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Sep 30, 2007

Bad Beat the Definition

I have been asked and seen several people post this very question on online forums; "What is a bad beat?" Well, I realized that it is not a very simple answer so I decided to let Wikipedia to do the explaining.

In poker, "bad beat" is a subjective term for a hand in which a player who had what appeared to be strong cards nevertheless loses. There is no consensus among poker players as to what exactly constitutes a bad beat, and often players will disagree about whether a particular hand was a bad beat.

Types of bad beats
Any hand that looked like a favorite to win can end up losing as more cards are dealt, but bad beats usually involve one of two scenarios:

The player who wins via a bad beat is rewarded for mathematically unsound play. Calling a bet despite having neither the best hand nor the right pot odds to call, then winning anyway, is characteristic of this type of bad beat. It can also involve the inferior hand catching runners when it required two cards in a row to come from behind to win the pot. For example, catching cards on both the turn and the river in Texas hold 'em that complete a straight or a flush.
A very strong hand loses to an even stronger one. This type of beat occurs with some frequency in movies. In the films The Cincinnati Kid and Casino Royale, the Kid and Le Chiffre, respectively, lose with full houses to straight flushes.

Reacting to bad beats
A bad beat is often a profound psychological blow, and can easily lead to a player going on tilt. Professional player Phil Hellmuth, among others, is notorious for his pronounced reactions to bad beats. However, suffering a bad beat means that the losing player was "getting the money in good" and in most instances will win the pot. Thus, the more stoic poker players accept bad beats as an unpleasant but necessary drawback to a tactic that works the vast majority of the time.


Bad beats online
In online poker rooms, bad beats often lead to accusations that the random number generator is "rigged", even though such beats also occur in offline games. Many online poker rooms post statistical data which purports to confirm the randomness of the hands generated.[1]


Bad beat jackpot
A bad beat jackpot is a prize that is paid when a sufficiently strong hand is shown down and loses to an even stronger hand held by another player.[2] Not all poker games offer bad beat jackpots, and those that do have specific requirements for how strong a losing hand must be to qualify for the jackpot. For example, the losing hand may be required to be four-of-a-kind or better. There may be additional requirements as well. For example, in Texas hold 'em there is usually a requirement that both hole cards play in both the losing and winning hands.

Bad beat jackpots are usually progressive, often with a small rake being taken out of each pot to fund the jackpot (in addition to the regular rake). When a jackpot is won, it is usually split among all players sitting at the table at the time of the bad beat with the losing hand getting the largest share.

Because these jackpots are marketing tools to attract customers to the casino, specific rules, collections, payout percentages, and amounts vary greatly from one casino or cardroom to the next, and are often changed.

From: Wikipedia

A final note on the Bad Beat Jackpots, most casinos have made it almost impossible for anyone to win these things anymore. Most casinos went by the rule that aces full or better had to be beat, now most have gone to having quads or better beat. However, whenever a jckpot is won, it is usually HUGE!

The Ogre
Poker Blog, Poker Pages, Ogre Poker

Sep 25, 2007

2008 World Poker Tour Schedule

The Mirage
May 19 - 23, 2007
The Mirage Poker Showdown Las Vegas, NV

Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
May 29 - June 2, 2007
Mandalay Bay Poker Championship Las Vegas, NV

Bellagio
July 10 - 15, 2007
Bellagio Cup III Las Vegas, NV

The Bicycle Casino
August 25 - 30, 2007
Legends of Poker Bell Gardens, CA

The Bicycle Casino
August 18, 2007
WPT Ladies Night V Bell Gardens, CA

Beau Rivage
September 6 - 9, 2007
Gulf Coast Poker Championship Biloxi, MS

Borgata
September 16 - 20, 2007
Borgata Poker Open Atlantic City, NJ

Club Med, The Player's Club
September 25 - 30, 2007
Turks & Caicos Poker Classic (Turkoise, Turks & Caicos islands in The Caribbean)

Casino Barcelona
October 12 - 16, 2007
WPT Spanish Championship Barcelona, Spain

Niagara Fallsview Resort Casino
October 26 - November 2, 2007
North American Poker Championship Niagara Falls, Canada

Foxwoods Resort Casino
November 8 - 13, 2007
World Poker Finals Mashantucket, CT

Bellagio
December 13 - 18, 2007
Five Diamond World Poker Classic Las Vegas, NV

Gold Strike Casino
January 20 - 23, 2008
World Poker Open Tunica, MS

Borgata
January 26 - 30, 2008
Borgata Poker Classic Atlantic City, NJ

Commerce Casino
February 23 - 28, 2008
L.A. Poker Classic Commerce, CA

Commerce Casino
March 1 - 3, 2008
WPT Celebrity Invitational Commerce, CA

Bay 101
March 10 - 14, 2008
Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship San Jose, CA

Grand Sierra Resort Casino (Formerly the Reno Hilton)
March 25 - 28, 2008
World Poker Challenge Reno, NV

Foxwoods Resort Casino
April 4 - 9, 2008
Foxwoods Poker Classic Mashantucket, CT

Bellagio
April 19 - 25, 2008
2008 WPT Championship Las Vegas, NV

If you attend and/or play in any of these events, please let me know about it andI will post your story on here! Good luck!

The Ogre

Sep 23, 2007

Caught Cheating At Absolute Poker?!

Inside job, security hack, or software hack? If you play online poker, you need to see these links about Absolute Poker:
two plus two
Absolute Poker Cheats

This could have very severe consequences to the entire online poker community.

The Ogre

Sep 22, 2007

Phil Helmuth/Chris Ferguson Bad Beat

Suck out, suck out, suck out

Poker Slang

A - Z list of some poker slang.

add-on
1. A last buy-in optionally permitted in a rebuy tournament, usually with no minimum chip requirement. That is, at the point of the add-on, every player still in the tournament can get another buy-in, generally receiving for the add-on in a larger amount of tournament chips than any of the rebuys. The add-on usually comes after a predetermined amount of time, say one hour. 2. The act of adding on, or the point in a tournament at which players can add on.
agent
The partner of a thief in a cheating scheme.
aggressive
Pertaining to a style of play characterized by much betting, raising, and reraising. This is not the same as loose play. Some of the best players are very selective about the cards they play, but when they do get into a pot, play those cards aggressively.
Alcohol.
I'll call.
all in
Out of chips, due to having put one's remaining chips into the current pot, while other active players still have more chips and have the option of further betting. He can't call the whole bet because he's all in.
ammunition
Chips. Houseman, I need more ammunition is a request for more chips.
ax
The percentage of a pot kept by the management to pay expenses
barnburner
Very good hand
BB
Shorthand, particularly in e-mail and Internet postings, for big blind.
B-game
The second-highest game in a particular club. Compare with A-game, big apple.
big player
A big-limit player, or someone who plays in large no-limit games.
bluff
1. Bet a weak hand with the hope of driving the other players out. Sometimes done with the intention of losing (and thus being forced to show the hand), which makes it a form of advertising. See advertise. 2. The act of bluffing. That was a good bluff. For both meanings, also called snow.
bring-in
1. The amount required to open a pot. What's the bring-in is asked by a player who wants to know how much is the minimum he can bet, or how much is the required amount to open the pot. 2. The player who opened the betting.
bubble
The position just out of the money in a tournament
buck
1. A marker used in games with a house dealer to indicate the deal position. Once upon a time, an actual buck knife was used as the marker, hence the name. Usually found now as part of the phrase pass the buck, that is, refuse to deal when it is one's turn to deal, passing the deck instead to the next player to the left. The phrase has passed into general usage meaning shift responsibility to someone else, and has found a place in most collections of famous quotations and sayings with Harry Truman's well-known slogan, The buck stops here. 2. (vt) Go up against [(usually) a better hand], in the sense of an inferior hand trying to beat an obviously better hand. For example, a player who has, in seven-card stud, only a pair of jacks, playing against someone with an exposed pair of aces, is said to be in the process of bucking the aces. The term is also found as part of the phrase buck the odds. See also chase, worst of it.
button
1. The disk or other marker that indicates the dealer position in a game dealt by a house dealer. 2. The actual dealer position (or, usually, the player in that position) in a game dealt by a house dealer. I opened the pot, and the button raised.
caller
Someone who calls a bet or raise. I bet $100 and got five callers.
crab
Three (the card)
crabs
In hold 'em, 3-3 as one's first two cards. See crab.
crack
Beat
daub
Markings put on cards with paint, ink, or some other fluid. Also called cosmetics white on whiteis a form of daub. Compare with shading.
drum
What players sometimes compare a tight player to, as, He plays tighter than a drum.
end
1. A share given by a cheater to an accomplice. 2. Any share of a poker pot. I made a seven on the last card and I got the low end of the pot. 3. The bet made during the final round of betting, as, for example, $2-$4 hold 'em with $8 on the end permits a last round at double the stakes.
floorman
The employee who seats players, brings new decks, keeps order, settles disputes, and sometimes sells chips to players.
foot
Poor hand. I got a hand like a foot.
freeze out
Bet in such a way as to prevent another player getting into a pot. They bet so much that they froze me out of the biggest pot of the night.
g1
Shorthand for good one. Used in the chat facility while playing poker in an online cardroom.
gap
1. A missing card in a hand, particularly in the middle of an inside straight 2. Empty seat. When a table has one or more empty seats, the dealer or one of the seated players may try to entice a prospective participant this way: Siddown. There's a gap in the trap for a sap.
gc
Shorthand for good call. Used in the chat facility while playing poker in an online cardroom.
good
1. Not foul, that is, describing a legitimate, playable hand, one that has not run afoul of the house rules. 2. See make the blind good 3. In lowball, smooth I've got a good eight means the hand is probably an 8-5 or 8-4. 4. Describing a, or the, winning hand, often said by the loser of a pot with respect to the hand that has beaten him, before he has shown his own hand. Saying That's good essentially surrenders the pot. See Good hand.
good game
One in which you expect to win a lot of money, presumably because the game is full of worse players than you.
Good hand.
A verbal acknowledgment by a player on the showdown that another player has the best hand.
hard-play
Show no mercy in one's play against another player, that is, do one's best to beat the opponent
h/e
Shorthand, particularly in e-mail and Internet postings, for hold 'em Also HE.
horse
Someone playing for you, with your money, or with money owed you. I'm losing, but I've got a horse in the 20 who's way ahead means that I have a part (or all) of someone's action (definition 4) in the 20-limit game.
Hit it!
1. Let's go. That might be, depending on the situation, I'll call your large bet, I'll draw cards, I'll play in this pot. 2. I raise.
horn
A drink. How about a horn? is a suggestion to join someone in a libation.
IGHN.
I go home now, in RGP speak. The expression is used in e-mail, and is also heard at the table. The implication is that a good hand held by the speaker just got beat, probably by a longshot. Also see YGHN.
LL
Shorthand, particularly in e-mail and Internet postings, for low limit. From an RGP posting: The Pastime Club has mostly LLHE.
load
A decent session's winnings. He's back for another load.
lollapalooza
1. A freak hand, often five specific, but random, cards, allowed to win once a night
looloo
lollapalooza.
loose
Playing liberally
loose juice
Booze.
loose player
One who plays loose.
loosey
A looseplayer.
loosey-goosey
1. A loose player. 2. (adv) Playing in a loose fashion.
loser
1. A losing player. 2. A player losing. (There is a distinction. Definition 2 may be just a temporary situation, while 1 implies permanency.) I'm loser today. (The implication here is that, yes, today I'm losing, but that will change.) 3. A losing session. I booked a loser my last three plays. 4. A hand that cannot (or probably cannot) win in a particular situation. I can't call
low
1. In a high-low splitgame, the low hand
luck
An illusory factor that losers think is the only reason for winning, and that winners know is the main determinant for winning only in the short run.
n1
Shorthand for nice one. Used in the chat facility while playing poker in an online.
nc
Shorthand for nice call. Used in the chat facility while playing poker in an online cardroom.
nh
Shorthand for nice hand. Used in the chat facility while playing poker in an online cardroom. The usual response is ty.
nhwps
RGP shorthand for Nice hand
n/l
Shorthand, particularly in e-mail and Internet postings, for no-limit. You might see a posting on rec.gambling.poker that starts, I was playing n/l h/e at the Pasatiempo last night, and this hand came up...
NLH
Shorthand, particularly in e-mail and Internet postings, for no-limit hold 'em.
no-brainer
A hand so good that it can be correctly played even by someone with no brains. In lowball that would be a good 6 or better, and in high, aces full or better.
no gypsy
In the larger double-limit games, usually above 15-30, with a live blind, the situation in which players are not permitted to open by just calling the blind, that is, opening with a bet the same size as the blind. Thus, the minimum opening bet is always two bets. See gypsying in.
No room.
I have a full house.
No vacancy.
I have a full house.
nursing
1. Fondling one's cards. 2. Playing extremely conservatively, usually with a small stack
overpair
In hold 'em, a player's pair higher than any card among the community cards. For example, you start with J-J, and the flop is 9-5-2.
pace
The speed of a game, with respect to its action. Fast pace describes a game with a lot of betting and raising, performed by most of the players
philosopher
In English slang, a thief or cheat at cards.
piece
A portion of one's action given away in exchange for help on the buy-in
p/l
Shorthand, particularly in e-mail and Internet postings, for pot-limit. You might see a posting on rec.gambling.poker that starts, I was playing p/l h/e at the Pasatiempo last night, and this hand came up...
player
1. Any participant in a poker game. There are eight players at each table. 2. Any participant in a particular pot. Even after the raise, there were still five players in the pot. 3. Someone who knows what's going on in the cardroom milieu, and usually implying someone making his living playing cards. Who's that guy putting all the chips in the pot? Some live one? Nah, he's a player.
pocket
1. The first two cards in hold 'em, that is a player's private cards (as opposed to the community cards or flop). I had a king in the pocket. 2. The downcard or downcards in a stud game. 3. (adj) Pertaining to the first two cards in hold 'em, usually a pair, as, for example, a pocket pair or pocket rockets.
position
1. Where a player sits in relation to the others at the table. 2. Where a player sits in relation to the dealer, or, sometimes, in relation to the blinds. Position 1 is generally the position to the left of the current dealer, although, in a three-blind traveling blind game, position 1 could be the position to the left of the big blind, that is, position 1 is three positions to the left of the dealer. Mike Caro reckons position as the number of players remaining to act. Thus, in an eight-player game, the position to the left of the dealer is position 7, while the dealer position is position 0. The compiler of this dictionary has extended this in his writings to blind games, wherein the position immediately to the left of the big blind is position 7, the dealer is position 2, the middle blind is position 1, and the big blind is position 0 (because no players act after him). Also see early position, late position. 3. Where a player sits in relation to a particular player. Sitting to someone's left is generally termed good position, and to his right bad position. 4. Good position with respect to the other players at the table. You can open with a worse hand when you've got position. 5. Sitting in good position with respect to a particular player, usually sitting one or two seats to the player's left. I had position on the live one all night, but I never held any hands.
possible
1. (In high poker, a hand that needs one card to be completed, as four cards to a flush or straight. For example, in seven-card stud, after the last card is dealt, you have face up three spades in sequence, possibly even four. Together with your three downcards, there exists a great possibility that you have a straight or better. A player may have board cards that rank higher than yours, such as a pair, but that player is afraid of your possibilities. When it is his turn to initiate the betting, he might say, Check to the possible. 2. (adj) In stud games, the description, often by the dealer of the hand, of a hand that could, based on its exposed cards, be part of a complete hand, such as a flush or straight. For example, in a five-card stud game, one player has four spades showing
post
Put up a missed blind. If you miss playing the blind in a particular round, probably because you were away from the table or because you just came into a game and the blind has already passed you, the house dealer asks if you want to post, that is, put in as many chips as are in the blind you missed. When the action gets to you, you have already called one bet, and, if the pot has not been raised, you do not have to put any more chips in the pot. (You can, of course, raise in turn.) This is not the same as an overblind or kill, in which the action temporarily skips the player who has put the blind chips in the pot, and which causes the limit to increase.
rabbit
1. A weak player. 2. Short for after the rabbit or follow the rabbit. A form of draw, usually lowball, in which a player gets a bonus from the other players for winning two pots in a row. For example, in a $4-to-go no-limit lowball game, each player puts up $20, which goes into a kitty. Whoever wins two pots in a row gets the kitty. This tends to stimulate action, because when a player wins a pot, she is likely to loosen her requirements for the next pot to try to get the kitty. She may kill the next pot to try to increase her chances of winning the next pot and to keep out the two-card draws.
raiser
Someone who raises. Check to the raiser.
sax
6 (the card, or the lowball hand).
say
1. Announce in turn whether one is betting or passing. 2. (n) Such an announcement
SB
Shorthand, particularly in e-mail and Internet postings, for small blind.
sponsor
1. Someone buying you a drink or meal. If someone offers you a drink at the table, when you call the cocktail waitress, you can say, Bring me a drink
squeezers
Special cards with suit and rank printed at the corners, so these can be seen by just barely squeezing back the corners. (This is the ordinary card format now, but many years ago, cards had no markings in their corners.)
street
In stud (and sometimes hold 'em), the dealing of a round of cards, usually preceded by its number, as third street, fifth street, and so on.
super-bluff
A successful bluff against the holder of a strong hand. For example, I have a pat 7-4 in no-limit lowball. You and I both have a lot of chips. Someone opens for $4, I raise $40, and you come in cold behind me. The first player does not call. After the draw, I bet $80. With only a momentary hesitation, you raise $200. I think you must have been slow-playing (see slow-play) a monster, and fold for the raise. You chuckle, and show a flash of paint in your hand as you muck it. You have just run a super-bluff.
Time!
1. A request by a player for more time to contemplate his action. In some clubs, unless a player calls time, others may act behind him, and if they do, his hand may become dead. 2. The verbal request by a house employee for the players to pay their time.
Treedlededee
Three cards, please. This is heard at the time of the draw in a draw poker game.
tx
Shorthand for thanks. Used in the chat facility while playing poker in an online cardroom. Usually typed in response to nh.
ty
Shorthand for thank you. Used in the chat facility while playing poker in an onlin cardroom. Usually typed in response to nh.
tyvm
Shorthand for thank you very much. Used in the chat facility while playing poker in an online cardroom.
up
1. Winning. How much you up? 2. In high poker, two pair, when referring only to the higher pair
ups
In high (draw, usually), the top pair in a two-pair hand. If two players have two pair, one might say, What are your ups? wanting to know whether the other has, for example, aces up or kings up.
Up scope!
I raise.
Upstairs!
I raise
Up the slope!
I raise
yo
yoleven.
Yoleven
11, in respect to the size of a bet. Probably comes from craps dealers who pronounce the word clearly, loudly, and distinctly to distinguish amid all the casino noise from the similar sounding seven. Often they drag it out to eeyoleven, and this is sometimes shortened to eeyo. Also, yo.
Z-game
The smallest game in a cardroom or casino. Opposite of A-game.
zombie
A poker player with no tells (see tell), one who has a poker face, shows no emotion, and otherwise exhibits no behavior to give away his holdings.
zuke
toke. This term is generally used only by dealers.

From: The Online Pokers

The Ogre

Sep 19, 2007

Home Tournament Setup

BUY-IN
This depends on how much your players are willing to spend. It is better to have a lower buyin if you are going to have rebuys and add-ons.

REBUYS
Whether or not you have a rebuys should be based on player preference and also on the characteristics of the game. Rebuys are good for tournaments where players will be coming from far away. If a player drove an hour to the game and got busted out with KK against AA on the 2nd hand they would be disappointed that they drove 2 hours to play 2 hands.

If you have conservative players then you may want to have a tourney with no rebuys. Players tend to play crazy during rebuy events and your conservative players may not enjoy them or want to put in money for the rebuy.

Most people think that the prize money will be greater with rebuy events but this is only true if the initial buy-in is the same as a no-rebuy. For example, a $50 buying/$50 rebuy will have about the same amount of money as a $100 no rebuy tourney.

Most of the time, the rebuy period lasts for an hour and the typical rebuy is either the same as the buy-in or half the amount. You can also have either 1 rebuy or unlimited rebuys. You can also change the number of chips you get for a rebuy to be more than what you got for a buy-in. This is to incentivize players to do a rebuy. For example, you could do a $50 buy-in to get $1,500 in chips and do a $50 rebuy to get $2,000 in more chips. For the buy-in you are getting $30 in chips per $1 in buy-in. For the rebuy, you are getting $40 in chips for every $1 invested.

Rebuys will cause your tourney to run longer. also, if you have rebuys then the blinds may have to be higher because more money will be in the game.

PAYOUTS
Payout structures can vary from conservative to top-heavy (where most of the money goes to the winner). Most people like top-heavy payouts so they can get a big windfall if they win. If you are playing a game with inexperienced players it might be better to have a more flat payout structure to reward marginal players. If bad players keep playing without winning any money they may stop going to your games.

In most cases, when 2 players get busted out at the same time, the one with the most chips gets the higher place.

BLINDS
It will take a few times to become comfortable with a blind structure. There is one huge rule you need to use when hosting a tournament for the first time - if you aren't sure what the blinds are then make them low! There is nothing worse than setting up a tournament that people look forward to enjoying but the blinds go up too fast and it becomes an all-in festival. My opinion on blind structures is that the majority of blinds schedules are WAY too fast and the tournies end up being crapshoots at the end. Devilfish has stated this opinion publicly also. The reason for the fast blind increases is because when it gets down to 2 players left, then the people who are waiting for the next game to start (or the dealer for that matter) gets impatient and all the railbirds don't like watching all the folding - they want to see action - even if it means rushing you into making a move you don't want to. It also has to do with the fact that poker rooms ultimately make money by the hour and want the tournies to finish faster. Unfortunately some players enjoy the fast blind structures. The reason for this is something most people don't realize. In games where the blinds are high, it encourages more aggressive betting because the pots (relative to the average stack size) are much bigger. This means that the more aggressive no-limit players (and hence, the BETTER no-limit players) favor high blinds. Although this is good for the aggressive players it is not necessarily fair. Having blinds that are so high that it becomes a crapshoot at the end means that luck plays the biggest part when the most money is as stake. This doesn't make sense. People are willing to play for an hour to squeeze in-the-money to get $50 but yet when it comes to a $500 difference then players are supposed to give up control of the game to mandatory all-ins at the end.

A good rule of thumb is that at the beginning of a tournament the big blind should be 1% of the average stack size (i.e. the starting stack size). For more aggressive games the big blind can be 2-3%. It should never be higher than 3%. Near the end of a tournament the big blind should be 5% of the average stack. To most players that seems low but think about this. If the big blind is 5% of the average stack then calling a bet to the river (without raises) means you will lose 20% of your stack. That is a lot. If you watch the WSOP of the $500 buy-in Pokerstars tournies then you can see that when it gets down to the final 2 players then the big blinds is usually 2-4% of the average stack.

Small tournies (10 players) should last about an hour. Medium sized tournaments (10-25 players) should last 2-3 hours and large tournaments (30 or more players) should last 3-5 hours. Blind increases are usually 50-100% of the last blind and the blind intervals are usually 20-30 minutes. Most home games tend to be casual, and therefore there are fewer hands dealt per hour because of people talking and socializing. The blind structure should not be altered during a tournament. The reason being is that the chip leaders will always want faster blinds and will always campaign for them, but blinds levels should be at a reasonable level to allow the average player room to play.
Make sure your color-ups are in line with your blinds. For example, if you color up the $25 chips then don't have blinds that are $250/$500 if you only have $100 chips.

STARTING CHIPS & CHIP VALUES
You typically need 4 different color chips in order to play a tournament. Three of the chips will have values of $5, $25, and $100. The fourth chip will have a vlue of $500 and will be brought in during a color-up. For really big tournaments you will want to have a 5th chip with a value of $1,000. It is best to have the starting chips be either 1,000 or 1,500. This is because most tournaments (especially online tournaments) have these as the starting values. Not only does it make it easier to run the tournament with conventional values, but it makes it easier for the players because they are used to betting the same amounts at the beginning of a tournament.

ANTES
Some tournaments use antes in order to speed up the tournament. To me this is pointless because if you want to speed up the tournament then just make the blinds bigger. If you use antes then before every hand you have to make sure all the players put their antes in. This can get annoying. But this is a personal preference. If the person running the tournament is a Stud player then there is a higher likelihood that there will be antes since Stud uses an ante.

All this information and more can be found at Home Poker Games

Sep 15, 2007

Unbelievable Hand

So, So Sick

Some Notable Poker Quotes

Last night I stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died. ~Steven Wright

The guy who invented poker was bright, but the guy who invented the chip was a genius. ~Author Unknown

If, after the first twenty minutes, you don't know who the sucker at the table is, it's you. ~Author Unknown

Is it a reasonable thing, I ask you, for a grown man to run about and hit a ball? Poker's the only game fit for a grown man. Then, your hand is against every man's, and every man's is against yours. Teamwork? Who ever made a fortune by teamwork? There's only one way to make a fortune, and that's to down the fellow who's up against you. ~W. Somerset Maugham

[Poker] exemplifies the worst aspects of capitalism that have made our country so great. ~Walter Matthau

Your best chance to get a Royal Flush in a casino is in the bathroom. ~VP Pappy

There are few things that are so unpardonably neglected in our country as poker. The upper class knows very little about it. Now and then you find ambassadors who have sort of a general knowledge of the game, but the ignorance of the people is fearful. Why, I have known clergymen, good men, kind-hearted, liberal, sincere, and all that, who did not know the meaning of a "flush." It is enough to make one ashamed of the species. ~Mark Twain

The commonest mistake in history is underestimating your opponent; it happens at the poker table all the time. ~David Shoup

I must complain the cards are ill shuffled till I have a good hand. ~Jonathan Swift

"How long does it take to learn poker, Dad?"
"All your life, son."
~Michael Pertwee

Poker: the art of civilized bushwhacking. ~Nick Dandalos, attributed

Poker is the game closest to the western conception of life, where life and thought are recognized as intimately combined, where free will prevails over philosophies of fate or of chance, where men are considered moral agents and where - at least in the short run - the important thing is not what happens but what people think happens. ~John Luckacs

Cards are war, in disguise of a sport. ~Charles Lamb

In a game of poker, I can put the players' souls in my pocket. ~Beausourire

I believe in poker the way I believe in the American Dream. Poker is good for you. It enriches the soul, sharpens the intellect, heals the spirit, and - when played well, nourishes the wallet. ~Lou Krieger

Poker, n. A game said to be played with cards for some purpose to this lexicographer unknown. ~Ambrose Bierce

Poker is... a fascinating, wonderful, intricate adventure on the high seas of human nature. ~David A Daniel

Poker's a day to learn and a lifetime to master. ~Robert Williamson III

From http://www.quotegarden.com/poker.html

Sep 10, 2007

The Mini Bluff

HERE'S A SIMPLE BLUFFING TECHNIQUE you can use the next time you play Texas Holdem poker... I call it the "Mini-Bluff". The Mini-Bluff is an easy way to win BIGGER POTS when you bluff... AND... decrease the chances that your opponents will call your bluff. It goes like this: When you want to "buy the pot" and bluff out an opponent you think is weak, what you do is make the MINIMUM RAISE possible in the current round of betting. After they call, make your REAL BLUFF on the NEXT round of betting... and take down the pot.

Here's what I mean... Let's say you're playing $1-2 no limit with good positioning. Josh makes a pre-flop raise of $15. The next few players fold... and the action is to you. You look down at J-10 of diamonds. You know this is a "hidden hand" that could bust Josh if something good hits on the flop... so you call. It's just you and Josh heads-up. The flop hits:7h-9s-2cNot exactly the flop you had hoped for. It gives you an inside straight draw... which means you have outs... but YOU KNOW BETTER than to chase an inside straight draw. Josh represents the flop and bets $25. You know he doesn't have anything... there's no way that flop helped him. He's been representing the flop all night with that same $25 bet... So YOUR READ on Josh is that he doesn't have anything, and that YOU can buy this pot. What do you do? The answer is to make the MINIMUM RAISE. Come back over Josh and make it $50 to play. (This is your "Mini-Bluff".) By doing this, you're taking control of the action and finding out EXACTLY where you stand in the hand. Most likely, Josh will call your raise. If he has something really good, he'll re-raise you. And in that case you should probably fold. BUT IF YOUR READ WAS CORRECT-- and Josh DOESN'T have a strong hand-- he'll just call... The reason he won't fold is because HE made the original bet. And since you only raised him the MINIMUM amount, it won't be enough to scare him off. OK, so Josh calls, and the turn hits: 7dThat pairs the board... but is no help to you. Josh is first to act again, but this time taps his fist against the table and checks. Just as you'd hoped. NOW it's time to make a REAL bluff and buy this pot. You come out firing $100 in chips... Josh shakes his head and says, "I can't call." He flips over his A-J. You throw your cards into the muck FACE DOWN... leaving everyone wondering what you had. And you rake a nice pot.

Here's why the Mini-Bluff technique is so powerful:
1. It gives you control in the hand. When you raise your opponent, you automatically assume a level of CONTROL. If your opponent re-raises, he takes control again... The entire POINT of a bluff is to get your opponent to fold. If he feels like he's in control, he won't fold... and your bluff won't work.
2. You get a better read on your opponent. In our example, Josh could have easily had something like A-9 (and hit top pair) or an over pair or whatever. You didn't THINK he had something good, but it's tough to know for sure. Your Mini-Bluff eliminates the confusion. If Josh had a monster, he would have either gone back over the top of you with a re-raise... or would have bet after the turn card. Instead, he just CALLED and then CHECKED the turn. That's pretty much a dead giveaway that he didn't have anything.
3. It builds the pot. In this case, you won $25 more by "setting up" your bluff with the Mini-Bluff. That's $25 more in your pocket at the end of the night... If you use the Mini-Bluff technique five times a game, that's a nice chunk of change added to your wins.
4. There's less risk involved. A MINIMUM RAISE is much safer than trying to buy the pot outright... especially when you're not completely sure your opponent is weak. The Mini-Bluff prevents pot-commitment and leaves you room to GET OUT of the hand if necessary.
5. Your bluff is more believable. The Mini-Bluff raises "red flags" for your opponent... mostly because he's not used to it. It doesn't APPEAR that your bluffing-- and that's the whole point, of course. After he calls your Mini-Bluff, he's going to be weary of you... confused about your hand. And THAT is the perfect setup for taking down the pot.

So that's the power of the Mini-Bluff. It's a great technique to add to your poker "bag of tricks"... But as with all strategies, use the Mini-Bluff SPARINGLY. Don't get careless with it or use it too much. The Mini-Bluff is NOT a replacement for your regular bluffing patterns. It's meant to keep your opponents off balance and MILK them for a few extra dollars once in awhile. Also, only perform the Mini-Bluff when you've got good positioning and sense weakness at the table... the same conditions as any other bluff.

From:
Roy Rounder
Poker Tips Newsletter Issue: September 9, 2007

Sep 8, 2007

New Social Networking Website

Do you use MySpace or Facebook? Well, I just discovered a new "up-and-coming" social networking site alot like MySpace. It is called Yuwie and you can go there and sign up by clicking this link http://www.yuwie.com/yuwie.asp?r=55204 . The huge difference between Yuwie and MySpace/Facebook is that you get paid to use the other one. NO STRINGS ATTACHED! This new site was just launched in July and as of Sept 8, 2007 4:00 a.m. my time it was up to almost 54,000 people. It almost seems like one of those "pyramid scheme" things like Amway. If this thing gets even a third of the people that MySpace/Facebook did, it will be huge for everyone that got in on the ground floor. For those of you who know me personally, you know that I am weary of these types of things. However, I have checked them out and already signed up. THERE IS NO FEE, YOU PAY NOTHING! And they end up paying you. It will NOT be alot at first. We are talking pennies for a few months. After that though, your income will snowball. But it doesn't cost you anything, and I think there is a good chance that they are going to be stealing a good sized portion of the folks who currently use MySpace and Facebook. You can still your MySpace or Facebook if you want, but after you see how it works at Yuwie, you will be begging your friends to join you over there. The link will take you to a video introduction where many of your questions will be answered. Try it if you want to, but if you don't and then find out alot of your friends have gone over there in the coming months, don't come crying to me. Well, I have rambled on long enough. Later.
http://www.yuwie.com/yuwie.asp?r=55204

The Ogre

Poker Game Last Saturday

OK, the (very loose) game is .25-.50 N/L Holdem. (It's the only cash game I can find in the area.) Bought in for $40.

First notable hand - Several hours into it, I was up to about $250. The seat to my right goes all in for his last $4 preflop. I look down down and find pocket 9s. I like to raise in this situation to drive out other potential competion, so I just doubled his bet to $8 total. I get 1 call from the BB, who only had .50 invested, but had to "defend his blind." Flop comes 10 - 6 - 10, rainbow. BB checks, so I figured it looks like a safe enough flop to bet $10 at. BB calls. Turn is a 5. BB checks, so I fire another $10. Another call by the BB. This guy will chase a gutshot or with two over cards, so I figured I was still safe at this point. River is a 9! Bingo, I boated! BB leads out with $15, so I figure he had 7-8 and hit his straight. I raise $50 more. He instantly says all in. So now I figure at best he has 6-6 or 5-5 and also has a boat, so I call $130 more. Final board 10-6-10-5-9. He flips over 10-6 offsuit. WTF?! Called a 16X the BB raise with 10-6 off?! I was slightly perturbed.

Second notable hand - I was back up to about $217. A preflop raise to $3.50 comes from a very crazy player in early position. 3 callers and then me in the SB. I look down at 3-5 offsuit. Not very impressive. But I am still slightly steaming from that earlier hand. So, I call. Flop comes 2h - 4h - 6d. Woohoo, I flopped the nuts! So, of course, I check it. Original raiser bets $10, the 10-6 offsuit guy from before raises to $20. Everyone else had folded by this time. I know either one of these guys will bet at a flush draw, so I decide to not let them see it cheaply. I reraise all in. Total bet from me = $213. Both players call, this put original raiser all in also for $186. WTF?! Original raiser shows KhKd- whew got him smoked! 10-6 offsuit guy shows Qh-3h. Seriously?! I knew one of them had to be on the flush draw. I figured as long as I could dodge a heart, I would triple up. Turn card is a 3c. Still safe and now the KK can not win! River is a 5s. Final board 2h-4h-6d-3c-5s. They both caught runner runner to make the same straight that I flopped. Oh well, at least the river wasn't the 5h.

Overall, it wasn't a bad night. Cashed out for nearly 5X what I bought in for.

See ya at the tables,
The Ogre

Sep 5, 2007

Poker Etiquette

In social situations, using proper etiquette gives you self-confidence, allows you to concentrate on more important matters, and at times, allows you to dominate a situation against someone who does not use proper etiquette. Poker etiquette not only makes for a better game, but is an acquired skill that can possibly increase a player's odds of success.

Poker etiquette are not rules, but manners that relate to the orderly maintenance of the game and civility among those who participate in the game.

I know you all have seen these people at the tables or even online. They are God's gift to poker. They can do no wrong and if you say any different, refer back to "they can do no wrong." Some people have just a quirk or two that you don't like or maybe even you have been pointed out as the bad guy upon occasion. Too many players out there just don't know and/or understand that poker is a game with a long history and should be played with a certain amount a class.

So, I have compiled the "laundry list" of proper poker etiquette:

  1. Play in turn. Folding your hand or leaving your seat before it is your turn to bet should be avoided as much as possible as it reveals important information to players still in the hand. This also applies to holding your cards out waiting for players in front of you to act so that you can fold. Also wait for your turn to call or raise, although this tends to be less common.
  2. Do not splash the pot. When you are making a bet, place your chips neatly in front of you in easily countable stacks (within the dealer's reach and let the dealer pull them into the pot if you have a dealer). Players who toss chips into the middle run the risk of having to put more in if the other players are unable to tell how many chips were originally thrown into the pot.
  3. Do not "slow roll." Taking your time to reveal a winning hand is just bad sportsmanship. If it is time to reveal your cards and you are fairly sure that you are the winner, show them immediately.
  4. Show one, show all. If you have bet everyone else out of the pot and you decide to show one or more other players your cards, you should show everyone at the table.
  5. The "Commentator." Trust me, you are not Howard Cosell, Norman Chad, or Lon McEachern. In a game like poker, outside commentary is not appreciated. Your opinions, your suggestions, even your body language can affect the decisions of the remaining players considering their options. Watch and learn and you're sure to pick up on a tell you can exploit in a later hand. One of the worst things that a player not in the hand can do is to see a pair or better on a flop and then show immediate frustration for not staying in the hand. This gives the other players information that their opponents most likely did not hit that flop and will change the way the remainder of the hand is played.
  6. Be polite. Not only does exemplary sportsmanship make for an enjoyable poker game, it can actually improve your game. Poker is a game of concentration and emotional restraint. Losing control can put you on tilt in a hurry and is a sure sign to the other players at the table that you're not playing well. Don't be mean by criticizing an opponent's play, being verbally abusive to another player, or by being cocky about how good you are (or think you are). On the flip side, if someone has met those qualifications by talking directly to you, the best thing to do is just smile and agree. "Ya, I got lucky there", "I can see how I might've played that wrong", and "Oh ya, I've heard of you before, I was told to look out" are all acceptable comments that will hopefully end the discussion. Don't let the sarcasm show though.
  7. Pay attention. Few things are more aggravating than a player who says, "Whose turn is it?" when it's been their turn for several minutes.
  8. Keep your cards visible. If you are still in a hand, make sure that your cards in front of you are visible to all other players. If they aren't visible, another player may accidentally act out of turn not realizing you are still in the hand. And never remove the cards from the table; i.e. pulling the cards under the table so that you can "look" at them.
  9. Check it down? This is more common in tournaments than in ring games, however, under no circumstance, should you verbalize to another player that you agree to check a hand down when a third player is all-in (many casinos will have you ejected from the game for this). It is perfectly legal and acceptable to do this as long as it is not said out loud.
  10. String bets. Most games, casino or ring, outright forbid string bets. I know I do. String betting is when a player goes "I'll call your 500.... and raise another 1000!" You have to declare whether you're simply calling or raising right away -- once you say "call," that's all you can do. If you're going to raise, say raise and the amount right away. There are also nonverbal string bets. This happens when a player places some chips in front of his/her cards and then goes back and grabs some more. Either verbalize your bet/raise amount before hand(which is binding) or make sure you have enough chips in your hand(s) before placing the bet out in front of your cards.
  11. Speak ENGLISH! Sorry, but I am an American and the rule at my table as well as all American casinos is this- speak English. It would be very easy for two players from Japan (for example) to be in collusion and discuss everything in Japanese without anyone else knowing what is being said.
  12. Poker table not Dinner Table. If you want to eat, go to the buffet. Nothing’s worse than sitting beside a player who’s scattering sandwich crumbs all over your chips, or getting mayonnaise on the cards. These players also tend to take more time to get to their hands when they are first dealt. Tip: Most people will play alot tighter when they are trying to eat. If an eater gets involved in a hand, they probably have something good.
  13. Don't be a poor winner. Tip the dealer, for sure, and don't keep stacking and restacking your big load of chips like you were Donald Trump building a skyscraper. Lose any way you want, as long as you pay up, but win with class.
  14. Table real estate. Do not take up more space than is reasonable on the table. Your chips, cards, card protector, drinks, cigarettes, lighter, Bible, rabbit's foot, etc. should not be covering half the table.

Comments, questions, anything you think should be added to the list. Let me know.

The Ogre

Sep 3, 2007

Collusion in Poker?! Never!?

Collusion is two or more players acting with a secret, common strategy. Some common forms of collusion are: soft play, that is, failing to bet or raise in a situation that would normally merit it because you don't want to cost your partner money; whipsawing, where partners raise and reraise each other to trap players in between; dumping, where a cheater will deliberately lose to a partner; and signalling, trading information between partners via signals of some sort.

Simple collusion in online poker is relatively easy and much more difficult to immediately spot if executed well. Cheaters can engage in telephone calls or instant messaging discussing their cards since nobody can see them. Sometimes one person can be using two or more computers and playing under different aliases. This gives him an advantage that's difficult to work against.
However, online poker cardrooms keep records of every hand played, and collusion can often be detected by finding any of several detectable patterns (such as folding good hands to a small bet as it is known that another player has a better hand).

Another concern in online poker is the use of bots. These are programs that play instead of a real human. Though their accuracy and their ability to actually win are in dispute, their use does violate the rules of the cardrooms so using them is by definition cheating.

In a poker tournament, when one player is all in and two other players are active in the pot, it is common for the two players with chips left to "check it down". Unless they explicitly communicate an agreement about checking it down, this is not collusion.

From : Wikipedia

I strongly agree with the last paragraph here. Unless you flop the nuts or at least a set, there is absolutely NO reason for you to bet at a pot where there is another player all in! It is strategically better for you to eliminate another player(or allow them to be eliminated) as the more players knocked out, the higher you advance in the finish $.

Online Site of the Month



* Only a year old, but with a strong reputation. What this means is that they are a reputable poker room, however there is still a large market of players who are at Party Poker, Full Tilt, Stars, etc who don’t yet have Cake Poker accounts. You can be in at the beginning.

* US-Friendly. That’s right - US Players can play here. With only a few poker rooms still accepting US players, this makes Cake Poker an even stronger option.

* Cake has linked up with a lot of online sportsbooks, and this means that the network has a lot of very bad players. Who DOESN’T want to play with bad players?

* A lot of traffic, so players should be able to play many games with ease. Over 4000 players at most times of the day.

* Fantastic promotions, including a 100% to $500 sign up bonus, the Gold Card 500, lots of freerolls, rebuys, etc. This month they are running numerous satellites to the World Poker Tour event.

Seriously, to reiterate, there should be mass quantities of FISH at this site for at least a while. If for nothing else, the "Fish Factor" should be enough to lure the serious players here.

Sep 1, 2007

Bad Beat


Now that's a bad beat. A(s)A(h )vs K(d)K(s) all in preflop. Flop 8(d)5(d)6(c); Turn A(d); River 7(d). That's Poker...