Texas Holdem Poker

My Thoughts On Slow Playing

2007-09-18T09:09:00.001-07:00

When you get a MONSTER hand, you should NOT slow play it.

Here's why:

"Slow playing" means that you don't bet very much, or bet
nothing at all, in hopes that your opponent makes a big bet
or tries to bluff.

For instance, if you got two Aces before the flop and only
called the big blind, you would be "slow playing" your Aces.

Or if you flopped a straight and just "checked", you would
be slow playing your straight.

Make sense?

The problem is, most amateurs will slow play their big
hands... trying to perform the famous check-raise
maneuver... or trying to "trap" their opponents...

But generally speaking, this is NOT a smart strategy... for
two reasons:

1. Because many poker players will see right through you...
and fold the hand as soon as you make your move.

2. Because you won't win as much money when you slow play
big hands versus betting them.

Let's talk about the first reason...

The fact is, slow playing big hands will NOT confuse your
opponents.

On the contrary, it will actually give them a SOLID READ on
you.

Why?

BECAUSE MOST PLAYERS SLOW PLAY MONSTER HANDS.

That's just the way it is.

You may think you're being SLY, but you're really just being
STUPID.

I think it's actually human INSTINCTS to slow play big
hands...

Think about it. When someone gets a big hand, what are they
thinking in their heads?

They SHOULD be thinking... "How can I get the most money
possible out of this pot?"

But what they are REALLY thinking is... "How can I make sure
everyone doesn't fold and this great hand doesn't go to
waste?"

It's the truth.

Especially since it will often take HUNDREDS of hands before
you catch a monster.

And that's the REAL reason why people slow play big hands...

Because they're SCARED TO DEATH that if they make a bet,
everyone will fold.

So the point is, it is NOT unique to slow play a monster...
in fact, it's what MOST card players do. Especially
amateurs.

Now let's look at the second reason why slow playing a big
hand is a bad idea... and that is:

YOU WON'T MAKE AS MUCH MONEY.

The fact is, when you hit a monster, you should bet it. It's
that simple.

Even if you REALLY ARE thinking to yourself, "How can I get
the most money out of this pot?", the answer is to bet it.

Not slow play it.

You'll win more chips and make more money by betting your
big hands... especially when you look at it over a long term
perspective.

Let me show you three reasons why:

1. Usually, one of your opponents will have SOMETHING...
whether it's a bottom pair, wired pair, straight draw...
whatever.

This means that you'll usually get one or more callers for
your monster hand... which is "sure money" going into the
pot that you're about to win...

2. When you slow play big hands, you're opening yourself up
for BAD BEATS. You shouldn't give your opponents the
opportunity to see free cards.

When you let them see free cards, you're just increasing the
odds that someone catches a lucky draw... or the one
"miracle" card that can bust your hand.

Betting your big hand, instead of letting your opponent get
free cards, will narrow down your chances of a bad beat.

3. Your opponents won't see it coming.

Since most players slow play monsters, your opponents will
often put you on a BLUFF when you bet your big hand.

And if they think you're bluffing, they'll try to come back
over the top of you with a raise.

This, of course, gives you yet ANOTHER way to make more
money from your hand...

Now... let me talk about the EXCEPTION to this rule. And
that is when you get a monster that is SO UNBELIEVABLE...
AND you sense complete weakness at the table.

The most common example of this is 4-of-a-kind.

For instance...

Let's say the flop came out 8,8,2 and you've got pocket 8's.
The other two players check to you.

In this case, it will be smart to just check your big hand,
rather than betting.

BUT, you're not really "slow playing" it.

What you're ACTUALLY doing is just letting your opponents
"catch up" to you.

Since you know the 8's couldn't have helped either of your
opponents, you want to make sure a turn card comes out...
and maybe even a river card... in hopes that someone catches
SOMETHING.

If the turn card is a face card, that's good news for you.
Because it means that someone might have made top pair and
will be willing to give you some action in the hand.

But besides that, you should NOT slow play your big hands.

Now let's see a real-life instance where this strategy
helped me make more money at the poker table.

Just the other night I was at the riverboat and got dealt AQ.
My positioning wasn't good, but it was the first decent hand
I'd seen in awhile, so I raised the pot to 1,500 in chips.

Only one player called me... the man on the button. This guy
(we'll call him "Mike") is a very good card player. He goes
to the casinos every single night... 7 days a week...
grinding it out and making his living.

He's one of the only players at this table that I generally
avoid going heads-up with, actually.

So anyway... the flop comes out, and it's:

Q-Q-3

I've flopped a set with an Ace kicker.

I'm first to act. So what do I do?

Most players would slow play... but not me. I come out
firing.

I hesitate for like two seconds and then push in 4,000 in
chips.

Mike is thinking there is no possible way I'd bet trips like
that... so he's probably putting me on a high wired pair
(but not Queens).

Plus, he might think I'm just representing my pre-flop raise
with this bet...

So instead of folding, Mike decides to represent the Queens
out there... and act as if HE has the trip queens.

"Make it 10,000", he says aggressively.

Of course, now I've got Mike EXACTLY where I want him...

I call his bet.

The turn card comes... it's a 10.

I check... because I know Mike is going to make a big move
on me.

"Make it 10,000", he says again.

And I call again.

It turns out Mike is sitting on K-10... which means he's got
a pair. This will give him even MORE confidence to try to
buy this pot.

Now that I've called his bets, however, he's probably
thinking I have Kings or Aces. Which means the only way he
can win this pot is to scare me away.

The river hits... and it's a 3. Which gives me the full
house.

I check again, and Mike goes ALL IN with his huge chip
stack... thinking he can bully me out of the hand.

I call... and I take down a MASSIVE pot from the seasoned
rounder.

And it all started because I DIDN'T slow play my trips. Mike
didn't put me on the three Queens and was willing to push
his entire stack into the middle to try to win that pot.

Of course... that won't happen every time you get a big
hand. And trying to confuse your opponent is definitely NOT
the only reason to not slow play your big hands.

The reality is, when you bet your big hands you'll
CONSISTENTLY win more pots and make MORE MONEY playing
poker...

What Makes No Limit Poker So Exciting

2007-08-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

I have a new idea that I wanted to share with you.

I call it the "All-In Factor".

No limit Texas Holdem poker is the game of choice for most
card players these days... I know I certainly prefer it. But
a lot of my opponents don't know how to truly USE and
LEVERAGE the "All-In Factor" to their advantage.

What I mean is, going "all-in" is SO POWERFUL and SO
IMPORTANT, yet most players don't know the right times to
make this bold move. They just wait for the "nuts" to come
along and THEN they go all-in. Make sense?

I'd like to share with you some of my thoughts on how, when,
where, and why to go "all-in" against your opponents.

Not only is this move what makes no limit poker so EXCITING,
but this is also the KEY DISTINCTION between limit and no
limit Holdem... and it's why no limit requires more of a
"ballsy" personality.

Contrary to popular belief, the All-In Factor actually adds
MORE SKILL to the game of poker... just not in the sense of
math or odds.

Instead, "all-in" requires the skills of PSYCHOLOGY,
intimidation, and bluffing.

When you learn the right times to go all-in, you'll have a
consistent EDGE over your opponents... and THAT, my friend,
will help you beat the game over and over and over (even
when you don't have good cards).

OK, let's get started.

One of the core principles of poker is that it's always much
easier to BET than it is to CALL.

I mean think about it: You can make a BET without actually
having good cards-- you might be on a bluff... you might be
"representing" the board... you might just have middle
pair... and so on.

But to CALL a bet, you want to have a strong hand. Because
now your OPPONENT is representing good cards. If you don't
have a read on him, then it's going to be harder to CALL his
bet.

I look at it this way: It's much easier to SHOOT a bullet
than to DODGE a bullet (and I'm not talking about Aces).

That's one of the reasons why I like to go with an
aggressive style of play. I win a lot more pots even when I
DON'T have good cards... because my opponents are forced to
fold to me.

Anyway... this idea that it's easier to BET than CALL
couldn't be more true than with ALL-IN BETS.

It is TEN TIMES EASIER to push all your money in the middle
than it is to CALL an all-in bet.

When your opponent goes all-in, he has put you to a decision
for all your chips. Your life in the game/tournament could
be OVER with just this one pot.

In order to call, you must be CONFIDENT that you have him
beat.

But in order to make an all-in bet yourself, you just need
to be confident that your opponent will FOLD... or that you
have him beat.

This gives the person MAKING the all-in bet the advantage
every time.

And that leads to our second main principle, which is this:

If you don't risk chips, you can't win chips.

Period.

Now obviously, your strategy should be to MINIMIZE your risk
and MAXIMIZE your winnings...

But no limit Texas Holdem gives you the unique opportunity
to win big pots with all-in bets, even when you don't have
the best hand.

The All-In Factor is what allows you to BULLY your opponents
and take a DOMINATING position.

One of the best times to go all-in is to STEAL a pot from
your opponent... but when you steal pots, you must be sure
the hand meets these conditions:

1. You want OUTS. If your opponent calls, there should be
cards left in the deck that can help you still win the hand.
Even if the odds are not good, you want outs.

2. You must have a solid read on your opponent. If you're
stealing a pot, you must be confident the other player is
going to fold.

3. You want good positioning. This isn't as important as the
first two conditions, but positioning is what usually allows
you to get a read on your opponents.

Let's look at an example...

Say you've get dealt 8-7 of diamonds while you're on the
button. That means you've got a "hidden hand" with the best
positioning.

Three players limp-in and the action is to you.

You raise the pot to $15... a nice raise in this $1-2 no
limit cash game.

The small and big blinds fold.

But then Brian, who's under the gun, comes back over the top
of you and raises it to $30.

Ouch. You forgot that Brian is a smart player who doesn't
play anything but premium hands while under the gun. He
limped-in, which was the "red flag" that he had something
good.

Anyway, the action goes around and Jared-- the guy to your
right-- ALSO calls the bet of $30.

So it's $15 more to call... and the pot size is already up
to $80. With your positioning and the pot odds, you decide
to call and see a flop.

You don't like the way this hand is going so far, because
now you have $30 invested with just suited-connectors... and
you're putting Brian on a hand like A-K, A-Q, or maybe
something like pocket Jacks. If he had anything better he
would have been more aggressive than simply raising $15.

OK, so the flop comes out:

3s-4s-5s

Wow. Interesting flop. 3-4-5 of spades.

Brian bets $10 into the pot. You know this flop didn't help
him one bit... the only reason he's making this small bet is
because he raised before the flop. You can tell right away
that he doesn't like what he sees on the board.

Jared mucks his hand.

So now the action is to you. There's $90 in the middle.
You've got about $350 more in chips, and Brian has about
$225.

THIS is one of those times to consider going all-in.

You don't have a single spade... and that's not good. But
you do have the gutshot straight draw. There's a 16.47%
chance that a six will hit on the turn or river.

But that's not why you're going all-in. You want to make a
move at this pot because you've VERY confident that Brian is
going to fold.

For all Brian knows, you could have two spades, or the
straight, or a straight draw and flush draw, or even a
straight flush.

The truth is, Brian probably has the best hand right now
with two overcards... he may even have a high spade. But
that won't be enough for him to justify calling an ALL-IN
bet.

Brian's smart... there are simply too many cards out there
that can beat him. So you go all-in and he mucks it...
making you $90 richer.

When stealing a pot like this, be sure it's worth the risk.
The fewer players in the hand, and the more money in the
middle, the better the payoff is to you.

The key is knowing that your opponent is going to fold. If
you're up against someone who's too smart (or too dumb) to
muck it, then you're in trouble.

That's where the OUTS come in.

Let's say Brian looked at you and said, "Well, I know you've
got the flush, but I can't lay this down." And then he
called... flipping over an Ace of hearts and an Ace of
clubs.

Now you're in trouble, of course. But at least you left
yourself some outs... you've got a 16.47% chance of hitting
that six. And you've also got the slight chance that two
more spades come out or the board makes a straight (which
would be a split pot).

And last but not least... if everything goes wrong and you
lose this pot to Brian, you've still got $125 in chips.

Which brings me to my next point... and that is the SIZE OF
YOUR STACK.

Stack size is an extremely important component of the All-In
Factor. Here's what I mean:

First of all, if you're going to play a hand aggressively,
you always know that it COULD lead to all-in bets. That's
why you want to go after players with SHORTER stacks than
you.

If the worst case scenario occurs and you lose an all-in
match, at least you're not out of the game.

This has a secondary benefit, too...

If a player has fewer chips, he'll be easier to "push
around" and "bully". That lowers your risk further.

Of course... this gets more complicated.

You want to be very careful about stealing pots or making
stone cold bluffs against anyone who's "short-stacked".

If you've got $400 in chips and your opponent has $40 in
chips, you wouldn't make the same kind of bluff as you did
against Brian in the example.

A player who's short-stacked is ITCHING to move all his
chips in as soon as he picks up ANY type of hand. So you
can't bluff him out of the pot.

What you CAN do, however, is put the short-stack all-in
BEFORE THE FLOP when you have something decent... therefore
putting him to a decision for all his chips. If he calls, it
will probably be a loose call, and you have a chance at
winning a good pot.

If he folds, you win the blinds. And if he wins, you only
lose 1/10 of your stack.

Let's look at another quick example. Say Brian has $40 in
chips and you've got $400 in chips. You're third to act
before the flop, which isn't very good positioning. Brian's
second to act.

Brian goes all-in with his short stack. You look down to see
pocket Kings. You know you've got him beat. What should you
do?

The answer is NOT to call. Instead, you should ALSO go
all-in. With Kings, you don't want multiple players in the
hand seeing a flop... You just want to take Brian's $40 and
the blinds that are already in there.

You must make a move to scare out the remaining three
players behind you... otherwise there's a good chance you'll
get run down.

Let's say you just CALL, and then Drew also calls with an
A-8 suited.

The flop hits: A-4-J

And now you lost the hand... because Drew caught his top
pair.

But if you had moved all-in before the flop, Drew and
everyone else would have folded. Then it'd just be you and
Brian... as Brian flips over his losing pocket 8's.

That brings up another good point:

Players will make LOOSE CALLS to all-in bets when there's a
chance at eliminating someone from the table.

This is most relevant in tournament play.

You see, eliminating someone from the table means each
player is CLOSER to finishing in the money...

So it's in everyone's BEST INTERESTS to "knock off" the
short stack.

This is something you can use to your advantage when YOU are
playing short-stacked. If you pick up a monster hand, you
can be assured that you'll get lots of action with it... and
if it holds, you might even TRIPLE up (or better).

But that's also a reason why you cannot make an all-in BLUFF
when you're short-stacked. You can't bluff anyone out of a
pot because you don't have enough chips to scare them off.

"All-in" is only intimidating when you have lots of chips.
When you DON'T have lots of chips, your opponents will be
HAPPY you're all-in... because it means you're that much
closer to getting eliminated.

Even if you're NOT short-stacked, this principle is true
when facing players who have a LOT more chips than you.
Let's say you're 4th in chips at a 6-man table... with about
$80 in front of you.

Don't try to bluff at a pot with an "all-in" against the
chip leader, who's got $400. He can afford to make a call
with just a mediocre hand or a draw.

For him, $80 won't hurt his stack much... and the chance of
knocking you out is worth the risk.

So when WOULD BE the right time to go all-in when you're
short-stacked?

The obvious answer is "when you have a hand". But as you
know, you won't always get good cards.

As a general rule, I "make my stand" when I'm getting down
to about ten times the big blind. Lower than that will be
too short-stacked to make bluffs that will scare anyone out
of the pot.

With more than 10x the big blind, I'm usually able to steal
some blinds and get myself back in the game.

If I run into a monster, or get outdrawn, oh well. There's
nothing I can do.

But usually, since I make my stand based on chip stacks,
positioning, and sensing weakness, I WON'T get any callers
to my bold "all-in" and I'll rake in the pot.

This is also one of my fundamental techniques for not
getting "blinded to death"... and for staying in a game even
when I'm NOT catching good cards.

OK, let's review:

The "All-In Factor" is a key technique for no limit Texas
Holdem. Not only does it separate limit from no-limit... but
it also separates the "men from the boys", so to speak.

When you go all-in WITHOUT a monster, be sure you have OUTS.
These will come in handy over the long term.

Don't bluff against someone who's got way more chips than
you... and don't bluff when you're the short-stack at the
table.

If you're getting low on chips, make your all-in move when
you're getting down to about 10x the big blind.

If the short-stacked player at the table goes all-in and
you've got a big hand, don't CALL. Be sure YOU go all-in
too... that way you scare the other players out and decrease
the chances of getting run down.

Remember... it's always easier to BET than CALL, and you can
never win what you don't put into the middle.

The All-In Factor is a strategic maneuver that you can use
to "own" your opponents and win more money at the poker
tables.

How To Get A Read On Your Opponents

2007-08-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

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...

Winning Against Players Who Never Fold

2007-07-30T09:03:00.001-07:00

The only thing WORSE than a player who never folds is
someone who doesn't know how to BEAT a player who never
folds...

C'mon man, the answer to this is EASY!

GO ALL-IN.

That's it.

If you've got top pair and your friends at the table are
chasing a straight or a flush, put them to a decision for
all their chips.

You said it yourself... you "usually" win.

Any time your odds can be described as "USUALLY", don't be
scared to push your entire stack in the middle.

Period.

If they call, great. You'll "usually" win all their money.
If they fold, that's good too, because you still won the
hand.

Oh yea, and one more thing...

Quit being such a baby when you lose. You'll never win ALL
THE TIME so just get over it already! ;-)

When To "Smooth Call" Your Opponents

2007-07-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

A smooth call is when you're holding a REALLY GOOD hand and
someone bets into you... but instead of RAISING, you simply
CALL.

The smooth call is VERY POWERFUL, but a lot of players
totally mess it up. Here's how to do it RIGHT...

Let's say you're playing a cash game of no-limit Holdem at a
10-man table. The blinds are $5-10.

You're sixth to act before the flop (good positioning) and
you pick up pocket Aces...

Nice!

A couple players limp-in and the action is to Don, who's an
aggressive player.

He makes it $125 to play.

This is a rather large pre-flop raise at this table. The
normal pre-flop raise has been between $50 and $75 up to
this point.

You immediately put Don on something like pocket Jacks or
tens.

Why?

Because you know that if someone makes an UNUSUALLY large
pre-flop raise, it's probably because they have a hand they
DON'T want to play.

And quite often that hand is 10's or J's.

So anyway, the next guy folds and now the action is to you
with your monster American Airlines.

What should you do?

This is an ideal situation for a smooth call.

Here's why:

You know Don is going to bet again after the flop--
regardless of what hits-- since he made such a large
pre-flop raise.

And you also know that you've got Don beat right now. If you
call his bet, there's no way he's going to put you on Aces.

If you RAISE, Don is going to be scared. Because RAISING
after a big bet means you must have a monster. And that
basically gives away your hand.

OK, so you make a smooth call and put $125 in the middle.

Everyone else mucks their cards, so it's just you and Don to
see the flop.

The flop comes out a "rainbow" (which means there are three
different suits on the board):

8-7-4

This is the perfect flop for you. You figure Don has a
pocket pair HIGHER than the cards on the board, which means
he'll be confident betting his hand.

The only thing to be WORRIED about is if Don has pocket 8's,
since that would mean he just made trips. If he DID have
trips, he'd probably check after the flop and fake weakness.

So anyway, the action is to Don and... as expected... he
comes out firing a $250 bet.

What now?

Well, you could come back over the top of him and take this
pot right now. Or you can do ANOTHER smooth call and go for
the kill.

You think for a few moments... hesitate... then smooth call.

The turn card comes and it's a four, which is PERFECT for
you.

Don doesn't hesitate and puts his last $500 into the pot
now... thinking he has the best hand.

You call, and throw over your monster Aces.

Don shakes his head in disgust and throws over his pocket
Queens.

And you win a massive pot.

Now, that's basically the "ideal" way the smooth call works.
Let's discuss the RIGHT CONDITIONS when you'll want to make
a smooth call... and how you can add this powerful move to
your "poker toolbox"...

*** CONDITIONS FOR A SMOOTH CALL ***

The smooth call is the combination of two main components:

ANTICIPATION + SLOW-PLAYING

The INTENTION of the smooth call is to FOOL your opponents
while letting them dig their own grave.

Here's what I mean...

The smooth call operates on the fact that you ANTICIPATE
that your opponents will continue betting... AND... that you
have the best hand at the table.

When your opponents think THEY have the best hand, they'll
be confident with their betting. They'll become
pot-committed... and will get frustrated that you won't back
down.

That's when they'll make a mistake and go all-in, or simply
bet too much, and you'll come out on top.

There are four main "conditions" for performing a smooth
call... Here they are:

1. You don't need to figure out where you're at, because you
KNOW you have the best hand.

2. You ANTICIPATE future bets from your opponent.

3. You have good positioning.

4. You're not worried about too many players getting in the
hand.

The first condition basically means you should only smooth
call when you have really good hands. We'll talk about the
EXACT hands to smooth call with more in a minute.

We've already gone over the second condition... you need to
ANTICIPATE future bets from your opponent. Most of the time,
players who raise before the flop will bet AGAIN after the
flop.

The third condition is POSITIONING. You can't perform a
smooth call if you're first to act. Then what you're doing
is just check-calling your opponents... which ISN'T the same
thing.

And the final condition for a smooth call is that you're not
at risk of having lots of players in the hand.

This last condition is important because it will help you
prevent bad beats.

Basically, when you have a monster hand before the flop, you
want to narrow the field down to one or two callers...

If you have three or more players seeing the flop, your
monster will get run down by someone who gets lucky.

In the example I shared earlier, Don had made a large
pre-flop raise of $125. That meant there was no danger of
too many players calling...

If the pre-flop raise had been only $40 or so, it would NOT
have been a good situation to smooth call... because the
raise would have gotten multiple callers. And then you're at
risk of a bad beat.

OK, so those are the conditions that need to be present in
order to make a smooth call.

Remember, the REASON a smooth call is powerful is because it
"represents" something like a draw, low pocket pair, or hand
like A-K, A-Q, or K-Q.

If you smooth call before the flop, your opponent will
probably put you on something like suited connectors, two
face cards, or a low pocket pair.

After the flop comes out and your opponent THINKS he has you
beat, he'll keep INCREASING his bet sizes to try to scare
you out. This is a fundamental poker principle...

For each successive round of betting, the bets and raises
will INCREASE. The bets after the flop will be larger than
the bets before the flop. The bets after the turn will be
larger than the bets after the flop. And so on.

In our example, if you came back over the top of Don BEFORE
the flop, he would have folded. That means you would have
won his $125.

At MOST he may have called a $125 raise from you... but then
would have check-folded after the flop. In that case, you
would have won his $250.

But by smooth calling, you got BOTH his $125 bet (pre-flop)
and $250 bet (post-flop)... and then by smooth calling again
you got his remaining $500.

The key is to trick your opponent into thinking he has the
better hand... and let HIM take the offensive. If you can do
that, you're money.

*** HANDS TO SMOOTH CALL WITH ***

You want to smooth call before the flop with hands like Aces
or Kings. You DON'T want to smooth call with something like
A-K or A-Q.

Big Slick is a great hand... don't get me wrong... but it's
not "complete". By itself, Big Slick is just an Ace high. If
the flop doesn't help you and your opponent comes out
firing, you're in trouble.

If you're going to smooth call after the flop or turn,
you'll want to do it with hands like trips, two pair, or an
over pair (like in our example).

Trips and two pair are usually "hidden" from your opponent,
which is why they make great smooth call hands. (Remember,
it's all about making your opponent think he's got the best
of you.)

OK, TWO MORE THINGS to keep in mind...

First off, there are DANGERS to smooth calls. The main
danger is if your opponent catches a better hand than you.

You should be ready for this if there's something on the
board like a straight draw, flush draw, or two face cards.

Let's say you smooth call before the flop with pocket Kings
and the flop comes out 3-Q-6, all diamonds.

If your opponent comes out firing aggressively, be careful.
He wouldn't come out betting UNLESS he felt like he's still
got you beat.

I mean, think about it: Those three diamonds are going to
SCARE him... unless they HELPED him.

It's the same way with flops like 10-J-Q, K-K-5, K-Q-10,
J-A-3, and so on. If there are two face cards out there,
your opponent might have just made trips or two pair. If
there's a straight draw on the board and he's not scared,
YOU should be scared.

The second thing to think about is how you can INTEGRATE the
smooth call into the rest of your game...

The smooth call is a "maneuver" or "play". It will bring you
tons of extra pots and winnings when added to the STRONG
FOUNDATION of your poker skills.

Know EXACTLY What Your Opponents Are Holding

2007-06-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

"SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, and WATCH."

Don't start running your mouth... don't try to act cool...
and don't daydream. The first few minutes you're at the
table is perhaps the most IMPORTANT time there.

Once you've done this, be sure not to rush into any hands.
In fact, I recommend NOT getting involved in any hands at
the very beginning... and here's why:

If you're an experienced tournament player, you know that
most players are eliminated from tournaments when they are
in "shuffle times" (when they are moving from table to
table).

It is at these times when the BIGGEST MISTAKES are usually
made.

Let's say that you sit down a new table. You may have been
playing at a tight table where you could buy a lot of
pots...

You sit at this new table... and fall right back into your
betting pattern. You make a bold move, try to buy a pot, and
get burnt because THIS TABLE is much LOOSER than the last
one.

This puts you at a disadvantage right away... one which you
might not recover from.

When I move to a new table... or begin at a game where I
don't know the players... I always wait at least 3-4 rounds
of betting before I get involved in a hand... and a lot of
times I wait EVEN LONGER.

This gives me a chance to get to know my opponents... BEFORE
I risk any chips.

I call it my "Study Period."

Of course, the WHOLE GAME is a study period in itself... but
these first few hands is 100% devoted towards just watching
my poker opponents.

And here's the added benefit:

If I don't know my competition, THEY don't know ME, either.
By taking my time and doing my study period, I learn about
THEM... but they DON'T LEARN ABOUT ME.

If anything, they just ASSUME that I'm a tight player...

That means within 10 minutes, I immediately have an
advantage over all the other players at the table... even if
I haven't won a pot yet... or even played a hand.

OK, so when you do your study period, what should you look
for?

A lot of newbies think it's all in the face and in the
eyes... which is a mistake.

Most poker tells are the COMBINATION of an entire set of
movements and behavior...

On TV-- especially in movies-- poker tells are portrayed as
something as simple as the twitch of a nose or the movement
of a leg.

Kind of like in "Rounders," when Mike McDee figures out
Teddy KGB based on how he ate his cookies.

TAKE NOTE...

For the most part, this type of portrayal of poker tells is
a TOTAL MYTH.

If you think you can figure out a player's hand just based
on how he blinks, you're in for a rude awakening... and
you'll lose your chips fast.

In REAL LIFE (where you play), tells are more complex...

...VERY RARELY are they "cut and dry."

When you study your opponents... here are the things you
should think about:

1. Past Play

Think about how this player has acted in the past...

Is he usually strong or weak?

Aggressive or timid?

Smart or dumb?

And so on...

2. Timing

If your instinct tells you that a player deliberated for a
long time trying to make a choice, chances are that his hand
isn't too strong.

However, you should also note how long he has taken to play
in the past, to make sure that the move wasn't just a
regular timing move.

3. Posture

Especially with bad players, the posture of a player is a
key tell that will reveal a lot about a hand...

If the person leans back, that USUALLY represents strength.
If he leans forward, that USUALLY represents weakness.

Once again, poker tells aren't black and white. It's a gray
area, where everything needs to be considered together...

4. Bet Amount

If a player tends to make small bets, but then places an
unusually large bet, he could be holding a strong hand. Or
he may be trying to buy the pot.

Always watch for irregularities in betting patterns... most
amateurs don't mix up their bets enough, which gives you an
easy edge if you pay attention.

5. Pulse

This is one of the only "body tells" that I find works most
of the time. You can usually see the intensity of a player's
pulse by looking closely at his neck.

Often if a player gets "shaky," he usually has a great hand.
If the player is cool and collected, it's probably a fake.

6. Your Gut Feeling

Depending on your poker experience, your gut will often be
your best guide...

I've been playing poker for so long now that when I sit down
with newbies, I can usually read the players almost
INSTANTLY, without much thought.

It just comes naturally... and it will come naturally to
you, too... once you gain a lot of experience under your
belt... and once you spend enough time studying the game.

With the pros, of course, you've got to be much more
careful, because they DO know how to disguise their tells
and play their hands in an unpredictable manner.

So, to recap:

1. When you sit down to play at a table of strangers...
especially in a tournament... take your time before becoming
involved in a hand.

2. Go through a careful "Study Period." During this time,
SHUT UP and STUDY the players intensely.

3. When you start betting, watch for the six things we
discussed: past play, timing, posture, bet amount, pulse,
and your own gut instincts.

Finally... there's one more step to add...

And that is:

NEVER REVEAL THE WAY YOU THINK.

Here's what I mean...

Poker is truly a BATTLE of minds. The tells we've been
discussing are mostly simple REFLECTIONS of how a player is
thinking at the time of a bet.

For some reason, it's a natural tendency in all of us to
share our thoughts at the poker table... ESPECIALLY when we
aren't involved in hands.

This is more common during "home games" than in tournament
play or casinos...

For instance, let's say there's a heads up match between Don
and John after the river card.

Don goes all in...

The river was the third diamond on the board. John has trip
Aces.

(Of course, a flush would beat John's three of a kind.)

Anyway... John's has to decide whether Don is a on a
bluff... or if he caught the diamond flush.

THIS is where everyone starts screwing up:

Since Don is all in... and can't change his mind... John
shows his trip Aces to the other guys at the table who
aren't in the hand.

He says, "Man, I don't know whether to call. Don made a
pre-flop raise... I think he's just pot-committed and is
trying to buy it."

Someone else might chime in, "Yea, but he seems like he's
got the flush. Did you notice how he's been quiet the whole
hand?"

Someone else says, "C'mon wuss. Just call his bet and go
all-in... I'm getting tired and want to get going."

And so on...

Do you see where I'm going with this?

John should NEVER show his Aces to the other guys of
course... aside from being bad poker etiquette, now they
just saw an entire "free hand" and got to see how John acted
the whole way with his three of a kind.

The next guy just revealed that he's been watching how
SILENT Don has been... which clues everyone in on how this
guy thinks about tells. Now you know to be very conscious
about how much you talk around this player.

And the third guy reveals an attitude of carelessness...
which means as soon as I caught a good hand I'd try to get
in a heads-up match with him and go all in... because
there's a decent chance he'll call.

When you reveal your THINKING PROCESS, you're simply GIVING
AWAY tons of crucial information... FOR NO REASON.

The other players at the table with pick up a read on you
quickly... both consciously and subconsciously.

So don't do it.

Period.

As you know, Texas Holdem is filled with TONS of techniques
and strategies like these, that anyone can understand if
they just take the time to learn them.

Unlike popular belief, poker is NOT about having natural
talent.

It's about LEARNING-- through experience, analysis, and
expertise-- how to MASTER the game.

How To Gain An Immediate Edge Over Your Opponents

2007-06-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

The trick to WINNING POKER is to always be at least ONE STEP
AHEAD of your opponents...

To be one step ahead, it helps to understand the COMMON
EXPERIENCES and thoughts that every poker player goes
through.

It seems there are three distinct LEVELS of poker
intelligence. Knowing which level your opponent falls under
can be a MAJOR ADVANTAGE for you at the table...

I call these the "Three Stages of Sophistication".

As you read these, think about the guys you play cards with.

Think about what level they're at... AND... think about
which stage YOU ARE IN right now. It will help tremendously.

Here they are...

STAGE 1: Analyzing the CARDS.

This is when a player focuses his mental energies strictly
on the cards.

This is someone who waits to play only premium hands, and
perhaps spends a lot of time calculating "pot odds".

Usually, this type of guy plays TIGHT, and is fairly "see
through". He'd be better off playing LIMIT Texas Holdem
rather than NO LIMIT.

STAGE 2: Analyzing the PLAYERS.

This is the person who understands that to win at no limit
Holdem, you've got to PLAY THE PLAYERS, not just the cards.

This is the guy who sits there all night and STUDIES your
every move. He's convinced that there are "secret" tells
behind every player...

And he'll do ANYTHING to figure them out.

You can spot a player like this just by watching him when
the cards come out. If he's watching YOU, rather than
looking at his cards, then he's probably in the second stage
of sophistication.

STAGE 3: Analyzing how players will analyze YOU.

Stage 1 players are easy to beat. You can bluff them out of
big pots, rile them up, and then sit back until you catch a
monster and put them all in...

It's like taking candy from a baby.

Stage 2 players are harder to beat, because they understand
the Cardinal Rule of no-limit Holdem, which is to...

PLAY THE PLAYERS, NOT THE CARDS.

You can't always push them around at the table, which means
you have to devise a different strategy...

Which is why Stage 3 is so powerful.

Because when you're a Stage 3 player, you KNOW that the
Stage 2 player is analyzing you. And you simply stay ONE
STEP AHEAD of him.

A Stage 3 player is someone who gets pocket Aces before the
flop and takes FOREVER to call a pre-flop raise.

Why?

Because by taking his time and making it LOOK like he's
contemplating a decision, the Stage 3 player knows HIS
OPPONENTS WILL THINK THEY CAN BLUFF HIM out of the hand.

Sure enough, after the flop one of the STAGE 2 players will
go all-in... trying to buy the pot... not knowing they just
fell right into the Stage 3 player's trap.

To be a Stage 3 player, you've got to ADOPT YOUR STYLE OF
PLAY ACCORDING TO WHAT THE OTHER PLAYERS THINK ABOUT YOU.

That's the key.

Here's an example that happened to me recently...

I was in a local game with a bunch of friends and players
who know me well.

I've built up a reputation in my town for being an
AGGRESSIVE player at the table... who's always pushing
around the action and throwing out feeler bets.

In addition to being aggressive, people also know me as a
BLUFFER. My buddies have seen me push my entire stack into
the middle on a 2-7 offsuit... when I can't even beat the
board.

And they've seen this happen MORE THAN ONCE.

This reputation has a TREMENDOUS IMPACT on my strategies at
the table. And I can use this "image" to my advantage.

In this particular example, I was dealt pocket 3's while on
the button. Three of my opponents limped in and the action
was to me.

I liked my positioning, so I decided to throw out a pre-flop
raise in hopes of spiking a three.

"Make it $20 to play", I said.

This was a rather large bet with respect to pot size, but I
did it for a reason. I wanted to either STEAL THE BLINDS by
forcing everyone to fold, or create heads-up action... which
would give my small pocket pair better odds at winning.

Anyway, Blake was the only player to call my bet, so I was
feeling pretty good about my chances.

The flop came out:

A-4-3

All different suits.

Fantastic. I just spiked my three... which gives me trips.
AND there's an Ace on the board.

Blake checks.

Now here's where I have to make a decision...

Do I slow-play the hand by checking right behind him?

The answer is NO.

Because like I said, I have a reputation with these guys.
They know I bluff a lot, so they'll usually give me a lot of
action.

So instead of slow-playing, I actually OVER-BET the pot in
this situation...

Blake called my large pre-flop raise... and now there's an
Ace on the board. So he's probably sitting on a hand like
A-J or A-Q and thinks that HE is slow-playing ME.

"Seventy-five to play", I say in a very arrogant tone. (This
was a large bet for this particular game.)

Blake-- who is a Stage 2 player-- thinks I'm pushing him
around. He's sitting on about $300 in chips and decides to
go all-in.

EXACTLY what I wanted.

I call, and throw over my threes.

He throws over A-9 off-suit.

And sure enough, I took the pot down. All because I was ONE
STEP AHEAD of him...

I KNEW that he was analyzing me and putting me on a bluff,
so I reeled him in by "over-betting" the pot with a touch of
arrogance.

Of course, I didn't always know how to do this.

I can remember a hand I once played COMPLETELY WRONG on a
riverboat in St. Louis.

This was when I was first really "getting into" poker. The
guys on the riverboat didn't know me... so they weren't
familiar with my style of play.

They didn't know I was a very aggressive player who often
bluffed. (Which I was, even back then.)

It was the second or third hand of the night and I was dealt
pocket 6's. One of my opponents made it $10 to play and I
was the only one to call his bet.

I spiked my six on the flop... which means I had
three-of-a-kind.

My opponent was first to act and threw out another $10 bet.
The action was to me.

Unfortunately, I was only focused on my cards and my
opponent. I was between levels 1 and 2 of the "Three Stages
of Sophistication."

I figured he had a strong hand since he'd raised the pot
twice... and I was excited as hell about my three 6's.

So without hesitation, I made a raise.

"I raise you $40", I said... in the same "pushy" tone I'd
use with my buddies.

My opponent thought about it for a moment and then mucked
his cards.

I had COMPLETELY misplayed the hand... and all I made with
my monster was a lousy 20 bucks.

The MISTAKE I'd made was failing to adjust my style of play
to WHAT MY OPPONENT WAS THINKING ABOUT ME.

Back at home, I would've gotten a call with my $40 raise.

But not on this riverboat.

Because on the riverboat, my opponents didn't know me...
they didn't have a "read" on my style... and we were only a
few hands into the game.

For all they knew, I could've been an extremely TIGHT
player... just like most of the young guys they show up on
the riverboats.

Anyway, the lesson I learned is this:

THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR OPPONENTS ARE THINKING.

Do they see you as tight, aggressive, reckless, bad, good,
crazy...?

See the game through the eyes of your opponents, and you'll
be able to win against ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.

A lot of pros will tell you that the only way to master
these skills is through EXPERIENCE.

But don't take this advice too seriously.

I've known guys who have played poker for 40 years and STILL
can't play worth a damn.

And I've known guys who pick the game up and after ONE YEAR
are making a FULL-TIME INCOME in card rooms across the
country...

The secret is NOT experience.

The secret is KNOWLEDGE.

What matters is how far along you are in your "poker
intelligence".

If you're young, and you understand the strategies and
techniques I share, then you can have a MAJOR ADVANTAGE over
your opponents...

Because a lot of guys will underestimate you.

If you're older... or more experienced... the exact OPPOSITE
is true. You'll be at a clear DISADVANTAGE if you're up
against someone with a higher POKER IQ than you.

The solution... no matter what your age or experience
level... is to KEEP READING MORE and STUDYING MORE about the
game.

Stop Losing Big Hands Part 2

2007-06-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

Listen. The other day I emailed you about how to STOP losing
big hands.

We talked about why it's CRUCIAL that you learn to
ANTICIPATE your bets and your opponents' bets BEFORE they
happen.

Today I'd like to share with your part TWO of how to prevent
big losses, and that is:

DON'T GET GREEDY.

Successful poker players all have one thing in common:

They understand the PSYCHOLOGY of greed, and how powerful it
really is.

Let me share a story with you how *I* fell victim to greed
the other night at my local $1-2 no limit game... and how it
emptied my pockets.

Here's how it went down...

I get dealt pocket 6's and am sixth to act.

Josh is first to act and makes it $5 to play. Don and Brett
are next in line and call Josh's pre-flop raise.

The action is to me, with the pot size at $18.

There's no doubt I'll play this one and hope to spike one of
my sixes.

One other guy behind me calls the bet.

Okay... flop comes out:

Ah, 9d, 6s

Perfect.

I've just spiked my 6's and there's an Ace on the board,
which I'm sure someone is holding.

It looks like I'm going to rake a HUGE pot at this point.

Josh comes out firing, as I expect. I immediately put him on
AK or AQ.

Brett folds and Don calls Josh's $20 bet.

Who knows what Don has... I can never put him on a hand
because he's the manic at the table. He'll play just about
anything. He's probably sitting on 10-J, looking for a
runner-runner straight draw for all I know.

Needless to say, he's not the guy I'm worried about.
Actually, I'm not really worried about ANYONE at this point.
I just flopped trips... and all I'm thinking about is how to
milk these guys for all their money.

I decide to not slow-play the hand. I want to find out where
I'm at... so I re-raise Josh's bet. I'm confident I'll get a
call. I know Josh won't fold if he has the Ace, like I
think.

"Make it $50", I say, as I push in my red chips.

The guy behind me folds and the action is back to Josh. He
thinks for awhile as he shuffles his chips.

"I call", he says.

Don, however, doesn't hesitate one bit. He throws in his
chips with some frustration and splashes the pot.

I've done everything right so far... I'm very
well-positioned to rake in a huge pot.

The turn card comes... 4 of diamonds.

Now the board reads:

Ah, 9d, 6s, 4d

So the 4 doesn't scare me at all.

Josh and Don both check this time because I'm in control.

"Seventy five" I say... in a rather DEMANDING voice that
makes it sound like I'm trying to buy the pot.

Josh mucks his hands... which he later told me was an AJ. So
he made a good lay down.

Don, on the other hand, thinks for a moment before calling
my $75 bet. Now I'm feeling GREAT about this hand...

Josh was the guy I was really worried about, not Don. Don's
probably got pocket 2's, or something crazy like that. Who
knows?

The river card is a 2 of diamonds.

Now I hope Don DOES have ducks! If he does, I'm going to
take the rest of his stack.

The board now reads:

Ah, 9d, 6s, 4d, 2d

Don checks to me.

I see the backdoor flush on the board, but I throw out
another large bet anyway.

AND THAT'S WHERE I SCREWED UP.

I SHOULD have checked right behind Don when I saw the flush
on the board. Instead, I got GREEDY and made a stupid bet
because I figured there was NO WAY he chased the flush all
the way down.

Don raises my large bet by going all in, and he seems
confident.

I lean back in my chair and take a deep breath. Then I
call... with the remainder of my stack.

He turns over a 7-8 of diamonds.

He's got the flush, which beats my trip sixes.

So he had flopped an open-ended straight draw... and ended
up catching the flush instead.

I had played the hand perfectly right until the backdoor
flush hit. THAT is when I let greed take over.

I had made another bet when Don checked to me... but I
SHOULD have just checked back.

If I hadn't let greed take over, I would have saved a lot of
chips, and stayed in the game.

Greed is a powerful emotion that can empty your pockets...
just like it emptied mine.

But of course, you can use greed to your ADVANTAGE...

Because once you have your OWN greed under control, you can
learn to make positioning moves and bets based on the greed
of OTHER players.

You can literally COUNT on the fact that your opponents will
get greedy too...

How To Stop Losing Big Hands

2007-06-18T07:34:00.001-07:00

I have something important to share with you.

This single poker strategy that I'm about to reveal is one
of the BEST (and most PROFITABLE) tips that I've given you
in a long time... so listen up:

When it comes to winning poker, most players have "tunnel
vision."

What I mean is this:

They focus only on how to WIN more pots and larger pots...
whether it's through bluffing, calculating odds, or reading
poker tells.

But what they DON'T FOCUS ON... (what I'm about to show
you)... is actually MORE important than 90% of all the other
"stuff"... and can both INSTANTLY and DRAMATICALLY increase
your poker winnings over the long term.

And that secret is this:

How to STOP LOSING big pots.

You see, there's a lot of strategies out there for how to
WIN hands... but very rarely does a player focus on
strategies on how to NOT LOSE big hands.

Why?

Because they blame THAT PART of the game on luck and other
forces "out of their control."

The reality is, you can win tons of great hands and gain a
chip lead, but it doesn't mean ANYTHING if you don't know
how to keep it.

Think back to when Greg Raymer won the World Series of
Poker... what was the key to his success at the final table?

The key was he had a huge chip lead AND he knew how to keep
it.

He didn't lose big hands, which is what allowed him to keep
his gigantic stack of chips and bully the other guys around.

The concept is equally (if not MORE) important for players
who AREN'T in the chip lead... because no matter how many
pots you win, you won't win a game or tournament if you LOSE
a lot of big hands.

Notice the "catch" here...

I didn't say, "Stop losing hands."

I said, "Stop losing BIG hands."

Because those two statements mean two TOTALLY different
things.

You CANNOT stop losing ALL hands... it's just not realistic.

But you CAN use strategies to stop losing BIG hands...
AND... those are the more important "turning points" of a
game anyway.

So... what's this "hidden" secret strategy that most players
overlook that will allow you to STOP losing big pots?

I thought you'd never ask...

Preventing major losses is a very complicated and
"multi-layered" concept, as I explain in my course...

However, one of the MAJOR components and "core" strategies
behind it can be summed up in one simple, 12-letter word:

ANTICIPATION.

That's right... you can literally cut down on the number of
big hands you lose by simply ANTICIPATING better...

And I don't mean anticipating the CARDS.

I mean anticipating THE BETS, based on what cards COULD come
out of the deck.

Here's an example that will make it clear...

Let's say you're on the button and dealt AJ off-suit. The
blinds are $1-2 and Aaron (a very tight player) makes it $15
to play. Everyone at the table folds and the action is to
you.

This is the best hand you've seen in awhile, so you call the
bet without much hesitation.

That is where you made your FIRST MISTAKE.

You KNOW that Aaron is a very tight player that only makes
pre-flop raises with monster hands.

But you called the bet anyway... because you didn't
ANTICIPATE what YOU would do, even if you hit your Ace on
the flop.

OK, so the flop hits, and the cards are: A,9,2.

Aaron comes out firing with a $30 bet right away...

Now what do you do?

You have to put him on AK, AQ, AA, KK, or QQ. These are
pretty much the only hands that Aaron will make a pre-flop
raise with.

Of course, he didn't check to you, so he probably doesn't
have the cowboys or queens.

So now you think about what Aaron is holding... You put him
on hands that beat yours, but instead of folding you decide
to see another card for $30.

This is where you made your SECOND MISTAKE.

You felt pot-committed and only thought about the $30 bet.

What you SHOULD have been doing though is ANTICIPATING what
Aaron was going to bet after the turn card.

Let's face it... you have to figure he's going to fire
again. Are you prepared to call ANOTHER large bet after the
turn with your AJ?

Of course not... and what you've done here is simply dug
yourself into a big hole because you played only to win.

You got dealt a good hand and flopped the top pair and then
stuck it out in hopes of a better card... when what you
SHOULD have done is ANTICIPATED Aaron's behavior and folded
your cards before the flop.

Hands like these happen to even the best poker players, and
you MUST develop the discipline to fold that AJ and fold
that top pair when you've anticipated what's coming next.

Think about what your opponent is going to bet.

Think about what you'll be WILLING to bet.

Then think about what will happen after the next cards...
and then the ones after that... and then the ones after
THAT... and so on.

It's all about anticipation. If you anticipate the different
scenarios BEFORE they happen, you will prevent big losses.

And when you stop losing big hands, you'll get to KEEP the
chips you win.

And that will help you finish in the money... virtually
every time... and lead you to a successful poker career.

Of course, like I mentioned earlier... anticipation is just
ONE of the crucial skills you'll need in order to kick ass
at Texas Holdem poker...

How To Beat The Short Stack In Heads-Up Poker

2007-06-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in a heads-up poker match and realized
just how much DIFFERENT one-on-one poker is from
multi-player poker?

Most players learn strategies for winning no limit Texas
Holdem when there are 4... 6... 8... or 12 players at the
table.

Not 2.

Yet, you can't win a game or a tournament without MASTERING
heads-up play. In fact, heads-up play is perhaps the MOST
IMPORTANT aspect of Texas Holdem... and here's why:

If you can't win at heads-up poker, you'll never come in
first place.

Period.

And I don't know about you, but I play to WIN. Not to come
in second place.

Most players-- when they make it to a heads-up match-- are
COMPLETELY CLUELESS and don't know what to do. Especially
when it comes to DEFENDING a chip lead.

Why is that?

I think there are three main reasons...

1. Most players only make it to a heads-up match once in
awhile.... so they have very little EXPERIENCE playing poker
one-on-one.

2. The strategies for starting hands, odds, tells, and
betting are so RADICALLY DIFFERENT for heads-up poker
versus-- say, at an 8-man table-- that most players don't
have the KNOWLEDGE needed.

3. Most players don't get to watch and study poker GREATS
play heads-up Holdem, because even the greats will only make
it to a heads-up match once in awhile.

With that said, let me share with you a rather EMBARRASSING
story of how I got "schooled" in a heads-up match earlier in
my poker career... and how I learned the "secrets" to
winning in heads-up poker:

I had fought my way through a 100-man tournament, and found
myself heads-up with someone named Brandon.

Brandon was (and is) a very skilled poker player who loves
to push the action... but at the time, I wasn't intimidated
by him. Because I thought I had this baby in the bag...

You see, I had been catching monster after monster in this
tournament, and I had JUST finished knocking out two players
at once with trip kings.

My chip lead was HUGE. 10 to 1 over Brandon, actually.

I was on a roll.

I had over $100,000 in chips, versus Brandon's $10,000, with
the blinds at $500/$1000.

This thing is OVER, right?

The first hand I looked at was Q-9 while I was small blind.
I limped in, and the action went to Brandon.

"All in," he said.

I folded.

I didn't want to give him the chance to double up.

The next hand was K-4 offsuit. Once again, Brandon went
all-in.

I folded again, and Brandon raked in more blinds.

The next hand I was dealt was A-4. Brandon goes all-in
AGAIN.

This time, I called.

He threw over pocket 4's. The flop, turn, and river come
out:

K-7-9-2-Q

So I didn't hit my ace, and Brandon doubled up.

By this time, he was sitting on $24,000 in chips, and I was
at $86,000.

The next few hands played out... and Brandon continued to go
all-in time after time... and I continued to fold hands like
K-7, Q-9, J-8, and so on.

I just didn't want to risk doubling him up AGAIN with such
"mediocre" hands.

But before you knew it... it didn't matter.

Because I'd let Brandon right back into the game. He had
taken about 10 straight pots from me...

I was frustrated as all hell, and went on tilt. As you
probably guessed, I blew the rest of my chip lead and lost
the match.

Honestly, I think this CHOKE should go down in the history
books right next to the Yankees versus Red Sox in the 2004
ALCS.

Just writing this newsletter makes me sick to my stomach.

Anyway, what's REALLY IMPORTANT is what I did AFTER I lost
that tournament.

I called up my buddy Don... and I told him he was going to
come over and play in me $20 heads-up games.

I think Drew could hear the frustration (and DESPERATION) in
my voice... so he came right over.

We started playing at 7 P.m. and didn't finish until well
after 5 A.M. in the morning. We completed OVER 50 GAMES THAT
NIGHT...

Now let me tell you, I wouldn't trade that night for ANY
other experience in my poker career.

It changed EVERYTHING for me.

And here's why:

Because I crammed in YEARS of heads-up experience into that
one night...

I learned how to play with a big chip lead... how to play
when I was short-stacked... how to "lean" on my opponent
with a small chip lead... and so on and so on.

And since then, I've done this same exercise with TONS of
other poker players... to keep my skills FRESH and to master
the techniques needed to win against different playing
styles.

When I was up against Brandon in that tournament, I had made
a TON of mistakes.

You see, when you have a big chip lead in heads-up action,
the first secret is YOU MUST ATTACK.

To get a perspective on this, think about how you play when
you're the SHORT STACK...

You're prepared to go all-in as soon as possible, right?

Well, you must use this to your ADVANTAGE when you're the
big stack, and PUT YOUR OPPONENT ALL-IN right away... rather
than the other way around.

When you have a big chip lead, YOU must be the one to create
"coin-toss" situations... and fast.

A coin-toss situation is when both players have virtually
equal odds... and the winning hand is determined by whatever
the flop, turn, and river cards are.

In heads-up poker, any starting hand with a FACE CARD is
playable. Or any pocket pair. It's that simple.

If you've got a big chip lead on your opponent and he CHECKS
or LIMPS-IN (calls the blinds), then you should IMMEDIATELY
put him all-in.

He wouldn't be checking or limping-in if he had ANYTHING
DECENT at all...

If he folds, you've stolen the blinds from him, which is
crucial. If he calls, you've created a coin-toss situation.

Odds are you'll win at least one out of every two coin toss
situations. Or at the very least, you'll win one out of
three.

Here's a basic summary of the "rules" you should follow when
playing heads-up poker with a huge chip lead. When I say
"huge", I'm talking about 10 to 1 or more...

Of course, you won't START with a 10:1 chip lead very often
(like I did against Brandon), but you will frequently BECOME
the 10:1 chip leader in a heads-up match if you're a skilled
player.

And that's the exact moment when you MUST PULL THE TRIGGER
AND WIN THE GAME.

If you don't, the chip stacks can quickly even out again and
you may lose your chance forever.

Anyway... here are the RULES you should follow:

1. Any starting hand with a face card or any pocket pair is
good.

2. You should either FOLD or go ALL-IN every time. Nothing
else.

3. Force COIN-TOSS situations... In other words, leverage
the 50/50 ODDS as much as possible. Do this two or three
times and you will almost always win the match.

4. If you're playing against a tight player, it will be even
easier. Keep going all-in on just about every hand and let
the blinds eat him to death.

Read and re-read those four principles and you'll be
prepared the next time you make it to a heads-up match.

In the meantime, you should IMMEDIATELY do two things:

1. Call a friend or poker buddy and invite him over to play
you heads-up. Put $5 or even just $1 on each game... it
doesn't matter.

The point is to play game after game after game in a
heads-up setting. Play for as long as you possibly can.

When you're done, call a different friend and do the same
thing again. And then do it again next week. And keep doing
this over and over...

Win More When You Bluff

2007-06-07T12:16:00.001-07:00

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-2c

Not 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:

7d

That 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.

When To "Smooth Call" Your Opponents

2007-06-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

How To Win With Big Slick In Early Position

2007-06-01T09:34:00.001-07:00

Let's discuss how to win when you're dealt Big Slick (A-K)
in early position.

First, let me clarify what is meant by the term "early
position".

If you're in an early position, it usually means you're one
of the first three players to the LEFT of the dealer.

Of course, if you're small blind, that means you're almost
last to act before the flop, but first to act AFTER the
flop.

If you're big blind, that means you're last to act pre-flop,
but second to act after the flop.

And last but not least, if you're the THIRD player to the
left, that means you are the FIRST to act before the flop,
and third to act after the flop... This position is also
known as "under the gun".

Ok. Enough with the definitions. Re-read those four above
paragraphs if you're confused. Otherwise, let's dive into
the strategy...

As we discussed a few days ago, Big Slick is a monster hand
that most players pray for... BUT... it can actually be a
TERRIBLE hand for you if you don't know what you're doing.

It can be terrible if...

1. You go "all in" (or bet a substantial pile of chips)
before the flop, but then don't catch anything...

Or...

2. You catch an Ace or King on the flop, bet a lot of chips,
but then get run down by another player who gets a better
hand.

Since even a pair of DEUCES can beat Big Slick by itself, I
recommend that you don't go all-in with Big Slick before the
flop with a lot of players in the game.

It's usually too risky. Because there are so many hands that
can beat you.

Going all-in with Big Slick pre-flop is the equivalent to
saying, "Hey, I'm not that confident I can win this game, so
I'm going to HOPE to get LUCKY and risk all my chips on the
CHANCE that an Ace or King hits, or that my Ace high wins."

Obviously that's not ALWAYS the case (especially if you're
short-stacked), but for the most part it's pretty accurate.

The second scenario-- getting run down by another player
even though you hit your Ace or King- can be EXTREMELY
frustrating.

For example, let's say you're holding Big Slick and the flop
comes out:

A-K-5

You're obviously excited because you flopped top two pair...
but what if Marty, that new guy who just learned how to play
Holdem a couple weeks ago, is holding a pair of fives?

Chances are, he's going to clean you out for all your chips.

Your strategy then, should be to DECREASE the chances that
someone at the table (like Marty) is going to get lucky on
the flop.

And you do that by making sure they don't even SEE the flop
in the first place, by making a pre-flop raise or strong
bet.

The ultimate goal should be to create "heads-up" action
before the flop when you get dealt Big Slick. Force players
like Marty to fold before the flop hits.

That will prevent the "bad beats" and allow you to focus on
a single opponent.

The most difficult way to win with Big Slick is if you're in
an early position AND you don't catch anything good on the
flop.

Here's how I play it:

Let's say I'm "under the gun" (first to act before the
flop... third player to the left of the dealer) in a no
limit cash game.

I look down to see A-K of diamonds.

Great hand, terrible positioning.

Instead of limping in and letting all the crap hands at the
table see the flop, I make a raise as we discussed.

"$15 to play."

Some players will limp-in with AK when they're first to act,
hoping someone ELSE will make the raise for them (which
gives them the chance to re-raise).

I don't like this strategy. Because if someone else makes
the initial raise, that means they get control over the
table and betting.

For example, let's say I limp-in and Josh makes it $25 to
play. Everyone else folds and then I come back over the top
of him for $100 more.

Without hesitation, Josh goes all-in and pushes in his stack
of $350 in chips.

See how this could get ugly?

Josh may be holding pocket 9's for all I know... which will
BEAT me if I don't catch the right cards on the flop. Then
again, he might be holding a pair of face cards... or maybe
just A-J.

No matter what, I really don't care.

Because I don't want to risk all my chips on A-K and leave
my night up to chance.

As much as possible, I want to be in FULL CONTROL of my
destiny at the card table.

There will inevitably be players who are more reckless with
their chips-- and these are the players who rely on LUCK
more than SKILL...

But not me... I know I can beat the game, which is why I
don't limp-in here when I'm first to act with Big Slick.

OK, back to the hand...

"$15 to play", I repeat.

I'm hoping to get just one caller, or two at the most.

The action goes around the table, and everyone mucks their
hands... except for Don. He splashes the pot and calls.

So I've created heads-up action and taken control of the
betting... exactly as I wanted to do with my monster hand in
this position.

The flop hits:

2h-9d-7s.

I'm first to act.

Obviously, this flop is terrible... the best thing I've got
going is a possible runner-runner diamond draw.

So what do I do now?

Should I check my Ace high?

No. This is where you should fire AGAIN, and continue to
play aggressively...

Because the flop probably didn't help Don either.

If I CHECK, Don will sense my weakness and might try to
steal the pot.

My bet will give him the impression I'm on on over-pair and
have the best hand... so he'll probably muck his cards now.

Even if he calls, I'm still in good shape.

If the turn card doesn't help me, I'll back down and
minimize my losses. I DON'T want to dig myself in a deeper
hole and try to bluff it out.

Or I may catch my top pair on the turn or river and be able
to win that way.

So no matter what happens, I'm not risking too many chips
and I'm putting myself in a great position to win the hand.

Now... rewind for just a moment. What if my $15 pre-flop bet
had multiple callers?

Having multiple players in the game would have increased the
odds that someone actually benefited from the 2-9-7 flop.

Which means I would NOT have made a strong bet after the
flop. Instead, I would have backed down and just checked. If
someone else bet strong, I would have mucked my A-K and
lived to see another hand.

So THAT is how you play Big Slick under the worst of
circumstances... with scraps on the board and bad
positioning... and STILL have a great chance at winning a
nice pot.

Of course... the chances of getting A-K are just 1 in 83.
And the odds of getting A-K suited are just 1 in 332. And
that doesn't even factor in the odds related to your
positioning.

Use These Three Steps To Win At Heads-Up

2007-05-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

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.

A Special Technique For Spotting A Bluff

2007-05-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

Let me show this great new technique I've discovered for
quickly spotting a bluff...

I call it the "Question-Mark Check".

This technique will IMMEDIATELY help you sense weakness in
your opponents... and sniff out bluffs at the poker table.

"Sensing weakness" means when you get the feeling your
opponent does NOT have a strong hand...

This information is extremely valuable, of course, because
you can use it to bet aggressively, raise, or even
check-raise your opponents out of a pot to win more money.

In order for me to explain this concept, however, I had to
create some quick audio examples for you to listen to.

Go to this page to learn all about this brand new strategy
and hear the audio (loads quickly):

http://www.Texas-Holdem-Secrets.com/questionmarkcheck.htm

Know EXACTLY What Your Opponents Are Holding

2007-05-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hilarious Poker Jokes

2007-05-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

You'll really get a kick out of this...

Awhile back I attended the *Card Player Of The Year* awards
show and saw a stand-up performance by Brad Garrett.

Brad Garrett is the guy from "Everybody Loves Raymond"... he
plays Ray's brother (the big tall one with the deep voice).

Anyway, he is FREAKING HILARIOUS. I honestly don't know if
I've ever laughed so hard in my entire LIFE!

He completely busted on all the professional poker players
in the audience. It was ruthless. Below are some of the
jokes I remember.

GET READY TO LAUGH!

(Disclaimer: Please don't read on if you have sensitive
ears. Remember that these aren't MY jokes... I'm just
recounting what I heard at the awards show!)

*** JOKES TOLD BY BRAD GARRETT ***

Right away Garrett started ripping on Phil Hellmuth:

"We've got Phil Hellmuth in the house tonight... No one told
me that, I just know because I heard WHINING as I came in."

"Next year we're actually gonna have the award show OUTSIDE,
that way Phil can bring his ego..."

LOL.

Then it was on to Mike "The Mouth" Matusow...

"Mike Matusow is also here tonight. Hey Mike, where you at?
Oh wow... I'm surprised you can raise your hand with those
cuffs on!"

"Mike Matusow is nominated for an award tonight, which
proves Darwin didn't know s**t!"

Later, Matusow presented the award for "Best Poker
Ambassador". Here's what Brad Garrett had to say about that:

"Having Mike Matusow present the award for Best Poker
Ambassador is like having Dick Cheney present an award for
marksmanship."

Then it REALLY got bad...

"Jennifer Tilly is shacking up with Phil Laak, the
Unabomber. Jennifer told me backstage that "Unabomber" is
code for one testicle-- and apparently she's having a ball."

"I love watching Jennifer Tilly on that celebrity poker TV
show... people, those aren't nipples. Those are triples!"

"Jennifer has the best rack in all of poker-- Wait, I take
that back. She has the second best rack in all of poker. The
best belongs to GREG RAYMER!"

(OUCH)

"When Greg Raymer says "all-in", it's at the buffet table."

"Greg, you seem like a really nice guy, and you won a couple
million dollars last year... now try eating a f***in salad!"

Garrett had plenty of one-liners for others in the audience
too:

"Amir Vahedi, I haven't seen him since flight school..."

After the break:

"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen. The theater wants me to
remind everyone that there's no smoking inside. Amir, please
put out your shoe."

To Doyle Brunson and his son Todd:

"Hey Doyle, the Civil War called, they found your journals."

"Todd Brunson skipped the clan meeting to be here."

When speaking to Daniel Negreanu:

"Don't worry Daniel, I'm sure your nuts will drop soon."

To Scotty Nguyen:

"Please Scotty, have a sandwich. You look like my X-ray."

And last but not least, Garrett cracked on Barry "Robin
Hood" Greenstein. Here's what he said:

"Barry Greenstein gives all his winnings to charity... of
course, Charity happens to be a STRIPPER who works the late
shift at Spearmint Rhino. If you hurry Barry, you can catch
her after the show!"

***

OH LORD it was damn funny! Even as I write this I'm cracking
up again.

Whew, what a night.

If you ever get a chance to attend something like this, I
HIGHLY recommend it.

Often times the casinos will give away tickets and full-paid
packages to major poker events like this... as prizes in
their tournaments.

Next time I come across something I'll be sure to email you
about it.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the Brad Garrett jokes as much as I
did!

How To Beat The Short Stack In Heads-Up Poker

2007-04-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

Win More When You

2007-04-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

How To Win With Big Slick In Early Position

2007-04-11T10:04:00.001-07:00

Use These Three Steps To Win At Heads-Up

2007-03-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

A Sneaky Way To Improve Your Positioning

2007-03-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

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.

How To Play Tight-Aggressive

2007-03-12T11:14:00.001-07:00

here are four main poker playing "styles":

1. Loose-Passive
2. Loose-Aggressive
3. Tight-Passive
4. Tight-Aggressive

The first part of each style refers to which HANDS are being
played. "Loose" describes someone who plays a wide variety
of hands. "Tight" describes someone who is more selective
and only plays good hands.

The second part of each style refers to the BETTING. Someone
who's "passive" often CALLS and doesn't raise the pot much.
An "aggressive" player makes frequent bets and raises.

In general, the most effective poker style is
TIGHT-AGGRESSIVE. I'll discuss the reasons WHY in a moment.
But first, let's take a look at each style and learn the
strategies for winning against them...

LOOSE-PASSIVE

Loose-passive is the most "amateur" style of play. These
fish like to play a wide-range of starting hands and rarely
fold before the flop.

They'll check-call after the flop (and on the turn and on
the river) with hands like middle pair, ace high, or even
low pair. That's why they're often nicknamed "calling
stations".

When you spot this type of player, you want to wait for a
good hand and then bet into them consistently. But DON'T bet
too much unless you want to scare them out.

Usually, the best technique is to "milk" them for chips
before the flop, after the flop, after the turn, and after
the river.

If you're going to bluff a loose-passive player, do so
AGGRESSIVELY... otherwise they might call.

Also, be selective when you attack. The loose-passive player
might have top pair and STILL just check-call it. So be
careful.

LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE

This is the "maniac" or "manic" playing style.

A manic can empty your pockets quickly if you don't use the
proper strategy against him.

You must be PATIENT and understand how to "get under the
skin" of a manic player. Do NOT let him upset you.

For instance, a manic will often play bad starting hands...
or even RAISE with them. When he hits, no one knows what to
put him on, which is part of the reason why he's so
dangerous.

Let's say a manic calls a pre-flop raise with 2-4 offsuit
and the flop comes:

A-3-5

Jerry is holding A-K, and so he obviously thinks he has the
best hand. The turn card is a King and the river is a 10.

Jerry ends up losing a ton of chips to the manic's straight.

And THEN WHAT HAPPENS is Jerry goes on tilt and starts
calling the manic's raises and loses his composure. This is
how the manic can break you.

In order to beat a manic you must wait for a strong hand.
The manic's weakness is that he HATES being raised or
"bullied". Also, I've found that most manics feel
"pot-committed" much more easily.

When you get heads-up with a manic (and you have a strong
hand), raise him or make small bets that entice him to
bluff.

Let the manic come to you... let him make the wrong move at
the wrong time and you'll be able to take his chips. Often
all at once.

TIGHT-PASSIVE

Tight-passive players are fairly easy to beat. If they bet
or raise, get out of there. Otherwise, you can consistently
represent the flop and bluff them out of pots.

Tight-passive players will often "survive" for a long time
in a game because they never risk too many chips. But
eventually they'll get "blinded to death".

Use bluffs, semi-bluffs, and aggressive bets to take a
tight-passive player's chip stack.

TIGHT-AGGRESSIVE

OK, so now we're to the PREFERRED playing style for Texas
Holdem... and that's tight-aggressive.

Tight-aggressive players choose their starting hands wisely.
They rarely "limp-in". Instead, they usually either FOLD or
RAISE before the flop.

After the flop, they'll make aggressive bets if they've got
a hand or if they raised pre-flop.

The reason a tight-aggressive playing style is so effective
is because you only risk chips when you've got a good hand.
But when you DO risk chips, you risk a LOT of them... so it
only takes a couple wins to build a nice-sized stack.

This is the playing style used and recommended by just about
every professional card player.

It's often referred to as "aggressively smart" or "selective
aggression".

Now, the DOWNSIDE of a tight-aggressive style is that it's
often easy to read. This style can often build a tight table
image... and when that happens, your opponents won't give
you action for your big hands.

So how do you solve this problem?

The solution is to INTENTIONALLY establish a LOOSE table
image... by carefully choosing times in the game to play
like a "manic".

For example... once in awhile... show a bluff. Especially
near the beginning of the game. You'll want to do this when
you sense weakness and have good positioning-- just as you'd
do with any good bluff.

Let's say you pick up 8-7 clubs on the button and three
players limp-in. You raise 7x the big blind and everyone
folds.

That's when you flip over your suited-connectors and say,
"C'mon guys, I just KNOW someone had my eight high beat..."

A move like this is usually enough... depending on the
table... to get you action for your big hands later.

That way when you pick up K-K on the button a bit later...
and make the SAME pre-flop raise of 7x the big blind, you
get a caller or two.

A huge advantage of playing tight-aggressive is that many of
your opponents won't distinguish between LOOSE and
AGGRESSIVE.

As we discussed, "loose" is related to which hands you'll
play... and "aggressive" is related to betting.

If you raise aggressively with strong hands... and then mix
it up with the occasional well-timed bluff... you'll be able
to throw your opponents off and keep them guessing every
step of the way.

Of course, as you know, there are many "degrees" in between
these four main playing styles...

Even though you should use TIGHT-AGGRESSIVE as your main
style, you must be able "shift gears" and mix up your
approach throughout the game... that way you don't become
predictable.

More importantly, you must learn WHEN to shift gears... HOW
to vary your playing style... and special "tricks" you can
use to FOOL your opponents without risking too many chips.

When you learn skills like these, you'll be able to
CONSISTENTLY win at Texas Holdem poker-- at virtually any
level-- and immediately raise your "poker profits".

How To Represent The Flop

2007-03-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

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.

Hilarious Poker Jokes

2007-03-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

GET READY TO LAUGH!

(Disclaimer: Please don't read on if you have sensitive
ears. Remember that these aren't MY jokes... I'm just
recounting what I heard at the awards show!)

*** JOKES TOLD BY BRAD GARRETT ***

Right away Garrett started ripping on Phil Hellmuth:

"We've got Phil Hellmuth in the house tonight... No one told
me that, I just know because I heard WHINING as I came in."

"Next year we're actually gonna have the award show OUTSIDE,
that way Phil can bring his ego..."

LOL.

Then it was on to Mike "The Mouth" Matusow...

"Mike Matusow is also here tonight. Hey Mike, where you at?
Oh wow... I'm surprised you can raise your hand with those
cuffs on!"

"Mike Matusow is nominated for an award tonight, which
proves Darwin didn't know s**t!"

Later, Matusow presented the award for "Best Poker
Ambassador". Here's what Brad Garrett had to say about that:

"Having Mike Matusow present the award for Best Poker
Ambassador is like having Dick Cheney present an award for
marksmanship."

Then it REALLY got bad...

"Jennifer Tilly is shacking up with Phil Laak, the
Unabomber. Jennifer told me backstage that "Unabomber" is
code for one testicle-- and apparently she's having a ball."

"I love watching Jennifer Tilly on that celebrity poker TV
show... people, those aren't nipples. Those are triples!"

"Jennifer has the best rack in all of poker-- Wait, I take
that back. She has the second best rack in all of poker. The
best belongs to GREG RAYMER!"

(OUCH)

"When Greg Raymer says "all-in", it's at the buffet table."

"Greg, you seem like a really nice guy, and you won a couple
million dollars last year... now try eating a f***in salad!"

Garrett had plenty of one-liners for others in the audience
too:

"Amir Vahedi, I haven't seen him since flight school..."

After the break:

"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen. The theater wants me to
remind everyone that there's no smoking inside. Amir, please
put out your shoe."

To Doyle Brunson and his son Todd:

"Hey Doyle, the Civil War called, they found your journals."

"Todd Brunson skipped the clan meeting to be here."

When speaking to Daniel Negreanu:

"Don't worry Daniel, I'm sure your nuts will drop soon."

To Scotty Nguyen:

"Please Scotty, have a sandwich. You look like my X-ray."

And last but not least, Garrett cracked on Barry "Robin
Hood" Greenstein. Here's what he said:

"Barry Greenstein gives all his winnings to charity... of
course, Charity happens to be a STRIPPER who works the late
shift at Spearmint Rhino. If you hurry Barry, you can catch
her after the show!"

The Right Time To Chase A Straight

2007-02-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

Chasing straights and flush draws will BURN you... there's
no doubt about it.

The term "chasing" means you stay in the hand... hoping to
catch a certain card (or cards) that will complete your
straight.

The problem with chasing is that the ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU.
And as you know, successful Texas Holdem poker is all about
keeping the odds in your favor.

But sometimes chasing a straight IS the right thing to do.

SOMETIMES.

Let me explain...

First off, let's look at the two different types of straight
draws:

1. GUTSHOT - This is when you're trying to make an INSIDE
straight... like if you have 4-5-6-8 and you need the 7.

2. OPEN-ENDED - This is when TWO cards can "make" your
straight... like if you have 4-5-6-7 and need EITHER the 3
or the 8.

There's also what's called a "double belly buster", which is
actually like two gutshots at once. We'll talk about this a
little later.

OK, so how should you play a gutshot straight draw? Let's
look at the odds... if you FLOP an inside (gutshot) straight
draw, the odds of making your straight are 16.47%.

If you have an inside straight draw after the TURN... with
just the river card to go... your odds are 8.70%.

So the odds aren't good. 16.47% might SOUND like it's worth
it... but you've got to ANTICIPATE the bet after the turn
card.

For instance, let's say you flop an inside straight draw and
someone makes a big bet. If you call and then miss your
straight on the turn, what then?

Your opponent makes ANOTHER big bet... do you call to see
the river card? You feel pot committed, but you know the
odds are against you...

This is how you get into trouble with gutshot straight
draws. You become pot committed and you chase a hand that's
not worth chasing.

As a general principle, you should NOT chase gutshot
straight draws... especially on the river.

When I flop a gutshot, I might call a small bet but that's
it. And that's only when the odds are worth it.

As we'll discuss in a moment, you must also factor in the
IMPLIED ODDS... but first, let's look at how to play
open-ended straight draws.

For an open-ended straight draw, your odds of making your
straight are MUCH better. If you flop an open-ender your
odds of hitting are 31.45%.

If you have an open-ender with just the river card to go,
your odds are 17.39%.

Notice that you have BETTER chances of completing an
open-ended straight draw just on the RIVER than completing a
gutshot straight draw on both the turn AND the river.

Interesting, huh?

OK, so what's the right way to play an open-ender?

Many players will just CHECK with an open-ended straight
draw... and then CALL any bets.

This is REACTIVE card playing... and it's the WRONG thing to
do.

You need to be PROACTIVE... and here's why:

Let's say you've got 6-7 of diamonds and the flop hits:

4-5-K

You've got the top half of an open-ended straight draw...
either an 8 or a 3 will give you the nut straight.

The NATURAL TENDENCY here is to check. You don't have
ANYTHING yet... no pairs, no high cards, nothing. So
obviously you'd LOVE to wait to see if you make your
straight before you risk any chips, right?

Wrong.

If you just check, you're making three dangerous mistakes:

Mistake 1: You're showing weakness.

Mistake 2: You're not increasing the pot size.

Mistake 3: You're giving your opponent a read on you.

There's a strange analogy I like to use for this.

If you're ever in the forest or wilderness and you encounter
a mountain lion, bobcat, or other similar PREDATOR, the
NATURAL TENDENCY is to get scared.

Most people would run away!

However... the RIGHT thing to do is to SHOW AGGRESSION and
NOT show fear.

I'm dead serious here.

The right thing to do if you see a bobcat is to make a lot
of noise, to raise your hands in the air and possibly hold
up a coat or jacket (in order to appear bigger), and to
snarl or growl.

It's counter-intuitive... but it's what you MUST do if you
don't want to get attacked (or eaten).

Now... back to Texas Holdem... LOL.

Your OPPONENT is your PREDATOR. Show them weakness and they
will likely attack you.

When you have an open-ended straight draw, you want to see
the next two cards... and you don't want to risk a lot of
chips to do so.

So the RIGHT PLAY is to BET or RAISE the pot.

In our example above, you want to throw out a
reasonably-sized bet. Your opponents might fold right there.
Or you might get one or two callers.

NOW, when the TURN card comes, your opponents will probably
check to you. So basically you're getting a FREE CARD. You
can check and see the river for free.

If you HADN'T taken control of the betting, your opponents
would have made you PAY A LOT to see the river card. And you
might of been forced to FOLD your open-ended straight draw.

By taking control of the betting and coming out strong after
the flop, you're actually investing LESS money overall to
see the next two cards.

Now... the other reason taking control is important is
because it doesn't give your opponent a read on you.

Say your opponent checks the flop and you also check. The
turn card comes and it's a 3... giving you the straight.

Your opponent checks again and now all of the sudden you
come out betting strong.

Obviously, your opponent will SEE what's going on here and
will have a hunch that you just made your straight... and
he'll fold.

If you DON'T bet after the 3, the odds of you making any
real money off of this hand are slim, and you've let your
straight go to waste.

So the key is to bet EARLY... that way if you HIT you're
golden and you'll get paid. And if you DON'T hit you won't
have to invest any more chips.

Say you took control of the betting after the flop and your
opponent called with A-5. He's probably putting you on the
King, but isn't sure... He's got middle pair along with an
Ace.

The turn card comes and it's a 3, so you bet again. Your
opponent calls again.

Finally the river hits and it's an Ace, giving your opponent
TWO PAIR. By now he's confident that you have the King...
and not the straight... since you were betting consistently
after the flop.

So your opponent puts you ALL-IN with his hand... not
knowing that you've got him DOMINATED. You win a big pot,
all because you played the open-ender properly.

There's also what's called a "double belly buster" straight
draw. A regular (single) belly buster is simply an inside
straight draw. A DOUBLE means there are TWO different cards
to make your straight... but it's not open-ended.

For example, if you were holding A-5 and the flop hit 3-4-7
you would have a DOUBLE BELLY BUSTER.

Either a 2 or a 6 would give you a straight.

Double belly busters are great because your opponents will
often never see them coming... and your odds of hitting are
the same as an OPEN-ENDED straight draw.

When an opponent doesn't put you on a hand, THAT is when
you'll be able to win the most chips. This is known as
IMPLIED ODDS.

Implied odds means that when you make your hand, you're
going to get paid a LOT for it.

Implied odds is a very important part of making decisions in
Texas Holdem... just like regular odds. Except the key
distinction is that implied odds doesn't necessarily involve
numbers or math percentages.

Implied odds is more about getting a SENSE for how big the
pot will be if you make your hand.

When your implied odds are HIGH, you can often bet more
early in order to build the pot size.

An example of high implied odds is when there's a straight
draw on the board with HIGH CARDS. For instance, let's say
you're holding J-10 and the flop comes Q-K-3.

You've got an open-ended straight draw... but you might face
opponents who have a REALLY GOOD HAND right now... something
like A-K, A-Q, or K-Q.

An opponent with a big hand is going to be very aggressive
with his bets... and if a 9 or an Ace hits, you're going to
win a ton of chips. Those are high implied odds.

On the other hand, this type of flop is BAD for you because
it means you'll probably have to PAY DEARLY to see the turn
and river cards.

Be careful... don't chase the straight if it's going to
break your chip stack.

An example of a straight with LOW implied odds would be when
it's all low cards on the board. After all, if no one has
anything decent, no one is going to give you a lot of
action.

When you have an open-ended straight draw with low cards and
you sense weakness in your opponents, the best move is to
act aggressively and take the pot down right there.

After all... nearly 70% of the time you are NOT going to hit
your straight. So if you can win the pot by betting, do so.

If you do get a caller, that's OK too, because you still
have a lot of outs and a good chance at busting your
opponent (and now the implied odds are higher since he's pot
committed and must have a good hand).

Another example of low implied odds is when the straight
draw on the board is OBVIOUS. This is especially relevant
when there's only ONE card needed to make the straight.

For instance, let's say you have K-7 and the board reads
3-4-5. And then the turn card comes and it's a 6.

Of course, with 3-4-5-6 on the board, your opponents WILL be
suspicious that someone has the straight. This type of
situation is sometimes good for a check-raise... or a strong
bet to make it LOOK like you're buying the pot. (It just
depends on your table image.)

With straight draws, be extra careful to pay attention to
what ELSE is out there on the board. You will often
encounter hands that BEAT you and wipe out your entire chip
stack.

For instance... look for possible FLUSH draws. If your
opponent might have made a flush, back off. Muck the hand if
you need to and live to see another day.

Full houses are dangerous too. If two cards on the board
pair up, be careful.

And last but not least, always think about what OTHER
straights are possible. For instance, if you're holding A-2
and the flop hits 3-4-5, you have the BOTTOM end of the
straight. Someone could have 7-6, or maybe 6-2, and would
have you beat.

It's the same way with our double belly buster example. In
that example the flop was 3-4-7 and you had A-5. Let's say a
6 hit the board.

Even though you have the straight (3-7), it's NOT the best
possible straight. Your opponent could be holding 8-5...
which would be the nut straight.

It's the same way with FOUR consecutive cards on the board.
If the board reads 5-6-7-8 and you've got the 9, that
doesn't mean you have the "nuts".

The nuts would be 10-9... which would give someone the
straight (6-10).

The possibilities are ENDLESS... and you'll soon discover
that the more you play Texas Holdem the more IMPORTANT every
possibility becomes.

For the most part, keep in mind that you want to only
"chase" a straight when the odds of hitting are most
favorable, when the implied odds are good, and when you
think you can see a cheap (or free) river card.

Knowing how to INCREASE your winnings and DECREASE your
losses is the name of the game. Strategies like these will
also minimize your risk during each pot... and help you
secure a CONSISTENT winning streak.

To always keep the "odds in your favor", download this
software tool that I highly recommend:

http://www.CalculatemPro.com/tl/621KjvD

How To Use Bad Beats To Your Advantage

2007-02-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

When I first started playing online poker I'd log on to a
low-stakes game... thinking I'd win EASILY against all the
fish.

I'd make my deposit... buy-in to a tournament or ring
game... and use the same strategies I'd use in casinos and
local cash games.

But in no time... sometimes MINUTES... I'd be out of money.

Poof!

Just like that. Back to zero.

I'd think to myself, "Wow, I just caught a cold streak of
cards... I'll make it back."

I'd put in another deposit (this time without the bonus) and
play again...

Poof! Gone again.

And again.

And again.

Then I started thinking, "Wow, these poker rooms must be
rigged somehow... or someone must be cheating..."

The WORST part was when I'd catch a "bad beat".

But not just ONE bad beat...

It seemed I was catching them CONSTANTLY-- way more than in
"regular" poker...

I'd hit trips and put my opponent on two pair... only to
learn that he chased an inside straight draw and hit it on
the river.

Opponents would bet middle-pair aggressively... and then
make three-of-a-kind on the turn.

I'd have K-Q and the flop would come K-10-3. I'd bet my top
pair aggressively and my opponent would call. Then I'd watch
in awe as he beat me with A-5 as the Ace fell on the
river...

Then I'd scream at my computer:

"WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS HE CALLING WITH? THIS IS COMPLETE
BULL$&#@! WHAT AN IDIOT!"

Has this ever happened to you?

If so, give me a silent nod.

Now... here's the thing:

After a lot of frustrated nights of cursing at the avatars
on my computer, I made a BREAKTHROUGH.

It was this breakthrough that helped me turn my online poker
game into a PROFITABLE, money-making MACHINE... the same as
when I played in casinos and cash games.

What was this breakthrough?

I STARTED TO USE THE "BAD BEATS" TO MY ADVANTAGE.

Yes, you read that right.

Now hear me out...

It all started when I finally asked myself one crucial
question:

"Could it actually be MY FAULT that I'm suffering all these
bad beats?"

And the answer was YES.

Indeed... I wasn't necessarily CAUSING them to happen. But I
was LETTING them happen over and over.

You see, online poker is RIPE for bad beats. If you've
played much, you already know what I'm talking about.

The reason is because the amateurs chase when they
shouldn't, bet when they shouldn't, and call when they
shouldn't.

It's that simple.

Now as I've explained in previous newsletters, when you pick
up a monster hand pre-flop you MUST narrow the table down to
one or two callers.

DO NOT see a flop with pocket Kings with five other players
in the hand. You'll lose.

The solution is to raise EXTREMELY aggressively-- more so
than you'd do at the local casino.

Then the odds are fully in your favor going into the flop...
and your chances of getting "sucked out" decrease
dramatically.

Now... the SAME EXACT CONCEPT can be extended to your
betting patterns AFTER the flop.

It just gets more tricky.

For instance, let's say you limp-in with a hidden hand like
suited-connectors or a small pocket pair. Then you hit big
on the flop. What do you do?

Obviously there are a lot of considerations. But in GENERAL,
the natural thing to do is SLOW-PLAY it...

But online, you CAN'T do that if there are multiple players
in the hand. Because that's what leads to bad beats.

The key is to BET AGGRESSIVELY and always find out "where
you stand" against your opponents.

And when I say "aggressive", I mean AGGRESSIVE. You'll have
to risk more chips than you're used to in order to get rid
of the chasers.

To find out where you stand in the hand, you've got to use
some special techniques...

The first is simple: RAISE. If your opponent is chasing, he
probably won't go over the top of you. But if he's already
made a hand, he'll re-raise.

Another technique is to simply make two very large bets in a
row. Anyone who calls TWO large bets in a row (after the
flop and turn) probably already made a good hand.

Also, watch for "check-calls". That's when you have
positioning on your opponent and he checks... then calls
your bet. This is a sure sign of a chaser, or someone with a
marginal hand.

"Check-call" usually translates to:

"Please don't bet... Please don't bet... Damn! He bet. Oh
well I have to call... I have to see the next card..."

OK, one last point.

DON'T be afraid of scaring EVERYONE out of the pot.
Sometimes you'll mis-judge the situation and EVERYONE will
fold to your bet or raise... and all you'll have won are
some blinds.

That's OK. It will happen... but it's better to err on the
side of TOO AGGRESSIVE rather than getting busted.

All right... let me show you an example. This will show you
how to use bad beats to your ADVANTAGE...

Let's say you're in the big blind. You pick up your cards:

Jd-9c

Three players limp-in... including the small blind. You
check to see a free flop.

The flop hits:

Jc-9h-3d

Nice. Top two pair.

The guy in the small blind is first to act... and he comes
out firing with a medium-sized bet. Now it's on you. What's
the play?

You have to raise. You want the next two players OUT and to
go heads-up with the SB. He'll probably call your raise if
he came out firing first...

But let's say you DON'T raise. Let's say you call and the
other two players call.

Now let's look at your PERCENTAGE CHANCES of winning this
hand... based on some "hypothetical cards" that your
opponents are holding.

Let's say the guy in the small blind is holding:

Qs-10s

That means he just flopped the open-ended straight draw.

The other two players have:

Ad-9d and 2c-2h

The guy with A-9 has middle pair. He can hope for the Ace or
runner-runner diamonds.

Deuces boy on the button is just looking for a third deuce.

IF THIS WERE THE SITUATION, WHAT ARE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING?

Well, if the hand plays out with all four of you, the odds
of you winning are just 45.9%.

That's right... LESS THAN 1/2!

Now if you were playing this hand in real life and lost to
either:

- The Ace on the river...
- A deuce...
- Or a King or an eight...

...you'd probably call it a "bad beat".

At least it would FEEL like a bad beat, right?

After all, your odds of winning are HIGHER than anyone
else's!

But the fact remains, your odds of winning this hand are
LESS THAN 50%.

Now here's the kicker...

Probably MOST of your low-stakes opponents online WOULD call
a medium-sized bet with those hands...

SO, the solution is to raise. You already know that. When
you raise, your odds go way up...

If you raise enough to force only the small blind to call,
your odds of winning are about 70%. Sure beats below 50%!

Now... the turn comes:

7h

Great. You know this didn't help him... He checks to you,
which suggests he has the straight draw or a marginal hand.

Now THIS is where you make your move.

After the turn your odds of winning are over 80%. LEVERAGE
THOSE ODDS.

If you know your opponent is on a draw MAKE HIM PAY FOR IT.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you let him see a free river.
Because if he misses he's going to fold.

This is where your all-in move is good. You've got an 80%
chance... and your opponent is feeling pot-committed.

Get all your money in the middle RIGHT NOW.

OK, so you go all-in. Your opponent calls with the
open-ended straight draw... all he can pray for is a King or
an eight...

The river hits:

Kh

BOOM!

Your opponent MAKES HIS STRAIGHT and you lose all your
chips.

Haha... I'M JUST KIDDING!

The river is a five of clubs and YOU WIN!

(Hey, they're my examples... I gotta have fun with them once
in awhile... ;)

The key is to LEVERAGE those loose players by UNDERSTANDING
what makes them "tick".

LEVERAGE means RAISING THE STAKES. You've got to put all
your money in the middle and be OK with losing it 1/5 of the
time... and enjoy the rewards of winning MASSIVE POTS the
other four times.

Now the IMPLICATION of raising the stakes is that you must
CHOOSE BATTLES WISELY.

Don't bluff very much... certainly not from the beginning of
a hand. Only bluff towards the end when you sense weakness.

Choose the high-stakes showdowns when you've already made a
hand... not when you're on a draw. And do it against
opponents who don't have as many chips as you...

When you take everything into consideration, you realize
it's not just about "betting big". It's about adopting BAD
BEATS into your OVERALL STYLE OF PLAY.

For example, you'll think twice about getting into a
showdown with 60:40 odds (in your favor) when you're playing
in a big tournament. Because you know that there's a 40%
chance of getting ELIMINATED... and you know that your
opponent is probably loose enough to risk all his chips on
it.

It's the same way with something like flush and straight
draws. How you play them will depend on WHERE you're playing
them...

Ring game? Multi-table tournament? 6-player Sit and Go?

And WHO are you playing them against... Chip leader or short
stack?

And at WHAT STAKES?

Listen... the thing that immediately transformed my online
poker game was simply realizing that all the bad beats were
coming for a REASON.

Don't just play the cards... and don't just play the
players... also play the fact that PEOPLE WILL MAKE
IRRATIONAL DECISIONS.

Risk lots when the odds are in your favor... and don't count
on your opponents being too intelligent. You'll start
winning HUGE POTS by feeding on the "fish".

Here's something SCARY...

Rumor has it that 99% of online poker players LOSE money
over time.

Yeah... 99%.

A portion of that is because of the rake, of course. I
mean... if you play break-even all the time you'll end up
DOWN because of the rake.

But the rake doesn't account for THAT big of percentage!

If this is true that 99% of online poker players are losers,
it means something VERY important...

THAT 1% IS MAKING A FORTUNE!

Think about it: The only other place for all that money to
go (besides the rake) is to those winners!

Crazy to imagine, huh?

Now if you're one of those LOSING players right now, you
have three options:

1. Stop playing and go spend your money somewhere else.

2. Keep playing for the fun of it... and think of your
losses as the price of "entertainment".

3. Figure out how to be in that top 1%.

Option three is pretty damn sweet... I'm not gonna lie.

Because there's nothing better than knowing you can sit on
the couch in your underwear, click your mouse a few times,
and START MAKING MOOLA.

You've already taken the first step by subscribing to my
newsletter.

The next step is to put these strategies and tips into
ACTION... through practice and hard work.

You should also study and LEARN MORE about poker every
chance you get. If you haven't read my eBook yet, go get it
now...

http://www.NoLimitHoldemSecrets.com/tl/618GqYh

A Dangerous Mistake That Will Cost You Money

2007-01-31T10:38:00.001-08:00

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.

A Sneaky Way To Improve Your Positioning

2007-01-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

How To Represent The Flop

2007-01-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

Special Tactics For Online Poker Tournaments

2007-01-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

I've gotten a lot of questions from readers lately about
ONLINE TOURNAMENT STRATEGY... and how SIT AND GO SHARK fits
in exactly.

Read below to learn some killer tactics and new skills. If
you haven't gotten my SIT AND GO SHARK software yet, click
this link right now:

http://www.SitAndGoShark.com/tl/697UvNP

- Roy

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Thank You - It Works!

Roy,

I had to write back and tell you my results.

First, my mistake was that I was playing 18 and 27 sit & go
tourneys. I moved to the 10 player ones and applied your
principles and had amazing results for a newcomer. I played
5 tournaments tonight and the results are as follows:

1st place
2nd place
4th place (I made a big mistake)
5th place (Just could not get any cards what so
ever in this one, snake bit)
1st place

Won money 3 out of the 5 times. Pretty spectacular!

I don't know how to steal blinds very well. I've only been
playing poker for 6 weeks. Can you send along a message on
how to steal blinds?

Many thanks, your strategy makes so much sense and it really
works.

S.M.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

Awesome! You've only been playing poker for SIX WEEKS and
you're already consistently finishing in the money at Sit
and Go's...

I like what I'm hearing.

As for stealing the blinds, here are some thoughts...

I've simplified Sit and Go strategy into seven key
components, which I call "Critical Success Factors."

Every situation in a Sit and Go can be handled by thinking
about these components:

Critical Success Factor #1: YOUR CARDS

Stealing the blinds is best done with starting hands that
have lots of OUTS... but aren't so good that you want to see
a flop.

Examples would be suited connectors, medium pocket pairs,
A-J, A-10, K-J, K-Q, and A-2 through A-9 suited.

These starting hands can be easily beat-- usually by higher
kickers. But they still have a good chance of winning if you
hit a favorable flop.

Anyway, the goal is to make a substantial pre-flop raise
that scares everyone out so that you can collect the blinds.

But if someone CALLS your raise, it's not the end of the
world because you can still hit a good flop and win the pot.
More importantly, you'll know you've scared out the hands
that are just SLIGHTLY better than yours.

For example, if you've got A-6 suited and you make a 5x big
blind pre-flop raise, someone with A-7 will probably fold...
thus increasing your chances of winning after the flop.

Critical Success Factor #2: POSITIONING

Your positioning at the table is CRUCIAL to successfully
stealing the blinds. You want to be in LATE position... that
way you can get a read on your opponents.

Steal the blinds when you sense WEAKNESS. This is
demonstrated when the players behind you limp-in to see a
cheap flop.

Critical Success Factor #3: TABLE MOMENTUM

If the table you're at is loose and aggressive, don't try to
steal the blinds. It won't work.

The best time to take a stab at it is when the momentum at
the table is TIGHT and there haven't been a lot of pre-flop
raises lately.

Critical Success Factor #4: BETTING PATTERNS

Watch to see who's in the small and big blind-- and WHAT
THEIR HABITS ARE in these positions. Some players will
defend their blinds to the death, while others will forfeit
them easily.

You obviously want to strike when the timid players are in
the blinds... because it decreases your odds of getting a
caller.

Critical Success Factor #5: POT ODDS

A common mistake made by amateurs is to commit TOO MANY
CHIPS to a pot when trying to steal the blinds.

Calculate your pot odds and be reasonable. Don't risk 800
chips just to win 50.

Critical Success Factor #6: NUMBER OF PLAYERS

The number of players in the game largely determines how
much you'll have to bet to win the blinds.

For Sit and Go's, I generally don't buy blinds until the
later stages of the game-- for three reasons:

1. That's when the blinds are higher.
2. That's when players tighten up.
3. That's when there are fewer players in.

Critical Success Factor #7: STACK SIZES

Stealing the blinds often requires a "one-two punch". That
means not only a pre-flop raise, but also a large post-flop
bet to "represent".

It's best to go after someone with a SMALLER CHIP STACK than
you. That way if you get caught with your "hand in the
cookie jar" there's a cap on your losses.

Plus, your bluffs will be more effective against someone
with fewer chips because even if they THINK you're
bluffing-- they can't afford to be wrong.

***

OK, so that's how you steal blinds.

This concept of "Critical Success Factors" is actually the
foundation of how I developed my SIT AND GO SHARK software.

As you play Sit and Go's, SHARK will sit beside you and give
CUSTOMIZED ADVICE-- based on each of the 7 factors-- all in
REAL-TIME!

To read more about this topic and how it can help you win
Sit and Go tournaments, click here:

http://www.SitAndGoShark.com/tl/697UvNP

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Hi Roy,

Your e-mails have helped me tons, my game has improved 10
fold over the space of a month. I need some advice though.

I play 10 player $5 (1500 chips) stt [single table
tournaments] most of the time and I can consistently place
2nd, no problem. But that first place is just out of reach.
I always get beat on the head to head.

By the time the game reaches this stage the blinds are
400/800, so not cheap. I play looser than normal, cause if I
didn't the blinds would beat me. What sort of hands should I
be playing at this point? I know it can be anybody's game
but I've just not managed that top spot yet.

Please help, I'm tired of coming second.

A.P.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

Head-to-head action is tough, because virtually all the
rules get tossed out the window.

Here are 5 tips for heads-up play that I think will help
you:

#1. YOU CAN PLAY ANY STARTING HAND. Because the blinds are
already so high, you must be willing to play ANYTHING before
the flop.

If you get an Ace, pair, or two face cards, you should
definitely raise the pot.

#2. BE CAREFUL OF DRAWS. Flush and straight draws can really
get you into trouble heads-up.

For example, if you've got an open-ended straight draw after
the flop and you put your opponent on a pair, be VERY
cautious.

Not only are his odds of winning better, but he'll probably
know as soon as you make your straight. So the "implied
odds" for you aren't very high.

This is why suited connectors are virtually worthless
heads-up-- even a favorable flop will usually only lead to a
DRAW, which is very dangerous.

#3. STOP THINKING ABOUT "WHO HAS THE BEST HAND". Instead,
start thinking about "who doesn't have the worst hand".

Does that make sense?

Most of the time, NEITHER of you will have anything good...
so winning the pot is more about who can scare the other
person out.

#4. BE WILLING TO GO ALL-IN. Large blinds means being ready
to RISK IT ALL.

As soon as you think you've got the best of it, push your
chips into the middle. Take some chances to win first place.

#5 PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. Heads-up skills take a lot of
time to develop. Instead of waiting until you're in the
final two of a 10-player Sit and Go to practice these
skills, go play some heads-up Sit and Go's instead.

Heads-up Sit and Go's will quickly give you a feel for how
often your opponent ACTUALLY catches a pair or good hand...
how often you should raise... and how to set traps.

Most pots heads-up are won before the river, with no one
showing their cards. This makes it difficult for a beginner
to really "know" how he's doing and how to improve.

AND THE BEST PART of heads-up Sit and Go's is that you can
use SIT AND GO SHARK while you play them!

SHARK supports these games-- as well as the heads-up stages
of regular Sit and Go's. That means you'll get my COACHING
and ADVICE every step of the way. This is a surefire way to
improve your chances of winning.

Just go here to download SHARK:

http://www.SitAndGoShark.com/tl/697UvNP

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Always coming up short

Hey Roy,

When I participate in many sit and go tourneys (on line), I
often find myself just short of the money round.

I tend to play tight until the looser players take
themselves out, but this often results in me sitting a
distant fourth or fifth in a ten man tourney... and almost
always short-stacked.

By playing tight, I think I am doing the correct thing, but
the looser players take the pots early and this always seems
to leave me fighting for my life trying to get to 3rd or 4th
place to cash in the tourney.

How can I change these odds? I want to start getting past
the last minute scramble to recover chips that I lost due to
my conservative play. Am I the only one who experiences this
short-stack syndrome??

Maybe the sit and go shark software will help me. What do
you think?

J.S.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

Don't worry, what you're going through is actually very
common.

It sounds to me like you're simply playing TOO TIGHT. If you
just stay out of the action and don't win any pots
throughout the game, you won't make it into the money-- it's
that simple.

Loosen up a bit. Try to steal blinds following the advice I
outlined earlier... and when you have a big hand, try to win
a HUGE pot.

Also, you said: "fighting for my life trying to get to 3rd
or 4th place to cash in the tourney".

Try to focus on placing FIRST in the tournament rather than
just in the money. When you make FIRST PLACE your goal,
making it in the money will come more easily.

http://www.SitAndGoShark.com/tl/697UvNP

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Roy,

Hey there. Thanks a lot for your newsletter, ive found it
extremely useful in improving my style of play. Im actually
playing a sit and go online right now, where im currently
1st out of the final 2 players. This brings us to my
question...

While i have found your tips to be very helpful in both sit
and gos and tournament play, i seem to often make 2nd rather
than 1st, or if i make 1st, its a hard battle to it.

Could you maybe give me some tips on heads-up play for when
you have the short stack and when you have the lead? I would
greatly appreciate it.

Thanks a lot for all the help,

O.R.
Stuttgart, Germany

>>> MY COMMENTS:

When you're the SHORT STACK heads-up, you've got to PUSH
ALL-IN relatively quickly.

I like doing this right away as the match begins, because it
develops a tempo and atmosphere that I'M IN CHARGE. You can
often mount a comeback FAST because your opponent isn't
ready for this aggressive style and he just folds his
blinds.

Since there's no time to waste, your all-in moves will often
be COMPLETE BLUFFS. That's OK. It's a chance you must take.

Now when you HAVE THE LEAD, your strategy should be to apply
CONSTANT PRESSURE. Never let your short-stacked opponent get
away with limping-in.

Double the blinds, represent the flop, and be aggressive.

Play your GOOD HANDS like you play every other hand, that
way your opponent is clueless to the cards you're holding...

http://www.SitAndGoShark.com/tl/697UvNP

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Your book and your emails are a great help to me playing on
line. I have improved my sit and go tournaments by reading
and following your advice. I have read several other books
before reading yours and I got more from yours than any of
the others.

I have spead the word to several of my friends that are now
getting your weekly newsletter. Now if you would either in
return email or in your newletter cover some of your
thoughts about larger tournaments. I seem to be able to get
into the top one third but not into the money it seems that
you have to take more chances in playing these than in sit
and go's am I right?

Any advice would be appreciated keep up the good work.

L.C.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

Thanks for the referrals, I appreciate it!

Yes, you are absolutely correct that you must take more
chances in multi-table tournaments (MTTs) than in Sit and
Go's.

For an MTT, you've got to win a lot of really big pots to
just make it to the money... and to win these pots, you've
got to take calculated risks.

It's often necessary to see more flops in an MTT, depending
on the quality of players and blinds structure.

If the blinds go up quickly, don't be afraid to sacrifice
some chips early on to see cheap flops in hopes of catching
"lucky" cards.

If you limp-in with something like J-9 suited and hit two
pair, your opponents will never see it coming... and it may
be just what you need to jump out to an early lead.

http://www.SitAndGoShark.com/tl/697UvNP

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Hi Gang -

Just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed SNG Shark.
Roy, it's like you're right there with me, with the same
great advice and homespun presentation style I enjoy so much
in your email newsletter.

Suddenly playing poker seems like a team sport, and a pack
of wolves can take out a lone sheep in the wilderness just
about every time. Thanks for helping me become a MUCH better
poker player... and you can quote me on that.

FYI, I sent several emails yesterday talking about how I
couldn't get SNG Shark to come up in my "home" XP profile
after installing it in my "work" one. I've solved that
"problem" - just had to go in and set the XP permissions
differently. Smooth sailing from here on. Thanks for
responding to my letters yesterday even tho they seemed a
little incoherent - that's the sign of a good support team,
and you guys are just that.

One happy camper,

R.J.R.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

Nice. It sounds like it's time for me to give my support
director a raise. ;-)

If you own SIT AND GO SHARK and have any questions or need
help with anything, just send us an email at:

support@sitandgoshark.com.

That's what we're here for.

Thanks for the kind comments... and I hope your success at
the poker tables continues.

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

I love your tight-aggressive squared approach to 10 man
sitngos. I have consistantly placed in the money with that
strtegy. How does that correspond to 6-man tables? The
dynamics of that seem a little different and it doesn't work
as well for me.

Thanks Roy

D.D.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

Great question. You're absolutely right that 6-player Sit
and Go's require an adjustment of strategy.

The Tight-Aggressive Squared approach basically means that
you're TIGHTER and MORE AGGRESSIVE than normal. The reason I
advocate this strategy in 10-player Sit and Go's is because
there are consistently a lot of BAD PLAYERS in these games.

And the more hands you enter, the more likely it is you'll
catch a bad beat against one of these fish-- who plays
something like 10-7 offsuit to a pre-flop raise.

In a 6-player Sit and Go, there are still probably a couple
bad players, but it's not as likely for one of them to be in
every hand with you-- like in a 10-player game.

And just as importantly, a 6-player table means the blinds
come around more frequently, so you'll need to loosen up
your starting hands.

In the beginning stages of a 6-player Sit and Go, I still
recommend being significantly TIGHTER and MORE AGGRESSIVE
with the pots you enter...

But after a player or two gets eliminated, don't focus on
the Tight-Aggressive Squared method as much-- it will have
served its purpose already. It's time to revert to a more
"normal" style of play.

http://www.SitAndGoShark.com/tl/697UvNP

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Hi Roy

i have a question regarding tournament strategy. i play a
lot of mtts, for the first hour im very strong. usually in
the top 20 but i find it gets more dificult when the blinds
increase. id say i was a tight player but i play quite
agressive and after reading a lot of books n pro tips it
says when u have a big stack u have to attack the table,
personally i tend to tighten up, and play my premium hands
and suited connectors. i find that when i have a big stack
and am in position im tempted to try n steal the blinds and
things but this is often where i go wrong. when i try n get
a cute it tends to burn me. what shud i do when i raise on
the button and get called? i often find they bet into me and
iv missed so have to fold, or if i think they think im on a
steal i re raise and that often get me in a lot of trouble
(sometimes works tho). if i fold iv prolly lost a decent %
of my stack as the blinds by this stage are large, but being
tight if i dont steal i will ante myself to death which is
no good. so do you have any pointers for late strategy in
mtts when the blinds are large?

would be very helpful

Thanks

C.S.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

It sounds like you're being TOO CONSERVATIVE and TOO
PREDICTABLE. Just because someone CALLS your raise doesn't
mean it's time to freak out.

It just means they have a good hand... and you'll need to
gauge whether you can buy the pot by betting MORE or just
cut your losses and try again later.

Do NOT just try to steal blind when you're on the button--
that's the kiss of death!

Most players see through a raise on the button and know it's
a position play... perhaps that's why you keep running into
callers.

Re-read the beginning of this newsletter about how to steal
blinds-- I think it will help you.

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Hey Roy,

Thanks for a great book and killer insight newsletters. It
definitely has improved my game a lot. I am getting pretty
good at sit and gos and i am usually finishing in the money.
I hope you can help me improve my game even more by
answering a couple of questions.

It is especially one hand I have HUGE problems with and that
is KQ. It seems like I am always up against AQ, AK, AA or
KK. How do you play this hand online depending on your
position?

Another problem I have is the multitable tournaments. Out of
664 people I usually finish 501 or 305 depending on how
aggressively i play. The problem is the middle part of the
tournament when most people have 2000 - 3000 chips and the
blinds are let's say 100 - 200. At that stage I guess you
are considered short stack but a lot of other people are
too. If you are going to have a go at the pot you easily put
half your stack in there and that is pretty much the end of
that tournament.

I try to employ some of the same strategy in multitable
tournaments as I do in sit and go tournaments when there are
10 people at the table. This might be the problem too
because with the sit and go tournaments i find myself often
short stacked with 5 or 6 people left, but I usually recover
at this point and finishes in the money. I guess recovering
from short stack at a 10 person table is harder than with 5
or 6 people.

Any thoughts Roy?

Thanks in advance

O.L.
Chicago, Illinois

>>> MY COMMENTS:

I'm going to address your questions in reverse order...

YES, it's much harder to recover from the short stack when
there are 10 players at the table versus when there are just
5 or 6. The reason is because not only is everyone GUNNING
for you, but the chances that SOMEONE at the table has a
premium hand is much higher.

It sounds like you're not building a large enough chip stack
early on... and that's costing you in the middle stages of
the tournament. You said: "If you are going to have a go at
the pot you easily put half your stack in"... YES,
absolutely.

You can actually easily end up with your WHOLE STACK in
there. Like I mentioned earlier, these are the chances you
MUST take in a multi-table tournament to be successful.

For MTTs, you should never be consistently placing in a
"range". You should be either IN THE MONEY or OUT OF THE
MONEY.

When you're OUT of the money, there should be no consistent
pattern to your losses... it may be last place, on the
bubble, whatever.

With no pattern, it means you TOOK A RISK but it didn't work
out. And that's how you SHOULD lose in tournaments. Fighting
for your life with 10x the big blind at a 10-man table is no
fun... so try to build your stack earlier.

Now for your question about how to play K-Q. At a 10-person
table, this hand can definitely get you into trouble because
of those premium hands you mentioned like A-A, A-K, A-Q, and
K-K.

You want to play K-Q not only based on positioning but also
based on your CHIP STACK and the BEHAVIOR OF YOUR OPPONENTS.

If you sense weakness in late positioning and you have some
chips to play with, throw out a pre-flop raise and see what
happens. Your goal is to find out if someone has one of
these deadly premium hands BEFORE THE FLOP-- that way you
still have time to escape.

K-Q is the type of hand to NOT SEE A FLOP and just steal
blinds with... You want to do so, however, when you have
enough chips to scare your opponents and not have to risk
everything.

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Dear Roy,

I have been playing poker for about 2 years now. Every
weekend my buddies and I have a 10-person Sit & Go for
fairly small buy-ins. I would have to say that I place in
the money or win everyweek.

The only amateur problem I am portraying is that I tend to
feel bad for my opponents since they are my friends. If you
could tell me how to get past this weakness it would be of
great satisfaction to me.

Your friend,
C.T.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

Let me get this straight:

You FEEL BAD because you keep beating your friends week
after week?!

I love it.

Here, I've got two ideas for you:

1. Grow up. Winning is a part of poker-- if you can't handle
embarrassing your friends every week, maybe you shouldn't
play with them anymore.

2. If you insist on playing with these friends who you
ALWAYS beat, next time bring a REALLY HOT GIRL with you to
the game...

Your buddies will be so distracted and grateful that you'll
win their money EVEN EASIER than before... and they won't
even care!

(LOL, I love my job.)

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Hey Roy,

I've been getting your newsletters for months now, and man!!
Great job with the sit-and-go strategies. They work almost
every time. My problem is coming into play in MTT's of
between 450-1000 ppl online. I have been consistently
getting top 100 finishes (which means in the small money),
but I just can't seem to break the big finishes. What the
heck am I doing wrong?

I'm staying as tight as I can with the large blinds and
idiots raising with nothing. How can I stay on my game and
win without going all-in on absolute crap cards? It seems
like that is the way these morons are winning these tourneys
after me.

Is there something of a strategy that can help me out?
Thanks for all your help and I hope you can help me with
this one.

J.P.
Calgary, Alberta

>>> MY COMMENTS:

I've pretty much covered your question earlier in this
newsletter, but I'd also point out to be aware of the STAKES
you're playing at.

A large MTT with a $5 buy-in will attract a lot of awful
players, and that might be part of your problem.

If you see "idiots" consistently winning these tournaments,
maybe you should raise the stakes (if your bankroll allows
it).

You've also brought up a great point about WATCHING THE
WINNERS OF TOURNAMENTS.

When I first started playing poker, this is precisely how I
developed a lot of my skills... by carefully STUDYING the
guys who made it all the way through a tournament.

I took notes on how often they entered pots, when they
raised, when they bluffed, and so on. If you've never done
this before, I highly recommend it. You'll be amazed at all
the lessons you learn.

http://www.SitAndGoShark.com/tl/697UvNP

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Roy,

I started using Shark yesterday. Very NICE!!! I've played
over 10 $5 SnGs on Pokerroom.com and have finished out of
the $ only once. I like the occassional comedy you inserted
too, nice touch.

The advice mirrors your Tight/Aggressive Squared model,
which I had already adopted for online SnGs so I find myself
agreeing with nearly everything the Shark tells me.

It is nice to have you sitting over my shoulder making sure
I don't do anything I know I shouldn't. If I'm tempted, I
look at the screen and see you sitting at the WSOP table :)
Then I do the right thing and toss my cards :)

Thanks again, buddy.

S.S.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

WOW. 9 out of 10 Sit and Go's in the money... on the very
FIRST DAY! You are a stud, my friend.

I'm getting HUNDREDS of these types of success stories about
SIT AND GO SHARK every week...

If you're reading this right now and haven't taken the time
to download the software yet, do so NOW.

There's no better way to MASTER poker tournaments while
MAKING GREAT MONEY AT THE SAME TIME.

SHARK will give you step-by-step coaching and advice as you
play... based on the 7 Critical Success Factors I talked
about earlier.

It's quick to download and install, incredibly easy to use,
and 100% legal and safe at the online poker rooms.

Take advantage of this no-brainer opportunity right now--
and watch your online poker profits skyrocket as a result.

Click here to visit the official SIT AND GO SHARK website:

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I'll talk to you again soon.

Why You Shouldn't Slow Play Big Hands

2007-01-03T09:42:00.000-08:00

Was This A Bad Beat Or A Bad Play?

2006-12-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

*** QUESTION FROM READER ***

Hi Roy,

I was recently in an online tourney with a $20,000 payout.
5,000 people entered and unfortunately I finished 352nd. I
have one hand in that tournament that haunts me every night
before I go to sleep, and I have to replay it in my mind
over and over again, I have even dreamt about it. Please let
me know what I did wrong so I can forgive myself for playing
the hand the way I played it.

Alright, the blinds were at 400/800. My stack was about 10k.
I get A-J off 1 spot before the button. Everyone folds to
me, and since I think A-J isn't that strong, and it is one
of my "unlucky hands", I only called the BB.

The guy on the button called as well, the SB folded, and the
BB doubled the bet. So, I said, well, another 800 is ok
cause I will probably be getting 5:1 on my money, assuming
that the guy on the button calls. He does, and the flop
comes K-A-8. No flush draws are present and the big blind
checks to me. I bet about 2,500 as a feeler bet, with top
pair to see where I stood in the hand. The guy on the button
goes all-in for his remaining 8,000, I figured he was
playing position and I was going to call him.

But, the BB goes all in for his remaining 7,000, and that
scared me because he was the original reaiser preflop. I
knew he didn't have A-K, but A-Q was a possibility and A-8
was too, as well as a pair of 8s in the hole. After
reviewing in my mind the betting sequences, I folded
thinking that one of them had either 2 pair, or trip 8s.

They turned up their cards, and the guy on the button had
K-5, and the BB had A-6... I was STUNNED! I could have taken
that pot, and the chip lead in the tournament and could have
either worked with that lead, or sat all the way to the
money, but instead I was forced to later go all in with a
moderate hand, and get beat by a pocket pair.

My logic about the hand seems good, the only mistake I think
I made was not raising a considerable amount pre-flop in the
position I was in, I think that if I did it and they still
called I woulda been pot committed to call and would have
won.

Please help me, tell me what I can do so this won't happen
again.

Thanks,
D.C.

>>> MY COMMENTS:

Thank you for the detailed email. You've touched upon
several important concepts here-- and I have some insights t
hat may help shed some light on the situation (or at the
very least, might stop the nightmares!).

First of all, let's talk about the strategies that SHOULD
have been going through your head at the time.

ON POSITIONING...

You were sitting one seat to the right of the dealer button.
In this position, when you get a strong starting hand you
want to RAISE and "steal the button" if possible.

This technique is simple. You basically just want the player
to your left to FOLD, that way you get to act last after the
flop.

You don't have to make a huge raise, just a simple 2-3x
multiple of the big blind. Most players will try to limp-in
when they're on the button because it's the best position at
the table.

Your raise will stop them from doing so-- assuming they have
a mediocre hand.

ON ACE-JACK...

You called Ace-Jack offsuit one of your "unlucky hands". The
truth is, you are NOT ALONE in this thinking. Far from it.

A-J is one of those hands that seems to get run down all the
time... and it drives many players nuts.

The REASON Ace-Jack is tricky is because you never know if
your opponent has A-Q or A-K... or if they have something
like A-10 or A-9.

The obvious solution is that you MUST ALWAYS find out "where
you stand" BEFORE THE FLOP.

Do not-- I repeat, DO NOT-- limp-in with Ace-Jack! When you
do, disasters like this occur.

Think about it: The REAL reason you lost this hand that you
"psyched yourself out" because you didn't have a good read
on your opponents after the flop.

And why didn't you have a good read?

Because you didn't make a raise BEFORE the flop.

If you had made a 3x big blind raise, the player on the
button most likely would have folded... and the big blind
might have called with his A-6.

After calling, you could be confident that you're ahead in
the hand... AND you wouldn't have to worry as much about
someone hitting a lucky two pair, because it'd be heads-up
to see the flop.

If the big blind decided to RE-RAISE you, you'd know that
your A-J was probably beat... and in that case, you wouldn't
commit more chips when the flop hit with A-K on the board.

Get it?

ON CHIP STACKS...

When the action came to you, there were 1,200 in blinds in
the pot, and your chip stack was at 10,000. That's not many
chips-- just over 10x the big blind.

But fortunately, you still had MORE chips than your other
two opponents. That means stealing the blinds would have
been an EXCELLENT move in this situation.

I mean, chances are your opponents do NOT have strong hands.
So without the chip stacks to bully you, you could have
confidently guessed they'd FOLD to a pre-flop raise.

Winning the blinds as often as possible is a CRUCIAL TACTIC
that you must implement, especially in a tournament like
this...

ON TOURNAMENT STRATEGY...

OK, so let's review. Your positioning, your cards, and your
chip stack were all reasons you should have made a pre-flop
raise!

But if it makes you feel better, you DID make a smart move
with your post-flop feeler bet.

Now given the fact that you didn't raise pre-flop, SHOULD
YOU HAVE FOLDED TO THE TWO-WAY ALL-IN?

To quote Matt Damon's character in my favorite movie
"Rounders":

"You can't lose what you don't put in the middle. But you
can't win much either."

Possibly more important than the decision itself is what you
should have been THINKING ABOUT in order to MAKE the
decision.

If this had been a ring game, you would have wanted to make
the decision based on the betting patterns of your
opponents.

But since it was a tournament, you probably didn't have time
to develop much of a read on these opponents...

Had I been in your shoes, I would have CALLED. I would not
have folded.

Here's why:

After committing 1,600 chips pre-flop and 2,500 post-flop,
you've only got about 6,000 left. With the blinds at
400-800, that's considered "short-stacked".

As a general principle, when you have LESS THAN 10 times the
big blind, it's time to make a move.

(The exception to this rule, of course, is in the VERY late
stages of a tournament-- like a final table-- when the
blinds are ridiculously high.)

But anyway... with just 6,000 chips, my guess is that you
were too afraid of LOSING the tournament.

And I'd venture to say you weren't thinking enough about
WINNING the tournament.

The reality is, the chance to TRIPLE up with top pair and a
solid kicker is not common. Especially since there were no
flush or straight draws on the board.

This was your "golden opportunity" to build a respectable
stack and set yourself up for a nice payout.

The ability to take a risk and "go for it" in this situation
is what often times separates the AVERAGE tournament players
from the PROS.

If you analyzed the players at the final table of a
5,000-player tournament like this-- or even a 500-player
tournament-- you'd find that ALL of them won a couple HUGE
pots earlier.

Maybe even more than a couple.

Just remember this mantra:

IN ORDER TO WIN, YOU MUST RISK LOSING.

That's why you see "pros" often get eliminated from
tournaments in the very EARLY stages. It's not because of
bad beats, it's because they TOOK A BIG RISK and it didn't
work out.

Next time you're in this situation, stick to your game plan
of "tight-aggressive". If you're going to enter a pot, do it
with some gusto.

Raise pre-flop, bet post-flop when you hit top pair, and
call the all-in in hopes of tripling up.

Of course... what's done is done, and there's no sense
beating yourself up about it.

Believe me, I've made PLENTY of mistakes that were probably
a HUNDRED times as dumb as this one...

You've just got to get over it. Learn from the experience
and move on.

The best thing you can do right now is go download SIT AND
GO SHARK. The next time you're playing an online poker
tournament, you won't have this problem. Because I'll be
right over your shoulder telling you what to do!

Loaded with over 17,000 pieces of advice and MILLIONS of
combinations, SIT AND GO SHARK is perhaps the most advanced
and kick-ass poker software in existence.

Get it here:

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