Strategy with Foucault: Having a Plan for a Hand

When you’re playing a hand, you should have a plan for the hand. Andrew “foucault” Brokos takes you through the thought process in this strategy article.

Beating the Squeeze: Flat Calling with Big Hands

Learn when to flat call with your big hands to trap your opponents and get paid off.

When To Float On, When To Float Away

In this week’s Chipping Up, we explore the concept and context of the float in NLHE.

Chipping Up: Understanding And Utilizing Game Tempo

It’s one thing to recognize the momentum of your game, and another to exploit it. We focus on the latter in this edition of Chipping Up.

Avoiding Difficult Decisions In No Limit Cash

Help yourself avoid difficult decisions by forcing your opponents to make them first. Concept and illustration in this PTP Strategy article

Thin Value: When To Bet, When To Check

Brandon breaks down value betting concepts and gives you the tools for knowing when to pull the trigger and when to pass

Heads Up Display (HUD) For Rush Poker

A custom HUD designed for Full Tilt’s Rush Poker, with configuration files for Hold’em Manager

Tools For Beating Rush Poker

Looking for a Rush Poker edge? Try these simple tools that will boost your hand count, sharpen your reads and your focus on the fastest poker game online.

Knowing When to Move Up Limits

Tri goes beyond the typical bankroll management strategy and offers an engaging assessment of the how, what and why of moving up.

HSP Lessons: Depolarizing Your River Betting Range

We take a hand from High Stakes Poker to illustrate why depolarizing your river betting range can seriously boost your profits in this NL strategy article.

Pot Control In Middle Stakes Hold’Em

Brandon breaks down the concept of pot control in deep stacked NL cash games

Exploiting Opponent Patterns in No Limit Cash Games

Carl walks through the basics of identifying and then exploiting tendencies in your opponent’s play.

Video: Calling as a Strategy for Dealing With Aggressive Three Betting

In this strategy video, Andrew ‘Foucault’ Brokos discusses the theory behind calling as a response to aggressive three betting in no limit cash games.

Strategy Video: Reasons to Raise Preflop

The first video in our new instructional series ‘Fundamental Strategy’, Reasons to Raise Preflop looks to advance player’s understanding of the deeper logic and goals involved in preflop raising.

Video: Dani Stern on hero calls

A half hour strategy video where Dani Stern reviews several hero calls and discusses the reasoning behind making big river calls with weak hands in cash games.

How big do you want the pot to get?

Carl walks players through some fundamental concepts of pot control with vulnerable hands in cash games

Beating the bully in no limit 6 max games

On the poker forums and in every magazine that I have ever read, there are always questions from players asking how to deal with aggressive players in poker. The term “loose aggressive” has injected fear into the heart of many a poker player. You are sitting to the right of a loose aggressive player and [...]

Playing from late position in 6 MAX NLHE games

We all know and appreciate just how important position is in poker but let us take a look at a few of those reasons for why position is so critical in a game like NLHE. Of course there are different types of position in poker and many novices really only understand fixed position but there [...]

Strategy for handling three bettors in 6 max cash games

In no-limit hold ‘em 6-max cash games, there’s one thing most of my students bring up when I ask them to tell me an area they have trouble with: dealing with 3-bets, specifically, when getting 3-bet by their opponents.
It’s a spot that comes up often and is almost always tough to deal with. What [...]

Playing limped pots in 6 max no limit cash games

The following is an excerpt from Bill Vosti’s excellent ebook covering winning 6 max cash play online that Vosti was nice enough to provide to PTP readers. If you’re new to 6 max play or looking polish up your game, Vosti’s book is a great tool. It offers solid, well-reasoned advice presented clearly [...]

Winning at heads-up, no limit poker: Advanced Strategies

As I articulated in part one of this two part article (Winning at heads-up, no limit poker: Basic strategies), aggression is key to winning at heads up, no limit poker. When you’re more aggressive than your opponent, you’re in the driver’s seat. As I stated, with employing this style, you control the action; you determine [...]

Winning at heads-up, no-limit poker: Basic strategies

Competition is a complex enterprise. And those complexities are magnified significantly when we are playing on a team, competing together to beat an opponent. Baseball, football, hockey and other games require us to formulate strategies with our teammates in order to win. We win as a team, and we lose as a team. In these [...]

When should you continuation bet? Answers for no limit hold em cash games

The dominant approach to low and mid-stakes no limit holdem cash games, especially shorthanded games, emphasizes a high level of activity preflop. While you’ll find plenty of articles and videos that deal with aggressive preflop play, you’re likely to find slightly less material that deals with what happens next – flop play.
There are several [...]

Reasons to raise preflop in shorthanded no limit holdem

Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine who is a casual poker player and we got on the topic of the hyper-aggressive preflop style that’s promoted by the Cardrunners set. When I started describing the preflop raising frequency some of the pros over there advocate, he reacted with a slight roll of [...]

The weak lead in no limit holdem cash games

In this article I want to dissect the often derided line of leading for a weak bet into a preflop raiser. Commonly referred to as ‘donking out’, the weak lead isn’t an inherently bad line. Like any tool, you just have to be sure you know what you’re using it for. I’m [...]

Playing against a light three bettor: a sample scenario

As no limit cash games get more and more aggressive, many players are finding that they’re forced to develop ultra-aggressive counter-strategies that would have been pretty controversial even a few months ago. The old adage, popularized by (I believe) T.J. Cloutier,that a fourth raise preflop is a guarantee of pocket aces now seems oddly [...]

Bluffing with beggar bets in no limit holdem cash – a primer

A ‘beggar’ bet is generally a pretty small bet, relative to the size of the pot, that takes its name from the fact that the person making the bet usually appears to be begging for a call. There’s no accepted standard on when a bet stops being small, but we can probably safely assign [...]

The trouble with trouble hands

The game was $500 Max NL Nevada-style, that is with 3 and 5 blinds. I was staying overnight at the Oasis in Mesquite on my annual forage to go flyfishing in Montana (if you ever stop here do order the classic combo pizza in the sports bar – it’s some of the best pizza I’ve [...]

Analyzing flop structure in no limit hold’em

No-limit Texas hold’em differs from draw and stud games in the presence of a board of community cards. The three-card flop and one-card turn and river combine with the two cards in your hand to make your best poker holding. Once the flop comes, at least sixty percent of your hand is known, and [...]

The float in no limit holdem, Part 3: Balancing opponent’s reactions and some afterthoughts

The final part of this article spawned from a discussion about Sammy Farha calling an all in with a flush draw without outs on ‘High Stakes Poker’. His results aside, after this call, his opponents became easier to play.
The first two parts of this article discussed some of the benefits of floating with outs. The [...]

Control on the mound

A pitcher who can throw 103 mph is something to marvel. Big windups, big pitches, fastball screaming past batters. The type’s going to get a lot of strike outs and hype. Some poker players try to be a Nolan Ryan – blowing big bets past you, firing massive bets and raises whenever they sense weakness [...]

Dissecting a calling station

Why do calling stations, players that call way too much with second best hands, lose money in the long run? Part of the reason is their reluctance to protect their hands, but the biggest reason, the ‘smoking gun’ so to speak is their predictability.
The calling station is his own worst enemy. Rarely betting [...]

Floating in no limit part 2 – The ’semi-float’

While answering a post on the Parttimepoker forums about floating I described calling a bet that I wouldn’t normally call because it allowed me to use my position to steal later in the hand. My fellow posters didn’t consider it floating because I had a somewhat reasonable number of possible outs. I argued that it [...]

Basics of floating in NLHE cash games

Floating is calling a bet on the flop without odds to make a perceived winning hand. This article will discuss the float, but before we get started, I feel a few words on fold equity are necessary:
The most dangerous term in poker for a new player is “fold equity”. Fold equity is the improved equity [...]

Prescribing a cure for Donk-Image

Thank you for choosing John Darr as your doctor today. Take a seat on that brown-cushioned table with a paper sheet, take off your sunglasses and hat, have a lollipop. It’s Red Bull flavored. Now tell me, what ails you.
Oh, I see. It was a no limit cash game. Um hmm.
You [...]

There’s three ways to play Jacks preflop – and all of them are wrong

Aside from “don’t fold the nuts on the river,” very rarely is anything in poker a slam dunk piece of advice. But I think I’ve come the closest thing to it. Now, I can’t take credit for coming up with this and perhaps you’ve heard it already but here it is anyway: “There are 3 [...]

Understanding the Straddle in Texas Hold’em Poker – Facts and Strategies.

The definition of straddling entirely depends on where you use the word. If you’re in a rodeo, the definition of straddling a horse is somewhat blah, but with all that bucking you’re going to be in for one hell of a ride. If you’re in an intimate situation with a loved one (wink, wink), the [...]

Fundamental strategy for 6-max micro-stakes no limit cash games

This article is intended to give a beginning/intermediate player a general idea on how to play a solid pre-flop game at micro NL 6-max. Hopefully someone can build on a few of these ideas and become a winning player.
Position is Everything
I’ll start out talking about position because [...]

Strategy in no limit cash games when someone straddles under the gun.

For the sake of the article blinds are 1unit-2units with a 4unit optional straddle UTG. When someone else at the table takes the option to straddle UTG how should this affect your play? Well, while his straddle from this position is typically a mistake, it is only a mistake because the price is too high. [...]

5 common sense tips to improve your live no limit cash game

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your game is to make minor changes. Here are a few quick suggestions for quick tweaks you might consider making to your live no limit cash game. If you’ve given up on live play, check out Full Tilt Rakeback offers for a better deal when you play [...]

Representing the ace against the habitual continuation bettor

This article is going to help explain a concept that you wont find in any No Limit Hold’em book that’s been printed to my knowledge. However, it’s an advanced play that if you use it occasionally will increase your hourly earnings. It’s a play that you don’t want to overuse, but works like a charm [...]

Value Betting in No Limit Texas Holdem

No limit Texas Holdem has been called the Cadillac of poker games. Indeed, of all forms of poker, no limit Texas holdem is one that provides some of the most creative opportunities for winning play. As with all poker games, the major Texas Holdem strategy issues come in the betting that takes place during the [...]

Podcast: A Guide to Raising Preflop in No Limit Cash Games

This Podcast from Part Time Poker focuses on answering the question: When should I raise preflop in No Limit ring games? If you’re having problems preflop in NL, give this podcast a listen and see if it doesn’t help you’re thinking about preflop raising in no limit holdem.
Click on the link below to play the [...]

When the River is a Formality

Sitting on the rail, some no limit games appear to be gold mines. Six or more people see every flop. A lot of preflop raises that build massive pots. Handfuls of cold callers, over callers and over bets. Ridiculous stacks, marginal hands and so many suck outs it would make the Las Vegas Porn Convention [...]

Proper Use of Aggression in Short-handed No Limit Hold’em Games

Most poker players are aware that aggression is a vital part of winning strategy in short-handed situations. But most players still don’t know exactly how to apply that knowledge. At a short-handed No Limit Hold’em cash game you are either a shark or a fish, and it’s the proper use of aggression which divides the [...]

Calling with Queen High – Part A

“The Edge . . . there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.” – Hunter S. Thompson
‘The Edge,’ a theoretical advantage a player has or doesn’t have when he/she plays poker. Ivory-tower-gambling-theorist David Sklansky said good players refuse [...]

Quizzes to improve your shorthanded no limit game

Below you’ll find a series of quizzes from the shorthanded no limit section of DailyHandQuiz.com. For each quiz, you’re provided with a basic scenario and a few options for action. We’ve provided our takes on these hands at the bottom of the page, but we challenge you to come up with your own justifications [...]

Untouchable Donkeys.

I know you’ve all been in this situation before: You are playing in a NL cash game when an Established Donkey (ED) sits down at the table. You’ve seen the guy play losing session after losing session and cannot wait to get into a pot with him and bust her/him. The only [...]

Made hands on the turn in no limit cash games – betting strategies to force your opponent to commit their stack on the river.

I was playing in a 2/5 no limit texas holdem game over at Caesar’s the other night, and a fairly interesting hand came up. Not interesting in the sense that it makes for a good story to your non-poker playing friends, but more in the sense that it illustrates a lot of the questions you [...]

Figuring Out Your Implied Odds in No Limit Holdem

A lot of new players either don’t employ implied odds when making decisions at No Limit hold’em tables or they use a misunderstanding of implied odds to make loose calls that cost them money in the long run. This article will provide you with a bare-bones understanding of how to figure implied odds – integrating [...]

A Good Semi-Bluff Gone Bad. (Or the other way around).

This article is about a pretty common situation that comes up in NL ring – when you make a move with a draw or some kind of semi-bluff and get played back at with an all in from your opponent. Dan Harrington describes a great system for dealing with these kind of situations in [...]

How Nearly Spending a Night in Jail Helped Me Win a Hand.

I promise this is a poker article and you’re going to learn a bit about reading people, double-secret magic math, crappy low limit hold’em players and a hand that on the surface looks like I played it wrong. But I promise, I played this thing, this hand and these two guys, perfectly, AND not just [...]

Structured Decision-Making Preflop in Shorthanded No Limit

Note: While the title suggests that this article is exclusively about shorthanded No Limit, the concepts addressed actually apply to all forms of the game, including full ring and even tournament play. Since shorthanded play is my primary game, the following content will sometimes be most applicable to that form, but the article should [...]

When the right read(s)(s)(s) go wrong

Picture a 2-5NL game, no max buy, a semi-gate around the table, 8-10 people always watching, a few have MP3 players, including yours truly. The only players wearing sunglasses and hats are on the low limit games, seriously. Buy-ins at this table are spread between $200 and $4,000. Typical stack comes in at $800. I’m [...]

Handling The Turn With Marginal Hands in Shorthanded No Limit Hold ‘em

Most intermediate no limit players have a good sense of how to handle themselves in preflop and flop play, but play on the turn presents a unique challenge. In any contested pot against aggressive opponents, players are forced to evaluate more information, consider a wider array of options, and do so in a context of [...]

An Example of a Position Play in No Limit Holdem

I was recently playing in a NL cash game with blinds of $1 and $2, with a max buy in of $100. Since everyone came in relatively short stacked (50x the big blind is considered short), I decided to keep my play [...]

Filtering Advice in No Limit Holdem

At this point in the poker boom, most of your major chain bookstores have devoted at least a few shelves, if not an entire case, to the plethora of holdem strategy guides currently on the market. At the Barnes and Noble near me, for instance, poker has earned six shelves filled with a hundred [...]

Three Gears: Varying your Game in No Limit Holdem

You hear a lot about gear switching in poker, but it’s a term that’s often tossed around unexplained. Basically, the concept is that you develop several ways of playing a given game, each way a complete entity unto itself, and that you switch between these games as the situation you’re in warrants. It’s different than [...]

Playing Short Stacks in Shorthanded NL Holdem

Playing against someone with a short stack can be tricky. You must be selective of when you are aggressive, because if your short-stacked opponent calls you on the flop, he is likely to go all the way in before the hand is over. If you make a bluff or semi-bluff against the short stack on [...]

Hand Analysis: I Have Trips, Therefore I Bet

Party Poker, No Limit Holdem $100 buyin / $1-$2 blinds
Names of players involved have been changed to protect the innocent and / or stupid
Commentary in bold
***** Hand History for Game 913644565 *****
0/0 TexasHTGameTable (NL) – Sat Sep 04 18:38:59 EDT 2004
Table Table 14733 (6 max) (Real Money) — Seat 6 is the button
Total number of [...]

A great example of why I should follow my own advice about QQ

There’s an article on our site regarding trap hands in no limit holdem that I should be pretty familiar with, because I wrote it. You can read it here. The relevant line from the article:
“But in any decent game, committing your stack with an unimproved QQ is a loser in the long haul.”
Here’s an example [...]

A few quick thoughts about heads up no limit [ring]

Playing HU ring NL is one of the more, in my humble opinion, exciting things you can do in poker – every hand has an importance and a pretty large implied value. It can also be one of the more frustrating games to play, especially if your luck or timing is just a little [...]

Basic differences between full ring and shorthand No Limit Holdem

The development of ‘fixed-short’ tables online [usually 6 player maximum tables] has really increased the popularity of shorthanded play, especially in no limit. Some people prefer fewer opponents, some feel short play is more creative and interesting, some just like seeing more hands an hour; for whatever reason, the 6 max NL tables at Party [...]

Made Hand Mistakes in No Limit Hold Em: Straights – Play on the River

[Note: This article is a continuation of an earlier article covering made straights on the flop and turn, which you can read by clicking here. Some of the core concepts mentioned in this article are covered in more detail in the earlier piece]
When you make a straights on the river in NL, a lot of [...]

Quick Tips for No Limit Bankroll Management – Game Selection

Know your limits. Improper bankroll management is all too common a problem. Many players have read recommendations of what levels to play in limit (usually in the range of 200X the big bet) but in no limit the big bet is the buy-in. Obviously 200X the buy-in isn’t a good place to adjust from, and [...]

Playing NL Live vs Online- Additional Thoughts

Click here for part one of this article.
1) When games do have a capped buyin, it’s usually lower than you’d expect. For example, I was out in Vegas a few weeks ago and played no limit holdem at the Mirage. The game had 2 and 5 blinds and a max buyin of $300 – about [...]

Factors to Consider When Bluffing in No Limit Holdem

Bluffing is a important weapon in any no limit poker player’s arsenal – but just like any other play, it should only be deployed after a reasonable amount of calculation and consideration. A brief list of some of the factors that should impact your decision:
1) How many players are you up against? I know, this [...]

Things to Keep in Mind Facing Short Stacks in No Limit Holdem

Players on a short stack can be some of your most frustrating opponents in no limit, simply because the complex style of play you have developed is pretty much useless against people without a lot of money in front of them. No limit is largely about the threat of taking someone’s money; when an opponent [...]

Made Hand Mistakes in No Limit Hold Em: Straights

Related article: Made hand mistakes in NL – flushes
The most obvious leak for your average NL player is paying off the best hand with a trap second best. However this series of articles discusses a more subtle, yet equally damaging, leak that occurs when YOU have the best hand and don’t maximize your win. Here [...]

Checkraising With a Draw in No Limit Holdem

It’s an oft repeated maxim that everyone eventually gets the same cards in holdem – it’s how you play those cards that determines the winners and losers. A similar maxim can be applied to drawing hands – over time, everyone is going to flop and make the same number of draws. To be really successful [...]

When Can You Fold a Set In No Limit?

Sets are your money hands in no limit hold em, bottom line. However, while holding a set usually means you end up with a win, there are some rare times when you might want to think twice about going to showdown. While these scenarios don’t come up often, one wrong call in NL can cost [...]

Bad Times to Bluff in No Limit Holdem

One of the beautiful aspects of no limit holdem is the relative ease [compared with limit hold em] with which you can pick up a pot while holding nada. I personally believe the importance of the bluff has been overstated by TV [after all, bluffs are exciting], but that’s another issue altogether. If you’re going [...]

Trap Hands in No Limit Poker

This article is, generally speaking, for poker players who are making the switch from limit hold em to no limit, although newer NL players can benefit from it as well. The title is pretty accurate, so need for a long intro. Be careful playing these hands:
1) QQ. Too many players commit far too many chips [...]

Made Hand Mistakes in No Limit Hold ‘Em- Flushes

The most obvious leak for your average no limit poker player is paying off the best hand with a trap second best. However this series of articles discusses a more subtle, yet equally damaging, leak that occurs when YOU have the best hand and don’t maximize your win. Here we’ll take a look at common [...]

No Limit Hold ‘Em : “Limitations”

There’s a lot to be said for moving to a higher level game. Many players do it too early, many do it with too small of a bankroll. This article will discuss what I observe as the biggest mistakes in moving from $25nl to the $200 or $1000 nl game.
1) Know when the next level [...]

Calling Gutshot Draws in No Limit Poker

Some poker players hold a special disdain for gutshot draws. When someone calls a gutshot draw against them and makes, out come the tantrums and sighs and disgusted looks. While players are generally right to be critical of those who consistently call gutshot draws in limit poker, calling gut draws in NL is an essential [...]

Betting Draws in No Limit Hold ‘Em

[Note - this article only deals with betting / raising draws on the flop. Playing through the hand with a draw is another issue altogether]
As your no limit hold ‘em game moves up in sophistication, you’ll get to the point where you bet and raise with draws regularly. This move is an important weapon in [...]

Common Preflop Mistakes With Pocket Pairs in No Limit Poker – Strategy

For more in-depth no limit poker strategy, check our No Limit Hold’em Tips Section here
One of the key differences between limit hold ‘em and no limit poker is that the intrinsic value of certain preflop hands change dramatically – especially pocket pairs. In NL, pp’s are your bread and butter, the hands you will most [...]

Tips for Transitioning From Online No Limit Play to Live Play

As a poker player who learned how to play online, shifting to live play [in a B&M casino] can be quite a transition. For limit, the transition is pretty straightforward – be prepared to be BORED . In NL, the transition is a lot more dramatic. Here are some things to consider:
1) Good luck [...]

Calling Raises Preflop in Pot Limit Hold ‘Em

Just like in no limit, raised pots are where you’re going to make your serious money in pot limit hold ‘em. Knowing when to get into these pots is crucial – fold too much and you’ll miss too many opportunities to stack another player, call too much and you’ll whittle down your bankroll bit by [...]

When Should I Quit a No Limit Hold’em Session?

Throwing Shakespeare aside, to quit when you’re ahead or quit when you’re losing, that is the question. Every player faces it. When you’re winning, it’s an easy game. The trouble is when you start losing several games the thought of all those wins are fresh in your mind and you’re going to try to win [...]

Quick Tips For Omaha Eight or Better

Learn the basics for one of the softer games available online – Omaha 8

Dealing With Maniacs in Six Max Limit Hold ‘em

Carl outlines the challenges posed by hyper-aggressive opponents in shorthanded limit holdem

Check-Raising the River in Limit Holdem

An overview of the river check raise in limit holdem cash games

Selecting the proper level in 6-max Limit Hold ‘em

Carl provides a pocket guide to level selection in modern online shorthanded limit games

Can You Win Without Looking? Playing Shorthanded Limit Hold ‘Em Poker

Texas Hold’em is the most popular form of poker played throughout the world today. It is typically played with a maximum of 9 or 10 players. Most players are only comfortable playing at a full or nearly full table. When the game becomes shorter the quality of hands that win pots decreases dramatically and the [...]

Straddling in Limit Texas Hold’em: A Primer

Texas Hold’em is normally played with the two players to the left of the button putting up blinds. Typically the small blind is one half or two thirds the amount of the big blind with the big blind being the amount of a “small” bet (in a 20-40 game the blinds are 10 and 20). [...]

Sample Chapter From the Poker Tracker Guide

Love Poker Tracker but feel a bit overwhelmed by all of the info available? You need the Poker Tracker Guide. We like it so much that we’ve reprinted a chapter of the guide for you to check out – read it, love it and then head over to www.pokertrackerguide.com to buy the full guide. At [...]

Finesse: Flop Play in Limit Hold ‘Em

This article will cover one scenario of when to cap, and when to call the third bet on the turn in limit. The scenario:
You hold AcKh
Flop is AsKc2s
Your opponent often will be very aggressive on a flush draw on the flop. You know him to cap bets. He bets the flop, you raise, any other [...]

Don’t Punch the Fish in Limit Hold’em Poker

One of the more common mistakes players at low, and sometimes mid limit texas holdem games is to “go after” someone that took a pot off them. I see good players play marginal hands because they know that the moron/fish at the table is likely to put more money in than a normal player, or [...]

Bingo? No, but we have limit holdem…

Most games start with each player getting 2 cards, looking at those, and accessing their strength in relation to the other players on the table. I came across a game in a casino where this wasn’t the standard process. In this game first, they check to see if you have 2 cards. If you do [...]

Where are the Mistakes?

The other day a friend of mine was complaining about a bad beat. I normally charge $1.00 to listen to a bad beat, but he caught me off guard while I was online. It seems that someone had called my friend down with an ace and then hit an ace on the river to beat [...]

Changing Your Play in Limit Texas Holdem: Part 2 – The Aggressive Maniac

The aggressive maniac can change the table in a few different ways. Some players like to follow the aggressor up with a re-raise for any hand they are comfortable playing against a raise where they don’t respect the raiser. These raises are predictable and easy enough to interpret. A player with a mediocre hand like [...]

Changing Your Play in Limit Texas Holdem: Part 1 – The Loose Maniac

Every decent poker book I’ve ever read has been consistent in at least 2 things. 1- Better hands are needed in earlier positions, and 2- Change your play. Position and style varying are the hardest two things to really understand in poker and yet when you read books they barely let you know what they [...]

A little thing about position

I had a friend tell me that the books they have read say to play high level the same way you would low level if you want to make money consistently. Whatever book they read didn’t make the point very clear, as he thought that meant you should play the same hands in the same [...]

Switching From No Limit Holdem to Limit Holdem

Players switch from NL to limit for a variety of reasons – some players may just not like the bankroll swings that come with NL; some (like myself) may have taken a prop job where the only game that pays is limit; others may find that limit is just the game that suits their skills [...]

Leaks in Your Shorthanded Limit Hold ‘Em Game

Playing shorthanded limit poker can be extremely profitable – see all the reasons why you shouldn’t play shorthanded to understand why a skilled player can significantly improve their BB/hr playing short. But even good players making the transition to short play generally find they have some leaks. This article addresses some of the most common [...]

Raising From the Big Blind in Limit Texas Hold ‘Em

In a past poker strategy article we talked about why raising from the BB with big hands like AA might be a bad idea. Well if you can’t raise with AA from the BB, then you probably shouldn’t ever be raising from the BB at all, right? Actually there are a few situations where, for [...]

Laying off Calls From the Small Blind in Limit Poker

One of the most persistent leaks for newer limit hold ‘em poker players [and even some intermediate ones] is calling too much from the small blind. The thing about this leak is that it’s a sneaky one – it generally happens a half a bet at a time. But limit is a long term game, [...]

That Idiot Won’t Stop Raising! Dealing with Hyper Aggressive Players in Limit Holdem

“Whenever he makes a mistake its supposed to be good for me, but somehow the more idiots on the table the harder it is for me to win, why?”
It’s a common misconception that it is easier to beat good players than bad players. In a hand, yes, it might be easier to win a pot [...]

What Limit Should You Be Playing?

I’ve been told over and over again that the real low limit poker games are unbeatable because everyone plays everything and you get outdrawn. First rule of poker theory is when someone in a hand makes a bet or call with a negative expected value, everyone else yields the positive result of that value. Or, [...]

Should You Raise With Big Hands From the Blinds in Limit Poker?

Here’s an opinion I have that many others do not share, although I’ve found a few that do … raising AA from the blinds [or kk, qq, ak etc] is a bad idea – especially from the BB.
Here’s the situation: you’re on the bb with aces and five players come in behind you. The sb [...]

Using Poker Tracker to Improve Your Game: Limit Holdem – Intro

There are many parts to good play; thus, there are many parts to examining your game. In order to do this you need to isolate individual aspects of your game – a goal that PT is pretty much built to help you achieve. A couple of basic concepts to get out of the way before [...]

What Books Should You Read on Limit Hold Em Poker?

Reading the right poker books when you’re just starting out in limit hold ‘em can make a big difference in your poker experience. People form habits quickly; read the right books and you’ll form good ones, read the wrong ones [or none at all] and you’ll blow a lot of money learning the hard way. [...]

Should You Play Shorthanded Limit Hold ‘Em?

While it happens far more in online poker than in brick and mortar casinos, poker games that were once full almost inevitably go shorthanded. So, should you [to paraphrase The Clash] stay or should you go? as you gain more experience, you’ll find that you will probably come to prefer shorthanded games [roughly 5 or [...]

Sometimes You Just Have To Fold!

You can read Dave’s Blog at http://dirtyvegaspoker.blogspot.com
The most common mistake made in limit poker is the thought that it’s all luck. To consistently win at limit poker, you need to keep attention on the game at all times. Playing after the flop will be crucial to your stack. One of the biggest keys to “winning [...]

Online Deep Stack Tournament Strategy

Get some ideas for your super-deep stack MTT strategy in this article.

Block Theory – A Quick Primer

Learn more about the critical concept of block theory in poker tournaments.

Thin Value: When To Bet, When To Check

Brandon breaks down value betting concepts and gives you the tools for knowing when to pull the trigger and when to pass

10 Commandments for Middle Stage Tournament Play

A list of ten simple strategies to help beginning players deal with mid-stage MTT play.

Image Manipulation: When To Utilize It

Learn to use your image to your advantage with this second-level tactical article

Making the Most of a WSOP Satty Win

Most people consider themselves lucky just to win a WSOP seat through a satellite -but if you take this mentality into the WSOP, you won’t even make it off the first table.

Blind Play In NL MTT: A Strategic Overview

Having trouble with blind vs blind play in multis? Brandon walks through the BVB basics inside.

Big Stack Versus Big Stack in Tournament Poker

Carl works on debunking a central axiom (to many) of tournament poker – that big stacks should avoid confrontations with other big stacks.

Early Stage Tournament Strategy – Is Tight Right?

A breakdown of the benefits and drawbacks of tight play in the early stages of tournaments

Raise or Shove? Factors That Impact Raise Sizing in Tournaments

A breakdown of what to consider when sizing your raises in no limit tournaments

Rebuy Tournaments: Tips For Rebuy Period Play

Strategy and tips for the rebuy period of rebuy tournaments

Bubble Play in Top Two Pay Satellites – A Comprehensive Guide (Part Two)

Part two of our comprehensive guide to the math and logic behind decision-making on the bubble

Bubble Play in Top Two Pay Satellites – A Comprehensive Guide (Part One)

A comprehensive guide to the math and logic behind decision-making on the bubble

Strategy Guide for PokerStars Step 3 Tournaments

A guide to opening and bubble strategy for the WSOP Step 3 tournaments on PokerStars

WSOP Live Satellites: A Guide to Single Table Satellites

A breakdown of the Single Table Satellite options available at this year’s World Series of Poker

Video: Tony ‘Bond18′ Dunst On Early Stage MTT Play

Tournament pro Tony ‘Bond18′ Dunst discusses the mechanics of early stage MTT play in this strategy video.

WSOP $1,500 Events: A Strategy Primer

Shane offers up his insights into the strategy that’s proven successful for him in the $1,500 WSOP events

Strategy Video: Reasons to Raise Preflop

The first video in our new instructional series ‘Fundamental Strategy’, Reasons to Raise Preflop looks to advance player’s understanding of the deeper logic and goals involved in preflop raising.

Handling tough spots with shrinking stacks in MTT play

In this MTT strategy article, we cover handling the awkward spots opening with 13-20BB stacks can create.

The Lab: Medium Strength Hands vs Preflop Raises in Tournament Play

A video review covering key concepts for playing weaker hands out of position in NL MTTs

Video: Justin Rollo reviews a $100 MTT

An hour-long video from Justin ‘WPTHero’ Rollo where he reviews his play in a 109 freezeout on Stars.

Beating lower-limit heads up SNGs, Part Four

Part four of our strategy series on beating lower limit buy in heads up sit and go tournaments

Beating lower-limit heads up SNGs, Part Three

Part three in our four-part series covering low buy in heads up SNGs

Beating lower-limit heads up SNGs, Part Two

Part two of our series on beating low limit heads up sit and go tournaments

Beating lower-limit heads up SNGs, Part One

Innovative strategies along with fundamental advice for beating low limit HU SNGs – Part one of four.

Hand for Hand: AQ (Part Two)

Part two of our article dissecting play of Ace Queen in NL multi table tournament situations

Hand for Hand: AQ (Part One)

We break down how AQ can (and should) be played in a variety of no limit tournament spots

Smarter blind stealing in tournament poker

We survey the factors you should be considering to make your blind stealing more profitable in tournament play.

Blind versus blind in later stages of tournament play

We break down the dynamics of a single hand from the later stages of a tournament to expose lessons regarding blind vs blind play

Multi-Tabling Sit n Go Tournaments – How Many is Too Many?

How many SNG’s is too many to play at one time? First, let’s squash the notion that playing 1 SNG at a time is even feasible. If you’ve never played more than one table at a time, you might be worried about what happens to your abilities when adding additional tables.
Well, first, start [...]

Increasing your bankroll for SNG players – Different Options

Most new poker players think that the easiest/fastest way to increase the size of your bankroll is to move up in buy-in size. Well, that is a possible avenue, but as a player you need to realize that theoretically, the larger the buy-in the better the skill of the average player at that level. I’m [...]

Tournament selection: The overlooked art form

There have been more articles than I can count on game selection in cash games. It has been said this is the key to maximizing profits. Post-UIGEA it has been the key to many midlevel cash games pros’ very survival in online poker. A typical cash game player even has a bit of a ritual [...]

The Misuse and Abuse of the Continuation Bet

I’m sure everyone who has played the requisite number of hours of poker knows what a continuation bet is, but for those fellow degens who have yet to add this term to their poker vocabulary, a continuation bet is the bet made on the flop after you’ve raised pre-flop. Many players consider this bet nearly [...]

Transitioning from TAG to LAG play in tournaments

Lagtard \ n. -ED, -ING, -S A poker player who calls and raises a large variety of hands with the intention of outplaying or outdrawing an opponent’s (usually) stronger hand
Since I couldn’t find an official definition, I created one. Look out Merriam-Webster.
The more I play, the more it is reinforced that not [...]

A beginners guide to sit and go tournament poker

Sit and Go’s are a vital part of online poker. They are usually one table tournaments with anywhere between 5 and 10 players. To the experienced player SNG’s are a relatively quick way to build a bankroll. Many players have even made their fortune playing these tournaments exclusively. Becoming one of these players requires [...]

Quick additions to your tournament tool box

If you’re a multi-table tournament player, there’s some good news for you: with just a few clicks of your mouse you can gain access to a ton of tools, mostly free, that can help transform your tournament game with just a little bit of time and effort on your part. There’s some bad news as [...]

Surviving with a short stack in a tournament

More often than we like, we all find ourselves short stacked in a tournament. The important thing is not to panic or tilt, but to adjust your strategy in order to survive and eventually get back into contention. The general consensus is that if you are short-stacked, you enter “push/fold” mode, i.e. you [...]

Two Situations in NL Tournament that Require Careful Consideration

These are a couple of hands that cost me a stack in two tournaments because they are, in fact, very good holdings in most situations. The purpose of this article is to recognize when they aren’t and where things went wrong.
1. We’re on the button early in a big online MTT with 6c4c. [...]

Mastering the Freeroll

The freeroll on online poker sites is a beast in and of itself. In some ways, it’s not even poker, in the strictest sense. It can be more like hitting the lottery (more so than winning the World Series of Poker’s main event).
But in playing freerolls on different sites over the past year, I’ve definitely [...]

The lowest common denominator

When a small-stakes poker pro gets the crap beat out of him during his ‘worst’ bad run to date there’s still a tendency to push the red levels of patience and tolerance of draws-not-getting-there to unimaginable distances in an attempt to weather the storm. But when the small-stakes pro decides to take cover, he hails [...]

Using the reraise bluff in no limit holdem

I’m sure everyone has seen an idiot or two in their poker career that will reraise you all in and then show jack high after you fold. In general, these people will never get far in tournaments because they tend to bluff too often and don’t know when to bluff. However, reraise bluffing [...]

Tight Aggressive vs Loose Aggressive play in holdem tournaments

There are two styles of play in No-Limit Texas Hold’em, tight-aggressive and loose-aggressive. Which style is best and in what situations is it best? Many players think they know the answer and play excessively loose or excessively tight in all situations, which, as David Skylansky states in The Theory of Poker, is incorrect (27). Whether [...]

Building a roll through six-handed turbo no limit sit and go tournaments

In poker, everyone wants the big score. They want to be at the final table, with hundreds or thousands of dollars on the line. It is an experience like no other. Personally, I have been there through the $5.50 Turbo NL where I took second place for $643. Sure it was [...]

Tips for using the notes feature on PokerStars to increase your tournament profits

As I have looked through many online poker forums, I have not seen much talk about the “note” feature that Pokerstars has to offer. Considering that this feature is an important part of my game, I figured it to be an excellent thing to inform the newcomers to the poker world, or those that [...]

Tools of the trade – evaluating the best plays for tight and loose aggressive styles in no limit tournament play

In Texas Hold’em MTTs, we find two types of players which have demonstrated success on the tournament circuit – loose-aggressive players (LAGs) and tight-aggressive players (TAGs). Representing the better known LAGs are players such as Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Gus Hanson and Daniel Negraneau (depending on what style Daniel is proclaiming he plays for a [...]

How to be profitable in turbo sit and go tournaments

I typically play micro turbo sng’s. These micro games can be profitable and also help you build a roll, with minimal risk. I choose turbo’s because I find them to be the quickest and easiest routes to make money. Last I checked I had a 55% ROI in turbo’s, most of which [...]

Kaelin finally wins a tournament…..almost

Well, I knew it had to happen eventually. I was in another donk-fest tourney with 150+ combatants at Caesars, IN in the Thursday night tournament known as Midnight Madness. The entry fee was a meager $80 plus an extra $5 at the break to get you 1000 more tournament chips, if you could outwit [...]

Raising Right is The Key to Cashing

You can read Dave’s Blog at http://dirtyvegaspoker.blogspot.com
Why ALL-IN can to lead to ALL-OUT & Limping can put a dent in your stack
Raises are made in no-limit game. Some will raise 4-5 times the bet, others 2, but most 3. Whatever you raise, you have to look at the situation. You need to [...]

SNG Annotated #001 – Party 200 NL, April 26th

The following is an annotated SNG I played at Party where I finished in the money. I’m looking to do a series of these, so if you have any feedback, let me know. Note that I’ll cut out a lot of unimportant hands to keep the file size down, so that will account for some [...]

Some key differences between early and late stage multi play

One of the more challenging parts of tournament play is the shifting nature of the tournament itself. Tournaments can be divided into several stages, each determined by the number of players remaining relative to the prize money, and what “good” play is can vary wildly from stage to stage. In this article, I’d like to [...]

Common mistakes I make in the late stages of no limit multis

I am primarily a ring game player; there are, of course, spots in my playing career where I’ve tinkered with multis, but it usually ends up being a passing phase. For whatever reason, I decided to give multis a serious shot about a month ago and have really focused on learning about tournament play. For [...]

Standard Preflop Raise in NL Holdem Tournaments

The standard preflop raise in NL Holdem Tournaments, varies based on a few factors. These factors are:
Are there just blinds, or are there antes as well?
What is your stack size?
Are there any limpers?
Will your opponents fold to a smaller raise as frequently as they will fold to a larger raise
Before we begin to explore all [...]

How much do you need to raise? …

Concept from WSOP Superstars Invitational
I noticed an interesting hand from the WSOP Superstars Invitational, in which the “top 10” players in the World were invited to a winner take all 2 million dollar tournament. There were 7 players left in the event, and the blinds were 5k 10k with a 1k ante. These blinds sound [...]

Don’t talk too much at tournaments

I’m going to relate to you an example of how I used some of my opponents thoughts and comments in between hands against him. We are playing a $200 NL tournament at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. The tournament began with 210 players and is down to the final 33. The top 27 [...]

Multi Table Tournaments and Leaks in Your Ring Game

For many poker players, multi table tournaments are the ‘fun’ side of poker – invest a small buy-in, play a lot of hands, and shoot for a big score. But if you’re progressing more towards serious poker, it’s important to realize that playing multis on a regular basis can open up a lot of leaks [...]

When you’re all in on your next hand…

An interesting situation came up in a tournament last night, where a player made a clear mistake. It’s a $200 NL HE tournament at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. We started with 210 players and now we were down to the final 4.
The prizes were:
1st – $14,500
2nd – $6,500
3rd – $3,500
4th – $2,600
and the [...]

Multi Table Tournaments as a Threat to Your Poker Bankroll

Multi table poker tournaments have a strong appeal for most poker players – they speak to the ‘gambler’ in every player, offering the potential for spectacular return. However, it’s important to rationally evaluate the true risk and reward considerations involved in playing multis. Playing in multis can easily become a habit that, if left unchecked, [...]

Multi Table Tournament Strategy: Odds and Ends

1) Remember to separate your tournament notes on a player from your ring game notes on that player – for example, a player may be VERY aggressive in tournament play, but tighten up considerably when every hand is for real money.
2) When you’re down to the last 3 tables in a large multi, it’s probably [...]

Don’t Fear the Bubble: Strategies for Late Play in Sit and Go’s

Generally speaking, in single-table tournament play you are on the bubble when you are one of the elite few remaining players on the table, but not in the money just yet. My contention is that at this time on the table players are much more likely to fold to pre-flop raises and check raises than [...]

A beginners guide to sit and go tournament poker

Sit and Go’s are a vital part of online poker. They are usually one table tournaments with anywhere between 5 and 10 players. To the experienced player SNG’s are a relatively quick way to build a bankroll. Many players have even made their fortune playing these tournaments exclusively. Becoming one of these players requires [...]

Holdem Manager: Now What?

So you’ve had HEM it for 6 months and you have all those funny numbers that you’re not really sure how to use, but you know you’re supposed to need it. Now what?

Five Poker Axioms We Forget Mid-Game

In this installment of Chipping Up, Brandon walks through five essential truths about poker that it’s easy to forget mid-hand.

Risk of Ruin and Bankroll Management

Brandon offers a guide to long-term bankroll management, with an emphasis on risk of ruin and how it applies to players drawing an income from poker.

Session Motivation Mistakes

In this installment of Chipping Up, we review the attitudes that can cause a session to sink even before it starts.

Control Yourself, Control Your Game

Poker Blueprint author Aaron Davis talks readers through a simple, effective method for controlling (and reversing) tilt.

Image Manipulation: When To Utilize It

Learn to use your image to your advantage with this second-level tactical article

Beginner’s Guide to Heads Up Displays (HUD)

Data is critical to the modern online poker player, and HUDs are arguably the best way of utilizing data. Learn more about HUDs and how to use them inside.

Heads Up Display (HUD) For Rush Poker

A custom HUD designed for Full Tilt’s Rush Poker, with configuration files for Hold’em Manager

Tap Lightly on the Glass

Lorin argues that educating the fish – if only just a little – might be one of the best moves you can make in your regular live game in this PTP strategy article.

Knowing When to Move Up Limits

Tri goes beyond the typical bankroll management strategy and offers an engaging assessment of the how, what and why of moving up.

Understand Yourself to be a Successful Poker Player

Knowing your opponents is important; knowing yourself even more so, argues Carl in this article on poker psychology.

Ten Cheap (or Free) Ways to Improve Your Game

Looking to improve without breaking your bankroll? We list ten resources inside designed to do just that.

Player Profiling: Tips For More Effective Reads

Looking to simplify and improve your processing of developing reads on your opponents? Answers on how inside.

Five Mistakes: Online Poker Sessions

Looking to clean up your online poker game? Find five mistakes inside that typical online poker players make – and ways to fix them.

Tactical Thinking . . . Is it Enough?

Carl talks through the difference between tactics and strategy, and how having one without the other can be the downfall of even the sharpest player.

Five Mistakes: Live Poker Cash Games

Want to clean up your live game? Here are five leaks that almost all live cash players suffer from to some degree.

Impulse Control: Strategies To Improve Discipline at the Poker Table

Need to work on your impulsive decisions? This article gives you strategies that will help you think first and act second.

The Games Within the Game

A article focused on dissecting the intra-game of an individual hand of poker

Identifying and Attacking Risk Aversion

Are you too afraid of risk? Tips for analyzing your game and identifying your level of loss aversion.

Video: Checking the River In Position

Video covering the fundamentals of river play when you’ve been checked to in both tournament and cash games

Separating the possible from the probable

An article that dissects the critical skill of being able to separate what’s possible from what’s likely when analyzing a poker hand

Poker 101: What is Bankroll Management?

We cover the basics of online poker bankroll management in this Poker 101 article

Empathy – the neglected skill

When I think about what qualities that are vital to becoming a good poker player a capacity for critical thinking, discipline, and creativity come to mind right away. But in talking to a lot of both good and great poker players over the past several years, I’ve noticed that one quality in particular that isn’t [...]

Hand ranging flaws – common causes and solutions

Hand ranging – the process of putting your opponent not on a specific hand, but rather on a spectrum of hands – is a critical skill in poker, no matter what format you play. While there will be some (precious few) times you can call your opponent’s hand exactly, the majority of the time [...]

Basic odds for all in situations in hold em

If you play any form of tournament poker (especially SNGs or turbos), you’re going to find yourself facing various types of potential all-in situations. The first step in handling those situations properly is to know the fundamental odds involved. Below, we’ve listed the basic probabilities involved in common all in situations.

Understanding these odds [...]

Managing your online poker game

There’s a step between being a casual online player and a serious online player that a lot of players don’t take, and it probably hurts them in the long run. I’m not talking about the decision to become a pro and devoting all your time to poker. I’m simply talking about making a transition from [...]

Assumptions you shouldn’t make when playing online poker

I think everyone is guilty of making assumptions to a certain extent when playing poker. Overcoming and dismissing some of the predetermined ideas you have in your head every time you sit at a table might be one of the biggest obstacles for some poker players.
The ideas I cover here are more applicable to online [...]

Common-sense tips for improving your online game

I’ll start off this article by saying this: Hopefully, you probably know a lot of what I am about to tell you. At least subconsciously. This is meant to be a “common-sense” refresher for the casual or serious online player. Because knowing something and putting it into practice in reality are two different things.
In [...]

A basic guide to data mining in online poker

UPDATES: Since this article was published, some rooms now prohibit the use of Idleminer. Check with rooms before purchasing.
In an era of increasingly tough online games, if you’re not collecting (and utilizing) data on your online opponents, you’re giving up a pretty significant edge. This article is intended to provide a [...]

Insights at the poker table

I’ve always thought it fortunate that you don’t have to be a genius to play winning hold ‘em. As complex and mystifying as the game can be, it’s not rocket science. You can go a long way in this game on the strength of common sense, experience, and a healthy dose of discipline. Though the [...]

Session stages and player identities

There are few skills more critical at a poker table than the ability to take small pieces of information about your opponents and to extract from those pieces larger conclusions about how they’re likely to play. One thing to consider when you’re attempting to generalize about your opponents is the fact that people are [...]

Branching out from no-limit hold’em

I’m always amazed by the number of people who play poker – both online and in home games – who play no-limit hold’em exclusively. I’ve even seen people sign up for low buy in non-NLH tournaments who apparently didn’t mean to (“I thought this was a hold’em tournament”). And they’ll proceed to either ask [...]

Surviving long sessions

No work, no school, girlfriend or wife is out of town, just bored for a few days – reasons can be found to play poker as long as the eyes stay open. And when the game is REAL good it’s tempting to never leave. What most players don’t realize is this – playing an epic [...]

Bluffing in low-limit games and low buy-in tournaments

Perhaps this article would be more appropriately titled: “Don’t bluff in low-limit cash games and low buy-in tournaments.” I think most online players who play these kinds of games – those who are trying to build bankrolls, or who are trying to win lots of smaller games to profit – will agree that you can [...]

One Time I Heard This Guy Say… Life’s Clichés and Poker Tips – Good “Cents” Applies to Us All!

Hey Fellow players, I’m back. The folks at PTP asked me to work on some of the top poker tips and relay that information to our readership. “No problem,” I told my boss, “I’ll just jump on the net and get right on that.” and fired up the old computer. My next [...]

The little blue article

I’m flying high over the Grand Canyon with newbie rock gods Wolfmother, and we’re all about to die . . . OK, not exactly. My flight from Vegas to Denver IS somewhere near the Grand Canyon right now and the air IS a bit choppy. And I AM listening to Wolfmother on my IPod. If [...]

Using the tools to stay focused in online poker

Winning at online poker is all about staying focused on profitable activity and avoiding unprofitable activity, just like in business. That really is the secret to success in either venture – staying focused and using your time wisely. Fortunately, online poker rooms provide you with all the tools you need to do just that.
Yes, [...]

Friendly poker?

I’m rapidly approaching my one-year anniversary of playing poker for a living and among poker authors, this alone is cause for an article. It’s strange to think of this moment as a cause for celebration or even mentioning in an article – seems self serving, like blowing my own horn. But I would be lying [...]

Meditations of pokus professionalius (things I know to be true about poker)

Awhile back I saw the movie 300 at the IMAX in the Palms Casino with two friends of mine. I’d never seen a Hollywood movie in IMAX, just educational titles like ‘To the Moon’ or ‘This Green Earth’ when I was, like, in grade school. Although I really didn’t care for the movie 300, seeing [...]

Position is everything!

Position is everything! Let me repeat that, position is everything! Most new players do not utilize what I believe is the most important factor in decision making and hand choice at the card table. I am going to just give a basic run down for newer players of what position means and its importance. These [...]

Strategies for avoiding cascading errors

Poker players make mistakes for a variety of reasons – a lack of information, an off-kilter emotional state, a patch of temporary insanity, and so on. Each time you make a mistake, you probably spend some time immediately afterward playing detective in an attempt to uncover the root of the error. This type [...]

5 tips for getting more out of your poker books

Poker books are a great investment that can pay serious dividends for your game. The great thing about books is how much they can do for your game if you’re just willing to put a in a little effort above and beyond a once-and-done skimming. Here’s a list of quick tips for increasing the return [...]

Speaking at the table – what do your opponents mean when they say what they say?

People give away a lot more with their chatter than they realize when they’re playing live poker – especially in tournaments, where people tend to loosen up with those around them (since they’re expecting to be there for a decent amount of time). While it’s impossible to ever be 100% sure of what a person [...]

Poker and Your Significant Other

Hobbies are great for killing two things: time and relationships. No matter how innocuous a hobby might seem at first, you can be sure that somewhere within those instructions for constructing a ship-in-a-bottle lurks a potential pitfall for you and your significant other. Some hobbies present more of a threat than others: golf, [...]

Dealing with the emotional impact of bad runs in poker

Bad runs are sort of like the in-laws of your poker experience. You know they’re inevitably going to show up, even if you aren’t always sure when or why, you know that no matter how hard you try, there’s nothing you can really do to make the experience any better, and, worst of all, [...]

Playing an Unfamiliar Opponent in No Limit Hold’em

Many times in poker you will find yourself facing unfamiliar opponents. If you play in a regular home game, at a small casino, or only at very specific tables online, you may have intimate knowledge of who you are facing. Otherwise, you are likely to be up against players who are completely new to you. [...]

Last Things First

It was Monday and it was raining. I woke up around 4 p.m., not really from a deep sleep but more of a long, focused period of eyes-closed time. I was too excited to do any real resting. When my alarm clock on my cell phone chirped, I popped up, turned it off, and within [...]

The Pitfalls of Poker as a Profession

Well, I’ve been an official poker “pro” (and I use that term loosely) for the last 5 months now, and it has not been working out as well as I had hoped. When I started out playing full time this March, I had about $10,000 to work with in my bankroll, and I told [...]

Hello Kids, My Name is John and I’m Still in Recovery

Man-law speaks of few times when a dude can cry and other dudes should understand the emotional outburst. For example, say your buddy’s dog dies, he gets kicked in the balls by a psycho ex-girlfriend, or he loses something meaningful like a Sweet Sixteen game; perhaps 60 percent of his bankroll in a crappy [...]

The Catholic Casino – Lessons in Game Selection

Last Saturday, I volunteered to help out my father and work his booth at the St. Joseph Orphans picnic. For those of you not familliar with the Catholic picnic circuit in Louisville, St. Joe’s picnic is the picnic to end all picnics in the city of Louisville, and every year around the 2nd week [...]

Your Psychological Bankroll and Managing Risk

You’ll hear the term bankroll thrown around in poker circles and it usually pertains to the amount of money that you have available strictly for poker playing. This is what the term is meant to describe in a perfect world. However, a majority of poker players do not have a “bankroll” per se. They have [...]

Podcast: When the Best Play Isn’t the Right Play for You.

This Podcast from Part Time Poker focuses on the gap between theory and practice in poker and offers examples of a few spots where the best play in a perfect world might not work out as well as it seems it should when you’re actually at the table.
Click on the link below to play the [...]

Prop Masseuse-ing in Tunica

If you know anything about the life of a prop poker player, then you’ll appreciate the following story from my latest poker trip to Tunica.
There I was, minding my own business in a $2-5 NL ring game, when a lovely young message therapist named Jenny approached our table. If you are anything [...]

Don’t Bang on The Aquarium!

Recently on a poker trip to Tunica, MS, I was in a $2-5 NL cash game at Binion’s Horseshoe. A Korean lady, Misty, who I play poker with all the time at my local casino in Louisville, KY, happened to be in the game. Misty, who is VERY loose and VERY aggressive, was [...]

God, Why Did I Call That? (A Brief Overview of Common Decision-Making Errors).

Admit it – there’s been a time or two where you’re at the poker table and found yourself asleep at the wheel. Your mouth opens, your hands move, and before you know what’s happened, you’ve made a bet or called a raise with no rhyme or reason. Every once in awhile these blunders work out [...]

Can Nintendo Make You Better at Poker?

I know about 98% of the people reading this article are praying for a positive answer to the title question. There’s a natural crossover between poker players and video game players, especially in the online poker player community.
Even if were just posing the question as a sweeping, general one, the answer would probably be yes. [...]

Trimming up Your Poker Strategy with Occam’s Razor

You Could Learn A Lot From A 14th Century Franciscan Friar …… And not just about theology, life before the printing press or how to pull off those haircuts where the crown is shaved, but a ring of curls remains along the edges. You could, in fact, learn a decent amount about poker, at [...]

Poker Peer Pressure – How Other Players Impact Your Games Just by Being There

Peer pressure is a subject that gets a lot of attention in discussions regarding juvenile behavior, but it’s a powerful force for adults as well. Poker is so reliant on interaction and power that it creates an environment where peer pressure can be an especially strong factor in decision-making, particularly for newer players or [...]

Update On My New Year’s Resolutions

My last article consisted of my New Year’s resolutions pertaining to poker. They included bankroll issues, (bad) preflop calls, reading and studying more, the length of my sessions, and tournaments/live play. For what it’s worth, here’s an update on my progress so far.
Bankroll-
2005: I stated in my last article that “I have [...]

My New Year’s Poker Resolutions

2006 is on its way and that can only mean one thing: New Year’s Resolutions. So without keeping you on the edge too long, here are a few of mine that can be useful for anyone trying to improve his game and win some money to pay off those holiday credit card bills.
Bankroll- [...]

So Why Didn’t I Leave?

The story I’m about to relate should be so familiar to most readers that I feel pretty comfortable telling it in a severely abridged form. I was at the casino playing some no limit holdem. I was up a modest amount after 5 hours of play. A small voice started nagging me [...]

Poker Bankroll Management 102

This was going to be 100 or 101 reasons why you shouldn’t play above your bankroll, but ya know – there just aren’t that many reasons worth putting in a list so you’ll get the ones worth listing.
Players watch games and see ‘bad’ play, often what they don’t realize is that the play is [...]

Poker Odds 101: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

This is the first in a series of articles that cover some very basic, fundamental poker concepts. If you’ve been playing for a while or have read more than one poker book, this is almost certainly refresher material. However, for the new folks around here that are just getting started and want to improve their [...]

Don’t get great at poker, just get good

If you’re an avid consumer of sports media, you’ll have noticed that over the last year or so there’s been a bit of a growing backlash against sport giant ESPN for what some have awkwardly coined the “highlitization” of sports – in short, that the cable giants focus on highlights has been one of the [...]

How Bad is a Bad Beat?

Everyone starts off getting frustrated by bad beats, it’s not a sign of poor play, or bad decisions, but rather just the smaller percentages taking their course. At times I felt like I was being beat up on by lady luck, but now I don’t see bad beats the same at all.
A few months [...]

Threats to Your Poker Bankroll

Most newer players severely underestimate the importance of a solid bankroll. The benefits of a bankroll is a topic we’ll discuss in a later article; what I’d like to focus on here are risks that players take with their developing bankrolls all too often. Avoid these risks and you’ll be well on your way to [...]

Tips For Playing Multiple Tables Online

As you get more comfortable playing poker online, you’ll naturally start to think “hey, I make money playing one table – if I played two tables, I would make double the money! three tables, triple!” and so on. Well there are a few reasons why you might want to think twice about playing as many [...]

Considering the Impact of Rake When Playing Online or Live Poker

A lot of new poker players start at an online poker site because of a deposit bonus or because their friends play there; in the case of B&M casinos it may simply be a matter of location. What often isn’t on the top of a player’s list for choosing a room however, is the rake, [...]

Tips for Pulling an Online Poker All Nighter

As a newer online poker player, you’re probably about to have this experience: one night the cards are running good, the action is fast, you decide to make a late-night pot of coffee and then presto! It’s 8am. If you’re someone who has been playing for a bit, that scenario probably sounds just a bit [...]

Strategies For Getting the Most Out of Online Poker Deposit Bonuses

There probably isn’t an online card room without some kind of bonus offer for your first deposit. Before rushing in to a new site to grab the bonus however, consider a few things:
1) Read the terms and conditions. Carefully. If there aren’t terms and conditions, laugh and move on. If the bonus offer is SO [...]

Thoughts on Moving to a New Online Poker Site

One day, while perusing your favorite site for poker info, you notice an ad for an online poker room with an attractive deposit bonus offer. Having a little extra cash, you sign up, deposit, and start playing your regular game. Only thing is, while you crush this game at your old site, you’re taking a [...]

What Books Should You Read on Limit Hold Em Poker?

Reading the right poker books when you’re just starting out in limit hold ‘em can make a big difference in your poker experience. People form habits quickly; read the right books and you’ll form good ones, read the wrong ones [or none at all] and you’ll blow a lot of money learning the hard way. [...]

On NOT Complaining in Online Poker Chat

So you’re playing poker online and some guy, or gal, just cracked your flopped set of aces with a runner gut-shot. And they capped the whole way! Unreal! They must be taught a lesson! They must pay for their transgressions! You’ll show them … in chat!
Oh, come on, no you won’t. Or you shouldn’t, anyhow. [...]

General Tips for Good Online Poker Note Keeping

Notes are an often overlooked, absolutely essential way of improving your online poker game. Some general pointers:
1) Notes have to be dynamic. Jotting down a sentence or two on a player is great, but not so helpful if you don’t keep adding to it.
2) Notes have to be scientific. Your notes should begin as a [...]

Why You Shouldn’t Play No Limit Hold ‘Em … Yet.

It’s the game they play on TV and, now, in frat houses across the nation – No Limit Texas Holdem. It’s the “Cadillac of poker,” so if I’m just starting, that’s the game I should play, right? Uh-huh, uh-huh … no. not under any circumstances.
While NL is certainly more glamorous, exciting, and better suited for [...]

Strategies for a Smooth Poker Road Trip

If you’re just starting to play live, here are some quick tips to make the trips go a little smoother [and possibly cheaper].
1) If you plan on staying for a few days, call the hotel and ask them if they offer a poker room rate. Almost every casino will offer you a significant discount on [...]

Session Stages and Player Identities

There are few skills more critical at a poker table than the ability to take small pieces of information about your opponents and to extract from those pieces larger conclusions about how they’re likely to play. One thing to consider when you’re attempting to generalize about your opponents is the fact that people are [...]