will pay you off. The more opponents still active in the hand, the more likely that one of them has hit a hand and will pay off some of your bets.

So, if you are dealt a small pocket pair it is usually a good idea to simply limp in and hope to hit your 3 of a kind on the flop. If you miss, which you will most of the time, then it is fine to check and fold to any bet. It is almost always a bad idea to call any substantial bet on the flop hoping to hit your set on the turn, just fold and save your money.

Small Pocket Pair Quick Tip: You will flop a set roughly once out of every 7.5 times you get a pocket pair. click here for a poker odds chart.

2. Suited Connectors
Suited connectors are hands that play well against many opponents, but poorly against 1 or 2 others. Suited connectors are a bit more difficult to play than small pocket pairs... with small pockets you know pretty much exactly where you stand after the flop. You either hit your set or you didn't. Suited connectors typically do not make a monster hand on the flop, but they will often flop monster draws (draws means that you need 1 more card to complete your hand, typically with a straight or flush).

Suited connectors are hands that are of the same suit, and next to one another, such as 7c 8c, 10d, 9d, or my favorite, Js Ts.

These hands play well in multi-way confrontations, against many opponents. When these hands hit, you typically have a very strong hand, strong enough to beat most everyone else. With suited connectors you are hoping to flop a strong draw, such as an open-ended straight flush draw, a flush draw or a straight draw.

Pre-flop, these hands are weak hands, and even if you hit the top pair these are still a fairly weak and vunerable hand. Suited connectors have a lot of potential to turn into very strong hands. See flops cheaply and late in position with these cards, especially if there are already a lot of players calling the blind to see the flop. Look to flop strong draws or two pair to continue against any heavy action before you.

Look to flop straights, flushes and draws to both. Do not overvalue flopping top pair with small or medium sized suited connectors. Two pair is normally good, but that means that someone else very well may have a straight draw while you have two pair with suited connectors.

Suited Connector Quick Tip: One of the best hands to hold against pocket aces is suited connector, such as 7h8h.

3. Two Big Face Cards
Do not slow play your big face cards. If you are going to play these cards, you need to come in for a raise pre-flop. Big face cards start out very strong, pre-flop, and that means that normally you should make the others pay to stick around for the flop.

Pre-flop these hands are probably some of the strongest at the table, out ranking most of the other hands out there. For this reason, these hands you want to play against as FEW players as possible. To make sure you are playing against few players, you should RAISE pre-flop when it is your turn to act instead of just calling the blind.

A hand like AQ is a strong hand, but it doesn't play well against 3+ players on average. Ideally you will be playing this hand against 1 other opponent, and you ban bet the flop virtually regardless of what comes down.

Avoid calling raises with hands like KJ, QJ, AT, even AJ and KQo. You are often times dominated by everyones 'favorite' hand, big slick (AK). There is no shame in folding KJ pre-flop.

Big Face Card Quick Tip:

Raise pre-flop to limit the field to just one other player whenever possible.

For more poker tips, be sure and check out our listing of poker strategy articles and the absolute best way to improve your play is by finding an online poker room that has SERIOUS 'play money' poker (if you don't want to deposit)..

The best way to practice these no limit holdem tips is to download free online poker software. I recommend PokerStars or Bodog Poker for new players. You can play with free chips and practice these strategies. I do recommend that you also play for extremely small stakes to get a real feel for poker. Free money poker is played differently as poker is for anything of value, even if the value is very small.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/no-limit-holdem-tips.htm

Latest Texas Hold Em News:

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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2008-08-30T06:01:00.001-07:00

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This Poker Article Will Make You A Better Player

4 Levels of Poker Play- Take Your Self Assessment

Here are Four Levels Of Poker Play

Level 1: This player plays too many hands pre-flop (any two suited any Ace any king, etc.). They don�t raise much pre-flop and when they do it�s usually not the right amount. They go to the river with any piece of the pot (low pair, inside straight draw, Ace high). They pay no attention to position, betting patterns, previous hands, etc. They will never fold a pocket pair, even if there are 3 overs on the board. They bluff too much and go all-in too much.

Level 2: This player has figured out a few things, like tight pre-flop play keeps you in the game longer. This player has tightened up pre-flop, but has over compensated by becoming two passive. They no longer play Kx or any two suited, but they still can�t fold hands like KJ or AT or Axs or suited connectors. They can�t get away from top pair. They have a little understanding of odds and outs, but don�t apply it to their game. They don�t raise enough pre-flop. They don�t bluff enough. They�re easy to fold with a big bet. They rarely, if ever, re-raise or check raise. Basically this is tight, predictable poker.

Level 3: This is where the player starts to really understand the complexities of the game. They realize that you have to have a better hand to call a raise than you do to open raise. They have a decent understanding of the odds and can apply them (I have 12 outs, there�s 1,000 in the pot I can call around a 300 bet without making a mistake). They play their position and they bet aggressively pre-flop. They�ll put in a continuation bet on the flop to see where they�re at even if they haven�t hit the hand. They�ll bluff and steal blinds effectively. They are starting to pay attention to betting patterns during a hand and are able to put players on a range of hands. They can categorize players as tight, aggressive, loose, passive, etc.

Level 4: This player can read other players based on past betting patterns and has a mental note of the hands different players have shown down. They use �moves� like check raises, re-raises, slow plays, etc. effectively and often. They truly play the player and will bet aggressively regardless of their cards if they have a read on a player. They have the math down and can calculate odds and probabilities immediately. They win a lot of hands without having to go to showdown.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/4-levels-of-poker-play.htm

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2008-08-28T07:03:00.001-07:00

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Todays Hold Em Article

Tournament Poker and Cash Game Poker: A Two-headed Monster - Part 2

by Gary Gates

�Should I fold and wait for a better spot to put all my chips at risk? With only 50 players left to the money, do I have enough chips to survive the blinds and antes? How long until the blinds go up? Which players at my table are susceptible to getting eaten up by the blinds? Which players can I steal blinds from?�

When we left part I, we began to consider the additional factors a tournament poker player must consider within his or her decision-making process. These �special� circumstances often call for special action. A player might make one play in a cash game that he would never even consider in a tournament, and vice versa.

The unique decision-making processes required of these two very different brands of poker are necessitated by the manner in which profit is earned in each type. Cash games reward players instantly, as every pot pushed your way comes in the form of legal tender that you can walk away with at any time. In other words, a player can sit down at a cash game, double up on the first hand, put his chips back in the rack and proceed to the cashier with his newfound wealth. Though I do not recommend this method, as it won�t earn you many friends at the table, no one is going to stop you. (Who needs friends at the poker table anyway, right?)

Tournaments, however, reward only the top few participants who are able to outlast the masses. Described by many as marathons that call for hours of intense boredom, speckled with a few moments of sheer terror, poker tournaments require a great amount of time and patience. In a tournament that pays the top ten players, 100th place pays exactly as much as eleventh: nothing. Therefore, major decisions within the game are heavily influenced by the size of players� chip stacks, the number of players remaining, and the size of your own stack relative to the blinds. Before you take tenth, you have to guarantee yourself eleventh, and that fact is what makes survival a tournament player�s number one priority.

Cash games, because of their static blinds and the option to buy more chips at any time, tend to suit more conservative poker players. The never-increasing blinds allow them to sit back and wait for big hands with which they hope to win massive pots. Tournament play forces aggression to some extent, as the blinds and antes are constantly on the rise. The track records of Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan are prime examples of the kind of success that can come from aggressive tournament play.

Which brand of poker should you play? First consider the style of poker that comes most naturally to you. Do you tend to play passive or aggressive? Are you the kind of player that can recognize the multitude of situations that will be presented to you throughout a poker tournament and adapt your play accordingly, or do you feel more comfortable playing the player rather than the cards and situation? Be sure to try your hand at both and know the differences between the two before you decide which is right for you.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=tournament-poker-cash-game-poker-part-2.html

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A PokerNews First – One ENTIRE Month of Daily Freerolls

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:19:00 -0700
September sizzles for all PokerNews players as we host at least one freeroll for every day of the month – that's a chance to go home a winner every single day in September!

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2008-08-26T05:59:00.001-07:00

This blog is for information and education only. It is meant to improve your online poker game in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Another Great Online Poker Article

To go or not to go all in ? that is the question

By Johnny Kampis

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So goes a Chinese proverb that is also an apt description of the beginning of a poker tournament.

Consider starting with 1,500 chips in a tournament with 100 people. In order to win the tournament, you must have 150,000 chips in the end. When you think about it like that it seems almost an unfathomable task, an attempt to climb Mt. Everest. But somebody?s got to do it.

I?ve found over time that I tend to do better at live tournaments than those I play online. At first, I thought it was maybe because I was good at reading people, which is impossible to do online, but then I realized it was something else. When you play online, it?s always easy to see what the average chip count is among the players remaining in the tournament and it can be easy to panic if you are far below the average. I tend to start pushing all in with hands I shouldn?t play or in situations in which I should probably fold.

But when you?re playing live, there is no screen to tell you where you stand against the rest of the field. You can do some calculations in your head to figure out about where you stand, but there?s no number constantly in front of you telling you that.

Just as patience is key in a regular ring game of poker, it?s also key when you have a below average stack in a tournament. Consider that the average stack in a tournament you are playing is 10,000. You have 5,000 and the blinds are 200 and 400. You are well below average, but you aren?t a short stack yet. You don?t have to push all in when you raise. It gives you time to wait on a quality hand before making a move, and if you can double up once you are back to average.

I played a tournament at Binion?s in Las Vegas this summer in which I was a below average stack nearly the entire event, but I stayed patient and was able to get good hands on which to double up on. Finally, when I got to the final table I caught hand after hand and ended up winning the tournament. Had I hurriedly pushed all in earlier in the affair with a less than premium hand and lost I wouldn?t have given myself a chance to catch the hands I was dealt later.

It?s better to pass up a so-so opportunity now in order to get a much better opportunity later. Otherwise, you?ll never get to climb Mt. Everest.

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Poker Room Review: Hard Rock Poker Lounge, Las Vegas, NV

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:10:00 -0700
The all-new 'Poker Lounge' at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada recently opened its doors to the public and we stopped by to see what the hype was all about....

Hoyt Corkins Las Vegas Home Robbed

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Top poker player and two time WSOP bracelet winner Hoyt Corkins' Las Vegas home was broken into, and many of the veteran player's prize possessions were taken. Corkins, who is currently vacationing...

Mike and Karen Sexton Welcome Ty Sexton Into the World

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:05:00 -0700
We here at PokerNews.com just barely got outbid by People magazine for those Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie baby pictures. So, it is with great pride that we present to you the very first pictures of Mike and Karen Sexton's....

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This article will aid you in your quest to become better at hold em.

2008-08-24T18:18:00.001-07:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on hold em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Todays Texas Hold Em Article

Tournament Poker and Cash Game Poker: A Two-headed Monster - Part 2

by Gary Gates

�Should I fold and wait for a better spot to put all my chips at risk? With only 50 players left to the money, do I have enough chips to survive the blinds and antes? How long until the blinds go up? Which players at my table are susceptible to getting eaten up by the blinds? Which players can I steal blinds from?�

When we left part I, we began to consider the additional factors a tournament poker player must consider within his or her decision-making process. These �special� circumstances often call for special action. A player might make one play in a cash game that he would never even consider in a tournament, and vice versa.

The unique decision-making processes required of these two very different brands of poker are necessitated by the manner in which profit is earned in each type. Cash games reward players instantly, as every pot pushed your way comes in the form of legal tender that you can walk away with at any time. In other words, a player can sit down at a cash game, double up on the first hand, put his chips back in the rack and proceed to the cashier with his newfound wealth. Though I do not recommend this method, as it won�t earn you many friends at the table, no one is going to stop you. (Who needs friends at the poker table anyway, right?)

Tournaments, however, reward only the top few participants who are able to outlast the masses. Described by many as marathons that call for hours of intense boredom, speckled with a few moments of sheer terror, poker tournaments require a great amount of time and patience. In a tournament that pays the top ten players, 100th place pays exactly as much as eleventh: nothing. Therefore, major decisions within the game are heavily influenced by the size of players� chip stacks, the number of players remaining, and the size of your own stack relative to the blinds. Before you take tenth, you have to guarantee yourself eleventh, and that fact is what makes survival a tournament player�s number one priority.

Cash games, because of their static blinds and the option to buy more chips at any time, tend to suit more conservative poker players. The never-increasing blinds allow them to sit back and wait for big hands with which they hope to win massive pots. Tournament play forces aggression to some extent, as the blinds and antes are constantly on the rise. The track records of Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan are prime examples of the kind of success that can come from aggressive tournament play.

Which brand of poker should you play? First consider the style of poker that comes most naturally to you. Do you tend to play passive or aggressive? Are you the kind of player that can recognize the multitude of situations that will be presented to you throughout a poker tournament and adapt your play accordingly, or do you feel more comfortable playing the player rather than the cards and situation? Be sure to try your hand at both and know the differences between the two before you decide which is right for you.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=tournament-poker-cash-game-poker-part-2.html

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2008-08-22T05:26:00.001-07:00

A Featured Hold Em Article

To go or not to go all in ? that is the question

By Johnny Kampis

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So goes a Chinese proverb that is also an apt description of the beginning of a poker tournament.

Consider starting with 1,500 chips in a tournament with 100 people. In order to win the tournament, you must have 150,000 chips in the end. When you think about it like that it seems almost an unfathomable task, an attempt to climb Mt. Everest. But somebody?s got to do it.

I?ve found over time that I tend to do better at live tournaments than those I play online. At first, I thought it was maybe because I was good at reading people, which is impossible to do online, but then I realized it was something else. When you play online, it?s always easy to see what the average chip count is among the players remaining in the tournament and it can be easy to panic if you are far below the average. I tend to start pushing all in with hands I shouldn?t play or in situations in which I should probably fold.

But when you?re playing live, there is no screen to tell you where you stand against the rest of the field. You can do some calculations in your head to figure out about where you stand, but there?s no number constantly in front of you telling you that.

Just as patience is key in a regular ring game of poker, it?s also key when you have a below average stack in a tournament. Consider that the average stack in a tournament you are playing is 10,000. You have 5,000 and the blinds are 200 and 400. You are well below average, but you aren?t a short stack yet. You don?t have to push all in when you raise. It gives you time to wait on a quality hand before making a move, and if you can double up once you are back to average.

I played a tournament at Binion?s in Las Vegas this summer in which I was a below average stack nearly the entire event, but I stayed patient and was able to get good hands on which to double up on. Finally, when I got to the final table I caught hand after hand and ended up winning the tournament. Had I hurriedly pushed all in earlier in the affair with a less than premium hand and lost I wouldn?t have given myself a chance to catch the hands I was dealt later.

It?s better to pass up a so-so opportunity now in order to get a much better opportunity later. Otherwise, you?ll never get to climb Mt. Everest.

Latest Hold Em News:

EPT Awards: 'Best Newcomer' Nominees

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:46:00 -0700
The PokerStars.com European Poker Tour has 'shortlisted' five finalists in the 'Best Newcomer' category, as part of its upcoming EPT Awards ceremony in Barcelona on September 9th. The 'Best Newcomer' category will select...

Women's Poker Spotlight - The Ladies Get Their Day in Peru

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:09:00 -0700
Women poker players in Peru, as in many other countries, are seriously outnumbered. At the cash tables about one in every 100 players is a woman. In no money, bar league type tournaments the number is up a bit to about one in every fifty players...

ChanPoker Announces Closure

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:12:00 -0700
Chan Poker (chanpoker.com), the splashly online poker site fronted by 10-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Johnny Chan, has announced its closure effective August 21st. Chan Poker was most recently a member of the Ongame Network...

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Are you ready to improve your poker game? Its time to get started...

2008-08-20T17:05:00.001-07:00

This blog is for information and education only. It is meant to improve your poker game in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Texas Hold Em Article to Instantly Improve Your Game

Value Betting and Protection Betting in No Limit Texas Holdem

There is a balance to betting that must be reached in order to receive maximum value for your hands. This balance is the struggle between Value and Protection Betting.

On the Value side, you want to extract the maximum amount of money from your opponent. And on the Protection side, you want to prevent losing the amount of money you have invested in a pot.

I have seen on many occasions inexperienced players over and under bet their hands accordingly. Following are two examples I personally played that illustrate improperly applied Value and Protection Betting.

The first hand example is from the 2005 WSOP.
I was in middle position and looked down at JJ. I raised three times the big blind and was called only by the big blind yielding a pot of 6.5 big bets. The call of the big blind could have simply been defensive, but an otherwise chatty opponent was suddenly quiet. I assumed a range of hands he could hold to be big paint, big slick or a middle pair.

The flop delivered K93 rainbow. My opponent bet the minimum bringing the pot to 7.5 big bets. At this point I was convinced he had a king and his Value bet would force me to call.

The turn card was another K. My opponent quickly checked raising the ire of suspicion. So I promptly checked behind him as I was willing to show this hand down for nothing.

The river delivered an 8. My opponent declared assertively that he was �all-in�. Now, I originally placed my opponent on a king. With two kings on the board, the likelihood of him holding a K was small. However, I was not willing to risk my entire tournament on a pair of Js when my gut instinct told me he had a K. I decided to try getting him to expose his cards by declaring that I was folding the winner and showing him my Jacks as they were mucked. He triumphantly flipped his hand over showing pocket kings for quad-kings.

How does this apply to value betting?
Proper use of value betting in light of what your opponent may be holding would have given this opponent more chips with his monster hand. Obviously I was willing to call the one bet on the flop. At minimum I would have called one bet on the turn and one on the river. He left at least two bets on the table by improper betting.

Where does the balance come into play? I believe my opponent had an opportunity to make more than the two bets he left on the table. The flop minimum bet was crazy. No cards should be folded when the pot is offering 7.5 to 1 odds. With my opponent flopping a set of Ks and an uncoordinated board, a flop bet of two or three bets would have been about the maximum an opponent could call with an underpair.

The turn check is not a bad play in trying to induce a bluff. But in order for this attempt at weakness to work, he would have had to represent strength on the flop. His flop bet did not do this. Now in the scenario where I called a flop bet of two or three big bets, at minimum I should be willing to risk two or three more bets as the pot would again be offering remarkable odds to stick around. Finally, the all-in bet on the river gave no consideration to my hand or chip stacks. What hand would possibly call the all-in? A full-house or set of kings only. This was a missed opportunity to extract more chips from an opponent. His hand was so strong that a small bet is the best he could have hoped to recover. In the alternate flop/turn scenario presented, a river bet of three to five bets would have likely been paid off.

The second hand reflects on Protection Betting.
This hand was played in Las Vegas in a cash game.

Four limpers to seat 7 who makes a minimum raise.

I was in seat 9 with 68 spades and cold called the two bets. The small blind, big blind and previous limpers all called as well yielding a pot of 16 big bets.

The flop delivered 3c5h7c.

All checked to seat 7 who minimum bet again and all players involved called bringing the pot to 24 big bets. The turn card was the Q of diamonds.

Again, all checked to seat 7 who bet two big bets. I called, along with the big blind bringing the pot to 30 big bets.

The river was the 9 of diamonds. Big blind checked and seat 7 went all-in. I called and the big blind folded. Seat 7 turned over red Aces and lost a huge pot to my rivered straight.

How does this apply to Protection Betting?
With hands that are vulnerable (such as one pair in the above example), it is absolutely important to protect the money that is invested in the pot BEFORE it is too late to do so.

Where is the balance? This guy had aces, and this is obviously a monster hand pre-flop, but the hand progressively gets worse on the flop, turn and river unless helped by the board. Aces are only one pair.

The minimum raise pre-flop was a huge mistake given all of the limpers. Aces in an 8-way pot are destined to be cracked. There was no Protection Bet pre-flop providing security for the aces. Mistake.

Instead of the minimum raise, a pre-flop raise of about 4 to 6 big bets would have thinned the field significantly putting the aces in far better position from the flop on. Now assuming the filed was thinned and it was three-way action after 4 to 6 bet pre-flop raise, a respectable continuation bet on the flop is required. You cannot lay proper odds for the flush or straight draws to continue with the hand without making a negative EV play. *a negative EV play is one that will lose money over the long haul.

In order to protect against the flush, your bet would need to lay insufficient odds for the opponent to continue. This means it has to be big enough to force them to fold or make an improper call based on the odds. Some opponents will call regardless of the bet, but you must make an attempt at betting that forces people out of the hand. A solid � to pot size bet would lay odds such that an opponent is making a mistake in calling.

The point is that seat 7 in the above scenario failed to bet in a manner that would push anyone out of the hand until it was too late. With a coordinated board such as the one in this example, aces are useless and serious consideration should be given to sending them to the muck.

You may be able to think of many examples yourself where you made too large of a bet on the river with the nuts that didn�t get a call; or you may remember not betting enough with a hand that was vulnerable.

There is a definite balance between Value Betting and Protection Betting that is often overlooked. Oftentimes players will find that they have all throttle but no gears to shift.

The art in Value Betting keeps customers paying off your premium hands by turning down the throttle to a point palatable to your opponents. Oftentimes players find themselves complaining about the suck-out artists who cracked their (fill in the big pair here).

The art in Protection Betting keeps these thieves from stealing the smaller pots from under you. For all players, the threshold required for both Value and Protection changes. While subtle in difference, strong focus on this balance can yield huge dividends to your bankroll.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/value-betting-and-protection-betting-in-no-limit-texas-holdem.htm

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ChanPoker Announces Closure

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:12:00 -0700
Chan Poker (chanpoker.com), the splashly online poker site fronted by 10-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Johnny Chan, has announced its closure effective August 21st. Chan Poker was most recently a member of the Ongame Network...

WPTE Notified of Possible NASDAQ Delisting

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:16:00 -0700
On July 8, 2005, over ten million shares of World Poker Tour Enterprise, Inc. (WPTE) stock traded at a high of $29.50 as news circulated that Doyle Brunson had made a $700 million unsolicited bid for the company. Exactly three years...

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This Texas Hold Em article has tips and strategies to bring immediate improvement to your game.

2008-08-18T10:45:00.001-07:00

This blog is for information and education only. It is meant to improve your Texas Hold Em game in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Hold Em Article For Your Reading Enjoyment

What I Like About Poker

GOAT - Where do I begin? What do I like about poker? Many things come to mind, first I enjoy winning money, as everyone probably does, but poker is more than that to me. I enjoy the competition, I enjoy the psychological aspect of the game.

It is almost primal in a sense.

I was watching the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel and they were interviewing Howard Lederer, an excellent player and he said that there is something primitively appealing about taking your opponents� chips. Your opponent has a stack of chips, and you would like to take ownership away from him. He wants to take your chips away from you and how you play your hand determines who ends up with the chips.

Poker is not a game of luck. Luck is certainly involved (ever lose to a runner runner flush? Ever win with it?). Poker is a game of skill, if you are counting on catching lucky cards to win, over the long run you will probably lose more money than you win.

Some friends and I just recently took a trip to Biloxi to play some poker. It was only my 2nd time playing poker in a casino, it was a great experience. I lost money overall, but I didn�t do horribly in my opinion. I believe that I improved my game. I know I made the wrong plays in certain situations, and I know that I made the right play in certain situations. I came back from Biloxi a much better Poker player than when I left.

My bankroll from my online game also reflects that fact. I was down to my last $30 the day I left, and today I�m currently up to nearly $200. Yeah, I can�t quit my day-job yet but it�s a step in the right direction. Don�t get me wrong, if I would have won I would have been happier, but I have no problem loosing as long as I teach myself, or get �taught� by others.

My worst hand was the very last one I was going to play. If I had won this hand I would have finished the trip with a slightly larger bankroll than I brought down. I had been playing from about 11pm on Saturday night until around 9am Sunday morning.

My buddy came down from the room and asked was I nearing a decent place to leave the game, and I agreed to leave when the blinds got back to me. Well, wouldn�t you know it, I�m Under the Gun and I get dealt QQ�

Like any good poker player I raise it up. A very loose and aggressive player 2 positions behind me raises it again and we have 2 callers. I probably should have re-raised right there, but I only called. Flop comes down K 10 x. I bet, the loose player raises and the other 2 callers fold. I re-raise and am called.

Turn comes Q� BAM, I figure I�m up against A/K and I just hit my set. I bet out again and am once again Raised. I�m still fairly confident that I�ve got the best hand so I re-raise and am called.

River is rags so I bet out again, and once again I am raised. Now I start to question the strength of my hand, but there was no way I�m folding. I call and say �Got the straight?� Sure enough, he flips over J/9 offsuit for a K high straight. I think most people would fold J/9 offsuit when I�m aggressively betting, I�d like to think that if I would have re-raised after the flop that I might have one it, but the way this guy was playing he wasn�t folding anything.

It really sucks to have your very last hand be one where you get totally owned. That one bothered me for a while. This guy was a �Jackal� and I didn�t think he would fold to anything, but I still probably should have raised him instead of just calling. Flopping the Set was actually worse for me in this situation, my Q�s would have held up if not for the 3rd Q on the board. Live and learn.

I like Poker because it really is a sport. It is a sport that you can play as long as you are mentally capable. As I�m sitting at the table in the casino an older gentleman sat down, my first instinct was that this guy is a farmer. I don�t know what that means in regards to his poker skills, but if I was to guess his profession, I would have picked farmer, either that or professional online poker player over at poker stars.net, but i knew that was unlikely.

Anyway, he was probably in his mid 60�s, and was by far the best player at the table. He completely confused me in hands and I lost a decent amount of chips to him. At the time I was pretty disgusted that I was outplayed by someone who on the outside looked like I should be able to beat no problem. The more I thought about it, the less disgusted I became.

First I know I�m a rookie, through and through. Second, it�s kind of cool to know that when I�m his age, I�ll be taking young punks money at the table. The more I thought about it, the more I respected him and his style of play. He was excellent at hiding his hands and I rarely see him enter pots that he did not win (or at least go down swinging). I liked his strategy, he didn�t get involved in pots where he didn�t have a decent chance to win, and he didn�t let you chase your cards cheaply. I mimicked his play (as best I could) online when I got home and have done pretty well.

So, for all you up and coming poker players out there, if you take any advice from a rookie like me is, always learn. Poker isn�t just about the cards that land in your hand, it�s about how you play. I'm mostly playing online poker now with a live tournament every now and then, but I can't wait to get back to the casino and try my hand, err hooves again.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/what-I-like-about-poker.htm

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Poker Room Review: Arizona Charlie's Decatur Casino & Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

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We cut through the fluff to bring you these hard-hitting Texas Hold Em tips.

2008-08-16T07:09:00.001-07:00

This blog is for entertainment purposes only. It is meant to provide information relating to the game of Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

This Texas Hold Em Article Will Make You A Better Player

ADVANTAGES OF TIGHT vs. LOOSE GAMES

The makeup of a no-limit hold�em game can vary greatly from table to table depending on the lineup of players in each setting. Oftentimes, only the addition of one reckless player can cause the entire game to change from a relatively tight and conservative match to one in which all the players begin to loosen up and the chips start flying in an attempt to win the money of the reckless player. Here are some characteristics of tight and loose games:

Tight

A raise often takes the blinds, or a continuation bet after the flop takes the pot if the pre-flop bet is called.
Players aren�t willing to put much money into the pot with even relatively strong hands such as A-Q or 10-10.
Big pots rarely develop due to the lack of contestants, and bluffs are usually effective because the pots aren�t worth fighting over.
Loose

Raises are usually called, as are significant re-raises.
Players are willing to put a lot of money into the pot with mediocre hands such as K-J or 5-5.
Big pots are commonplace, as are big bluffs, which are generally less successful than bluffs in loose games but are worth much more when they do work.
So what are the advantages of each type of game? First and foremost, you�d much rather be playing in a loose game because you can play very selectively and be more likely to get paid off on your big hands. But to be successful in a loose no-limit hold�em game, you must have a lot of heart because there are going to be some tricky situations when you are facing a big bet. If you can learn to figure out who�s bluffing and who�s not and have the courage to act on your convictions, you will do very well in loose games. And on the flip side, you�ll have to figure out when to pull your own well-timed bluff to rake in some pots yourself.

On the other hand, tight games also have their advantages. In these games, an aggressive player can steal a lot of small pots. This strategy is most effective in games with decent blinds. If you�re playing $1-$2 there�s not much in the pot to steal, but if it�s a tight $2-$5 or $5-$10 game, then there�s more worth going after. Make your standard raise of 2.5 to 3 times the big blind and you�ll take a lot of pots. Those not won pre-flop can usually be obtained on the flop with a standard continuation bet of half to two-third the pot size.

Players in tight games also tend to play more straightforward. You�ll face far fewer check-raise bluffs than you would in loose games. When someone pushes back with a check raise or re-raise in a tight game, it�s best to let your mediocre hands go.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=advantage-of-tight-vs-loose-games.html

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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Winning strategies to improve your poker game.

2008-08-14T18:18:00.001-07:00

The information in this blog is in no way meant to promote gambling. It provides information on poker to be used in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Another Great Online Poker Article

To go or not to go all in ? that is the question

By Johnny Kampis

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So goes a Chinese proverb that is also an apt description of the beginning of a poker tournament.

Consider starting with 1,500 chips in a tournament with 100 people. In order to win the tournament, you must have 150,000 chips in the end. When you think about it like that it seems almost an unfathomable task, an attempt to climb Mt. Everest. But somebody?s got to do it.

I?ve found over time that I tend to do better at live tournaments than those I play online. At first, I thought it was maybe because I was good at reading people, which is impossible to do online, but then I realized it was something else. When you play online, it?s always easy to see what the average chip count is among the players remaining in the tournament and it can be easy to panic if you are far below the average. I tend to start pushing all in with hands I shouldn?t play or in situations in which I should probably fold.

But when you?re playing live, there is no screen to tell you where you stand against the rest of the field. You can do some calculations in your head to figure out about where you stand, but there?s no number constantly in front of you telling you that.

Just as patience is key in a regular ring game of poker, it?s also key when you have a below average stack in a tournament. Consider that the average stack in a tournament you are playing is 10,000. You have 5,000 and the blinds are 200 and 400. You are well below average, but you aren?t a short stack yet. You don?t have to push all in when you raise. It gives you time to wait on a quality hand before making a move, and if you can double up once you are back to average.

I played a tournament at Binion?s in Las Vegas this summer in which I was a below average stack nearly the entire event, but I stayed patient and was able to get good hands on which to double up on. Finally, when I got to the final table I caught hand after hand and ended up winning the tournament. Had I hurriedly pushed all in earlier in the affair with a less than premium hand and lost I wouldn?t have given myself a chance to catch the hands I was dealt later.

It?s better to pass up a so-so opportunity now in order to get a much better opportunity later. Otherwise, you?ll never get to climb Mt. Everest.

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Enough beating around the bush- time to start winning at poker.

2008-08-11T05:23:00.001-07:00

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A Featured Online Poker Article

When playing poker, keep your attention at the table

By Johnny Kampis

If you?re playing poker the patient and correct way, folding most of your hands, you?ll be left with a lot of downtime where you?re not involved in the action. That doesn?t mean you should just rest on your laurels, or turn your attention to the baseball game on the television.

To become a better poker player, you should pay attention at all times when at the table, learning your opponents? tendencies. Who is aggressive? Who is timid? Who raises with only strong cards? Who bluffs a lot? All of these questions can be answered if you just pay attention.

Over the years, I?ve developed a couple of mental exercises to help me focus on the action while playing Texas hold?em. These exercises can also increase your decision making and problem solving abilities at the poker table.

The first one is to guess what each of your opponents is holding based on how he plays the hand. Say the flop comes J-10-2 with two spades. There is a bet, a call and a raise. What sorts of hands could these players have? Perhaps the better has something like J-K for top pair and the caller has a straight or flush draw and the raiser has two pair or a set. The more you study your opponents, the better you will be able to guess their holdings, and that ability will only help you in the long run.

During a recent friendly game, one player bet out on a board of A-A-10-2 and Steve called. A third player raised, the initial bettor called and Steve re-raised. Before Steve turned his cards over on the river, I called out ?Ace-Ten,? and that?s precisely what he had. How was I able to guess this? Steve had a monster hand and didn?t want to chase out the other players on the turn so he just called the initial bet, but after there was a raise behind him he could go ahead and re-raise and get more money in the pot. If Steve held three aces, without a full house, he most likely would have raised on the turn initially to try and eliminate any flush and straight draws. You can only learn these kinds of tendencies by paying attention.

A second exercise I like to employ while playing hold?em is to think up a hand and visualize how I would play it. Let?s pretend the flop is 8-J-3. Now, I may have folded a 5-2 or some other junk hand, but I?m going to now pretend I have a 9-10 in my hand and the action is to me. Do I bet, check, raise or fold? Or I could pretend I have flopped a set of threes. Now what do I do? This exercise allows you to continually think about how you would play certain hands, which will only help you when you actually hold those cards.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=be-attentive.html

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2008-08-09T18:32:00.001-07:00

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A Hold Em Article to Instantly Improve Your Game

Online Poker can be profitable, but be sure to choose the right table!

1. PLAYERS & POT SIZES...

As a general rule, 6-8 players with a fairly large average pot size.

With most online poker sites you can see the average pot size and how many players are seeing the flop. Large pots are better as this generally means more loose players, playing no limit I'm looking to win big hands when I've got the nuts, not to grind down opponents by blind stealing and small pot stealing. I avoid most really tight games, rocks are boring and unprofitable typically. No limit is about getting paid off when you hit your monster, not stealing blinds all day.

A good table for me is one that is loose, but that is also not overly aggressive. I'm looking for a lot of players limping or calling small raises pre-flop.

2. The average number of players seeing the flop...

If you can see the average # of players seeing the flop, this is a hugely vital stat to use. Lower limits you can easily find something around 35-40%, which is pretty darn loose. Find this stat and then get one with a higher than average pot.

Sites like Bodog and Sportsbook.com will show you how many players are seeing the flop on average. I look for games with high averages seeing the flop, anything over 40% is usually good and very easy to find online.

The majority of times this makes for a good table as a tight aggressive player will play between 20% and 35% of any given hands on average, and in my opinion 35% is loooooose.

3. Watch the Button go around the table at least once - and pay attention!

Now that you've found a table with numbers that look pretty good its time to actually take a quick overhead view of the table and see what happens. Open up the table but do not sit down, or if you want you can sit down but not take your cards yet. If you are playing at Poker Stars, here is a screen shot of the table.

Take an open seat and pay attention! Watch the button go all the way around the table and take an initial assement of the table. Here are the things to look for:

A. Players limping and then calling a late position raise with weak holdings (hands like KQo, KJo, KTo, and other dominated hands like QJ (this is a good sign)

B. Look around the table at the current stack sizes - normally avoid tables where more than 3 players have 3 to 4 times the maximum buy in amount. These players can easily push me out of pots or have me committed early. They also might be solid players. (bad sign)

C. Take notice of the cards people are showing down. Look for weak holdings outside of the blinds offsuit small one gappers, Ace rag unsuited, and the plethora of other bad cards people play with. (more junk the better)

D. Take notice of who raises and who calls raises - are premium hands raised huge or limped with and are other players calling raises with weak holdings (good)

E. Any Maniacs at the table? - is there a crazy bettor or people who seem to be out to hit miracle cards by calling big bets? (good depending on seat) If you can get position on them (acting afterwards) you can get paid off when you hit a monster against them. The only problem is that you almost have to hit your hand to beat this player so you need to also feel confident that they will also pay you off when you do.

F. Who are the two worst players at the table? (can't tell? BAD) Pick out two players that are playing weak and have made mistakes. See who is playing really loose, who is playing really tight.

G. Look for players making small raises (1-2x the BB) with premium hands or even slow playing. (good, probably inexperienced players)

4. YOU MUST HAVE A GOOD SEAT RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE TABLE...

A. This means sitting directly to the left of the Maniacs and the other Big Stacks so you always act after them. If you have a big hand you have the option to disguise it by letting them bet it for you. If you have a weak hand you can let it go fairly easily.

B. Give up position to short stacks/tight players - no problem letting the act after you if they are only going to play strong hands or not get involved often.

If you find the right combination of table factors and good relative seat then snag it! Since you've been watching the action already you can post as soon as you sit down if you want. This helps portray a loose image. If the big blind is 4 seats or less away from me I'll wait and post as soon as I sit down, although I sometimes post right away to make people think I'm loose.

5. IF THE TABLE TURNS COLD, GET UP AND MOVE...

Nothing is worse than staying at a bad table. Many times you'll find yourself sitting at a table with a bunch of tight and aggressive players. Unless you are wanting to work on your game, get up and move and go make money. Don't think that you've got something to prove.

6. TAKE NOTES...

I logged on to Party Poker yesterday to play a tourney with some friends and there were over 70,000 players playing right then. You'll probably never see a player again but if you find anyone who is horrible, take a note and especially when you find the good players, make a note. It could save you your stack later.

I recommend reading through Full Tilt Poker Download Guide for a step by step tutorial on setting a your online poker account. This is a great resource for new players.

Thanks and we'll see you at the tables!

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/no-limit-holdem-table-selection-tips.htm

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This is one of the very best online poker articles I have ever come across.

2008-08-07T01:29:00.001-07:00

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Another Great Hold Em Article

5 Tips To Use When Playing Heads Up Poker

Here are my 5 tips you can use to improve your 'Heads Up' poker play

1. You don�t have to play every hand. It�s ok to fold your small blind if you have a lousy hand. Most players heads up play every hand. IMO, this is a mistake. You can�t wait for the best of the best, but you don�t have to play 63o either.

Don�t worry about the chips you�re losing here. Folding the small bind makes the other player think you�re only playing good hands so you�ll be able to raise him off of his BB enough to make up for it.

2. Don�t limp from the small blind, at least not very often. For the most part, you should either fold it or raise it. Save your limping for the BB. You don�t have position, so you need to win most of these hands pre-flop. The BB will probably raise you anyway. You need to be the one leading the betting.

The exception is if you get a monster like KK or AA.

3. Slow play the monster hand. If you get a big pocket pair, let the other overly aggressive player do the betting for you. This is player dependant, but if you�re against a player like I was playing last night, who kept using the all-in bluff, why not let him lead the way.

4. Mix up your play, a lot. I like to play a few hands in a row where I raise every hand and follow that by several folded small blinds. Switch up your raises from the minimum raise to a big half your stack raise. Keep the other player confused.

A confused player tends to be a passive player.

5. Don�t forget what got you there! If you�re a tight aggressive player and that�s what got you to the final two, then keep being tight aggressive. Don�t suddenly become loose aggressive. You�ll be out of your element.

Obviously your play has to loosen up when you get to this point, but you don�t have to be an �any two cards� type. It�s still ok to fold middle or bottom pair to an all-in bet.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/5-tips-to-use-when-playing-heads-up-poker.htm

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Enough beating around the bush- time to start winning at online poker.

2008-08-05T03:12:00.001-07:00

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Another Great Texas Hold Em Article

BOOK REVIEW - BROKE: A POKER NOVEL

By Gary Wise

Getting a look inside the mind of a professional poker player should prove a valuable resource to any aspirant. Author Brandon Adams is such a player; a high stakes online pro who�s managed to make final tables in both the WPT and WSOP Circuit. Broke, while not technically about him, is a novella drawn from his experience.

I say novella because the length of the book is 96 large print, small-sized pages. This is a one-day read, and as such probably isn�t worth the $10 asking price for the paper version. For half that though, one can retrieve the text online. For that price, Broke is a worthwhile investment as both educational and entertaining text.

Adams left me wanting more. His first person protagonist makes the same rounds as its author, traveling to major events at major casinos, winning or losing huge amounts in seconds online, experiencing the ups and downs that are part of the pro poker territory�even losing $3,200 on a phone call-induced misclick. We�ve all made that mistake at one point, but Adams� narrative allows us to feel the adrenal implosion of making it at the highest stakes. There�s more, but I don�t want to ruin the surprises.

For a first attempt, �Broke�s author shows a lot of promise. He writes from what he knows and weaves a precautionary tale in the process that paints no pictures about his profession. Parents, if your kids are playing poker professionally, get them to read this; the $5 will probably save them a lot more money down the road. If nothing else, it will show them where they�re going.

I�d go on, but this review would then be longer than the book. Brandon, make it longer next time. I wanted more.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=book-broke-poker-novel.html

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2008-08-03T18:20:00.001-07:00

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This Poker Article Will Make You A Better Player

5 Tips for Small Stakes No-Limit Texas Holdem Cash Game

Tip #1

You make your money when you hit a big hand and get paid off.

This is important - You're not going to win a lot of money by stealing the blinds. At the $25 max buyin games the small blind is .10 and the big blind is .25. Why steal 35 cents?

For the most part it is a waste of time to try to steal it, other than mixing up your game some but no one notices at low limits anyway really.

It's ok to fold from late position if you have garbage. Why raise a $1.50 to steal $ .35 when you are holding Eight Three offsuit? Just muck it.

Don�t try and make your money winning lots of small blinds� you want to get called when you have a strong hand and steal the medium sized pots when you see an opportunity to bluff (more on that below).

Tip #2.

Pick a table that will let you limp cheaply - play flops for big hands.

What you want is a table that is first loose and second mostly passive.

You want to see most of the players limping in with any two cards and especially if they are calling raises out of position with dominated hands like KJ, KQ, AJ, AT... Avoid tables that have 3 or more pre-flop raisers unless there is a compelling reason to play there. Here is a more detailed article on No Limit Holdem Table Selection. Sites with good low limit traffic are Bodog Poker and Poker Stars

You want to see flops cheaply with YOUR drawing hands and make the others PAY with theirs (by raising/playing aggressive with your strong cards). If the table is also loose (which most are) I like playing most pairs if I can get in cheaply. If it is more common for the pot not to be raised pre-flop you can limp in with all small pairs and suited connectors down to around 78.

If there has been much raising at your table then I'd muck the smaller suited connectors unless it is a loose table and then it is fine to make a loose call in position. If raising is fairly common at your table then get up and find a different table unless there is an overly compelling reason to stay. At most major sites there is plenty of table selection at the low stakes no limit tables.

One thing I have noticed is that in general you want to find a table that doesn't have quite the highest average pot, but just a couple of notches below average. On the $25 buyin tables the larger pots are around $13 dollars, so I look for a table with between $8 and $10.

Don't bother with the tables with very low average pots, these normally indicate a table full of rocks that won't give you the action you want when you hit your hand.

Tip #3.

Bluff when you miss completely and you see no aggression, not when you have draws.

Don't be inclined to bluff if you have a draw to a strong hand if the pot is relatively small. If the pot is larger and worth taking down right now then a semi-bluff could be correct, but in the small pots it is ok to let them stay small if you are drawing.

Playing no limit, you can build a pot all at once. If you're drawing to a straight and can take a free card, be inclined to take it. I know this seems contrary to the idea of the semi-bluff, but this is low limit, no limit.

Someone might be slowplaying top two pair and they want to check raise you. Plus, they will pay you off with all sorts of garbage hands. So instead of betting out on a semi bluff and either getting called, raised or winning a small pot� consider checking and seeing if you hit your hand.

If you hit your hand and your opponent was planning on check raising you�re going to now get paid off� and get paid off much more than you would with one hand than you would if you took down a number of these small pots by successfully semi bluffing. Only if the pot is somewhat large and you have a very strong draw, and you think your opponent will fold to a hefty raise should you put out the semi-bluff, and if you do, make it stick.

For example, in a small stakes game if it is checked to you�ve got an open ended straight draw. You can check and take a free card or you can make a semi-bluff. You decide to semi-bluff with a pot sized bet of $1.75. What are you going to do when you get re-raised to $7.75? You've got a draw that if hits will most likely win, but you've got to call that is too expensive based on the odds of you hitting it.

If you would have checked, you would have saved the $4 flop bet and pretty much regardless what comes on the turn you are going to be bet into by the player who was hoping to check raise. If you hit do hit your straight, BINGO $$. A player who was planning on check raising but doesn�t get the chance (because you and everyone else checks behind him) will bet out on the turn nearly every time.

You're probably going to get paid off for a decent sum of money because people who wanted to check raise on the flop are simply unprepared to lay down to a raise on the turn and they will most likely call the river unless the board is just super scary. On the other hand, if you miss your draw and are bet out into on the turn you can lay your hand down and it costs you very little of your stack.

So instead of putting yourself into a sticky situation with a difficult decision on calling/folding, don't bet here. Instead take your free card and be willing to give up the small pot.

On the other hand - if you totally miss the flop and don't see much aggression, go ahead and make a bluff at the pot. Now if you get check-raised you can lay your hand down without much deliberation.

Tip #4.

Tighten up when it comes to calling a raise.

Avoid playing attractive looking, but dangerous hands like KJ, QT, ATo.

If the pot is raised by a typical player they will be raising with AK, AQ, and many pairs. Fold these hands even if you are a blind. Sure it might only be .75 cents to call, but what are you going to do when you call a raise with Queen Jack and the flop comes Queen, Ace, Eight and your opponent bets into for the size of the pot?
This puts you in a difficult situation. - Avoid these and play TIGHT when dealing with a raise.

Tip # 5.

It's ok to limp in cheaply with drawing hands if you have the discipline to get away from the hand after the flop.

I�m not advocating �Any Two will Do.� But the strong drawing hands can be played profitably if you have the discipline to get away from the hand when you are beaten.

Nut flush draws are the best example. If the table is full of loose limpers then I�m playing these hands often, and using pot sweetening bets when I have position. Even if you have to call a modest sized raise from someone, it is ok as long as they have a relatively large chip stack. (if you hit your hand you want to take their stack). Having numerous opponents with drawing hands isn't as important in No Limit as in Limit, since you can win a huge pot against just 1 other player playing No Limit as compared to only being able to take a set amount form , but drawing hands always love company.

If you miss this flop and it doesn't look very coordinated with a lot of connectors or scary, this can be a decent time to bluff. Stick in a 3/4 pot sized bet, even from early position if you only have two players to act behind you. Steal these pots unless you see resistance.

Don't call a raise and be leary of anyone who calls your flop bet. If the turn is another blank then you can fire another shot, but be sure you bet a healthy size (1/2 the pot at least) and try and make sure you're not walking into a huge trap. Most players don't have the imagination to stick in a raise on the flop (or especially the turn) without a hand. Sets can easily be hidden so tread cautiously if you get called on the flop. Checking and folding is ok, you can't successfully bluff every time.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/5-tips-for-small-stakes-no-limit-texas-holdem-cash-game.htm

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With so much fluff out there- we cut through the nonsense to bring you only the best online poker information.

2008-07-22T05:45:00.001-07:00

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Todays Online Poker Article

Phil Hellmuth's rap and hip hop

By Adam Johnson

His head was buried in the sleeve of his black jacket, his left arm extending toward the middle of the table. Listening to music from his Ipod, he decided to have some connection to the outside world, however disconnected to his present world it may have been.

Yet there was Phil Hellmuth, the self-proclaimed best hold-em player in the world, struggling with his short stack in the $1500 Pot-Limit tournament at the World Series of Poker.

If someone who couldn�t spell poker walked up to the table, they probably would have guessed this downtrodden man wasn�t much in the poker world.

How deceiving their deductions would have been.

Suddenly he sprouted to life and sought out myself, one of many media members in the Amazon Room near his table, to be his much needed set of ears.

�You want to hear about some hands, I�ll tell you about some hands,� said Hellmuth, the then ten time bracelet winner with an eagerness that made me wonder if I asked him a question.

After hearing how his A-A couldn�t beat seat 10�s A-6 and how his late position pre-flop raise was defended by a guy out of the blind with 6-high, it was quite clear that he felt like Peter Weber in a prestigious bowling tournament with bumper lanes. His skills just didn�t seem to translate and his frustration was visible if not tangible to those present.

Such is the life of a gifted tournament poker player on most days, when failure can last for months and someone with little experience can win a major tournament.

Seated to Hellmuth�s left was another short-chipped professional and good friend of Hellmuth�s, Gavin Smith.

Known as one of the most gregarious players on the tournament circuit, Smith was up to his usual antics at the table, taking a completely different route than Hellmuth.

Upon a request from the aforementioned seat 10, the main subject of Hellmuth�s diatribes, Smith grabbed Hellmuth�s Ipod and read the display, �Bad Boys for Life, P Diddy,� he said.

A poll wasn�t conducted at the time, but P Diddy didn�t exactly seem to be in Hellmuth�s �range� from reading the table�s body language. Seat 10 and a few other players chuckled and Smith told them that Phil is actually a big fan of rap and hip hop music.

Wearing black designer shoes that likely cost as much as the tournament entry and a black and yellow Ultimate Bet Hockey jersey, nothing about Hellmuth�s style screams hip-hop.

Perhaps in a giving mood after sending Hellmuth into a momentary tailspin, seat 10 sent his Ipod to Smith, who hooked it up to Hellmuth�s while his head was buried.

Hellmuth continued on as if nothing happened, and listened to a Kanye West song seat 10 doctored up for him.

Completely amused by the situation, Smith asked for my phone and took a picture of Hellmuth listening to the man�s Ipod. Smith organized that I send the picture to the man so his friends and kids could see Hellmuth listening to his Ipod.

A conversation about rap ensued between the two, exchanging similar tastes in music. Much like Hellmuth, Smith�s gears were stuck in neutral as well.

�If I get up to 20,000 chips, I�ll be dangerous,� he said, with a stack that was probably a third of that number.

After sheriffing (not a real word) a player who bet K-J on the turn and went all-in on the river on a paired board with all baby cards, Smith check called on both streets after betting the flop, revealing the best hand with a measly two-pair.

The busted player seemed shocked as did others at the table, that Smith knew his hand was good. To those familiar with Smith�s ability, the result seemed pretty standard.

Hellmuth busted within the next hour and Smith held true to his prediction, finishing 2nd in a field of 781 players.

They provided a contrast of playing styles and personalities in a time when chips were hard to come by for both, but as always, they are never short on entertainment value no matter what.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=phil-hellmuth-rap-and-hip-hop.html

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This is one of the very best Texas Hold Em articles I have ever come across.

2008-07-20T01:35:00.001-07:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Featured Poker Article

Quick Tips for Beginning Holdem Players

Tips for Playing Your Starting Poker Hands:
There are a lot of starting hand guides available, this isn't one of them. These tips are quick helpers to get the foundation of a solid poker game underneath you. These are the concepts behind starting hands and ideas you should be thinking about while playing no limit holdem.

1. Small Pocket Pairs.
Play small pocket pairs against many opponents and try and see the flop as cheaply as possible. You typically want to play small pocket pairs against many other opponents. Especially in a cash game or in the early stages of a tournament. Criteria for playing small pocket pairs is that you can get in cheaply, simply by calling the blinds (limping) and hoping to see a flop.

With small pockets you're looking to hit a 3rd of your kind on the flop. This is called "flopping a set." If you flop your set you are almost certain to have the best hand right then, unless it is just a really unlucky flop for you. If you flop a set, bet or raise and work to get as many chips in the pot as you can.

Small pockets pairs are hands like pocket two's up through pocket 8's or 9's. The reason you want to play this hand against many opponents is because when you hit your hand, you hope that someone else has hit a hand as well and will pay you off. The more opponents still active in the hand, the more likely that one of them has hit a hand and will pay off some of your bets.

So, if you are dealt a small pocket pair it is usually a good idea to simply limp in and hope to hit your 3 of a kind on the flop. If you miss, which you will most of the time, then it is fine to check and fold to any bet. It is almost always a bad idea to call any substantial bet on the flop hoping to hit your set on the turn, just fold and save your money.

Small Pocket Pair Quick Tip: You will flop a set roughly once out of every 7.5 times you get a pocket pair. click here for a poker odds chart.

2. Suited Connectors
Suited connectors are hands that play well against many opponents, but poorly against 1 or 2 others. Suited connectors are a bit more difficult to play than small pocket pairs... with small pockets you know pretty much exactly where you stand after the flop. You either hit your set or you didn't. Suited connectors typically do not make a monster hand on the flop, but they will often flop monster draws (draws means that you need 1 more card to complete your hand, typically with a straight or flush).

Suited connectors are hands that are of the same suit, and next to one another, such as 7c 8c, 10d, 9d, or my favorite, Js Ts.

These hands play well in multi-way confrontations, against many opponents. When these hands hit, you typically have a very strong hand, strong enough to beat most everyone else. With suited connectors you are hoping to flop a strong draw, such as an open-ended straight flush draw, a flush draw or a straight draw.

Pre-flop, these hands are weak hands, and even if you hit the top pair these are still a fairly weak and vunerable hand. Suited connectors have a lot of potential to turn into very strong hands. See flops cheaply and late in position with these cards, especially if there are already a lot of players calling the blind to see the flop. Look to flop strong draws or two pair to continue against any heavy action before you.

Look to flop straights, flushes and draws to both. Do not overvalue flopping top pair with small or medium sized suited connectors. Two pair is normally good, but that means that someone else very well may have a straight draw while you have two pair with suited connectors.

Suited Connector Quick Tip: One of the best hands to hold against pocket aces is suited connector, such as 7h8h.

3. Two Big Face Cards
Do not slow play your big face cards. If you are going to play these cards, you need to come in for a raise pre-flop. Big face cards start out very strong, pre-flop, and that means that normally you should make the others pay to stick around for the flop.

Pre-flop these hands are probably some of the strongest at the table, out ranking most of the other hands out there. For this reason, these hands you want to play against as FEW players as possible. To make sure you are playing against few players, you should RAISE pre-flop when it is your turn to act instead of just calling the blind.

A hand like AQ is a strong hand, but it doesn't play well against 3+ players on average. Ideally you will be playing this hand against 1 other opponent, and you ban bet the flop virtually regardless of what comes down.

Avoid calling raises with hands like KJ, QJ, AT, even AJ and KQo. You are often times dominated by everyones 'favorite' hand, big slick (AK). There is no shame in folding KJ pre-flop.

Big Face Card Quick Tip:

Raise pre-flop to limit the field to just one other player whenever possible.

For more poker tips, be sure and check out our listing of poker strategy articles and the absolute best way to improve your play is by finding an online poker room that has SERIOUS 'play money' poker (if you don't want to deposit)..

The best way to practice these no limit holdem tips is to download free online poker software. I recommend PokerStars or Bodog Poker for new players. You can play with free chips and practice these strategies. I do recommend that you also play for extremely small stakes to get a real feel for poker. Free money poker is played differently as poker is for anything of value, even if the value is very small.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/no-limit-holdem-tips.htm

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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Winning at poker is not difficult- here are some tips to improve your game.

2008-07-18T01:53:00.001-07:00

The information in this blog is in no way meant to promote gambling. It provides information on poker to be used in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Featured Poker Article

Playing with Bubbles

By Garry Gates

After three long hours of play, you find yourself down to the last two tables of a poker tournament that started with just under 200 players. There are twenty players left, but only the top eighteen are rewarded. Not wanting to get knocked out �on the bubble,� or just outside the money, you notice that almost everyone at your table has tightened up their game. The exception is a player to your left who seems to be taking down pot after pot without even seeing a flop. He makes a standard raise of three times the big blind to which everyone folds, each time earning him the blinds and dead ante money, a decent chunk of change at this stage of the tournament. Before play started, this player had an average sized chip stack and now he�s the tournament chip leader, in position to make a big run at the final table.

Switching to an aggressive playing style when nearing the bubble in a multi-table tournament is an extremely effective method of padding your chip stack, in preparation for the final table. Truth be told, most players do not want to risk getting knocked out of a tournament after playing for hours when they�re just a couple of spots away from cashing. The fear of a bad beat or the possibility of running into a superior hand causes even the loosest of players to fold practically everything except aces or kings during this unique stage of the tournament. Throughout a poker tournament, you will make decisions based on an array of situations, rather than your cards and opponents. The decisions you make when approaching the bubble can mean the difference between first place money and just getting your buy-in back.

Changing your playing style to aggressive at this stage of a tournament carries as much risk as it does reward. You should practice selective aggression with your raises, being careful not to get involved with the tournament�s big stacks, or players you feel might be willing to come over the top of your attempted blind steal. Continue to make standard sized raises in position and try to avoid stealing when one or more players has limped into the pot before you; a limper here is often trying to set a trap with a premium hand.

Focus your pressure on tight players whose stacks are big enough that they will be able to fold their way into the money, but not so big that they can afford to challenge one of your raises without putting their entire stack in harm�s way. If one of these players does come over the top of your raise, do not hesitate to throw your hand away immediately. The possibility exists that he may have picked up on your aggressive assault and is simply making a play, but it is more likely that this player walked into a big hand and is making a stand.

Often times, when the bubble has been �popped,� or the last player before the money is eliminated, play will return to normal. Players will return to their regular playing styles, which means it�s time to put the brakes on your relentless aggression and resume solid poker. Before you attempt to apply this technique in a big tournament, consider your goals. If you�re content with just making the money, then by all means, conform with the masses and fold away. But if you�ve got your eye on the big prize, raise it up!

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=on-the-bubble.html

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Winning strategies to improve your hold em game.

2008-07-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

This blog is for entertainment purposes only. It is meant to provide information relating to the game of hold em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Online Poker Article to Instantly Improve Your Game

BOOK REVIEW - BROKE: A POKER NOVEL

By Gary Wise

Getting a look inside the mind of a professional poker player should prove a valuable resource to any aspirant. Author Brandon Adams is such a player; a high stakes online pro who�s managed to make final tables in both the WPT and WSOP Circuit. Broke, while not technically about him, is a novella drawn from his experience.

I say novella because the length of the book is 96 large print, small-sized pages. This is a one-day read, and as such probably isn�t worth the $10 asking price for the paper version. For half that though, one can retrieve the text online. For that price, Broke is a worthwhile investment as both educational and entertaining text.

Adams left me wanting more. His first person protagonist makes the same rounds as its author, traveling to major events at major casinos, winning or losing huge amounts in seconds online, experiencing the ups and downs that are part of the pro poker territory�even losing $3,200 on a phone call-induced misclick. We�ve all made that mistake at one point, but Adams� narrative allows us to feel the adrenal implosion of making it at the highest stakes. There�s more, but I don�t want to ruin the surprises.

For a first attempt, �Broke�s author shows a lot of promise. He writes from what he knows and weaves a precautionary tale in the process that paints no pictures about his profession. Parents, if your kids are playing poker professionally, get them to read this; the $5 will probably save them a lot more money down the road. If nothing else, it will show them where they�re going.

I�d go on, but this review would then be longer than the book. Brandon, make it longer next time. I wanted more.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=book-broke-poker-novel.html

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With these Texas Hold Em techniques you will improve your game dramatically.

2008-07-14T11:41:00.001-07:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Texas Hold Em Article to Instantly Improve Your Game

5 Tips for Small Stakes No-Limit Texas Holdem Cash Game

Tip #1

You make your money when you hit a big hand and get paid off.

This is important - You're not going to win a lot of money by stealing the blinds. At the $25 max buyin games the small blind is .10 and the big blind is .25. Why steal 35 cents?

For the most part it is a waste of time to try to steal it, other than mixing up your game some but no one notices at low limits anyway really.

It's ok to fold from late position if you have garbage. Why raise a $1.50 to steal $ .35 when you are holding Eight Three offsuit? Just muck it.

Don�t try and make your money winning lots of small blinds� you want to get called when you have a strong hand and steal the medium sized pots when you see an opportunity to bluff (more on that below).

Tip #2.

Pick a table that will let you limp cheaply - play flops for big hands.

What you want is a table that is first loose and second mostly passive.

You want to see most of the players limping in with any two cards and especially if they are calling raises out of position with dominated hands like KJ, KQ, AJ, AT... Avoid tables that have 3 or more pre-flop raisers unless there is a compelling reason to play there. Here is a more detailed article on No Limit Holdem Table Selection. Sites with good low limit traffic are Bodog Poker and Poker Stars

You want to see flops cheaply with YOUR drawing hands and make the others PAY with theirs (by raising/playing aggressive with your strong cards). If the table is also loose (which most are) I like playing most pairs if I can get in cheaply. If it is more common for the pot not to be raised pre-flop you can limp in with all small pairs and suited connectors down to around 78.

If there has been much raising at your table then I'd muck the smaller suited connectors unless it is a loose table and then it is fine to make a loose call in position. If raising is fairly common at your table then get up and find a different table unless there is an overly compelling reason to stay. At most major sites there is plenty of table selection at the low stakes no limit tables.

One thing I have noticed is that in general you want to find a table that doesn't have quite the highest average pot, but just a couple of notches below average. On the $25 buyin tables the larger pots are around $13 dollars, so I look for a table with between $8 and $10.

Don't bother with the tables with very low average pots, these normally indicate a table full of rocks that won't give you the action you want when you hit your hand.

Tip #3.

Bluff when you miss completely and you see no aggression, not when you have draws.

Don't be inclined to bluff if you have a draw to a strong hand if the pot is relatively small. If the pot is larger and worth taking down right now then a semi-bluff could be correct, but in the small pots it is ok to let them stay small if you are drawing.

Playing no limit, you can build a pot all at once. If you're drawing to a straight and can take a free card, be inclined to take it. I know this seems contrary to the idea of the semi-bluff, but this is low limit, no limit.

Someone might be slowplaying top two pair and they want to check raise you. Plus, they will pay you off with all sorts of garbage hands. So instead of betting out on a semi bluff and either getting called, raised or winning a small pot� consider checking and seeing if you hit your hand.

If you hit your hand and your opponent was planning on check raising you�re going to now get paid off� and get paid off much more than you would with one hand than you would if you took down a number of these small pots by successfully semi bluffing. Only if the pot is somewhat large and you have a very strong draw, and you think your opponent will fold to a hefty raise should you put out the semi-bluff, and if you do, make it stick.

For example, in a small stakes game if it is checked to you�ve got an open ended straight draw. You can check and take a free card or you can make a semi-bluff. You decide to semi-bluff with a pot sized bet of $1.75. What are you going to do when you get re-raised to $7.75? You've got a draw that if hits will most likely win, but you've got to call that is too expensive based on the odds of you hitting it.

If you would have checked, you would have saved the $4 flop bet and pretty much regardless what comes on the turn you are going to be bet into by the player who was hoping to check raise. If you hit do hit your straight, BINGO $$. A player who was planning on check raising but doesn�t get the chance (because you and everyone else checks behind him) will bet out on the turn nearly every time.

You're probably going to get paid off for a decent sum of money because people who wanted to check raise on the flop are simply unprepared to lay down to a raise on the turn and they will most likely call the river unless the board is just super scary. On the other hand, if you miss your draw and are bet out into on the turn you can lay your hand down and it costs you very little of your stack.

So instead of putting yourself into a sticky situation with a difficult decision on calling/folding, don't bet here. Instead take your free card and be willing to give up the small pot.

On the other hand - if you totally miss the flop and don't see much aggression, go ahead and make a bluff at the pot. Now if you get check-raised you can lay your hand down without much deliberation.

Tip #4.

Tighten up when it comes to calling a raise.

Avoid playing attractive looking, but dangerous hands like KJ, QT, ATo.

If the pot is raised by a typical player they will be raising with AK, AQ, and many pairs. Fold these hands even if you are a blind. Sure it might only be .75 cents to call, but what are you going to do when you call a raise with Queen Jack and the flop comes Queen, Ace, Eight and your opponent bets into for the size of the pot?
This puts you in a difficult situation. - Avoid these and play TIGHT when dealing with a raise.

Tip # 5.

It's ok to limp in cheaply with drawing hands if you have the discipline to get away from the hand after the flop.

I�m not advocating �Any Two will Do.� But the strong drawing hands can be played profitably if you have the discipline to get away from the hand when you are beaten.

Nut flush draws are the best example. If the table is full of loose limpers then I�m playing these hands often, and using pot sweetening bets when I have position. Even if you have to call a modest sized raise from someone, it is ok as long as they have a relatively large chip stack. (if you hit your hand you want to take their stack). Having numerous opponents with drawing hands isn't as important in No Limit as in Limit, since you can win a huge pot against just 1 other player playing No Limit as compared to only being able to take a set amount form , but drawing hands always love company.

If you miss this flop and it doesn't look very coordinated with a lot of connectors or scary, this can be a decent time to bluff. Stick in a 3/4 pot sized bet, even from early position if you only have two players to act behind you. Steal these pots unless you see resistance.

Don't call a raise and be leary of anyone who calls your flop bet. If the turn is another blank then you can fire another shot, but be sure you bet a healthy size (1/2 the pot at least) and try and make sure you're not walking into a huge trap. Most players don't have the imagination to stick in a raise on the flop (or especially the turn) without a hand. Sets can easily be hidden so tread cautiously if you get called on the flop. Checking and folding is ok, you can't successfully bluff every time.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/5-tips-for-small-stakes-no-limit-texas-holdem-cash-game.htm

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Hold Em can be intimidating. Here are some strategies to improve your overall game.

2008-07-10T03:12:00.001-07:00

This Hold Em Article Will Make You A Better Player

Value Betting and Protection Betting in No Limit Texas Holdem

There is a balance to betting that must be reached in order to receive maximum value for your hands. This balance is the struggle between Value and Protection Betting.

On the Value side, you want to extract the maximum amount of money from your opponent. And on the Protection side, you want to prevent losing the amount of money you have invested in a pot.

I have seen on many occasions inexperienced players over and under bet their hands accordingly. Following are two examples I personally played that illustrate improperly applied Value and Protection Betting.

The first hand example is from the 2005 WSOP.
I was in middle position and looked down at JJ. I raised three times the big blind and was called only by the big blind yielding a pot of 6.5 big bets. The call of the big blind could have simply been defensive, but an otherwise chatty opponent was suddenly quiet. I assumed a range of hands he could hold to be big paint, big slick or a middle pair.

The flop delivered K93 rainbow. My opponent bet the minimum bringing the pot to 7.5 big bets. At this point I was convinced he had a king and his Value bet would force me to call.

The turn card was another K. My opponent quickly checked raising the ire of suspicion. So I promptly checked behind him as I was willing to show this hand down for nothing.

The river delivered an 8. My opponent declared assertively that he was �all-in�. Now, I originally placed my opponent on a king. With two kings on the board, the likelihood of him holding a K was small. However, I was not willing to risk my entire tournament on a pair of Js when my gut instinct told me he had a K. I decided to try getting him to expose his cards by declaring that I was folding the winner and showing him my Jacks as they were mucked. He triumphantly flipped his hand over showing pocket kings for quad-kings.

How does this apply to value betting?
Proper use of value betting in light of what your opponent may be holding would have given this opponent more chips with his monster hand. Obviously I was willing to call the one bet on the flop. At minimum I would have called one bet on the turn and one on the river. He left at least two bets on the table by improper betting.

Where does the balance come into play? I believe my opponent had an opportunity to make more than the two bets he left on the table. The flop minimum bet was crazy. No cards should be folded when the pot is offering 7.5 to 1 odds. With my opponent flopping a set of Ks and an uncoordinated board, a flop bet of two or three bets would have been about the maximum an opponent could call with an underpair.

The turn check is not a bad play in trying to induce a bluff. But in order for this attempt at weakness to work, he would have had to represent strength on the flop. His flop bet did not do this. Now in the scenario where I called a flop bet of two or three big bets, at minimum I should be willing to risk two or three more bets as the pot would again be offering remarkable odds to stick around. Finally, the all-in bet on the river gave no consideration to my hand or chip stacks. What hand would possibly call the all-in? A full-house or set of kings only. This was a missed opportunity to extract more chips from an opponent. His hand was so strong that a small bet is the best he could have hoped to recover. In the alternate flop/turn scenario presented, a river bet of three to five bets would have likely been paid off.

The second hand reflects on Protection Betting.
This hand was played in Las Vegas in a cash game.

Four limpers to seat 7 who makes a minimum raise.

I was in seat 9 with 68 spades and cold called the two bets. The small blind, big blind and previous limpers all called as well yielding a pot of 16 big bets.

The flop delivered 3c5h7c.

All checked to seat 7 who minimum bet again and all players involved called bringing the pot to 24 big bets. The turn card was the Q of diamonds.

Again, all checked to seat 7 who bet two big bets. I called, along with the big blind bringing the pot to 30 big bets.

The river was the 9 of diamonds. Big blind checked and seat 7 went all-in. I called and the big blind folded. Seat 7 turned over red Aces and lost a huge pot to my rivered straight.

How does this apply to Protection Betting?
With hands that are vulnerable (such as one pair in the above example), it is absolutely important to protect the money that is invested in the pot BEFORE it is too late to do so.

Where is the balance? This guy had aces, and this is obviously a monster hand pre-flop, but the hand progressively gets worse on the flop, turn and river unless helped by the board. Aces are only one pair.

The minimum raise pre-flop was a huge mistake given all of the limpers. Aces in an 8-way pot are destined to be cracked. There was no Protection Bet pre-flop providing security for the aces. Mistake.

Instead of the minimum raise, a pre-flop raise of about 4 to 6 big bets would have thinned the field significantly putting the aces in far better position from the flop on. Now assuming the filed was thinned and it was three-way action after 4 to 6 bet pre-flop raise, a respectable continuation bet on the flop is required. You cannot lay proper odds for the flush or straight draws to continue with the hand without making a negative EV play. *a negative EV play is one that will lose money over the long haul.

In order to protect against the flush, your bet would need to lay insufficient odds for the opponent to continue. This means it has to be big enough to force them to fold or make an improper call based on the odds. Some opponents will call regardless of the bet, but you must make an attempt at betting that forces people out of the hand. A solid � to pot size bet would lay odds such that an opponent is making a mistake in calling.

The point is that seat 7 in the above scenario failed to bet in a manner that would push anyone out of the hand until it was too late. With a coordinated board such as the one in this example, aces are useless and serious consideration should be given to sending them to the muck.

You may be able to think of many examples yourself where you made too large of a bet on the river with the nuts that didn�t get a call; or you may remember not betting enough with a hand that was vulnerable.

There is a definite balance between Value Betting and Protection Betting that is often overlooked. Oftentimes players will find that they have all throttle but no gears to shift.

The art in Value Betting keeps customers paying off your premium hands by turning down the throttle to a point palatable to your opponents. Oftentimes players find themselves complaining about the suck-out artists who cracked their (fill in the big pair here).

The art in Protection Betting keeps these thieves from stealing the smaller pots from under you. For all players, the threshold required for both Value and Protection changes. While subtle in difference, strong focus on this balance can yield huge dividends to your bankroll.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/value-betting-and-protection-betting-in-no-limit-texas-holdem.htm

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The internet is full of fluff- these Texas Hold Em tips are the best of the best.

2008-07-08T11:22:00.001-07:00

This blog is for entertainment purposes only. It is meant to provide information relating to the game of Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Todays Online Poker Article

5 Tips for Small Stakes No-Limit Texas Holdem Cash Game

Tip #1

You make your money when you hit a big hand and get paid off.

This is important - You're not going to win a lot of money by stealing the blinds. At the $25 max buyin games the small blind is .10 and the big blind is .25. Why steal 35 cents?

For the most part it is a waste of time to try to steal it, other than mixing up your game some but no one notices at low limits anyway really.

It's ok to fold from late position if you have garbage. Why raise a $1.50 to steal $ .35 when you are holding Eight Three offsuit? Just muck it.

Don�t try and make your money winning lots of small blinds� you want to get called when you have a strong hand and steal the medium sized pots when you see an opportunity to bluff (more on that below).

Tip #2.

Pick a table that will let you limp cheaply - play flops for big hands.

What you want is a table that is first loose and second mostly passive.

You want to see most of the players limping in with any two cards and especially if they are calling raises out of position with dominated hands like KJ, KQ, AJ, AT... Avoid tables that have 3 or more pre-flop raisers unless there is a compelling reason to play there. Here is a more detailed article on No Limit Holdem Table Selection. Sites with good low limit traffic are Bodog Poker and Poker Stars

You want to see flops cheaply with YOUR drawing hands and make the others PAY with theirs (by raising/playing aggressive with your strong cards). If the table is also loose (which most are) I like playing most pairs if I can get in cheaply. If it is more common for the pot not to be raised pre-flop you can limp in with all small pairs and suited connectors down to around 78.

If there has been much raising at your table then I'd muck the smaller suited connectors unless it is a loose table and then it is fine to make a loose call in position. If raising is fairly common at your table then get up and find a different table unless there is an overly compelling reason to stay. At most major sites there is plenty of table selection at the low stakes no limit tables.

One thing I have noticed is that in general you want to find a table that doesn't have quite the highest average pot, but just a couple of notches below average. On the $25 buyin tables the larger pots are around $13 dollars, so I look for a table with between $8 and $10.

Don't bother with the tables with very low average pots, these normally indicate a table full of rocks that won't give you the action you want when you hit your hand.

Tip #3.

Bluff when you miss completely and you see no aggression, not when you have draws.

Don't be inclined to bluff if you have a draw to a strong hand if the pot is relatively small. If the pot is larger and worth taking down right now then a semi-bluff could be correct, but in the small pots it is ok to let them stay small if you are drawing.

Playing no limit, you can build a pot all at once. If you're drawing to a straight and can take a free card, be inclined to take it. I know this seems contrary to the idea of the semi-bluff, but this is low limit, no limit.

Someone might be slowplaying top two pair and they want to check raise you. Plus, they will pay you off with all sorts of garbage hands. So instead of betting out on a semi bluff and either getting called, raised or winning a small pot� consider checking and seeing if you hit your hand.

If you hit your hand and your opponent was planning on check raising you�re going to now get paid off� and get paid off much more than you would with one hand than you would if you took down a number of these small pots by successfully semi bluffing. Only if the pot is somewhat large and you have a very strong draw, and you think your opponent will fold to a hefty raise should you put out the semi-bluff, and if you do, make it stick.

For example, in a small stakes game if it is checked to you�ve got an open ended straight draw. You can check and take a free card or you can make a semi-bluff. You decide to semi-bluff with a pot sized bet of $1.75. What are you going to do when you get re-raised to $7.75? You've got a draw that if hits will most likely win, but you've got to call that is too expensive based on the odds of you hitting it.

If you would have checked, you would have saved the $4 flop bet and pretty much regardless what comes on the turn you are going to be bet into by the player who was hoping to check raise. If you hit do hit your straight, BINGO $$. A player who was planning on check raising but doesn�t get the chance (because you and everyone else checks behind him) will bet out on the turn nearly every time.

You're probably going to get paid off for a decent sum of money because people who wanted to check raise on the flop are simply unprepared to lay down to a raise on the turn and they will most likely call the river unless the board is just super scary. On the other hand, if you miss your draw and are bet out into on the turn you can lay your hand down and it costs you very little of your stack.

So instead of putting yourself into a sticky situation with a difficult decision on calling/folding, don't bet here. Instead take your free card and be willing to give up the small pot.

On the other hand - if you totally miss the flop and don't see much aggression, go ahead and make a bluff at the pot. Now if you get check-raised you can lay your hand down without much deliberation.

Tip #4.

Tighten up when it comes to calling a raise.

Avoid playing attractive looking, but dangerous hands like KJ, QT, ATo.

If the pot is raised by a typical player they will be raising with AK, AQ, and many pairs. Fold these hands even if you are a blind. Sure it might only be .75 cents to call, but what are you going to do when you call a raise with Queen Jack and the flop comes Queen, Ace, Eight and your opponent bets into for the size of the pot?
This puts you in a difficult situation. - Avoid these and play TIGHT when dealing with a raise.

Tip # 5.

It's ok to limp in cheaply with drawing hands if you have the discipline to get away from the hand after the flop.

I�m not advocating �Any Two will Do.� But the strong drawing hands can be played profitably if you have the discipline to get away from the hand when you are beaten.

Nut flush draws are the best example. If the table is full of loose limpers then I�m playing these hands often, and using pot sweetening bets when I have position. Even if you have to call a modest sized raise from someone, it is ok as long as they have a relatively large chip stack. (if you hit your hand you want to take their stack). Having numerous opponents with drawing hands isn't as important in No Limit as in Limit, since you can win a huge pot against just 1 other player playing No Limit as compared to only being able to take a set amount form , but drawing hands always love company.

If you miss this flop and it doesn't look very coordinated with a lot of connectors or scary, this can be a decent time to bluff. Stick in a 3/4 pot sized bet, even from early position if you only have two players to act behind you. Steal these pots unless you see resistance.

Don't call a raise and be leary of anyone who calls your flop bet. If the turn is another blank then you can fire another shot, but be sure you bet a healthy size (1/2 the pot at least) and try and make sure you're not walking into a huge trap. Most players don't have the imagination to stick in a raise on the flop (or especially the turn) without a hand. Sets can easily be hidden so tread cautiously if you get called on the flop. Checking and folding is ok, you can't successfully bluff every time.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/5-tips-for-small-stakes-no-limit-texas-holdem-cash-game.htm

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Do not be intimidated by playing Texas Hold Em. These strategies will make you a better player.

2008-07-06T22:44:00.001-07:00

We do not promote gambling of any type. This blog information is to be used when playing Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Featured Online Poker Article

5 Tips To Use When Playing Low-Limit Poker

1. Find a way to make yourself really pay attention:

A strategy I used recently at a $1/$2 limit game was to convince myself that the bets were really $100/$200 and force myself to try and make optimal plays.

Notice i didn't say play it like everyone else was really playing like they would at $100/$200, but just pretend that each bet was worth that amount to me. IE, I'm playing very close attention to everything I can to try and make the absolute best decisions possible.

I remembered that the other players weren't thinking like that but just pretended they weren't very good (or that they weren't paying much attention).

It worked well and i nearly doubled my buyin. Another key factor was the table conditions (had a total sucker at the table and one other overly aggressive/stubborn guy when he got involved (couldn't lay it down).

2. Manage your Low Limit Table Bankroll

In a 1/2 limit game you can sit down with $50 although I like to sit with $100 (table reputation) and set my must leave level at the moment my roll gets to $50 or below.

If I lose down to $75 I make myself take an honest evalutation of the table and unless i've just gotten exceptionally unlucky. Find a new table or switch up to a small Sit-N-Go I play the $5 or $10 SNG's. Also take advantage of the free roll tournaments. Nearly all the sites offer them.

3. Use Sit-N-Go's to get your No-Limit Fix.
If you are itching to play no limit poker, and who isn't... play in sit-n-go's instead of the lower stakes NL cash tables. Sit N Go's are there to get that no limit enjoyment and your loss is limited to whatever the buyin was. Poker Stars has plenty of $1 buyin sit-n-go's that you can play in all day long. If you really have to play a low limit limit cash game, check out how to win at low stakes no limit cash game I get to play no-limit and can normally cash in around 6-7 of these for every 10 I play.

In low stakes sit-n-go's, people play so stupid early - they play way too loose and they love top pair and really love two pair. You can just fold all but premiums for the first two levels and just slightly loosen up in position at levels 3 and 4 (while being selectively aggressive) and then steal in position from the next few levels and you're in the money - often.

4. Maintain Discipline - find a new table if there are not there are not obvious fish handing out their cash.
The next day I played a bit more 1/2 limit and lost down to $75 (even after winning my first couple of hands) I got up and left as there were 2 solid players there and no real fish. Low limit takes discipline. I thought I could grind out a profit, but why bother... there are plenty of tables to choose from that will be much easier.

5. Short Handed - more action.
If the action seems to slow for you at the 10 person tables then sit at 6 handed... its got a lot of action.. and even at the .25/50c tables you can cut your teeth and grow your roll. You'll need to loosen up some, but just continue to play disciplined, aggressive poker.

To practice your low limit strategies, play online poker.

Thanks and we'll see you at the tables!

KAP

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/5-tips-to-use-when-playing-low-limit-poker.htm

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2008-07-04T05:55:00.001-07:00

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A Online Poker Article to Instantly Improve Your Game

The Turn - Where The "Truth" Is Normally Told In No Limit Holdem

Nothing is 100% in poker, but there are certain �poker truths� that you need to pay attention to. When I refer to �poker truths� I�m talking about something that�s true more than it is false. That�s as close as you can get in this game.

The �poker truth� I want to discuss today is this: "When a player shows aggression on the turn, they usually have a strong hand."

What this means is, more often than not, against an average player, you�ll know where you stand on the turn.

Let�s look at couple of typical situations where your hand is disguised:

Example 1: You get a strong hand, AKs, in LP and put in a 3xBB raise. You get two callers. The flop misses you, Q93 rainbow, it�s checked around and you put in a continuation bet of � the pot. How does this bet look to your opponents?

Example 2: Now let�s say that the flop hit you, K93, it�s checked around and you put in a bet of � the pot. How does this bet look to your opponents?

The answer is; these two bets look exactly the same. It is hard for your opponents to know what they�re up against. Now take example 1 and replace the AK with another monster, 72 off. Even though you really only have 72o, to your opponents the bet looks exactly the same.

My point here is not to raise with any two cards (though you can in the right situation), but is to point out that it is on the flop that hands are most easily disguised. This is where deception can be very useful. This is where you can often �represent� a hand and get away with it.

The Turn:
The turn is where things get clearer. Fewer players are willing to continue, at the risk of losing more chips, their bluff on the turn. Therefore, more often than not, if they bet, they have a legitimate hand. So move forward cautiously when faced with a turn bet.

An even bigger risk is calling a raise on the turn. A lot of players wait until the turn to raise their monster hands, hoping to get extra chips on the flop with a slow play. If you run into a turn raise after a relatively quiet flop you should be very cautious moving forward, there�s an extremely good chance you�ll need better than top pair to win this hand.

That pattern of smooth calling a flop bet or raise and raising the turn is almost always going to be trouble. Very few players make this move without a big hand.

According to some statistics I found that were compiled from the poker-tracker stats of several on-line players (100,000+ hands). A turn raiser goes on to win the hand 63% of the time. Even more glaring than that is 71% of turn check-raisers go on to win the hand! The data also shows that turn check-raises are generally playing 2 pair or better. So think hard before calling with just top pair.

That doesn�t mean you should automatically fold your top pair to a raiser. If you�re heads up against a loose raiser or someone who regularly bets their draws, then your top pair may very well be good for a call or re-raise. But, if you�re against a tight raiser or if someone raised after multiple players have called bets, you�re top pair is not good, so dump it.

Another problem with calling raises on the turn is that you often end up calling the river. A good rule of thumb when deciding whether to call a turn bet is to include a river bet in your odds calculation. So if you need to call 2 bets into a 10 bet pot (giving you 5-1 odds) you should also add a couple bets for the river (2.5-1 odds) which suddenly makes a lot of calling situations folding situations.

Because the turn is where the �truth� is generally told, it�s a good place for you to make some advanced plays at the pot. A turn raise or check raise bluff is very powerful in the right situations, mostly heads up. Just make sure you have a good read on your opponent and don�t get carried away. These are great moves in moderation.

In my opinion, the turn is the toughest street to play in Texas Holdem. Making the right moves here is what will ultimately make you a winning player. So going forward, before quickly calling turn bets and raises, ask yourself a few questions that may help you define your opponent�s hand.

What types of hands would he have where he would smooth call the flop and raise the turn? Two pair? A set? Does the board complete a draw?

What types of hands would he need to bet the flop and continue on the turn? Top pair? A big draw? Overs?

First and foremost you should trust your reads and knowledge of your opponents, but when that�s not enough, trust the turn.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/playing-the-turn-where-the-truth-is-normally-told.htm

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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2008-07-02T01:36:00.001-07:00

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Todays Poker Article

Tournament Poker and Cash Game Poker: A Two-headed Monster - Part 2

by Gary Gates

�Should I fold and wait for a better spot to put all my chips at risk? With only 50 players left to the money, do I have enough chips to survive the blinds and antes? How long until the blinds go up? Which players at my table are susceptible to getting eaten up by the blinds? Which players can I steal blinds from?�

When we left part I, we began to consider the additional factors a tournament poker player must consider within his or her decision-making process. These �special� circumstances often call for special action. A player might make one play in a cash game that he would never even consider in a tournament, and vice versa.

The unique decision-making processes required of these two very different brands of poker are necessitated by the manner in which profit is earned in each type. Cash games reward players instantly, as every pot pushed your way comes in the form of legal tender that you can walk away with at any time. In other words, a player can sit down at a cash game, double up on the first hand, put his chips back in the rack and proceed to the cashier with his newfound wealth. Though I do not recommend this method, as it won�t earn you many friends at the table, no one is going to stop you. (Who needs friends at the poker table anyway, right?)

Tournaments, however, reward only the top few participants who are able to outlast the masses. Described by many as marathons that call for hours of intense boredom, speckled with a few moments of sheer terror, poker tournaments require a great amount of time and patience. In a tournament that pays the top ten players, 100th place pays exactly as much as eleventh: nothing. Therefore, major decisions within the game are heavily influenced by the size of players� chip stacks, the number of players remaining, and the size of your own stack relative to the blinds. Before you take tenth, you have to guarantee yourself eleventh, and that fact is what makes survival a tournament player�s number one priority.

Cash games, because of their static blinds and the option to buy more chips at any time, tend to suit more conservative poker players. The never-increasing blinds allow them to sit back and wait for big hands with which they hope to win massive pots. Tournament play forces aggression to some extent, as the blinds and antes are constantly on the rise. The track records of Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan are prime examples of the kind of success that can come from aggressive tournament play.

Which brand of poker should you play? First consider the style of poker that comes most naturally to you. Do you tend to play passive or aggressive? Are you the kind of player that can recognize the multitude of situations that will be presented to you throughout a poker tournament and adapt your play accordingly, or do you feel more comfortable playing the player rather than the cards and situation? Be sure to try your hand at both and know the differences between the two before you decide which is right for you.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=tournament-poker-cash-game-poker-part-2.html

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Tired of playing hold em and not coming out a winner? Here are some techniques to make you better.

2008-06-30T05:53:00.001-07:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on hold em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Featured Hold Em Article

Table Image - Part 2

by Gary Gates

There are two main ways to use table image to your advantage at the poker table; either by making decisions based on another players� perception of you, or making decisions based on your perception of your opponent. The latter is most commonly exploited by getting a clear idea of your opponents� style of play and then playing the opposite way.

For example, if you sit down at a table and find that the majority of your adversaries see a lot of flops and are constantly betting and raising, playing the role of a tight and somewhat passive player would prove profitable. As your opponents busy themselves with trying to outbet each other, you are patiently waiting for the most opportune moment to strike and fire back with a check raise on the river that takes them by surprise. You should also be aware that the more perceptive players may have already picked up on your tactics and will be hesitant to give you action when you do enter a pot. Therefore it might be a good idea to try and see a couple of cheap flops with marginal hands in order to disguise your strategy. Just don�t get too attached if you do end up catching a small piece of the flop.

You can also use table image to attack opponents individually. If you�ve pegged someone a tight passive player and find yourself heads-up against them, you may be able to steal the pot with an extra bet or raise if you sense the slightest bit of weakness. Be wary, however, if you do make this play and your opponent surprises you with a call or comes over the top of your raise � now he means business.

Being able to recognize your own table image is essential to making it work to your favor. Try to keep track of the number of flops you see, the frequency with which you raise, the kinds of hands your opponents have seen you expose and everything in between. You should also listen for clues directly from your opponents as to how they view your play. If you�re playing tight, you�ll often hear someone say �I�ll have to remember to get out of your way when you play a hand.� If you�ve been raising and being the aggressor, someone might say �imagine that, another raise.� All of these comments are clues that can help give you a better concept of your own table image.

Let�s assume you�re playing a loose aggressive style and your opponents have clearly picked up on it. Ideally, now you should change gears and wait for a premium hand while your opponents still have you pegged as a maniac. When you�re finally dealt a pair of aces or kings, play them exactly the same way you played to earn your reputation, by betting and raising, and you�re bound to get some extra action on the hand. Conversely, if you�ve been playing a tight game and haven�t seen many flops, use your conservative image to make a couple of bluffs. Opponents are much more likely to respect a bet from someone who�s played fewer pots than everyone else.

Remember, the minute you sit down at that table they�ll be watching you. Watch right back. Know your opponents, know your own table image, disguise your strategy and �play the man� accordingly.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=table-image-part-2.html

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Winning strategies to improve your hold em game.

2008-06-26T06:50:00.001-07:00

The information in this blog is in no way meant to promote gambling. It provides information on hold em to be used in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Hold Em Article For Your Reading Enjoyment

Two Important Rules To Always Keep In Mind

Rule #1: Apply pressure.

Your bets MUST apply pressure to those acting after you. This is the first thing I tell struggling / timid players and the first thing I remind myself of when I�m running bad. You have to make sure that your bets cause the other players to have to make difficult decisions. How often do you see players opening with a minimum bet, or raising the minimum from late position? These bets don�t apply pressure, they merely build the pot.

Here�s a typical example:

Blinds are 50/100, early in a live multi-table tournament; assume everyone has 1800 in chips. You have AKo (Big Slick) in late position.

2 players call before it gets to you in the cutoff seat (one before the button). You like your hand and decide to raise. You raise to 200. While it is a fantastic idea to raise with Big Slick, you need to raise a larger amount... you need to apply pressure!

This is a very common example of a no-pressure bet that is very common by new players and bad players! If you are going to raise, you need to make a hefty sized raise to make most everyone fold!

Think about this, You have two callers who already have 100 invested plus the button, SB and BB left to act. Your raise didn�t cause anyone a second of anxiety. The button now has odds to call with many drawing hands, the BB only has to put one bet in to see the flop and there�s no way the initial limpers are going to fold for one more bet each.

What have you accomplished here? The answer is nothing good. Not only have you not isolated against a single player, which should be your goal with this hand, you have built the pot to an amount that gives the chasers a great reason to stick around!

The right move here would be to raise a minimum of 3xBB. But I think in this situation, with 2 limpers and 3 players to follow that�s amount is still probably too small. I think a bet of 4-5xBB is the better move.

This bet will apply enough pressure that you may actually win the hand right there.

But in this situation, you've bet $200 pre-flop (the minimum raise).
The SB folds and everyone else calls. The pot has 850.

The Flop comes 78K with two hearts, it�s checked to you.

You've hit Top Pair, Top Kicker which is a strong hand. You are most likely in the lead right now but there are 2 hearts on the board (you don't hold the King of Hearts, either).

You bet 200.

This was a great flop for you, but it is dangerous. There�s a possible 4 flush and 4 straight. You�ve got to bet an amount that will put pressure on the drawing hands and 200 just won�t cut it. No one is going to fold their flush draw to a 200 bet when they can win a 1000+ pot.

You need to size your bet accordingly. So, what sized bet would be good enough to put pressure on the flush draw? A bet of about � of the pot should do it.

If you put 600 in the pot, the flush draw now has a big decision to make. That bet will put more than half of their stack in the pot, if they call they�re basically committing to play for the rest of their chips. (This is a very important point. Pay attention to your opponent�s chip stack. A bet that commits their stack is a pressure bet.) If they know what they�re doing, they�ll fold right there, if not you�re about a 3:2 favorite to win the hand and more than double your stack.

In this situation you bet 200 on the flop. The BB & first limper call. The pot has 1450.

The turn is a 2 of spades. You bet 400.

The turn was great for you, it didn�t help the straight or flush draws, but your bet was again too small. A flush or straight draw only has to pay 400 for a chance at 1850. The pot is giving almost 5:1 on a 4:1(approximately) draw. A � pot bet would have put the necessary pressure on the chaser, while 400 is an easy call.

The BB calls.

The river is a T of clubs. You check, the BB bets 500 and you call. The BB shows 96s for the straight.

This is where you glare at the BB and storm off to tell your friends how your AK got cracked by 96. But this wasn�t a matter of the BB getting lucky. He played it right on every street. You made his decisions easy by not applying pressure with your bets.

The next time you�re ready to throw your chips in the pot ask yourself this question; �Is this bet going to be easy to call?� If the answer is yes, then grab some more chips and put some pressure on your opponents

Rule #2:

Don�t swim with the sharks. This is the newest addition to my rule book and it has helped me increase my winnings over the last 6 months more than anything else.

The basic rule is this. Avoid playing heads up against players who are as good as or better than you.

Get your chips from those players that are less skilled / knowledgeable than you.

There are a number of quality players that I play against every week with whom I have never been involved in a big hand. If a typical table has 4 good players and 5 poor players, why would you bang heads with the good players? Get your chips from the ones you know you can outplay.

This is really very easy to do. If a player that you believe to be better than you raises, fold. Simple. Unless you have a premium hand (AA,KK,QQ,AK), why get involved? Just wait for an opportunity against a fishy player.

That means you�ll be folding hands you might normally play, like AJ or KQs, etc. If you do have a premium hand, then don�t just call, re-raise instead. You want to try to win the hand pre-flop so you won�t be out played post flop.

Of course, you won�t always be able to avoid confrontation with a good player, but you can definitely limit it.

As an example, I recently took a trip to Tunica with a friend of mine who is a very good player. Over two days, we played at the same table for about 16 hours. In all of that time we only played one hand heads up and that one was for small dollars. I�m sure over there were several hands over those 16 hours where we could have done battle, but why would we when there was a super fish at the table giving away enough for all of the good players to share?

There are plenty of fish to get chips from, so save the sharks for the final table. Recognize who the quality players are and adjust accordingly.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/2-poker-rules-to-live-by.htm

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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Are you ready to improve your poker game? Its time to get started...

2008-06-24T00:07:00.001-07:00

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ADVANTAGES OF TIGHT vs. LOOSE GAMES

The makeup of a no-limit hold�em game can vary greatly from table to table depending on the lineup of players in each setting. Oftentimes, only the addition of one reckless player can cause the entire game to change from a relatively tight and conservative match to one in which all the players begin to loosen up and the chips start flying in an attempt to win the money of the reckless player. Here are some characteristics of tight and loose games:

Tight

A raise often takes the blinds, or a continuation bet after the flop takes the pot if the pre-flop bet is called.
Players aren�t willing to put much money into the pot with even relatively strong hands such as A-Q or 10-10.
Big pots rarely develop due to the lack of contestants, and bluffs are usually effective because the pots aren�t worth fighting over.
Loose

Raises are usually called, as are significant re-raises.
Players are willing to put a lot of money into the pot with mediocre hands such as K-J or 5-5.
Big pots are commonplace, as are big bluffs, which are generally less successful than bluffs in loose games but are worth much more when they do work.
So what are the advantages of each type of game? First and foremost, you�d much rather be playing in a loose game because you can play very selectively and be more likely to get paid off on your big hands. But to be successful in a loose no-limit hold�em game, you must have a lot of heart because there are going to be some tricky situations when you are facing a big bet. If you can learn to figure out who�s bluffing and who�s not and have the courage to act on your convictions, you will do very well in loose games. And on the flip side, you�ll have to figure out when to pull your own well-timed bluff to rake in some pots yourself.

On the other hand, tight games also have their advantages. In these games, an aggressive player can steal a lot of small pots. This strategy is most effective in games with decent blinds. If you�re playing $1-$2 there�s not much in the pot to steal, but if it�s a tight $2-$5 or $5-$10 game, then there�s more worth going after. Make your standard raise of 2.5 to 3 times the big blind and you�ll take a lot of pots. Those not won pre-flop can usually be obtained on the flop with a standard continuation bet of half to two-third the pot size.

Players in tight games also tend to play more straightforward. You�ll face far fewer check-raise bluffs than you would in loose games. When someone pushes back with a check raise or re-raise in a tight game, it�s best to let your mediocre hands go.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=advantage-of-tight-vs-loose-games.html

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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No matter what your level of play, these hold em strategies will make you better.

2008-06-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on hold em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

This Hold Em Article Will Make You A Better Player

Implied Odds and Stack Sizes

We are constantly getting questions about stack sizes. This is a terrific article from www.pokertips.org that explains stack size as well as implied odds in depth. Even if you are a beginning player you can benefit from understanding these concepts.

Stack Sizes and Implied Odds

One of the most important factors in a no-limit hold'em game is the amount of chips people have at the table. A person's stack size affects the strategy at the table in numerous ways. For example, the amount a person buys in for is often indicative of how well that person plays. Someone may buy in for a small amount because he is not very confident in his skills and does not want to risk much money.

However, the most important thing about stack sizes is how they affect implied odds. Implied odds is a fancy word for saying "how much you can expect to win in the future if you make a good hand, taking into account the chance of hitting that strong hand."Let's say you hold 6 5 preflop. Your hand is not very strong. It is also doubtful that you will hit a strong hand at the flop, like a straight or trips. However, you have a good chance of hitting a draw, such as a flush draw or a straight draw. To win a lot of money on this draw, you will probably need to call a bet on the flop and see the turn and river to get the card you need to make a strong hand. If you hit a strong hand, you will want to bet a lot when you have the strong hand.

If the stack sizes are small, you cannot expect to win much if you chase a flush or straight draw. Speculative hands like suited connectors do well when people have large stack sizes, and they perform poorly when people have small stack sizes.

To be precise, here is what I consider to be small, medium, and large stack sizes:

Small stacks -40 big blinds or fewer
Medium stacks -41 to 99 big blinds
Large stacks -100 big blinds or more

You will see different buy-ins for different types of games. For most home games, people buy in for small stacks. A home game with $0.25-$0.50 blinds will typically have $10 to $20 buy-ins (20 to 40 big blinds). These are small stacks.

Brick-and mortar games have varying stack sizes. Nowadays, it seems that most places in Vegas restrict the buy-ins to about 40 big blinds, so people tend to have short or medium stacks. However, there are B&M games that do not cap the buy-ins, and people with 200-big-blind stacks are common. The games at online poker rooms tend to restrict buy-ins to 100 big blinds, so many people have fairly large stacks.

Stack sizes do more than just increase the value of speculative hands. They also tend to make the game fancier. Bluffing becomes a more valuable tool when people have larger stacks. You can threaten a much larger amount of money in relation to the pot when people have a lot of chips.

Suppose there is $10 in the pot. Your opponent's top pair is a marginal hand. While it will beat most hands, there is a lot on the board that massacres his hand (straight, two pair, top pair with higher kicker, etc.)

Suppose you bet $10. If your opponent has a $10 stack, he will call you, because he has so much already invested in the pot.

However, suppose your opponent has $100. He will be wary of calling. If he calls, and you fire another pot-sized bet on the turn, he will have to call $40 just to see the river. If you fire another pot-sized bet on the river, he stands to lose his entire stack due to his flimsy hand.

Large stacks increase the value of bluffing, which also means that marginal hands lose value. A hand like top pair will not get paid off when the stacks are large (except by draws or bluffs), because hands like middle pair are not going to pay off a large amount of money in relation to the pot.

Large stacks mean that fewer hands go to a showdown, and the ones that do are much more likely to involve powerful hands like straights, flushes, and sets.

Source: http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/nl-stack-sizes.php

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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Dr. Pauly at the 2008 WSOP: The Battle for Europe

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:33:00 -0700
After covering poker tournaments all over the world, I noticed that Scandinavian players as a whole were among the toughest and most aggressive players in the world. They seem to fit the mold of the perfect poker player...

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This is one of the very best hold em articles I have ever come across.

2008-06-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

We do not promote gambling of any type. This blog information is to be used when playing hold em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Hold Em Article For Your Reading Enjoyment

Manage Your Bankroll

Here is a good article on just how much you should be investing. It is great advice for those just getting started playing poker, as well as those who have been winning for a while.

Bankroll
How much money should I invest?This is an important question, with two simple answers.If you are a beginner or just looking to have fun, don't invest any more than is 'fun' to lose. Hence, if you're comfortable blowing a hundred bucks, put in $100 and see if you can win with it. This is what I did. My original roll was only $100, but I built it up into my current, much more powerful bankroll.Bankroll considerations are different for a seasoned player who has proven himself a winner. These types of players are looking to consistently make money at a given limit. If you are one of these players, you should be able to bank 200 big bets at the limit you play. Hence, if you play $2-$4, you should have an $800 roll ($4 * 200). For $5-$10, your target roll should be $2,000. These numbers prevent you from blowing your entire bankroll because of one bad run.Some say that 200 big bets is too few for shorthand, but I believe that you need to be reasonable about potential losses. You don't want to invest more than 200 big bets unless you've proven that you're successful at that limit.Also, it is a very good idea to keep a daily diary of your sessions. This will help you determine if you are a winning or a losing player and how often you win. It will also prove helpful come tax time if you live in a country with income tax on gambling winnings (in the UK, there is no tax on gambling winnings). If you plan on playing poker regularly, consider using a service such as Check Your Bets.

Source: http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/bankroll.php

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2008 WSOP Event #23, $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em: A Pair of Hinkle Bracelets

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:22:00 -0700
In a commanding performance, Blair Hinkle – second in chips when the day began – was responsible for sending six of the other eight finalists home through a mixture of luck, timing and aggression. His runaway victory, in which...

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104 players returned to the felt for Day 2 of Event #26, $1,500 Razz, including Day 1 chip leader Barry Greenstein, Shawn Sheikhan, Jon 'Pearljammer' Turner, Dewey Tomko and Cyndy Violette. At the end of the day, only eight remained...

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The tropical décor of the original Seminole casino in Hollywood seems sedate next to the frenzy of the new Seminole Hard Rock across the street. But that's okay. This place provides a nice counterbalance with its extremely flashy...

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2008 WSOP Event #22 $3,000 H.O.R.S.E.: Jens Voertmann Best of Show

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:31:00 -0700
16 players out of an original field of 414 returned to the Amazon Ballroom at the Rio for Day 3 of Event #22, $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. at the 2008 World Series of Poker. At the end of three long days of limit mixed games, it was Jens...

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We have compiled the very best hold em strategies in this great article.

2008-06-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on hold em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

This Hold Em Article Will Make You A Better Player

Poker Tip

When you have a strong hand, you want to get the most of it � so you don�t want to scare your opponents out of the pot. In this case, you call any bets that was made before you � letting the people behind you to make a raise. If they raise, you also call, and it�s good if you make them think you don�t like what you do. If nobody bets, you simply check. However when you get to the river, you turn on aggression. By that time, it�s likely some of your opponents are already invested in the pot, and it�s very much possible they would call your bets. So, when you are sure your cards are strong, you don�t want to make huge bets and raises immediately � wait till the river and then show aggression.

Source: http://www.launchpoker.com/poker_tips/

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2008 WSOP Event #18 2-7 Draw w/ Rebuys Day 2: Lindgren Chases Second Bracelet

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:05:00 -0700
There may not have been as many entrants in Event #18, $5,000 No Limit 2-7 Draw w/ Rebuys, as some other events, but the 85 players that showed up built a prize pool of well over $1 million. 39 of those players returned...

World Series of Poker Daily Summary for June 10th, 2008

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:04:00 -0700
And then there were three… three bracelets awarded in a single day's play at the Rio. The 2008 World Series of Poker on Tuesday showcased the final tables of three different events, spanning the spectrum of the game, while the one...

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Online Poker can be intimidating. Here are some strategies to improve your overall game.

2008-06-09T23:49:00.000-07:00

We do not promote gambling of any type. This blog information is to be used when playing poker in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Todays Online Poker Article

Keep It Simple

When you start to play poker, you will more than likely be playing low-limit games. Beating these games does not require you to become a masterful poker player, it primarily entails that you are able to outplay poor opponents. Beating good players at high limits can be incredibly difficult, entailing many complex moves. However, winning at low limits is pretty straightforward.What do I mean? Basically, other players won't be paying attention to you. They only care about their own cards; they don't care about you or your cards. They will play their hand as they always play their hand, regardless of whether or not you are in the pot. You are basically a ghost to them... but hopefully you will be a ghost that's slowly taking their money! If you want to beat these types of players, you simply need to a play a straightforward game that will win in the long run. For example, play tight, don't do any fancy bluffs, bet aggressively when you probably have the best hand, and utilize pot odds for your drawing decisions.When it comes to deception with these players, slowplaying can work. These players are easily fooled into thinking they have the best hand when they hit a pair on the turn, so giving them a free card when you hold the stone nuts can be to your advantage. However, bluffing is simply an exercise in futility. These guys want to see if they have the best hand. They'll pay to see your cards just so they can see them sometimes! Don't expect to scare any fish at lower limits with an extra $2 bet.Master the art of choosing starting hands, employing pot odds, and aggressively betting your winning hands. However, psychological strategies are generally useless. Your opponents are not thinking too deeply, and attempting any fancy plays will only hurt you.

Source: http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/keep-it-simple.php

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FREE : 'Harrington on Cash Games: I & II' NEW!
by: Dan Harrington & Bill Robertie

Get Harrington's must read books on no-limit texas holdem cash games & other free poker stuff with our Free Gift Offer....

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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Online Poker can be tricky. This article will help remove some of the guesswork.

2008-06-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

This blog is for entertainment purposes only. It is meant to provide information relating to the game of poker in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Todays Online Poker Article

Focus on the Basics

I have had a lot of emails lately from people learning to play the game who get confused by terminology when playing with more experienced players. For this post lets get back to the basics and go over some common poker terms. This article comes from http://www.pokertips.org/.

Poker Jargon
This is a shortened glossary that explains the basic poker terms that are frequently used in the strategy articles at this site. It is assumed that you know the basic rules of Texas Hold'em. For a more complete glossary, visit our Full Glossary Page.

Blinds: The forced bets that take the place of an ante. The person to the left of the dealer must pay the small blind, and the person after him must pay the big blind.

Board Cards: The cards in the middle of the table that are shared by everyone.

Draw: Drawing means hoping to improve your hand with the cards that will come on the board. You are on a draw when you want other cards to come out on the board to complete your hand. If you have 10 9 and the flop is Q J 2, you are trying to draw an eight or a king on the turn or river.

Flop: The first three board cards in Hold'em.

Implied Odds: The same as pot odds, but taking into account making bets in the future. Thus, you may call a bet at the flop, but have implied odds of making bigger bets on later rounds if you hit your draw. So, if you have A K and the flop comes Q 7 6, your implied odds are what you have to call at the flop compared to how large the pot will be at the end of the hand.

Limit Poker: Poker with fixed-size bets. In a $2-4 limit game, all bets and raises are $2 in the first two rounds (preflop and flop), and all bets and raises are $4 in the last two rounds (turn and river).

Longhand: A poker game with seven or more people.

Outs: Cards that can improve your hand. If the flop is Q J 2 and you have 10 9, you want a king or an eight to complete your straight. There are four kings and four eights in the deck, so you have eight total outs.

Position: Where you sit at the poker table. The dealer has the best position because he bets last and therefore has a better understanding of what other people have in their hand. The small blind has the worst position because he acts first.

Pot Odds: The odds you are getting when you are drawing. For example, say you have A 2 and the board is K 7 6. You are sure that someone else has the king. There are nine more diamonds out there (thirteen total minus two from your hand and the two on the board), so you have a roughly 18% chance of hitting a flush on the next card. Thus, if the pot is $100, and the bet is $10, even though you are losing, you have odds with your flush draw. However, let's say the pot is $100 on the turn (there is one card left) and your opponent bets $300. The pot is $400 and you must put in $300 to see the river. You are getting pot odds of 4:3 which is not enough, because the odds are about 4:1 (12:3) against hitting your flush. Another way to look at it is that you have only a 1 in 5 chance of hitting your flush, but you have to put in 3 of 7 dollars in the total pot.

Preflop: The betting round after you are dealt your two hole cards and there are no cards on the board yet.

River: The fifth and final card that comes on the board in Hold'em, after the turn.Shorthand: A poker game with six or fewer people.

Turn: The fourth board card that comes out in Hold'em, the card after the flop.

Source: http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/jargon.php

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Sexton's Corner, Vol. 48: 1994 WSOP Champ Russ Hamilton's 'Divine Intervention'

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:10:00 -0700
Several years ago I visited Russ Hamilton with a group of friends at a beach house in San Diego, where he was recovering from his stomach surgery. Russ said, 'Tommy, I'm going to tell you a story I've only told to a handful...

World Series of Poker Daily Summary for June 7th, 2008

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:09:00 -0700
Saturday at the WSOP was business -- or rather, busy -- as usual. Another six-pack of events saw action in the Amazon Room – two events found their champions, a final table was set and another event neared the same stage, while...

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