High
I busted the $2K turning top pair into a bluff in a blind battle. I thought he was probably light on the turn, so I called planning to call blank rivers. His sizing on the river, combined with the fact that I felt I could represent a flush draw … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who commented on last week’s “What’s Your Play? Four Flush on the River” post.
Calling
I want to begin my analysis by quickly ruling out calling as an option. Virtually every hand Villain would have called to the river now beats us: middle pair … Read full post
Q: My question is about calling UTG open raise (say 3.5X) on the button with small pairs (say 22 – 55). Unless UTG will stack off with one pair it doesn’t seem profitable to set mine. Say UTG has AA but will only lose 40 in a single raised pot, … Read full post
Part of the impetus for Emily’s and my Europe trip is a friend’s wedding, to be held this June in a small town in Germany called Diez. Since we needed to bring formal wear for that anyway, we decided to dress up for the opera in Prague as well (there’s … Read full post
Happy Queensday everyone! Queensday is a huge national celebration in the Netherlands that falls on the day of the previous queen’s birth (the current one was born at an inconvenient time so they continue to celebrate on the last day of April). Last night was a huge city-wide party in … Read full post
Some of you may remember this e-mail that I received last year seeking staking advice:
… Read full postI am 24 years old and I live in Henderson, NV. Following the shut down of service to US players on Pokerstars I decided to play a few live tournaments. I instantly final tabled two
This is a continuation of my recent Czech Mates post, which you might want to read for context before beginning this one.
Getting Out
The idea of taking a regional train from Prague out to a small town and then finding our way on foot to a castle sounded intimidating, … Read full post
Despite my previous rant about the tourist’s dilemma, Emily and I did do a few more classically tourist things in Prague, like the castle,
the Charles Bridge, and the St. Vitus Cathedral. Even at the opera, the audience seemed to consist mostly of tourists. Neither of us had ever … Read full post
Well, I’m late and doing a half-assed job on top of it. Guess I’m really adapting to life in Europe! But seriously, sorry I’m so late in posting results for the EPT Berlin Wha’ts Your Play? There are just so many better things to do here in Berlin besides blogging! … Read full post
Q: My guess is most people (including me) don’t play 89suited (67,910,10J) the right way…
20BB 89 suited on button vs 3x raise?
40BB 89suited on button vs 3x raise?
100BB 89 suited on button vs 3x raise?
200BB 89 suited on button vs 3x raise?
What about 89s on … Read full post
Sorry I’ve been slow to report on this, but sadly it’s because I didn’t have much to report. After a relatively uneventful Day 1, I busted on the last before the end of level 8 (with two still to go before finishing for the day).
I busted after 5-bet shoving … Read full post
Edit: Villain 1 has me covered – think he had like 50K. Sorry I forgot to mention that important detail.
It’s Day 1 of the 5000 euro Main Event of EPT Berlin. Hero (me) has recently moved to a new table and been quiet in his first few orbits. Only … Read full post
One year ago today, the Department of Justice unsealed its indictments against PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker. It’s been a tumultuous year for me, but not necessarily a bad one. As I predicted in an article entitled Gray Friday, “This catastrophe is forcing me to confront … Read full post
This week’s question is in response to the recent “What’s Your Play? Street-by-Street at the WSOP Main Event” feature. In the river results post, I compared calling with a low full house on the river versus shoving with it. Because it was the WSOP Main Event, I argued, “I’d … Read full post
Finally took a break from gallivanting around Prague to try out the new Zoom poker. It’s a lot of fun, pretty much identical to Rush though if anything a touch slower, but still pretty great. Unfortunately I didn’t adapt well to the nittiness of a small-stakes full-ring game and lost … Read full post
Easter is a beautiful time to be in Prague, except for the weather. On Easter Sunday, temperatures dipped below freezing, but the atmosphere was otherwise festive. In public squares around the city, vendors set up stalls for weeks-long Easter markets where they sell painted and carved eggs, hot wine, various … Read full post
…because I am lost! Actually I’m just trying to find a restaurant near the Frankfurt train station. We found it, but it was closed, so we ate cold sandwiches sitting on the floor of the train station. Yummy!
Thanks to all the commenters, and especially to those of you who contributed to all three parts of this special multi-street “What’s Your Play?” With regard to the river action, WPS22 encapsulates the situation well:
… Read full postI think he could easily be value betting a weaker hand than yours, but
My latest poker strategy article, Surviving a Multi-Day Tournament, is now appearing in the April 2012 edition of Two Plus Two Magazine. The intention of this article is to get beyond cliches about “valuing your tournament life” to some in-depth advice about how, when, and why survival should factor … Read full post
This week’s Mailbag is a follow-up question to an earlier Mailbag about stack sizes. I gave a short answer to the question in the comments section of that post, but now I want to elaborate a bit:
Q: Thank you for your response, I agree now that setting goals … Read full post
We slowplayed the flop, we raised an arguably scary turn card, and now it’s time to talk about what to do on the river in this third and final installment of “What’s Your Play? Street-by-Street at the WSOP Main Event”.
It’s early on Day 5 of the WSOP … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who commented on Part Two of this special street-by-street “What’s Your Play?” Like it or not, Hero checked the flop, and now we’re faced with a small bet on a turn card that makes a lot of straights and flushes possible. Because of that, JeanNoel asks, “I … Read full post
Q: I have seen a french poker video in which 2 players discuss about a hand played by one of these player on a french online tournament (6max, buy in 100€).
This is the hand :
Blinds 250/500 ante 60.
Hero is the CO with AcTs.
utg folds.
utg +1 … Read full post
I just published a review of Bennett Onika’s “Unleash Your Hidden Poker Memory”. Here’s the short version:
… Read full postThis is why Onika’s lack of poker expertise is such a problem: it’s the only thing he’s really bringing to the table. You’d probably be better off learning memorization tricks from one
This week’s “What’s Your Play?” is a little different, in that it’s the second in a series of three posts about the same hand. Rather than asking you to discuss a plan for the entire hand, I’m going to give you the action through the turn and then ask for … Read full post
For those who haven’t heard (mostly non-American readers, I would assume), Trayvon Martin was a black teenager killed by what seems to have been an overzealous neighborhood watch volunteer. He was walking near his father’s house, talking on his cellphone and carrying a soda and a bag of candy, when … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who commented on Part One of this street-by-street “What’s Your Play?” series. Even if you didn’t, please check out the results of the flop action and feel free to chime in with your opinion on how to play the turn.
To my surprise, responses to this … Read full post
Q: I recently read Andrew Seidman’s response to a question about the key to become a winning poker player. His statement was simple and direct: “Don’t pay off.”
This advice hit me right in the face, given how frequently I look up a big river bet even when I’m pretty … Read full post
My girlfriend and I have been without a permanent residence since September 2009. First we were drifting around the continental United States. More recently, we were in Canada. Now, we’re going to Europe.
I’ll be playing some poker, both live and online, but that’s really not the primary … Read full post
This week’s What’s Your Play? is a little different, in that it’s the first in a series of three posts about the same hand. Rather than asking you to discuss a plan for the entire hand, I’m going to start the discussion with a flop decision. Of course you may … Read full post
My girlfriend and I went to a farm today with our friend Sukaina and her two sons, Zain and Kyrus. Sukaina, as you might guess, is of South Asian ancestry, but her husband is a pasty white guy not unlike myself, so their boys have a mixed complexion. Their father … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who commented on What’s Your Plan? Boated Up in a Blind Battle. The most recent comment is also the one that most closely resembles my own opinions, so I’m going to start with what Rant2112 said:
… Read full post“Most of Villain’s range on the turn consists of bluff
Q: Hero and Villian are chip leaders at the table, everyone else is in the 5-15bb range. Both are most active players at the table, Villian continuation bets approximately 65-70% of flops.
$400 +40 tournament
Final Table. 6 remaining
Blinds 1,200-2,400 w/300ante
Villian (57kstack) raises utg to 8k
Folds to … Read full post
I’ve now got another video up with Poker School Online, the PokerStars training site. This one focuses on mid-stakes no-limit hold ’em and specifically on hand reading, so it’s a nice option if the last video I posted was too basic for you. Again, if you like this, please … Read full post
Villain is an unknown who seems to play reasonably well. No idea what if anything he knows about Hero (me), but I did have my PokerStars Team Online red spade at the time this hand was played.
For those who have difficulty seeing suits, they’re not terribly relevant here. Hero’s … Read full post
PokerStars’ Poker School Online recently released a video that I made for them quite some time ago (as evidenced by my introduction of myself as “one of the newest members of Team Online”). It’s very basic, strategy-wise – I’m playing one table of $.05/$.10 6-max NLHE – but if that’s … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who commented on this week’s What’s Your Play, which dealt with playing out of position in a big pot against the chipleader at the final table of a daily live tournament. We’ve already said that it’s best not to end up in this spot by not 3-betting … Read full post
Q: I’m curious to hear your take on dealmaking generally and on a deal I made recently at the final table of a live tournament. Blinds were 5K/10K/1K. Payouts were $3000 for 1st, $1600 for 2nd, $1000 for 3rd, and $700 for 4th.
There was talk of a chop, but … Read full post
A friend shared this hand with me, and I thought it was a solid example of a good, creative line. The small bet on the flop helps him draw cheaply, establishes who if anyone is interested in the pot, and depending on what happens with regard to (2) possibly sets … Read full post
Edit: Hero holds Qh Th. Thanks to Georgios for pointing that rather significant omission!
This is a key hand from the final table of a tournament a friend recently won. It was a $125 freezeout at Aria. Hero is in his late 20’s and has been playing aggressively and … Read full post
This is a guest post from a friend of mine who just won his first live tournament last week. It was a $125 freezeout at Aria. He sent this to me in an e-mail and was gracious enough to permit me to publish it. There’s some interesting stuff in here … Read full post
The exciting (?) conclusion of my 2012 PCA Trip Report has just been published in the February issue of 2+2 Magazine. Regular readers of “What’s Your Play?” will recognize a few of the hands, but there’s plenty of new content for everyone, plus it turns out the Mizrachis’ mother … Read full post
It eventually disappeared, but initially I noticed an interesting pattern in the comments that this week’s “What’s Your Play?” received on Thinking Poker vs. Card Player. The vast majority of the early posters on my website argued for an admittedly tight fold, while the first Card Player responders unanimously … Read full post
Q: My understanding is that I should generally continuation bet a polarized range consisting of both bluffs and strong hands but check medium-strength hands for pot control. Sometimes I have difficulty determining which category my hand falls into. For example, if I raise in middle position, the BB calls, and … Read full post
I concluded last week’s “What’s Your Play?” by saying that, “I should have been more open to taking in new information and re-evaluating my plan,” since I’d just admitted to following through on a big semi-bluff despite obvious shows of strength from my opponent.
I also said that, in the … Read full post
Edit: Effective stacks are $2000. The fact that I didn’t think to include that should tell you something about how relevant I think that is. Thanks to Ian for pointing out the error.
This hand comes from a live $5/$10 NLHE game at the Hollywood Casino in Charleston, West Virginia… Read full post
The next Thinking Poker tournament seminar will focus on Maximizing Value and will be held on Thursday, March 8 from 8-10 PM Eastern (New York) time. Participants will learn when to slowplay, how to build a pot with monster hands, and how to squeeze thin value out of marginal hands. … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who offered opinions on What’s Your Plan? Turned a Big Draw. I’m surprised that so many people zeroed right in on the two most important details of the hand and yet so few came up with what I believe to be the correct play.
Important Details
The … Read full post
Q: Do you have goals in terms of stack size? As a cash player, I’m comfortable with 100bb or so, but in tourneys, I find myself between 10bb and 20bb a lot of the times. Trying to get near 100bb is impossible in the mid game so should I just … Read full post
My home state of Maryland recently built its first casinos, which by law offer slot machines only. That means no table games and no poker.
As much as I dislike using -EV luck-based games as a source of state revenue, this seems like an especially asinine policy. It encourages the … Read full post
This hand occurred about an hour and a half after last week’s WYP hand, against the same opponent. This time I’m the Hero and he’s the Villain. For those too lazy to look it up, here’s how I described him: “middle-aged recreational player, presumably aware that he sticks out … Read full post
As you know, I was the Villain from What’s Your Play? Busted Draw. As many of you deduced, I held KK with a spade. My opponent was kind enough to give up on the river and let me win the pot with a hand that, barring some really blatant … Read full post
This week I’m going to address two related questions posted as follow-ups to last week’s Mailbag.
Q: I regularly play these short stacked tourneys at my local casino. We only start with 6000 in chips, the blinds start at 25/50 but double every 20 minutes except for one level … Read full post
It’s no surprise to that greeting card manufacturers, jewelers, etc. want to create a sense of obligatory gift exchange surrounding both traditional holidays like Christmas and manufactured ones like Mother’s Day. What is surprising to me is how willing consumers are, literally, to buy into what is so obviously a … Read full post
I’m still in the US, which means no online poker, which means I’m still mining the PCA for WYP hands. This is one of those ones where I’m actually the Villain in the hand and we’ll look at it from my opponent’s perspective. So Hero is a middle-aged recreational player, … Read full post
Last week’s trip report from a BDL tournament culminated in a description of the Varsity Finals, in which a brother and sister team from Roxbury narrowly lost the championship debate. I’m pleased to report that they’ve since had an even greater victory at the district championships and will be … Read full post
Q: Level 6 of a Tuesday night weekly tournament held at Parx Casino in Bensalem, PA $100 buy-in, 20 minute levels, 10k starting stacks. Blinds are 300/600 with 50 antes. Hero (Me) is in the cutoff with a stack of 16,050. Everyone in earlier position folds and I find 8s7s. … Read full post
I just published a review of one of the best and most advanced poker books I’ve encountered, the 3rd Edition of Andrew “BalugaWhale” Seidman’s Easy Game. It’s probably too advanced for your average recreational player, but if you want to be a serious competitor at no-limit hold ’em it’s … Read full post
While on the train to the BDL tournament last weekend, I shared a car with a small group of middle-school students and their teacher. One of the boys in the class had found some used scratch-off tickets on the floor and was playing with them. “I’m gonna win $100!” he … Read full post
This is the conclusion of a trip report, the first part of which can be found here, from a high school debate tournament at which I recently volunteered. I founded the Boston Debate League in 2005 to bring competitive extracurricular debate to students at some of the city’s more … Read full post
Today’s question comes from a comment on last week’s “What’s Your Play?” The relevant details are that Hero is in the SB with AQs facing a raise from a loose-passive player in early position and a call from a possible scared money player in late position. It’s early in the … Read full post
The wait is over! I’m flattered by everyone who’s been asking about this. Part 1 of my PCA Trip Report is now appearing in 2+2 Magazine. Part 2 will be in next month’s magazine. Here’s a snippet from one of the more interesting hands I played:
… Read full postSaskatchewan limped UTG again,
Sorry for the recent silence – I was in Boston over the weekend running a debate tournament for the Boston Debate League. I don’t have a WYP for this week, so instead please enjoy this Trip Report which hopefully will provide a behind-the-scenes insight into the world of high school … Read full post
This week’s WYP is a little different, in that I don’t have a strong opinion about what’s best. I was actually hoping some of you smart people could help me out there, in particular with regard to how V2’s question and timing on the turn influences his range. My own, … Read full post
I’ll be leading a small-group seminar on Hand Reading on Wednesday, February 8th at 2PM Eastern (19:00 GMT). The cost is $150/person, which includes a preparatory curriculum introducing a basic hand-reading technique, the two-hour seminar featuring opportunities to practice this method and receive individualized feedback, advanced strategy advice on counteracting … Read full post
I’m sad to say that I won’t be staying on as a member of PokerStars Team Online in 2012. It was a great honor and a great experience to be a member of the team, but so much has changed since I joined the team last year. Now that I’m … Read full post
