Tips from the Pros
Sit & Gos Made Easy
, March 14, 2005The Sit & Go is the flight simulator of Final Table play, and mastering it should be considered mandatory homework for the serious student.
Early Tournament Strategies
, July 30th, 2008Many players' first exposure to poker comes from watching WSOP and WPT tournaments on TV, and I think that's great. It's entertaining and you'll see some interesting plays, but viewers have to understand that they shouldn't model their games based on the action they see on TV.
Three Betting in Omaha Hi/Lo
, July 23, 2008Even though Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is often considered to be a post-flop game, winning tournament players know that it’s important to regularly raise and three-bet their opponents before the flop, especially as the blinds and antes increase.
Two Sides to Every Coin (flip)
, July 16th, 2008Poker is a game of choices. Some of these choices are fairly straight forward and simple while others take a lot of thought. The thing is that when all is said and done, there may not be just one correct path to winning a given hand; it’s all up to you to decide what road to travel.
Sealing the Win
, July 9th, 2008After honing their games online for awhile, many players decide to take the next step and test their skills in a live poker room. For some, the transition comes easily but, for others…
Moving from Online to Live Play
, July 3rd, 2008After honing their games online for awhile, many players decide to take the next step and test their skills in a live poker room. For some, the transition comes easily but, for others…
Overcards in Early Position
, June 25th, 2008Recently, Andy Bloch wrote about the perils and pitfalls of playing big cards - A-K, A-Q, etc. - when they don't connect with the flop. Like Andy, I think learning to play these kinds of hands well...
Control Your Environment
, June 19th, 2008We've all had moments in good old fashioned brick and mortar casinos where our senses become overwhelmed by an environment that we have no control over. From uncomfortable chairs to overflowing A/C to the guy sitting next to you who obviously hasn't bathed since the last time the Cleveland Indians won the Series, playing live poker can be...
Playing Over-Cards
, June 11th, 2008There are a lot of potentially horrendous moves to be made in No-Limit Hold ‘em: playing out of position with a marginal hand, chasing down a draw without the correct odds, overplaying (or underplaying) the nuts. All of these are horrible, horrible plays. But in my opinion, the worst play that you can make (and I see made far too often) is the min-check-raise.
The Dreaded Min-Check-Raise
, June 5th, 2008There are a lot of potentially horrendous moves to be made in No-Limit Hold ‘em: playing out of position with a marginal hand, chasing down a draw without the correct odds, overplaying (or underplaying) the nuts. All of these are horrible, horrible plays. But in my opinion, the worst play that you can make (and I see made far too often) is the min-check-raise.
The Real Value of Tournament Chips
, May 28th, 2008Whenever you’re talking about poker strategies, you’ll find people who make no distinction between tournament play and ring game play. In fact, I know some top players who believe that both should be played exactly the same.
Stealing the Blinds
, May 21st, 2008The middle stages of a poker tournament can be a tortuous and tedious experience for even the most seasoned pro. The long trek toward the money, combined with a variety of potentially tricky scenarios you may face along the way, make it difficult to come up with one sure-fire strategy to help you through. That said, one aspect of mid-tourney play that’s extremely important is picking up pots pre-flop.
Big-Stack Play
, May 14, 2008There are few better situations in poker than to enter final table play as the big stack. However, there’s a big difference in coming to the final table with the chip lead and in knowing how to use your stack to take control of the final stages of a tournament.
A Monster at the Aussie Millions
, May 7, 2008Blinds: 4000/8000/1000, My position: SB, My hand: Ac Qs, My Chip Stack: 389,000. Defending champ Lee Nelson has been moved to the table. He opens in middle position for 24,000 and I decide to just call with my Ac Qs in the SB. The BB folds. The flop comes:
Loosening Up Before the Flop – Part 2
, March 27th, 2008In my last tip, I talked about the necessity of loosening up your pre-flop game, especially in the late stages of a tournament. This week, I’m going to provide you with some more specific examples of the kinds of hands you may want to play when you’re under the gun or on the button, and the ways you may want to play them as you get closer to the money.
Loosening Up Before the Flop – Part 1
, March 20th, 2008Knowing what to do and when to do it is what separates those who just play in tournaments from those who make final tables. This is especially true in No-Limit Hold 'em, where the first decisions you’re faced with are what hands you should play and when you should play…
CardRunners Video Tip
, March 14th, 2008In the past few years, the members of Team CardRunners have developed reputations as some of the best, young high-stakes ring game players anywhere. They’ve also earned the respect of many new and established players by sharing their winning strategies through their popular and easy-to-understand video lessons...
Controlling the Pot
, February 5th, 2008One of the most critical aspects to surviving - and thriving - in deep stack tournaments is learning how to control the size of the pots you play. In short, your goal should be to play big pots when you have big hands and small pots when you don't. When you and your opponents...
Omaha Hi/Lo Strategies
, February 1st, 2008The big difference between big-bet (Pot-Limit or No-Limit) Omaha Hi/Lo and Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is that the former plays much more like Omaha High. Low hands become much less valuable because of how often they get quartered. If you get quartered in Limit games, you may not lose too much of your overall chip stack because the action...
Play More Pots
, Oct 9, 2006In tournaments, I play lots of hands. I'll put my money in with all kinds of connected cards, especially when in position. I might limp, I might min-raise or raise a little more than the minimum, depending on the circumstances. I'm looking to keep my table...
How Big a Bankroll?
, January 16, 2006It 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...
Sizing Up Your Opening Bet
, August 1, 2005I never get tired of saying it: If you're the first to enter a pot in a No-Limit Hold 'em game, never call. If you aren't prepared to raise, throw your hand away. Why, you ask? Simple. By raising, you put pressure on the blinds and the other players...
How To Win At Tournament Poker, Part 1
, June 20, 2005How much of a difference is there between ring game strategy and tournament strategy? The answer: Not as much as you think.
A Way To Approximate The Odds
, March 21, 2005It 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...
Playing Large Fields
, August 17th 2007During the World Series of Poker, players are confronted with massive fields. For example, in the 2007 WSOP, nearly 3,000 players bought into the first $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'em event. Throughout the Series, it was common to see starting fields of 1,500 to 2,000. Many players who are accustomed to playing in…
A Calling Hand in Stud Hi-Lo
, May 18th 2007But in Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo, a situation sometimes arises where drawing with a modest chance at the whole pot and an even smaller chance at half the pot is clearly the correct play.
Running Bad Part II - It’s Bad to Always Get Your Money in Good
, February 29th, 2008In my last tip I wrote about running bad and the effect it can have on your mental state. Now I'm living it. If you've been following my $0 to $10K Challenge you know that it took me about nine months to turn $0 into $100 and another nine months to turn that $100 into $10,000. Even though I hit my goal, I decided to keep playing...
Bursting the SNG Bubble
, February 21st, 2008One of the keys to becoming a successful Sit & Go player is learning to master bubble play. The last thing anybody wants is to be the Bubble Boy, which means you need to get the most out of every hand you play during this critical stage. If you make solid moves from good positions and manage...
There’s No “I” In Poker
, February 14th, 2008I recently competed in a televised tournament where several players lost focus on their game. They were either trying to gun for a particular opponent at their table or making some ill-advised moves to show off for the cameras. In every case, these players were making the same mistake – letting their egos get in the way...
Tilt Control
, 24th January 2008About two years ago, I wrote On Cavemen and Poker Players, which talked about the importance of learning to control your emotions at the poker table. Since then, I’ve had time to further refine my views on this topic, especially when it comes to the concept...
Playing Six-Handed SNGs
, January 16th 2008Most people are familiar with the differences between one-table Sit & Go tournaments (SNGs) and other forms of poker. Because these tournaments only pay the top three finishers at a nine-handed table, the standard...
Bluffing in Pot-Limit Omaha
, January 9th 2008Bluffing can be one of the most profitable plays in poker. However, its success is often blunted by the fact that it's also one of the most misunderstood and over-used...
Mix It Up!
, December 19th 2007A group of my fellow Full Tilt Poker pros and I recently completed a tour of Germany where we got to spend a lot of time interacting with a whole new generation of players from around the country. What I noticed along the way - aside from the incredible enthusiasm for the game - is that many of these players are very...
Suited Connectors and Small Pocket Pairs
, December 12th 2007We've all seen situations unfold on TV where a hand like 7-8 suited or pocket 5s manages to crack some big pocket pair like Aces or Kings. We sit back in the comfort of our living rooms and say, "Well, if they can do it, so can I!" While it is true that these hands can sometimes take down monster pots, the fact is, playing these kinds of marginal hands can often lead...
Implied Odds – Part 2
, December 5th 2007In my last tip, I discussed the basic principles of implied odds. As you'll recall, your implied odds are the total amount you can win in a given pot, divided by the number of chips you're putting into the pot. Put another way, implied odds calculate future action and betting that may occur in a hand, while pot odds focus on the here and now of the...
Implied Odds - Part 1
, November 28th 2007Most people have a pretty good understanding of pot odds - whether the amount of chips in the pot justifies making a call - but they fail to realize that making this calculation only solves part of the poker equation. Often, these players forget to think about how the rest of the hand is going to...
Taking Your Hands Off the Wheel
, November 21st 2007There's no question that poker includes an element of gamble. Any time you risk something of value on an event with an uncertain outcome, you're gambling. But there is a way in which poker is the exact opposite of gambling, because poker...
Knockout Punch
, November 16th 2007Knockout Bounty tournaments – recently added to Full Tilt Poker – can add a fun and exciting new wrinkle to tournament poker. While it’s important to go after the bounties at the right times, you have to keep an eye on your overall goal: winning.
A lot of players will forget this and risk way too much as they try to go after bounties. You have to be wary...
DON'T READ THIS TIP
, November 6th 2007When it comes to advice about poker, my attitude is very simple: seek it out, absorb it, but while you're at the poker table, forget it. I'm a firm believer in learning the game by playing the game. I'm not saying there aren't a lot of great resources around...
Establishing a Tight Table Image
, November 1st 2007Throughout a tournament, your table image will help determine how much action you’ll get and, ultimately, how you can manipulate your opponents into making big calls or big laydowns at the wrong times. While establishing a loose, aggressive image early on can...
Getting Paid on a Monster
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October 26th 2007One of the most profitable situations in poker is one in which you’ve flopped a monster and someone else is betting into you. It’s an incredible feeling but, alas, one of the rarest occurrences...
Being a Bully
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October 18th 2007Many players understand the concepts involved in building a large chip stack during a tournament. What they don’t understand, however, is how to use their chips effectively once they’ve gotten them. Once they’ve accumulated a lot of chips, many players want to control the action, but they haven’t thought through how to take command of the table. When I am the big stack in a tournament, being the bully...
Getting Started in Pot-Limit Omaha
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October 5th 2007To the uninitiated, the only discernible difference between a game of Omaha and a game of Hold ‘em is that players start each hand with four cards instead of two. But what a difference those two extra cards can make throughout the course of a hand.
In Hold 'em, your two cards represent one of 169 possible hands. In Omaha, where you must use two of your four starting cards to make...
Pre-Flop Raising Strategy
, September 28th 2007To limp or not to limp—that is the question. I'm not going to name any names here, but there are some big-game pros who will argue that it's okay to limp into a pot before the flop. They reason that the more flops they see...
Playing from the Blinds in Tournaments – Part 2
, September 21st 2007As I discussed last week, there are many factors that come into determining how you play from the blinds in tournaments, including your opponent's position at the table. Of course, that's not the only factor to take into consideration. Throughout a tournament, everyone develops a table image that impacts how people play against them. Depending on your opponent's style of play − and how your opponent perceives you − you might be able to…
Playing from the Blinds in Tournaments Part 1
, September 13th 2007If tournament poker is a game of situations, then it’s important to know how to play from the blinds. Poker comes down to three basic decisions: fold, call, or raise. Usually, folding the blinds will be your best option...
Recalculating the Average Stack
, September 6th 2007In a recent World Series of Poker* Circuit event that I played in, the nine-handed final table started with blinds of 10K – 20K, and there were roughly 3.5 million chips in play. Some quick division would tell you that the average stack was 350K, or about 18 big blinds. This simple calculation could lead you to some bad conclusions...
Building and Maintaining a Bankroll
, August 31st 2007For most players, the lure of playing in high-stakes ring games or tournaments is a sirens’ song that’s hard to resist. While there’s no doubt that these games can provide huge rewards, the sad truth is that many beginners often leap into the deep end before…
Bubble Play In Tournaments
, August 23rd 2007I had just bubbled in the $2,000 Seven-Card Stud Tournament at the World Series of Poker*. I had a drawing hand and I ended up losing all my chips, which was a big mistake.
HOW TO WIN A HORSE TOURNAMENT
PART II
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August 7th 2007To win a HORSE tournament, you have to understand the value of the blinds and antes in each of the games. From my experience I find that you don’t win HORSE tournaments as much as you steal them...
HOW TO WIN A HORSE TOURNAMENT
PART I
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August 3rd 2007If you want to win a HORSE tournament, you have to be good at all five games. You don’t have to be the best player at any one game, but you also can’t be the worst. If you’re really bad at one of the games...
How to Bluff Against a Solid Player
, July 23rd 2007When trying to steal pots in No-Limit Hold ‘em, you have to ask yourself questions like: “How likely is it that my opponent has a hand?” and “Does my bet (bluff) make sense in the context of the way the hand played out?” Asking these questions is important. Answering them…
Playing a Short Stack in Multi-Table Tournaments
, July 13th 2007The key to succeeding in tournament play is being able to handle the ups and downs, because it's not always going to go perfectly. Your chip stack is not always going to shoot upwards, which means you'll often need to make good decisions when...
Playing Heads Up
, July 6th 2007Heads-up play is one of the most important aspects of poker, and many players could benefit from strengthening this part of their game.
Playing Small and Medium Pocket Pairs in No-Limit Hold'em
, June 29th 2007In No-Limit Hold'em, small and medium pocket pairs can be bankroll killers for some players. But if you play these hands correctly, they're going to be big winners for you in the long run.
When to Continuation Bet
, June 20th 2007When you raise pre-flop in a game of No-Limit Hold ‘em and are called, you're faced with a decision when the flop hits the board. Should you put out a continuation bet on the flop or should you check and let...
Buying In Short in Pot-Limit Omaha
, June 15th 2007It’s amazing the difference that two cards can make. As opposed to Hold ‘em where players have two hole cards at the start of each hand, Omaha starts each player off with four cards, which makes both pre- and post-flop play much more challenging...
Small Pockets and Big Stacks
, June 8th 2007It’s the first hand and you’re in the big blind. Five players move all-in. You look down at pocket Aces. What do you do?
Goin' Pro
, June 1st 2007“Should I quit my job and play professionally?” “Should I drop out of school and play poker full time?” I get these questions all the time and I always give the same answer:
Understanding Implied Odds
, May 10th, 2007Too often, implied odds are invoked as a reason for a play when "wishful thinking" would be the more accurate description of the situation.
Table Talk
, May 4th, 2007Every piece of information you gain at the table is something you can use to your advantage.
Starting from Zero
, April 30th, 2007I had a losing streak there and had to go down to $5/$10. That was tough.
Playing Low
, April 16th, 2007There's no shame playing for lower stakes than you think you can afford.
How Much Luck? How Much Skill?
, March 30th, 2007The fact is, these kinds of events should have less of an impact on your overall results the more you play.
The Weak Lead
, March 23rd, 2007And if you check-call, the pro will probably check the turn and then fold to a bet on the river.
Satellite Savviness
, March 1st, 2007The fact is, satellites provide much more than the chance to save some money on a $10K buy-in.
The Pain Barrier - Manipulating Your Opponent
, Feb 9, 2007If you're hungry, tired or even a little drunk, you're not likely to play your best.
Finding the Low Cards in Omaha Hi/Lo
, Jan 15, 2007You really can't do these sorts of things in Hold 'em.
Looking at the Long-Term
, Jan 6, 2007Many refuse to admit mistakes and insist that a bad run is due to bad luck alone.
Playing Small and Medium Pairs in Seven-Card Stud
, Dec 29, 2006Small and medium pairs are among the trickiest hands you'll encounter in Seven-Card Stud.
Playing Aces in PLO
, Dec 21, 2006Omaha is a game where what you catch with the community cards is usually more important than what you start with.
Playing in Australia
, Dec 15, 2006For a serious poker player, the Aussie Millions offers one of best structures of any tournament anywhere.
Playing Mixed Games
, Dec 7, 2006It's tough to go back to any one game once you start playing mixed games.
Pot-Size Manipulation
, Nov 30, 2006Keeping the pot small will get you pretty good value when you're ahead and help you avoid disaster when you're behind.
Betting out of Position
, Nov 20, 2006...by checking, you give control to the late-position player.
How a Pro Thinks Through a Hand
, Nov 13, 2006I was half hoping for a King on the river and half not, because it could bust me.
Cash Equity at the Final Table
, Nov 6, 2006I needed to win the pot only about 27 percent of the time to justify a call.
Getting Beyond Your Cards
, Oct 30, 2006Moving beyond your own cards is a key step in coming to think like a winning player.
The Mindset of a Winner
, Oct 23, 2006It's impossible to overstate the importance of money management to your poker career.
Balancing Poker and Life
, Oct 16, 2006Don't even consider going pro until you can cover all of your bills for at least six months in advance.
Play More Pots
, Oct 9, 2006My overall goal is to pick up a lot of small pots without a lot of resistance.
Heads-Up vs Multi-Way Hands in Omaha Hi/Lo
, Oct 3, 2006If you're playing a multi-way pot, you need a very strong hand going one way or the other.