Yesterday was the first day of the 2008 World Series of Poker, at least for satellites and cash games. I won’t be out there until July, as I’m only playing the main event, but I was excited to read on Daniel Negreanu’s blog about some improvements to the facilities. Harrah’s … Read full post
I like trying to bluff into multiple players. Not only do I sometimes surprise myself with the fold equity I have, but it’s also nice for balancing my ranges and helping me to get paid off the many times that I have big hands in these spots. Here are two … Read full post
During a short coaching session this evening, I touched on two kind of broad and complex theoretical topics. The student asked if he could get something in writing so that he could review them more closely, and I figured they might be of interest to everyone. So here’s a paraphrase … Read full post
I just came across a hilarious photoshop thread on 2+2 called “If They Never Played Poker…” Here are a few of my favorite pictures; they should give you a pretty good idea of what you’ll find in the thread:
For those who don’t know, Eric ‘Rizen’ Lynch, Jon ‘Pearljammer’ Turner, and Jon ‘Apestyles’ Van Fleet are working on a series of tournament books called “Winning Poker Tournaments One Hand at a Time.” The first volume is now available for pre-order from Amazon.
There really aren’t that many … Read full post
My One Minute Recommendation: Kill Everyone is one of the better tournament books on the market. It will be most useful for those interested in big live tournaments, but the excellent section of the math of late game situations is enough to make the book worth buying for any tournament … Read full post
Sorry, forgot to post this before going to bed last night. If you haven’t read it already, here’s Part 1. I’d just won a series of big pots and was ready to abuse my commanding chip lead:
Grrrrrrrr Min-Raise
Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold’em Tournament, 800/1,600 Blinds, 200 Ante, … Read full post
This is the third and final part in my review of a recent final table finish in the FTP $100 rebuy 6-max weekly tournament last Wednesday. If you haven’t already, check out Part 1 and Part 2.
We were down to the final few tables, and at this point … Read full post
I had a bunch of interesting hands from my final table run in the FTP $100 rebuy 6-max last night. Over the next few days, I’m going to post them here along with my analysis. Skipping the not-very-interesting rebuy period, here’s Part 1.
I was only in for $309, but … Read full post
Finally got good runs going in the Stars $300 and Tilt $100 rebuy Wednesday tournaments. At one time, I was chipleader in the Tilt and 2nd on Stars with like 3-4 tables left at each. Unfortunately, I ended up busting 21st on Stars with AT < AJ on an AsKsJc6c board in a Button vs CO spot against a pretty aggressive player. I'm ok with how I played it and wasn't too frustrated. I managed to take 5th in the FTP, lost AK <> Q9 (which was itself a … Read full post
I was playing around with Poker Tracker today and came across something pretty surprising: over my last 112,000 hands, I have lost more BB’s with AQs than with anything else. In the interest of public shaming and hopefully improving, here are the five biggest pots (measured by BB) I’ve lost … Read full post
Apparently this guy is a super aggressive regular in the big Fixed Limit Hold ‘Em games at Commerce and occasionally Borgata:
… Read full postSources confirmed the suspect, Kang Hyuk Choi, 32, was arrested in Los Angeles at about 3 a.m. PST, police said, and booked by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
A few days ago, as part of our cross-country road trip, Emily and I spend the better part of a day in Little Rock, Arkansas. I found it to be quite an interesting place, kind of a hip and relatively liberal mecca in a region of the US often stereotyped … Read full post
I’d forgotten about this, but apparently I knocked an FTP pro out of some long ago tournament. Recently I got this t-shirt in the mail:
And here it is displayed along with my other trophies, an autographed picture of the toeker player I eliminated from the 2006 WSOP and my … Read full post
Today is the commercial release of Poker Tracker 3! I’m still on vacation, so I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, but I’m sure it’s going to be great and an amazing bargain at any price. It has an integrated HUD and gathers crucial NLHE statistics … Read full post
My stepfather found this in a published book of poetry. I really hope this was self-published, as I rejected better poems from my high school’s literary magazine (thinly veiled brag/beat). I swear to God I have reproduced every forced rhyme and arbitrary punctuation faithfully.
Love and Poker
Love is like … Read full post
Here’s a cool little toy that will help you create anagrams from your name or whatever other words you choose to give it. Definitely check out the advanced features, there are a lot of good ways to narrow down the thousands of possibilities it gives you. What do you think … Read full post
Nat Arem, creator of ThePokerDB, has a new project called Poker Forum Traffic. It tracks some statistics about how active various poker forums are. Naturally 2+2 is way out in front. Kinda neat to see how active some of these forums are. Of course, those familiar with … Read full post
I almost didn’t play the $500 PLO 6-max, but a few people convinced me I should, and I’m glad I did. The field was really weak, and it was a lot of fun to boot. Well, except for losing a monster pot, but I’m getting ahead of myself. For a … Read full post
Apparently I can post from my phone. Perhaps there will be scant updates from the road after all. I'll have to get faster at texting though….… Read full post
This was a $200 Stud/8. I got off to a great start and scooped like three reasonably sized pots in the first level. Unfortunately, the first level of a limit tournament is pretty irrelevent. After that I was getting run down incessantly by a reasonably good NLHE tournament player who … Read full post
This was a $200 PLO tournament with a $40 bounty. Predictably, there were a ton of people playing trashy hands. I imagine a really good PLO player could have done a lot more to take advantage of that, but the best I could do was tighten up and try to … Read full post
The $200 buy-in for this event was actually smaller than that of the regularly scheduled tournament it replaced: the weekly $300 6-max. Still, it was an FTOPS with thousands of entrants and thousands of fish. I didn’t recognize many names at my table, but the play actually seemed to be … Read full post
Tony Dunst, my friend and fellow Poker Savvy guest pro, has just departed for his own world poker tour. Better yet, Full Tilt Poker has hired him to chronicle the journey for their blog. As Bond explains it:
… Read full postI go on a trip starting from Melbourne and ending in
I was initially disappointed to see that FTP had eliminated its $4/$8, $15/$30, etc. deep stack tables. Then I saw that they’d replaced them with deep-stacked versions of “regular” games like $5/$10. What a brilliant idea! The action is much better at these than it ever was in the old … Read full post
I’ve done a pretty good job of cutting back on my tournament play, but with FTOPS VIII starting on Wednesday, that will probably change, at least for this week. I’m leaving town on the 11th and probably won’t be back in time to play the main event on the 18th, … Read full post
I complained recently that I felt Harrah’s was improperly prioritizing ESPN and other sponsors over the players in its decision to delay the final table of the WSOP main event. At the risk of boring everyone to death on this issue, I’m going to share some recent, competing thoughts from … Read full post
My latest article, Off the Deep End, is now appearing in the May issue of 2+2 Internet Magazine. It’s designed to help tournament specialists adapt to playing deeper stacks such as those prevalent in the WSOP main event. Here’s an excerpt:
… Read full postWith deeper stacks, blind defense is less
I’ve been reading some good comments here, on other blogs, and in the 2+2 thread about the final table delay that I mentioned yesterday. I want to clear up a few things, clarify my own opinion a bit, and share some of the better discussions I’ve seen elsewhere.
First, … Read full post
The main event of the World Series of Poker starts on July 3, with the second-to-last day scheduled for July 15. Thanks to a recent decision by Harrah’s and the WSOP, the final table will be played on… November 11th!
Granted, anyone who makes the final table should be excited … Read full post
I’m taking tomorrow off, so I guess I just played my last hand for April. I put in about 20K hands over 50 hours this month. That’s about half of my monthly goal, but this was a particularly busy month for the Boston Debate League (just under 100 hours): I … Read full post
If you’re looking to get started in poker, whether live or online, no limit hold ’em tournaments are a great diving off point. They are exciting, easier to learn than many other forms of poker, and less demanding of skill. For just a few dollars, you can potentially play for … Read full post
I had a decent run in the monthly $500 on Stars today, though it ultimately ended in tragedy. As you’ll see, I had some lucky cooler situations early on, but there was usually at least an element of my opponent making a questionable slowplay and the money going in after … Read full post
This week I watched the second-to-last Sopranos, which I’d never seen, and re-watched the final episode. I recall going to considerable length to see the finale and being thoroughly disappointed, not just by the final seconds, but by the entire thing. Basically the whole season 6 (the part after the … Read full post
There’s not much similarity to these hands aside from the fact that they both involve playing KT in the Stars $300. This one might seem like kind of a crazy fold:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em Tourney, Big Blind is t250 (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com
UTG+1 (t6077)
MP1 … Read full post
Cardplayer recently posted a very interesting and informative interview with Phil Galfond, who posts as JMan on the 2+2 Forums and plays as OMGClayAiken in the biggest NLHE games. There were a few points I found particularly noteworthy:
1. Phil was a student of the great Tommy Angelo, and … Read full post
I don’t know how he did it, but Bryan Clark (AKA Dynasty, the editor of 2+2 Magazine) managed to defuse Mason Malmuth’s temper. In both our public and private communications, he gave no ground whatsoever and continued to insist that I deliberately misrepresented the Harrington on Cash series in … Read full post
It’s funny but not really surprising that even many good players succumb to a certain fishiness. Virtually anyone’s natural inclination is against folding. You’re guaranteed to lose- how much fun is that? The first big step that any player has to take to go from losing to winning is acquiring … Read full post
Mason Malmuth, the owner of Two Plus Two Publishing, was none too happy with the reviews of the Harrington on Cash Series that I posted on the 2+2 Forums. His responses were split roughly 50/50 between substantive rebuttals of particular critiques I made and personal attacks regarding my motivations. … Read full post
According to PokerNews, the WPT has settled its dispute with several prominent players (Duke, Bloch, Ferguson, Lederer, and Gordon) regarding the terms of the release that players must sign to play in World Poker Tour events.:
“In their original lawsuit, the players claimed that the terms of the WPTE player … Read full post
For some reason, FTP has a $54321 guaranteed tournament today where everyone started with 4321 chips. I played this hand about three hours in. I got an unlucky flop, but I thought this was kind of an interesting play:
Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold’em Tournament, 200/400 Blinds, 50 Ante, 9 … Read full post
This is a pretty consistent problem for me:
Poker Stars
Pot Limit Omaha Ring game
Blinds: $2/$4
6 players
Converter
Stack sizes:
UTG: $302.70
UTG+1: $361.75
CO: $338
Foucault: $400
SB: $76
BB: $304
Pre-flop: (6 players) Foucault is Button with 
2 folds, CO raises to $12… Read full post
Apparently this is fake, pretty funny though.
… is that they reward monkey bullshit. And that’s the good and the bad thing about them. A skilled player has a smaller edge because the monkeys are rarely making that big of a mistake if they stick their whole stack in with anything pre-flop or with any kind of … Read full post
Been meaning to post this, it’s Bill’s response to my review of his e-book, How to Beat NLHE 6-Max Cash Games:
… Read full postThanks for reviewing the book.
I won’t comment on everything — you have some valid points although I do feel a beginner can use this book. It’s
The well-known 2+2’er and high-stakes no-limit player FoxwoodsFiend announced yesterday that he is quitting poker:
… Read full postThe truth is I want to do something important with my life, and I don’t think poker’s that important or meaningful. Given that I eventually need to quit, now’s as good a time as
Paul Smith AKA UCLABruinz, shown here with his daughter (yes his head really is that huge), just took down a $2000 Bellagio prelim event for $203,495.
I’ve known Paul for a while through the 2+2 forums, but I first met him in real life at the 2006 WSOP… Read full post
Last weekend, I accompanied several of my debaters to an urban debate league national championship in Chicago. As the director of the Boston Debate League, I rarely have the time (or inclination) to judge debates myself. However, I did judge a few rounds while in Chicago. In particular, I had … Read full post
My One Minute Recommendation: Smaller stakes players who want a big picture view of advanced concepts that they’ll need to understand to win at higher stakes will probably get their money’s worth. Beginners, however, should find another resource that’s written specifically for them and presented in a more tiered and … Read full post
Two of my students have recently started poker blogs that may prove worth following:
Neither has posted too much yet, but hey, they are learning from the master, so something insightful is bound to trickle down!… Read full post
Just found this sweet, kind of random video over on the GPSTS blog:
Here’s a tricky little play I made early in tonight’s session. I’m going to try using an embeddable replayer that one of my readers suggested to me, but if you have trouble watching it, please leave a comment to let me know. I won’t use it again if it causes … Read full post
Sorry for the recent silence. I was in Chicago with some of my debaters for the Chase Urban Debate National Championships. I thought I’d have internet access, but the new laptop is giving me trouble already. Anyhow, regular posting will resume tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.… Read full post
My One Minute Recommendation: Harrington on Cash Games Volume II covers turn and river play as well as playing loose and aggressive, dealing with others who play that way, bankroll management, and other topics. Harrington explains complex poker theory well, but when it comes to putting it into practice, his … Read full post
My latest article, Take Your Best Shot, has just been published in the April 2008 issue of Two Plus Two Internet Magazine. It’s about how to take a shot at a game that you would ordinarily consider outside of your bankroll.
If you enjoy this article, my older … Read full post
It was one of my goals for 2008 to make some videos for one of the major instructional sites, and it looks promising that I’ll soon do a series for a Poker Savvy Plus. After getting invited by Justin Rollo, who is one of their teachers and who’s known … Read full post
Oooph. Man I feel like I just got brutalized all month, but the truth is that I was nearly even until about 10 days ago, and then things really hit the skids. It was some combination of running bad, getting frustrated, and once finding myself in an expensive game with … Read full post
I’ve written before about the importance of thin value bets, but I think at least some of these are too thin:
Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners
Seat 0: Villain ($13917.50) – 
Seat 1: Hero ($5098.50) – 
– 
PRE-FLOP:
Hero posts small blind $25
Villain posts BIG … Read full post
Last month, my girlfriend and I spent a few days at the Grand Canyon. I know most of you probably don’t care, but for those of you who know me or who enjoy looking at pictures of other peoples’ vacations, here are some pictures:
Here I am standing on an … Read full post
My One Minute Recommendation: Harrington on Cash Games Volume One scores a 5/10. Players who are new to NLHE cash games will find it initially helpful, especially if they are interested in full ring play. Those who are already moderately successful at cash games will find little of use, especially … Read full post
Two exciting deliveries arrived yesterday. The first was my new laptop. My old machine was going on five years and pathetic at handling all my poker applications. Also the screen was so lame compared to my dual monitor wide-screen desktop set-up. The new computer has a 17″ screen, which will … Read full post
I was in Providence Wednesday night for the Rhode Island Urban Debate League‘s end of the year banquet. It was a powerful event marked by three highlights: speeches from Providence mayor David Cicilline, Great Debaters star Nate Parker, and the graduating seniors of the RIUDL. Perhaps the biggest story, … Read full post
I’ve mentioned from time to time how annoying it is when people “hit and run”, or win a big pot and quit immediately. Although it can occur at any table, it’s especially annoying when playing heads up because the game is more personal and because when they quit, there’s no … Read full post
On Tuesday, I posted about a rally I attended at the Massachusetts State House to protest a provision of Governor Patrick’s casino legislation that made playing poker online a felony punishable by up to $25,000 and/or two years in jail. I’m happy to report that the committee holding a hearing … Read full post
I’d been playing this short stacker heads up at 10/20 NL. He was pretty bad, but I was going to need to make a hand to bust him. Finally, I got AKo and made my standard $60 raise. He shoved all in for about $400, I snap-called, and he turned … Read full post
I dragged my ass out of bed this morning and got over to the State House around 8:30 AM for a rally, organized by the Poker Players’ Alliance and by Harvard Law School professor Charlie Nesson and his Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society.
Since they were going to have … Read full post
