Getting Started in Pot-Limit Omaha
October 5th 2007PART II August 7th 2007
PART I August 3rd 2007
Lessons from Berry Johnston
Tips from the Pros
Getting Started in Pot-Limit Omaha
October 5th 2007
To the uninitiated, the only discernible difference between a game of Omaha and a game of Hold ‘em is that players start each hand with four cards instead of two. But what a difference those two extra cards can make throughout the course of a hand.
In Hold 'em, your two cards represent one of 169 possible hands. In Omaha, where you must use two of your four starting cards to make...
Read More »
Pre-Flop Raising Strategy
September 28th 2007
To limp or not to limp—that is the question. I'm not going to name any names here, but there are some big-game pros who will argue that it's okay to limp into a pot before the flop. They reason that the more flops they see...
Read More »
Playing from the Blinds in Tournaments – Part 2
September 21st 2007
As I discussed last week, there are many factors that come into determining how you play from the blinds in tournaments, including your opponent's position at the table. Of course, that's not the only factor to take into consideration. Throughout a tournament, everyone develops a table image that impacts how people play against them. Depending on your opponent's style of play − and how your opponent perceives you − you might be able to…
Read More »
Playing from the Blinds in Tournaments Part 1
September 13th 2007
If tournament poker is a game of situations, then it’s important to know how to play from the blinds. Poker comes down to three basic decisions: fold, call, or raise. Usually, folding the blinds will be your best option...
Read More »
Recalculating the Average Stack
September 6th 2007
In a recent World Series of Poker* Circuit event that I played in, the nine-handed final table started with blinds of 10K – 20K, and there were roughly 3.5 million chips in play. Some quick division would tell you that the average stack was 350K, or about 18 big blinds. This simple calculation could lead you to some bad conclusions...
Read More »
Building and Maintaining a Bankroll
August 31st 2007
For most players, the lure of playing in high-stakes ring games or tournaments is a sirens’ song that’s hard to resist. While there’s no doubt that these games can provide huge rewards, the sad truth is that many beginners often leap into the deep end before…
Read More »
Bubble Play In Tournaments
August 23rd 2007
I had just bubbled in the $2,000 Seven-Card Stud Tournament at the World Series of Poker*. I had a drawing hand and I ended up losing all my chips, which was a big mistake.
Read More »
Playing Large Fields
August 17th 2007
During the World Series of Poker, players are confronted with massive fields. For example, in the 2007 WSOP, nearly 3,000 players bought into the first $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'em event. Throughout the Series, it was common to see starting fields of 1,500 to 2,000. Many players who are accustomed to playing in…
Read More »
HOW TO WIN A HORSE TOURNAMENT
PART II
August 7th 2007
To win a HORSE tournament, you have to understand the value of the blinds and antes in each of the games. From my experience I find that you don’t win HORSE tournaments as much as you steal them...
Read More »
HOW TO WIN A HORSE TOURNAMENT
PART I
August 3rd 2007
If you want to win a HORSE tournament, you have to be good at all five games. You don’t have to be the best player at any one game, but you also can’t be the worst. If you’re really bad at one of the games...
Read More »
How to Bluff Against a Solid Player
July 23rd 2007
When trying to steal pots in No-Limit Hold ‘em, you have to ask yourself questions like: “How likely is it that my opponent has a hand?” and “Does my bet (bluff) make sense in the context of the way the hand played out?” Asking these questions is important. Answering them…
Read More »
Playing a Short Stack in Multi-Table Tournaments
July 13th 2007
The key to succeeding in tournament play is being able to handle the ups and downs, because it's not always going to go perfectly. Your chip stack is not always going to shoot upwards, which means you'll often need to make good decisions when...
Read More »
Playing Heads Up
July 6th 2007
Heads-up play is one of the most important aspects of poker, and many players could benefit from strengthening this part of their game.
Read More »
Playing Small and Medium Pocket Pairs in No-Limit Hold'em
June 29th 2007
In No-Limit Hold'em, small and medium pocket pairs can be bankroll killers for some players. But if you play these hands correctly, they're going to be big winners for you in the long run.
Read More »
When to Continuation Bet
June 20th 2007
When you raise pre-flop in a game of No-Limit Hold ‘em and are called, you're faced with a decision when the flop hits the board. Should you put out a continuation bet on the flop or should you check and let...
Read More »
Buying In Short in Pot-Limit Omaha
June 15th 2007
It’s amazing the difference that two cards can make. As opposed to Hold ‘em where players have two hole cards at the start of each hand, Omaha starts each player off with four cards, which makes both pre- and post-flop play much more challenging...
Read More »
Small Pockets and Big Stacks
June 8th 2007
It’s the first hand and you’re in the big blind. Five players move all-in. You look down at pocket Aces. What do you do?
Read More »
Goin' Pro
June 1st 2007
“Should I quit my job and play professionally?” “Should I drop out of school and play poker full time?” I get these questions all the time and I always give the same answer:
Read More »
A Calling Hand in Stud Hi-Lo
May 18th 2007
But in Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo, a situation sometimes arises where drawing with a modest chance at the whole pot and an even smaller chance at half the pot is clearly the correct play.
Read More »
Understanding Implied Odds
May 10th, 2007
Too often, implied odds are invoked as a reason for a play when "wishful thinking" would be the more accurate description of the situation.
Read More »
Table Talk
May 4th, 2007
Every piece of information you gain at the table is something you can use to your advantage.
Read More »
Starting from Zero
April 30th, 2007
I had a losing streak there and had to go down to $5/$10. That was tough.
Read More »
Playing Low
April 16th, 2007
There's no shame playing for lower stakes than you think you can afford.
Read More »
How Much Luck? How Much Skill?
March 30th, 2007
The fact is, these kinds of events should have less of an impact on your overall results the more you play.
Read More »
The Weak Lead
March 23rd, 2007
And if you check-call, the pro will probably check the turn and then fold to a bet on the river.
Read More »
Satellite Savviness
March 1st, 2007
The fact is, satellites provide much more than the chance to save some money on a $10K buy-in.
Read More »
The Pain Barrier - Manipulating Your Opponent
Feb 9, 2007
If you're hungry, tired or even a little drunk, you're not likely to play your best.
Read More »
Finding the Low Cards in Omaha Hi/Lo
Jan 15, 2007
You really can't do these sorts of things in Hold 'em.
Read More »
Looking at the Long-Term
Jan 6, 2007
Many refuse to admit mistakes and insist that a bad run is due to bad luck alone.
Read More »
Playing Small and Medium Pairs in Seven-Card Stud
Dec 29, 2006
Small and medium pairs are among the trickiest hands you'll encounter in Seven-Card Stud.
Read More »
Playing Aces in PLO
Dec 21, 2006
Omaha is a game where what you catch with the community cards is usually more important than what you start with.
Read More »
Playing in Australia
Dec 15, 2006
For a serious poker player, the Aussie Millions offers one of best structures of any tournament anywhere.
Read More »
Playing Mixed Games
Dec 7, 2006
It's tough to go back to any one game once you start playing mixed games.
Read More »
Pot-Size Manipulation
Nov 30, 2006
Keeping the pot small will get you pretty good value when you're ahead and help you avoid disaster when you're behind.
Read More »
Betting out of Position
Nov 20, 2006
...by checking, you give control to the late-position player.
Read More »
How a Pro Thinks Through a Hand
Nov 13, 2006
I was half hoping for a King on the river and half not, because it could bust me.
Read More »
Cash Equity at the Final Table
Nov 6, 2006
I needed to win the pot only about 27 percent of the time to justify a call.
Read More »
Getting Beyond Your Cards
Oct 30, 2006
Moving beyond your own cards is a key step in coming to think like a winning player.
Read More »
The Mindset of a Winner
Oct 23, 2006
It's impossible to overstate the importance of money management to your poker career.
Read More »
Balancing Poker and Life
Oct 16, 2006
Don't even consider going pro until you can cover all of your bills for at least six months in advance.
Read More »
Play More Pots
Oct 9, 2006
My overall goal is to pick up a lot of small pots without a lot of resistance.
Read More »
Heads-Up vs Multi-Way Hands in Omaha Hi/Lo
Oct 3, 2006
If you're playing a multi-way pot, you need a very strong hand going one way or the other.
Read More »