So you’ve mastered the basics of Hold’em and done well for yourself in cash and tournament games, but find yourself falling s...
17 November 2008One of the more interesting poker TV shows to come around in recent year’s is the NBC show Poker After Dark. Watching the sho...
16 November 2008There is poker, and then there is poker. The basic rules are the same, but there are some fundamental difference between cash...
16 November 2008New to online poker and looking for a place to get started? Check out Party Poker and their fish- friendly New Player Zone.
15 November 2008You’ve heard of playing styles, but how abut bankroll styles? Are you a Maniac with your bankroll, or more of a Rock?
09 November 2008Do you consider yourself a hard core poker player? Are 12 hour marathons a walk in the park for you? If you are not taking ti...
08 November 2008The Buddhist concept of living in the moment is called “Mindfulness”, being fully present and focused on where you are and wh...
07 November 2008Speed reading is a fantastic skill to cultivate, and it could certainly help you zip though poker strategy books to add to yo...
06 November 2008The man called Jesus went from $0 to $10k in 18 months, but this was no miracle -- you can do it, too.
04 November 2008Is your goal to one day be sitting at the final table of a WSOP or WPT event? Then play all the bar league poker games you wa...
02 November 2008There’s playing to win, and then there’s playing to fun. If you are the type of player that is in it just for fun, don’t feel...
01 November 2008If you want to add to your poker wins, add to your powers of concentration. So get out your Ginkgo Biloba and flash cards, an...
31 October 2008Ex-FBI agent wants you to be a winning poker player. Really! He shares his tips right after the jump.
30 October 2008You can’t win every hand in a poker game, so why not use this fact of life to your advantage? Let your opponent win a few han...
30 October 2008The Poker Brat isn’t ALL bad. Ever notice how much attention he gives his game? He really seems to care about every single ha...
29 October 2008You know all the right moves, yet you can’t seem to win your poker tournaments very often. What should you do? Ever so often,...
29 October 2008Are you a Stone Cold Killer? A true Tight- Aggressive player? You may no longer be the biggest shark in the ocean, my friend.
25 October 2008The new Matix game from Full Tilt Poker is worth a look, and we offer some tips for adjusting to the unique environment.
25 October 2008Identifying Your Problem Game in H.O.R.S.E.
14 October 2008Ring games, also called cash games or live action games, are poker games played with "real" chips and money on the line, usua...
23 June 2008Hang loose when playing short.
20 June 2008A player's equity in a pot is his expected share of the pot,
20 June 2008Ever been Tilted?
20 June 2008By observing the tendencies and patterns of one's opponents, one can make more educated guesses about others' potential holdi...
20 June 2008In the game of poker, opens and raises are considered aggressive plays, while calls and checks are considered passive
20 June 2008We look at Poker playing styles including Loose/tight play and Aggressive/passive play
20 June 2008Related to the gap effect, the sandwich effect states that a player needs a stronger hand to stay in a pot when there are opp...
20 June 2008The gap concept states that a player needs a better hand to play against someone who has already opened (or raised) the betti...
20 June 2008There are several reasons for calling a bet or raise
19 June 2008Unlike calling, raising has an extra way to win: opponents may fold.
19 June 2008Position refers to the order in which players are seated around the table and the strategic consequences of this
19 June 2008A tell is a detectable change in an opponent's behavior or demeanor that gives clues about his hand.
19 June 2008Hand reading is the process of making educated guesses about the possible cards an opponent may hold
19 June 2008By employing deception poker plays hopes to induce his opponent to act differently than they would if they could see his card...
19 June 2008Pot odds are the ratio of the size of the pot to the size of the bet required to stay in the pot.
19 June 2008Morton's theorem states that in multi-way pots, a player's expectation may be maximized by an opponent making a correct decis...
19 June 2008David Sklansky fundamental theorem of poker
19 June 2008We look at how to play Omaha
19 June 2008Omaha Holdem uses a three-card flop, then a turn and a river.
19 June 2008To Win, Don’t Lose
19 June 2008At the final table of this year's World Series of Poker*, the media consensus was that there was only one pro at the table: M...
29 November 2007I often tell people that short-term results are not a reason to change how they play, but I likewise encourage them to use an...
29 November 2007Players get excited when they flop two pair because they know they're in a great position to take down a pot.
Rafe Furst t...
29 November 2007There are two major differences between Pot-Limit and No-Limit Hold 'em tournaments.
Rafe Furst's views on playing pot-li...
29 November 2007While playing the final table of the $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'em event, I found myself in a difficult spot when we were down to...
29 November 2007Most players know what pot odds and implied pot odds (aka implied odds) are, and how to calculate them.Rafe Furst explains th...
29 November 2007For those of you who are unfamiliar with seven-card stud, there are some betting quirks in the game that you should understan...
29 November 2007You are in the big blind with Ts-8s against a player who smooth-called pre-flop. The flop comes K-X-X with two spades. What d...
29 November 2007A winning poker player won't just evaluate a situation at the start of the hand. He will constantly reassess as more informat...
29 November 2007Small and medium pairs are among the trickiest hands you'll encounter in Seven-Card Stud.
Perry Friedman talks about play...
29 November 2007Poker is often not so much about the cards you have, but knowing the way your opponent plays.
Paul Wolfe on why knowing h...
29 November 2007The first thing I do when I walk into a poker room is put my name on the lists of games I'm interested in; the next thing I d...
29 November 2007During this year's World Series of Poker*, I talked with a number of pros about the problems that so many online qualifiers h...
29 November 2007In a way, some professional poker players are like those ravenous sharks: they're looking for easy prey.
Lee Watkinson te...
29 November 2007In fact, Pot-Limit Omaha can be so complicated that when playing it in a ring game, I think your best move is to buy in for t...
29 November 2007Heads-up play is one of the most important aspects of poker, and many players could benefit from strengthening this part of t...
29 November 2007Common wisdom has it that when you're playing a hand, you should be betting, raising or folding. Calling is usually considere...
28 November 2007There's no question that I do play an unconventional game. But, there is a method to my madness.
Gavin Smith tells you ab...
28 November 2007One of the key skills that winning big-bet players bring to the table is the ability to manipulate the size of the pot.
Ga...
28 November 2007The conversations I have between hands are not just pleasant - they can also be informative.
Gavin Smith on why table tal...
28 November 2007I 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 u...
28 November 2007When playing Stud, fourth street is the last of the smaller betting rounds.
Keith Sexton on fourth street decisions in se...
28 November 2007My first suggestion for playing on seventh street is that you need to look at your pot odds when facing a final bet.
Keith...
28 November 2007Deception is a vital tactic in poker. Usually, when a player talks about a deceptive play, he's referring to a bluff - a time...
28 November 2007I'm best known in the poker world for my tournament success. I've won four World Series of Poker* bracelets, including the Wo...
28 November 2007The key to succeeding in tournament play is being able to handle the ups and downs, because it's not always going to go perfe...
28 November 2007There are four possible outcomes for any session of poker. You might win a little, lose a little, win a lot, or lose a lot.
...
28 November 2007New players who want to be good students of the game often ask me for advice. In response, I often tell them about emotional ...
28 November 2007One of the things that separate truly profitable players from winning players, however, is their willingness to step out of t...
28 November 2007It takes a true professional to look at poker in this way, and I fully expect that many people will disagree with my conclusi...
28 November 2007A couple of years ago, I was wandering a Vegas poker room after busting out of a tournament.
Gren Mueller shares some tips...
28 November 2007In No-Limit Hold 'em, one of the trickiest and, sometimes, scariest situations occurs when you bluff at a pot on the flop and...
28 November 2007In ring games, I like to build a really small pot when I have these hands in early and middle position.
Greg "FBT" Muelle...
28 November 2007It's a familiar refrain at the Omaha/8 table, when the betting is capped on the turn in a multi-way pot.
Greg Mascio shar...
28 November 2007I'm looking to maximize my profits and play in a game where I have a huge skill advantage and am certain to be a big favorite...
28 November 2007I play in some of the biggest cash games in the world. Usually, these games are loaded with pros - folks who know the intrica...
28 November 2007Most players are aware of the significant advantages that come with having a big stack in a tournament.
David Grey talks ...
28 November 2007Early in my poker career I set a simple rule for myself: I would never move to a higher limit until I won three consecutive s...
28 November 2007Here's one of the most interesting things about poker: A player can be incredibly knowledgeable and talented, and still be a ...
28 November 2007In No-Limit Hold 'em, however, the bluff can be used in many different ways. Layne Flack shows you another way to use the blu...
28 November 2007One of the most profitable situations in poker is one in which you've flopped a monster and someone else is betting into you....
28 November 2007Let's face it; nobody takes up poker because they love the idea of sitting idly at a table while folding for hours on end. Jo...
28 November 2007I've gotten the reputation of being something of a maniac. But there is a method to my madness. By the end of this article, I...
28 November 2007In No-Limit, the biggest mistake you can make is putting money in a pot when drawing dead or very slim.
Richard Brodie ta...
28 November 2007While playing on Full Tilt Poker, I have said that there are three topics I won't discuss in table chat; politics, religion, ...
28 November 2007In No-Limit Hold 'em, drawing hands can be very difficult to play out of position.
Steve Brecher on check-raising.
28 November 2007Players who are new to Pot-Limit Omaha tend to make more mistakes with Aces than with any other hand.
Andrew Black on play...
28 November 2007One of the most important poker lessons has nothing to do with how to play Aces in late position or how to adjust for the man...
28 November 2007There are many factors that affect your decisions at the poker table.
Joe Beevers on how to manipulate your opponent.
28 November 2007Asking these questions is important. Answering them accurately is critical.
Ross Boatman tells you how to bluff against a ...
28 November 2007I get asked a lot of poker strategy questions, from beginner to advanced. Some are easy, but some involve the kind of math I ...
28 November 2007In No-Limit Hold 'em, it can be difficult to know what the right play is on the river when you're out of position with a marg...
28 November 2007If you're playing a multi-way pot, you need a very strong hand going one way or the other. Andy Bloch tells you how the quali...
28 November 2007When 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 bo...
28 November 2007If you want to win a HORSE tournament, you have to be good at all five games.
Andy Bloch tells you how to win a HORSE tou...
28 November 2007To win a HORSE tournament, you have to understand the value of the blinds and antes in each of the games.
Andy Bloch on h...
28 November 2007In the early stages of a large tournament like the Main Event, chances are you'll be seated with nine players who are complet...
28 November 2007Every Hold 'em strategy guide talks about the importance of positional advantage.
Gus Hansen on betting out of position.
...
28 November 2007A while back, I played a hand in an Omaha Hi/Lo Limit tournament that had everyone at my table jumping off their chairs.
...
28 November 2007It is very difficult to calculate the exact odds of hitting a drawing hand when you're sitting at the poker table.
Clonie...
27 November 2007Most Pot Limit Omaha players know that Omaha is a game of "the nuts." In a multi-way pot, the winning hand is, more often tha...
27 November 2007I am always trying to find the balance between family and poker, and I know a lot of you struggle with the same issue. For th...
27 November 2007Poker is a game of infinite complexity. Players like Chris Ferguson can calculate the odds of almost any situation, but there...
27 November 2007Tournament poker can be a very tough business. No matter how good you are, you're bound to encounter long periods where thing...
27 November 2007You will often have to tighten up as your opponents are willing to play a wider range of hands in pursuit of Knockout Bountie...
27 November 2007You can learn a lot by listening. You can learn almost as much by talking, if you ask the right questions.
Erick Lindgren ...
27 November 2007Last week I offered an example of a hand where asking the right question - "Why'd you bet so much?" - netted me a sizeable po...
27 November 2007Most players eventually realize that it's fun and fairly easy to play at multiple online tables at one time.
Erick Lindgre...
27 November 2007My overall goal is to pick up a lot of small pots without a lot of resistance.
Erick Lindgren's take on playing a lot of ...
27 November 2007In an effort to simplify my decisions, every single time it's my turn to act, I try to run through the same script in my head...
27 November 2007Everyone makes mistakes. The thing is, a good player will learn from them while a bad player will make the same mistake over ...
27 November 2007Once I am involved in a hand, many of the actions I take after the flop are automatic, or nearly automatic.
Phil Gordon o...
27 November 2007Let's say an early position opponent - preferably a loose opponent - raises and gets called by one or more players.
Read ...
27 November 2007When I'm thinking about my actions after the flop or turn, I look to the "texture" of the board - i.e., what cards are in pla...
27 November 2007A player who opts for the small raise may think he's being crafty by getting me to put a little extra money in the pot while ...
27 November 2007In a recent World Series of Poker* Circuit event that I played in, the nine-handed final table started with blinds of 10K - 2...
27 November 2007For those of you who aren't familiar with Razz, it is a game played like 7-card stud.
Jennifer Harman on how to play Razz...
27 November 2007I see so many players playing short hours when they're winning, and long hours when they're losing. It should be the other wa...
27 November 2007Stud-8 or Better is a great game. The rules are nearly identical to regular 7-Card Stud, but there's one key difference.
...
27 November 2007The best Omaha-8 hands have four cards that work together.
Jennifer Harman on how to play Omaha-8.
27 November 2007Despite what you see on TV, there's much more to poker than just Hold 'em.
Jennifer Harman talks about mixed games.
27 November 2007I'm at Foxwoods playing the $2,000 No Limit Hold 'em event. We all started with $3,000 and now I've got $15,000. At my table ...
27 November 2007Loose, tight, aggressive - my style is that I'm all of the above, depending upon the circumstances.
Chris Ferguson talks a...
27 November 2007People often ask very specific questions about how to be a winning tournament player.
Chris Ferguson talks about winning a...
27 November 2007Last week I talked about not adjusting for tournament play, answered three specific tournament questions, and stressed that t...
27 November 2007I never get tired of saying it: If you're the first to enter the pot in a No-Limit Hold 'em game, never call. If you aren't p...
27 November 2007In Limit Hold 'em, it is not uncommon to see pots that are contested by four, five, or even six players.
Chris "Jesus" Fe...
27 November 2007There's no question that aggressive poker is winning poker. Chris Ferguson talks about playing passively.
27 November 2007I'm almost a year into an experiment on Full Tilt Poker. I'm attempting to turn $0 into a $10,000 bankroll.
Chris Ferguso...
27 November 2007If you want to explore being a professional poker player, you have to start out doing it part time.
Chris Ferguson tells ...
27 November 2007The Sit N Go (SNG) is online poker's great gift to the aspiring tournament player.
SNG made easy by Howard Lederer in this...
27 November 2007I know this newsletter is being written for an online poker site, but I hope that most of you still find time to play live po...
27 November 2007The recent poker explosion on TV and the Internet has created a flood of new players who are serious about developing their g...
27 November 2007Many of the people crowding the tournament circuit these days developed their interest in serious poker from watching broadca...
27 November 2007In the middle and later stages of tournaments, there are often times when you're forced to make a pretty big commitment on a ...
27 November 2007You've probably heard the standard reason to avoid slow playing: It's dangerous, because when you slow play, you give an oppo...
27 November 2007Full Tilt Poker launched Cap Games - a version of our Pot- and No-Limit games in which no player can commit more than 30 big ...
27 November 2007In split-pot games, beginners are often cautioned against playing hands that have them drawing to half the pot.
Howard Led...
27 November 2007During the World Series of Poker, players are confronted with massive fields.
Howard Lederer tells you about playing larg...
27 November 2007If tournament poker is a game of situations, then it's important to know how to play from the blinds.
John Cernuto tells ...
27 November 2007As I discussed last week, there are many factors that come into determining how you play from the blinds in tournaments, incl...
27 November 2007To limp or not to limp - that is the question. I'm not going to name any names here, but there are some big-time pros who wil...
27 November 2007To the uninitiated, the only discernible difference between a game of Omaha and a game of Hold 'em is that players start each...
27 November 2007Many players understand the concepts involved in building a large chip stack during a tournament. What they don't understand,...
26 November 2007In poker, image matters.Throughout a tournament, your table image will help determine how much action you'll get and, ultimat...
26 November 2007When it comes to advice about poker, my attitude is very simple: seek it out, absorb it, but while you're at the table, forge...
26 November 2007There's no question that poker includes an element of gamble.
26 November 2007Biggus Slickus - So Powerful only two hands put it in deep trouble, yet so weak it can be beaten by a pair of twos! If you're...
21 November 2007All players lose from time to time. Poker is a game of skill but also of luck. You can only make the best plays with the card...
21 November 2007The vast majority of new players start off playing every hand they get or every hand with a high card (J,Q,K or A). Often the...
21 November 2007Where you are situated at a poker table will greatly influence your decision making process. There are 4 specific positions t...
21 November 2007Nope, "Positional Play" isn't some form of sex game, it's an important part of any semi-serious player's understanding of the...
21 November 2007I see a lot of players around who seem to think A6 or K4 are gifts from Po'Kar, the God of Gambling. The fact of the matter i...
21 November 2007There are as many ways to play hands of poker as there are hands of poker. Nobody can tell you that what you are doing is wro...
21 November 2007Notes are an integral part of online play and a great facility you should make extensive use of. Offline it might be consider...
21 November 2007This is a term I've only recently heard for something I commonly do! There is a style of player who would be scared by his ow...
21 November 2007I'm going to get a bit mathematical here but don't switch off just yet because if the mere mention of maths gets you running ...
21 November 2007Most players understand basic odds. If you are in the big blind and the blinds are 3000/6000 and the small blind goes all-in ...
21 November 2007We've all gone on tilt at some stage. Some people may not have even recognised it but it happens to just about every player a...
21 November 2007Omaha , for those of you who haven’t played the devil's game, operates mechanically much the same as Holdem. Each player gets...
21 November 2007“Ajax” is one of its nick names and it can clean you out too! Ace Jack is a dangerous hand that needs to be carefully conside...
21 November 2007As Tom Murphy likes to say before some of his articles, ‘Warning this may contain traces of maths!’ But don’t worry it’s not ...
21 November 2007For poker players the world over, this is the big one. The one everyone wants to win. Clinching the money and the bracelet an...
21 November 2007I've heard it all about aces. I can't remember how many players have walked out of tournaments and said that ugly sentence, "...
21 November 2007Now I'm not talking about some Christian Brother or Sergeant Major with a black strap here (though some players need a good w...
21 November 2007What do you do when you flop top set or a nut straight and no-one else has bet yet? Usually you will check to encourage a bet...
21 November 2007Every player goes through a run of cold cards and bad luck. Simon Trumper documented one such run once, losing 18 coin-flips ...
21 November 2007No, SNGs wont leave you queuing embarrassingly at the local clinic, SNG is the acronym for Single Table Tourneys, also called...
21 November 2007This is an old chestnut on the poker scene but it bears repetition here. The scenario takes many forms but boils down to the ...
21 November 2007Nope, thats not a typo. Nor is it some arcane sexual manoeuvre. It is rather, a very handy trick that can be used in poker.
21 November 2007Every poker player worth his salt wants to see Vegas before he goes to the great cardroom in the sky. The Muslims have mecca,...
21 November 2007One major problem that every poker player encounters is the ability to cope with financial loss. Ultimately it can lead to th...
21 November 2007Each hand that you are dealt in Texas hold’em has a certain monetary value. This is the money that you will make on average e...
21 November 2007This will be a short discussion of why, and how to control the size of the pot having raised pre–flop.In the last two article...
21 November 2007This is the ‘Daddy' of all poker hands. Call them what you like – ‘The Pocket Rockets', 'American Airlines' or ‘The Bullets',...
20 November 2007
