advanced poker play

Introduction

Poker fans will be relieved to hear that all’s well on the World Poker Tour at present with the latest tournament, the WPT Classic, taking place at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. 72 players started out and on day 5 we’re down to 6, battling it out for the $1.8 million 1^st prize – not bad for so early in the year?

Who’ll be in the final?

Going in to day 5 Carlos Mortensen held the big stack of nearly 1.7 million chips, having tripled it late on in the session with some big hitting poker plays.  Most of the 22 staring the day were males but it was good to see Mari Lou Morelli mid-stacked with 456,000 chips and old favourite Annie Duke hanging in at 21^st with 241,000 chips; whilst the short stack was John Cautela on just 219,000. But for me the poker player to watch at the start of play was Tri Huynh with just short of a million chips. In the end Annie Duke just failed to make it to the final two tables going out in 19^th place with $45,773 in prize money.  In the small blind she had to go all-in with her by then 80,000 chips holding Ah and 8c, the river showed a J, 7, 2 and two 3s giving Tim Begley the hand having a pair of 4s in the hole. Tim was then denied a place on the last poker table of the day, when his pair of Queens were topped by a pair of aces and tens from Tri. Three more players left before the end of the days play, leaving a final day’s table of 6.

At the final table

So, who might emerge champion at the end of that final table? Well despite being in the lead at the end of day 4 not Carlos, who went out in 9^th place with prize money of just over $100,000. Short stack is Michael Kamran on 680,000, but the leading poker player is way out in front with 4,995,000 chips – Andras Koroknai, who’s 1.5 million chips up on second place Raymond Dolan. However, don’t give up yet on WPT newcomer Tri, who is in third place albeit with about half the poker chips that Andras has.

Introduction

February 14^th could just pose a problem for some of you St Valentine’s Day lovers out there this year, the question is quite simple really – who do you love more your partner or your poker? OK, so why might you have to decide between your poker and your partner this year, after all St Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, what could possibly keep you away form your partner?

High Stakes Returns

Well the dilemma you might be facing is that GSN starts the new season of High Stakes Poker on Sunday 14^th February. With a line up already set to include big name poker players like Patrik Antonius, Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu – competing in games with eye-watering $200,000 buy-ins, you might just struggle as to where your love truly is. No problem you might think, what time does it start and ill work around that. Well, unfortunately no matter whether you were thinking of whisking her, or indeed him, of out for a romantic lunch or dinner -you’ll have to miss some of the action. Starting at 12pm (ET) there’ll be an eight hour “I love poker” marathon with the main event, “High stakes poker”, beginning at 8pm (ET). Either ways you’ll look pretty well stressed to go out for a meal, get some love-making in and watch all the great poker action.

Problem – what problem?

No worries if you can’t be with a loved one this Valentine’s day as instead you can use presenters Gabe Kaplan and the lovely Kara Scott, a European poker player and TV presenter as eye-candy. Based at the fabulous Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Kara will be providing the feedback from the High Stakes poker table, taking us through all the big plays and table goings-on. There’ll also be regular spots with players talking about their strategies and approach to playing poker in these sort of high pressure games. Another potential problem solver is that the programs are currently scheduled for repeats at 11pm Sundays and  2am Monday mornings – so I guess if you haven’t got work in the morning you’ve an opportunity to catch up with the action, when the smooching action’s over.

Introduction

Everybody wants to win at poker and everybody wants to win as easily and consistently as possible, so is there a strategy or system that can help a poker player to regularly win their poker games? The fact of the matter is that whether you’re playing online poker or playing poker in a casino, the very best system or strategy is that which you learn by experience in playing poker. In other words, reading articles like this that contain hints and tips is fine and can help you; but ultimately you need to discover your own strategies and systems according to your preferred style of poker play.

Poker strategies

Adopting strategies for playing poker will include things like playing tight or loose, looking for poker tells, bluffing etc. If you’re a relative novice at poker you’re probably playing most, in not all, of your poker online; you will find that you’ll need to adjust your strategies when you make the move to playing in ‘bricks and mortar’ poker room or casino. The mere physical presence of other players around a poker table will unsettle you initially and so you’ll need some extra strategies to combat any potential feelings of discomfort, if you don’t want to start losing heavily.

Poker systems

One thing you can guarantee about poker is that you’ll never be short of advice as to how to play and how this or that poker system could work for you. However, I think you’d do a lot worse than to consider the advice on poker systems given by that doyen of poker writers – David Sklansky. Without wishing to do him a disservice his poker system is simply to keep looking for opportunities to move in before the flop. If you’ve got aces, or ace-king or even just ace-king suited – and someone has raised before you, move all in; if not then fold. Or, if you’ve got aces, any ace-king, a pair or even any same suit connected cards (but not a four or two with a three) – then again move all in.

Introduction

It is a well established fact that most if the top professional poker players, at some time or other, show up at the PokerStars online poker tables to play cash games and tournaments. Most often they’re only interested in playing the really high stakes games and will usually end up in games against themselves or the high rolling online celebrity poker players. Well, all through December everyone has the opportunity to sit at an online poker table and ‘play the stars’.

Terrific Tuesdays

In a move that PokerStars will hopefully try and retain or at least re-introduce throughout the year, every Tuesday throughout December you can log to poker games at PokerStars – and you could just find yourself playing a poker table with Daniel Negreanu or Peter Eastgate etc. Even better, if you don’t want to play them online they’ll be available to chat with you online or you can just watch them playing poker online – and be treated to a true master class for free. A Christmas treat for all poker fans if ever there was one, especially for those that can grab a few days off over the Christmas period to really get some serious poker playing in at the poker websites.

Fancy your chances?

If you do fancy your chances against a poker pro then the buy-ins are as low as $11 with $1000 being added to the prize pool. To play, you’ll need to be online any time from 12:00 ET on the December Tuesdays. There are some special Team Pro Tuesday tournaments – Outlast the Pro – that will start at 13:00 and 20:00 ET, prompt each Tuesday until December 29^th. Quite simply, if you stay in the tournament longer that the pro, you get to split the remaining cash with the other players still in it. All entry details can be found at the PokerStars website. Also, look out for the Freeroll Fantasy Satellites that are qualifiers for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the New Year.

Introduction

Rather disappointingly we will be entering the New Year without a final resolution to the on-going problem just how legal is online poker in the USA. Until the decision from Congress is made all of us internet poker players are still pretty well in a state of limbo, whereby we can continue to play online poker – only because the authorities have no real appetite to test it out in the courts. One of the key points surrounding this debate is, of course, the old chestnut of whether poker is a game of skill or mere chance?

Comparing poker with other card games

The single biggest problem for poker being seen as a game of skill is that it is all too easily associated with casinos and casino card games. This immediately sets up a barrier between poker players and the rest of the population, who can only see casinos as dens of vice and trickery. Leaving aside the fact that all too often those who are against legally opening up online poker to the nation have never played the game or been inside a casino, it isn’t just online poker that they want to ban – but all online card games. That is, all online card games that you’d normally associate with casinos – but not strangely gin rummy or bridge. Now then, correct me if I’m wrong but how often are they played in casinos? Quite simply they aren’t, but they are played in the genteel and middle-class homes all over the States. Those two card games are determined to be games of skill, and there’s no argument here about that. But, why is poker discriminated against just because it is played in casinos? You can’t really argue that a casino card game like Blackjack really is a game of chance – but poker?

The skill in poker

A key fact as to why poker should be seen as a game of skill is that even in a casino the ‘house’ doesn’t share in the winnings. The ‘house’ is simply paid a buy-in fee for each round thereafter both the house and the dealer have no interest in who wins what and, most significantly, the house or its dealer cannot win from the table. In that circumstance alone, a poker game is entirely between the people playing the game who have the sole interest in its outcome. Secondly the very rules that govern poker gives all the players around the poker table with a statistically equal chance of winning before the flop. Thirdly and finally for now, poker is a game that not only requires skill but skills that are used alongside a strategy, making it more like chess and bridge, than a mere game of chance. If that were not the case, and all was just down to pure chance, then why hasn’t a rookie yet won the WSOP?

Introduction

With the Christmas vacation getting ever closer now, you’ll no doubt be hoping to spend some of that time relaxing with some online poker games. Of course the more online poker games you play the more experience you will pick up. However, you don’t want to get in to games with players who are simply way above you in terms of experience too quickly,  So, it seems quite timely to remind you about things to watch out for telling the less experienced from the more experienced online poker players.

Flair or bravery in the opposition?

The most difficult thing in picking up tells in an online game> is – has the opposition simply got a flair for playing poker or are they just a brave player? If someone has a flair for poker then, whether by experience or innate ability, they will quickly show themselves to be anything but an inexperienced player by always seeming to make the right calls. Merely being a brave poker player will not give them the consistency in making those correct calls, so the ‘merely’ brave player is invariably just a lucky one when they win. Of course an experienced player can also be a brave, but the one factor that will always let you differentiate between experienced and inexperienced brave poker players is that – the experienced one will always know the pot odds, and will go against them only very sparingly.

Spotting the inexperienced players

Inexperienced poker players will often get a little carried away and try to bet out of position, they’ll also choose to only raise on the river bet but not raise any where near as much as they should from the button. Not showing an awareness of the pot odds, as mentioned above, can indicate an inexperienced player, but it can also be a confusing tell to watch for. Playing internet poker I cannot understand why rookie players don’t use their pot odds calculators to keep them informed – but many don’t! However, showing a lack of pot odds awareness in itself could be just a bluff – so look for the other inexperienced player signs as well.

Introduction

Despite the virtual flop of NBC’s “Face the Ace” poker TV show earlier this year another new poker show will be hitting our screens in the New Year. Provisionally titled “Shuffle up and deal” the new poker TV show will be airing in 2010 through MyNetworkTV, which is part of the Fox Entertainment Group, which in turn is controlled by the media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.

Mike Sexton

Despite the millions of people who play online poker and at regular poker tables, TV poker shows have failed to capture the imagination of the viewing public and so it can only be hoped that this new poker show can find the magic formula to keep the viewers tuned in and wanting to follow it week by week. With Mike Sexton lined up to host the show it will certainly be led by someone with the gravitas to quickly establish that ‘Shuffle up and deal’ is a serious contender for being a long running poker show. Mike is, after all, not only a respected journeyman poker pro but one of the great promoters of the game and is universally accepted as being an ambassador for poker internationally.

The show’s format

The format for ‘Shuffle up and deal’ is that amateur poker players select poker cards from a display to make up the best five card poker hand possible. The winners of each round then get to play for a jackpot, which is reportedly starting at $250,000. The intention is to try and pick up casual viewers by using such a quick and easy to follow format, which for the general viewer and non-poker playing public will virtually amount to a sort of ‘pick-a-card’ format. At first glance this seems reasonable enough given that the satellite channel is available to around 50 million homes.  However, it will remain to be seen if poker enthusiasts find there is enough of a sense of strategy about it, to keep them away from their own favorite internet poker games.

Introduction

Looking at the games being played at some poker tables you could be forgiven for wondering whether or not some players actually want to win the pot or just try and outsmart the other players. Let’s face it there are times when you see players not following the fundamental theorem of poker and playing their cards differently to the way they should do if they knew an opponents poker cards, just to try and get back at them for a previous defeat. So, how can you avoid poker traps?

Odds rule – OK!

Surely the golden rule to never forget is that – pot odds, above all, reign supreme. The pot odds are, of course, the ratio of the pot size to the bet needed to stay in with a chance of winning the pot. So, betting $10 to win $40 gives you a one in five chance of taking the pot, where one if five is the maximum risk you should go up to. However, don’t forget, of course, that pot odds can be complicated early on in a hand according to the implied odds you might expect to win at the end of a hand. Just remember, don’t get carried away in a poker hand where the pot odds are bad for you.

Play to your strengths

Another sure-fire way to drop yourself in it playing poker is to play in a style that’s not really you, and we’re not talking about playing against your better judgments regarding the fundamental theorem of poker here either! As an experienced player you’ll know if you’re normally a tight or lose player, whichever you are you need to be on your guard against outwardly aggressive poker players. It really is all too easy to get dragged along playing aggressively and out of style; and before you know it your chip stack’s gone. That’s not to say never play a bluff or vary your play; just play your own game, if things are to fast or hot and you’re taking painful hits – find another poker table to play at. Don’t forget as well, you’ve more control over your own destiny when in a position well away from the blinds.

Introduction

This week-end, Saturday November 7^th, sees the return of the 2009 World Series of Poker tournament – along with the usual cast of stellar poker players. Top of the list at present is Darvin Moon with his record stack of 58,930,000 chips; however, and as we all know, starting off with the biggest chip stack isn’t necessarily a recipe for success. The eventual winner of the WSOP this year will net around $8.5 million as well as the coveted 2009 WSOP winner’s bracelet.

Also in the field

Also in the field are top caliber and favorite players like Phil Ivey and Jeff Shulman, although Phil Ivey finds himself back in seventh stack position with a paltry 9,200,000 chips compared to Darvin’s massive stack. However, Jeff Shulman is ’sitting pretty’ in fourth place with 19,580,000 chips in his stack. Eric Buchman and Steven Begleiter occupy second and third positions behind Darvin. James Akenhead is last in the field with a short stack of 6,800,000 chips.

Amateur or Pro to win?

Just how long this might last if he should win we don’t know, but Darvin considers himself to be an amateur poker player who is merely “riding his luck”. Well if you call making nearly 59 million chips luck – then I guess you’ve got to bet against him finally emerging with the title; however, if he has any ’spare luck’ like that going I for one would be a grateful recipient! Another amateur in the mix is third placed Steve Begleiter, no stranger himself to sitting at the ‘top poker table‘, it is not beyond possibility that Steve could win this poker tournament and yet remain the true amateur. After all Stearns & Co. salaries can make even a big poker win look pretty small fry! Conversely you can never rule out the top pros. So expect Phil, Eric and Jeff to be in at least the final half of the end games, if not in the final mix of this $10,000 buy-in Main Event.

Introduction

Some folk mistakenly think that using poker bots will reveal to you the inside workings of a poker website and how to ‘beat the system’. If you’re one of those people then unfortunately you’ve been mislead by whoever told you so or may have miss-read some other article on the topic. A poker bot is no different to any other internet bot, web robot, in that it is a piece of software automatically performing a repetitive task faster than a human could do – in this case that of a poker calculator capable of folding, betting or calling according to pre-determined scenarios.

Poker bots are banned

Now that might well sound excellent news as a way to win big in internet poker games – having a poker bot doing all your playing for you, guaranteed not to make an error due to miscalculating the odds etc. However, before you look for poker bots for sale on the internet – be aware that poker bots are simply banned from any of the poker gaming websites you’re likely to visit. Whilst most of the online poker games will have in-built calculators to help you, known as house-bots, if they detect a poker bot working against them – they’ll shut it out of the game. I think you’d have to agree that, for once, the poker website operators are quite right to shut out these poker bots, which are really just a form of cheating at poker. After all they could be playing 24/7 on multiple sites forging an enormous advantage over all the millions of legitimate online poker players.

Poker house-bots on the level?

Ah Ha! I can already hear the grumblings – but how do you know that the house-bot isn’t ‘loaded’ against you and on the level? Well without the poker websites inviting everyone and anyone to inspect its coding there will always be those who doubt the honesty of the poker websites, or at least doubt it when they aren’t winning! That’s the essential point to always remember regarding house-bots; you have to take the poker website on face value as being an honest one – exactly the same as walking into a ‘bricks and mortar’ poker room. If you think it’s not on the level – simply go elsewhere to play your poker.