Blog - May 2007
May 27th, 2007
This week, a review of Real Poker Training and a good article that deconstructs the straddle.
First up, Shane gives you a review of Real Poker Training, the latest entry in the online poker trainer market:
RPT is an online resource for the intermediate to advanced poker player for helping to improve an already existent game. While there are basic documents for the pure neophyte to learn, the value of the site comes mostly from the online pros taking you through their thought processes in actual game videos.
Primarily dedicated to NL Texas Hold’em (both MTTs and SnGs), there are resources for the FL Hold’em, and cash players. Additionally, PLO and 5-card draw have dedicated strategy guide and video sections.
More
Next, John takes apart The Straddle in No Limit Hold em:
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 definition of straddling each other is far from blah, but you’re still going to be in for one hell of a ride! (pun intended)
In a poker room, ‘I straddle’ is often received with mixed emotions, but the definition is understood – ‘I straddle’ means I’m going to put up a voluntary blind bet and the action starts on my left. And like the other two straddles above, when you straddle in a game sometimes your stack will fall hard and sometimes your stack will, uh, rise. Whether or not the straddle is a profitable play depends on how well you understand it and utilize it.
Whole thing
May 20th 2007
Hey all
Two new strategy articles this week on PTP. Here’s the rundown:
John offers up his take on Phil Gordon, live play and marginal NL holdem situations in 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 we did die, I wouldn’t be able to send this article to Chris. So why would I open this piece that way? I’m a big fan of the movie Almost Famous and I thought it’d be cool to pay homage.
In addition to soaring, I’m also wrapping up one hell of a poker book, Phil Gordon’s Little Blue Book. His wisdom is not for the beginning player as I think it will fall on deaf, inexperienced ears. Noobs just can’t ‘get it’ and some things he says could be taken out of context and put to disastrous application. But if you’re a mid-level player looking to hit another level, in my opinion Gordon has a lot to contribute to your game. My good friend and poker pro AaronC (occasional part time poker author and lounge fly in the PTP forums) said when he’s at the table, he can often hear Gordon’s words when he’s considering a tough decision. That’s strong, especially coming from a player as good as Aaron. Some pros, like PTP’s Chris think this book has little to offer experienced players. I disagree, as sometimes it’s important to be able to verbalize what you already know. And Gordon does that well.
We’ve also got a solid effort from a member over at online staking site NeverBeg.com - read his take on Tight Aggressive versus Loose Aggressive styles in no limit holdem
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 Sklansky states in The Theory of Poker, is incorrect (27). Whether to be tight or loose and when to adopt either style will be determined by comparing and contrasting the two styles, listing their advantages and disadvantages, and applying the findings in a logical fashion. However, to even understand the differences between the two styles, a player must first understand the game.
In No-Limit Texas Hold’em, each player is dealt two down cards which the player does not show his opponents. The two blinds are placed on the table, required bets in order to force the action, and are posted directly to the left of the dealer. A round of betting occurs, starting with the person to the left of the big blind (the person to the left of the button goes first in each of the following rounds). Three community cards, known as the flop, are dealt face up. Another round of betting occurs, and a fourth card, the turn, is dealt face up. A third round of betting takes place and the final card, the river, is turned face up. The last round of betting takes place and the person with the best 5-card poker hand wins the pot. >>> WHOLE THING
That’s that.
May 13th, 2007
Hey there
Two new additions to the PTP strategy library for this second week of May. First up, we’ve got Andrew offering a good common-sense guide to Using the Tools To Stay Focused Online:
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, I said that ALL the tools you need for success at online poker are provided by the poker room. You don’t need any extra, off-site tools or programs. I know that many players love these things, but I would strictly advise new students of the game to stay away from them. The most popular of these is Poker Tracker. It’s one heck of a program. Don’t use it. Why? Because it is a great distraction and can easily be the cause of losing your focus on what really matters.
In No Limit Hold’em, the game offering the best opportunity to make a living in by far, there are only two things that are really important. They are: 1. Playing against somebody who is willing to put all their chips in with only one pair after the flop, and 2. Not playing a losing game the rest of the time. This is of course assuming that you are a good player (and therefore would never put all your chips in with just one pair after the flop) – and it is further assuming that “all your chips’ constitutes a large stack, much bigger than the pot.
>>Whole Thing
… and then we’ve got an entry from one of our members over at the popular online staking site NeverBeg.com - Joe’s done you a nifty little favor and assembled a quality rundown of the Fundamentals to Low Limit 6-max NL 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 microNL 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 it is one of the biggest aspects of the game that is frequently overlooked by beginners (and even experienced players). This will probably get a big yawn out of some people but I cannot stress the importance of position enough if you want to play a profitable game.
It is important to understand that the strength of your hand is relative to how many players are still waiting to act behind you and whether you’ll be in or out of position after the flop. I’ll try a general analogy to explain it better. Suppose you are one of 5 people in a line that are given a random number ranging from 1 to 10. You are first in line and you are given the number 7, would you bet me 20$ that your number is highest than all 4 people behind you? What if you were next to last on line, and given the number 7 again? Would you bet that your number is higher than the person behind you? I know I sure would. If you are first in line, the number 7 has around a 13% chance to be the highest number of the 5, if you are next to last it has a 60% of being higher than the number of the person is holding behind you. Not brain surgery here, but it’s this same concept that many people ignore on the poker table. This is why standard opening ranges change with your position relative to the button.
>>Whole Thing
See you next week
Team PTP
May 6th, 2007
New this week on PTP:
We’ve got a review of Matthew Hilgers ‘Texas Hold’em Odds and Probabilities’, a resource for - you guessed it - the essential math of hold’em. Excerpt:
Matthew Hilger has written one other poker book, “Internet Texas Hold’em”, published in 2003. He also has a poker website and publishing business. His most noted tournament success is perhaps winning the 2002 New Zealand Poker Championship. He has also played extensively online. His background and work experience is in the field of finance.
Overview:
The focus of this book is the application of odds and probabilities to the most common forms of Texas Hold’em poker, for players that currently have limited understanding of odds and probabilities or how to calculate them. This should probably be considered a beginner’s text; although some experienced players need to learn the material. These applications are for fixed limit Hold’em cash games, no limit Hold’em cash games and no limit Hold’em tournaments. The reader is assumed to know how to play Hold’em and to be familiar with basic poker strategies. A partial quote from the book (page 127) sums it up fairly well. To wit, “This book focuses specifically on how odds and probabilities can be used to make good poker decisions. The first step is learning the mathematical foundation of poker including how much you ought to bet. Once you master the foundation, you can then learn the more advanced plays in terms of the psychology to use against each individual opponent.”
Whole thing.
Also, in tournament strategy, we’ve got Stephens Guide to building a roll through low-limit 6-max turbo NL SNG’s.
Have a good one.
Team PTP
