The Poker Land

The End of Mark

2008-06-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

It was a brutal finish. Within fifteen minutes, Mark. was all-in. Bobby had aces from the beginning. Mark was trailing with two eights after the third card. Last card. Baldwin turned each over slowly, dramatically. It was as if he were parroting some scene from an old western movie. But the drama died suddenly when Mark’s card failed to help. Bobby made aces-up, but that was irrelevant. “Play some more,” Mark urged. “I ain’t got it right now, but I’ll owe it to you.” They played for $10. It was solemnly agreed that it would be the last game, no matter what. After that was lost, Mark cast an imploring look toward Baldwin. He couldn’t ask to play again. That would be less than honorable. But it’s hard to maintain honor under stress. Especially for a twelve-year-old miser who is suddenly penniless. Still, Mark refrained from begging. Instead he tried to convey pity. But Baldwin declined to respond to this emotional blackmail. He did pat Mark affectionately on. the back. “Could you.. .could you loan me $5. My mom’s gonna have a birthday and...” The last of Mark’s words were obscured by a semi-deliberate mumble. Bobby gave his friend the money and left. He had twenty-five dollars more now than when he’d ridden his ‘bike over to Mark’s. Plus, he was owed fifteen more. poker was going to be easy. My exaltation was not merited by my play. I’d drawn out on Mark more often than he’d drawn out on me, gone in with the worst hand repeatedly and come out best. Of course, I didn’t realize this at the time. I was floating on a cloud hut I was destined to fall through it. Some things I had done right. For the first time in my life, I’d sandbagged a hand that Saturday afternoon, it had worked perfectly. Also, I’d agreed to play for that double-or-nothing freeze-out. And even though Mark was the better player, mine was the right decision. He was psychologically beaten. I think he knew he was going to lose. He played several hands terribly, even though he knew better. He was desperate, and I’d taken advantage of that. But I wasn’t ready to win at Poker Games. I didn’t even understand the fundamentals of a game as uncomplicated as five-stud. That game is seldom played seriously in big- time poker today. But, because it’s a game made popular by movies and dealt in friendly home games, I’m going to discuss it briefly. Since it was the first form of poker I ever played, this would be an appropriate time to talk about it. I’ll tell you what the most common mistakes are and then provide you with a very simple winning formula. BeforeI do this, I want to point out that in the popular movie, The Cincinnati Kid, the Kid makes a gigantic mistake which costs him the world title. That’s in spite of the fact that it was the most realistic, well researched and expensive poker movie of all lime! I’ll tell you about that mistake shortly.

Video Poker

2008-02-08T01:53:00.000-08:00

Poker is the game full of ups and downs. In this game you got to make maximum utilization of the opportunity that comes your way if you want to fulfill your dreams. Now a day’s video poker is catching the eyes of many people but at the same time there are some questions in the mind of many people like this.

Q. Will I win every time I play video poker?

A. Of course not. No one, not even the casino, wins on every playing session. Most people win occasionally at any game they play. If they didn't, they would quit playing; the casinos know this and structure the games to allow occasional big winners. With our methods, you will be able to gain an edge that will make you a favorite to win in the long run.

Q. How big a bankroll do I need?

A. That depends on the game and the denomination, but it has been covered quite extensively in this book. Go back and read the bankroll and risk sections.

Q. What if I'm really serious about winning at video poker?

A. Then you should subscribe to Video Poker Times, and you should use cue cards when you are playing any game if you haven't memorized the strategy.

Q. It says that your cue cards give the strategy as a hand rank table. What is that?

A. Many card combinations that are dealt as your first five cards can be played several ways. For example, Q"- J"- 10. 9"- 4"- (in any order) can be played as a four-card straight (holding Q"- J"10. 9"-), a four-card flush (Q"- J"- 9"- 4"-), a three-card inside straight flush (Q"- J"- 9"-) or a two-card royal flush (Q"- J"-). If the particular machine pays a big bonus for a sequential royal flush, you would also want to see if the queen is in the center position and the jack adjacent to make a sequential royal possible.

The hands on the strategy card are ordered according to Expected Value in descending order. You simply look in the hand rank table to see which combination appears first, and you hold the cards for that draw. Within a half hour of play you will memorize most of the decisions without thinking about it. (Expected Value is explained in the chapter "What Does Expected Value Really Mean?" and on the supplement sheet that comes with the cue cards.)

Q. Are cue cards hard to use?

A. Abbreviations are necessarily used to make the cards pocketsized, but the cards come with a detailed sheet that tells how to read the tables. You will quickly be able to identify any hand in the table. All serious players use hand rank tables, but if that seems too difficult then stick with the Precision Play method.

Q. Why don't you develop Precision Play rules for the cue cards instead of hand rank tables?

A. Some games are too complex to reduce the strategy to a set of rules without either a significant loss of accuracy or very complicated rules. A prime example is Double Bonus Poker.
Q. How can I be sure that a game's payback is as you state? Can't the machines be set for any payback the casino wants?

A. You're very astute. A video game is actually a special purpose digital computer, and a computer can be made to do whatever the programmer desires. Your protection is the Nevada gaming regulations which require that any machine representing a card game must be completely random, and every unseen card must have the same probability of appearing at any time. Since the Nevada Gaming Control Board tests each game before it can be used in Nevada, and it continues to spot check the machines even after they're installed, we are confident that the games obey the laws of probability close enough for our analyses to be accurate and useful. Also, the experience of many pros over years of play in the Online Casinos supports this conclusion.

Q. Okay, but what about machines in other states?

A. It is our understanding that Nevada Gaming Control requires that any manufacturer selling gaming devices in Nevada must certify that all of their machines shipped anywhere meet the Nevada standards. Of course this doesn't prevent someone from changing the program chip after a machine leaves Nevada, but we have had only one report of a machine that didn't appear to be random, and that was a foreign made machine in an Indian casino on the east coast. To be safe, you may want to avoid games in unregulated areas (including cruise ships), especially if you don't recognize the machine manufacturer.

Q. Does the payoff schedule really matter? We have heard that a machine with lower payoffs will hit more often and thus generate about the same payback as a machine with the "full-pay" schedule.

A. This is simply not true, and it would be a gross violation of Nevada Gaming Regulations if it were. Since the games are required to be random, their payback is determined by the payoff schedule and your skill, not by the internal programming.

Q. Will I automatically get a game's rated payback?

A. This is the flip side of the preceding question. Some people seem to think that the machines are programmed to yield a predetermined payback regardless of how they play. Actually, the games are random, and the long-term payback is determined only by the payoff schedule and how you select discards. Since just a few seemingly minor playing errors can significantly reduce the payback, just sitting down at a full-pay machin

Getting rid of marginal hands

2008-01-22T20:33:00.000-08:00

I’ve earned a lot of money in only five year while playing poker and still I wish to earn a lot of money. I always play the game with sincerity and I love to help beginners. Now I am going to tell you about vital aspect of poker that is how to get rid of marginal hands.

If the before-the-flop raiser in back of you folds reluctantly, he might well have raised if you had not risen! Your raise tends to get rid of marginal hands in back of you, sometimes including the original bettor, and puts you in good position for the remaining festivities. Sometimes everyone will fold. Occasionally, you will get re raised; but more often a really good hand (in front of you) will just call and wait to check raise on the later (double) rounds.

If you get re raised by the lead bettor and it is now one-on-one, there is much to be said for your folding or reraising! These hands quite often end without a showdown — that is, either you or your opponent backs down on the turn (when the betting doubles). One of the most typical sequences of events is that your raise narrows the field to just the two of you. Then you have to decide whether to compete after the fourth card. This is as much dependent upon what your opponent is like as it is dependent on what you actually have in your hand! If you suspect your opponent is pushing a draw (or two big cards), you might decide to “call him down” (or raise on the turn).

Mike Caro discusses the above situation in the now classic 12 Days to Hold ‘em $ucce$$ (1987, Day Eight Lesson) and is worth quoting:

“...anytime you’re trapped between the bettor and the previous-round raiser with medium power (i.e., a borderline calling decision), either raise or pass. Don’t just call.

“Very little is written about what to do when you’re between the bettor and an aggressive player. A good understanding of how to act in such situations is an essential ingredient in any professional Online Kasino og Poker Rom toolbox. When you really do have an appropriate calling hand, you should raise about one-third of the time; about two-thirds of the time, you should pass.

Remember, you seldom just call. You will fmd that it is not as frightening to raise as you might have expected. Maybe nothing good will happen the first few times, but over the years, you’ll discover that a raise will chase out the threat behind you much of the time! Often, that player will actually throw away the best hand!

“The times you decided to pass with these borderline calling hands, you didn’t sacrifice much. Analysis shows that hands most players consider borderline good calls add very little profit. The bottom line is that a raise now and then (when you’re considering calling) will often chase the player out behind you and put you in a commanding position against the bettor. If the bettor just calls now, he’ll likely check to begin the next betting round (if there is one). ... If you do decide to adopt this policy permanently, you might be giving your bankroll a break. It works!”

Players will notice

Note well that this type of aggressive “hold ‘em mentality” not only makes money for you when “it works,” but sometimes, even when it does not work! Many of the other player’s notice that you sometimes raise on speculation, which greatly helps you win more money when you do have a good hand. There are a number of competitive situations in hold ‘em, such as the above, where it seems “correct” to either raise or fold. It is often theoretically wrong to merely call if you need “the raiser’s edge” to play with Positive percentages.

Thus, there are essentially two ways to get the best of it when you bet or raise, namely either you have the best cards or nobody calls you. (There is also another way to win a hand on early betting rounds — by not having the best cards, being called, and then improving to make the winning hand.) When you are the caller, the only way to win is when you have the best cards (or to luck out and later make the best hand, if it’s not the final betting round). On any given hand, you may have some valid reason for just calling in one of these situations. But if you want to be a winner at hold ‘em in the long run, you must use aggressive betting and raising to gain these extra winning percentages and to have your share of default wins on your side of the ledger. It is extremely important to understand and often employ these two-way actions. Aggressive “hold ‘em mentality” tells us to fight fiercely for the “raiser’s edge”!

So if you want to play winning hold ‘em, you have to adjust your perspectives toward using aggressiveness! After you play hold ‘em for a while, hopefully you will “get into” the game and into this aggressive mind set which we are now calling “hold ‘em mentality.” Sometimes, you can actually “feel” it clicking in! Over the long run the individual hands become a blur, sound practices are rewarded by winning, and unsound practices are penalized by losing. Amen.

Playing With The Girls

2007-12-03T21:50:00.000-08:00

Al had a bad run one evening. He hadn't won a pot all night, but he had played cautiously and was down only $1.62. A hand of twin beds, use one on either side, was dealt. This is a confusing game in the sense that there are so many combinations possible. There are 25 possible two-card combinations of the center cards. When the final two center cards were turned AI found that he had four aces. A big pot would put him near even. As the betting proceeded it was clearly going to be a big one. Without much concern Al raised four cents at each opportunity. Carol and Eleanor also raised freely. When the last roll was made AI stared at Carol's cards.

Eleanor had a perfect, this was clear. She never raised until she had a winner, but Carol could have a straight Hush if her final card was the 5, for the A and 4 could be used and she had already rolled the 2 and 3. She could also have a perfect low. Fred and Marge were also in, but were merely sweetening the pot. The final bet was made.

Al winced when Carol announced high. Imagine losing in this game with four aces. As there were several 16-cent rounds of betting, he was down almost three bucks. He didn't win a pot the balance of that evening.

Perhaps one should not quarrel with success, but I do not recommend Marge's play on this hand. Al drew a pair of open kings in seven-card high-low on the fourth card and bet the limit. On the fifth card he bet, Bill raised, Al raised and Bill raised. By the time the raising was all over, only Marge remained in the pot with the two fellows. Bill showed three low cards. On the sixth card Al failed to improve and Bill drew another low card. The bet again reached 16 cents. After the final down card was dealt this was the layout:
The betting again reached 16 cents on three raises, and Bill declared first. He announced low and Al called high. Al had gone into the final round with a pair of kings, a four Hush, and a bobtail draw to a straight. He had pulled the 4 which didn't help at all. He bet strongly on the final round to maintain the show of strength. Bill had also bet strongly without any faltering. Marge was in a quandary. She showed her hand to Fred, who shrugged his shoulders. Finally she squeaked, "I don't know which way to go. I guess I'm beat either way, so I'll call both ways." Al looked at Bill helplessly, but found Bill in a state of shock. Marge had muddled her cards into the discards, thinking she didn't have a chance, but when order was restored the hands were these:
Marge had two small pair for high and a 10 low. In spite of their powerful-looking hands, Bill and AI didn't have much. Bill had a jack for low. His sixth card had paired him and his seventh was a picture. AI had only the kings he started with, so Marge won it both ways.
Marge had made a poor percentage play in calling both ways.
You occasionally face this situation. You have played to the end and are weak both ways. It is foolhardy to call both ways. Ordinarily there will be some indication that one of the opponents is not strong, or not as strong as he wants to appear. Or you may know one of the players is an end-game thief. If they both bet heavily and there is no clue or giveaway that one of them is phony, you simply have to guess. The prospect of winning both ways in a situation comparable to the one just described is so remote that it should never be attempted. It is one step removed from conceding the pot, and you should never do that.

The stratagem with strategy of poker game

2007-10-31T03:11:00.000-07:00

It's important to know when to call a pre-flop raise and when not to. There is a big potential to lose a lot of money by becoming involved in a hand that you should not even be playing. When there is a pre-flop raise and you don't have any money in the pot, you need to evaluate your hand in a totally different way. You need a strategy for this situation. This is what you should consider:

Who Raised?

You have to know your players. Is the raise from a conservative, no-nonsense player? Or is it from the drunk who raises every hand? Is he an average player who just won a big pot? If so, he's probably playing a little too loose this time.

What Position is the Raiser In?

Is he in early position where a raise is clearly intended to drive you out of the hand? Or is he in late position where he knows you'll call since you already have one bet in the pot? Does he mind your call? A pre-flop raiser who makes you call two bets cold wants you out of the pot while the raiser who lets you call one bet and then another usually wants you to stay in the pot. Is there enough money in the pot to give you the correct odds to call? Did good players call from early positions, thereby indicating they have very good hands?

How Many Players Are Behind You?

The greater the number of players behind you yet to call, the better the pot odds will be to draw to your hand, and the more likely it is that you'll be reprised after you call. Take the time to look at the players on your left before you call. If one of them is thinking about raising, he'll often have enough chips in his hand to raise and you'll know that the betting will probably be capped before the flop. Remember that the raiser could have anything, but the callers really do have a hand. Can you beat both the raiser and the caller in this hand?

Who Might Reraise Behind You?

A reraise behind you cuts down on your pot odds, elimi¬nates players, and reduces the size of the final pot.

How Big is the Pre-Flop Pot?

Once the pot gets so big in limit Hold'em, it becomes "protected." That means that no matter what the flop, turn and river cards are, or how the betting goes, the final bettor on the end will be called by someone, just because of the size of the pot. This means that you will have to have the best hand at the showdown. This rules out the possibility of bluffing on the end except on those rare occasions where everybody misses every straight and flush draw.

Are You on a Draw?

If you are, then you obviously need to improve your hand to win. If you have a big pair in the pocket, you are protected somewhat because you will still have at least a pair after the flop. Is your flush draw Ace-high? If not, this hand is going to cost a lot of money and you don't want to find out at the end that your Kh. 8h. flush is beat by Ah. 5h. Are you drawing dead? Are you holding As. Jc. against a possible Ah. Kd.? You're a big underdog if you are.

THE STRATEGY OF POKER GAME

2007-10-18T01:59:00.000-07:00

From a statistical standpoint, Caribbean Stud is a negative expectation game. Unlike blackjack, there is no strategy that will overcome the house edge and make the game profitable for the player. Sure, you can simply wait until the progressive meter gets very, very high, but in most Poker Casino Ratings the jackpot will have to exceed half a million dollars for the overall player expectation to become positive. So far this has never happened, but when and if it does, you will find it very difficult to get a seat at a Caribbean Stud table. You must use some reasonable strategy when playing this game or you will deplete your bankroll very quickly. The Caribbean Stud poker player has three basic decisions to make: (1) How much money to ante, (2) whether or not to place the $1 progressive bet, and (3) whether to call (bet double the ante) or fold (lose the ante). Each of these three choices will have a major effect on how fast you will lose your money. THE ANTE The best approach in Caribbean Stud is to risk as little money as possible. Try to find a $5 table and only place the minimum bet. There is more than one reason for this strong recommendation. Being a negative expectation game, the heavier you bet, the more you will lose (barring a lucky streak). If this isn’t enough to convince you, there is a second reason. The big draw for most people who play Caribbean Stud is the progressive jackpot. And I agree that when the jackpot gets into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, it is a good time to invest in the $1 progressive bet. There is, however, an important point to keep in mind: The pro grassier bonus and jackpot payoffs are exactly the same whether you placed a $5 ante or a $25 ante. Why risk more money than you need to when the chance of making a good hand and the payoff for that hand have no bearing on the amount that you bet? You also have to keep in mind when you ante, that you can’t win anything unless you also place the call bet. That means a $5 ante turns into a $15 investment and a $25 ante turns into a $75 investment—per hand. You will fold your hand about half of the time, and each time you fold, you will lose your ante. It is better to lose $5 than to lose $25. Finally, by placing a minimum ante bet, there is no chance that you will run up against the bonus payout limit. You wouldn’t want to place a large bet, get a hot hand, and then be shortchanged on the payout. That would be a cruel blow. THE PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT One of the lures in Caribbean Stud is the possibility of getting a royal flush and winning the progressive jackpot, or winning lesser amounts for certain other hands. Entering the progressive jackpot pool is entirely optional; however, if you do not put up the dollar, you will have no chance of winning the progressive jackpot or one of the progressive bonuses. The progressive bonuses and the progressive jackpot pay off whether or not the dealer’s hand is qualified, so long as you placed $1 in the progressive slot at the start of the hand and you don’t fold. If your hand is a flush, full house, or four-of-a-kind, you are paid a progressive bonus even if the dealer has a better hand. The same is true for a royal flush or a straight flush. Investing in the progressive pool is only worthwhile when the progressive meter gets quite high. Following are examples of paytables showing the minimum jackpot needed for a positive expectation of winning. This positive expectation only applies to the progressive bonus or jackpot, not to the entire game. To overcome the house edge on the basic game, the progressive jackpot would have to reach levels that have never before been attained. Columns I to 3: Found in most Las Vegas casinos. Column 4: Found in Atlantic City and Mississippi. The calculations for the progressive break-even points were based on a $1 side bet. When you visit the casinos, you will see that the Caribbean Stud progressive meters don’t get anywhere near the break-even points. The exact house edge for the progressive side bet (alone) depends on the amount of the jackpot, but it typically falls in the range of 25% to 30%.

THE STRATEGY AND TACTICS OF HOLD'EM

2007-10-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

With a Pre-Flop Raise Only Semi-BluffDo not attempt to bluff if there was a pre-flop raise unless you are semi-bluffing at the nuts or there are very few players in the hand. There are two good reasons for this: A. The pre-flop raiser could have anything and have you beat (you're drawing dead). B. The pre-flop raise created a "protected" pot. Everyone knows that the raiser probably (statistically speaking) does not have a pair in the pocket and anyone who flopped a pair will call him down to the river. In that case, you don't have to beat just the raiser; you also have to beat the other caller. Against Many Flop Callers Don’t attempt to bluff if there are many callers to see the flop and you have only $2 in the hand. Learn to let it go and get on to the next hand. Let’s say you decide to bluff about 10% of the time. If every other player decides to bluff with the same frequency, then you might be facing a bluff from someone every other hand or so. I how do you decide if the other player is bluffing when he bets? You can never know for sure, but there are a few indicators that might help you figure out where you stand. Here they are, in no particular order :

Indications That Your Opponent Is Bluffing1. When There Is No Straight or Flush Draw on the Flop If there is a bettor all through the hand in this situation, he is probably not bluffing. He most likely has top pair on the flop with a good kicker, or an over pair. This is especially true if there was a pre-flop raise and another caller beside you. The bettor could have anything, but the caller has to have something. In these cases, it's the caller you should be more fearful of than the bettor, especially if the bettor checked on the turn. It most likely means that he tried a bluff on the flop but since he got called in two spots, he decided to give up the bluff. The bettor could have anything since he could be bluffing, but the caller has to have something to call with.2. When They Are Few poker Players in the HandThe fewer the number of players that there are in the hand, especially on the river, the more likely the bettor is to be bluffing. He won't always be bluffing just because there is only the two of you in the hand, but it is more likely than usual. This is particularly true if the river card did not fit in with the flop in any way. It means that anyone who had a draw on the flop missed and would have to bet to have a chance to win the hand.3. If There Is Just You and One Other player if there is just you and one other player on the river, and he bets, and then as you start to call he tells you that you can "save your money" or he tells you that he has the nuts, he's usually bluffing. If he really did, why would he bet into you?All he would have to do is say, "Check," and then show you his cards. Usually, he will have bet because he could not check and win and when it started to look like he was going to be called, he had to do something to keep that from happening.Like I said, if he really wanted you to "save your money," he'd check and/or show you his hand to save you that bet.If you suspect that the player who just bet is bluffing, here's a few tips to help you decide what to do. He could be bluffing on the river if:A. It only cost him one bet to try to steal the pot.B. The pot is big.C.He has to bluff only one player.D.The river card did not help the possible draws that were presented on the flop.E. The bettor raised before the flop and no Aces or face cards came on the board.F. Everyone checked on any round in the hand.G. You just lost a big pot or two to the player who just now bet.

DO THE SURE THINGS

2007-09-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

The whole purpose of poker is to get into a position where you do have a sure thing and then use that sure thing to collect as much from your opponent or opponents as possible. In spite of this obvious fact, I recall numerous times I have been asked whether it is permissible to bet with a royal flush, etc. The answer is, of course it is all right. You will be betting on a sure thing, but remember, when you bet with a sure thing your opponent is by no means compelled to call you. When you check with a sure thing your opponent does not have to bet into it.

While this does not come under the head of how to conduct a poker game, I cannot go by this point without telling one of the many stories about a club which used to meet every Friday for an all-night poker session. Most of the members were very distinguished in the world of letters, and while the stakes were high, the game was relaxed and the humor scintillating.

One bright spring morning about eleven o'clock the membership, unshaven and bleary-eyed, staggered out into the street, and the first thing their eyes hit upon was a bright-faced boy accompanied by his governess. Columnist Frank Adams looked at the smiling boy and, turning to his companions, remarked, "Imagine keeping a child that age out until this hour!"

DIFFERENT BEHAIVOUR OF A PLAYER

2007-09-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

If you find yourself in a game where there's an inordinate amount of raises on the flimsiest of cards, then that's a sure sign that you're playing against talent superior to yours and you should get out.

There is, however, one popular method of detecting poor players that I think is overrated and not that reliable. It is the method of watching to see how many or what proportion of pots he voluntarily enters to see the flop.

The conventional wisdom says that if he plays very few hands besides the blinds then he is a tight player and if he sees the flop with half of his hands then he is a loose player. This line of reasoning is probably better than no information at all but it can often lead you to the wrong conclusion.

With that many different hands out there it is possible, and often likely, that you can't find a playable hand in the first one hundred hands you're dealt. This means that when you see a player enter the game and not players hand for three hours, it's not always because he actually is a tight player. In this case, you should evaluate the quality of his play based on the actual cards that you see him turn over at the ends of his hands.

Mine, just by observing the players, just who you would like to play against and who you wouldn't. Here is a list of players you would like to play against:

Players You Want to Play Against

1. Off-duty Casino Employees

Skill at dealing poker does not equate to skill at playing poker. Dealing three hundred hands of poker a day does not teach you how to play poker. I've seen the magician levitate the girl a hundred times but I don't know how to do it. And "thank you" to all you poker dealers who bought a copy of this article.

2. Talkative. Loud, Smiling. Cheerful Players

If they're doing all that, they can't possibly be devoting enough mental energy to the game to beat the player who is concentrating on the game.

3. Beautiful Women

It's been my experience that good looking women haven't devoted enough time and effort to learn the game. They almost always are playing because they're waiting to do something else. Besides, they serve as a good distraction for the other men in the game.

4. Players with Tattoos

Anyone dumb enough to have them self tattooed probably won't exhibit a lot of intelligence at the poker table. They will unknowingly follow your lead at the poker table.

5. Players who Drink Alcohol

A player who's been drinking will start to play more carelessly, bet and call when he shouldn't, bluff when he shouldn't and generally play too many hands. And he'll usually stay and play and drink until he's broke.

6. Players Who Expose Cards

There are players who just aren't careful enough to protect their hands. If you meet one, I recommend you always try to sit on his left. You'll always know when to fold, call or rise. Also, you should try to look at your hand as soon as you can so you can decide if you intend to play it or not. If you're not going to play, don't make an effort to spy his cards. There's no reason to try to find out his hand if you're not going to play. That little bit of extra eye movement or slight turn of the head on your part could give away what you're doing. There's no need to risk it if you're not going to play your hand. And you'd be surprised to see how often it doesn't help to know what your opponent's cards are anyway.

REMEMBER THIS

2007-09-07T01:19:00.000-07:00

Realize that it's a Showdown Game

And adjust accordingly. You are going to have to consistently have the best hand at the end to win. Realize that some players will play anything and they will often play it to the end regardless of any indications that they are beat.

Forget About Bluffing

A lot of low limit Hold' em players are not sophisticated enough to know you may have nothing but are representing a hand. You often won't be able to buy enough pots to make it worth your while to bluff. Somebody will always call to "keep you honest." There are times when it is correct to attempt a bluff but it must be done intelligently, for the right reasons, and under the correct circumstances. This will be covered in detail in a later in the article.

Play Rock-Solid before the Flop

The most important decision you make every hand is whether or not to get involved to begin with. A bad decision here can, and will, consistently cost you a ton of money. You have to play appropriately for your position and make decisions based on the odds. It is particularly important that you make the correct decision when the pot is raised before the flop since you will be investing a double or triple bet on your hand before you even see the flop. Most players play too loose when making this first decision.

Respect a Raise, Especially Pre-Flop

This goes hand-in-hand with the above advice. There just aren't that many hands that you can profitably play when the pot has been raised pre-flop. Computer analysis shows that if you can't beat the raiser head-up at this point, you cannot win money in this situation in the long run. Save your money for those times when you want to raise, not when others want to raise.

Don't Stop Learning the Game

You're not going to learn it all from this article. Talk to other poker players and read the Card Player Magazine.

My Overall Plan for Winning

Simple, to win the money. This does not mean that you have to play every hand. What it does mean is that you should be a favorite to win the hand when you do play. There are several general principles that you should keep in mind when your goal is to win the money:

Always Make the Correct Decision

Your real job is to make the best decisions you can based on the information available to you at the time. It actually doesn't matter if you win the hand or not. Remember, you can do the wrong thing and still win the hand but that doesn't prove that you played the hand correctly or that you're a good player.

WINNING POKER CONCEPTS

2007-07-09T23:38:00.000-07:00

This article gives you advice that applies equally well to all forms of poker. This advice covers most of the games you would play in a home game and any Hold' em game in any casino in the country. After this article i will advance to specific practical advice that applies only to Hold' em.

Get Ready to Play
You have to be in the right frame of mind to play poker.
It is, after all, a game of skill you have to use your brain. So it figures that the condition of your brain should be of concern to you. Ideally, you should be fresh, well rested, and free of mental distractions and problems and have the desire and ability to play poker. You should have uppermost in your mind exactly what the object of poker is (to make money) and exactly how to go about it.

Here's some specific tips to help you get ready to play The Object of This Game is to Make Money. Unless you're playing with the kids for matchsticks or have to lose to the boss for job security reasons, you should look at your poker playing buddies as miniature walking, talking gold mines.

If you keep records of your poker sessions, and you will if you read this article, you'll see that your poker playing time is worth so much per hour to you. It's just like working for someone else for a wage. How much you make per hour is up to you, your skill and the games you choose to play in.

Be Prepared to Beat Any Poker Game
How much you like or dislike a particular poker game should have nothing to do with how profitable it can be for you. If you are to be a real Poker Player, you should be able to play any type of game you run into. The key to this attitude is the fact that you know that any type of poker game can be objectively analyzed and there is usually one best way to play. Concentrate on Making the Correct Decisions

The object of poker is to make money, but how do you go about it? How do you win money from nine other people who are trying to win your money? There are several answers to this dilemma.

First of all, you are often playing with people who aren't trying to win your money. They play because they like to socialize, they like the excitement of the game and it's what they want to do with their time. Even though the object of poker is to make money, that's not what you should be thinking about during the game. The only thing that should matter to you is the quality of the decisions you make. When it is your turn to check, call, bet, raise or fold, you should make the best decision possible at the time with the information you have.

Poker is a game of skill, but the real skill is in the decision-making. Wouldn't you agree that a consistent winner at this game is a good decision maker? And wouldn't you agree that the guy who loses the most money in your game makes the worst decisions?

Whoever makes the best decisions in the long run will win the most money in the long run. Your job in this game is to consistently make the best decisions you can when it is your turn to act and not to worry about the money or even how the hand turns out. Don't even worry about winning the pot you're in. Once you make the correct decision it doesn't matter what happens after that.

A TIP

2007-07-09T01:26:00.000-07:00

Notice how the good bluffer has set your teeth on edge.

You can learn how to use this tactic by carefully evaluating yourself, your emotions and reactions to certain stimuli. When you recognize your responses are anger or joy, you can usually translate those responses into what almost everyone would feel under that set of circumstances. Watch you own emotions. This is the tip-off on how to use those emotions to manipulate your opponents.

Emotional Control

Sometimes it is not a pretty sight. The guy in number seven seat flopped the nut flush in a low-limit Omaha High/Low split game. He also had the nut wheel draw. He made the wheel on the turn and lost the high end of the hand when the board paired the three on the river. He ended up with one-third of half of the pot. His face got red. He tried his best to stay calm. He got up and walked around the poker table three times, all the while lambasting the dealer. When he finally sat down, he did not even look at his cards before he raised. This guy was far out, totally out of control.

His substantial stack of chips lasted twenty minutes. Then he slammed his chair into the aisle and he stormed off into the night.What is the lesson here?
Don't let this happen to you. Low-limit poker is alive with this kind of situation. Unless you accept the risks and let them flow off your back, you are in danger. Beware!