More on Chinese poker comming soon.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
How to play Razz
For those of you out their wanting more tips on razz here are a few more suggestions.
Finding a game – Razz is not a very popular game and players are prone to leave after just one or two bad hands. Therefore you should try and get on a waiting list for a full game rather then jump in a table that is just starting. Not only will your wait likely be short because players tend to quit easily, but the remaining players are probably winning at this point making them more likely to stick around. Compare this to an open table of maybe four players where you are not likely to see new players and a player going broke might dramatically alter the flow of the game or even end it.
Starting requirements – While your main goal should be to start with 3 cards 8 or less you should also consider your competition. If you have three players entering the pot before you with hands 7 low or less you should likely fold. You might be able to out draw one opponent, but it is simply unrealistic to hope that a whole group of players will miss. This can also apply to kickers if you have a 765 to start you should probably fold if you are against two or more players with 7 lows. The reason being that of those whom make a 7 low will either tie or much more likely beat your 765 as that is the worst possible combination in that range.
Effects of antes – Not all games have the same system for antes. If you are naturally very aggressive you should try and find games with high antes 20% of the small bet or more, but if you are passive you should try to find a game with small antes with antes around 10% of the small bet. The reason being the main bets will allow big pots either way. However higher antes will push players to open up their starting requirements.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
What is Rake?
Rake - Rake is a fee that casino’s and online poker sites charge players for the use of their facility. This includes tables, dealers, security, and their enforcement of rules. Rake is normally a small percentage of the pot awarded to the winner. This method has proven very effective as the looser in the pot no longer cares about the fate of his lost money, and the winner who is simply happy to have won is indifferent. Most online poker sites charge around 5% of the total pot on every hand with a maximum of $3-$5. However casinos are not able to break dollars into cents and so they will take the lowest denomination chip off the table.
Rakeback – Rakeback is a loyalty program that most online poker sites offer to encourage new player to try their site. This allows players to save a percentage of the money that poker sites would charge. In most cases a site will offer 30% rakeback to players. While this sounds small to a regular player particularly to a high stakes player this can save thousands of dollars a year. For example a player who plays only one hour of poker a night at $5-$10 limit is estimated to save $2,292 a year with this program at only 30% rakeback.
Rakeback – Rakeback is a loyalty program that most online poker sites offer to encourage new player to try their site. This allows players to save a percentage of the money that poker sites would charge. In most cases a site will offer 30% rakeback to players. While this sounds small to a regular player particularly to a high stakes player this can save thousands of dollars a year. For example a player who plays only one hour of poker a night at $5-$10 limit is estimated to save $2,292 a year with this program at only 30% rakeback.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
What is a Sit and Go?
Other Sit & Go Variations
Knockout - Knockouts are played like a regular game. However each player has a bounty on their head for example in a $12 game a player might have a $2 bounty on their head. This mean that who ever knocks them out of the game wins $2. This does not affect the game directly, but the allure of bounty money generally causes players to be more aggressive and it makes it much more likely you will be called when you move all-in.
Double Stacked – These games start players with double the number of chips they would normally receive. This can dramatically change the value of your hand selection as you now have more time and more betting options. A simple way to adjust to this is to consider these games to be 1 ½ - 2 times longer then a normal game. There is also a triple stacked in which case I would consider the game 2 ½ - 3 times long then a normal game.
Duplicate Poker – This was an attempt to create a completely fair style of tournament in which all players received the same cards in the same situations as all other players in that seat at other tables. They would be given a betting cap of 1,000 per hand. Then based on your number of chips at the end of the pre-set number of hands your ranking would be determined. Players would continuously rotate positions until each player had directly competed against everyone. Then based on their scores they would decide your rank and payment. (Duplicate poker was only available at http://www.duplicatepoker.com/ which closed Oct 5th 2008.)
Matrix – This game has the normal 9 players play against one another on 4 separate tables. This is done in an effort to round luck out of the equation so the best player will benefit. Each game will reward 1st-3rd. There will be an additional payout to the players whom have the best results. They calculate your results by giving you 1 point for every player you outlast and an additional 2 for each you knockout. There is one exception to the payouts and that is if a player can win all 4 games they win it all. Here is an example of a $10 game with a $90 prize pool. (Only at Full Tilt Poker)
Shootout – Shootouts are based on single elimination matches. They are most often either a 2 or 9 player per-table system. This system of play can dramatically change a player’s style as there is a real need to win rather then to just limp into the money. The most alluring feature to this game is the balance it creates as players are no longer affected by what happens at other tables. The absence of big stacks or chip dead seat warmers allows for a more rounded game. Here is an example of how a Sit & Go with 8 players would work with 1st taking 65% and second 35% of the total prize pool. 
Monday, October 27, 2008
Online poker tell #1
I want to start by saying that reading people in real life and online are clearly different however it can still be done with great success in fact I would say it is very possible that you can get a better read on an online players then a live one, and that using just a few key techniques can make you or save you enough money that your actual skill level is almost irrelevant. How is this possible? The secret is surprisingly simple, and that is that playing online encourages systems and patterns which if properly observed will tell you everything you need to know.
First I want to talk about the most obvious sign of strength. It is a tell that almost no one out there would realize that they are giving off, but is the best indicator of their strength. Would you have guessed that I am speaking about multi-tabling? Multi-tabling how is that a tell? Quite simply a busy man is a blunt man. It is not so surprising is it? Just think if you had tables popping up on screen every few seconds beeping and blinking demanding your attention. What would you do if you had to put up with that pressure or loose money? You would try your best to appease it if for no other reason then to shut it up. Now because money is a factor you’re not going to do anything rash like push all in with seven deuce so you could just have an excuse to shut it off. So what would you do in that situation? I’ll tell you what I would do and what most people do they keep it simple and avoid doing more work then they have to. Under these circumstances every time you stop or even slow down to play a hand you back up your work pile. This means quite simply that you want to avoid stopping as much as possible. Due to this players who are multi-tabling don't tend to make tricky plays or bluffs as they require some attention and planning that they simply don’t have time to plan out. Often times they don’t even have time to fully consider their situation before they have to decide and move on. So what does that mean to you? It means when you see them make a bet it is almost always legitimate or a continuation.
This little bit of information is one of the most useful peaces of information you can have on your opponent. Just compare it to a live game. If you knew that the man you were playing against never lied and never bet without a hand how would your play change towards this player? Now this has several advantages. The most obvious is stealing from him. If you know your opponent is not going to be try anything fancy I suggest you almost always raise their blinds if you are in a position to do so safely. Now this doesn’t always mean that they will just let you run them over all of the time. Often enough they will call just to be stubborn if that is the case don’t be afraid to put out a raise on the flop even if they beat you by raising first I suggest re-raising them. This is because of two simple facts. One if they really hand that strong of a hand they would of re-raised you pre-flop second many will put out a raise almost automatically as an attempt to force you to have a hand, but if you feel that is the case then simply re-raise them as many players expect a bluff from you, but will crumble under a re-bluff.
Now let me quickly add that the more tables they are playing the more obvious they will be, but it still holds true even if they are only playing two tables. I would not put some of the things I mentioned out of players abilities simply because they are playing two tables. However once a player chooses to play three or more tables it does become more and more of a negative influence on their game. I would in fact say that a player playing two tables is hardly affected other then the fact that he is more likely to pass on some medium or playable hands such as JT, AJ, 44 and so on because these are sometimes tricky to play and require more focus compared to hand like AA where you only really have to think about the how much you think they might call. However once they begin to play three tables or more players tend to avoid these hands all together as they seem less valuable simply by volume. Consider this if you were playing and got a premium hand once every forty hands. This circumstance if for no other reason then boredom would likely cause you to incorporate more hands. However if you now played 4 tables you would receive a premium hand in length of ten hands in a normal game. Though this rate does not affect each individual game that the user involved with it will change the user’s perception of the frequency of these hands as well as the fact he won’t have time to be bored. So in light of this consider anyone playing two tables to simply be more willing to fold on 50/50 decisions. Those playing three or four tables to be straight forward but still able to pick up on some blatant steal attempts, and anyone playing more then four table to be a robot essentially having no clue as to what is going on at the table and consider them to play only the most obvious styles of poker.
This situation however changes completely when they begin the action with a raise. In fact depending on how many tables they are playing if they were playing four tables I would not expect them to have anything less then AA, KK, QQ, JJ, or AK if they were to raise. If they should choose to call they likely have TT, 99, 88, AQ or something along those lines. It is hard to say what a players starting requirements are however as a rule the more tables they are playing the tighter the style of play. One thing is for sure when a multi-tabler chooses to raise you should be very picky on your hand requirements. I suggest that if they are playing 4 tables or more that you throw away anything other then AA, KK, QQ, AK and maybe even JJ depending on the player. Now that you know the only question is how do you know if someone is multi-tabling? The truth is that it depends mostly on just which site you are playing on. Some sites such as Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars for example have an option in the menu called “find a player” this was originally added so players could more easily find friends or find celebrity players to encourage a more enjoyable gaming experiences. This also allows you to follow around weak players or those you feel you have the best chance against. However even if this method does not exist there are still other methods available to you. The easiest is to simple talk to the other players. A player sitting at multiple tables will have little time to look over idle chat or reply to you. Therefore anyone you talk to likely is only playing 1-2 tables. Now while a player sitting out of a hand is likely to engage in talks with you if for no other reason then to kill time between hands. Some will choose to sit there quietly so if you are unable to get a response by making a joke or simple banter I suggest being a little rude. Make a slightly rude comment about someone’s play. While many people will ignore a nice man trying to be their friend almost none will ignore an insult. You do not have to go over board or swear, but a little jab to their pride will force them out of their shell. Remember poker is a war, and it is better to win with bad taste then say goodbye to your children (Chips).
First I want to talk about the most obvious sign of strength. It is a tell that almost no one out there would realize that they are giving off, but is the best indicator of their strength. Would you have guessed that I am speaking about multi-tabling? Multi-tabling how is that a tell? Quite simply a busy man is a blunt man. It is not so surprising is it? Just think if you had tables popping up on screen every few seconds beeping and blinking demanding your attention. What would you do if you had to put up with that pressure or loose money? You would try your best to appease it if for no other reason then to shut it up. Now because money is a factor you’re not going to do anything rash like push all in with seven deuce so you could just have an excuse to shut it off. So what would you do in that situation? I’ll tell you what I would do and what most people do they keep it simple and avoid doing more work then they have to. Under these circumstances every time you stop or even slow down to play a hand you back up your work pile. This means quite simply that you want to avoid stopping as much as possible. Due to this players who are multi-tabling don't tend to make tricky plays or bluffs as they require some attention and planning that they simply don’t have time to plan out. Often times they don’t even have time to fully consider their situation before they have to decide and move on. So what does that mean to you? It means when you see them make a bet it is almost always legitimate or a continuation.
This little bit of information is one of the most useful peaces of information you can have on your opponent. Just compare it to a live game. If you knew that the man you were playing against never lied and never bet without a hand how would your play change towards this player? Now this has several advantages. The most obvious is stealing from him. If you know your opponent is not going to be try anything fancy I suggest you almost always raise their blinds if you are in a position to do so safely. Now this doesn’t always mean that they will just let you run them over all of the time. Often enough they will call just to be stubborn if that is the case don’t be afraid to put out a raise on the flop even if they beat you by raising first I suggest re-raising them. This is because of two simple facts. One if they really hand that strong of a hand they would of re-raised you pre-flop second many will put out a raise almost automatically as an attempt to force you to have a hand, but if you feel that is the case then simply re-raise them as many players expect a bluff from you, but will crumble under a re-bluff.
Now let me quickly add that the more tables they are playing the more obvious they will be, but it still holds true even if they are only playing two tables. I would not put some of the things I mentioned out of players abilities simply because they are playing two tables. However once a player chooses to play three or more tables it does become more and more of a negative influence on their game. I would in fact say that a player playing two tables is hardly affected other then the fact that he is more likely to pass on some medium or playable hands such as JT, AJ, 44 and so on because these are sometimes tricky to play and require more focus compared to hand like AA where you only really have to think about the how much you think they might call. However once they begin to play three tables or more players tend to avoid these hands all together as they seem less valuable simply by volume. Consider this if you were playing and got a premium hand once every forty hands. This circumstance if for no other reason then boredom would likely cause you to incorporate more hands. However if you now played 4 tables you would receive a premium hand in length of ten hands in a normal game. Though this rate does not affect each individual game that the user involved with it will change the user’s perception of the frequency of these hands as well as the fact he won’t have time to be bored. So in light of this consider anyone playing two tables to simply be more willing to fold on 50/50 decisions. Those playing three or four tables to be straight forward but still able to pick up on some blatant steal attempts, and anyone playing more then four table to be a robot essentially having no clue as to what is going on at the table and consider them to play only the most obvious styles of poker.
This situation however changes completely when they begin the action with a raise. In fact depending on how many tables they are playing if they were playing four tables I would not expect them to have anything less then AA, KK, QQ, JJ, or AK if they were to raise. If they should choose to call they likely have TT, 99, 88, AQ or something along those lines. It is hard to say what a players starting requirements are however as a rule the more tables they are playing the tighter the style of play. One thing is for sure when a multi-tabler chooses to raise you should be very picky on your hand requirements. I suggest that if they are playing 4 tables or more that you throw away anything other then AA, KK, QQ, AK and maybe even JJ depending on the player. Now that you know the only question is how do you know if someone is multi-tabling? The truth is that it depends mostly on just which site you are playing on. Some sites such as Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars for example have an option in the menu called “find a player” this was originally added so players could more easily find friends or find celebrity players to encourage a more enjoyable gaming experiences. This also allows you to follow around weak players or those you feel you have the best chance against. However even if this method does not exist there are still other methods available to you. The easiest is to simple talk to the other players. A player sitting at multiple tables will have little time to look over idle chat or reply to you. Therefore anyone you talk to likely is only playing 1-2 tables. Now while a player sitting out of a hand is likely to engage in talks with you if for no other reason then to kill time between hands. Some will choose to sit there quietly so if you are unable to get a response by making a joke or simple banter I suggest being a little rude. Make a slightly rude comment about someone’s play. While many people will ignore a nice man trying to be their friend almost none will ignore an insult. You do not have to go over board or swear, but a little jab to their pride will force them out of their shell. Remember poker is a war, and it is better to win with bad taste then say goodbye to your children (Chips).
About the author
To all those reading this blog I assume you would want to know something about the author before taking a leap of faith that he knows what he is talking about. I am a veteran poker player who has played almost every level of cash game from penny games to higher stakes games where a man stands to win or loose thousands of dollars in a single night. I was once obsessed with the game spending nearly every free moment of my time playing. During which time I managed to make what to me is a fair amount of money as it was often at times more lucrative to spend a day at the tables then a week at the office. I regret to say that I got caught up in my success at the tables and squandered most of my earnings on either cool gadgets or at the blackjack table. Despite my wasteful habits I still find myself a winning player. However due to the unhealthy nature of obsession I try and avoid letting poker completely dominate my life, and so I attempt to treat it as pastime lucrative as it might be. I chose to start this blog not for fame or recognition, but rather to test the limits of my understanding of the game, and as one of my old college teachers once said, “If you want to test your knowledge on something try and write a book about it. When you find yourself stuck you have found something you don’t know”. I know I am no writer and should likely let a professional writer explain the game to learning players, but I feel it is better to have a poker player learn to write then a writer learn to play poker.
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