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Thursday, March 6. 2008Bracelet Talk
As far as WSOP is concerned, one thing that holds a great allure to both participants and spectators is the bracelet. Indeed, I strongly believe that some pros are giving their heart and soul in the poker action, primarily for the bracelet and not really the money. The big bucks of course, they would be happy to receive, but it's not the Ultimate Goal they have in mind.
After all, money can be earned any number of ways, but there is only one, single door to getting that WSOP bracelet, that is to win the event. There is a very small clique that holds MORE THAN ONE piece of this hardware, er...jewelry, and among them are 3 icons of the game: Brunson, Hellmuth and Johnny Chan. If you do not know any of the three, I think you are a basketball player who got lost in cyberspace. I'll talk about the other 2 in another time, just a bit on Doyle though. The first bracelet was clinched in year 1976, then, he followed it up with a multitude. He got nine more from HORSE, Deuce to Seven, Razz, Seven-card...all these, no kidding. This is truly one multi-faceted personality in the cards' world. Monday, March 3. 2008In General That is We have all heard (and talked about) of that infamous cheating done at this tourney hosted by an online site, but as I've always told friends, it's a good thing that is the exception and not the rule.In general, online gambling/poker is still safe, and here is why. There are studies that were done, and they claim that we are no more like to get cheated via online gams than if we were at the landbased establishments. Online rooms in general have no motivation to cheat patrons, fact is, they have a lot of motivations (legalities, laws, commissions, you name it) to make sure that if ever cheating is happening, it emanates from the patrons and NOT from their end. The casino earns via the rake, and they would want strong and honest players to be winning, since these persons would eventually go up to higher-limit games, and cheating from their end would just be counterproductive to this goal. So, there, next time you get paranoid, take a reality check first. Is it because there really is cheating, or you are just on tilt because of an ugly losing streak? Tuesday, February 26. 2008It is Not Cowardice Every so often, in the heat of poker battle, I will hear somebody (who is waiting for his big bet to be called) provoke another gambler, 'come on, call it, whatareyouacoward?!'- and not just once, I've witnessed a fistfight arising.Anyway, let me tell you, when you refuse to call a big and scary bet, it is not cowardice. It is (for me and a lot of experts)- poker intelligence and pragmatism, your choice of word. It is a good piece of advice to newbies, something I've repeatedly given over the years to countless beginners. Avoid calling big bets without a really strong holding, most particularly at the river, avoid going gung-ho. Avoid calling down that very big wager if your hand is borderline at best. HOW BIG IS BIG: well, just to give you something to chew on, it's in relation to present pot's sum. It would be 66 to 75 percent of the pot's amount. A form of caveat though, bluffing considerations do not come in here. If the one who made the giant bet is very well known to be a bluffer, then there's a very good chance you could crush his cards into their constituent atoms, but of course, it is always a gamble. Wednesday, February 20. 2008Preparing for the Poker Weekend Bash
Here are some hints which could be very helpful if you are hosting your poker party for the very first time. (Even if it's the second time, if you feel that the first time turned out to be a disaster).
Have everybody know all rules before the start, assuming you have a couple of newbies, do a "dryrun", something like two hands without real cash getting into action. Something like the free games of our online gambling sites, right? It would be a good suggestion to utilize 2 sets/decks per table, this is to save time. When one is "active", a volunteer could shuffle the next deck so that action can flow more fluidly. The blinds: increasing the blinds is fundamental, otherwise, the seasoned players might just end up snoring. Here is how I do it in most of my poker parties- begin with the blinds with 1, 2, then raise them every 25 or 30 minutes, the sum of increase would be based on the length of the overall playing time and the chips' values. Say, with bigger chip worth, it would be ok to be aggressive in the increments. Monday, January 28. 2008Bots' Power
Let me talk about this actual poker site, I'll just call it Site XY. Site XY at first impressions looks like a haven for the serious poker buff, but there are so many
 indications that bots are playing. There has been no actual proof that collusion is being done, but not a few people have expressed their "sure feelings" that at one table, against 5 or 6 opponents, he/she is the only human being playing. If such is the case, the psychological pressures being shouldered by the person is already an unfair advantage being enjoyed by the House. It is something like an Asian world championship candidate at the Semi-finals, where everybody else is a Russian GM. No collusion may be happening, but it would be enough to give angst to the solo Asian. Particularly if teasing and psychological trash talk come into play. In theory actually, it is not impossible that the bots would know what the hole cards of the person are, and the winning odds of the human being would go very close to a big zero. You know what happened to Site XY? They closed down, a big fraction of their clientele left them, transferring their account to a poker site where they are confident it's human beings they are up against. Thursday, January 24. 2008Flushes and Straights in the Hands of Hachem
"Hands" here to mean Hachem's body hands, and not hands as in cards, but since the title of my piece contains "flushes and straights", you may think of them as hands as in cards too. If you are confused, never mind, SO AM I.
 Forget that, anyway, I want to talk about Hachem, the popular poker pro. Probably his greatest "15 minutes of fame" came in 2006. It was the tail part of the Five Diamond $15,000 World Poker Tour, and in this competition, he defeated a very strong Canadian player in the person of Daniel Negreanu, and not just that. He also crushed one of Denmark's greatest, Mads Andersen, and by crushing these two tigers, he clinched the WPT Championship. By getting that title, Hachem joined a rarefied field of warriors who won both grand titles: WSOP MAIN EVENT, plus the WPT- and if that does not impress you, then you fail to appreciate the clout and prestige of the said events. One strong trait of this poker pro, which you might want to emulate if you really wish to become a world-class player: he possesses a Vulcan-like facade. In other words, you can probably read a tree's expression more easily than this pro's face. Monday, January 21. 2008I Call it the Pauper Bet
Many experts call it the "beggar bet", I prefer to use "pauper". What is this exactly: this is principally a small wager relative to the game's pot, and it gets its name from the reality that the gambler doing it seems like BEGGING to be called. Actually, there is no universal standard on the definition of a wager becoming too tiny, if you get my drift. For purposes of discussion, let us go to a range of lowestbet to approximately 33 percent of the pot's level.
Pauper bets are ordinarily used by the typical gambler for value betting, that of enticing somebody in calling versus a monster set. Due to this, pauper bets could also be utilized as bluffs, and I have seen not a few pros do exactly just that. Let me warn you, just like so many other poker actions, overdoing this might lead to your death, I mean the death of your game. Do not dish it out twenty times in a space of 2 hours, doing it too much has its negatives too. Take my word for it, many years ago, I must have done that a dozen times in a single night, the tactic boomeranged to my face. Wednesday, January 16. 2008NL Cash Games and the Texture Actually, the flop texture applies to almost all poker variants, but for our purposes today, let me just refer to the cash games of NoLimit genre, ok?The term flop texture usually refers to the number of chances which the flop is capable of giving the gambler. So, if you hear your friend Bill say "the flop is as dry as the Shara", it would mean very scant opportunities could be had, not necessarily that he spent a 1-year vacation anytime in the past at that desert. Texture of the flop could be widely used to determine the likelihood of an opponent raising or calling one's continuation bet, and here is a rule of thumb. The drier a flop is, greater the chances the competitor would miss out on hand strength, that is, if you show that you have one during the flop's stage. Let me say this, the flop texture should not be evaluated from thin air, meaning to say, the inclinations of the opponent should always be factored in. This texture is likewise a crucial element to think of from the others' perspectives, on whether they think the flop is dry or wet vis-a-vis on what they think your hand strength is. Monday, January 14. 2008A Few of the RulesIn Holdem, here are a few of the crucial rudiments: the betting structures could actually differ, but so many contests begin with just a pair of players to the dealer's left, puttting out a preset sum of cash, "posting the blinds" is the term for this.Dealer then goes shuffling one standard set of fifty-two cards, then every gambler is given 2 cards (unexposed). Hole or pocket cards are the terms for such holdings. A betting round begins with the individual to the left of said 2 persons, it is called the preflop round of the game. Sum wagered would all depend on the kind of game being done. What are the kinds: structured limit, NL, PotLimit, spread limit. The basic actions that could be done by any gambler would be to fold, raise or check. (Ehr...standing up and quitting at the middle of action is of course another, but if it happens in a tourney, that person's image would suffer) When the betting round is done, game's dealer would let go of the top card in the set, and what is the term for this? Burn card is how it's called, and it is usually done to minimize cheating incidents. Wednesday, January 9. 2008Flushes and Straights from Flack This is one of the younger generation of the poker warriors, Layne Flack. He is called "fast, furious, aggressive"- one or a combination of the three adjectives. He is also called as a "Party boy". If those are not enough, he is also called "back to back Flack", courtesy of this fact: he won in 2002 the NL Holdem and a 1,500 dollar NL in one of the most prestigious events. When interviewed, he said that one of his running principles was: everything you think you should do, do the opposite- that is an actual quote. Well, I would not go so far and say that I belive in that creed and that I am willing to do that in my own poker wars. Still and all, I see the merits of that mindset. Sometime back, he became friends with another poker great, Johnny Chan, and the latter served as a sort of mentor, emphasis on "sort of". Huck Seed, another dangerous competitor (I am referring to skills, he is not known to be violent), also helped him out by teaching him some tricks, which I am sure, he still applies at present. Now here is the sad part: way back in 2000, he allegedly turned to drugs, and years after that, he was entered into a rehab facility. Monday, January 7. 2008Two Kinds of Blind Defense- Part One
One kind is the real thing, while the other is of the humorous type...let me start with the funny one. I know somebody, his name is (this is the real name, and this person actually exists) Paulie, and he has his idiosyncracies during poker action.
 When pressured, or faced with a difficult decision, or going through a hellish losing streak, he has this wont of closing his eyes, turning his face upward, and moving his lips- probably in a silent prayer. He has received a lot of verbal jabs from competitors because of that, but he never cared. (One memorable line I heard from a competitor, "There goes old Paulie again, reaching up to Moses and Elijah". Another line which stuck to my memory, "This guy sure elevates the phrase BLIND defense to another dimension of meaning". Well, blind because he has his eyes shut, while he is praying probably as his primary form of defense in the game.Well, I still go to that casino every once in a while, but Moses...er, Paulie I mean, has altogether stopped going to any casino. Sad to say, he met a road accident -he was the pedestrian, he got hit by a drunk driver- and one of his legs had to be amputated. (Even if we never became good friends, I and some others went to pay him a visit right after he left the hospital). It's a good thing that he still has a poker life, as his wife conscientiously organizes (up to now) home poker games for him, so that friends could come over and play. (We do not belong to that group, although Paulie himself would invite us over on the rare times that we see him in person- usually chance encounters at Walmart or a mall). Wednesday, January 2. 2008Limit Games It is my personal and professional opinion that Limit games in poker are among the hardest to master, that is, to make money from on a regular basis. First reason: it is almost impossible to wager enough to "kick" somebody out of a session/hand. Consider this, he who plays connected cards are inclined to clinch the middle pairs, then go calling at the river, a win with a simple AceKing is far from easy. One thing you should never forget is to be choosy with the kind of hands you would fight with. It is very crucial in Limit poker games, the kind of starters you would have would serve a big part in your wins, if ever. This is the thing, you may be saying, "THAT SO? Then I'll be playing few hands, and I want to be in on many hands". My answer to that: the good thing is, you would not be losing unnecesary cash with ugly cards. Now, let me just end this with another hint: in jamming the pot, there are significant matters to factor in. The fact that you hit the set is not a guarantee that you'll be the ultimate victor. Watch those flush draws and straights, these would have bearing on your betting decisions. Monday, December 24. 2007Post Flop Action in NoLimitOK...let us assume you have hit the flop, what then? Bet, then raise with a large one, that is intelligent advice. If it's an overpair, seize the opportunities. A bet equal to the pot's sum is basically what so many experts will assert, but really a bet twice the pot's amount is not a bad idea.What we do not want are the following: A- people who would call, unless of course, he would pay. B- weaker sets drawing so lightly. A big bet would push theopponents into making difficult decisions. When he concedes his cards, good, thefight is over without any mess. If not that, he is probably putting so much on the line. When you are battling it out with just one person, think of smaller stack, let me concretize. You and that competitor hold 1,000 chips apiece, the pot is 150. To bet 300 is aggressive, it would leave something sufficient for a major all-in wager at the turn in case that opponent calls. Assuming you or he just holds 500, that 300 is not as sweet, it would be best to just bet 150 at once or go all in. Thursday, December 20. 2007An Omaha Conversation Indeed, in a number of fashions, Omaha is statistically straightforward. When you play just the good starters, while your competition would play all the hands that go their way, very soon, the statistics would work to your advantage. It is the contention of many experts that Omaha is the ideal contest to get cash, particularly if you have a meager bankroll, and well, meager is relative, but I mean somebody who is not considered as a whale. Weak players almost hold no chances of defeating Omaha, but since this is still a gambling game, they could win major pots from time to time. You may not have realized this even if you have played an Omaha game or two, that this game is a game of big edges, while Texas Holdem is one of small and minute edges, you get my point. Omaha of the low limit kind is the form of Omaha easiest to defeat, but really, one has to apply proper theories. Wins in poker do not fall from the sky just on a whim. There, I will greet you the greetings of the season another time. For me, it's still to early. Monday, December 17. 2007Trapping and Fishing In poker, there are two fundamental and crucial moves that every self-respecting poker player should be aware of, and not just know in theory, but know how to apply at the games.First is trapping: when one is ahead, use patience, make it his/her goal to keep the opposition in contention to the pot. One strong and aggressive wager could "melt" a player, barring the player from making use of a truly competitive hand. The idea is to feign that one has a borderline or weak set. Take note, while trapping is ideal for generating action, it has its inherent danger. By pretending weakness, a miracle card might just save his day, in which case, the "trapper" becomes "trapped". Then, we go to fishing: strong card players are always happy to locate a fish right there at the table, for he/she (the fish) would be turned from a sea creature (the name fish) to a land animal, a CASH COW that is. Online, it gets better, when you see "I_am_Goliath" is actually a fish, add him/her to the "friends list". That way, you'll be alerted (by something, you know what it is) when he is logged on and in activity. Thursday, December 13. 2007Raise or Discard the Cards
It is one of those tidbits of advice that so many experts advocate and
preach ("preach" could be too heavy but you get my point)- when you are  the very first in the pot at a NL game, calling is not a good move.When raising is not something you'll be inclined to do, discard the cards. Reason is obvious- if one raises, he puts the pressures on the blinds and the rest of the field. Just by raising, the player would be pushing borderline hands out of the equation very early in the game. Here is the next query: you should be raising how much? Of course it all depends, number one, do not permit the quality of your holdings to bear on your raise, the "location" is what counts, principal of all considerations. To raise from the early seat is to "promote" a killer hand, a set that could crush all those who would be acting after you. As such, it would not be too difficult to push the BB to throw down his set. Even if the BB calls, you would not be disturbed, assuming of course, that your holding is really a killer hand. Monday, December 10. 2007For Intermediate to Veteran Levels OnlyErgo, if you are a newbie, well, come back next article please. Not to worry, at the cyberspace, we can meet even if I am in Siberia or the deepest parts of the Amazon (well, laptops are around).River play, this is the topic on our plate today folks. One tip which is given by almost all Holdem masters I know - be careful when it comes to betting. When the river card seems to have helped the opponent, it is wise to check, even if you are the one who started the betting. Many gamblers would bet, thinking that the check is a subterfuge for weakness, however, it is the finish of the run. When you bet out, the others missed actually, they would be folding. When your competitor bets after the check you did, just call. Using the same amount is the thing, without further risks. Another tip: a raise from a rock- just fold, it is as simple as that. Let him have his minutes of fame, hey, that's the way of the poker world. If you want to play something where you'll always dominate because there is no element of luck whatsoever, then go and be a chess master. Thursday, December 6. 2007Four Kinds
Combinations of starting hands/holdings could be categorized in four:
# Pocket pairs: the pair of A's is of course, the strongest starters, while a deuce pair is basically weak. The latter should only be played from the late seat and if there is no raise. There  are midlevel pairs that could be successful but using the smaller kind of duos, the sight should be on a straight draw, among others. Odds of getting a particular pair is 220 to one. # Connectors: they are sequential, could be unsuited or suited. Example would be K/Q or 7/6. They are the ingredients for a straight and actually, even flushes. # Gapped: from the name itself, there is a gap or a "missing link", like A-8, and take note of this, the smaller the hole/gap, the more manageable for a straight to be hit. Just like connectors, suited cards hold promise in many cases. # Large cards: those past 10 are considered as big or large. Owing to their value per se, they could sometimes prevail on its own, assuming it gets paired at the flop, remember, these cards would be better used if the field is not too big. A trivia for you: weakest starting set would be 7 and the deuce, unsuited. Five holes are present, making the formation of a straight out of the question. Monday, December 3. 2007Two Qualities of a Holdem MaestroFirst, he/she is able to change gears at the most unexpected moment. Let me tell you about my acquaintance Bob, he is actually more than a solid poker player. He had his share of trophies in minor events. However, if he had plugged his most glaring weakness, he would have been along the ranks of the WSOP regulars (I mean those who qualify to the Last table, not simply somebody who joins every year). This weakness: he plays like the cycle of water. Water will evaporate, then undergo a process, then go back to earth in the form of rains, that is a constant and so predictable. Bob was simply unable to change gears, and time came when all of the casino regulars were reading him like a kid's flash cards.Second, bankroll-handling: when you cannot be responsible in cash-handling, no matter what your technical skills are, you will not go places. One food for thought: many good Holdem players go zero because they go and join tables where betting was on the level of Kerry Packer. They do this due to either: arrogance or simple stupid oversight. Either way, the result is the same, the funds go to zero. Thursday, November 29. 2007Factor In These Things Prior to a Bluff Act Here are the things you have to bear in mind when you are thinking of whether a bluff is called for or not, mind you, some other experts might have other things which are not here. It would be best if you listen to them too, after all, I do not have any kind of monopoly on poker wisdom.They are: kind of opponents, the number of opponents, one's image, the position, and of course- the board. I'll explain just three, if you want me to elaborate on all of them, well, drop me a line. Kind of opponent: it is not advisable to bluff weak competitors. Why suffer the difficulties if he is a calling station? These guys would just call any kind of bet, and that is that. How many they are: it is not advisable to bluff if you are up against 3 or more. Remember, the bluff would be ideal against a solitary person, simply because the pot's sum is much smaller. Image: I am not referring to your style of dressing when you sit down to play, the table image they perceive you is what I mean. When you have cultivated a table image that you are a loose fighter, a bluff holds less success chances. When you have just bluffed 10 minutes ago and they caught you, the others would probably call. |
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Poker Comments
Wed, 22.08.2007 02:16
I guess your tip makes absolute sense. Thanks, man!
Fri, 10.08.2007 04:14
Cheaters should know what it's like to get losing streaks all the time.. They're just a bunch of crooks.
Mon, 06.08.2007 02:55
I think online newsletters are really helpful for beginners. Kudos to their webmasters.
Tue, 31.07.2007 02:15
I would like a diploma on learning poker, dude. It's kind of hard to learn, but I think it really pays off.
Wed, 25.07.2007 02:01
I like playing shorthand limit online. It's more challenging. Thanks for an interesting entry.
Tue, 17.07.2007 01:14
Thanks for that entry on flushes and straights. Now, I won't get confused by the two. Whew!
Sun, 15.07.2007 23:02
I agree with you, money management is very important in casino because it can make or break your future.
Sun, 15.07.2007 23:01
The art of self-control is really important in gambling and that is what gamblers should remember.
Wed, 27.06.2007 04:15
Stud Poker's my fave game. It's quite a "crazy" but fun game. No wonder even celebs are playing it.
Tue, 26.06.2007 04:47
That's really cool, man. Wish I could have joined the event, but I'm crippled.
Tue, 19.06.2007 03:24
I like that idea. But before I can put up my own casino business, I have to study about business management first. [...]
Fri, 15.06.2007 03:48
I really have to contemplate on that question. It's kinda deep that I have to read it over and over again.
Mon, 28.05.2007 03:55
But, you can't really control the euphoria you feel whenever you have a royal flush. That's the reason that you keep on [...]
Mon, 28.05.2007 03:55
Unless you know how to bluff right, you can bet no matter how much you want.
Thu, 24.05.2007 05:10
The thing about poker is that people can play it so much that they lose track of the core of the game, which is to have [...]