Ogre's Poker Pages

How to prevent bad beats online

2008-04-09T13:19:00.001-05:00

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Roy Rounder Poker Tips Newsletter
Issue: January 20, 2008
Next Issue: January 28, 2008
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Steve,

There are two types of bad beats:

BAD BEAT #1...

When you catch a monster hand but lose to a BIGGER monster
hand.

For example, let's say you're holding pocket Aces and the
flop hits A-6-6. That means you've got a full house.

Your opponent goes ALL-IN... and you call. You think your
Aces are the best hand but they're NOT, because your
opponent has pocket sixes, which gives him the
four-of-a-kind.

BAD BEAT #2...

When YOU have the best hand and your opponent has the WORST
hand but your opponent GETS LUCKY and wins the pot.

For example, let's say you have pocket Aces and go all-in.
Your opponent calls with pocket three's.

The flop hits 2-4-5 and the turn card is a 6, giving your
opponent the STRAIGHT and causing you to lose the hand.

Now that's a bad beat.

And let's face it, the SECOND type of bad beat-- the one
where your opponent gets totally LUCKY and outdraws you-- is
the kind of beat that just plain SUCKS. And pisses you off.

In fact, the second type of bad beat is the kind you
REMEMBER the most too. When someone says, "Hey man, how did
your card game go?", the first thing that will come out of
your mouth will be the story of that bad beat.

Am I right?

Now here's what's interesting...

MORE BAD BEATS HAPPEN IN ONLINE POKER THAN IN "REGULAR" LIVE
POKER.

Literally, you'll see more bad beats happen in an online
poker game than you'll see at a local cash game or in a
casino.

If you play both online and offline poker, I'm sure you
agree with this statement.

So what's going on here? Why would it be this way?

There are two popular "theories"...

1. Online poker is rigged.

2. There are more hands per hour, therefore it's an ILLUSION
that there are more bad beats.

My opinion is that BOTH of these theories are WRONG.

Here's why:

First off, I genuinely believe online poker is NOT rigged.
I mean, c'mon... Do you REALLY think these multi-billion
dollar casinos would need to RIG hands?

They make their money from tournament entry fees and
rakes... and trust me, they're making plenty.

OK, so what about the second theory?

Well, I do agree that there are more hands per hour in
online poker than offline poker. There's no disputing that.

But I don't think that's a good enough reason...

Because my belief is that there are MORE bad beats that
happen per X number of hands ONLINE than for offline poker.

For instance, let's say you played 100 hands. And let's say
you caught two really bad beats for every 100 hands at a
casino. That's 2%.

In online poker, you're likely to catch FIVE or even TEN of
those really bad beats per 100 hands. That's 5-10%.

So the fact that you're seeing MORE hands doesn't explain
the HIGHER PERCENTAGE of bad beats.

Still with me?

OK, so now let me give you MY "theory" about this.

It's not really a theory. Just good old simple logic,
actually.

Here it goes:

The reason there are more bad beats in ONLINE poker is
because the very NATURE of online poker leads people to PLAY
DIFFERENTLY.

The CARDS and ODDS are the same.

It's the PLAYERS that aren't the same.

What I mean is that for online poker, a LARGE portion of
players adopt the style of LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE.

Translation? Manic.

They act irrationally... play hands they shouldn't play...
and bet way too aggressively for most given situations.

Why?

Because online poker isn't as "real".

The money isn't as real. I mean, heck... the casinos give
you so much "free" money when you sign up, how COULD it feel
real?

The cards aren't real. The chips aren't real. The table
isn't real. NONE OF THAT STUFF EVEN EXISTS.

All you see when you play online poker are some silly little
animations. And you hear some "clickity-click" sounds of
fake chips.

That's it.

Nothing else.

Period.

And if you LOSE a game, all you have to do is make three or
four mouse clicks and you're INSTANTLY playing another game.

And hell, you can PLAY ten games at once if you want!

You can literally play poker against 100 players AT THE SAME
TIME!

It's a different world, my friend.

Now... let's get back to the bad beats.

The FACT that players are LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE is what leads to
the SITUATIONS where bad beats happen.

Here's why:

1. Players bet their draws more or call large bets with
draws or OK hands (i.e. bottom pair).

2. More players are involved in every pot.

3. The pots are bigger, since players are more aggressive.

When these conditions COMBINE TOGETHER, it creates an
environment where there are a lot of BIG POTS and bad beats.

It's not that the cards are "rigged".

It's that the betting patterns and playing styles are
DIFFERENT than what you're used to.

And when you combine that with the fact that you see more
hands per hour, it inevitably leads to seeing a lot more
"crazy" hands and bad beats than in regular poker.

OK, so now the obvious question becomes...

Is there any way to PREVENT bad beats?

The answer is yes and no.

Ultimately, bad beats will occur NO MATTER WHAT if you're
playing good poker. Because to win at poker, you've got to
be willing to take RISKS.

And most risks have a minimum 20% chance or more of NOT
working out in your favor.

With that being said, there ARE ways to prevent a LARGE
PORTION of the bad beats you'll see online.

Not only can you prevent them, but you can literally turn it
around and make it YOUR ULTIMATE ADVANTAGE.

The key is to "tilt the tables" in your favor and USE the
fact that players are so loose and aggressive to HELP YOU
win more pots.

The way you achieve this is by adopting a SPECIAL playing
style designed SPECIFICALLY for online poker...

My name for this "secret sauce" is this:

TIGHT-AGGRESSIVE SQUARED.

The concept of "tight-aggressive squared" is quite simple...

It starts with the logic that tight-aggressive is the most
effective playing style to use in poker.

Tight-aggressive means TIGHT with hand selection, AGGRESSIVE
with betting.

With online poker, there are more players in every hand.
That means you must play EVEN TIGHTER with your hand
selection.

You should ONLY play monster hands!

Period!

There's absolutely no reason to get involved with "decent"
hands because the odds are against you.

You're bound to run into players who are CHASING or who just
caught an extremely lucky flop.

When you DO get involved with a hand, you must be OVERLY
aggressive. The pot size will be bigger, so you can't lose
many hands or else you'll be out of the game in a hurry.

You must STRIKE... and you must STRIKE HARD.

You must risk ALL OF YOUR CHIPS-- frequently-- in order to
win.

Of course, it's much easier to risk all of your chips when
you have a GREAT HAND than it is otherwise.

You see, the goal is to do two things:

1. Force out all but one, maybe two players for any pot you
get involved with.

2. Have the odds so unbelievably stacked in your favor that
you win far more HUGE pots than you lose.

And when you win lots of big pots, you become chip leader
VERY QUICKLY. And that's how you take control over a poker
table.

The reason you want to force people OUT of the hand is
simple mathematics.

Let's say for instance you get pocket ACES.

Here's what three of your opponents are holding:

Player 1: K-K

Player 2: 10-9 suited

Player 3: Q-10 offsuit

Now, if you went heads-up against any of these hands
ONE-ON-ONE, your odds of winning would be about 80%. They'd
be 85% against Player 3.

BUT...

If you went up against ALL THREE of these opponents in one
single hand, your odds of winning is just 58.5%!

That's just over 50/50 with the absolute BEST starting hand
possible.

Get my point?

So when you GET pocket Aces, you need to FORCE OUT all but
one caller.

You've got to be VERY AGGRESSIVE.

In low stakes Sit and Go's and ring games online, that quite
often means going all-in.

Like I said, you've got to risk ALL your chips.

Now if you go all-in and one of those players makes a CALL,
you'll win four out of five times.

So if you get five big hands a game, you only lose ONCE. Of
course, that one you lose USUALLY won't wipe you out,
because you'll have more chips from the OTHER big hands...

Get my drift?

Literally, if I play low-stakes online Sit and Go's, here is
what my betting pattern looks like:

Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Limp-in
Fold
Limp-in
Fold
Fold
Fold
All-in
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
All-In
Fold

And so on...

I'm serious!

THIS IS HOW YOU WIN. It seems kind of "strange" to think
about, but this is it!

Now... when you get down to just a few players in a game,
it's time to bust out the strategies, bluffs, trick plays,
and so on.

BUT WHAT GETS YOU THERE is this TIGHT-AGGRESSIVE SQUARED
style of play.

OK, so now the question becomes...

If all you did was ever FOLD or go ALL-IN, why would anyone
ever CALL your bets?

What a great question.

And we've already gone over the answer...

It's because online poker isn't the same as offline poker.
The people on there are DISTRACTED and often STUPID and VERY
LOOSE.

That's all there is to it.

AND THAT IS PRECISELY WHY ONLINE POKER IS SO MUCH EASIER TO
MAKE MONEY AT... ONCE YOU LEARN THESE SECRETS.

Once you "crack the code", it's amazing how SIMPLE it is to
win at online poker.

It's actually SO SIMPLE and SO IRRATIONAL that I'm not sure
it will always be this way. It seems that all those fish out
there have GOT to go broke sooner or later.

But until that day comes, I'll be making hay while the sun
is shining...

And I recommend you do the same.

So, you've learned the basic style of play for online poker,
which is "tight-aggressive squared".

Use it, go win some pots, and let me know what you think.

I'll write to you again soon.

Your Friend,

Roy Rounder

Poker Odds

2007-12-31T15:10:00.000-06:00

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Roy Rounder Poker Tips Newsletter
Issue: December 29, 2007
Next Issue: January 5, 2008
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You DON'T need to be a "math genius" to understand poker
odds...

Not at all.

In fact, you can be TERRIBLE at math (like me) and still be
able to use "odds" to your advantage at the no limit Holdem
tables.

There are TWO main things you need to learn right away:

1. The concept of OUTS
2. The concept of POT SIZE

These are easy. Let's start with the first.

"Outs" refers to the number of cards in the deck that will
complete (or "make") your hand.

For instance... if you have Ace-King and the board reads
Q-J-4, you need a ten to make your straight.

Since there are four tens in the deck, you have FOUR OUTS.

Or... let's say you're holding Q-J and the board reads
K-10-5. That means you have an open-ended straight draw--
either the Ace or the nine will complete your straight.

Since there are four nines and four Aces in the deck, you
have EIGHT OUTS.

Let's do one more. Let's say you've got 8-7 of clubs and the
board reads 2c-Ad-Kc-3s. That means there are two clubs on
the board and two in your hand. If one more club hits on the
river, you'll have a flush.

There are a total of thirteen clubs in the deck (thirteen of
each suit times four suits equals fifty-two cards).

But that DOESN'T mean you have thirteen outs, because you're
already using four of the clubs.

Instead, you have NINE OUTS (thirteen minus four). If any of
those nine cards hits on the river, you'll have a flush.

OK... so that's how you calculate OUTS. We'll do some more
in-depth examples in a minute, but first let's talk about
POT SIZE.

Pot size is how much money is in the pot. Pretty simple,
right?

There are three main parts to pot size:

1. How much money is already in the middle
2. How much is bet in the current round of betting
3. How much WILL be bet in the current round

Let me explain.

Let's say four players call the big blind of $4 in a game.
That means there's $16 in the middle.

The flop comes out. You're on the button, which means you're
LAST to act. Player 1 bets $10 into the pot. Player 2 calls,
and Player 3 folds. Now it's your turn. What's the current
pot size?

The answer is $36. There's the $16 that was in the middle
first, then $20 more from Players 1 and 2.

The $16 is the first part, the $20 is the second part, and
there is no third part since you were last to act.

Let's take another look. Let's say you were SECOND TO ACT,
instead of on the button.

Four players call the big blind of $4, which means there's
$16 in the pot. Player 1 bets $10, and now you must make a
decision. What's the pot size?

Well, it's $16 + $10 + UNKNOWN.

Why "unknown"?

The reason is you DON'T KNOW if the two players BEHIND you
are going to call, raise, or fold. So you really don't KNOW
the exact pot size.

This is a fundamental reason why math doesn't solve all your
problems in poker. You must use your INSTINCTS to "guess" or
"infer".

In this case, you would try to guess whether or not the
other two players would call or fold (or raise) and make
your decision then. This is also another reason why
POSITIONING in a hand is so important.

One more thing about pot size before we move on...

A lot of players don't know whether to count THEIR OWN MONEY
in the actual pot size.

The answer is you count your own money that's ALREADY THERE
from before. In the example, your big blind of $4 is already
in the pot... so you DO use it to calculate the pot size.

Once your money is in the middle, it isn't yours any more.
Period.

But you would NOT include your $10 in the pot size, because
you haven't put it in yet. You're THINKING about putting it
in.

Make sense?

Let's say you called the $10 bet from Player 1 and the other
players all folded. The turn card comes and Player 1 bets
$20. What's the pot size?

Well, it's $16 from pre-flop, $20 after the flop, and now
$20 after the turn.

You DO count your $10 after the flop because now it IS
already in the middle.

OK... so what does OUTS and POT SIZE have to do with ODDS?

The answer is EVERYTHING.

Now that you know these two basics, you're ready to start
calculating "complicated" poker odds.

To calculate odds, you need four pieces of information:

1. Number of outs
2. Number of "unknown" cards in the deck
3. Pot size
4. Current bet amount

We talked about the outs and pot size. The other two are
very straightforward.

The number of "unknown" cards in the deck simply means how
many cards you DON'T KNOW. Before the flop, there are 50
cards you don't know. You only know the two in your hand.

After the flop, there are 47 cards you don't know. You know
the two in your hand and the three on the board and that's
it.

After the turn there are 46 cards you don't know.

Like I said, this is simple stuff.

And the CURRENT BET AMOUNT is just... well, the current bet
amount. It's how much you must put in the pot to "call".

OK, let's review.

Let's say you get dealt J-10 offsuit. You call the big blind
of $6 and so does one other player. The small blind folds.
The player in the big blind checks. That means the POT SIZE
is $21 ($6 + $6 + $6 + $3).

The flop comes out Q-2-9. You've got an open-ended straight
draw. Either a King or an eight will make your straight.
Since there are four Kings and four eights in the deck,
you've got EIGHT OUTS.

There are 47 unknown CARDS in the deck (52 cards minus the
five that you see).

You're second to act. The first player bets $12. That means
$12 is the CURRENT BET AMOUNT.

The POT SIZE is $21 + $12 + UNKNOWN. The unknown is what the
player after you does...

So there you have it... those are the four pieces of
information you need. The only thing you don't know for SURE
is the pot size in this example.

Sometimes you'll know the pot size exactly (like when you
have good positioning). Other times you'll just have to
estimate.

OK, let's do some odds.

THE WAY TO CALCULATE ODDS IS TO COMPARE THE ODDS OF MAKING
YOUR HAND TO THE ODDS OF THE POT.

Here's the exact "formula":

(Unknown Cards - Outs) : Outs

VERSUS

Pot Size : Current Bet Amount

If the first comparison is smaller than the second one,
that's good. It means that "pot odds justify a call" (or
raise).

For instance, if you have 12 outs and there are 47 unknown
cards, that means you have ABOUT a 25% chance of "making"
your hand.

The odds against you are 35:12, or about 3:1.

Remember... when you see two numbers like X:X, the first
number is the chance of one thing happening against the
chance of the second thing happening. You'll miss your hand
three times and make it once. That's 1/4 or 25% or 3:1.

Now let's say the pot size is $50 and the current bet amount
is $10. That means the odds would be $50:$10, or 5:1.

It's easiest to look at in the X:X format and not use
percentages.

OK, so here's what you've got for this example:

Outs = 12
Unknown Cards = 47
Current Bet Amount = 10
Pot Size = 50

There are 35 cards that WON'T HELP YOU (47 - 12).

So the odds are 35:12 for the cards.

And for the pot it's 50:10. You don't add your $10 to the
first number. Just use the current pot size.

35:12 is about 3:1.
50:10 equals 5:1.

The entire point of calculating odds is to make a good
decision. To make a decision of whether or not to call a $10
bet here, you would compare the 3:1 versus 5:1.

The odds here are IN YOUR FAVOR.

If this scenario played out four times, here's how it would
look STATISTICALLY:

- You lose $10.
- You lose $10.
- You win $50.
- You lose $10.

You lose three times and win once (3:1). When you add your
losses it equals $30 but your wins are $50, giving you a $20
profit.

If the scenario happened eight times you'd win twice and
lose six times. That means you'd lose $60 and win $100...
for a $40 profit.

For real life poker situations, the key is to calculate
whether or not you can "justify" staying in the hand.

Let's say you have A-8 and the flop comes out:

K-10-4

Someone bets $10 and the pot size is $20. What should you
do?

Well, you don't have anything but an Ace high. If the Ace
comes on the turn, you'd have top pair. So let's ASSUME that
your top pair would be the winning hand.

That means there are three cards in the deck that can help
you (the other three Aces). And there areexactly 47 unknown
cards in the deck.

So we have our numbers:

Outs = 3
Unknown Cards = 47
Current Bet Amount = 10
Pot Size = 20

Using our formula...

(47 - 3) : 3

VERSUS...

20 : 10

So the numbers come out 44:3 (about 15:1) versus 2:1. Should
you call?

Of course not.

You're only getting 2:1 for your money but your chances of
winning the hand are very slim.

If the hand played out 16 times you would win ONCE. So you'd
lose $150 (15 X $10) and win $20, for a total loss of $130.

You're always striving for good odds on your money and good
odds on your hand.

Good odds on your hand means the X:X number is as SMALL AS
POSSIBLE... because you want lots of outs. You don't want
there to be only one or two cards in the deck that can help
you. You want fractions like 47:12, 46:10, 46:8, and so on.

Good odds on your money means the X:X number is BIG. You
want 10:1, 5:1, 12:1, and so on.

OK, I'm going to give one more example. See if you're smart
enough to figure this out on your own (you may need to use a
scratch piece of paper)...

You're second to act pre-flop and look down to see Kc-Jc.
You limp-in by calling the $4 big blind.

Three other players call. The small blind (who put in $2)
folds.

The player in the big blind decides to RAISE the pot to $8.
You call. Two of the other three players call... but one
folds.

So now there are four players total in the hand... the guy
in the big blind, you, and the two other callers. (Still
with me here?)

The flop comes out:

Ac-4s-8c

What a great flop for you. You've got the nut flush draw.

The player in the big blind is first to act. He checks. You
check also (which I would NOT recommend doing here, by the
way).

The next player bets $16. The next one calls. The guy who
made the original pre-flop raise folds.

So now the action is on to you.

What is the...

Number of outs?
Number of unknown cards?
Current bet amount?
Pot size?

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...

Should you call?

See if you can figure it out before I give you the answer.

...

...

...

...

OK, so the answer is this:

Yes, you should call.

The pot size is $70. The current bet amount is $16. The
number of outs is 9. And the number of unknown cards is 47.

The pot size was the hardest thing to figure out.
Remember... the small blind folded his $2. Another player
folded their $4. So there was $6 in the middle, plus $32
with the four callers. So $38 before the flop.

Then there were two players in for $16 after the flop, which
equals $32. $38 + $32 = $70. Luckily, there weren't any
other players left to act after you in this exact round of
betting.

The number of outs is simple. Thirteen clubs in the deck
minus the four you already see equals nine. And the number
of unknown cards is 52 minus the five you see... which
equals 47.

Plugging those numbers into our handy "formula" gives us:

(47-9):9 Versus 70:16

That's equal to 38:9 versus 70:16

Now you might be wondering, "How the hell am I supposed to
know what 70 divided by 16 is or 38 divided by 9? It's not
like I'll have a calculator handy at the table!"

True.

But you don't have to know the EXACT numbers. All you need
to know is if the second one is bigger than the first. And
that's pretty easy.

When I do it, here's what goes on in my head:

"38 over 9 is about the same as 36 over 9, which equals 4.
That means 38 over 9 is 4 and 2/9ths.

70 over 16 is closest to 64 over 16, which also equals 4.
That means 70 over 16 is 4 and 6/16ths.

Now I just have to compare 2/9 to 6/16. 2/9 is like 2/10,
which equals .2. 6/16 is kind of like 6/18, which is .33. So
the second one is bigger."

And that means the call IS justified.

Now let me clarify something...

In this example the two numbers are VERY close (4.22 versus
4.375). Usually they WON'T be that close. Usually they'll be
something like 3.3 versus 8.2 or 2.5 versus 4.1.

That means in MOST cases you won't have to do all that
fraction stuff. OR, even if you DO have those fractions, you
won't need to calculate it. You'll probably just consider it
"about even" and make your decision based on other factors.

All right... so that's basically how you calculate pot odds.
Of course, there's more.

You also want to know IMPLIED ODDS. Implied odds aren't as
math-related. Implied odds basically pertain to hands where
you can "bust" or "surprise" your opponents.

In the last example, you were on the nut flush draw, because
you had the King of clubs and the Ace of clubs was on the
board.

If your opponent was ALSO on the flush draw and he had the
QUEEN of clubs, this would be very good for you...

Because if another club hit on the turn, you and your
opponent would both have flushes. But yours would be higher.

In this case, your opponent would likely go "all-in" and you
would win a TON of chips.

So even though the "odds" on your money are 4.375:1, they're
actually higher because of the "implied odds" of your NUT
flush draw.

Besides implied odds, you'll also have to think about the
"unknown" pot size, as we discussed. Many times you just
won't KNOW the exact pot size, and will be forced to guess.

Also... you must be careful to consider what your OPPONENTS
are holding...

Let's say you're holding As-5h and the board reads:

8h-Qh-2h

You have the flush draw. And the odds of "making" it are
good. But that doesn't mean you want to calculate the nine
other hearts in the deck as your "outs".

Why?

Because all your opponents need to BEAT you is a heart
higher than a FIVE. And someone most likely has it.

The point is, when you calculate OUTS, you want to calculate
outs based on making the WINNING HAND.

And obviously there's no way to know for sure what the
winning hand will be... unless you've got the nuts.

So as you can see... there are a LOT of different factors to
take into consideration.

Calculating pot odds is a useful technique for the right
situations. Over the long term, it can become very handy and
will help you make sound, logical decisions at the poker
table.

And fortunately, after practicing pot odds for a few games,
most of the numbers will become "instinctual" very quickly.

That's why I recommend you download and use an "odds
calculator" when you play online poker. Calculators will
AUTOMATICALLY show you the odds of every situation you're
in... no effort or manual work required.

The best odds calculator on the market today is called
HOLDEM GENIUS. You can get it here:

http://www.HoldemGenius.com/tl/796OoEg

Of course, ultimately an odds calculator is just another
tool in your Holdem "toolbox".

In the same way that you can't build a house with just a
HAMMER, you can't base your entire game on ODDS or math.

When to quit for the day

2007-12-19T13:10:00.001-06:00

=============================
Should I Stay Or Should I Go
by Jennifer Harman
=============================

Being a winning player isn't only about playing good cards - it's also about making good decisions. And there is one important decision you face every time you sit down in a cash game: Should I quit, or should I keep playing?

When should you keep playing?

I see so many players playing short hours when they're winning, and long hours when they're losing. It should be the other way around.

When you are winning in the game, at least a few of the other players must be losing. And when your opponents are losing, they often aren't playing their best. But you are.

When you're winning, other players fear you; you have a good table image. And when you have a good table image, you can get away with things that you can't seem to when you're losing. For one thing, you can bluff more. Usually a losing player is scared to get involved with a winning player, so it's easier for you to pick up pots. You can represent more hands than you actually have because your opponents believe you're hitting every flop.

The only time to quit when you're winning is when you are tired, or when you start playing badly.

When should you call it a day?

Many players can't seem to quit when they are losing. You have to remember that there will always be another poker game -- if not tomorrow, then the day after, or the week after. I like to think of poker as one continuous game going on for my whole career. So, if I'm losing more than 30 big bets in the game, I usually quit.

There are a couple of reasons I do this: For one, if I lose a ton of money in one day, I don't feel so hot the next day. That means if I go in to play the next day, I might not be able to play my best game. I might actually have to take a few days off to get my head straight. Another reason is that when I'm losing more than 30 bets, I might not be playing that well. I might think I'm playing my "A" game, but in reality, I'm probably not. You can't be as objective about your play when you're losing. After all, we are not robots; we're just human beings.

Good luck!

Jennifer Harman

Poker and the stock market?!

2007-12-15T14:41:00.000-06:00

-----------------------------------
Roy Rounder Poker Tips Newsletter
Issue: December 11, 2007
Next Issue: December 16, 2007
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Warren Buffett is one smart dude. And RICH.

He's the second richest man in the WORLD... right behind
Bill Gates. Forbes estimates that his net worth is $40
BILLION.

(How's THAT for a bankroll?)

What's interesting about Buffett is that he made his fortune
over a LONGGG period of time... by consistently beating the
stock market year after year after year.

He wasn't one of those "overnight" dot-com billionaires.

He wasn't "lucky" to be in the right place at the right
time.

He didn't "invent" some new technology that changed the
world.

Nope... all he did was invest and "pick winners" over and
over. Since taking control of Berkshire 40 years ago,
Buffett has delivered a compound annual return of 22%.

AND JUST BY DOING THAT, he became the 2nd richest man alive.

OK-- so why am I rambling on about 75-year old man who's
good at investing?

The reason is because I've realized that there are DOZENS of
important parallels between the STOCK MARKET and POKER.

Here are just a few:

* The stock market is often considered "gambling", due to
its unpredictable nature... just as POKER is often
considered gambling, even though it's a SKILL game.

* The stock market has a heavy emphasis on odds and
mathematics... just like poker.

* The stock market is predominately a male-driven
industry... just like poker.

* The stock market has PLENTY of up's and down's, and
"streaks"... just like poker.

* And so on.

Of course, these are "surface" similarities.

Now think about the PSYCHOLOGY of poker and the stock
market... and how they're often EXACTLY THE SAME:

* In the stock market, everyone dreams of buying that one
MIRACLE STOCK that will go from $2 to $200 and make them
rich...

In poker, everyone has their "pipe dream" of winning a huge
million-dollar tournament on ESPN.

* When a stock tanks, most investors FREAK OUT and
immediately make several bad investment decisions in a row.
It's usually THESE decisions that hurt them the most.

In poker, this is known as "tilt". Bad beats cause some
damage... but it's usually the decisions you make AFTER the
bad beats that cause you to lose the game.

* Believe it or not, most stock investors come out on the
LOSING END over time... even though the market has
historically gone UP year after year.

Most poker players end up losing over time also, despite all
the "fish" out there to prey on.

* And so on.

OK, so you get the idea.

Lately I've been reading a lot of books about the stock
market... and especially about Warren Buffett. (Hell, I need
somewhere to invest all these poker winnings!)

Anyway, here's what's REALLY interesting:

Warren Buffett's INVESTMENT APPROACH is almost identical to
the POKER STRATEGY I use every day.

And it's the SAME approach used by top poker pros to
consistently win tournaments and ring games...

Interesting, huh?

Of course, it makes sense when you think about it.

If poker and investing are similar, then the guys who beat
the STOCK MARKET probably use the same techniques as the
guys who win at POKER.

And who better to learn poker from than the "KING" of the
stock market... and the 2nd richest man in the world?

*** WARREN BUFFETT'S WINNING APPROACH ***

Warren Buffett operates on PRINCIPLES. He doesn't get caught
up in "hype" or emotion.

Below are the five MOST IMPORTANT principles that he
follows... and how they relate to your poker game.

PRINCIPLE 1: PATIENCE IS KEY.

Patience, patience, patience!

It's the number one mistake that causes most poker players
to lose... and it's one of the "secrets" to Buffett's 22%
annual returns.

Warren Buffett does not make an investment unless he is
absolutely 100% confident that it will make him money.

That means he PASSES UP a lot of great investment
opportunities.

Warren Buffett has said "no" to stocks that ended up
increasing by 10,000%!

But more importantly... he's passed up all those other
stocks that LOOKED GOOD, but PLUMMETED later.

The problem is, us human beings are addicted to ACTION and
MOVEMENT and EXCITEMENT. We don't want to just sit around
and WAIT.

But that's EXACTLY what Buffett does...

He waits.

And waits.

And waits.

He KNOWS that sooner or later, a GREAT opportunity will come
up... and then he'll jump on it.

It's the same way with poker.

You've GOT to be patient. We all want to "get in there" and
make strong bets... bluff out opponents... and take down
lots of pots. We want ACTION.

BUT THAT'S NOT HOW YOU DO IT.

You've got to sit back... be patient... and WAIT.

Wait for good cards.

Wait for the PERFECT time to bust the manic at the table.

Wait for the PERFECT time to steal the blinds.

Wait for the PERFECT time to bluff out an opponent.

Wait for the PERFECT time to go all-in.

And then when you DO make a move...

PRINCIPLE 2: MAINTAIN A "LOW TURNOVER" PORTFOLIO OF JUST A
FEW STOCKS.

Buffett insists on keeping 10-20% turnover with his
portfolio. This means he generally holds onto a stock for
5-10 years... AT LEAST.

This is obviously OPPOSITE of how most investors do it. Most
investors are checking the tickers every HOUR-- watching for
the slightest indication of movement or news.

More importantly... Buffett only invests in a FEW STOCKS AT
A TIME.

Now THIS is crucial, because it goes against everything
you've ever learned.

Growing up, you probably heard this advice a lot:

"Never put all your eggs in one basket."

Right?

Well, Warren Buffett does the OPPOSITE.

He puts all his eggs in one basket... but... he chooses that
basket VERY CAREFULLY!

You see, Buffett believes that if you've done your homework
and you're confident in your decision, there's NO NEED to
"diversify".

In fact, he believes this is the ONLY REAL WAY to get rich
in the stock market. Because if you buy LOTS of stocks, some
are doomed to go down... and that will hurt your gains.

Now think how this relates to poker.

In poker, most players risk money on LOTS of pots, and try
to get the best odds for each one... maybe 55%, 60%, and the
OCCASIONAL 70% or higher.

What PROFESSIONAL poker players do is only play those
OCCASIONAL pots with the best odds.

BUT, they risk more chips when they do it...

So instead of risking 20% of your chip stack five times...
you want to risk 90% of your chip stack ONE time. But you
choose that time VERY CAREFULLY!

For instance, let's say the "average" poker player enters
three pots where he feels the odds are in his favor.

The three pots go like this:

1.) He risks 1000 in chips with 60% odds.
2.) He risks 1000 in chips with 50% odds.
3.) He risks 1000 in chips with 60% odds.

Now... MATHEMATICALLY speaking... there are EIGHT different
ways these scenarios can go. They are as follows (a win is
designated with "W" and a loss with "L"):

1.) W-W-W
2.) W-W-L
3.) W-L-W
4.) W-L-L
5.) L-W-W
6.) L-W-L
7.) L-L-W
8.) L-L-L

If he wins all three, he ends up with 3000 chips in profit.

If he wins two but loses one, he ends up with just 1000
chips in profit.

If he LOSES two but wins one, he ends up with 1000 chips in
losses.

And he if loses all three, he loses 3000 chips total.

Get it?

Now let me share with you the PERCENTAGES of the above
scenarios.

Watch out, this may surprise you.

If you were to play three pots as described above and risk
1000 chips for each one, and do this exercise 100 times,
here's what would happen:

18% of the time you'd win 3,000 chips total.
42% of the time you'd win 1,000 chips total.
32% of the time you'd lose 1,000 chips total.
8% of the time you'd lose 3,000 chips total.

Your "net average" would be to PROFIT 400 CHIPS.

OK... that's the "normal" approach.

Now let's look at the WARREN BUFFETT approach.

Let's say you entered just ONE pot and risked 3000 chips
(instead of 1000) with 70% odds in your favor.

Now watch what happens:

70% of the time you'd win 3,000 chips total.
30% of the time you'd lose 3,000 chips total.

Your "net average" would be to PROFIT 1200 CHIPS.

That's TRIPLE the results over time!

The key is to get BETTER ODDS and RISK MORE.

I better interject here that I do NOT recommend being one of
those players who just sits back, waits for the "nuts", and
then goes all-in.

Not even close.

In fact, if you've read my newsletters you know that I'm a
very aggressive player who loves to push action.

The KEY is that I BUILD THIS IMAGE through techniques based
on feeler bets, positioning, and sensing weakness.

AND WHEN THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY COMES ALONG, I RISK AS MANY
CHIPS AS I CAN!

I know that when the odds are heavily in my favor, it's time
to put my eggs in one basket and go for it...

PRINCIPLE 3: THE STOCK MARKET IS NOT ALWAYS RATIONAL OR
"EFFICIENT".

There's a popular stock market concept called, "Efficient
Market Theory" (EMT).

Most of the world's leading business schools teach this
widely-accepted concept.

However...

Warren Buffett says that the EMT is a bunch of hogwash!

He's actually gone on record saying that part of him LOVES
the fact that business schools teach this theory: It makes
things easier on him because his competition doesn't know
what they're doing!

Now... I'm not going to argue whether the theory is right or
wrong. It doesn't matter for our discussion here.

What I find intriguing is what Buffett believes IS true
about the stock market...

You see, the EMT basically says that the stock market is
"efficient" in its pricing... and that most buy/sell
behavior is "rational".

Buffett disagrees. He is CONSTANTLY scouting for
opportunities where he thinks the market is acting in an
IRRATIONAL manner... and then he jumps on the chance to buy
an under-priced stock.

In other words, a core part of his investment philosophy is
that the stock market is NOT efficient... and that there's
always room to grow your "bankroll" when others act
irrationally.

It's the same with poker.

When you're playing Texas Holdem, you want to spot the
"sucker" at the table... the guy who is making IRRATIONAL
decisions.

This doesn't only apply to amateurs, either. Even PROS have
"irrational" habits, tells, and "tilt" behavior.

Your OPPONENTS will open up millions of "profit
opportunities" for you... if you just watch closely.

And that brings us to the next principle:

PRINCIPLE 4: FOCUS ON THE VALUE OF THE BUSINESS, NOT THE
PRICE OF THE STOCK.

This one has almost a direct translation to poker:

FOCUS ON THE PLAYERS, NOT THE CARDS.

You're not playing poker against the house... you're playing
against your opponents.

With the stock market, everyone is always looking at the
PRICE of a stock to determine if it's worth buying or
selling.

Buffett actually doesn't even look at the price until LAST.
What he looks at is the VALUE OF THE BUSINESS.

He only invests in top-notch businesses that meet specific
conditions. He wants a business with strong growth prospects
LONG TERM, good management, and stable numbers.

Once he finds a business that meets these criteria, THEN he
looks at the price.

When the cards come out, what's the first thing you're
thinking about? What are you looking at?

You should be thinking about your OPPONENTS... the
POSITIONING at the table... the BETTING HABITS you've picked
up in the last few hands... and your opponents' FACES as
they look at their cards.

THEN when the action comes to you and it's YOUR TURN, you
should peek to see what you're holding.

Opponents first, cards second.

PRINCIPLE 5: DEMAND A MARGIN OF SAFETY FOR EVERY PURCHASE.

Warren Buffett is actually a very "conservative" investor,
as are most poker professionals. He'll only buy stocks that
he feels are practically "guaranteed" to go up.

You should demand a "margin of safety" on every hand you
play. This is actually much easier than it sounds.

Some of your tactics should include:

* Avoiding heads-up situations with players who have more
chips, and instead favoring those with fewer chips. (That
way if you go all-in and lose, you can still be in the
game.)

* Buying pots and bluffing when you have good positioning.
(That way you can get a read on your opponent and escape if
things go bad.)

* Only "chasing" draws when the pot odds are CONSIDERABLY in
your favor. (That way you end up way ahead over time.)

* And so on.

*** PLAY POKER LIKE WARREN BUFFETT ***

Perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT lesson I've learned from Warren
Buffett is to NEVER FEAR doing the "unpopular" thing.

His career PROVES that "going against the grain" is often
the BEST choice.

He doesn't live by what others do... he operates on GUIDING
PRINCIPLES that "win" over time.

Whether it's ways to leverage table positioning, tactics for
defeating common opponent styles, techniques for "stealing
the button", or figuring out the right times to bluff...

...You've got to first learn the POKER PRINCIPLES. And then
you need the GUTS and DISCIPLINE to stick to them.

So where do you learn these principles? And where do you get
the discipline required for long-term success?

The best place to start is with an ODDS CALCULATOR like
Holdem Genius. If Warren Buffet were a Holdem player, my
guess is he'd use an odds calculator ALL THE TIME.

Here's the link to where you can get Holdem Genius "free":

http://www.HoldemGenius.com/tl/792QHIo

And after you get Holdem Genius, go get my 229-page eBook,
which is filled with poker tricks, tactics, and proven
winning systems. Click here:

http://www.NoLimitHoldemSecrets.com/tl/793wquo

Your Friend,

Roy Rounder

Reading Your Opponents

2007-12-10T23:48:00.000-06:00

The BIGGEST MISTAKE you can make while playing no limit
Texas Holdem is to focus too much on your cards...

If you're playing draw, stud, limit, or any other form of
poker, then it's more important to concentrate on
MATHEMATICAL ODDS and PROBABILITIES.

But no limit Holdem is different.

You can be a math WIZARD and know the odds of every possible
scenario in the deck... but it will only get you so far.

Hell, you can know how to COUNT CARDS... but I'll still
knock your socks off and take your rent money if you face me
heads-up.

Because no limit Holdem is a game of PSYCHOLOGY.

To win, you must learn how to play the PLAYERS, not just the
CARDS.

The reason no limit Holdem is different from other types of
poker is because it's possible to bluff HUGE pots and go
ALL-IN...

And the only thing that separates YOU from your OPPONENT is
just two down-faced cards that are dealt at the beginning of
each hand.

That's it. Just two cards.

The reality is this...

No limit Holdem is PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE, and if you want to
WIN, you've got to learn how to get INSIDE THE HEADS of your
opponents.

You've got to know them better than they know themselves...
and predict their every move.

But how?

There are a lot of strategies and techniques around
identifying "poker tells".

A poker TELL is a habit or mannerism of a player that is a
"giveaway" to the strength or weakness of their hand.

Like a twitch of the nose... a crack in the voice... a shaky
leg... or a rapid pulse...

Tells like these are IMPORTANT.

And you must learn how to spot and take advantage of them.

But there's one tell that's MUCH, MUCH MORE IMPORTANT... and
it has NOTHING to do with body language, voice, or
mannerisms.

In fact, this tell is technically not even classified as a
"tell".

But it WILL give you a read on your opponents.

What am I talking about?

BETTING.

Stay with me here.

BETTING is the KEY to getting a read on your opponents...

It is through BETTING that you find out the strength or
weakness of another player's hand, which is how you WIN in
Texas Holdem...

BETTING is how you get inside your the heads of your
opponents. Especially the ones you've never met or played
against before.

Now, I'm not talking about just ANY kind of betting...

I'm talking about the bets YOUR OPPONENTS make IN RESPONSE
TO THE CONDITIONS AT THE TABLE.

Just ask yourself: How do the pros quickly and consistently
win at ONLINE POKER... where you can't even SEE your
opponents?

That's right... the answer is BETTING.

You've got to watch and STUDY what each player does in
response to the action...

This is true no matter WHERE you play Holdem... whether it's
online, at home, in a casino, or in a tournament.

Now notice how I said IN RESPONSE to the action...

This is the key.

Because you can't get a good read on an opponent every time
they make a bet.

The best time to get a read is when they have to REACT TO
ACTION AT THE TABLE...

When they have to make a DECISION.

Because this is the time when they're NOT in control...

For example, let's say the action is to Don to call a $10
bet...

Does he fold, call, or raise?

Does he hesitate, or immediately make a decision?

If he makes a raise, he's representing a good hand, and
takes control of the action...

If he hesitates and then calls, there's a good chance his
hand is weak...

If he immediately calls, he may have something or be on a
draw...

You get the point.

You can get a read on your opponent when your opponent has
to REACT TO ACTION.

Unfortunately, your opponent won't always HAVE TO react to
action at the table.

In fact, your opponent will often take CONTROL of the action
and force YOU to make a decision.

Which means everyone will get the chance to get a read on
YOU...

And that is NOT what you want.

So how do you counter this?

How do take control of the action AND force your opponent to
a decision?

The answer is this:

FEELER BETS.

Feeler bets are bets made in order to see where you're at in
the hand.

They're named "FEELER bets" because they allow you to feel
out the strength or weakness of your opponents...

And they're a CRUCIAL part of becoming good at Texas Holdem
poker.

Let me demonstrate with an example...

Let's say you're fifth to act in a $1-2 no limit game at a
10-man table.

You've got over $200 in your stack.

You look down at pocket nines.

You're not too excited about your position right here, but
you've been on fire the whole game. The action is on to you
to call the blinds.

This is where you make a FEELER BET... which would be a
pre-flop raise in this situation.

"$10 to play", you say as you splash the pot with ten white
$1 chips.

This feeler bet accomplishes four things:

1. You get to find out who's strong and who's not...

2. You get control of the action at the table...

3. You're not allowing your opponents to get a good read on
you...

4. You're getting a read on your opponents by forcing them
to make a decision...

Okay... so let's say the action around the table continues
as Nathan and Greg-- who are both sitting left of you-- call
your raise.

The next few players muck their hands, and then Cindy, who
is just to your right, jumps into the action and calls.

You really didn't want this much action with your pocket
nines.

But hey, you've built up a nice pot, and you might get lucky
and spike on the flop.

Plus, everyone simply called your pre-flop raise (no one
came back over the top), which is a good sign.

The flop hits:

K-7-4

Not too great of a flop for you, but not that bad either.

You would feel a lot better off without that King on the
board.

Cindy, first to act right now, taps her hand on the table
and checks to you.

This isn't surprising, since you took control before the
flop.

So the action is to you...

This is where most poker players would CHECK.

Big mistake.

Right now, you have absolutely NO WAY of knowing who has the
best hand at the table.

And that is PRECISELY why you must make a feeler bet...

Think about it:

If you CHECK, you're portraying weakness to your three
opponents... letting them know that the flop didn't help
you.

Which gives one of THEM the opportunity to make a bet or try
to buy the pot.

And you still won't know where you stand.

So instead of checking, you throw out a small FEELER BET
that isn't going to get you into much trouble.

This isn't a bluff.

This is just a bet to find out who has a real hand and who
doesn't. And it keeps you in a position to WIN the pot.

"Thirteen dollars", you say as you push in a stack of chips.

Remember, this FEELER BET isn't going to get you into
trouble. You're not going broke if you lose this pot...
because you've got over $200 in your stack of chips.

And this is the ONLY WAY you've got a chance at winning this
hand.

Nathan and Greg both immediately muck their cards.

The action goes to Cindy now, who thinks for a few moments
while peeking at her hand a second time. Finally, she calls
your bet.

Your feeler bet worked well. You got rid of two players...
and you've got a read on Cindy now.

Because she called, you think she might be on a draw or
might have the King without a decent kicker.

The turn card is an Ace.

This is GREAT for you.

It's great because you made that feeler bet...

Because you're confident that Cindy is NOT holding an Ace.
If she had Big Slick, she would've made a pre-flop raise,
rather than simply limping-in and calling your feeler bets.

She checks again.

This is where you can take the pot down with a real bet.

"Forty dollars", you say as you push in a stack of chips.

Cindy folds, of course, and you rake in a nice pot... all of
which was SET UP through your two feeler bets.

If you hadn't made your feeler bets, there's no way you
would've won the hand.

Because you wouldn't have scared out the other players, you
wouldn't have created good positioning for yourself, and you
wouldn't have had a read on Cindy.

This is why I make feeler bets all the time... and why you
should too.

I throw out "feelers" with top pair, second pair, bottom
pair, or draws.

These bets are the only way I know whether I have the best
hand at any particular point in time...

Sure, I get re-raised often. And that's when I fold the hand
and lose the bet I just put in.

BUT THAT'S OKAY.

Because I found out EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW.

If you get re-raised after a feeler bet, then you know you
probably don't have the best hand at the table... so muck
it.

Losing the few dollars you made with your feeler bet is
perfectly fine...

Because it's MUCH BETTER than just CALLING bet after bet
without getting a read on your opponents... and then losing
after all the cards get flipped over.

That's a SUCKER way to lose a pot.

And you'll go broke that way.

Plus, my feeler bets give me CONTROL and create ACTION at
the table...

If a nine had come out at the flop in the example above, I
wouldn't have needed to slow-play it...

And I wouldn't have been worried about having a monster and
not winning any money with it (which happens to a LOT of
amateurs)... because I had already created action with my
FEELER BET.

So the next time you play no limit Texas Holdem, throw out
feeler bets consistently and use them to your advantage.

Nothing too big... just enough to get a read on your
opponents and find out where you're at in each hand.

You'll IMMEDIATELY realize the POWERFUL EFFECT that feeler
bets will add to your game.

Because you'll have HUGE stacks of chips in front of you at
the end of the night...

While EVERYONE ELSE will just be sitting there, with their
jaws wide-open, wondering how in the world YOU BEAT THEM SO
BADLY...

From: Roy Rounder November 18, 2007

Taking Position

2007-12-07T12:38:00.000-06:00

The dealer position (known as the "button") is the best
position at the poker table.

The reason is because when you're on the button, you get to
act LAST after the flop... giving you the chance to see what
your opponents do first.

This lets you get a "read" on your opponents at the table...
and decide who has a strong hand, who has a weak hand, who's
bluffing, and so on.

OK, so that's common knowledge.

What's also common knowledge is the fact that LATE
POSITIONING is preferred over EARLY POSITIONING... because
once again, you get to see what your opponents do first
before it's your turn to bet, raise, call, or fold.

Of course, being on the button is BETTER than just plain
late positioning... because the button GUARANTEES that you
will be LAST TO ACT post-flop.

OK, now here's what is NOT common knowledge...

Once you understand positioning and its enormous
implications, you can begin "improving" your positioning and
setting yourself up for more pots each game.

The technique is called STEALING THE BUTTON.

It's simple... it's practical... and right when you're done
reading this newsletter you can immediately start using it.

Stealing the button is LEVERAGING your late positioning when
you're NOT on the button... but getting all the same
benefits as if you WERE on the button.

Remember, the dealer position is SO POWERFUL because it
means you're LAST to act post-flop.

Being SECOND TO LAST to act isn't nearly as good, especially
considering there's usually only three or four players to a
flop at an 8-man table.

So what you do is make a reasonable pre-flop RAISE when
you're in late positioning... and therefore force the player
on the button to fold.

Having done this, you'll be last to act after the flop...
the same as if you actually were on the button. (Hence the
name, "stealing the button").

OK, let's look at an example so you can see what I'm talking
about:

Let's say you're sitting two seats to the RIGHT of the
button at a 10-man table. The game is $1-2 no limit Holdem.

Two players limp-in... and you look down at your cards:

J-9 of clubs.

I call hands like these "semi-connectors"-- they're not
quite connected... but almost.

The great thing about semi-connectors is that they're a
"hidden hand". When they HIT (straight, flush, two pair...)
your opponents NEVER see it coming.

You decide to play your Jack-9 suited. Now remember, there
are two players BEHIND you that will act post-flop if they
both call the blinds.

So it's YOUR JOB to make sure they DON'T limp-in.

The solution is to crank up the pressure...

You make it $15 to play. Nothing crazy (after all, you don't
exactly have a monster). You simply want to force the two
players to your left to FOLD... which will happen most of
the time.

Of course, they won't always fold... because sometimes
they'll pick up a big hand. But odds arethey'll fold.

The RESULT, of course, is now YOU have the button.

Well, not the button exactly... but all the advantages that
it brings.

Sure enough, the two players to your left fold, and Josh--
who's in the big blind-- is the only caller.

The flop comes out:

10h-8d-Ks

No flush possibilities for you here, but BINGO, you've just
flopped an open-ended straight draw.

This is the type of flop you hoped for.

Now it's on Josh to act first. And this is where your
positioning is so important. Not only do you get to see what
Josh does first... but you also have the CONTROL in this
situation.

Since you made the pre-flop raise, Josh will likely check
the flop to you... giving you the opportunity to play
aggressively and take down this pot.

No matter what happens after this, you've set yourself up to
win this pot. Sometimes Josh will pick up a real hand and
come out firing... but usually not.

Sure enough in our example, Josh checks.

You throw out a $30 semi-bluff. This is a bet you should
make even WITHOUT the open-ender... because you made the
pre-flop raise.

Josh mucks it, and you rake the chips... leaving the table
wondering what you had.

That's how you "steal" the button. It's a simple, surefire
way to gain control at the table by improving your
positioning.

There are five main steps you need to know...

1. You need a playable hand.

If you're going to bluff, make it a "semi-bluff" by raising
with a hand that can hit... something like semi-connectors.

I personally don't like raising with 7-2 offsuit or crap
like that. It seems to me like an "ego raise" more than a
logical play.

Remember, the key is to gain that extra bit of control and
power by acting LAST after the flop.

2. Force out the player on the button (and possibly the
player to his right).

The whole point to stealing the button is to ACTUALLY STEAL
THE BUTTON. If you make a wussy raise that doesn't scare
anyone, you've failed.

If you're one seat to the right of the button, you want to
raise enough to force the player on the button out. If
you're TWO seats to the right, then you've got to force out
both players to your left.

One of the "secrets" to this process is to ALWAYS pay
attention to the pre-flop betting patterns of your opponents
on the left.

If you're sitting on the right of "Tight Tim" who only sees
flops when he's got pocket pairs, then you can steal the
button quite often.

On the other hand, if you're on the right of a LOOSE player,
you won't be able to steal the button nearly as much.

So pay attention.

3. After the flop, your opponents will usually check to you.

Notice if someone bets into you, beware. That's a red flag.
Usually players will check into you since you raised
pre-flop.

When players check into you that gives you the power to
either BET and try to steal the pot right there... OR... get
a free turn card by also checking.

While I normally recommend a bet, you can check to mix it up
once in awhile or in the case that you're getting
short-stacked.

4. Don't get pot-committed.

Remember, stealing the button is a simple technique that
improves your position and sets you up to have a BETTER
CHANCE at winning the hand.

Don't get stupid. Don't get stubborn and bet any amount in
hopes of bluffing out someone with a real hand.

Like I said, you need a playable hand to steal the button in
the first place.

Don't become pot-committed... Never bet so much that it's
PAINFUL to fold your cards after the flop.

5. Sometimes you don't need to raise to steal the button.

Often the blinds will be high enough where you figure simply
CALLING the big blind will get you the button (this is
especially true when you're to the right of a tight player).

Also, someone in front of you might raise the pot enough
that all you have to do is CALL THE RAISE and you'll get the
button.

OK, so that's the process...

Here are the two types of situations where you DO want to
steal the button...

DO STEAL THE BUTTON WHEN:

1. You sense weakness and want to steal the pot on a bluff
or hidden hand.

2. You have a good hand that you want to play post-flop.

On the other hand...

DO NOT STEAL THE BUTTON WHEN:

1. You have a poor hand and you sense someone else has a
strong hand.

2. You think someone to your left will call a raise no
matter what (that defeats the purpose).

The MOST IMPORTANT lesson you can get from all this is to
realize that winning poker depends on ALL THE LITTLE THINGS.

Stealing the button is just a little technique for setting
yourself up for better positioning... it's not a "game
changing" strategy that will double your poker profits or
anything.

But when you combine it with ALL THE OTHER LITTLE THINGS--
like establishing the right table image, throwing out feeler
bets, representing the flop at the right times, buying free
cards, picking up betting patterns, spotting tells, and
more-- then you will become a DYNAMIC and POWERFUL poker
player...

AND THEN your poker profits will double.

A lot of amateurs base their games on the "big hands" and
might get lucky once in awhile. But over time, the REAL
MONEY always goes to the GRINDERS... the guys who know how
to CONSISTENTLY take down pots.

It takes a lot of discipline, don't get me wrong.

But you can do it.

Heads-up Strategy

2007-11-28T12:22:00.000-06:00

YOUR WINNING STRATEGY FOR HEADS-UP poker can be "boiled
down" to three simple steps:

1. Push The Action
2. Set The Stage
3. Trap Your Opponent

Let's take a look...

Step one is to PUSH THE ACTION. In heads-up poker, the
blinds are often substantial.

And the FASTEST way to build your stack and gain momentum is
to win the blinds as much as possible.

Be the player to push the action...

Consistently raise when you're the dealer. This is a
wonderful position because you get to act FIRST pre-flop but
last post-flop. You can represent a hand by raising... and
then get a read on your opponent after the flop.

The more you push the action, the more blinds you'll win.

Of course, this behavior will also keep your opponent OFF
BALANCE... while he tries to adjust to YOUR GAME.

As soon as he gets a hand, he'll start coming back over the
top of you. And that's when you back off.

Step two is to SET THE STAGE...

Now that you've been aggressive, it's time to set yourself
up for some BIG pots.

Heads-up poker is usually determined by one major hand...
maybe two. You want to SET YOURSELF UP for that hand.

In normal multi-player poker, those "big hands" usually
occur when two or more players have great cards-- like a
straight versus a flush, or trips versus two pair.

In HEADS-UP POKER, this doesn't happen nearly as much,
because the odds of someone catching a hand like a straight
or flush or whatever is much lower.

That's why the SET UP is so powerful.

Here's how to set yourself up for victory...

First of all, realize that what your opponent is trying to
do is "figure you out". He probably KNOWS that he needs to
take control and steal blinds in order to win the match.

After setting the tempo and stealing blinds from HIM, it's
time to give him a false sense of "hope" and "control". And
it's time to show your cards once or twice...

After stealing a pot, show your bluff... just casually. You
can say something like, "Jeeze, I'm bullying you here, you
didn't have 9-5 offsuit beat?"

Or maybe what you can do is "ACCIDENTALLY" show your cards
after winning a hand...

(This is sneaky.)

Toss your hole cards into the muck after winning a hand so
that they just "happen" to turn face up.

"Oops."

LOL.

This will surely get your opponent riled up.

Then what you do is PRETEND to fall into a consistent
betting pattern. Start checking the flop-- or betting very
small amounts consistently.

Every time your opponent bets, let him steal the pot. But
only let him steal it with BIG BETS... no "wuss" action
allowed.

In other words, when you don't have a hand, bet on the flop
the SAME EXACT AMOUNT a few times in a row. When your
opponent RAISES, muck it.

The goal is for your opponent to think, "Wow, I've finally
got this sucker figured out. He plays aggressively and bets
a lot, but folds when I crank up the pressure."

Once he's thinking that... it's time for the KILL.

Step three is to TRAP YOUR OPPONENT...

What you do is wait for a good hand-- or a hand you're
confident will be the winner.

Then play it EXACTLY LIKE YOU'VE BEEN PLAYING YOUR BAD
HANDS.

This is important. This principle is the "secret" that pros
use for all heads-up poker.

When you catch something really good, play it like it's bad.
Let your opponent come to you.

Bet small, check the flop, or do whatever it is that will
get your opponent to try to steal the pot.

Then go over the top of him.

Act is if you're TIRED of getting pushed around.

Of course, there may be no need to go over the top of him.
Often times in heads-up a single raise is already all-in...
and if that's the case, you've won the game.

If not, then you just need to get your opponent to go all-in
trying to bluff this pot from you. (Or maybe he has
something OK.)

Remember-- your opponent must think you have NOTHING. That
way he'll risk a lot of chips to win the pot... trying to
"bully" you.

Obviously, your strategy is to make him feel pot-committed
with the worst hand... that way his only way to win the hand
is to go all-in.

Any time I win a heads-up match because my opponent goes
all-in on a bluff when I've got a real hand, I know I've
played the match well.

For whatever reason, most players make too many loose all-in
bets heads-up... and that's exactly what you want to
capitalize on.

So remember...

1. Push The Action
2. Set The Stage
3. Trap Your Opponent

This step-by-step process and these techniques are BEST USED
when you go heads-up against someone with about the same
starting amount of chips as you...

And of course, every heads-up situation is different,
because every OPPONENT is different.

But the key is to know the OBJECTIVE in each stage of your
match... and the ways to ACHIEVE that goal for any given
opponent.

Sunglasses & Headphones

2007-11-22T18:34:00.000-06:00

=============================
Why I Leave My Sunglasses And iPod At Home
by Howard Lederer
=============================

Why Sunglasses and Headphones Aren't For Me

I know this newsletter is being written for an online poker site, but I hope that most of you still find time to play live poker. As much as I love online poker, I would never completely give up sitting at a table and getting the chance to size up an opponent. This week's lesson will examine why I think it is a mistake to wear headphones or sunglasses during live play.

Poker is a game of information. You give information to your opponents, and they give information to you. Most of that information is in the form of betting patterns, which is why online poker is such a great form of the game. All of the betting information is right there for you to use while playing a hand. But when you play live, there is a small amount of additional information that is given off through physical tells and audio cues. I am a very visual player, and am blessed with good eyesight. I wear contacts, and with them, my vision is 20/15. I constantly use my eyes to take in every nuance of what's going on around me at the table. If I wore sunglasses, much of that information would be lost to me. I am confident that the information I take in with my eyes far exceeds what I give away.

If you currently employ sunglasses when you play, I would encourage you to try playing without them. Yeah, you look cool in them. Maybe. But, if you try playing without them while staying committed to taking in as much visual information as possible, you might find that not only are you doing better, the game is suddenly more interesting as well.

I reserve special scorn for the rampant use of headphones in poker tournaments. They slow down the action and, on the whole, I believe they hurt the people who use them. When a player throws a single, large chip into the pot, he usually announces 'raise' or 'call'. But all the guys at the table wearing headphones can't hear the call. Invariably, they have to take off their headphones and ask the dealer what the bet is. It is annoying when the action comes to a grinding halt to clarify something that anyone without headphones already knows. Also, poker is a social game. It would make me sad if poker someday becomes a game where nine people are sitting at a table listening to music, and no one is talking to one another.

Also, there are some valuable things you can pick up on simply by paying attention to the conversation around the table. You can sometimes tell when someone is over his head just by listening to him talk. In a recent tournament, I won a very large pot as we were nearing the last few tables because I heard someone speaking a few minutes earlier.

It was the Bellagio $15K WPT poker tournament. The blinds were $4K-$8K and I was in the big blind. A player who'd been playing very tight so far opened the pot from an early position for $25K. The small blind called and I looked down at 9-9. I often re-raise with this hand, but this seemed like a good time to just call. The flop was 8s 5s 3c. The small blind checked and, with about $275K in front of me and $100K in the pot, I continued playing cautiously and checked. The opener checked, too. The turn was (8s 5s 3c) 6c and the small blind checked. I felt like I must have the best hand, so I bet $50K. I was very surprised when the original opener raised all-in for a total of $175K. The small blind folded and now I had a big $125K decision to make. If I call and win, I have $550K and am in great shape. If I call and lose I'm in real trouble.

I didn't think he had a big hand, but it didn't seem like a very good bluffing situation either. The board looked really dangerous. Plus, I hadn't seen this player get out of line at all. But then I remembered a comment he had made to his neighbor about ten minutes earlier. He had hardly played a hand for about an hour, and said to the guy next him that his cards had been so bad, it would have been just as well if he had stayed in his room after the last break. Remembering that comment, I felt there was a good chance that he was frustrated. With that factored in, I made the call. He turned over the Kd-Qd, and with a 2 on the river, I won a key hand that put me in great shape in a big tournament. If I had been listening to music, I don't think I could have made the call.

Poker is a game of information. Sunglasses might keep some information from getting out, but they stop more from coming in. Headphones simply give you fewer opportunities to gain valuable information about other players. These are handicaps I am not willing to spot my opponents.

Good luck!

Howard Lederer

Royal Flush during the WSOP

2007-11-21T05:26:00.000-06:00

Pot Limit Omaha Basics

2007-11-19T23:57:00.000-06:00

In Pot Limit Omaha
by Clonie Gowen
=============================

Most Pot Limit Omaha players know that Omaha is a game of "the nuts." In a multi-way pot, the winning hand is, more often than not, the best possible hand out there. When you start with four cards, you have six different possible two-card hands. This increases the chances that someone is holding the nuts. What many beginning Pot Limit Omaha players do not understand is that Omaha is really a game of redraws.

A redraw means that after the flop, you not only have some kind of made hand, you also have draws to a better hand. Having redraws in Pot Limit Omaha is so important that it is sometimes mathematically correct to fold the nuts on the flop. For example: suppose you raise in the late position with Ac Kh Tc 9h -- a very good starting Omaha hand. Two players call and you see the flop three-handed. The flop comes 6d 7s 8s. You've flopped the nut straight, which is the best hand possible at the moment. The problem is that you have absolutely no chance to improve your hand. This is as good as it gets. This may be okay if both of your opponents check to you. But, if one opponent makes a pot-sized bet and the next one makes a pot-sized raise, then what do you do? How can you fold the nuts?

If one of your opponents has flopped a set, and the other player -- or possibly even the same player -- has a flush draw, you are almost a 2-1 dog to win the pot. If one of those opponents has the same straight as you with a flush draw as well, or a wrap to a higher straight (such as 9,T,J), your hand is even worse because you can only win half the pot even if you don't lose to a flush or full house. You have to ask yourself what your opponents would possibly be betting and raising with on this flop. If there is a chance that all of the redraws are out against you, then you should always fold. If both of your opponents check and either one is tricky enough to be capable of a check raise, then you should still check this flop. If a blank comes on the turn - the 3c for instance -- your hand will be much stronger. Keep in mind, though, that if all of those draws are still out against you, even now you're not much better than 50% to win
this pot.

Having multiple redraws to the nuts is much better in Omaha than having the best hand at the moment. Lay this hand down and save your chips for use in a better spot.

Good luck!

Clonie Gowen

Representing the flop

2007-11-13T00:05:00.000-06:00

You're probably familiar with the term "represent the flop".
But do you know what it REALLY means?

And do you know how to PROPERLY represent the flop in order
to win more chips?

Most players think that REPRESENTING THE FLOP just means
betting and acting in a way as if the cards on the board
HELPED your hand...

Although this definition is ACCURATE, it's much too
simplistic to add any benefit to your game.

Representing the flop is in fact a very in-depth strategy
that is CRUCIAL to pro-level Texas Holdem poker...

First, let's look at WHY you should represent the flop:

The primary reason is to find out WHERE YOU'RE AT IN A HAND.

In other words, you want to learn how strong and how weak
the OTHER players at the table are. And the only way to do
this is through BETTING.

If you only check, check, call, call... then you will NEVER
become a good poker player. Never.

You've got to bet... and PRETEND that the community cards
helped you. If someone has a weak hand, they will be forced
to fold.

If someone has a mediocre hand, they will probably fold
too... because you're "representing" that you have something
good.

And if a player has a STRONG or VERY STRONG hand, they will
either call you or raise your bet.

So based on what everyone does, you can find out if you have
a chance at winning the pot, if you can bet other players
out, or if you should just fold. All information you
WOULDN'T have known otherwise.

Frequently representing the flop is an AGGRESSIVE style of
play. If you do it, you'll get a lot of action at the
table... especially after the flop.

For example, if you come out firing after the flop three out
of four hands, your opponents will begin calling your bets
and giving you action... because they KNOW you don't have a
great hand EVERY SINGLE TIME.

This comes in handy when you hit a MONSTER... like when you
flop a set or a flush or something. You don't have to worry
about everyone folding to you.

But even more important than getting lots of action,
representing the flop will help you STEAL a lot of pots over
the course of every card game.

And when YOU control the action and the betting, you'll find
it much easier to steal blinds and pots after the flop.

And trust me, THESE SMALL POTS ADD UP... FAST. If you only
go for the "big pots" in a poker game or tournament, you
won't last long. You've got to stick your neck out there and
go for the SMALLER POTS too...

OK, so representing the flop is a USEFUL and IMPORTANT TOOL
in no-limit Texas Holdem poker.

Now you've got to learn how to represent the flop the RIGHT
WAY...

I have FIVE BASIC RULES when it comes to representing the
flop... each rule gets progressively more complicated as
they go on.

But trust me, if you master these rules, you'll DEFINITELY
be on your way to higher "poker profits" and winnings.

OK, so here they are. These are my FIVE RULES:

RULE #1: When you represent the flop, don't act weak by only
betting the MINIMUM amount... BUT, don't bet so much that it
can burn you.

This is kind of like the "not too hot, not too cold"
principle.

You see... when you represent the flop, you've got to accept
the fact that you will likely NOT get the chips back that
you're betting.

I mean, obviously you want to WIN, don't get me wrong. BUT,
if someone has a great hand and you're representing the flop
WITHOUT a great hand, then there's a good chance you'll have
to fold soon.

So when you make a representation bet, do NOT bet so much
that you'll feel "pot committed".

On the other hand, don't bet too LITTLE. When you bet too
little, your opponents will see right through it. And it
won't be enough to scare the mediocre hands away.

For example... let's say you've got 9-8 suited and the flop
hits K-8-2 and you're first to act. You don't want to CHECK
because you know the guy after you will bet if you do.

So you REPRESENT THE FLOP by throwing out a bet...

If no one has the King, everyone will probably fold to your
bet. Even if someone DOES have the King, they may fold if
they don't have a decent kicker.

The key is you must make sure you BET ENOUGH. If you only
bet the minimum amount here... someone with A-4 might call
the bet, simply because the pot odds are in their favor. And
if the Ace hits on the turn, you're in trouble.

So always be sure to bet BIG ENOUGH to scare out the bad and
mediocre hands, but SMALL ENOUGH to not get in trouble if
you lose the chips.

RULE #2: Whenever possible, represent the flop when you have
OUTS.

This is a strategy most players don't quite "get" until
you've been playing poker for a LONG time.

Here's the thing:

If you represent the flop frequently every single time you
play Texas Holdem, you want the odds to be as much in your
favor as possible.

In the scenario above, for instance, representing the flop
with middle pair is a good move. Because you have some OUTS.
If another 8 hits on the turn or river, you're going to have
three-of-a-kind.

Obviously, hitting the eight is NOT likely (about 8.42%).
But there's STILL A CHANCE, and that's what is important.

Think about it:

Let's say you have just a 5% chance of hitting one of your
OUTS that would cause you to have the best hand at the
table.

Well, if you represent the flop fifty times and get a caller
TWENTY times, that means you'll MAKE your hand (on average)
one time out of these twenty. And when you DO make your
hand, you'll BUST your opponent and win a ton of chips.

Make sense?

This is kind of a MENTAL DISTINCTION that separates the pros
from the wannabes. Pros think about the LONG TERM ODDS of
playing. They don't base their decisions on situational
circumstances alone. They base them on WHAT WORKS OVER THE
LONG TERM.

That's how you develop a CONSISTENT winning career.

Because as you'll see in the next rule, you don't want to
CONTINUE to represent the flop if people stay in the hand
with you... unless you're confident that you can get them to
fold.

But usually, if someone calls or raises, you want to "let
up". Don't risk more chips when someone's got you beat.

So by representing the flop when you have OUTS you'll open
yourself up to the chance of MAKING YOUR HAND on the turn
(or sometimes river).

RULE #3: If you get raised, muck it.

All of these rules are general in nature... especially this
one. Obviously you don't want to ALWAYS FOLD every time
someone makes a raise.

BUT USUALLY, if you represent the flop with a bet and
someone comes back over the top of you, that opponent will
MOST LIKELY have a strong hand (maybe even a monster).

It's not logical to continue to bluff at the pot if you're
up against a surefire winning hand. You'll lose too many
chips that way.

That's the downside of being an aggressive player: You've
got to give up and cut your losses quite often. Discipline
yourself to do it.

RULE #4: Change gears with your betting amounts.

As we discussed earlier, one of the benefits to representing
the flop is that opponents will give you more ACTION during
the game because they'll "catch on" to your aggressive
style.

That does NOT mean, however, that you should become
PREDICTABLE. Being predictable is a recipe for disaster.

And that's why you've got to "change gears" and "mix it up"
with your betting.

For example... in our scenario where you made a bet with
your 9-8 suited (middle pair), let's say your bet was for 50
and then someone RAISED YOU to 200.

Your opponent probably has the King and a good kicker...
maybe even two pair. So you fold your middle pair with a
loss of only 50 chips.

NOW... when you fold, everyone at the table will SEE that
you just made a bet and then folded to a raise. This will
tell them that you were betting WITHOUT a good hand after
the flop.

Now... let's say a few hands later the flop comes out 5-A-Q
and you're second to act and you've got pocket deuces.

Your first opponent checks.

Now, although you know someone at the table probably has you
beat right now, you're not sure if someone has the Ace...
because there weren't any pre-flop raises.

So you REPRESENT THE FLOP (and the Ace) by betting.
(Remember, you also have outs here... if a two comes you'll
make trips.)

The key is to NOT BET 50 again, as you did with your eights
just a few hands ago. If you bet 50 again... or always bet
50 when you represent the flop... your opponents will know
exactly what you're doing and read right through you.

If Blake... who's sitting to your left... is only holding
the Queen, he's going to fold if he thinks you've got the
Ace.

But if he thinks you're just REPRESENTING the flop, he will
call your bet. And you DO NOT want that to happen (because
his Queens are better than your two's).

So instead of betting 50 again, you bet 150 this time. This
way you stay out of any PATTERNS that will give away your
hand... and increase the odds that everyone will put you on
the Ace and fold.

RULE #5: After you get better at representing the flop,
INTENTIONALLY STOP mixing up your bets in order to trap your
opponents.

This is a "tricky" play that works very well against
intermediate poker players.

Here's how it goes:

When you represent the flop and get "caught" in your
semi-bluff, use the event to YOUR ADVANTAGE to bust your
opponents.

Let's use the example from before with the 9-8 suited:

You got middle pair. You bet 50. Your opponent raised. And
then you folded.

Well, let's say you represented the flop AGAIN a few hands
later with a bet of 50. And then you got caught AGAIN when
your opponent raised you... and you were forced to fold.

After watching this happen two or three times, your
opponents will suddenly think they're geniuses and that
they've got you "figured out".

They'll think, "Woa, when he bets 50 on the flop he doesn't
have anything... and all I have to do is raise in order to
scare him away."

And of course, you're doing this ON PURPOSE in order to trap
your opponents.

Let's say a few hands later you get dealt pocket fours. The
flop comes: 4-7-J.

You've flopped trips. Now what?

Well, since you've built a reputation for betting on the
flop no matter what happens, you can feel safe betting and
you'll probably get action.

But what KIND of action are you looking for?

You want to get as many chips into this pot as possible. So
you take advantage of the "trap play" that you've created
and you bet 50... again.

This time, your opponents think they've got you figured out.
They think to themselves, "That flop didn't help him one
bit, he's just up to his old ways."

So your opponent RAISES you.

And that's where you GET REWARDED for the trap you set up.

Now you can either re-raise, or maybe call and hope that
your opponent tries buying the pot again after the turn
card...

It doesn't really matter. Because as long as there aren't
any draws out there, you can feel safe in knowing that
you'll win the hand and a nice pot either way.

It's amazing to me how easily players will fall into this
trap. (Especially with online poker.)

But remember... only use this trap play AFTER you have
mastered the first four rules for representing the flop. And
be sure that you aim the play at intermediate players, as
they'll fall for it the quickest.

There's one last component I want to mention here that
relates to our discussion of representing the flop... and
that's what you should do when you make a PRE-flop raise.

My technique is simple:

If I raised before the flop, I will come out betting AFTER
the flop... no matter what hits.

The reasoning is simple...

For starters, NOT betting after the flop is like waving a
red flag and TELLING your opponents that the flop didn't
help you.

If you represent the flop after your pre-flop raise, your
opponents won't know what to put you on. They'll be more
likely to fold.

And using this strategy over and over and over again pays
off in the long run. Because after awhile your opponents
will catch on...

And this benefits you in three ways:

1. You'll get more action when you catch a BIG hand.

2. Your opponents will fold more frequently to your pre-flop
raises because they know you're going to bet after the flop
as well. This gives you the opportunity to steal more
blinds.

3. Your opponents will be easier to read. When they have a
good hand they won't be afraid of you and they'll come back
over the top with a raise...

This lets you know that they've got you beat and that you
should just minimize your losses and fold.

Learning how to PROPERLY represent the flop is a crucial
aspect of Texas Holdem...

From: Roy Rounder Nov 4, 2007

Poker Cartoons

2007-11-06T14:47:00.000-06:00

These images and many more can be viewed at http://www.yuwie.com/ogrepoker/

Advanced No Limit Play

2007-11-04T04:13:00.000-06:00

According to famous poker player and author Doyle Brunson, no-limit hold'em is the Cadillac of all poker games. The skill involved with no-limit games is tremendous, even seasoned professionals admit that they still have a lot to learn at no-limit hold'em. However, don't let this scare you; no-limit hold'em is, in my opinion, the most fun of all poker games as well. It can also be profitable, sometimes even for beginners.

After playing no-limit extensively, I've noticed that the keys to winning no-limit are one's knowledge of the game and his ability to adapt to his opponents' knowledge. You must know what your skills are at no-limit; what stages of the game you have mastered. Once you realize how good you are at no-limit, you must then apply this to how others at your table play no-limit badly.

For the sake of simplicity, I am going to divide the skills of no-limit into several stages. After mastering each of these stages, one can expect his or her profit potential at no-limit hold'em to increase.

Pot odds

You must understand what odds you are getting if you call a bet with a draw. Since you can decide the size of the bet (it's not fixed), you should know if you are getting or giving good odds to someone.

For example, calling an unraised pot preflop with 5 5 is good odds. If you hit a set, you can expect to make a lot of money (people will not expect it, so they will call with top pair). However, let's say you have a flush draw after the turn. The pot is $10 and someone bets $20 all-in, you are getting horrible odds. You have roughly a 1 in 5 shot of hitting on the river, and you would be betting $20 to win $50.

As basic as this may be, many no-limit players have not even mastered this stage! So, if you are still insecure about pot odds, don't worry. Many others are too, and often they don't even realize it.

Knowing the differences between Limit and No-Limit

Check-raising for value is far less valuable when playing a no-limit game than a limit one because you may be giving your opponent's a deadly free card. In limit poker, if you have the second-best hand, you will lose a little bit. In no-limit, you could lose your entire stack.

Aggression

Betting is generally preferable to calling in a no-limit game. When you bet, you can win if you have the better hand or if your opponent folds. If you call, you can only win if you have your opponent beaten. If you bet, you determine the bet size. You determine the pot odds. If you call, you are accepting someone else's odds.

If you bet, you force people to pay off when you have a good hand. If you are a caller, you have to hope someone else will willingly pay you off. The importance of aggression is why tight-passive players can win a lot more at limit than no-limit.

Quick Adjustment

Different types of games require different amounts of aggression. Shorter games require one to be looser and more aggressive. However, if your up against many loose opponents, you must tighten up and wait until you have a strong hand. Generally, the opposite of what the game is does well. If the game is very loose, tighten up. If the game is very tight, take advantage and steal pots.

You also must adjust to your opponent's quality. If you are up against weak players, simply giving them bad pot odds and taking money from them bit by bit works well. If you are against better players, you must set some traps.

Reading skills

Getting an idea of your opponent's cards is very important. This takes time and experience. However, a way to improve your reading skills is what I call the 'three question technique.' Always ask yourself these three questions when someone makes or calls a bet:

• What does my opponent have?
• What does my opponent think I have?
• What does my opponent think I think he has?

Psychology and Traps

Once you hold the whopper and your opponent also has a good hand, what's the best way to double through him? Learning to get out of and set traps is very difficult and only experience will help in this department.

Fundamentally, game psychology and traps are used to manipulate the three questions mentioned earlier. For example, if you overbet the pot with a flush draw and then check when you hold the flush, either your opponent will fall for the trap, thinking you had top pair, or he will recognize the trap and check-fold to you on river. This slowplay is used to manipulate the variable: what does he think I have?

Generally, this sort of game psychology is only used on good players (players that have mastered the first four steps). Against weaker players, you should just build a good hand and extract money out of them bit by bit. Weaker players just play their hand; they don't think about what you have.

From: http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/advanced-nl.php

He needs to catch runner, runner after flop!!

2007-11-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

The Odds by Clonie Gowen

2007-10-27T22:55:00.000-05:00

A Way To Approximate The Odds
by Clonie Gowen

It is very difficult to calculate the exact odds of hitting a drawing
hand when you're sitting at the poker table. Unless you're a genius with
a gift for mathematics like Chris Ferguson, you will not be able to do
it. That leaves two options for the rest of us: The first option is to
sit at home with a calculator, figure out the odds for every possible
combination of draws, and then memorize them. That way, no matter what
situation comes up, you always know the odds. But for those of us
without a perfect memory, there's an easier way. Here is a simple trick for
estimating those odds.

The first thing you need to do is to figure out how many "outs" you
have. An "out" is any card that gives you a made hand. To do this, simply
count the number of cards available that give the hand you are drawing
to. For example: suppose you hold Ac 8c and the flop comes Qh 9c 4c.
You have a flush draw. There are thirteen clubs in the deck and you are
looking at four of them -- the two in your hand, and the two on the
board. That leaves nine clubs left in the deck, and two chances to hit one.

The trick to figuring out the approximate percentage chance of hitting
the flush is to multiply your outs times the number of chances to hit
it. In this case that would be nine outs multiplied by two chances, or
eighteen. Then take that number, multiply times two, and add a
percentage sign. The approximate percentage of the time you will make the flush
is 36%. (The exact percentage is 34.97%.) Now let's say that on that
same flop you hold the Jd Th. In this case you would have an open ended
straight draw with eight outs to hit the straight (four kings and four
eights). Eight outs with two cards to come gives you sixteen outs.
Multiply times two and you will hit the straight approximately 32% (31.46%
exactly) of the time.

One important thing to keep in mind is that the percentage stated is
merely the percentage of the time that you will hit the hand you are
drawing to, NOT the percentage of time that you will win the pot. You may
hit your hand and still lose. In the first example, the Qc will pair the
board and may give somearticle a full house. In the second example
both the Kc and the 8c will put a possible flush on the board, giving you
the straight, but not necessarily the winning hand. Still, knowing the
approximate likelihood of making your hand is a good beginning step on
the road to better poker.

Good Luck!

Clonie Gowen

Poker Chip Review

2007-10-24T09:22:00.000-05:00

Poker chips from iconpoker.com
From their webpage;
Icon Poker announces their new wager marker, the .001 series for the consumer market. At 13 grams, the .001 meets the consumer's desire for a heavy casino chip, while providing a level of craftsmanship that was not available until now.

The new .001 features Icon's integrated full color print technology. All images are integrated into the surface of the marker. There are no labels to peel, no paint to scratch. The full color, high dpi quality imprint will last the functional life of the marker.

I received my sample chips via UPS yesterday. After spending some time trying to get the "new" off of them, I decided to put these chips through a little stress. Let's just say that short of hitting 'em with a hammer, they withstood just fine. At 13 grams each, these chips have a really good feel and a great sound. The images are embedded in each chip so well that I couldn't make a mark on them with my fingernail, and I have some hard fingernails. I even took 2 of the chips, rubbing the edge of one against the image of the other and nothing, no transfer of color or scratching of either surface. The image actually seems to be part of the chip. The sample set had 9 different chip colors; black, blue, orange, pink, red, yellow, green, gray, and purple. Another great feature of these chips is that they are made right here in the gold ole USA. If you are looking for a nice set of chips, that can handle the abuse, and can be fully customized, these chips are it.

Getting Burned on Straight & Flush Draws?

2007-10-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

Have you ever lost a huge pot because you had a flush draw
or straight draw and didn't catch the card you needed?

It's happened to all of us.

And frankly, it sucks.

Because when you're on a draw, you're just ONE CARD AWAY
from raking in a ton of chips.

And you WANT to keep calling everyone else's bets, in hopes
that your card will pop out on the turn or river.

Am I right?

Of course, what ends up happening is you have to put a ton
of your chips in the middle... just to call everyone else's
bets.

That makes you pot-committed... and if you DON'T catch your
card, you're screwed.

Now let me ask you...

Wouldn't it be WONDERFUL if every time you were on a draw
all the other players would CHECK around?

That way you didn't have to risk any chips, and could bet
only after you KNEW for sure whether or not you caught your
card.

That sure would be nice, wouldn't it?

AND...

What if there was a way to STILL WIN THE HAND... even if you
DIDN'T catch your card?

That'd be nice too, huh?

Luckily, there IS a technique you can use to make BOTH of
these things happen.

Let me show you how...

OK, so let's say I'm at an 8-person no limit table and I'm
sixth to act.

I'm dealt a 5-6 of diamonds.

Josh comes out firing with a $10 pre-flop bet. Sarah and
Derek both call.

Now it's on me.

I love suited connectors... especially busting my opponents
with them unexpectedly, so I jump in and call.

The players behind me muck their cards right away... scared
to death of so much action.

The flop hits:

4d-9s-7d

That means I've just flopped an open-ended straight flush
draw. I couldn't have asked for a better flop in this
situation.

Unfortunately, Josh comes out firing (again) with a
no-hesitation bet of $20.

Sarah and Derek both FOLD this time...

And the action is to me.

I'm putting Josh on a high pocket pair, or maybe A9 or A7.
And he's figuring the scraps on the board didn't help
anyone, hence the strong bet.

Which puts me in a tough situation.

Think about it... If I CALL, I might miss my flush or
straight on the turn card. Then what? Josh will make another
strong bet... what will I do then?

And if I call to see the river and miss, then I'll have just
given Josh most of my chips and lost a major hand.

On the other hand, I don't want to FOLD, because I have a
ton of outs and I want to WIN this!

Now let me ask you, what would YOU do in this situation?

Most amateur card players don't think ahead, and they'd call
Josh's $20 bet. And if they missed on the turn, they'd call
another bet to see the river.

And if they missed on the river, they'd probably fold, watch
Josh rake in all the chips, and wonder why they "never catch
the right cards".

Now a more skillful player would ANTICIPATE what's about to
happen... and would probably call to see the turn, but then
fold if Josh bet again.

And of course, there are always the tight players who would
never have played the 5-6 of diamonds in the FIRST place.

So what do I do?

Remember, I'm sitting on 5-6 of diamonds. The board reads:

4d-9s-7d

And Josh, who made a strong pre-flop raise, just bet $20
after the flop.

Here's the answer...

I RAISE.

Not some wimpy raise either... I raise him $40 more to play.

Most players would NEVER think to raise in this situation...
but here's what I've done:

1. I've TAKEN CONTROL of the hand and bought myself a FREE
CARD when it matters most.

You see, if Josh calls the $40 raise, when the turn hits
he'll CHECK to me.

(Remember what I said at the beginning of this email?)

That means I get to see the turn and river for a total of
$40 more, which is a BARGAIN compared to what Josh's next
bet would have cost me.

2. I'm representing possible trips.

Josh now has to wonder whether I called his pre-flop raise
with a low pocket pair and just caught trips on the flop.

Or I could be sitting on a high pocket pair and I'm not
"phased" by the flop.

3. I've raised the stakes of the hand in MY favor... not
his. You see, if I just call Josh's bets and then hit a 8 of
diamonds on the turn, what will happen?

Well, Josh will SEE the three diamonds and the straight
possibility, and he probably won't make any more huge bets
or call any huge bets from me.

This way, I've raised the stakes $40, which increases MY
CHANCES at winning an even bigger pot than if I had just
called.

Make sense?

And last but not least...

4. I've given myself a way to WIN even if I don't catch the
straight or flush.

Now I get to see Josh's reaction to my $40 raise...

If I sense weakness, I may decide to BLUFF and buy this pot
if I don't catch my flush or straight.

If I only call Josh's bets the whole way, he would't fall
for this type of bluff. But my raise of $40 will sure get
him thinking.

OKAY, BACK TO THE HAND...

Josh shuffles his chips around for a moment, and looks back
down at his cards. It turns out he's holding an A9... so
he's got top pair with the kicker. A good hand, but not a
monster by any means.

He calls.

The next card comes out... Queen of spades.

No help.

Josh checks.

THAT WAS IMPORTANT.

This is my "free card" opportunity that my $40 raise bought.

Now I'm in complete control... and feeling pretty good about
this hand.

I can check and see the river for free. I've still got a lot
of outs here.

Or I can bet STRONG and try to scare Josh away.

"One hundred dollars", I say, as I push a huge stack of red
chips into the middle.

True, I only have a Queen high... and the beginner card
player may think this type of play is crazy.

But then again, that's why they're called "BEGINNERS".

Anyway...

Josh thinks for a minute and then mucks it.

I rake in a beautiful pot.

Even if Josh had called, I still had a good number of outs.
And if I missed, I could have tried to bluff again.

Now think back to when the flop came out...

After Josh bet $20, what if I had called? (And not raised.)

Well, here's what would have happened...

The Queen would have came and Josh would've immediately
fired a huge $80 bet.

I would've had to either call the $80 to see the river, or
muck my beautiful straight flush draw.

And THAT, my friend, is why it's CRUCIAL that you TAKE
CONTROL of the betting.

This type of technique allows you to truly DOMINATE THE
TABLES and win more money playing poker. Period.

From: Roy Rounder Oct 22, 2007

Dangerous Mistake Playing Out of Position

2007-10-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

Here is a DANGEROUS MISTAKE that I'd say about 97% of people
make when playing Texas Holdem:

THEY DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT METHOD FOR PLAYING IN FIRST
POSITION, BEFORE THE FLOP.

This is the player immediately to the left of the big blind.
It's the first person to act as soon as the cards are dealt.

This position is nicknamed "under the gun".

And with good reason, too.

Because this is THE most DANGEROUS and COSTLY position at
the table.

Here's why:

1. When you're under the gun, you are FIRST to act BEFORE
the flop... and one of the first to act AFTER the flop.

This means you DON'T EVEN GET A CHANCE to get a read on the
other players before you must make your decisions about
betting...

2. The other players can check-raise you, trap you, and get
a READ on YOU much more easily when you're in this position
at the table...

3. You are more likely to get bluffed, pushed around, out
drawn, and BEAT when you're in this position.

Let's examine WHY this table position is so terrible... and
what proven strategies you can use to play under the gun
PROPERLY, so that you don't lose any more money because of
it.

Here's an example...

Let's say you're under the gun at an 8-man table.

You get your cards and look down at an A-10 off-suit. You
decide to limp in, and you call the big blind (50).

The action goes around the table to the other players. The
man on the button (Don) decides to RAISE and make it 300
total to play.

You're not sure if this is a position raise, or if he really
does have a solid hand.

With all the chips already in the pot... plus the 50 you
already put in from your own stack, you decide to call with
your A-10.

There's one other caller, and both the big blind and small
blind players fold.

The flop comes out:

A-3-6

All different suits.

You've hit top pair. Congratulations.

What sucks is that you're FIRST to act, and you know that
Don is probably going to raise you no matter what you do...

But you don't have a read on Don or the other player. If Don
raises, you have to call, right? I mean, you hit top pair in
a raised pot.

So let's say you throw out a "feeler bet", just to see where
you're at.

Don calls, and the other guy folds.

Hmmmm... so now you wonder if Don is SLOW-PLAYING a big
hand or if he's just going to bluff at this.

The turn comes. It's an 8.

You check... and now Don bets 1000.

What now?

You're "pot committed" and you still have top-pair, so you
decide to call.

Now the river comes, you check again, and Don goes all-in
for 3000 more.

You've already got about 1500 in the pot. You're getting
over 2:1 on your money, and you're really not sure if Don's
bluffing or not. So you call...

And sure enough, Don throws over his Big Slick (A-K), and
rakes in the pot.

Ouch.

And the REASON you lost that big pot wasn't just the
cards... it was your POSITIONING.

If you're under the gun and you hit top pair on the flop,
you're just ASKING for trouble...

Because it's very difficult to get an accurate read on your
opponents when you're first to act.

I mean... let's just look at the many ways you can LOSE your
money when playing under the gun:

- If you call the blinds, but then the pot gets raised
before the flop and you fold. (You've lost your blinds.)

- If you call the blinds (and maybe a pre-flop raise) and
the flop is no help to you. You check, and there's a big bet
by another player and you are forced to fold.

- If you bet after the flop but get raised and are forced to
fold.

- If you have a good hand but someone else has a MONSTER and
slow-plays you. (It's much easier for someone to slow-play
you when you're first to act.)

- And more...

Now multiply all of these LOSSES by the number of times you
will be under the gun every single time you play cards.

The result is a TON of lost chips...

But I do have good news:

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.

You don't have to lose money every time you're first to act
before the flop...

You just have to know EXACTLY WHICH HANDS TO PLAY and HOW TO
PLAY THEM.

Let's take a look...

In our example above, the biggest mistake made was playing
A-10 in the first place.

Since under the gun positioning is so dangerous, you
shouldn't play anything except PREMIUM HANDS.

The rule is this: TIGHTEN UP YOUR GAME.

Only play these exact hands:

A-K, A-Q, K-Q, and pairs.

The only other hand you may want to play is suited
connectors, but that just depends on your style...
Personally, I don't like to play them here.

OK, now let's look at HOW to play the starting hands. There
are basically two groups:

Group 1: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, and A-K.

Group 2: A-Q, K-Q, and all other pairs.

Got it?

Now stick with me here, because this is VERY SIMPLE to
understand and will save you a lot of money at the Holdem
tables.

When you're under the gun, you should always CALL THE BLINDS
(LIMP-IN) when you get any hand in Group 2.

That means if you get any pair between 2's and Jacks... or
A-Q or K-Q... you should CALL.

Period.

The goal is to hit something good on the flop. If someone
makes a reasonable raise before the flop, you can feel
comfortable calling it with one of these hands.

I love playing small pocket pairs, because if you spike your
card on the flop (giving you a three of a kind or a "set"),
your opponents will usually never see it coming.

Now let's talk about Group 1 hands. The monsters:

A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K

The way you play these depends on whether the table you're
at is LOOSE or TIGHT.

Here's the rule:

If you're at a LOOSE table (where a lot of pre-flop raises
occur), you should LIMP-IN (call) with your monster.

If you're at a TIGHT table (where not many pre-flop raises
occur), you should RAISE the pot before the flop.

Here's why...

If the table is LOOSE, and you limp-in before the flop, the
pot will most likely get RAISED and the action will come
BACK to you.

This is good. It means more money in the pot for your
monster hand.

But if you make a big bet, there's a good chance you will
NOT get raised. Because you're first to act and everyone
will know you probably have a good hand.

If you limp-in and the pot gets raised, you should probably
make a RE-RAISE. Always try to get as much money in the pot
whenever possible with your monster hand...

But you DON'T want more than 1-2 callers, because that would
increase the odds of catching a bad beat.

Now if the table is TIGHT, you want to make a RAISE before
the flop. You don't want a bunch of players to all limp-in
and see a cheap flop...

Instead, you want to narrow down the field to 1-2 players
and get some money in the middle before the flop. Period.

Playing first position before the flop is just plain
tricky...

You're first to act pre-flop, in early position after the
flop, you can't get as good of a read on your opponents, and
you're at risk to getting slow-played.

So just remember, the next time you're under the gun, follow
these three simple rules:

1. Only play premium hands: pairs, AK, AQ, or KQ.

2. With AA, KK, QQ, and AK, you should RAISE at a tight
table and LIMP-IN at a loose table.

3. With the other starting hands you should just LIMP-IN.

Play by these easy rules and you'll stop losing money and
start MAKING money from this very dangerous position.

And you'll have a MAJOR ADVANTAGE over everyone else at the
table who DOESN'T know this strategy.

Which brings me to my next point...

You should always try to have MORE POKER KNOWLEDGE than the
other guys at the table... because if you do, you've
literally "stacked the deck" in your favor.

But if other guys you're up against know MORE about the game
than YOU, you're going to be in DEEP TROUBLE...

Because poker is a SKILL game... and it is very complex. If
you want to learn how to play and WIN, you've got to know
the strategies and techniques of the pros.

From: Roy Rounder Oct 12, 2007

How to Play Big Slick

2007-10-19T01:21:00.000-05:00

The way to play Big Slick (AK) depends largely on your
positioning, how many players are in the hand, your "read"
on the situation, and so on.

Remember this mantra:

PLAY THE PLAYER, NOT THE CARDS.

Is Big Slick a monster hand?

Yes, of course it is.

But you'll get BURNT with it if you don't take the right
things into consideration.

When you're in late positioning, you should raise
aggressively pre-flop with Big Slick and try to narrow the
field down to one or two callers.

If you're in an early position, you should make a raise with
the same goal in mind: to narrow it down to a caller or two.
Except this time, you'll have to use more of your
"intuition" to decide how large your bet will need to be.

With Big Slick, you want to get RID of anyone at the table
who's holding a deuce... that way you're not scared about an
opponent having a pair of two's!

After the flop, YES, you should represent with a bet. Don't
CHECK the flop after making a pre-flop raise... only a wuss
does something like that.

If the board hits all scraps, you should be able to take the
pot down no problem. Make your opponents put you on a hand
like K-K or A-A and force them to fold.

If the board hits with either your King or Ace, once again
you'll have no problem winning the pot.

The times you need be careful are when either:

1. You think your opponent has a monster hand, like Kings or
Aces. (If this happens, fold!)

2. The board pairs up or there's a straight or flush draw
there.

In the latter case, you want to be careful not to bet into
your opponent if he's holding trips or a draw.

You won't be able to force him to fold, and you'll have
gotten yourself into a lot of trouble.

Now... if you represent the flop with nothing but Ace high
and your opponent calls, NOW it's time to back down.

If the turn card doesn't help you, just ease off.

Cut your losses and move on.

From: Roy Rounder Oct 7, 2007

The Donkey Ten Commandments

2007-10-15T01:39:00.000-05:00

1. Play every hand. You never know when the poker gods will bless you with an incredible suck out. Consider all money you lost a sacrifice for your big score.

2. Play any suited cards. They are a gift from the poker gods and should never be squandered.

3. Call any all in when you hold any of face card. Even with a kicker of 2. Again these are a gift from the poker gods. They shouldn't be squandered.

4. Always call from the blinds. The poker gods will look kindly on you and give you a good flop.

5. Never let some bluff you out of the pot if you hold any of the following hands. An A with and kicker suited or not. You could catch an A on the river and squash them. That goes for Kx QX and Jx too. Any three to a flush or three to a straight. You never know. They could have nothing and you could catch runner runner.

6. When you catch the only card on the river that would beat the trip aces, or any other hand that had you preflop and all the way to the turn make sure and comment about how good a player you are and how stupid they were for ignoring your mastery at the poker table.

7. Kick and scream when you don't get your 2 outer on the river. Call the player the Anti-Poker God and say he is in league with the forces of evil and should be burnt at the stake.

8. Always check your good hands and bet at the river. If the other players made it that far they will always call you on the river. You will have the best hand as reward for your patience.

9. Any two cards can win. Always remember that. They are words to live by.

10. Never read any poker books or articles. They will only ruin you as a player. Remember. POKER IS ALL LUCK. Anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.

SNGs Made Easy by Howard Lederer

2007-10-13T20:40:00.001-05:00

Sit N Goes Made Easy
by Howard Lederer

====================================================================

The Sit N Go (SNG) is online poker's great gift to the aspiring
tournament player. Prior to the SNG, final table experience was hard to come
by. You could enter a dozen multi-table tournaments and never find
yourself at a final table. Or you could make one or two, only to get knocked
out in 8th or 9th place. Adapting to an ever-diminishing number of
players at a single table is a crucial skill in tournament poker, and it's
a hard experience to find offline without investing a lot of time and
money. Online, this experience is a mouse-click away. The SNG's
advantages are many. For starters, it's low-cost, or even free. It's also fun,
and convenient: You don't need to schedule it -- a SNG starts every
time the table fills up -- and it's usually over in less than an hour. It
is the flight simulator of Final Table play, and mastering it should
be considered mandatory homework for the serious student.

Now that you know why you should play, let's look at how:

The most obvious difference between a SNG and a multi-table tournament
is that when someone goes broke in a SNG, there isn't someone waiting
to fill their spot. Multi-table play consists mostly of full-table, ring
game poker. But as players get eliminated from a SNG, the table gets
shorter- and shorter-handed. This reduction in players basically serves
to artificially raise the antes. For instance, say you are playing
five-handed and the blinds are 100-200: You are paying 300 in blinds for
every five hands, or 60 per hand. As soon as someone gets knocked out,
you're four-handed. Now you're paying 75 per hand -- a 25% increase --
despite the fact that the blinds have remained the same. Accordingly,
you're forced to gamble more, or risk getting blinded out.

Since the size of the blinds relative to your stack size should always
play a major role in you hand selection, I recommend starting out with
pretty conservative starting hand requirements. This serves two
functions: First, the blinds dictate that you play fairly tight early; the
blinds are small and you are nine-handed, so they don't come around as
often. Second, this helps you establish a tight image, which you hope will
pay off later when the blinds are high and you might really need a
timely ante steal.

But there is another not-so-obvious reason to play tighter earlier and
looser later: The payout structure rewards tight play. Most SNG's pay
50% to first, 30% to second, and 20% to third. This payout structure
dictates that you play for third. Why? Looking at the payout structure
another way might help. Basically, the payout means that 60% gets awarded
once you are down to three players, 20% gets awarded when you get down
to two players, and the final 20% gets awarded to the winner. If you
can just get to third, you get at least one-third of 60% of the prize
pool, or 20%. You've locked up a profit, and you have a chance to win up
to 30% more. It's only now that you're in the top three that your
strategy should take an abrupt turn. Now it pays to gamble for the win. Let's
look at the numbers again: 60% of the prize pool is off the table, and
moving up one spot is worth only another 10%. But move up just one
more spot and it's worth a whopping 30% extra -- that's three times more
for first than it is for second. And with the blinds going up, gambling
for the win is even more clearly the correct play.

I see many players employ a nearly opposite strategy. They figure they
have nothing to lose, so they go for the quick double-up early. They
take chances too soon when, in their view, there's "nothing on the line".
Then, once they're in the money, they tighten up, thinking about that
extra payout for moving up a spot. If you start to rethink your SNG
approach and adopt a "slow early, fast late" strategy, you will see an
almost immediate improvement in your results.

WPT Sick Bad Beat

2007-10-12T13:10:00.001-05:00

That's horrid!

Playing Big Slick

2007-10-08T23:05:00.000-05:00

Poker Meetups

2007-10-03T08:20:00.000-05:00

Are you having trouble finding a local game? Well, check out this site to find poker games in your area. Poker Meetup is a great site to post your game or find games near you. The listings usualy show you the type of game, buy in, stakes, and location. You can directly email the host and hook up for play. Enjoy.

The Ogre

Bad Beat the Definition

2007-09-30T21:05:00.000-05:00

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

2008 World Poker Tour Schedule

2007-09-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

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

Caught Cheating At Absolute Poker?!

2007-09-23T14:20:00.000-05:00

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

Phil Helmuth/Chris Ferguson Bad Beat

2007-09-22T01:20:00.001-05:00

Suck out, suck out, suck out

Poker Slang

2007-09-22T01:03:00.000-05:00

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

Home Tournament Setup

2007-09-19T03:16:00.000-05:00

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

Unbelievable Hand

2007-09-15T15:09:00.001-05:00

So, So Sick

Some Notable Poker Quotes

2007-09-15T02:32:00.000-05:00

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

The Mini Bluff

2007-09-10T15:28:00.000-05:00

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

New Social Networking Website

2007-09-08T04:14:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-08T01:03:00.000-05:00

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

Poker Etiquette

2007-09-05T00:23:00.000-05:00

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

Collusion in Poker?! Never!?

2007-09-03T23:30:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-03T22:31:00.000-05:00

* 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.

Bad Beat

2007-09-01T11:38:00.000-05:00

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...

Improve Your Google Page Rank and Technorati Ranking

2007-08-31T23:12:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for ways to improve your GOOGLE PAGE RANKING and TECHNORATI RANKING, I recommend that you give Viral Linking or Viral Tagging a chance. All you need to do is follow these four simple instructions and you're on your way to increasing the number of links to your blog. (courtesy of Blogging Mix.)

==== Copy and Paste below this line ====

Instructions

1.) Copy and paste the entire matrix of “ViralTags” below.

2.) Substitute the Host Tag and one of the “ViralTags” in the matrix with your anchor text of choice containing your blog’s URL. Please keep anchor text to a maximum of 4 words to keep the matrix size manageable.

3.) When you get a ping back from someone that has your link in one of their “ViralTags”, practice good karma by copying his/her Host Tag’s anchor text (automatically the associated link will also be copied) and paste it over one of your “ViralTags” below.

4.) Encourage and invite your readers to do the same and soon this will grow virally.Host Tag: Ogre's Poker Pages; Everything Poker

Blogging Mix Blog About Interesting Stuff Internet Blog Branding Blogspot - Search Engine Optimization Blogging Tips, SEO Guide Blog Instructor Blog, Blogger and Blogging Blog About Networking Blog Monetization - Blogspot Blogger, Blog and Blogging Blogging and Marketing Blog For Bloggers The Bloggers Haven Business Logic Extension - Blogging Mix Content, Connection, Continuity Asian Women and Culture Ogre's Poker Pages Viral Tag Viral Tag Viral Tag

UPDATE: Please let me know through the comments when you've posted this on your blog so I can add your link. Please inform me of your preferred ANCHOR TEXT too. Thanks.

Free Blogger Template - Blog About Interesting Stuff - Internet Blog Branding - Blogspot - Search Engine Optimization - Blogging Tips, SEO Guide Blog Instructor - Blog, Blogger and Blogging - Blog About Networking - Blog Monetization - Blogspot - Blogger, Blog and Blogging - Blogging and Marketing - Blog For Bloggers - The Bloggers Haven - Business Logic - Extension - Blogging Mix - Content, Connection, Continuity - All About Blogs and Bloggers - Blog Specialist - SEO Blogging Tips - The World of Blogging - The Blog Addiction - Blogging Overdozed - Blog Directives - Bloglines For Bloggers - Profiting From Blog - Blogger and Blogging - The Blogger's Corner - The Blogspot Blogger - Asian Culture - Poker Advice

Poker Log/Diary

2007-08-31T03:28:00.000-05:00

It is always a good idea to keep track of your peformance at the poker tables. One of the easiest ways I have found is using Microsoft Excel. If you know the basics of formulas in Excel, then you will be able to do something like this fairly easily. Sample:
Date_________Result____Total To Date___Stakes_____Where
May12,2007___$86.00____$86.00__________.25-.50___H.P.
May19,2007___$182.00___$268.00_________.25-.50___H.P.
May25,2007___$161.00___$429.00_________.25-.50___Tim's
May26,2007___$6.00_____$435.00_________.25-.50___H.P.
June1,2007____$524.00___$959.00_________1-2______Caesar's, IN
June2,2007____$307.00___$1,266.00_______.25-.50____H.P.
June9,2007____$533.00___$1,799.00_______.25-.50____H.P.

The "Result" being my profit/loss. I suggest using a seperate log for tournaments with a column for buy in and another for place finished out of how many.

Holdem "Outs" Card

2007-08-30T13:28:00.000-05:00

This is for all you folks out there who insist on calling, no matter what the bet, in order to hit your draw. I've gone all in at times (2 to 5 times the pot size) to try and drive out those draws and have still been called. Have lost a few huge pots to donkeys but I have definitely profited more than I have lost. So keep calling - HEEHAW! You can copy this and print it out if you desire.

Four Important Poker Skills

2007-08-30T04:24:00.000-05:00

Skill #1: Mathematics

• A solid poker player knows the general probabilities of the game. For example, they know that you have about 1 in 8.5 chance of hitting a set when holding a pocket pair, and that you have about a 1 in 3 chance of completing a flopped flush draw by the river.

• Good players understand the importance of outs. Outs are simply the number of cards that will improve your hand. Count your outs, multiply them by two, and add one, and that's roughly the percentage shot you have at hitting.

• Good players can figure out the pot odds. Knowing outs is meaningless unless it's translated into rational, calculated betting. Knowing you have a 20% chance of hitting, what do you do then?

• Math skills are the most basic knowledge; it's day-one reading. Anyone who doesn't understand these concepts should not play in a game for real money until they do.

Skill #2: Discipline

• Good poker players demand an advantage. What separates a winning poker player from a fish is that a fish does not expect to win, while a poker player does. A fish is happy playing craps, roulette, or the slots; he just hopes to get lucky. A poker player does not hope to get lucky. He just hopes others don't get lucky.

• Good poker players understand that a different game requires a different discipline. A disciplined no-limit player can be a foolish limit player and vice versa. For example, a disciplined limit hold'em player has solid preflop skills. When there is not much action preflop, he or she only plays the better hands. When a lot of people are limping in, he or she will make a loose call with a suited connector or other speculative hand.

• A disciplined player knows when to play and when to quit. He recognizes when he is on tilt and is aware when a game is too juicy to just quit while ahead.

• A disciplined player knows that he is not perfect. When a disciplined player makes a mistake, he learns. He does not blame others. He does not cry. He learns from the mistake and moves on.

Skill #3: Psychology

• A good player is not a self-centered player. He may be the biggest SOB you know. He may not care about anyone but himself, and he may enjoy stealing food from the poor. However, when a poker pro walks into a poker room, he always empathizes with his opponents. He tries to think what they think and understand the decisions they make and why they make them. The poker pro always tries to have an answer to these questions:

1. What does my opponent have?
2. What does my opponent think I have?
3. What does my opponent think I think he has?

• Knowing the answer to these questions is the first step, manipulating the answers is the second and more important step. Suppose that you have a pair of kings and your opponent has a pair of aces. If you both know what the other has, and you both know that you know what the other has, then why play a game of poker? A poker pro manipulates the answers to questions #2 and #3 by slowplaying, fastplaying, and bluffing in order to throw his opponent off.

• Good poker players know that psychology is much more important in a no-limit game than in a limit game. Limit games often turn into math battles, while no-limit games carry a strong psychology component. Thus, poker tells are much more important in no-limit games.

Skill #4: Understanding Risk vs. Reward

• Pot odds and demanding an advantage fall into this category. Poker players are willing to take a long-shot risk if the reward is high enough, but only if the expected return is higher than the risk.

• More importantly, they understand the risk-vs.-reward nature of the game outside of the actual poker room. They know how much bank they need to play, and how much money they need in reserve to cover other expenses in life.

• Good poker players understand they need to be more risk-averse with their overall bankroll than their stack at the table.

When you play in an individual game, you must value every chip equally at the table. You should only care about making correct plays. If you buy in for $10, you should be okay with taking a 52% chance of doubling up to $20 if it means a 48% chance of losing your $10.

However, you should be risk-averse with your overall bankroll. You need to have enough money so that any day at the tables will not affect your bankroll too much. If you worry too much about losing, then you will make mistakes at the table. You need to leave yourself with the chance to fight another day.

From: http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/four-skills.php

Poker in Columbus, Mississippi?!

2007-08-29T03:19:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for cash games/tournaments in the Columbus, MS area? I am. I play in a few, and run one, in the area, but I'm always looking for more. If you are looking for a game, or have a game that I can join, please let me know. You can respond to this post or email me at van_ogre@yahoo.com. I play No Limit Texas Holdem, Pot Limit Omaha Hi or Hi/Lo, and Razz. Hope to hear from you all out there...

Pocket Aces

2007-08-28T04:36:00.000-05:00

AA aka: American Airlines, Bullets, Rockets, Spikes.

Before the flop

Fancy - you take your hole cards and see this:

A of spades and A of diamonds

Wow! What a chance for you! Don't miss it. So if you have a pair like this - raise without any hesitation. Think - at that moment you're holding the best possible hand (or the nuts). Some people will "limp in" with this hand to try and trap, but if you don't hit a third ace on the flop, it can be disastrous.

Of course, you should involve as much money as possible. But be careful: all you want is to make your opponents reraise you - then you'll raise again. Though you can bet more than 3 or 4 times size of the Big Blind if someone had raised to this size before you: you should double his bet. It's very unlikely that he has a pair of aces in his hand. In any other case, as you understand, - he lose.

Pocket aces is a hand that allows you to go all in. What else can you do to get more money into the pot? If your opponent is an aggressive player then limp... he is LIABLE to bet.

On the flop

It's more difficult to decide what to do on the flop than before it. Your pocket cards are the same: two aces - AsAd. Now - the flop:

A of hearts, Q of diamonds, 7 of clubs

Don't show your excitement about the third ace! Check. Give your opponent an opportunity to act. Let them raise. The only danger for you is that someone can make a straight on fourth street.

Another flop:

Q of hearts, J of hearts, 3 of diamonds

If your see something like that - it's better to bet. Why? Because your opponent may be on a straight or a flush draw. Don't let him see the turn for free.

Now let's imagine that on the flop come:

7, 7, 7 (the suits are irrelevant at this point)

Full House! It's a 'nutty' day today, isn't it? Again - try to involve more money into the pot. There is a chance that someone has 7d in his hand... Try to remember your opponents actions before the flop. If you raised and they called you - I don't think that one of their cards could be 7.

And the last example:

10 of diamonds, 5 of diamonds, and 4 of diamonds

Nut flush draw... and best possible pair. You can check giving your opponent a spur to bet. He may have a flush but it is very unlikely. So you can even go all in this situation.

Why Play Poker For Money?

2007-08-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

Why Play Poker?
The Reasons for Playing Poker
by Steve Badger
Aside from just enjoying the game, why should anyone play poker for money? The answer is a blank for most people, and in a nutshell that is the reason some other people should play the game. Poker is a game where study, deliberately trying to improve and hard work pay off. There is no poker equivalent of taking golf lessons that make some aspect of your game better but that screw up those few things you currently do well. The only close parallel in the cumulative learning process involved in poker is something like once you learn how to successfully bluff you have to still maintain patience and not try to bluff every single hand.

But beyond the most basic levels, improving as a poker player is usually quite difficult. Evidence of this can be found by observing the mass of players. It is really easy to say "going on tilt is bad, so don't do it." But not one player in ten manages to keep tilt to a trivial level. Somehow in the rest of their lives people are able to handle equally obvious concepts: don't lick frozen lampposts; don't put your hand on a stove burner; don't wear your clothes inside-out. But when it comes to poker, they simply can't prevent their anger, machismo and stubbornness from governing their play.

But more to the point, most players simply refuse to accept that poker is a difficult, complex game that requires much from them.

Believing in ghosts and fairies is easier than doing the hard work needed to win. Saying "change the deck" is easier than studying opponent's tendencies and adapting your play to their strengths and weaknesses. Crying, whining, blaming dealers, flinging cards or saying the game is rigged, these exist in the poker world because they are easier to do than studying and having patience.

Even among somewhat more thoughtful players, the lust for shortcuts overwhelms them. They crave easy answers to complex problems. They want to be told an answer rather than learn it -- despite the fact that phantom knowledge does not bring success.

One common question shortcut players ask about Texas Holdem or Omaha is: "what percentage of hands should I play before the flop?" This is akin to asking: "what should I wear?" Well, for what? Are you going to a wedding or a digging a ditch? Are you in the Amazon or the Antarctic? The question alone isn't just pointless, it's ridiculous.

Some games are loose and aggressive; others are tight and passive. Some games feature seven solid opponents and one looney-tune donator. Then you get to more specific circumstances. The percentage of hands you play third under the gun with a super-tight rock in the big blind will be different that the percentage of hands you play when an outstanding loose-aggressive player is in the big blind.

Don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about "it depends." I'm talking about the process of poker. Each circumstance and judgment you face in a poker game is an opportunity to exercise thoughtful decisionmaking and data processing.

And so, you should play poker for money if you like to do that!

Players who want to follow the rules or thought-processes set out by others, even outstanding players, are not playing poker so much as pretending to play poker. Poker is a battle of wits, intellects, of nerve. In short, winning poker is a challenge. Play poker to win if you like a challenge (and not coincidentally, money).

Players who seek to avoid challenge do not succeed. Sir Edmund Hillary did not take a helicopter to the top of Mount Everest. Great explorers explore, and so do great poker players.

Luck vs. Skill

2007-08-25T02:16:00.000-05:00

How Much Luck? How Much Skill?
Ben Roberts
March 30th, 2007

If you've ever sat at a poker table, you've invariably heard the questions asked in the title of this article. While all serious players believe poker is a game of skill, they don't always agree on how skilful a game it really is. Some people believe the skill to luck ratio falls at somewhere around 70% - 30%, while others argue that the ratio is closer to 90% - 10%. If you ask me, however, I'll tell you something you won't hear from almost anybody else. Poker is 100% skilful.

Now, I know many of you are already skeptical about how I can make this kind of claim. What about bad beats? Or the times you're out-drawn on the river? How can I not figure these kinds of situations into my thinking? The fact is, I already have. Variance is part of poker and it would be highly unusual if bad beats didn't occasionally happen or if two-outers didn't sometimes hit on the river, as this would defy the laws of probability. The fact is, these kinds of events should have less of an impact on your overall results the more you play.

If you only play a few hands or a few hours of poker at a time, luck will undoubtedly play a bigger factor in your results than if you play regularly. For example, let's look at a player who puts in eight hours a day, five days a week, for 50 weeks per year, which is equivalent to 2,000 hours at the table. Assuming this is a solid, smart player who doesn't vary his or her stakes throughout the course of the year, I believe their talent will outweigh the effect of luck to ensure that they produce positive results year after year. That's not to say this player won't run into the occasional rough patch or have losing sessions, but by sticking to their game plan, these occasional down-turns shouldn't adversely affect their bottom line.

In effect, all players get paid for every good decision that they make and penalized for their bad ones. By continuously making high-quality decisions over the course of so many hours, skilful players should make more good decisions than bad, and see their bankrolls grow as a result. I have done this for more than 33 years, and know many other professional players who have produced similar results for many years. What this shows me is that, over the long haul, luck is not only insignificant when it comes to your results - it's non-existent.

Ben Roberts

From: http://www.thepokerwarehouse.net/ © Copyright 2004 - 2007 FullTiltPoker.com.

Checking It Down

2007-08-25T00:30:00.000-05:00

OK, so here is the situation. We were playing Texas Holdem the other night at work (shhhh- don't tell). 9-person tournament that was down to 3 players. Button (Ac/Kh and very short stack) moves all-in. SB(Ad/8d) & BB(3s/5s) both call with about equal big stacks. Flop comes 7c 8c 9h. SB moves all-in. BB forced to fold. Turn is 6h. River is Kd. Anyone else see a problem with what the SB did? By the way, I was BB. Even the Button agreed that was a really bad move on the the SBs part. We just couldn't make him realize that was a terrible play. Anyway, here is an article I found at rgpfaq.com. Let's hear what you all have to say....

Thanks,
Ogre

Top Ten Poker Mistakes

2007-08-24T00:33:00.000-05:00

MISTAKE #1: Playing Too Many Hands

Most poker players are too loose with their starting hand
selection. You've got to stick with PREMIUM hands...
especially when you're at a 8-man or 10-man table.

Quit limping in with bad cards in hopes of hitting something
on the flop. All those blinds add up... and it's not worth
it.

At an 8-player table, focus on playing hands like pocket
pairs, suited connectors, A-X suited, or two face cards.

Leave hands like K-3, J-8, Q-2, and 10-7 alone. Just fold
them pre-flop.

The REASON most people play too many hands is because they
want ACTION. They don't want to just sit and there and wait
forever until they get good cards.

But if you want to win, you must be patient.

In fact... if you're playing good poker, you should often be
bored. That's right: BORED.

MISTAKE #2: Playing Your Position Wrong

Positioning is EVERYTHING in Texas Holdem poker.

Good positioning means you get to see what your opponents do
FIRST before you have to act. Based on their behavior and
betting, you can make an informed decision about what YOU
want to do.

Good positioning is LATE positioning. That means you're one
of the last to act after the flop. The most IDEAL position
is the dealer (or button).

The mistake most players make is playing the CARDS without
considering their positioning. For instance, the way to play
pocket Aces in the big blind is totally different than the
way to play it in the dealer position.

And that goes for all starting hands... and all positions.

The basic strategy you need to know is that you want to play
MORE starting hands from a later position. And you want to
play these hands more aggressively.

Most of your bluffs should come with good positioning too...
because that's when you'll have the best read on the players
at the table.

In early positioning you want to play FEWER hands.
Especially when you're immediately to the left of the big
blind (also known as "under the gun").

MISTAKE #3: Thinking You're A "Natural"

It's amazing how often I hear someone say, "I'm a natural
poker player..."

What IS a "natural" poker player anyway?

The truth is, poker is an extremely complex and
multi-faceted game. It involves math, psychology, body
language skills, self control, performing under pressure,
and a ton of other things.

The problem with thinking you're a "natural"-- just because
you're good at reading people's faces or something-- is that
it LIMITS your ability to improve.

No matter how good you are at poker, there is ALWAYS room
for improvement. And in each respective area of the game,
there's ALWAYS more to learn.

Not only that, but poker has been around for a LONG time...
way before it started appearing on every TV station.

A lot of poker strategy has been DEVELOPED. There are
step-by-step techniques, tricks, and "plays" that you can
use to win more money at the tables.

These strategies won't just "come to you" like a little
light bulb over your head.

Not a chance.

Instead, you've got to STUDY the game, talk to other
players, and be constantly LEARNING more in order to push
yourself to the next level.

MISTAKE #4: Getting Too Emotional

Emotional control is a big part of Holdem. You've got to be
able to "let go" and become unattached from the outcome of
the game.

The REASON emotions run strong in poker is because your
mixing MONEY, EGO, and CHANCE... all together.

It's DEFINITELY a recipe for some strong emotions.

The key is to EXPECT IN ADVANCE that things will get
stressful and intense. EXPECT that you're going to get
"rivered" and "sucked out".

The reason it's important is because if you let go of your
logic and start playing based on EMOTION, you'll never, EVER
win.

Avoid TILT at all costs. It causes more poker players to go
broke than any other phenomenon.

Stay in control of yourself and be "unattached" to the game.
Don't let anything affect you... just remain focused on
winning.

Period.

MISTAKE #5 Playing The Wrong Stakes

The stakes you play is what determines the SKILL you play
against.

And if you're outmatched, nothing else matters... because
ultimately you're going to lose.

But if you're way better than everyone at your current
level, then maybe it's time to "step it up a notch".

Playing the RIGHT stakes is a delicate balance.

I've found the most effective way to determine the RIGHT
stakes is to calculate your profit per hour over time.

The difference in your "profit per hour" at a $5 Sit and Go
versus a $10 Sit and Go can be DRAMATIC.

But you may get WHOMPED at the $20 Sit and Go... and lose
your bankroll in a snap.

Here's an important tip...

When you try to move UP in stakes, don't be afraid to move
BACK DOWN if it isn't working.

The action plan I recommend is to build your bankroll where
you KNOW you can win... then move up. If you lose your
bankroll, move back down and build it up again. Then move up
in stakes and try it again.

Repeat this process over and over and you'll be continually
improving... moving up to bigger games and more money.

This process also LOWERS YOUR RISK. Follow those steps and
you won't be gambling with next month's rent.

MISTAKE #6: Focusing Too Much On The Cards

Always remember this principle:

PLAY THE PLAYER, NOT THE CARDS.

Ultimately, the cards determine who's the winner for a
hand... but that's only when a hand plays out until the VERY
END and all cards are flipped over.

GOOD poker players hardly ever make it to that level in a
hand. Because they either force their opponents to fold or
fold because they pick up a read on their opponents.

The only times you should be flipping your cards up at the
end is when you KNOW you have the best hand and you've just
milked some sucker for a huge pot.

Get it?

The PLAYER you're up against is what you need to focus on.
Not your cards.

Figure out his betting patterns, his habits, his tells, his
movements... EVERYTHING. And then play him like a fiddle for
all his chips.

MISTAKE #7: Being Too Predictable

Just as you should be studying your opponents, your
opponents should be studying YOU.

The biggest mistake you can make is become PREDICTABLE. When
you're predictable, you can't win at poker.

Because every time you get good cards, everyone will fold.
And every time you get bad cards, everyone will bet.

The key is to BE AWARE OF YOUR BETTING PATTERNS.

Bet strong hands a certain way for awhile... then mix it up
a bit. Do crazy things... bet odd amounts... make the same
pre-flop raise for both 8-7 suited and pocket 10's.
Whatever.

MIX IT UP and kill any consistencies that appear in your
game.

Mistake #8: Not Knowing When To Quit

Know when to get up from a table... it will save you a LOT
of money over the long term.

This is crucial when you've either just WON a ton of money
or just LOST a ton of money.

Because in either case, the tendency from that point forward
is going to be to LOSE. You'll either lose your profits or
dig yourself in a hole deeper... but either way, it's not
good.

Losing streaks suck... because they take hold of some weird
part of your brain that virtually always PREVENTS you from
making a comeback.

No matter how determined you are... no matter how SURE you
are that your "luck" will change... it's not going to
happen. You'll lose more. So just STOP.

With winning streaks, it's the same way. Having a lot of
"new money" makes it less REAL... and there's a tendency to
lose it quickly on stupid moves.

So if you're WAY UP or WAY DOWN in a game, just stop playing
for the day. Go back at it tomorrow, it's no big deal.

MISTAKE #9: Not Knowing The Odds

Knowing the ODDS and PROBABILITY in poker is a standard
ingredient for success.

You can win some games just by being able to read your
opponents and "guess" at what types of betting decisions to
make...

But ultimately, knowing the odds is what it takes to be a
REAL Texas Holdem poker player.

The good news is, you don't have to be a "math genius" to
know the odds of a hand. There are a lot of shortcuts and
tricks you can use to calculate pot odds, hand percentages,
outs, and other important numbers.

MISTAKE #10: Not Getting Help

Like I said before, you weren't BORN knowing how to play
poker.

You had to LEARN it.

In every aspect of the game, you've got to continually ask
yourself the question, "Is this EXACTLY what I should be
doing in this situation?"

There are two main ways to improve your Texas Holdem poker
skills:

1. Learn from experience.

2. Learn from someone who has mastered the game.

The problem with experience is that it takes YEARS and
YEARS-- even DECADES-- of playing Texas Holdem again and
again...

By: Roy Rounder Aug 23, 2007

Reasons To Raise

2007-08-23T12:23:00.000-05:00

Unlike calling, raising has an extra way to win: opponents may fold. An opening bet may be considered a raise from a strategy perspective. David Sklansky gives seven reasons for raising, summarized below.[1]

*To get more money in the pot when a player has the best hand: If a player has the best hand, raising for value enables him to win a bigger pot.
*To drive out opponents when a player has the best hand: If a player has a made hand, raising may protect his hand by driving out opponents with drawing hands who may otherwise improve to a better hand.
*To bluff or semi-bluff: If a player raises with an inferior or drawing hand, the player may induce a better hand to fold. In the case of semi-bluff, if the player is called, he still has a chance to improve to a better hand (and also win a larger pot).
*To get a free card: If a player raises with a drawing hand, his opponent may check to him on the next betting round, giving him a chance to get a free card to improve his hand.
*To gain information: If a player raises with an uncertain hand, he gains information about the strength of his opponent's hand if he is called. Players may use an opening bet on a later betting round (probe or continuation bets) to gain information by being called or raised (or may win the pot immediately).
*To drive out worse hands when a player's own hand may be second best: Sometimes, if a player raises with the second best hand with cards to come, raising to drive out opponents with worse hands (but who might improve) may increase the expected value of his hand by giving him a higher probability of winning in the event his hand improves.
*To drive out better hands when a come hand bets: If an opponent with an apparent come hand (drawing hand) bets before a player, if the player raises, opponents behind him who may have a better hand may fold rather than call a bet and raise. This is a form of isolation play.
[1] David Sklansky (1987). The Theory of Poker. Two Plus Two Publications.

Position

2007-08-23T02:05:00.000-05:00

Position refers to the order in which players are seated around the table and the strategic consequences of this. Generally, players in earlier position (who have to act first) need stronger hands to bet or raise than players in later position. For example, if there are five opponents yet to act behind a player, there is a greater chance one of the opponents will have a better hand than if there was only one opponent yet to act. Being in late position is an advantage because a player gets to see how his opponents in earlier position act (which provides the player more information about their hands than they have about his). Position is one of the most vital elements to understand in order to be a long-term winning player. As a player's position improves, so too does the range of cards with which he can profitably enter a hand. Conversely this commonly held knowledge can be used to an intelligent poker player's advantage. If playing against observant opponents in tournament style play (when the amount of chips one has is finite, which is to say there are no 'rebuys') then a raise with any two cards can 'steal the blinds,' if executed against passive players at an opportune time.

Online Poker Shopping

2007-08-22T01:52:00.000-05:00

One of the best sites I have come across for poker supplies is pokeroutlet.com. They have some of the best prices and provide fast free shipping within the U.S. The downside is that many other people have found this site and many items are temporarily "Sold Out." I make nothing by refering you to this site, I just wanted to let you know this is one of the best.

Pot Odds

2007-08-22T01:01:00.000-05:00

The relationship between pot odds and odds of winning is ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT concepts in poker strategy. Pot odds are the ratio of the size of the pot to the size of the bet required to stay in the pot. For example, if a player must call a $10 bet for a chance to win a $40 pot(NOT including his $10 call), his pot odds are 4-to-1 (20% probability). To have a positive expectation, a player's odds of winning must be better than his pot odds. If the player's odds of winning are also 4-to-1, and if he plays the pot five times, his expected return is to break even (losing 4 times and winning once). So, if you happen to be "chasing", you should only be calling if your odds of winning are better than the pot odds you are facing. This will make you much more $$$ in the long run.

Chips, Tips, and Quips

2007-08-21T11:37:00.000-05:00

Hi all! My name is Steve Oversen. I have created this blog to help people of all levels with their poker games. I will answer questions about everything poker, from online play to live cash games. I will include links to the best of everything poker that I have found. I am not a pro, but I am quite experienced. I have been playing Texas Holdem, Omaha Hi and Hi/Lo, Triple Draw, Razz, Stud, and Horse for several years. I've played online at Ultimate Bet, Poker Stars, Party Poker, and Titan (no longer available in the U.S.). I've also played at Casino's in Mississippi, Indiana, and Missouri. I also run a weekly $.25-$.50 N/L Texas Holdem Cash Game. I have played stakes from $.01-$.02 Limit to $5-$10 No Limit. I will provide links to buy anything you may need to play from chips to tables. A very useful link to help set up a home tournament blind schedule can be found here. Tip of the week - Always buy in for the maximum allowed at any cash game! When you have the nuts, you want to make the most $ possible!

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