Poker is a Battlefield

Much like the Jordin Sparks song, Poker is also a battlefield. By that I mean several things. First, it is a war, each hand acting as a unique battle within that war. It is very possible for you to lose the majority of the battles and still win the war. Secondly, and more importantly, you have to have the ability to dodge bullets as well as fire them. Which brings me to probably the greatest laydown I have ever seen, by none other than my man Phil Hellmuth. Seeing this great fold reminds me of 2 of my own that happened in the same tournament last week.

Scenario 1: I am first to act and look down to see one of my favorite hands, AK offsuit. I raise my normal raise of 3x the big blind. It folds around to the seat before the button who calls. The button also calls and the 2 blinds fold leaving a 3 man pot with me out of position acting first. The flop is a dream though, K98 rainbow, leaving me with top pair and top kicker. I make a pot sized bet which gets raised all-in by the next player and immediately called by the player on the button. Meanwhile, I am stunned by these events. On the flop I was certain I had the best hand and that the other two players would likely fold. These two all-ins would suggest otherwise. To figure out exactly where I was at in the hand I had to look back and examine what hands my opponents could possibly have.

The first caller would not likely have AA or KK or he probably would have reraised me. He could have a lesser hand like KQ or KJ but would be be willing to risk his tournament with a mediocre kicker? I put him on a middle pair, JJ-88. My other opponent on the button could have the same range of hands as well. One thing I could be certain of was that at least one of them had a king or made a set. I thought for a long time before begrudgingly laying down my hand. It turns out my read had been spot on, the raised had 99 for a set of 9's and the caller had AK as well and was busted out of the tournament. Most players would see this flop and think, "I have AK and I hit my king, I have a very good hand and should call as well". While you do have a very good hand, your opponents are making it clear that you probably don't have the BEST hand.

Scenario 2: I have made it down to 3 players in the same tournament and have about 5,000 in chips. Another player has 7,000 and the short stack has 1,500. The player 1st to act has 7,000 and calls. I look down and see the Hardy Boys, KK. I am in the small blind and raise it up 4x the big blind and the player calls. The flop is again perfect for me, 962 with 2 clubs. While I am sure I have the best hand now, I don't want to check and give my opponent a card to hit a club or an Ace, so I make a bet of 1,000, a pretty large bet that leaves me with 3,000 chips. My opponent, the same one who had hit a set and gone all-in earlier, moves all in. Could this guy really have the best hand? As the timer ticked away I thought about the range of hands he could have. He only called before the flop, usually if you have two big cards you tend to raise before the flop to protect your hand. If he had AA he might have been slow playing them, in which case I'd be crushed. He also could have a small pair, 77-22, that he was trying to see if he could see the flop cheaply for. Based on his play throughout the tournament, I felt as if he would have raised if he had an overpair like QQ-1010 as well. He wasn't the type of player to push all in with just a flush draw either. I ended up putting him on the small pair and watched as my time expired and my hand was folded. He was kind enough to show me his 66 for a set of 6's. I stayed alive and ended up getting 2nd in the tournament.

The moral of the story is to really think through the way the hand played out and why your opponent chose to act as he did. Don't just look at your hand, think that it's pretty good, and push all your chips in. Inevitably you will make some wrong reads and end up laying down the best hand, but I would rather live to fight another day than be busted on a close decision.

Poker Fans Rejoice!

This weekend was the first no limit hold'em match up featuring all of your beloved blogging favorites. Of course if you had placed your bets on anyone but yours truly taking home the cash you'd have walked home with egg on your face. Picture this... Heads up some chump and the professor... Chip lead gets tossed around like a cheap whore... than, out of nowhere the professor rallies and drops the hammer! Played that fool like a beautifully tuned fiddle, "sorry brosiff" I says "two pair beats solo pair." Then I pounded a beer... bottoms!

But this blog is more than a chance for pro pain to gloat, even though I love it.

Poker Tip(s):

"Reading" your opponents.

If there is one strategy that is over looked in the world of online poker it would have to be the ability to "read" your opponents. Of course when you play real poker you want to look and act confident, so... you sport your shades, pop in your ear buds and sip ever so slowly from your bourbon on the rocks. But playing online poker requires you to be a much more clever investigator.

-While playing, watch the hands, all off em, even the ones you arent playing. Carefully note oddities and clues.

-Also watch for immediate calling by others. This isnt fool proof but it can give you a sense of what your up against. If someone checks, you bet and they jump on that thing... proceed with caution.

-Watching for hesitant calling is also a good way of judging the oppositions hands. If some newb thinks about your small raise for a bit too long take him to the bank!

- Finally, as Sermius previously noted, watch your table position. If you have a decent hand but everyone before you calls, muck that shit. Dont get caught with a knife at a gun fight.

Well thats all for today, sorry the linking was lackluster but if you check the comment on Sermius' last post it may make up for it.

P.S-Sermius still owes me $5, ill let you know if he repays.

The Fickle Game

There is only one thing that is certain in the game of Poker: You WILL lose. You will suffer seemingly endless amounts of bad beats, unlucky drawouts, and horrendous plays that always seem to suck out against you. Almost all players, from Doyle Brunson to the two great Phils, Ivey and Hellmuth, have gone on terrible losing streaks and gone broke many times. But to be a successful poker player you have to play the percentages, and understand it is a game of patience. You may go bust 10 straight times when you have a 70% to 30% advantage and get drawn out. It happens to the best of us. Fortunately for us, the percentages WILL even out over the long run, its just the nature of mathematics.

So I guess this rant has 2 main points to it.

1. If you are serious about playing online poker, start with a high enough bankroll to be able to withstand these inevitable swings of luck. There is no set amount you should start with, but many poker pros believe that 20 times the amount of the tournament buy-in is a safe amount to start with.

2. Don't go on tilt. When you lose a tough hand, you aren't thinking as clear as you normally would about the next hand. It is just one hand, and there will be many others to play. Continue to play your game and avoid making reckless decisions trying to make up for the chips you just lost.

Lesson 1

To start this blog off I am going to assume all readers have a basic understanding of the game in question, No Limit Texas Hold'em.

I'll start off with an important lesson, and one that is often overlooked, position. Your position determines what hands you can play and how much information you have. The closer to the button you are, the better. For example, in a 9 player game I might raise with A8 on the button with no previous callers, but if I am first to act I will likely fold it.

Understanding that farther you are from the button the better your starting hand must be, and conversely the closer you are the looser you can play is the first step in improving your poker game!

Gettin Wet

Its been quite awhile since I have actually played online poker (3 years actually), but Ive started to reintroduce myself to the water.

To be honest I've played four games in the past week and haven't placed quite yet but even a blind squirrel finds a nut. But I'm not doing this for just any nut, I'm doing it for THE NUTS, so the poker world beware cause here comes Pro Pain.

Poker tip: Get pumped up before taking down some serious chips; whether its eating your favorite comfort foods, listening to some kick ass jams or enjoying a tall bloody Mary. Getting yourself in the game is always the first step towards taking home the gold.

Your friend- Pro Pain

A Poker Observers Stab at the Truth

Having watched much more poker than I have actually played, this portion of the blog will be devoted to a thorough exploration of the game, by a definite “outsider”. As I reflected on my knowledge and ideas of poker, I realized I knew little to nothing about the actual history or origins of the game. Beyond the tangible history of poker, is the irrefutable impact poker has had on modern culture. I will also track the economic, cultural and possibly even political impacts that poker has had on our country and world.

Sound boring? Well that is exactly what I'm going for, ask anyone I am the most boring person you will every meet.

So where to begin? As I scour the Internet for relevant facts, journals, statistics, etc. you will, I’m sure, wait with baited breath for the enlightened products of my exhaustive research.

Enjoy!?

Welcome!

Welcome to this blog about improving your online poker game! While I can't speak for my esteemed colleagues, my posts will be about Limit/No Limit Hold'em basics, strategies, and particular hands and experiences I have encountered. I generally play about 2 tournaments a week and will also update with my results!

-Sermius