Poker Tournaments - Winning Techniques

Poker Tournaments : Tips and techniques to make you a better player.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

No matter what your level of play, these Texas Hold Em strategies will make you better.

We do not promote gambling of any type. This blog information is to be used when playing Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Texas Hold Em Article For Your Reading Enjoyment

The Idiot Approach


MYSTIC - Playing online poker can differ greatly from playing poker on the pro circuit. While on the pro circuit you can get to know the opponents you encounter quite well, and can study and adapt to their personal methods of play.

In online poker, however, the players you encounter will often differ greatly from day to day as new players enter the game. Many of
these players will lack skill at the game of poker, backing up bad hands with good money, while still others will be lurking at tables waiting to take advantage of these weaker players. You can take advantage of this
phenomenon by taking the idiot approach.

The idiot approach can give you great results when you're playing against the weak player or the player who wants to prey upon the weak. It involves putting good money behind bad hands when starting play, then suddenly switching gears to play a much more conservative game - more conservative, perhaps, than even your normal style of play. Basically you want the good players to think that you are a weak player, and the weak players to gain confidence after they win a few beefy pots.

This gambit will lose you money in the short run, but the potential for strong gains in the long run will be increased. If you can throw in a bit of money on a weak hand and play it until the hand is over, then unless you've accidentally bluffed your way to a win, your opponents will see your pocket cards and will notice that you are playing money on weak hands.

This could potentially persuade stronger opponents to start putting chips behind weaker hands, thinking that they've got pretty good
bets against your hands considering that you are playing weak poker. Meanwhile, the weaker opponents will start playing bigger money, thinking that they are on a lucky streak or sitting at a good table due to taking some early wins. At this point, however, you will have tightened your game and will only be playing your better hands.

This strategy is weak if you're playing against excellent opponents who notice right away that you have switched gears, or against opponents who play based on their hands and not based on the actions of the other players at their table. It's also a bad idea to gamble away too much money up front using this tactic - don't throw away so much money that getting those initial losses back becomes an insurmountable chore.

But against a table full of random players, a few badly placed bets here and there in the early hands can win you some good money on later deals.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/the-idiot-approach.htm

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Poker & Pop Culture: Moss & Dandalos, Dazzling with Dollars

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This series of columns will discuss and analyze the ever-changing position poker has occupied in American popular culture. We'll look back to earlier periods in poker's history, shedding light on how the game's relationship to society...

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Partouche Poker Tour Cannes Main Event, Day 4: Alain Roy Wins Main Event

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:03:00 -0700
After four long days of play and 479 eliminations, Alain Roy took home the top prize of $1,426,645 in the Partouche Poker Tour Cannes Main Event. Roy defeated runner-up Claudio Rinaldi in an extremely short heads-up match. At the final table...

Running Aces Hosts Celebrity Poker Tournament

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:44:00 -0700
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Sunday, September 07, 2008

Ready to improve your hold em game? Lets get started then.

This blog is for information and education only. It is meant to improve your hold em game in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Poker Article to Instantly Improve Your Game

BOOK REVIEW: JOHNNY HUGHES' "TEXAS POKER WISDOM"


by Gary Wise

When I got into this gig a few years ago, it wasn�t for my love of the interactions of cards. For me, it was the players of the games we love who fascinated me, a result of a childhood spent in the company of game players providing shelter for other game players. My dad was the constant host to game night.

Of all the games and cultures that accompany them, none is richer than that of poker. For 150 years this game has been played, but the people and their constant maneuvering were as much a part of the color as the results. It was the stories of cowboys and mobsters, riverboat gamblers and railroad tycoons that kept my eyes wide, and every nugget of that Americana was a morsel to be nourished.

You do enough reading and the stories overlap. You start stumbling upon different renditions of the same stories, or worse yet, poorly-written versions, and you start to realize you�ve been there, done that and that the original story-tellers -- the guys who were there-- are a fading breed whose oral history is soon to be completely devoured by some form of pop culture-broken telephone that will forever tarnish the truth.

Fortunately, we�re not there yet. I can say this with conviction because I�ve just finished reading �Texas Poker Wisdom� a new novel by Johnny Hughes, a man who�s fought the poker wars and lived to tell about it. For anyone out there who yearns for the ways of old and �more importantly�the ways of the truth, it�s a book that should be read, as much for entertainment as for education.

�Wisdom� starts out slowly, much like the game it focuses on. It forces you to endure patiently as you get the background on its protagonists Matt and Dylan O�Malley. Matt, a character based on the author, is the old school grinder, a poker player who�s survived the tough times. The beneficiary of a new, unfamiliar monthly stipend, he finds himself living in a secure environment he�s unaccustomed to. It�s comfortable, but for a man of action, it leaves the distinct feeling of restlessness in everything he does. He needs a new adventure.

Dylan, meanwhile, is the young hotshot internet type you�d find behind half the monitors in the world nowadays. He�s young, cocky and confident, thanks in large part to a fast, easily-earned success that�s left him thinking the world is his oyster, evidenced by the quarter-million dollar bankroll he�s built up in next to no time at all.

The story starts when the two protagonists meet for the first time in almost two decades. Dylan acts with the indifference of his generation, while Matt behaves according to the caution of his own. Slowly, bridges are built, using poker as the brick and mortar on which they connect. To tell you much more would be to ruin the story.

There are lessons to be learned here. They are lessons in the game�s shady history, with the author drawing on his own experience as a soldier in Boss Bill Boyd�s army of poker scams and shenanigans. They are lessons of the peril of a damsel in distress; lessons in the pitfalls of �the life� and how to avoid them; how to turn every dollar into two and how to avoid turning every two into zero.

There�s good writing here too. Hughes draws upon the colorful colloquialisms of the title regions and colors them more with witty one-liners from his own repertoire. Simple sentences like �What stays in Vegas is a sucker�s money� left my jaw hanging in admiration over how much could be communicated through what�s an obvious line in hindsight.

Texas Poker Wisdom isn�t without its flaws. Hughes needs a better editor (the word �quiet� was spelled Q-U-I-T-E three times that I saw) and the narrative has a distinctive ADD feel in the early goings, but slogging through the mud is worth the wait. Poker is often described as hours of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror, and the deeper you get into the book, the less you get of the former and more you get of the latter.

You don�t need to be a poker player to appreciate Texas Poker Wisdom�s lessons in life, but it helps if you want to get the maximum enjoyment out of every tension filled hand. Call this a hearty recommendation to read this book, and to stick with it when you think about putting it down.

Gary Wise

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=book-texas-poker-wisdom.html

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Friday, September 05, 2008

Online Poker can be tricky. This article will help remove some of the guesswork.

Please note this blog is meant to provide information on Texas Hold Em in its legal and non-gambling applications.

Todays Online Poker Article

Tournament Poker and Cash Game Poker: A Two-headed Monster - Part 2


by Gary Gates

�Should I fold and wait for a better spot to put all my chips at risk? With only 50 players left to the money, do I have enough chips to survive the blinds and antes? How long until the blinds go up? Which players at my table are susceptible to getting eaten up by the blinds? Which players can I steal blinds from?�

When we left part I, we began to consider the additional factors a tournament poker player must consider within his or her decision-making process. These �special� circumstances often call for special action. A player might make one play in a cash game that he would never even consider in a tournament, and vice versa.

The unique decision-making processes required of these two very different brands of poker are necessitated by the manner in which profit is earned in each type. Cash games reward players instantly, as every pot pushed your way comes in the form of legal tender that you can walk away with at any time. In other words, a player can sit down at a cash game, double up on the first hand, put his chips back in the rack and proceed to the cashier with his newfound wealth. Though I do not recommend this method, as it won�t earn you many friends at the table, no one is going to stop you. (Who needs friends at the poker table anyway, right?)

Tournaments, however, reward only the top few participants who are able to outlast the masses. Described by many as marathons that call for hours of intense boredom, speckled with a few moments of sheer terror, poker tournaments require a great amount of time and patience. In a tournament that pays the top ten players, 100th place pays exactly as much as eleventh: nothing. Therefore, major decisions within the game are heavily influenced by the size of players� chip stacks, the number of players remaining, and the size of your own stack relative to the blinds. Before you take tenth, you have to guarantee yourself eleventh, and that fact is what makes survival a tournament player�s number one priority.

Cash games, because of their static blinds and the option to buy more chips at any time, tend to suit more conservative poker players. The never-increasing blinds allow them to sit back and wait for big hands with which they hope to win massive pots. Tournament play forces aggression to some extent, as the blinds and antes are constantly on the rise. The track records of Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan are prime examples of the kind of success that can come from aggressive tournament play.

Which brand of poker should you play? First consider the style of poker that comes most naturally to you. Do you tend to play passive or aggressive? Are you the kind of player that can recognize the multitude of situations that will be presented to you throughout a poker tournament and adapt your play accordingly, or do you feel more comfortable playing the player rather than the cards and situation? Be sure to try your hand at both and know the differences between the two before you decide which is right for you.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=tournament-poker-cash-game-poker-part-2.html

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Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Do not be intimidated by playing online poker. These strategies will make you a better player.

The information in this blog is in no way meant to promote gambling. It provides information on online poker to be used in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Featured Texas Hold Em Article

4 Levels of Poker Play- Take Your Self Assessment


Here are Four Levels Of Poker Play

Level 1: This player plays too many hands pre-flop (any two suited any Ace any king, etc.). They don�t raise much pre-flop and when they do it�s usually not the right amount. They go to the river with any piece of the pot (low pair, inside straight draw, Ace high). They pay no attention to position, betting patterns, previous hands, etc. They will never fold a pocket pair, even if there are 3 overs on the board. They bluff too much and go all-in too much.

Level 2: This player has figured out a few things, like tight pre-flop play keeps you in the game longer. This player has tightened up pre-flop, but has over compensated by becoming two passive. They no longer play Kx or any two suited, but they still can�t fold hands like KJ or AT or Axs or suited connectors. They can�t get away from top pair. They have a little understanding of odds and outs, but don�t apply it to their game. They don�t raise enough pre-flop. They don�t bluff enough. They�re easy to fold with a big bet. They rarely, if ever, re-raise or check raise. Basically this is tight, predictable poker.

Level 3: This is where the player starts to really understand the complexities of the game. They realize that you have to have a better hand to call a raise than you do to open raise. They have a decent understanding of the odds and can apply them (I have 12 outs, there�s 1,000 in the pot I can call around a 300 bet without making a mistake). They play their position and they bet aggressively pre-flop. They�ll put in a continuation bet on the flop to see where they�re at even if they haven�t hit the hand. They�ll bluff and steal blinds effectively. They are starting to pay attention to betting patterns during a hand and are able to put players on a range of hands. They can categorize players as tight, aggressive, loose, passive, etc.

Level 4: This player can read other players based on past betting patterns and has a mental note of the hands different players have shown down. They use �moves� like check raises, re-raises, slow plays, etc. effectively and often. They truly play the player and will bet aggressively regardless of their cards if they have a read on a player. They have the math down and can calculate odds and probabilities immediately. They win a lot of hands without having to go to showdown.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/4-levels-of-poker-play.htm

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Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:24:00 -0700
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Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:19:00 -0700
Last week PartyGaming, the online gaming firm, announced first-half year results that were well above analysts' expectations. The company's EBIDTA (earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes and amortization) came in at $64.9 million...


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Monday, September 01, 2008

Here are some great poker tips to bring immediate improvement to your game.

This blog is for information and education only. It is meant to improve your poker game in its legal and non-gambling applications.

A Poker Article For Your Reading Enjoyment

Tournament Poker and Cash Game Poker: A Two-headed Monster - Part 1


by Gary Gates

Tournament poker and cash games are like checkers and chess; they�re played on the same board, but the structure and strategies of each game are quite different. So different, in fact, that most players who excel at one type of poker typically struggle to find success at the other. Certainly, there are players who have mastered both brands of poker, but the majority of players consider themselves either tournament players or cash game players.

More than anything else, the structure of each type of poker distinguishes it from its counterpart. Cash games afford players the opportunity to buy more chips anytime they go bust or wish to add additional ammunition to their arsenal. Poker tournaments on the other hand, with the exception of rebuy tournaments which allow players a small window of time during the beginning of the tournament to buy new chips, do not. When you�re out of chips, you�re done.

The safety net of always being able to buy more chips in a cash game, provided you have deep enough pockets, affords players a greater amount of flexibility and creativity within the game. Consider two scenarios:

The first, a no-limit cash game with $1 and $2 blinds. You bought in for $200, and have $1800 in reserve tucked away in your back pocket. You�re dealt the A-10 of diamonds and call a $12 raise made by a relatively loose player who you�ve seen make raises with weaker hands than you�re currently holding. The flop comes A-6-2, with two diamonds. He makes a pot sized-bet exhibiting strength, but you don�t give him credit for an ace. You call. The turn is an offsuit jack and your opponent moves all in, putting you to a decision for all of your chips.

The second scenario finds you in a $200 buy-in tournament with no rebuys, and you�ve outlasted 400 of the 500 players who started. The top 50 finishers get paid and you are dealt the same A-10 of diamonds. The hand plays out the same way it did in the first scenario, and again, you�re facing a decision for all of your chips.

Based on a strong feeling that your pair of aces is ahead and that another diamond on the river will give you the absolute best hand no matter what your opponent is holding, you are relatively certain that you currently have the best hand, but here�s where things get tricky. When contemplating whether to call or fold, though the hands are identical, each scenario requires an entirely separate thought process. A cash game player, assuming he or she is operating under a sufficient bankroll, might have an easier time making this call because a wrong decision can be mollified by dipping into the bankroll for rebuy money.

Tough decisions in tournament poker, however, carry even tougher consequences, as one mistake could spell the end of a tournament. Therefore, a tournament player must consider a multitude of questions, many of which are non-factors in cash games, before making a final decision. We�ll elaborate on this idea in part II.

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=tournament-poker-cash-game-poker-part-1.html

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If you enjoy poker, we're sure you will enjoy some great casino games at a top online casino.
JackpotCity.com also offers you to learn more about games such as online blackjack
to increase your winnings.

Sexton's Corner, Vol.60: Johnny Chan, Legend of Legends, Part 5 - Promos and Viewpoints

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