Beginner Lesson

Considering the Payout Structure

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 | Beginner Lesson | No Comments

How the prize pool is distributed is different from site to site with 2 main differences in the percentage awarded. For the past 30 years the payouts have been about the same style known as the regular payout and some people prefer a flat payout structure.

What is the difference?  Which do you prefer? › Continue reading

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Hole Cards in a Race HU

Saturday, June 20th, 2009 | Beginner Lesson | 3 Comments

We have all been in the situation where we are either calling off our stack or making the push all-in.  This entry is about the math and winning percentages of heads up.

Think of your favorite pocket pair and lets see how well it really does in the long term.

You might be surprised to see some of the numbers that follow. › Continue reading

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Position in Poker

Friday, June 19th, 2009 | Beginner Lesson | 2 Comments

Playing poker with position is the most profitable way to play winning poker, lets learn position to give yourself a better understanding of what it is and how to use it.

There are many poker plays that can be used at the tables, those are talked about below and will have other lessons branching off to better illustrate those moves.
› Continue reading

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Stud Poker How to

Friday, June 12th, 2009 | Beginner Lesson | 2 Comments

Stud Poker is where players are dealt a mix of cards face down and face up with multiple betting rounds.  There are many different types of Stud Poker the most common would be 5 and 7 Card Stud.  The game H.O.R.S.E uses 3 different variants of stud poker;  Razz, Seven card Stud, and Seven card Stud Eight or better.

Shuffle Up and Deal

Each player has placed their ante to receive cards
Two cards dealt face down to each player, one card dealt face up to each player around clockwise. When using a ‘bring in’ which is a forced bet (kinda like blinds) the player with the lowest card showing of the up faced cards is required to put in chips.

› Continue reading

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My 5 Tips to Better Poker

Monday, April 27th, 2009 | Beginner Lesson | 3 Comments

ivey-patient imagePatience

The hardest part of poker is not playing when you have chips in front of you. When you have chips and dealt cards we feel we should be playing but we need to learn that we can’t play every hand simply because it is not winning strategy. Even tho any two cards dealt can win, we need to be patient and look for the right opportunities. If you look at my stats from most of the games I play you can see how patient I am and how it rewards me.


Bankroll Management

I’ve seen and heard a number of times, a player cashes out in a big tournament so they move up to a higher buyin level and blow their bankroll in a short time. Some of these players are skilled enough to play at that level, but could not afford to take downswings when they don’t catch any decent hands or a break “ONE TIME”. Stick to the levels you can afford to lose at and you will over time, playing winning poker will eventually move up and enjoy sessions at the bigger buyins.


Don’t Over Play a Hand

It is nice to get good cards and bet with them but sometimes the flop is not what you really wanted to see to fire out a bigger bet to increase and take down a monster pot. There should be times where you will fold the best hand, the game would be to easy if we didn’t. We should be looking for the right opportunities at every street (flop / turn / river) where we can get rewarded, and at times we need to let go of a hand because it becomes risky. Over playing ace king is a hand that comes to mind when I talk about over playing a hand.


Image

Many players at the low levels don’t know it or use it. Everyone at the higher levels abuse it. A poker players image is a screen shot of their playing style at the moment. If a player is playing tight you should pick up on that. Think of the places and opportunities where you can take advantage, the stealing of blinds, check raising and turn betting comes to mind.



Play Poker

Most poker players are not what they say they are…. they are mostly holdem players. To be a poker player you really should be playing more then just one game type considering how many their are. I often do a weekly session of Omaha where I will only play that poker variant that day. It is good for the mind and spirit to be a poker player, but you can’t just play holdem to be one so go learn another game. Knowing the other variants will help you understand and better your holdem game.

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When Good Poker Runs Bad

Saturday, April 25th, 2009 | Beginner Lesson | 2 Comments

We have all been at a dry spell of wining when we are playing poker, and when I talk about playing poker I mean playing good poker.  AA constantly gets cracked, sets losing to full house and top pair is never enough.  It gets you to the point where you want to give up or cry, well don’t. › Continue reading

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Letting Myself Down

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 | Beginner Lesson | 3 Comments

Last night I had a few poker games, some really decent ones that I could should have went deep into the final table possibly should have won.  I was letting myself down because I fell into the worst thing a poker player can do, and no that is not calling a re raise out of position; its losing confidence.

The other night, sitting at a cash table I played bad, in fact I was out played and I was thinking of the money not how I played the hands I was in or should have been in.  I let that carry over to the two $1000 games,  and then later in the HoldemRadio game (finished 4th).  This was not the day (none are) to lose confidence in your own game.

I can even recall typing in **** it, as I re raised all in with Ace high to someone I had known hit a pair or set on the flop.  I was just so frustrated they called my pre flop raise with an asstrout hand… but I should expect that from an asstrout.  I knew, I know I could get them chips back off the player(s) and get myself right back into the game.

Giving up is not gonna get me back to an upswing, bringing emotion to the poker table never helps.  At the same time its hard to avoid when there are things in life that are letting me down, but I can’t let that effect me by letting myself down.

I don’t mind losing, that is something that you just have to get use to as a poker player.
You win some, and try to lose less of some and poker is my escape, and usually when I do well at playing it gives me that lifting feeling.  You know that feeling that nothing can stand in your way, no problem is to small, and I can just out play you today.

Positive Thinking, Positive Results

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Do What You Did When Your Winning

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 | Beginner Lesson, Poker Lessons | 4 Comments

You ever get that feeling when your playing, when it just feels sooooooo good?  Even when your not getting good hands, or even wining big pots, but you get that feeling your doing good.

Last night, although it was no huge payday or anything, felt really good to play.  Really it started the evening before while doing a coaching session with Pinky, then followed that up with a prosperous session with Twinsie…

While talking with Dan, not that he needs the coaching, (so he thinks lol, jk) just talking about doing the right things is what the mind needs.  It is like a retraining or refresher course.  Often I tell people that are on a down swing, go back over what you know.  Go back over the things you did right when you were wining.

Being good at poker, is not hard to do.  Staying good is.

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Playing from Small Blind

Monday, June 30th, 2008 | Beginner Lesson | No Comments

Playing from the small blind can be tricky, as your already putting in money
(small blind = 1/2 the big blind) and your first to act on every street…
on the flop, turn and river, meaning your out of position.

There are a few ways of playing the small blind

With No Callers
You can choose to fold, raise or call. Sounds simple eh?
Well don’t get to cute when playing blind vs blind if your not a post flop player
(someone that try’s to out play their opponent on the flop or after)
A raise from the SB more often then not looks like a steal because it is positive expected value to raise in this situation. Personally I would try to play off of image, and mix up play but 90% of the time just fold that very weak hand instead of trying to steal.

One Caller
With one caller, could actually be the trickiest time to be in the small blind.
Holding a marginal hand, say Q9c your will probably smooth call and try to peel a flop and hope the BB doesn’t raise. The reason this could be trickiest time to peel a flop is because of flops like QXX, where your in first position to act so your going to lead out or check raise to see where you are at. This is usually where you get owned by a set or AA KK, or that draw sneaks out on you.

Limpers
You should be calling to see a flop with almost every hand, and defiantly call the BB if everyone limps in, even if your holding a very weak hand. The pot odds are extremely high and it is highly probably the big blind will simply just check.

Raised Pot
Should only be playing premium hands with a raise in front of you, your position is only going to get you in trouble. I personally prefer to raise from the small blind then call a raise. Then I can check the flop and do a check raise or possibly see 4 four or even 5 cards free. (check down with 77)

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Blind Stealing

Saturday, June 28th, 2008 | Beginner Lesson | No Comments

When you raise preflop hoping to get the blinds to fold to you uncontested.
Usually done in late position when all have folded to you.
Also, you would have marginal hand to even see the flop. ( call bb )

Good Attempts:
When your perceived as a tight player
Raising to tight players in blinds
A strong bet (3x bb+)

Bad Attempts:
When your seen as loose (see a lot of flops)
Raising to players that call train
A weak bet (2x bb-)

Blind stealing is really an art. Much like Ninjistu is of Martial Arts.
Your move is to be bold, and to strike at a key moment.

Many players try to steal blinds and cant figure out why it never works.
Usually is because the players they are trying to steal from,
simply will call cause they have money invested into a pot.

When you try to steal blinds, your first time out.
Try to do it with cards like…. connectors or suited
This way if you do get called, you still have a life line.

The reason I prefer to blind steal with these hands (~98o T7s) is because you can have a made hand on the flop. And in that case, check raise is optimal on the flop

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