Hello,
I have been really busy lately. Even my poker playing has been down. Although the results have been great. I play in a free poker league Panther Poker that plays in South East Michigan. Over the last 5 tournaments I have 3 Wins and 1 Second...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Free Poker in Southeastern Michigan
Hello,
If you are looking to play Texas hold em in a learning environment with a great group of people look no further that the Panther Poker League Just visit their site and get into the fun
If you are looking to play Texas hold em in a learning environment with a great group of people look no further that the Panther Poker League Just visit their site and get into the fun
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Belleville Moose Tournament Results 4/12
Hello,
I played in a Tournament this past weekend. I decided going in that I would play tight good poker to try and make the cutoff or even better...
For the first 2.5 Hours I was unable to get a great hand or get into any action... After the first break they moved me to another table. I had about 8,000 - 9,000 Chips with the blinds at 1,000 - 2,000. Im the next 10 hands I made my move. I got Pocket Queens once and Pocket Aces Twice during that stretch. I ran all the way up to 55,000 in chips.
But the run of good cards stopped. I ended up reaching the final table with 20,000 chips and the blinds being 5,000 - 10,000. I stuck around as long as I could and finaly got knocked out in 7th place.
There were 108 people in the tournament I received 130 + 15 dollars in Bounty Chips(5 dollars each for eliminating people.)
It was a blast...
I played in a Tournament this past weekend. I decided going in that I would play tight good poker to try and make the cutoff or even better...
For the first 2.5 Hours I was unable to get a great hand or get into any action... After the first break they moved me to another table. I had about 8,000 - 9,000 Chips with the blinds at 1,000 - 2,000. Im the next 10 hands I made my move. I got Pocket Queens once and Pocket Aces Twice during that stretch. I ran all the way up to 55,000 in chips.
But the run of good cards stopped. I ended up reaching the final table with 20,000 chips and the blinds being 5,000 - 10,000. I stuck around as long as I could and finaly got knocked out in 7th place.
There were 108 people in the tournament I received 130 + 15 dollars in Bounty Chips(5 dollars each for eliminating people.)
It was a blast...
Friday, October 26, 2007
When To "Smooth Call" Your Opponents
OK, let's talk about the "smooth call".
A smooth call is when you're holding a REALLY GOOD hand and someone bets into you... but instead of RAISING, you simply CALL.
The smooth call is VERY POWERFUL, but a lot of players totally mess it up. Here's how to do it RIGHT...
Let's say you're playing a cash game of no-limit holdem at a 10-man table. The blinds are $5-10.
You're sixth to act before the flop (good
positioning) and you pick up pocket Aces...
Nice!
A couple players limp-in and the action is to Drew, who's an aggressive player.
He makes it $125 to play.
This is a rather large pre-flop raise at this table. The normal pre-flop raise has been between $50 and $75 up to this point.
You immediately put Drew on something like pocket Jacks or tens.
Why?
Because you know that if someone makes an UNUSUALLY large pre-flop raise, it's probably because they have a hand they DON'T want to play.
And quite often that hand is 10's or J's.
So anyway, the next guy folds and now the action is to you with your monster American Airlines.
What should you do?
This is an ideal situation for a smooth call.
Here's why:
You know Drew is going to bet again after the
flop-- regardless of what hits-- since he made such a large pre-flop raise.
And you also know that you've got Drew beat right now. If you call his bet, there's no way he's going to put you on Aces.
If you RAISE, Drew is going to be scared. Because RAISING after a big bet means you must have a monster. And that basically gives away your hand.
OK, so you make a smooth call and put $125 in the middle.
Everyone else mucks their cards, so it's just you and Drew to see the flop.
The flop comes out a "rainbow" (which means there are three different suits on the board):
8-7-4
This is the perfect flop for you. You figure Drew has a pocket pair HIGHER than the cards on the board, which means he'll be confident betting his hand.
The only thing to be WORRIED about is if Drew has pocket 8's, since that would mean he just made trips. If he DID have trips, he'd probably check after the flop and fake weakness.
So anyway, the action is to Drew and... as expected... he comes out firing a $250 bet.
What now?
Well, you could come back over the top of him and take this pot right now. Or you can do ANOTHER smooth call and go for the kill.
You think for a few moments... hesitate... then smooth call.
The turn card comes and it's a four, which is PERFECT for you.
Drew doesn't hesitate and puts his last $500 into the pot now... thinking he has the best hand.
You call, and throw over your monster Aces.
Drew shakes his head in disgust and throws over his pocket Queens.
And you win a massive pot.
Now, that's basically the "ideal" way the smooth call works. Let's discuss the RIGHT CONDITIONS when you'll want to make a smooth call... and how you can add this powerful move to your "poker toolbox"...
*** CONDITIONS FOR A SMOOTH CALL ***
The smooth call is the combination of two main
components:
ANTICIPATION + SLOW-PLAYING
The INTENTION of the smooth call is to FOOL your opponents while letting them dig their own grave.
Here's what I mean...
The smooth call operates on the fact that you ANTICIPATE that your opponents will continue betting... AND... that you have the best hand at the table.
When your opponents think THEY have the best hand, they'll be confident with their betting. They'll become pot-committed... and will get frustrated that you won't back down.
That's when they'll make a mistake and go all-in, or simply bet too much, and you'll come out on top.
There are four main "conditions" for performing a smooth call... Here they are:
1. You don't need to figure out where you're at, because you KNOW you have the best hand.
2. You ANTICIPATE future bets from your opponent.
3. You have good positioning.
4. You're not worried about too many players getting in the hand.
The first condition basically means you should only smooth call when you have really good hands.
We'll talk about the EXACT hands to smooth call with more in a minute.
We've already gone over the second condition...
you need to ANTICIPATE future bets from your opponent. Most of the time, players who raise before the flop will bet AGAIN after the flop.
The third condition is POSITIONING. You can't perform a smooth call if you're first to act. Then what you're doing is just check-calling your opponents... which ISN'T the same thing.
And the final condition for a smooth call is that you're not at risk of having lots of players in the hand.
This last condition is important because it will help you prevent bad beats.
Basically, when you have a monster hand before the flop, you want to narrow the field down to one or two callers...
If you have three or more players seeing the flop, your monster will get run down by someone who gets lucky.
In the example I shared earlier, Drew had made a large pre-flop raise of $125. That meant there was no danger of too many players calling...
If the pre-flop raise had been only $40 or so, it would NOT have been a good situation to smooth call... because the raise would have gotten multiple callers. And then you're at risk of a bad beat.
OK, so those are the conditions that need to be present in order to make a smooth call.
Remember, the REASON a smooth call is powerful is because it "represents" something like a draw, low pocket pair, or hand like A-K, A-Q, or K-Q.
If you smooth call before the flop, your opponent will probably put you on something like suited connectors, two face cards, or a low pocket pair.
After the flop comes out and your opponent THINKS he has you beat, he'll keep INCREASING his bet sizes to try to scare you out. This is a fundamental poker principle...
For each successive round of betting, the bets and raises will INCREASE. The bets after the flop will be larger than the bets before the flop. The bets after the turn will be larger than the bets after the flop. And so on.
In our example, if you came back over the top of Drew BEFORE the flop, he would have folded. That means you would have won his $125.
At MOST he may have called a $125 raise from you... but then would have check-folded after the flop. In that case, you would have won his $250.
But by smooth calling, you got BOTH his $125 bet
(pre-flop) and $250 bet (post-flop)... and then by smooth calling again you got his remaining $500.
The key is to trick your opponent into thinking he has the better hand... and let HIM take the offensive. If you can do that, you're money.
*** HANDS TO SMOOTH CALL WITH ***
You want to smooth call before the flop with hands like Aces or Kings. You DON'T want to smooth call with something like A-K or A-Q.
Big Slick is a great hand... don't get me wrong...
but it's not "complete". By itself, Big Slick is just an Ace high. If the flop doesn't help you and your opponent comes out firing, you're in trouble.
If you're going to smooth call after the flop or turn, you'll want to do it with hands like trips, two pair, or an over pair (like in our example).
Trips and two pair are usually "hidden" from your opponent, which is why they make great smooth call hands. (Remember, it's all about making your opponent think he's got the best of you.)
OK, TWO MORE THINGS to keep in mind...
First off, there are DANGERS to smooth calls. The main danger is if your opponent catches a better hand than you.
You should be ready for this if there's something on the board like a straight draw, flush draw, or two face cards.
Let's say you smooth call before the flop with pocket Kings and the flop comes out 3-Q-6, all diamonds.
If your opponent comes out firing aggressively, be careful. He wouldn't come out betting UNLESS he felt like he's still got you beat.
I mean, think about it: Those three diamonds are going to SCARE him... unless they HELPED him.
It's the same way with flops like 10-J-Q, K-K-5, K-Q-10, J-A-3, and so on. If there are two face cards out there, your opponent might have just made trips or two pair. If there's a straight draw on the board and he's not scared, YOU should be scared.
The second thing to think about is how you can INTEGRATE the smooth call into the rest of your game...
The smooth call is a "maneuver" or "play". It will bring you tons of extra pots and winnings when added to the STRONG FOUNDATION of your poker skills.
A smooth call is when you're holding a REALLY GOOD hand and someone bets into you... but instead of RAISING, you simply CALL.
The smooth call is VERY POWERFUL, but a lot of players totally mess it up. Here's how to do it RIGHT...
Let's say you're playing a cash game of no-limit holdem at a 10-man table. The blinds are $5-10.
You're sixth to act before the flop (good
positioning) and you pick up pocket Aces...
Nice!
A couple players limp-in and the action is to Drew, who's an aggressive player.
He makes it $125 to play.
This is a rather large pre-flop raise at this table. The normal pre-flop raise has been between $50 and $75 up to this point.
You immediately put Drew on something like pocket Jacks or tens.
Why?
Because you know that if someone makes an UNUSUALLY large pre-flop raise, it's probably because they have a hand they DON'T want to play.
And quite often that hand is 10's or J's.
So anyway, the next guy folds and now the action is to you with your monster American Airlines.
What should you do?
This is an ideal situation for a smooth call.
Here's why:
You know Drew is going to bet again after the
flop-- regardless of what hits-- since he made such a large pre-flop raise.
And you also know that you've got Drew beat right now. If you call his bet, there's no way he's going to put you on Aces.
If you RAISE, Drew is going to be scared. Because RAISING after a big bet means you must have a monster. And that basically gives away your hand.
OK, so you make a smooth call and put $125 in the middle.
Everyone else mucks their cards, so it's just you and Drew to see the flop.
The flop comes out a "rainbow" (which means there are three different suits on the board):
8-7-4
This is the perfect flop for you. You figure Drew has a pocket pair HIGHER than the cards on the board, which means he'll be confident betting his hand.
The only thing to be WORRIED about is if Drew has pocket 8's, since that would mean he just made trips. If he DID have trips, he'd probably check after the flop and fake weakness.
So anyway, the action is to Drew and... as expected... he comes out firing a $250 bet.
What now?
Well, you could come back over the top of him and take this pot right now. Or you can do ANOTHER smooth call and go for the kill.
You think for a few moments... hesitate... then smooth call.
The turn card comes and it's a four, which is PERFECT for you.
Drew doesn't hesitate and puts his last $500 into the pot now... thinking he has the best hand.
You call, and throw over your monster Aces.
Drew shakes his head in disgust and throws over his pocket Queens.
And you win a massive pot.
Now, that's basically the "ideal" way the smooth call works. Let's discuss the RIGHT CONDITIONS when you'll want to make a smooth call... and how you can add this powerful move to your "poker toolbox"...
*** CONDITIONS FOR A SMOOTH CALL ***
The smooth call is the combination of two main
components:
ANTICIPATION + SLOW-PLAYING
The INTENTION of the smooth call is to FOOL your opponents while letting them dig their own grave.
Here's what I mean...
The smooth call operates on the fact that you ANTICIPATE that your opponents will continue betting... AND... that you have the best hand at the table.
When your opponents think THEY have the best hand, they'll be confident with their betting. They'll become pot-committed... and will get frustrated that you won't back down.
That's when they'll make a mistake and go all-in, or simply bet too much, and you'll come out on top.
There are four main "conditions" for performing a smooth call... Here they are:
1. You don't need to figure out where you're at, because you KNOW you have the best hand.
2. You ANTICIPATE future bets from your opponent.
3. You have good positioning.
4. You're not worried about too many players getting in the hand.
The first condition basically means you should only smooth call when you have really good hands.
We'll talk about the EXACT hands to smooth call with more in a minute.
We've already gone over the second condition...
you need to ANTICIPATE future bets from your opponent. Most of the time, players who raise before the flop will bet AGAIN after the flop.
The third condition is POSITIONING. You can't perform a smooth call if you're first to act. Then what you're doing is just check-calling your opponents... which ISN'T the same thing.
And the final condition for a smooth call is that you're not at risk of having lots of players in the hand.
This last condition is important because it will help you prevent bad beats.
Basically, when you have a monster hand before the flop, you want to narrow the field down to one or two callers...
If you have three or more players seeing the flop, your monster will get run down by someone who gets lucky.
In the example I shared earlier, Drew had made a large pre-flop raise of $125. That meant there was no danger of too many players calling...
If the pre-flop raise had been only $40 or so, it would NOT have been a good situation to smooth call... because the raise would have gotten multiple callers. And then you're at risk of a bad beat.
OK, so those are the conditions that need to be present in order to make a smooth call.
Remember, the REASON a smooth call is powerful is because it "represents" something like a draw, low pocket pair, or hand like A-K, A-Q, or K-Q.
If you smooth call before the flop, your opponent will probably put you on something like suited connectors, two face cards, or a low pocket pair.
After the flop comes out and your opponent THINKS he has you beat, he'll keep INCREASING his bet sizes to try to scare you out. This is a fundamental poker principle...
For each successive round of betting, the bets and raises will INCREASE. The bets after the flop will be larger than the bets before the flop. The bets after the turn will be larger than the bets after the flop. And so on.
In our example, if you came back over the top of Drew BEFORE the flop, he would have folded. That means you would have won his $125.
At MOST he may have called a $125 raise from you... but then would have check-folded after the flop. In that case, you would have won his $250.
But by smooth calling, you got BOTH his $125 bet
(pre-flop) and $250 bet (post-flop)... and then by smooth calling again you got his remaining $500.
The key is to trick your opponent into thinking he has the better hand... and let HIM take the offensive. If you can do that, you're money.
*** HANDS TO SMOOTH CALL WITH ***
You want to smooth call before the flop with hands like Aces or Kings. You DON'T want to smooth call with something like A-K or A-Q.
Big Slick is a great hand... don't get me wrong...
but it's not "complete". By itself, Big Slick is just an Ace high. If the flop doesn't help you and your opponent comes out firing, you're in trouble.
If you're going to smooth call after the flop or turn, you'll want to do it with hands like trips, two pair, or an over pair (like in our example).
Trips and two pair are usually "hidden" from your opponent, which is why they make great smooth call hands. (Remember, it's all about making your opponent think he's got the best of you.)
OK, TWO MORE THINGS to keep in mind...
First off, there are DANGERS to smooth calls. The main danger is if your opponent catches a better hand than you.
You should be ready for this if there's something on the board like a straight draw, flush draw, or two face cards.
Let's say you smooth call before the flop with pocket Kings and the flop comes out 3-Q-6, all diamonds.
If your opponent comes out firing aggressively, be careful. He wouldn't come out betting UNLESS he felt like he's still got you beat.
I mean, think about it: Those three diamonds are going to SCARE him... unless they HELPED him.
It's the same way with flops like 10-J-Q, K-K-5, K-Q-10, J-A-3, and so on. If there are two face cards out there, your opponent might have just made trips or two pair. If there's a straight draw on the board and he's not scared, YOU should be scared.
The second thing to think about is how you can INTEGRATE the smooth call into the rest of your game...
The smooth call is a "maneuver" or "play". It will bring you tons of extra pots and winnings when added to the STRONG FOUNDATION of your poker skills.
Last Nights Action
I am a member of a Local Poke League. I will keep you updated on my standings in the league and some of the action during the games.
Rankings as of 10/25 5th out of 82
I dont play every day I usually play 2 - 3 times a week in the league. Last night was a good time I place 7th and 4th in the two tournaments that they played. We usually average 15 - 20 people per night.
First Tournament - Classic quick run to Chip Lead - I think it was the third hand I ended up with Pocket Aces. I was the dealer and two players before me raised. The Flop came out K 4 7 rainbow suit. The player fired out a bet. I called the turn was a 2. Once again he fired out a bet. I raised his bet and he called. The river was a 2. He checked I went all in. He made the call with K J and was crippled only to be taken out the next hand.
At the final table I made my mistake. I was Looking at A Q unsuited and raised 2 times the big blind. I considered 3 times but held off cause it would have crippled my stack. I allowed 2 people to call, One of them all in. and they each hit straits on low cards.
Second Tournament - Me and my freind were in a hand together that he had pre-flop raised. I ran a strait and call his bets only to find out he had a full house with his low pockets.
The story for me on the 2nd tourney was A Q was My friend I went all in 3 times with it and doubled up each time.
Thanks for reading...
Rankings as of 10/25 5th out of 82
I dont play every day I usually play 2 - 3 times a week in the league. Last night was a good time I place 7th and 4th in the two tournaments that they played. We usually average 15 - 20 people per night.
First Tournament - Classic quick run to Chip Lead - I think it was the third hand I ended up with Pocket Aces. I was the dealer and two players before me raised. The Flop came out K 4 7 rainbow suit. The player fired out a bet. I called the turn was a 2. Once again he fired out a bet. I raised his bet and he called. The river was a 2. He checked I went all in. He made the call with K J and was crippled only to be taken out the next hand.
At the final table I made my mistake. I was Looking at A Q unsuited and raised 2 times the big blind. I considered 3 times but held off cause it would have crippled my stack. I allowed 2 people to call, One of them all in. and they each hit straits on low cards.
Second Tournament - Me and my freind were in a hand together that he had pre-flop raised. I ran a strait and call his bets only to find out he had a full house with his low pockets.
The story for me on the 2nd tourney was A Q was My friend I went all in 3 times with it and doubled up each time.
Thanks for reading...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
How To Beat The Short Stack In Heads-Up Poker
Have you ever been in a heads-up poker match and realized just how much DIFFERENT one-on-one poker is from "regular" poker?
Most players learn strategies for winning no-limit Texas Holdem when there are 4... 6... 8... or 12 players at the table.
Not 2.
Yet, you can't win a game or a tournament without MASTERING heads-up play. In fact, heads-up play is perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of no-limit Holdem... and here's why:
If you can't win at heads-up poker, you'll never come in first place.
Period.
And I don't know about you, but I play to WIN. Not to come in second place.
Most players... when they make it to a heads-up match... are COMPLETELY CLUELESS and don't know what to do. Especially when it comes to DEFENDING a chip lead.
Why is that?
I think there are three main reasons...
1. Most players only make it to a heads-up match once in awhile.... so they have very little EXPERIENCE playing poker one-on-one.
2. The strategies for starting hands, odds, tells, and betting are so RADICALLY DIFFERENT for heads-up poker versus-- say, at an 8-man table-- that most players don't have the KNOWLEDGE needed.
3. Most players don't get to watch and study poker GREATS play heads-up Holdem, because even the greats will only make it to a heads-up match once in awhile.
With that said, let me share with you a rather EMBARRASSING story of how I got "schooled" in a heads-up match earlier in my poker career... and how I learned the "secrets" to winning in heads-up poker...
I had fought my way through a 100-man tournament, and found myself heads-up with someone named Brandon.
Brandon was (and is) a very skilled poker player who loves to push the action... but at the time, I wasn't intimidated by him. Because I thought I had this baby in the bag...
You see, I had been catching monster after monster in this tournament, and I had JUST finished knocking out two players at once with trip kings.
My chip lead was HUGE. 10 to 1 over Brandon, actually.
I was on a roll.
I had over $100,000 in chips, versus Brandon's $10,000, with the blinds at $500/$1000.
This thing is OVER, right?
The first hand I looked at was Q,9 while I was small blind. I limped in, and the action went to Brandon.
"All in," he said.
I folded.
I didn't want to give him the chance to double up.
The next hand was K,4 offsuit. Once again, Brandon went all-in.
I folded again, and Brandon raked in more blinds.
The next hand I was dealt was A,4. Brandon goes all-in AGAIN.
This time, I called.
He threw over pocket 4's. The flop, turn, and river come out:
K,7,9,2,Q
So I didn't hit my ace, and Brandon doubled up.
By this time, he was sitting on $24,000 in chips, and I was at $86,000.
The next few hands played out... and Brandon continued to go all-in time after time... and I continued to fold hands like K,7, Q,9, J,8, and so on.
I just didn't want to risk doubling him up AGAIN with such "mediocre" hands.
But before you knew it... it didn't matter.
Because I'd let Brandon right back into the game.
He had taken about 10 straight pots from me...
I was frustrated as all hell, and went on tilt.
As you probably guessed, I blew the rest of my chip lead and lost the match.
Honestly, I think this CHOKE should go down in the history books right next to the Yankees versus Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS.
Just writing this newsletter makes me SICK to my stomach.
Anyway, what's REALLY IMPORTANT is what I did AFTER I lost that tournament.
I called up my buddy Drew... and I told him he was going to come over and play in me $20 heads-up games.
I think Drew could hear the frustration (and
DESPERATION) in my voice... so he came right over.
We started playing at 7 P.m. and didn't finish until well after 5 A.M. in the morning. We completed OVER 50 GAMES THAT NIGHT...
Now let me tell you, I wouldn't trade that night for ANY other experience in my poker career.
It changed EVERYTHING for me.
And here's why:
Because I crammed in YEARS of heads-up experience into that one night...
I learned how to play with a big chip lead... how to play when I was short-stacked... how to "lean"
on my opponent with a small chip lead... and so on and so on.
And since then, I've done this same exercise with TONS of other poker players... to keep my skills FRESH and to master the techniques needed to win against different playing styles.
When I was up against Brandon in that tournament, I had made a TON of mistakes.
You see, when you have a big chip lead in heads-up action, the first secret is YOU MUST ATTACK.
To get a perspective on this, think about how you play when you're the SHORT STACK...
You're prepared to go all-in as soon as possible, right?
Well, you must use this to your ADVANTAGE when you're the big stack, and PUT YOUR OPPONENT ALL-IN right away... rather than the other way around.
When you have a big chip lead, YOU must be the one to create "coin-toss" situations... and fast.
A coin-toss situation is when both players have virtually equal odds... and the winning hand is determined by whatever the flop, turn, and river cards are.
In heads-up poker, any starting hand with a FACE CARD is playable. Or any pocket pair. It's that simple.
If you've got a big chip lead on your opponent and he CHECKS or LIMPS-IN (calls the blinds), then you should IMMEDIATELY put him all-in.
He wouldn't be checking or limping-in if he had ANYTHING DECENT at all...
If he folds, you've stolen the blinds from him, which is crucial. If he calls, you've created a "coin-toss" situation.
Odds are you'll win at least one out of every two coin toss situations. Or at the very least, you'll win one out of three.
Here's a basic summary of the "rules" you should follow when playing heads-up poker with a huge chip lead. When I say "huge", I'm talking about 10 to 1 or more...
Of course, you won't START with a 10:1 chip lead very often (like I did against Brandon), but you will frequently BECOME the 10:1 chip leader in a heads-up match if you're a skilled player.
And that's the exact moment when you MUST PULL THE TRIGGER AND WIN THE GAME.
If you don't, the chip stacks can quickly even out again and you may lose your chance forever.
Anyway... here are the RULES you should follow:
1. Any starting hand with a face card or any pocket pair is good.
2. You should either FOLD or go ALL-IN every time.
Nothing else.
3. Force COIN-TOSS situations... In other words, leverage the 50/50 ODDS as much as possible. Do this two or three times and you will almost always win the match.
4. If you're playing against a tight player, it will be even easier. Keep going all-in on just about every hand and let the blinds eat him to death.
Read and re-read those four principles and you'll be prepared the next time you make it to a heads-up match.
In the meantime, you should IMMEDIATELY do two
things:
1. Call a friend or poker buddy and invite him over to play you heads-up. Put $5 or even just $1 on each game... it doesn't matter.
The point is to play game after game after game in a heads-up setting. Play for as long as you possibly can.
When you're done, call a different friend and do the same thing again. And then do it again next week. And keep doing this over and over...
Trust me, your poker skills will SKYROCKET when you follow this simple exercise.
Most players learn strategies for winning no-limit Texas Holdem when there are 4... 6... 8... or 12 players at the table.
Not 2.
Yet, you can't win a game or a tournament without MASTERING heads-up play. In fact, heads-up play is perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of no-limit Holdem... and here's why:
If you can't win at heads-up poker, you'll never come in first place.
Period.
And I don't know about you, but I play to WIN. Not to come in second place.
Most players... when they make it to a heads-up match... are COMPLETELY CLUELESS and don't know what to do. Especially when it comes to DEFENDING a chip lead.
Why is that?
I think there are three main reasons...
1. Most players only make it to a heads-up match once in awhile.... so they have very little EXPERIENCE playing poker one-on-one.
2. The strategies for starting hands, odds, tells, and betting are so RADICALLY DIFFERENT for heads-up poker versus-- say, at an 8-man table-- that most players don't have the KNOWLEDGE needed.
3. Most players don't get to watch and study poker GREATS play heads-up Holdem, because even the greats will only make it to a heads-up match once in awhile.
With that said, let me share with you a rather EMBARRASSING story of how I got "schooled" in a heads-up match earlier in my poker career... and how I learned the "secrets" to winning in heads-up poker...
I had fought my way through a 100-man tournament, and found myself heads-up with someone named Brandon.
Brandon was (and is) a very skilled poker player who loves to push the action... but at the time, I wasn't intimidated by him. Because I thought I had this baby in the bag...
You see, I had been catching monster after monster in this tournament, and I had JUST finished knocking out two players at once with trip kings.
My chip lead was HUGE. 10 to 1 over Brandon, actually.
I was on a roll.
I had over $100,000 in chips, versus Brandon's $10,000, with the blinds at $500/$1000.
This thing is OVER, right?
The first hand I looked at was Q,9 while I was small blind. I limped in, and the action went to Brandon.
"All in," he said.
I folded.
I didn't want to give him the chance to double up.
The next hand was K,4 offsuit. Once again, Brandon went all-in.
I folded again, and Brandon raked in more blinds.
The next hand I was dealt was A,4. Brandon goes all-in AGAIN.
This time, I called.
He threw over pocket 4's. The flop, turn, and river come out:
K,7,9,2,Q
So I didn't hit my ace, and Brandon doubled up.
By this time, he was sitting on $24,000 in chips, and I was at $86,000.
The next few hands played out... and Brandon continued to go all-in time after time... and I continued to fold hands like K,7, Q,9, J,8, and so on.
I just didn't want to risk doubling him up AGAIN with such "mediocre" hands.
But before you knew it... it didn't matter.
Because I'd let Brandon right back into the game.
He had taken about 10 straight pots from me...
I was frustrated as all hell, and went on tilt.
As you probably guessed, I blew the rest of my chip lead and lost the match.
Honestly, I think this CHOKE should go down in the history books right next to the Yankees versus Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS.
Just writing this newsletter makes me SICK to my stomach.
Anyway, what's REALLY IMPORTANT is what I did AFTER I lost that tournament.
I called up my buddy Drew... and I told him he was going to come over and play in me $20 heads-up games.
I think Drew could hear the frustration (and
DESPERATION) in my voice... so he came right over.
We started playing at 7 P.m. and didn't finish until well after 5 A.M. in the morning. We completed OVER 50 GAMES THAT NIGHT...
Now let me tell you, I wouldn't trade that night for ANY other experience in my poker career.
It changed EVERYTHING for me.
And here's why:
Because I crammed in YEARS of heads-up experience into that one night...
I learned how to play with a big chip lead... how to play when I was short-stacked... how to "lean"
on my opponent with a small chip lead... and so on and so on.
And since then, I've done this same exercise with TONS of other poker players... to keep my skills FRESH and to master the techniques needed to win against different playing styles.
When I was up against Brandon in that tournament, I had made a TON of mistakes.
You see, when you have a big chip lead in heads-up action, the first secret is YOU MUST ATTACK.
To get a perspective on this, think about how you play when you're the SHORT STACK...
You're prepared to go all-in as soon as possible, right?
Well, you must use this to your ADVANTAGE when you're the big stack, and PUT YOUR OPPONENT ALL-IN right away... rather than the other way around.
When you have a big chip lead, YOU must be the one to create "coin-toss" situations... and fast.
A coin-toss situation is when both players have virtually equal odds... and the winning hand is determined by whatever the flop, turn, and river cards are.
In heads-up poker, any starting hand with a FACE CARD is playable. Or any pocket pair. It's that simple.
If you've got a big chip lead on your opponent and he CHECKS or LIMPS-IN (calls the blinds), then you should IMMEDIATELY put him all-in.
He wouldn't be checking or limping-in if he had ANYTHING DECENT at all...
If he folds, you've stolen the blinds from him, which is crucial. If he calls, you've created a "coin-toss" situation.
Odds are you'll win at least one out of every two coin toss situations. Or at the very least, you'll win one out of three.
Here's a basic summary of the "rules" you should follow when playing heads-up poker with a huge chip lead. When I say "huge", I'm talking about 10 to 1 or more...
Of course, you won't START with a 10:1 chip lead very often (like I did against Brandon), but you will frequently BECOME the 10:1 chip leader in a heads-up match if you're a skilled player.
And that's the exact moment when you MUST PULL THE TRIGGER AND WIN THE GAME.
If you don't, the chip stacks can quickly even out again and you may lose your chance forever.
Anyway... here are the RULES you should follow:
1. Any starting hand with a face card or any pocket pair is good.
2. You should either FOLD or go ALL-IN every time.
Nothing else.
3. Force COIN-TOSS situations... In other words, leverage the 50/50 ODDS as much as possible. Do this two or three times and you will almost always win the match.
4. If you're playing against a tight player, it will be even easier. Keep going all-in on just about every hand and let the blinds eat him to death.
Read and re-read those four principles and you'll be prepared the next time you make it to a heads-up match.
In the meantime, you should IMMEDIATELY do two
things:
1. Call a friend or poker buddy and invite him over to play you heads-up. Put $5 or even just $1 on each game... it doesn't matter.
The point is to play game after game after game in a heads-up setting. Play for as long as you possibly can.
When you're done, call a different friend and do the same thing again. And then do it again next week. And keep doing this over and over...
Trust me, your poker skills will SKYROCKET when you follow this simple exercise.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Poker Tip - Know EXACTLY What Your Opponents Are Holding
***QUESTION FORM A READER***
Don,
Your newsletters have greatly helped my play I used to be a tight wad player. Now that I have changed gears (play more
aggressively) in my head its thrown players off balance a lot. I take notes on my friends poker play so it helps me remember betting patterns etc.
I am really good at sniffing out stone cold bluffs (I've been known to call with queen high before) or strong hands that are hard to recognize like small sets and low and medium straights. I've even folded full houses before knowing that other players have four of a kind by their erratic breathing and confidence in their voice and shaky hands.
However I need advanced improvement on reading tells and avoiding traps. Other then the ones mentioned in Caro's book of poker tells it is a little outdated. Especially I have had also a problem with reading people when they play medium strength hands aggressively - especially in casino tournaments unlike my weekly poker games with my friends.
After a while you learn your friends play but in tournaments they are all strangers how to get a read on them? Some players bet medium strength (not weak strength hands) aggressively. Does your e-book cover these questions?
Does it also have a section on poker tells as well. I've played players giving off false tells as a trap such as acting weak when weak and strong when strong? My friends do this as well giving off false tells doing the opposite of the opposite of what you would expect - we've read the same books.
Thanks,
A.C.
***MY COMMENTS***
I want to start off by saying CONGRATULATIONS, my friend.
Calling bluffs with a queen high and laying down full boats is a sign of a BALLSY player... That level of faith in your abilities is a CRUCIAL step towards a successful poker career.
I am also impressed by your choice to take notes on your opponents. I notice that there are a lot of players who CLAIM to want to be better, but don't take the TIME to do what is needed.
As far as your question about reading poker tells against players you aren't familiar with... here's what you can do:
When you are at a new table, it is obviously VERY important that you pay close attention to the GAME and to the PLAYERS right away.
Most players... when they sit down... get so caught up in themselves and their own heads that they don't even make it to this first step...
To put it bluntly:
"SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, and WATCH."
Don't start running your mouth... don't try to act cool...
and don't daydream. The first few minutes you're at the table is perhaps the most IMPORTANT time there.
Once you've done this, be sure not to rush into any hands.
In fact, I recommend NOT getting involved in any hands at the very beginning... and here's why:
If you're an experienced tournament player, you know that most players are eliminated from tournaments when they are in "shuffle times" (when they are moving from table to table).
It is at these times when the BIGGEST MISTAKES are usually made.
Let's say that you sit down a new table. You may have been playing at a tight table where you could buy a lot of pots...
You sit at this new table... and fall right back into your betting pattern. You make a bold move, try to buy a pot, and get burnt because THIS TABLE is much LOOSER than the last one.
This puts you at a disadvantage right away... one which you might not recover from.
When I move to a new table... or begin at a game where I don't know the players... I always wait at least 3-4 rounds of betting before I get involved in a hand... and a lot of times I wait EVEN LONGER.
This gives me a chance to get to know my opponents... BEFORE I risk any chips.
I call it my "Study Period."
Of course, the WHOLE GAME is a study period in itself... but these first few hands is 100% devoted towards just watching my poker opponents.
And here's the added benefit:
If I don't know my competition, THEY don't know ME, either.
By taking my time and doing my study period, I learn about THEM... but they DON'T LEARN ABOUT ME.
If anything, they just ASSUME that I'm a tight player...
That means within 10 minutes, I immediately have an advantage over all the other players at the table... even if I haven't won a pot yet... or even played a hand.
OK, so when you do your study period, what should you look for?
A lot of newbies think it's all in the face and in the eyes... which is a mistake.
Most poker tells are the COMBINATION of an entire set of movements and behavior...
On TV-- especially in movies-- poker tells are portrayed as something as simple as the twitch of a nose or the movement of a leg.
Kind of like in "Rounders," when Mike McDee figures out Teddy KGB based on how he ate his cookies.
TAKE NOTE...
For the most part, this type of portrayal of poker tells is a TOTAL MYTH.
If you think you can figure out a player's hand just based on how he blinks, you're in for a rude awakening... and you'll lose your chips fast.
In REAL LIFE (where you play), tells are more complex...
...VERY RARELY are they "cut and dry."
When you study your opponents... here are the things you should think about:
1. Past Play
Think about how this player has acted in the past...
Is he usually strong or weak?
Aggressive or timid?
Smart or dumb?
And so on...
2. Timing
If your instinct tells you that a player deliberated for a long time trying to make a choice, chances are that his hand isn't too strong.
However, you should also note how long he has taken to play in the past, to make sure that the move wasn't just a regular timing move.
3. Posture
Especially with bad players, the posture of a player is a key tell that will reveal a lot about a hand...
If the person leans back, that USUALLY represents strength.
If he leans forward, that USUALLY represents weakness.
Once again, poker tells aren't black and white. It's a gray area, where everything needs to be considered together...
4. Bet Amount
If a player tends to make small bets, but then places an unusually large bet, he could be holding a strong hand. Or he may be trying to buy the pot.
Always watch for irregularities in betting patterns... most amateurs don't mix up their bets enough, which gives you an easy edge if you pay attention.
5. Pulse
This is one of the only "body tells" that I find works most of the time. You can usually see the intensity of a player's pulse by looking closely at his neck.
Often if a player gets "shaky," he usually has a great hand.
If the player is cool and collected, it's probably a fake.
6. Your Gut Feeling
Depending on your poker experience, your gut will often be your best guide...
I've been playing poker for so long now that when I sit down with newbies, I can usually read the players almost INSTANTLY, without much thought.
It just comes naturally... and it will come naturally to you, too... once you gain a lot of experience under your belt... and once you spend enough time studying the game.
With the pros, of course, you've got to be much more careful, because they DO know how to disguise their tells and play their hands in an unpredictable manner.
So, to recap:
1. When you sit down to play at a table of strangers...
especially in a tournament... take your time before becoming involved in a hand.
2. Go through a careful "Study Period." During this time, SHUT UP and STUDY the players intensely.
3. When you start betting, watch for the six things we
discussed: past play, timing, posture, bet amount, pulse, and your own gut instincts.
Finally... there's one more step to add...
And that is:
NEVER REVEAL THE WAY YOU THINK.
Here's what I mean...
Poker is truly a BATTLE of minds. The tells we've been discussing are mostly simple REFLECTIONS of how a player is thinking at the time of a bet.
For some reason, it's a natural tendency in all of us to share our thoughts at the poker table... ESPECIALLY when we aren't involved in hands.
This is more common during "home games" than in tournament play or casinos...
For instance, let's say there's a heads up match between Don and John after the river card.
Don goes all in...
The river was the third diamond on the board. John has trip Aces.
(Of course, a flush would beat John's three of a kind.)
Anyway... John's has to decide whether Don is a on a bluff... or if he caught the diamond flush.
THIS is where everyone starts screwing up:
Since Don is all in... and can't change his mind... John shows his trip Aces to the other guys at the table who aren't in the hand.
He says, "Man, I don't know whether to call. Don made a pre-flop raise... I think he's just pot-committed and is trying to buy it."
Someone else might chime in, "Yea, but he seems like he's got the flush. Did you notice how he's been quiet the whole hand?"
Someone else says, "C'mon wuss. Just call his bet and go all-in... I'm getting tired and want to get going."
And so on...
Do you see where I'm going with this?
John should NEVER show his Aces to the other guys of course... aside from being bad poker etiquette, now they just saw an entire "free hand" and got to see how John acted the whole way with his three of a kind.
The next guy just revealed that he's been watching how SILENT Don has been... which clues everyone in on how this guy thinks about tells. Now you know to be very conscious about how much you talk around this player.
And the third guy reveals an attitude of carelessness...
which means as soon as I caught a good hand I'd try to get in a heads-up match with him and go all in... because there's a decent chance he'll call.
When you reveal your THINKING PROCESS, you're simply GIVING AWAY tons of crucial information... FOR NO REASON.
The other players at the table with pick up a read on you quickly... both consciously and subconsciously.
So don't do it.
Period.
As you know, Texas Holdem is filled with TONS of techniques and strategies like these, that anyone can understand if they just take the time to learn them.
Unlike popular belief, poker is NOT about having natural talent.
It's about LEARNING-- through experience, analysis, and
expertise-- how to MASTER the game.
Don,
Your newsletters have greatly helped my play I used to be a tight wad player. Now that I have changed gears (play more
aggressively) in my head its thrown players off balance a lot. I take notes on my friends poker play so it helps me remember betting patterns etc.
I am really good at sniffing out stone cold bluffs (I've been known to call with queen high before) or strong hands that are hard to recognize like small sets and low and medium straights. I've even folded full houses before knowing that other players have four of a kind by their erratic breathing and confidence in their voice and shaky hands.
However I need advanced improvement on reading tells and avoiding traps. Other then the ones mentioned in Caro's book of poker tells it is a little outdated. Especially I have had also a problem with reading people when they play medium strength hands aggressively - especially in casino tournaments unlike my weekly poker games with my friends.
After a while you learn your friends play but in tournaments they are all strangers how to get a read on them? Some players bet medium strength (not weak strength hands) aggressively. Does your e-book cover these questions?
Does it also have a section on poker tells as well. I've played players giving off false tells as a trap such as acting weak when weak and strong when strong? My friends do this as well giving off false tells doing the opposite of the opposite of what you would expect - we've read the same books.
Thanks,
A.C.
***MY COMMENTS***
I want to start off by saying CONGRATULATIONS, my friend.
Calling bluffs with a queen high and laying down full boats is a sign of a BALLSY player... That level of faith in your abilities is a CRUCIAL step towards a successful poker career.
I am also impressed by your choice to take notes on your opponents. I notice that there are a lot of players who CLAIM to want to be better, but don't take the TIME to do what is needed.
As far as your question about reading poker tells against players you aren't familiar with... here's what you can do:
When you are at a new table, it is obviously VERY important that you pay close attention to the GAME and to the PLAYERS right away.
Most players... when they sit down... get so caught up in themselves and their own heads that they don't even make it to this first step...
To put it bluntly:
"SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, and WATCH."
Don't start running your mouth... don't try to act cool...
and don't daydream. The first few minutes you're at the table is perhaps the most IMPORTANT time there.
Once you've done this, be sure not to rush into any hands.
In fact, I recommend NOT getting involved in any hands at the very beginning... and here's why:
If you're an experienced tournament player, you know that most players are eliminated from tournaments when they are in "shuffle times" (when they are moving from table to table).
It is at these times when the BIGGEST MISTAKES are usually made.
Let's say that you sit down a new table. You may have been playing at a tight table where you could buy a lot of pots...
You sit at this new table... and fall right back into your betting pattern. You make a bold move, try to buy a pot, and get burnt because THIS TABLE is much LOOSER than the last one.
This puts you at a disadvantage right away... one which you might not recover from.
When I move to a new table... or begin at a game where I don't know the players... I always wait at least 3-4 rounds of betting before I get involved in a hand... and a lot of times I wait EVEN LONGER.
This gives me a chance to get to know my opponents... BEFORE I risk any chips.
I call it my "Study Period."
Of course, the WHOLE GAME is a study period in itself... but these first few hands is 100% devoted towards just watching my poker opponents.
And here's the added benefit:
If I don't know my competition, THEY don't know ME, either.
By taking my time and doing my study period, I learn about THEM... but they DON'T LEARN ABOUT ME.
If anything, they just ASSUME that I'm a tight player...
That means within 10 minutes, I immediately have an advantage over all the other players at the table... even if I haven't won a pot yet... or even played a hand.
OK, so when you do your study period, what should you look for?
A lot of newbies think it's all in the face and in the eyes... which is a mistake.
Most poker tells are the COMBINATION of an entire set of movements and behavior...
On TV-- especially in movies-- poker tells are portrayed as something as simple as the twitch of a nose or the movement of a leg.
Kind of like in "Rounders," when Mike McDee figures out Teddy KGB based on how he ate his cookies.
TAKE NOTE...
For the most part, this type of portrayal of poker tells is a TOTAL MYTH.
If you think you can figure out a player's hand just based on how he blinks, you're in for a rude awakening... and you'll lose your chips fast.
In REAL LIFE (where you play), tells are more complex...
...VERY RARELY are they "cut and dry."
When you study your opponents... here are the things you should think about:
1. Past Play
Think about how this player has acted in the past...
Is he usually strong or weak?
Aggressive or timid?
Smart or dumb?
And so on...
2. Timing
If your instinct tells you that a player deliberated for a long time trying to make a choice, chances are that his hand isn't too strong.
However, you should also note how long he has taken to play in the past, to make sure that the move wasn't just a regular timing move.
3. Posture
Especially with bad players, the posture of a player is a key tell that will reveal a lot about a hand...
If the person leans back, that USUALLY represents strength.
If he leans forward, that USUALLY represents weakness.
Once again, poker tells aren't black and white. It's a gray area, where everything needs to be considered together...
4. Bet Amount
If a player tends to make small bets, but then places an unusually large bet, he could be holding a strong hand. Or he may be trying to buy the pot.
Always watch for irregularities in betting patterns... most amateurs don't mix up their bets enough, which gives you an easy edge if you pay attention.
5. Pulse
This is one of the only "body tells" that I find works most of the time. You can usually see the intensity of a player's pulse by looking closely at his neck.
Often if a player gets "shaky," he usually has a great hand.
If the player is cool and collected, it's probably a fake.
6. Your Gut Feeling
Depending on your poker experience, your gut will often be your best guide...
I've been playing poker for so long now that when I sit down with newbies, I can usually read the players almost INSTANTLY, without much thought.
It just comes naturally... and it will come naturally to you, too... once you gain a lot of experience under your belt... and once you spend enough time studying the game.
With the pros, of course, you've got to be much more careful, because they DO know how to disguise their tells and play their hands in an unpredictable manner.
So, to recap:
1. When you sit down to play at a table of strangers...
especially in a tournament... take your time before becoming involved in a hand.
2. Go through a careful "Study Period." During this time, SHUT UP and STUDY the players intensely.
3. When you start betting, watch for the six things we
discussed: past play, timing, posture, bet amount, pulse, and your own gut instincts.
Finally... there's one more step to add...
And that is:
NEVER REVEAL THE WAY YOU THINK.
Here's what I mean...
Poker is truly a BATTLE of minds. The tells we've been discussing are mostly simple REFLECTIONS of how a player is thinking at the time of a bet.
For some reason, it's a natural tendency in all of us to share our thoughts at the poker table... ESPECIALLY when we aren't involved in hands.
This is more common during "home games" than in tournament play or casinos...
For instance, let's say there's a heads up match between Don and John after the river card.
Don goes all in...
The river was the third diamond on the board. John has trip Aces.
(Of course, a flush would beat John's three of a kind.)
Anyway... John's has to decide whether Don is a on a bluff... or if he caught the diamond flush.
THIS is where everyone starts screwing up:
Since Don is all in... and can't change his mind... John shows his trip Aces to the other guys at the table who aren't in the hand.
He says, "Man, I don't know whether to call. Don made a pre-flop raise... I think he's just pot-committed and is trying to buy it."
Someone else might chime in, "Yea, but he seems like he's got the flush. Did you notice how he's been quiet the whole hand?"
Someone else says, "C'mon wuss. Just call his bet and go all-in... I'm getting tired and want to get going."
And so on...
Do you see where I'm going with this?
John should NEVER show his Aces to the other guys of course... aside from being bad poker etiquette, now they just saw an entire "free hand" and got to see how John acted the whole way with his three of a kind.
The next guy just revealed that he's been watching how SILENT Don has been... which clues everyone in on how this guy thinks about tells. Now you know to be very conscious about how much you talk around this player.
And the third guy reveals an attitude of carelessness...
which means as soon as I caught a good hand I'd try to get in a heads-up match with him and go all in... because there's a decent chance he'll call.
When you reveal your THINKING PROCESS, you're simply GIVING AWAY tons of crucial information... FOR NO REASON.
The other players at the table with pick up a read on you quickly... both consciously and subconsciously.
So don't do it.
Period.
As you know, Texas Holdem is filled with TONS of techniques and strategies like these, that anyone can understand if they just take the time to learn them.
Unlike popular belief, poker is NOT about having natural talent.
It's about LEARNING-- through experience, analysis, and
expertise-- how to MASTER the game.
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